Cousins Galore

Hi Allison and other grandkids or family

On Saturday September 1 we drove about 15 miles out of Jonkoping to the farmhouse where my grandfather Eskil Karlsson had lived- and is now owned by my second cousin Lena and her husband; they stay at the farm for several weeks each summer.  Lena's parents lived there and her mother Asta (my mother's cousin) was at the farmhouse to see us although she only speaks Swedish. One of Lena's cousins Elisabet (also my second cousin) and her daughter Ida (second cousin once removed) also came to the farmhouse for lunch with us.  Lena and Elisabet are both granddaughters of my grandfather's sister Anna. We had the same great-grandparents, Karl and Emma Svensson.  Lena had some photographs of my grandparents Eskil and Elsie (with Lena as a child) when they went to Sweden in 1960 when my grandfather retired and stayed at the farm for a while and bought a Volvo (Swedish car) and drove through Europe for several months.  She also had a picture of me and my brother Daniel and our parents when we visited the farmhouse in 1967 on a month-long trip to Europe when I was 15 and Daniel was 14.  My grandfather Eskil had helped build the farmhouse in 1918 just before he left with a friend to come to America in 1920.  My aunt Corinne and her family visited the farm about 25 years ago and my cousin Cecilia and her husband Bill and their two boys visited the farm about 15 years ago and they also bought a Volvo.  Lena and her family visited California in 2000 and Elisabet and Ida visited California earlier this year.  So we have had some contacts with my Swedish cousins over the years.

Elsie (my Grandmother), Lena and Eskil (my Grandfather) in 1960

Daniel Mom (Lenore) Russ and Dad (David) in 1967

Asta, Elisabet, Ida, Russ and Lena

Allie- you might hear people talking about their family "tree".  You can draw your family tree with  two circles close together (touching) near the bottom of one side of the paper for your mom and dad. Put their names in the circles, Gabe and Sarah. Now put four circles in a row above your parent's circles with Ben, Becca, Mike and Allie in the four circles.  Draw four lines from each child circle to your parents pair of circles- this is your family tree with your parents as the "trunk" and four "branches" to you four kids.  Now draw more pairs of circles across the bottom with your aunts and uncles names in the touching circles.  Now draw more circles on the second row with all of your cousins- with lines down to their parents.  I think you have 8 cousins on your mom's side of your family and 8 cousins on your dad's side of your family tree- so there are 20 branches in your family tree with 6 "trunks".  After you "cousins" in the second row grow up and are married and have children there will be many more branches to a third row of circles (in the future).  So this is why there are so many cousins in the world- cousins galore! I have cousins in America and cousins in Sweden, and I was happy to visit with some of them at their farmhouse.   

Judy, Lena and Elisabet

Ida, Russ, Lena, Judy

The original farmhouse built of logs and covered with wood siding and painted with a red paint was converted to a storehouse and work shed.  Lena's family used to have milk cows so there is a large barn with a stone ramp to the second level where they put hay for the winter.  They had about 20 acres of pasture and about 200 acres of woods.  It had been raining the day before but the sun was shining with some clouds and the countryside was fresh and very green.  After a smorgasbord lunch we took a walk down the dirt roads through the woods; Elisabet found some mushrooms that she picked to bring home and cook for dinner- we saw lots of these orange mushrooms at farmers markets and we had some with a lunch we had later on our trip.  Elisabet told us they were very good with deer and elk meat and that her son had just hunted and so they had some meat.  We walked to an area that was logged about 2 years ago.  The larger trees are used for lumber and the smaller trees are used for making paper and cardboard.  Lena said trees take about 80 years to grow big enough to cut in Sweden because it is cold in the winter and the growing season is short.  I could see why my grandfather wanted to buy land and build a cabin and live in the redwoods in Ben Lomond near Santa Cruz- these woods where he grew up look similar to the redwoods- with creeks and rocks and ferns and evergreen pine trees and other trees like oak and aspen with white bark.  We had a very nice walk talking about our families in California and their families in Sweden.  After our walk we had an early dinner together.  Lena armed up sliced pork roast and potatoes and delicious blueberry cobbler she had made from frozen berries she had picked from the woods last year.  Lena drew her family tree for us and we took "cousin" pictures and said goodbye and drove about four hours to our next hotel in Orebro.

