Comments on: Carl and Mathilda

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:23:42 +0000

After living in sweden for five years, I couldn’t imagine that there would be an American/Swedish divide. I was surprised at the number of Swedes who would tell me about aunts, uncles, grandfathers, etc. who had immigrated to the U.S. in the 1800′s. Most welcomed the opportunity to meet the American branches of their families.

I loved the story, just beautiful and wonderful. And I’m so happy you actually went to Sweden. What a great place!

By: Lupita

Lupita — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:51:03 +0000

Did that 27-page contract stipulate anything about an extension?
These posts have been wonderfully thought-provoking. What a fantastic prelude to Pioneer Day.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:25:14 +0000

A preacher from another church taught me the phrase “Divine Appointment” for such encounters.

Perhaps such seemingly-chance-but-not-really encounters are part of our “Marvelous Works” today.

Sometimes the Lord directly instructs, independently, two people to go meet each other, like Cornelius and Peter, or Alma and Amulek.

Other times, the Lord just tells one party, as in directing Philip to go hitch a ride on a certain chariot, where he met the eunuch going back to Ethiopia. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/acts/8/29#29

Other times, all the Lord’s actions are behind the scenes, and two people who need to meet just do so “seemingly by chance.”

Cool.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:55:06 +0000

Wonderful post, Craig.

#11 – Of course, you’d say that, Ardis – even if it is true. For a minute I thought I was reading Keepapitchinin.

By: Craig H.

Craig H. — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:19:09 +0000

Thanks for the correction about Christmas Eve rather than Christmas. You’re right. I agree about the churches; that was one of my favorite things in Sweden, where churches were less ruined by war than in much of Europe. Around Simtuna were 33 churches dating from the middle ages, many of them with the original and fantastic murals. It’s not an extension of a suburban living room, like many modern American (including Mormon) churches.

By: Maude Norman

Maude Norman — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:45:27 +0000

My husband’s father was the son of Swedish immigrants and I have been fascinated with the search for five of his great aunts and uncles who all either died in their 20′s or 30′s in Sweden or immigrated to the US. Last summer we went with his brothers and sister and spouses to visit VÃ¤rmland where the Swedish ancestors lived. It was such a touching experience to visit the churches where these ancestors worshipped. I have tried to teach my children and grandchildren the Swedish Christmas traditions and have read several books describing them, in particular Swedish Christmas by Catarina Lundgren Ã…strÃ¶m. Beautiful book with yummy Christmas recipes! On p 66 she states, “For the information of those who have never been in Sweden on Christmas Eve, the whole country comes to a standstill at three in the afternoon. That’s when they show Donald Duck on TV, a tradition that dates back some 30 years. The same Disney excerpts are shown every year including Jiminy Cricket, the Chipmunks, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, Santa\’s Workshop, Ferdinand the Bull sniffing at his cork oak, and Mickey Mouse on Holiday.” So it makes sense that they would sing “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

My husband’s great uncle served in the military which was compulsory at the time. He was told that there were too many Anderssons, and chose a new name. He chose Norrman which later became Norman in the U.S. Often the Swedish immigrants Americanized their names when they came to the US. In our family, Anders became Andrew, Anna became Annie. The surname “Liljendahl” became “Lynn.” I have found this often makes it difficult tracing a Swedish immigrant back to their homeland. Or finding them in the U.S. once they have left Sweden. Speaking of difficulty finding a Swedish ancestor–my last unsolved mystery is the whereabouts of Jonas or Johan August Johansson b. 30 Oct 1854 in Ã„lvsbacka, VÃ¤rmland who married my husband’s great aunt, Carolina Andersdotter b. 2 Dec 1864 in Borgvik, VÃ¤rmland. The marriage was 28 Oct 1887. The clerical records state that the couple emigrated to North America in 1888. I can\’t find them leaving Sweden, no record of them on ships, and no record in the U.S. I wonder where they settled and if they had children. In the IGI I found Jonas was baptized and endowed in 2006 in the Alberta Temple. I wonder if they went to Canada. Anyone out there know about this couple? I am also looking for Charles Niander Lynn (Americanized name) who was born in Kungsbacka, Sweden 17 July either 1864 or 69. I can’t find him in the birth records of Kungsbacka, Halland, Sweden, and there are several other farms and villages in Sweden that have the name “Kungsbacka”. I believe his Swedish surname was Liljendahl. I feel like I’m looking for a needle in a haystack!

This was a great genealogy story. Will forward to my daughter-in-law, expert genealogist for the past twenty years.

By: Wilfried

Wilfried — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:28:26 +0000

Beautiful, Craig. One of the best posts I’ve been reading lately.

By: Craig H.'

Craig H.' — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:21:30 +0000

I would say, “thanks Dad” for the plug, except the language sounds suspiciously like my mother’s. Who knows? What hip parents anyway, reading T&S.

By: Lloyd Harline

Lloyd Harline — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:47:17 +0000

Great story. I finally get it, ha. We sure enjoyed the trip to Sweden to meet the cousins. What a great, beautiful country it is. We also were able to enjoy it with Leigh Harline\’s daughters as they went with us also. They were so happy to finally be able to go to Sweden and meet some cousins. Their father, Leigh, had planned a trip years ago and then became ill and was unable to go.

By: Craig H.

Craig H. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:28:44 +0000

Thanks Raymond, Annika and I figured that this was the case; her family has lived in that little area for centuries, and so has mine, so somewhere in there we are related I’m sure. I think the song When You Wish Upon a Star just captures their imagination, for some reason; every Christmas afternoon the Swedish version of Jiminy Cricket pops up on TV and starts crooning, and everyone sings along. It’s incredibly cheesy but everyone likes it anyway, including me. I wish I knew exactly when it started, but certainly around the time of the film Pinocchio. Bengt the museum director did an exhibit about Leigh Harline and the song, as few Swedes probably knew that the composer was Swedish himself, or at least of Swedish parents, and just missed being born in Sweden.