NOTES
Julia Abrahamson
"Thoughts From A Country Gal" by Janet Pinnerud Novak
Many of my early memories of their farm are of dogs, cats, horses and outhouses. In the late 1950's they were still using horse power to do some of the work on the farm. Janet, Julia's daughter, said that even more was done by horse power when she was little. They had two horses that pulled wagons of hay and hay cutters and hay forks. During threshing time the neighbors used to get together and help each other get in the wheat harvest. Big crews used to go from farm to farm and get it harvested. No modern combines were used but only the older labor intensive equipment and horses. The wheat was cut, then racked up and put on horse drawn wagons and brought to a huge threshting machine that separated the wheat grains from the straw. Then another wagon brought the wheat to where it was stored. Many people where involved in a project that would one take one or two people now days. It was the job on the women on the farm to provide meals for the crews. There seemed to be competition from the different farms as to who could make the best meals and deserts.
There were always many cats around. They generally kept the mouse population in check. They were always fun to play with. The dog I remember best was a collie named Shep. He was always fun. We didn't have dogs or cats at this time so it was always a real treat to go up north to them.
They didn't have running water in the house until rather late in their lives. There was a pump house across the drive from the house and someone had to go out and pump the water by hand for all of the household needs. Much water was used for washing dishes, cloths and baths. There were a number of buckets of water set on a shelf by the sink for drinking and cooking. Later the pump was electrified which made it much easier to get the water. I don't think it was until the late 1960's that plumbing was brought into the house. This meant you had to go outside to the outhouse. It wasn't too bad during the warmer weather but it could get very cold in the winter and during hot weather it could get rather unbearable too. Chamber pots were sometimes utilized during the night. The real problem for me was that there always seemed to be a bees nest on the eaves of the outhouse. I was always dodging a bee or so on the way into the outhouse. It had two places for people to sit. I have heard that some out houses had spots for three and four people. This meant that you might not be alone at times. This could be embarrassing.
Julia helped her mother Clara when she got sick and after she died kept house for my uncle Art. She did this until Art got married.
Julia and Blanche Anderson were always afraid to walk past the woods behind the old school house. The woods were reputed to be haunted. There was an old Indian burial ground there and also many of the early settlers were buried there before the new cemetery was started. Some of the graves were removed to the new cemetery but it is said by many of the "old timers" that there are still many graves there. The people that could afford to have their relatives moved to the new cemetery did so. The people who didn't have any living relatives or their relatives didn't have the money to move them were left there. Julia had a number of reasons to be afraid of this area even though it was just across the road from her home. When she was five years old the old wooden school had burned down and she had watched it. She still remembers that incident. She always hurried passed those woods. She said that she heard strange noises coming from them. The new road doesn't go as close to the woods as the old road did. The old road ran through part of the woods and had a small wooden bridge there. Many people had reported strange incidents here. Blanche Anderson, Julia's girl friend, reported that at one time a woman dressed in white on the bridge. The woman was by the railing and was crying. Blanche tried to talk to her but the woman never answered her. Blanche thought she saw a ghost and ran. My uncle Harry had also told me this story. One time some girls passed the woods and heard some very odd noises. They became scared and ran away. Later it was found out that a foal had just been born on a nearby farm and had made the noise.