On Sunday we planned to drive into the countryside to find the "village" where Judy's great grandparents August and Brita Erickson had lived before they left Sweden in 1880 with their three children (including Carl Joel Judy's grandfather) to come to America- about 140 years ago. Judy's cousin-once removed Eldridge had visited Sweden and looked for relatives in 1978- 40 years ago- and had found the church in Lannas and the farm in Yxtorp where they had come from.  Eldridge and his wife talked to people at the church on a Sunday and went to Yxtorp where they found an Erickson relative (second cousin).  She invited them back for dinner the next Sunday and arranged for descendants from August's family (six brothers and sisters) to come and meet them.  We wanted to see the Lannas church and cemetery and try to find Yxtorp if we could. We arrived at the church at about noon and walked through the cemetery looking for "Erickson" or "Yxtorp"  or "Vinon"- the small island where Brita was from- and we did find several of each.  The church service was just ending and we went into the very old church (originally established in 1200) and talked with the priest; he didn't know of any Ericksons from Yxtorp, but he did confirm how to drive there. There were several farms along the road and we stopped at a crossroad and looked for a small farmhouse that looked like the picture of the single-story house that Eldridge had included in a letter describing his trip in 1978.

A couple drove into the driveway of a large two-story farmhouse across the road and Judy told them she was looking for her relatives.  They didn't speak much English but Orjan tried to tell us that he was an Erickson and he remembered the big dinner 40 years ago with the American cousins!  His wife, Anita, called some of Orjan's cousins to see if any of them knew anything about the relatives that had left for America.  Orjan asked the man living in the small house across the street if we could look inside. His name was Gunnar and he spoke English and told us the house was built in 1790- so it might have been similar to the house that August and Brita lived in 140 years ago. We took pictures,  exchanged phone numbers, said goodbye and drove to the small ferry that took us across to Vinon island.  Because school had already started, the restaurant and the café were closed, but Judy asked a woman at the community center where the café was located about the family of Brita.  This woman said her cousin was the town historian and called her and relayed the information that we had about Brita- she was born in 1841 and married August Erickson from Yxtorp and went to America in 1880.  We gave her Judy's phone number and e-mail in case they could find out more about her family.  When we got back to our hotel in Orebro we walked around the old part of town along a river with a stone fortress with two towers and had dinner in a pizza restaurant that also had delicious tiramisu in a small canning jar.  Back at the hotel Judy got a text from a woman, Ewa, who explained that she had been called by Anita and was related to Judy.  Her grandfather had an uncle August who went to America in 1880.  So they are third cousins (same great-great-grandfather Erik Errson).  She lived in Orebro and wanted to meet us for breakfast at our hotel in the morning before we left town.  So we met her the next morning and talked about our families- living in Sweden and living in California. Ewa confirmed that Orjan was her cousin, so Judy had talked with four cousins from Sweden!

Lannas Parish Church

Gunnar with Anita and Orjan - Judy's cousin

Gunnar's House built in 1790

Inside Gunnar's house

Ewa- Judy's cousin

Allie- this Sunday turned out to be full of surprises- Grandma had "found" four cousins in Sweden that she didn't know about. Grandma was brave and talked with the people we saw and asked them about her relatives.  I know that you like surprises too- and you may be surprised by something that happens when you are friendly and talk with someone you meet at church or school.  They might tell you a story about themselves or tell you something they like to do or want to do someday- and maybe become your new friend.  Allie- you already have lots of cousins (17 when Adeline is born) and I know you are going to have lots of friends (100 or more) so you will have cousins galore and friends galore!

Love, Grandpa and Grandma