Neil Randall PETERSON

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Birth Certificate: 1922-53568
• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1940-MN-026555

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1965-MN-029677

Notes:

In the 1930 census, Nels and his family lived at 1703 Sheridan Street in St. Paul in a house that they owned. Nels was a steel worker at a railroad car shop. He was a veteran of the World War.

In the 1940 census, he and his family still lived at 1703 Sheridan in St. Paul. Nels was a helper for a steam railway.

Nels married Juliet VALGREN. Juliet (daughter of Nils JOHANSSON (VOLGREN) and Anna Märtha JONSDOTTER) was born on 28 Jul 1895 in Sweden; died on 11 Nov 1958 in Ramsey County, Minnesota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Minnesota Death Certificate: 1958-MN-030432

Notes:

Or Julia. Came to America with her parents in 1911.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Bonde in the 1890 Swedish census, Hemmansägare in the 1900 Swedish census, Farmer in the U.S.

Notes:

The 87-94 Household Exam for Hösen of Frappnäs shows that Märta (and her husband since they were married in April, June, July, August, or September - dates vary and are unclear) left for Frösö on October 7, 1885. At the time of the 1890 Swedish census, Nils, Märta, Johannes, and Karin Götilda were living in Stensgården in the parish of Frösö, county of Jämtland. They were still there at the time of the 1900 Swedish census but with three additional children. There is no mention of “Valgren” in the Swedish census reports; that must have been adopted in the U.S.

He and his family arrived in Philadelphia in April of 1911, aboard the S.S. Friesland which had sailed from Liverpool on April 5th. The family consisted of Niels Johansson, 51, Maria K., 31, Julia, 15, Niels R., 11, and Jenni E., 11 months. They had come from Frösä, Sweden, and were bound for Amery, Wisconsin. The senior Niels’s closest relative in Sweden was his brother-in-law, Sachanea Estenson of Vala.

Shown as Nels Valgrin in the 1920 census and was still not a citizen.. He and his family were living in Balsam Lake Township, Polk County, Wisconsin. Harold, Carl, and Nels were still at home. From this, we can infer: Although Nils was married to Marta Jonsson (Jonas’s half-sister), with whom he had five children, Marta died in 1909. Shortly thereafter, by 1910 or 1911, Nils married a much younger woman than he (by 21 years) named Marie. They came to the U.S. in 1911 with their baby daughter Lizzie and also, apparently, with two of Nils's children by Marta: Robert and Julia. By 1920, neither Robert nor Julia was living with Nils. Also by 1920, Nils, Marie, and Lizzie were still listed as non-citizens. But, by 1920, Nils and Marie had had 3 more children in Wisconsin: Harold, Carl, and Nils.

Shown as Nels Volgren in the 1930 census. He and his family were still living in Balsam Lake.

Nils was living in a nursing home in Balsam Lake in the spring of 1954.

Birth:
per 84-93 Household Exam for Frösö

Nils married Anna Märtha JONSDOTTER in 1885. Anna (daughter of Unknown and Karin JONSDOTTER) was born on 26 May 1861 in Hallen, Jämtlands län, Sweden; was christened on 12 Jun 1861 in Hallen, Jämtlands län, Sweden; died on 7 Feb 1909 in Sweden. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Born as Anna Märtha (not Märta) in Hallen, illegitimate child of the unmarried 22 year-old maid Karin Jonsdotter of Fräppnäs on May 26th, 1861, and baptized on June 12th. No father’s name is included in the birth record in the Hallen parish record. It does appear that Jon Jonsson of Kläppe attended the baptism (probably Karin’s brother).

Märta is living with Karin in the Jon-and-Marit household in the Marby 65-78 Household Exam with the notation that she is Karin’s illegitimate daughter.

Märta’s oldest child died from a burst blood vessel after moving a piano. See Rudolph's comments in the notes to Karin Jonsdotter.

P.S. Corrine is nearing the end of translating the letters. She found out an interesting thing which she had known vaguely about but grandma would never talk about. Apparently Jonas's sister's daughter was murdered in Sweden by her husband.

Notes:

The dates of their marriage in 1885 are various (June, July, or August) and unclear in the Household Examinations.

Married:
per the Hösen of Frappnäs 87-94 Household Exam

Johan married Caroline NILSDOTTER in 1852. Caroline (daughter of Nils Nilsson and Magdalena Olsdotter) was born on 14 Nov 1825 in Frösö, Jämtlands län, Sweden; died on 23 Mar 1890 in Frösö, Jämtlands län, Sweden. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

No father was named on Anna Martha’s birth record.

Unknown married Karin JONSDOTTER. Karin (daughter of Jonas JONSSON and Marit ERIKSDOTTER) was born on 6 Mar 1836 in Kläppe Marby, Jämtlands län, Sweden; died on 24 May 1909 in Kläppe Marby, Jämtlands län, Sweden. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Or Carin.

Other records say Karin Jonsson, born 2 Mar 1836. The household exam definitely shows the 6th as her birthdate.

Seems to have left her parents’ household on August 11, 1866. At that point they appear elsewhere in the Marby household exam: at a farm named Meikelsson. They leave that location, and move to Kläppe, before Jonas Petter is born because he is not listed although Anna Catharina is. In 1875, they move again, apparently to a different farm in or near Kläppe.

The 1890 Swedish Census records show the name as Karin Jonsdotter, born in 1836. In 1890, Jonas and Anna are still listed as single and living at home. The census record does not mention Marta who, according to other records, had married and, presumably, moved away from home.

Anna Jönsson Ellingboe's cousin Olof Jönsson found the records for the 1909 auction mentioned in the notes under Jonas Persson. At the time of Carin's death, Carin's daughter Märta had already died so that her share of the inheritance was to be distributed to her four children.

In February of 1982, Rudolph Johnson wrote to Mary Carlson as follows:

"The only information I got is the auction papers on the household goods of our father's mother. They are in a wallet in a trunk upstairs. She died in May 1909. Her daughter Martha died in February the same year. Her daughter Anna had gone to America. Her son our father was at the sale and bought quite a lot of stuff. Martha's daughter Karin also was at the sale and bought some stuff. After funeral expenses were deducted, 1/3 of the proceeds was given to pa, 1/3 was sent to Anna in America and 1/3 was given in equal amounts to each of Martha's four living children. Her oldest son had died from internal bleeding. He had lifted too hard in a piano they were moving up a stairway and busted an artery next to the heart.

"Our father's father had died earlier from cancer. He went to Stockholm to see a specialist but nothing could be done to save him. He bought and sold horses. Pa used to help his grandpa put up wood for the winter at their home in Oviken. His grandpa was his mother's father, Mr. Persson.

[Rudolph is apparently confused on this point. Persson was his father's father.]

"Dates of births and deaths I think are written in the old bibles that have been handed down from our grandparents. I think our parents were married in the fall in 1908 I'm not sure."