Fyra generationer

Här kommer lite information som jag fått från min släkting i USA (tack Glenn). Det handlar om John Sparfeldts (1815-1895) yngste son som också utvandrade till USA. Texten är på engelska så jag hoppas det går bra.

Henriks hustru Bertha Christina (1842-1923), dotter Victora Irene (1870-1955), hennes dotter Emma Irene (1897-1975) och hennes dotter Winifred Erma (1920-1959).

Written by Glen G.

Henrik Johnson b. 1849, d. 1872-10-??. My primary source of 'oral' information on Henry's family was Julia Johnson Tunberg who passed away in 1988.  It was not easy understanding Julia as she never really got over the brutal death of her son at the hands of the Japanese during World War II. I think I could understand some of the depth of her feelings and it was difficult to see her not being able to let it go.  Her son was part of the group that General McArthur left on Coregidore in the Philipines to be surrendered to the Japanese.  And then to be forced on to that terrible death march.  Many didn't make it. Her son was one who didn't.                                          

I still haven't found which ship Henry and his father sailed on and which port they docked. I have that one banking document that I can't understand from a bank in Vermont. That kind of makes me think they landed in Canada and then came south overland through Vermont and upstate New York to get to either the Erie Canal or the New York railroads for the trip west.                        

Wife Bertha Christina Carlsson, b June 10th 1842 i Ramsele parish, d. January 25th 1923 i Iowa, USA.

Bertha Christina was first married to Henry Johnson, the son of John Sparfeldt and Anna Johansdotter of Ramsele, Sweden.  They immigrated to America and came to farm in Stockholm Township in February of 1868. Henry worked on the railroad in the Omaha area and was robbed and killed in 1872.  Henry and Christina had two children, Victoria and John. Christina remarried Carl Erick Sundstrom  and set up being a farmwife on the farm to the east of Sparfeldts.  Carl soon died and Christina remarried Johanson from Bronson.

Children:

Victoria Irene Johnson, b. February 5th 1870.

John Alfred Johnson, b. December 31st 1871 Sparrfeldt farm, Kiron, Iowa, USA, d. December 26th 1876 in Kiron, Iowa, USA. Grandpa Sparfeldt enrolled him in the country school a half mile from their house in September 1876.  Then the diphtheria epidemic came and in October a boy at the school died.  The disease spread all over the community as they didn't have any medical doctor to educate them in 'quarantine' procedures.  Little John Alfred died and I'm sure it must have broken grandpa Sparfeldt's heart as this was the only male he had to count on for the future. He was the first one buried in the grave lot Sparfeldt had purchased, buried in Kiron Cemetery