Note 6 DEATH CERTIFICATE. BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL.1. PAGE 356. Number 2178
LARS ABRAHAMSON
Color & Sex: White, Male
Occupation: Farmer
Age: 70 years 6 months
Father: not known
Born: Sweden
Mother: not known
Born: Sweden
Deceased Born: Sweden
Condition: Widowed
Wife's Name: Johanna Abrahamson
Born: Nov. 16, 1831
Died: May 15, 1901
Place of Death: Dovre, John Abrahamson's house
Cause of Death: Old Age
Duration of Illness: one month
Buried: John Abrahamson, Dovre, took care of Burial arrangements
Burial Permit: #7, May 15, 1901
Matin Olson, Clerk
Date Registered: June 25, 1901
Place of Burial: Lutheran Cemetery, Dovre
Filed July 2, 1901
Note 7
Lars Abrahamson
He and his family immigrated Sep-1866 to USA, via Port of Chicago, Illinois, this information comes from his Petition for Naturalization filed in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on October 23, 1867. . Lars was born and raised on Skepparslöv #10. His father had farmed here since 1827. At the age of 17 he decided to look elsewhere for work. He left for Skepparslöv #17 in Nov. of 1848 to work for his aunt & uncle, Elna Larsdotter and Per Nilsson. His aunt died in October of 1849 and in November he moved back to Skepparslöv #10. Then again in November of 1850 he went to work for another uncle, Sone Larsson, on Skepparslöv #25. He then went to Kristianstad and returned home in 1853. In 1855 he went to work for other relatives on Skepparslöv #26. In 1856 he decided to try Denmark. It was customary for people in this area of Sweden to go to Denmark to look for work. Up until 1658 this whole area of Sweden (Malmöhus län & Kristianstad län) were part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Kristianstad was a school and a military town that was established by King Christian of Denmark in 1614. It is only a short trip by boat to Copenhagen on the island of Sjaelland. There according to family tradition he worked on dairy farms. He probably married Johanna by mid 1865. She was also Swedish and was probably working in Denmark for the same reasons that Lars was. Nothing is known about their stay in Denmark at this time and nothing may ever be known until the parish that Abraham was born in can be found.
He had wanted to go to the U.S. before but the U.S. Civil War was going on. In September of 1866 he and his family arrived in Chicago, Ill. At this time many emigrants entered the U.S. via the Great Lakes ports through the St. Lawrence river. Chicago would have been a natural destination for the Abrahamson family as that city for many years had the third largest Swedish population outside of Stockholm. It seems that they did not stay very long in Chicago as they made their way north to Dunn county, Wisconsin by late 1867. Land was available farther north so on October 23, 1867 he filed for citizenship in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and for 160 acres of homestead land in what was to become Dovre, Barron County, Wisconsin. This was Homestead application #896, Federal Land Office, Eau Claire, Wisconsin for a down payment of $14 and the balance of $4 payed on December 13, 1872, this was a very good deal indeed.
According to the regulations under the Homestead Act you had to be a U.S. citizen or have applied for citizenship to be eligible for government land. He did become a citizen on December 10, 1872 in the Circuit Court of Chippewa County, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
On the 10th of April, 1868 they moved onto their land. They built a log cabin 13 feet by 15 feet with a board floor. It was one story high with one door and two windows and was a good comfortable home to live in. A barn was also built and this was 12 feet by 16 feet and a 14 foot well was also dug. This farm stayed in the family until Art Abrahamson died in 1960 and then it was sold by his widow.
A few years later by March of 1870 a serious problem was discovered. The land he lived on was not the land described on his Homestead papers. The land he was living on was not his! He was not familiar with the way government land was described and an error occurred. He was living in the Northeast 1/4 of Section 29 when he should have been on the Southeast 3/4 of Section 20. He was just across the road from where he should have been. This could have cost him his farm as he was not living up to the terms of the Homestead Act. It was fortunate that no one did file on the land he was living on. Before anything else happened he returned to the Government Land Office in Eau Claire and told them of the problem. Sworn statements were taken from him and two friends as to how long he had been on this land. Corrections were made to the paper work and the problem was solved. Now he was legally on his own homestead. This kind of problem did happen time and again and an unlucky farmer or rancher did lose the land he thought was his.
In April of 1880 a group of people gathered to start what would become the Dovre Lutheran Church. Their was a discussion of where the church would be located and the northwest corner of the Lars Abrahamson was favored by many. Other people favored the present site. The two sites were not that far apart. Christian Lundgaard donated the two acres of land and the death an burial of the six year old daughter of Martin & Ingrid Carlson in the church yard confirmed the present site. Lars and his family were charter members of the Dovre Congregation. Church services were held every seven weeks as their first pastor served two other congregations in the area.
