Inger Larson/Ingren Nelson: Sweden & East Longmeadow, MA

I am researching my gr.gr. grandmother. I believe she was probably born Inger Larsdotter, born 1827 in Sweden. She was later known as Larson; she married John Nelson, and her gravestone lists her as Ingren L. Nelson. They had a daughter, Augusta, born May 8, 1860 in Grimmared, Alfsborgs Lan. She married Anders/Andrew Johnson, born January 12, 1858 in Torestorp, Alfsborgs Lan. All but John Nelson are buried in a cemetery in East Longmeadow, MA.

Looking for more info on John & Inger.

Tak,

Ron

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tischer on June 9, 2010 at 1:41pm

I checked the birth records for the dates/locations listed but there was nothing. Is it possible you have some dates/locations mixed up? I checked the records here: http://www.arkivdigital.net/

Jeff

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 9, 2010 at 2:18pm

Anything is possible in this craziness we call ancestor research... I have Andrew's birthdate & place from a doc my grandfather (their son) filed with the Justice Department; I have Andrew's & Augusta's info from several US Census docs; I have a copy of my grandfather's baptismal/birth record from Sweden listing his mother & father and their info. I also have a photo of their gravestone which I will include here...

Ron

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 9, 2010 at 2:28pm

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tischer on June 9, 2010 at 8:50pm

As to Anders Johnson:
I found an Anders Johnson born 1 Dec 1858 in Torestorp. In the records you have, is the birth date written as 1/12 1858? I ask this because the dates in the church records are written as day/month not month/day...

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tischer on June 9, 2010 at 9:57pm

As to Augusta Nelson I found her Massachussets Death Record Here:
http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=recordimage...
Interesting that it states that she is buried in Guilford Connecticut? And her birth year is listed as 1861?

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 10, 2010 at 5:12am

Looking thru the records, especially census records, I often see the dates go back and forth with a year's difference... I think it comes from part forgetfulness and part from deriving dates from what people say their age is...

Yes, my cousin just found that record showing Augusta having originally been buried in Guilford, CT... I did a quick look for Inger/Ingren & John Nelson in the 1900 US Census, but found nothing promising... Augusta was re-interred in East Longmeadow... That's a head-scratcher for sure... I do know that they came to Portland, CT when they first arrived in the US... Andrew probably worked in the quarries there before moving on to EL... Their son Julian seen on the gravestone was born in CT... But I know of no connection way down in Guilford...

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 10, 2010 at 5:27am

The doc my grandfather filled out for the Justice Department reads: "Dec. 1, 1858"... It also reads: "Forestorp" which I always assumed was a typo... I did a quick check and could find no such parish...

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tischer on June 10, 2010 at 8:47am

I am 99% certain that your Andrew Johnson is the one I located. He "officially" left Torrestorps for America 15 Jan 1886. But it appears from other another record that he may have traveled to America as early as 1881. He also had another brother, August Severin Johansson, that leaves in 1887 with a specific destination of Portland...an intersting coincidence? To compound the coincidence there is an August Johnson with about the same birth year that died in EL in 1900 and is buried there? He has another brother and sister that traveled to America as well. The sister Anne Christina travels to America about 1879-1880. The brother Alexius about 1893.

As to Augusta and Guilford...the only thing I could think is that she had relatives there?

Email me at jrtischer@cableone.net and I will send you the church records about Andrew.

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 10, 2010 at 10:06am

Yes... I have Andrew coming to the US in 1881, according to the 1910 US Census... He was naturalized in 1884, married in 1885; and their first child Julian was born in June of 1886. I'm wondering why he would have to go back to Sweden, and "officially" leave Torestorp after already having become a US citizen?

1910 United States Federal Census 1910 United States Federal Census
Name: Andrew Johnson
Age in 1910: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1858
Birthplace: Sweden
Relation to Head of House: Head
Father's Birth Place: Sweden
Mother's Birth Place: Sweden
Home in 1910: Chester, Hampden, Massachusetts
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Gender: Male
Year of Immigration: 1881
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Andrew Johnson 52
Claus Johnson 18
Emma Johnson 16
Minnie Johnson 15
Harry Johnson 12
Elsie Johnson 9

My cousin was convinced Andrew had a brother, and he did finally find a reference to him in an obituary... It said he was living in CT... I'll have to get busy and do some more research... I'll email you... Thanks for all your help!

Ron

Permalink Reply by Jeff Tischer on June 10, 2010 at 11:09am

Well Andrew probably omitted to let the church know he left is all. He may not have wanted them to know due to conscription or such. Or he just didn't bother. The household exam record shows an unusual entry about America in Swedish folowed by "81" to the right of the departure entry. I think the entry for 1886 is just administrative, to clear the books so to say. I don't believe he actually left on that date (that is in 1886). The EmiHamn database shows an entry I believe is his:

and Johansson
Birth Year: abt 1859
Gender: Man (Male)
Place of Origin: Torestorp Västra Götaland Län, Sverige
Destination: New York
Record Date: 6 apr 1881
Port of Departure: Göteborg
Database Name: EmiHamn
Archive Call Number: 17:189:1628
Principal Person: Johansson And

That data base is constructed of actual departure records recorded at the police station at the port of departure. Usually they correspond to the church records closely by a few days to months depending on the actual departure date. After all folks had to actually travel to the port of departure and sometimes they would make stops along the way or be delayed by the Shipping Lines.

There is also a 1900 Census:

Name: Andrew Johnson
Home in 1900: East Longmeadow, Hampden, Massachusetts
Age: 41
Birth Date: Dec 1858
Birthplace: Sweden
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1882
[1889]
Relationship to Head of House: Head
Father's Name: Neile
Father's Birthplace: Sweden
Mother's Name: J*Nia
Mother's Birthplace: Sweden
Marital Status: Widowed
Household Members: Name Age
Andrew Johnson 41
Julian A Johnson 13
Richard C Johnson 10
Claus O Johnson 8
Emma C Johnson 6
Clara M Johnson 5
Harry H Johnson 2
Neile Johnson 73
J*Nia Johnson 73
John Anderson 26

I believe the entries about the parents are actually for for his wife Augusta though. Augusta's proper Swedish name would have been Augusta Johnson as Sweden used patrynomic naming at the time. So the census folks just assume the last name is Johnson. Imagine the confusion. Btw if the Anders I found is the same one then his parents names are Johannes Gustafson and and Stina Petersdotter. You will see this when I email you the birth record.

Jeff
Ingleside Texas

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 11, 2010 at 4:32am

Actually, Augusta's parents are listed on her death certificate (see below)... And if you look at the original 1900 US Census, it is pretty clear that Andrew's father's name is Nils not Neile; and there is a headstone in EL Cemetery (see below) with a Nils Johnson...

Permalink Reply by Ron Johnson on June 11, 2010 at 4:56am

Here are the doc & photo...

Attachments: