Swedish American Genealogist
Volume 34 | Number 4 Article 5
12-1-2014 Genealogy kicks! Norman Sandin (Pono)
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Recommended Citation Sandin (Pono), Norman (2014) "Genealogy kicks!," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 34 : No. 4 , Article 5. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol34/iss4/5
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Genealogy kicks!f
A longtime genealogist tells about some of his thrills
BY NORMAN SANDIN (PONO)
I know that some of you who read 1. What became of the things I write about genealogy think I'm nuts and I admit that great-uncle Erik? before I started I might have thought My father's father Karl Erik (b. 1873 the same thing, but there are some Ljusnarsberg [Orebro Ian) was born parts of it that are real kicks. Grant- out of wedlock. His mother Brita ed, the data input and organizational Stina Jansdotter (b. 1846 Ljusnars- activities are pretty boring. That's berg) married two years later and why my website, database, charts, grandpa took his surname from her and files are never quite up to date. husband Per Erik Sandin (b. 1840 It is more fun researching! Long be- Ramsberg, Orebro Ian). fore I started seriously researching Three years later grandpa's half- my ancestry, my ex-wife and I tried brother Erik Victor Sandin (b. 1878 to contact contemporaries on both Ljusnarsberg) joined the family. sides and gather as much data as Grandpa immigrated to "Amerika" in they had and were willing to share. 1891 when he was 18 and never saw We filled two large notebooks with Erik again. Grandpa told the family Norman Sandin (Pono) in 2013. data about aunts, uncles, cousins, and that Erik also immigrated, but I had their spouses. no luck finding him in the U.S.A. story all took a lot of time and effort, After retirement, I got into the As the years passed, more and but let me condense it. Erik's orphan ancestry of my mother and father, more Swedish records were released, son Victor Birger Sandin immigrated whose parents immigrated from and more and more have been made to the U.S., settled in Washington Sweden to the U.S.A. Since all four available online. Some time ago, I State, had two sons, and eventually, of my grandparents were from Swe- found church records indicating that I am now in touch with one of his den, in pursuing my own ancestry I Erik made arrangements to immi- sons, Vern Sandin, a half-first cousin! became very familiar with Swedish grate in 1898 when he was 20 years records and found that they were old. But still no indication in the U.S. accurate, quite extensive, and readily records or the Swedish records of available. such a journey. Another batch of That initial effort resulted in the church records became available and discovery of some 567 direct ances- I found Erik after the scheduled date tors and many more siblings, spouses, of departure. With help, I found that and in-laws. Every one of these instead of immigrating he had be- discoveries was a kick and I suppose come a chauffeur, married a girl from that might have been enough, but Norway, lived some in Sweden and apparently I am obsessive, com- some in Norway, and died in 1902 pulsive, or otherwise committed to when he was only 24 years old. filling in blanks, such that I looked The mystery of Uncle Erik was for other trees to climb. Once in a now solved. But wait, I followed his while a discovery gives me a big kick. bride, Inga Sofia Jensine Andersen, only to find that Erik had left her Mamie and Clarence Sandin, Norman's I'd like to share a few of these with parents. you to see if you get a feeling for what pregnant, and a son was born in 1903. I'm seeking. This research and the balance of this
8 Swedish American Genealogist 2014:4 2. We are all related (apparently) Two of my mother's (Mamie Eleanora Tillner [b. 17 July 1896 in Bessemer, MI]) sisters (Beyda Cecelia and Edna Emelia) married two young men who happened to be Lindberg brothers, Evald Theodore and Karlton Axel. This concentration of relationships provided an opportunity that was difficult to ignore. To add to the temptation, the brothers had Swed- ish ancestry. Their father was called Charles Lindberg, born in 1867 in Nordmark, Varmland. Research in Swedish sources was by now famil- iar to me. The older sister and her husband had two daughters while the younger had one son. These three are my first cousins. These cousins were (and the two remaining are) quick to inform me of family events The Tillner family: Carl Henning, Margaret Marian, John Leonard, Edna Emelia, to keep the contemporary trees cur- Viola Alfhilda, (front row I to r) Mamie Eleanora, Rubie Eloise, Frederika, Albert, rent. Myron Albert, and Beyda Cecelia, taken in about 1921. A few years ago I dug out several on, and the next generation produced teckning I have online was for Sven's generations of Lindberg ancestry and a man named Nils Nilsson Zander (b. son-in-law, the husband of Sven's shared a nearly 200 page report and 1775 Hallefors), which rang a bell. I daughter who is in the Wiersbe line, some charts with these first cousins. checked my database and, sure and the father of the Zander I first Included in that report was a bit of enough, I had that very person listed. ran into. Even though this person data I found about the wife of the He was not a direct ancestor, but I was not in my direct ancestry, I chose male cousin.The two female cousins had significant information about to translate the bouppteckning to see (Jean Charlotte and Janet Charlene him. To make a long story short, the if any items listed could be identified Lindberg [sisters]) married two men maternal grandfather of the Zander as the same ones that were passed who happened to be brothers named I ran into was Sven Larsson (b. 1726 down from Sven. There's still more. Wiersbe. Once again I was faced with Hallefors) and he married twice. I wrote and put online two Ponog- the opportunity and temptation of His first wife had a daughter that rams that describe the life of Sven digging into a concentration of genes led to the Wiersbe line and his second from the eyes of Sven's widow, using and once again I succumbed to the wife had a daughter that led to my his bouppteckning as a source for temptation. line. The Wiersbe brothers who mar- details. I didn't get very far with the ried my two first cousins turn out to And then there is the frosting on Wiersbe line because the paternal be half fourth cousins once removed! the cake of discovery. When I made grandfather of the brothers came The "half" is due to our lines com- the announcement of my discovery from Germany and I really don't ing from two different wives of our of the common ancestor, I heard from know my way around German re- common ancestor, Sven Larsson. Now a 5th cousin in Sweden who now lives cords. However, the maternal grand- that alone was a big thrill, but on just two miles from the Sven Larson parents were born in Sweden and closer examination, Sven's boupp- farm Hyttbacken and on the same immigrated to the U.S.A., so I was off teckning was one that I had trans- property of the Zander farm So'dra and running. As usual, some of the lated and have online. The Swedish Torpen! The kicks just keep coming. lines petered out after about four bouppteckning is kind of like probate To summarize, the Lindberg sisters generations, but one eventually went papers, but includes an inventory of are my first cousins through my out to nine generations with earliest the deceased's estate with values, in- mother's side, and they married births in the mid-1600s. formation about heirs, and some- Wiersbe brothers who are my half A birth in 1806 on that line took times an indication of the estate's fourth cousins once removed through place in the parish of Hallefors (Ore- distribution. It is a wealth of insight my father's side! bro Ian) where some of my ancestors into the life of the deceased. came from. This encouraged me to go I was not done yet. Another boupp-
Swedish American Genealogist 2014:4 9 and between 1664 and 1674 all four and my grandma didn't get along of Per's daughters found matches with the new wife, so grandma was with four of Willam's sons! probably incentivized to get away The part that tickled me the most from home for a new life. But did she was that while the parents (Per and travel alone? Sara) of the four sisters were my New records shed light on the direct relatives, it was their son Hans story. It turns out that grandma's Persson (b. 1632 Grangarde (Dalarna older brother Albin Johannesson (b. Ian) who perpetuated my line, not 1868 Artemark) apparently returned one of the four sisters, and further- from the U.S.A. for the sole purpose more Hans did not marry Wellam's of picking up and traveling with The pulpit in Grangdrde church. Made only daughter. grandma in her grand journey! I during the 1600s. breathed a sigh of relief. 3. Four brothers marry 4. Did Grandma travel Afterword four sisters alone at 19 years old? Early in my research, I was able to I hope these four summaries give you Per Nilsson Vastgote (b. ca 1586 in a bit of the flavor of genealogy and Lekeryd (Jb'nkopings Ian) was an find in the church records that my maternal grandmother Fredrika Jo- why I spend so much time on it. The ancient ancestor who I learned quite kicks are unexpected and really re- a lot about. Per and his wife Sara hannesdotter (b. 1872 Artemark (Alvsborgs Ian) came to the U.S.A. warding, but I'm told that the real Olofsdotter had several children in- benefit of the genealogy research is cluding four daughters, Elisabet, in 1891, when she was 19 years old. I was shocked that a girl of that keeping my mind sharp. Is it work- Kerstin, Kari, and Margreta Pers- ing? You tell me. db'ttrar who were born between 1643 age would have the courage to make a journey like that alone. But then, and 1653. Per had a good friend, The author is Norman Sandin neighbor, and business associate her mother and her sister had died, her older brother had immigrated, (also called Pono). His e-mail is: named Wellam Bononi, who lived as