April 20 1901 “the farmers son” Olof August Hansson from Haxäng and “the farmers daughter” Märta Christina Nilsdotter are married. The ceremony is held by pastor J. P. Hörnfeldet according to “both parties verbal consent”. The customary probation, publicly announcing their intention to marry, is made at church service three sundays before, Mars 24 and 31 and April 14. Märta Christina is nine month pregnant at the ceremony and their son Hans Olof is born three weeks later, May 14.
The couple has already a child, Ida nearly three years old. Ida and her mother Märta Christina have (according to church records) lived at her parents farm in Tand. Olof August is recorded with his parents in Haxäng. But from the date of marriage they are both living in Haxäng.
Olof August father is dead since 8 years and at the farm lives his mother Elin Märta, his sister Anna Kristina and his brother Erik Arvid. His oldest sister Katarina Juliana, is married to “the tradesman” Jonas Hedman and together with their three children they lives here as well but moves later the same year to an other farm in Haxäng.
The farm is a quarter of the original Haxäng No 3 and is owned by the Olof August, his siblings and his mother in common. The other parts of Haxäng No 3 is in equal shares owned by the local sawmill (Locknesågen), Per Olof Olofsson and Sven Olof Magnusson. The latter a cousin to Olof August.
April 5 1902 the family request and also get the official ownership to the farm inherited from the father, nine years before. The homestead is in total 3/4 acre and is divided with equal parts to the heirs. The youngest brother Erik Arvid is represented by Watchmaker Per Emanuel Petersson from Stensjö that has been the siblings trustee since the fathers death.
At the same time the mother, Elin Märta Mårtensdotter, is requesting a mortgage on the farm as security for a “födoråd”. The contract is giving her the right toreceive from the farm and its owner, each year, until her death:
- 300 liters of barley
- 100 liters rye
- 400 liters of potato
- 85 kg timothy hay
- 4 kg of fresh pork
- 1 pair of leather shoes
- Winter and summer food for two sheep
- Daily 3 liter full-cream milk delivered to the home
- Access to half of the existing herb garden as well as necessary fertilizer
- Dry and chopped wood delivered to the home as needed
- Housing in the entire upper floor of main farm building, and adequate space in celler, baking and brewing house and storehouse
- Right to transport in necessary matters such as to doctor, church attendance and transportation of grist to and from the mill
The brother Erik Arvid receives 150 kronor as part of the contract.
Haxäng 1941. The main farm building is seen behind the flagpost . Here lived Olof August mother on the upper floor until her death. (The house was teared down 1944)
The farm is later sold to the cousin and neighbor Sven Olof Magnusson who already owns a quarter of Haxäng No 3. He is registered owner 1904 but I’m not sure when it is actually done. I suppose the original plan was that Olof August should take over the farm but the tragic events 1902 changed this.
Olof August pregnant wife is sick in tuberculosis and July 26 1902 she gives birth to a daughter. The baby is born premature and is assumed not to live. Therefore she is “nöddöpt” that is “baptized in emergency”. The ceremony is conducted by the neighbor Brita Christina, wife of Sven Olof Magnusson. Witnesses are the son of the neighbor, Karl Olof and also Anna-Lena Nilsson from Tand, the sister of Märta Christina. The baby girl is named Brita Märta and this is later noted in the church records.
The reason for the premature birth is probably the tuberculosis. It is said her weight was only 800 gram and that she would fit in the palm of a hand. The first time she spent in a shoebox and was fed with sugar water. And many is said to have come to look at the small miracle.
The birth weight might be a bit exaggerated. Quote from Wikipedia “after pregnancy week 32 the baby can use its lungs without help despite a weight of only 1 to 1,5 kg”. In any case it was a miracle she survived at all.
6 days after Brita Märta birth, August 1, her mother dies in tuberculosis. She is only 31 years old. The tuberculosis has already killed two of her sisters, Brita Carolina in February and Margareta Augusta in July, 27 and 20 years old.
Two months after the wife’s death is the inventory list of her belongings recorded. The value of utensils, clothing, furniture, harness and cash is thoroughly noted. Total asset is 322 kr and 50 öre. After deduction of an auction depth (93.30) and burial cost (coffin, 10.-, shroud 3.- and burial 20.-) remains 196 kr and 75 öre. The inventory list is filed at the county court October 17.
