Olga Elisabeth Lagergren

December 16, 2019 by LottaK Leave a comment

This is Olga Elisabeth Lagergren, born in Kristdala, Kalmar län, on Sept. 15, 1877. She died in Bankhult, Kalmar län, on Dec. 1, 1923.

Olga Elisabeth gave birth to a son, Frans Evald Brodin, in 1895. She wasn’t married to the boy’s father. Her situation can’t have been good, because according to the birth record both parents wanted to remain anonymous. Olga Elisabeth later changed her mind and came forward. Little Frans Evald was given his father’s last name, but no father is named on the birth record.

We will never know what kind of pressure either of them was under. The boy’s father, Emil Brodin, emigrated to the US in 1896 and died there a few years later.

Olga Elisabeth married in 1909 and had three more children.

Emil Brodin was my 4th cousin twice removed.

What’s not there

December 16, 2019 by LottaK Leave a comment

One thing that becomes painfully clear when using online resources for family research is in that particular context women and women’s lives leave almost no trace. There is a lot of information about military service but very little about employment, for instance. Not to mention private lives. You will find information about births and deaths, and marriages. In the US school photos have been scanned. But that’s it.

Karl Aron Emil Brodin

December 15, 2019 by LottaK Leave a comment

Karl Aron Emil Brodin was born in Kristdala, Kalmar län, on Nov. 2, 1875. When he was 20 years old, in December of 1895, his son Frans Evald was born. At Frans Evald’s birth both of his parents are listed as ‘unknown’. Later his mother came forward, and Frans Evald was somehow also given Brodin as his last name.

Karl Aron Emil Brodin left Sweden for the United States on July 15, 1896. His son is 7 months old.

Emil Brodin died in Los Angeles, Calif. on June 29, 1905. He had contracted tuberculosis in Manila, Philippines, while fighting with the 22nd US infantry in the Philippine – American War. That was “an armed conflict between the First Philippine Republic and the United States that lasted from February 4, 1899, to July 2, 1902.” He had enlisted in the spring of 1898 and was discharged in Manila on Dec. 13, 1901.

Sawtelle Veterans Home in west Los Angeles, Calif. was established in 1887.

On Nov. 9, 1904 he was admitted to the Pacific Branch of the U.S. National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, in Sawtelle, Calif. ‘Chas Karlson (uncle), Victoria, Ill.’ was listed as his next of kin.

Emil was buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, 950 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles. His grave is in section 11, row L, site 8.

Emil was my 4th cousin twice removed.

Race: White, not yet a citizen (White)

December 14, 2019 by LottaK Leave a comment

Arvid Renström was born on June 22, 1897 in Kristdala, Kalmar län, Sweden. In 1942 he was a fireman living in Brooklyn, New York. Earlier he had been a seaman sailing between Sweden and North American ports.

On Nov. 12, 1942 Arvid enlisted in the US army. He enlisted as a private, and on the line for race someone defined him as “White, not yet a citizen (White)”.

He was 5′ 8″, and 157 pounds.

Arvid became a US citizen a year later, on Nov. 18, 1943. At that point he was living at 566 Baltic St. in Brooklyn.

Arvid must have moved back to Sweden sometime during the 1960s, because according to the US Social Security Death Index Arvid died in Europe in August of 1970. He was not living in Sweden in 1960.

The fact that the word ‘white’ appears twice on the line for race in his enlistment record is, for lack of a better word, interesting.

Arvid was my 5th cousin twice removed.