Written by Eric Brynielsson (#161) 1977

I made this translation for the relatives "over there", and I hope that someone of you is interested to find out a little more about his or her relatives also in Sweden.

The Story
About 100 years ago, between 1867 and 1887, eight children were born on a little farm in Svarteberga village, Räpplinge parish, just south of the little town Borgholm on the island Öland, close to the southern Swedish mainland. The parents were Anders Brynielsson, born 15 June 1839, dead 29 April 1902, and his wife Anna Kristina, born Olsson 2 Feb. 1846 and dead 20 Oct. 1939. She was my grandmother and I remember her very well.

They all went through the little village-school that still can be seen close to the road to Borgholm on the northern side of the Gesta ridge, but today it is a summerhouse for somebody.

When I had retired from work in 1974, I had time to take interest in what happened to those children after that, where and how they made their living, their marriage, children and grandchildren. As they are all dead today, I had to contact their children, many of them living in America, and most of them I have the pleasure to know personally.

This is what I found:

1. Augusta married the boy in the next farm, just on the other side of the fence, Uno Olsson (1871-1932). They had 6 children, and my aunt Augusta lived until 1954, I remember her very well. The oldest son, John William, born 10 May 1898, left for Canada 1916 where he worked as a farmer. He is the only one who ever came back to Sweden. In 1938 he and his wife Myrtle spent a few weeks in Sweden and his old home in Öland where his mother still was living. He died in Canada 1954.
2. August Emil left for America 1890. He was working on farms, and moved to Canada 1893 to start farming for himself. He was married 4 times, but three of his wives died, and one marriage ended in divorce. He had few children and died 8 May 1958. He is buried in Penticton, B.C.
3. Alma also left for America. She married Emrik Peter Johnsson (1863-1957) 20 Dec. 1898, he was also from Öland. They had three children and lived in Moline, Ill. Alma died 23 Dec. 1965 and is buried in Moline.
4. Alfred stayed home and took over the farm. He married Ida Johansson (1879-1962), and they had 8 children. He died 1959 and is buried in Räpplinge.
5. Adolf worked as a preacher in Gothenburg. He married Anna Andersson (1879-1955) and they had 9 children. He died 1957.
6. Anders Georg, my father, started to work in a grocery store in Borgholm. After serving his military duty in Stockholm, he stayed there and started a grocery store. He married Gurli Swartz (1878-1962) and they had 3 children. He died 1959.
7. Albert left for America 1902. He worked as a mechanic in Moline and later moved to Huntley, Minnesota 1916, where he started a store for farming equipment. He married Phobe Ahl (1895-1976) and they had 3 children.
8. Alfrida worked as a housekeeper in different places in Sweden, she also ran a nursing home. She did not marry, left no children and died in Uppsala 1948, buried in Räpplinge.

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All together we are 34 persons in the 3^rd generation, all cousins, and I have the pleasure to know most of them personally. Some of them are dead, but most of us are still living.

Enclosed sides tells how the families did grow, the 4^th generations counts 50 persons known by me today. We are too many to make it possible to draw a family-tree on a piece of paper, the size would be about a sheet, so the tree is formed in small pieces to be put together like a puzzle for each branch.

If anyone wants to correct me in one way or another, or maybe can give some further information to complete the family tree, or maybe wants a copy for himself, please write me a letter.

Bromma in November 1977

Eric Brynielsson

Eric Brynielsson
Tingvallavägen 3
161 54 Bromma
Sweden