January 23 1903 the inheritance is divided. The asset of approximately 200 kr is split with half to the widower and half to the children.
Erik Arvid, the younger brother of Olof August, receives late February a certificate stating he has the means to found a travel to America, including return travel. The certificate is signed by the chairman of the local council as well as his mother. He leaves later the same year (or perhaps during 1904). He receives citizenship in USA August 25 1905.
September 10 1905, the mother Elin Märta, dies 61years old. According to the auction record her belongings, to the value of 377 kr and 29 öre, was sold. Mars 21 1906 the inheritance is divided. Erik Arvid has come home from America so all are present when the total asset of 2854 kr and 32 öre is equally divided amongst the four children.
The farm, now owned by Sven Olof Magnusson, is sold to his son Sven August. He has been in America since 1901 but comes back home 1905 to marry Anna Selma Josefina Edholm from Änge. He has take the family name Lundstam and the homestead is hereafter called “Lundstams”. (The main building that probably is from 18th century is teared down 1944).
Olof August now plans with his brother to emigrate to America. The two daughters Ida and Märta, nine and three years old, are put in care with their grandparents in Tand and the son Hans, four years old, moves to the crofter Anders Jansson i Haxäng. The reason to why Hans is not moving to his grandparents is probably that they have also taken a cousin to the children, Nils Alexis Nilsson four years old, in care as well. He was the son of their daughter Brita Carolina, a teacher in Rätan, who also died in tuberculosis. Alexis father left for America in 1903.
In Mars 1906 Olof August leaves his three children and starts the travel to Seattle. He travels together with his brother Erik Arvid. According to Arvid’s travel documents, signed Mars 28, they leave Trondheim with boat to Hull England. From there by train to Liverpool and then by boat to Boston. From Boston to Seattle by train. The price for the journey is 318 kr. This includes food and accomodation. Olof August writes a letter to his daughters posted in Boston April 13. He writes that the travel over the Atlantic Ocean took 9 days. Departure from Trondheim must therefor have been on Mars 28 or shortly thereafter.
There is a story told about Arvid that when he left Sweden the first time in 1903 he had not made his military service and that some day before he was to leave again in 1906 the police authority in Brunflo “Länsman” made preparations for his arrest. The order to execute this when to the deputy police “Fjärdingsman” Per Olof Olofsson in Haxäng. He was the neighbor of Olof August and he came over to Arvid and told he had the order to make an arrest and that he would do this next day. So they had to pack and leave during the night or early next day. By horse carriage the went to Grytan which was the next train stop after Brunflo and from there left for Trondheim. “Länsman” is said to have searched the train in Brunflo.
A wery similar story is told about Albert in Bleka, that later married Olof August sister Ida. Albert left Sweden first time in 1908, 18 years old. He came back 1912 together with his brother Erik. He is also said to have received a message about arrest “tomorrow” and hastily left for Järpen and train to Trondheim.
Ida, Han och Märta ca 1916
Ida and Märta grows up in Tand. The children’s grandfather , Nils Olof Johansson dies in 1922 and the year after Ida, now 25 years old, emigrate to her father in Seattle. She has told her son Martin that she had to work for her aunts Gertru-Lisa and Ann-Lena. “thy where not kind to her”. Ida travels together with Anna Ottolina Alfredsson, 22 years old, also from Tand. There is a Per Mikael Persson, 44 years old, that is from the same farm and he emigrates about the same time and is probably traveling with the girls.
Ida marries in America with Albert Olofsson from Bleka. He is by the way her second cousin (their respective fathers where cousins).
Märta, 21 years old stays and takes care of her grandmother until her death 1929. She then marries Folke Jönsson from Tand.
The son Hans grows up in Haxäng and marries 1932 with Ingeborg Magnusson from Sundsjö. He has then already a son, Rune, born 1920. Hans was 1919 working as a clerk with the builders of the inland railroad. In Ytterhogdal, where the final part was built, he met Ada Vilhelmina Nyman. Both are 18 years old when Rune is born, spring 1920. Rune grew up in Flor Ytterhogdal.