Stories have been told that in the early years on the farm Indians would travel through the area and camp on part of the homestead. Lars would go and visit the Indian encampment and have long talks with them. An Indian cemetery and an early settlers cemetery is near the farm and is reported to be haunted. Many arrow heads were picked up while plowing the fields along with many tons of rocks. This area was still a wilderness and Lars had to carry a shotgun to protect his sheep from wolves.
After a number of years the old log cabin had outlived its usefulness and a new and larger house was required. This house still stands although it has had additions and numerous remodelings.
After Lars had gotten too old to farm his son, John, took over the farm and did so until his death. The farm was sold in 1960 after Art Abrahamson, Lars' grandson died.
The family is listed in the 1870 Federal Census for the town of Barron, Barron Co., Wisconsin. At this time Dovre was part of the town of Barron. In 1880 they were listed in the town of Chetek, Barron Co. because Dovre was part of Chetek. In the 1900 census they are listed in Dovre, Barron Co., Wis. but John Lars Abrahamson is now listed as the head of the household. The family is also listed in the state census in 1885 and 1895 but these contain very little information.
There was a problem with the original land entry. Some words are hard to read.
LAND OFFICE EAU CLAIRE, WIS.
March 28, 1870
In the matter of an alleged mistake in the Homestead entry #896 upon the E 1/2 of the SE 1/4 SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 & NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Sec 20, T. 32 R. 10 by Lars Abrahamson. Oct. 23, 1867.
The following evidence was taken this day. Lars Abrahamson being duly sworn deposed and says that on the 23 of October, 1867 he made an entry upon the NE 1/4 of sec 29, T 32. R. 10. by coming and built a house _____ and otherwise improving said land that within thirty (30) days after said entry was made he was living upon said land with his family. That in knowing nothing about the manner of describing Govt. lands and that when he made his Homestead entry the description was given him by another person who did not know which land he wanted and made a mistake in giving him said numbers or description and that in living upon the North East 1/4 of Section 29 instead of the Land described in his Homestead Entry No. 896. on Land in Sec 30. 32. R. 10. and that in making this statement that he may be allowed & change said entry & the said NE 1/4 of section 29. as affirmed, this being the Land where he now lives and has lived and occupied as a Homestead since the date of said Entry No. 896.
Subscribed and Sworn before me this 28th of March 1870.
(Signed)
Lars Abrahamson
E.M. Bartlett, Register
Thomas Swendson and H. Halvorson- Each (himself) being duly sworn says that _____ known Lars Abrahamson for some (5) years said first. That they (saw him) upon the South East 1/4 of Sec 29. T. 32. R. 10. frequently. That said Abrahamson has built his house upon said land and has (plowed, farmed) and cultivated the same, and to the best of our knowledge and belief it was his (intention) and enter the same under the Homestead Act on the date of his entry 23 Oct. 1867. and we fully believe that he was mistaken in the description of said Land when in much s______ entry.
Subscribed and Sworn before me this 28th day of March 1870.
E.M. Bartlet, Thomas Swendson,
Register Halvorson
LAND OFFICE EAU CLAIRE
Nov. 14th 1870.
Note 8 1870 U.S. Census, Barron, Barron County, Wisconsin, page 13 (241)
Abrahamson, Lars head 39 not a citizen
Johanna 36
Abraham 3
Lars 1
Note 10 Death Certificate. Barron County, Wis. Vol. 1 Page 251. Number 1591
Johanna Abrahamson
Maiden Name: Johanna Jones
Color: White
Sex: Female
Born in: Sweden
Occupation: Farmer's Wife
Age: 74 years 3 months
Father: Don't know
Father Born: Sweden
Mother: Don't know
Mother Born: Sweden
Condition: Married
Husband's Name: Lars Abrahamson
Deceased Born: Feb. 24, 1824
Died: May 24, 1898
Residence At Time Of Death: Town Of Dovre
Place Of Death: Town Of Dovre
Cause Of Death: Apoplexy Pressure on brain.
Duration Of Disease: 3 months
Buried: Dovre Norge Cemetery (Lungards)
Register Of Certificate: Knute Stode
Certificate Filed: July 27, 1898
Note 13 DEATH CERTIFICATE, BARRON COUNTY, WIS. TOWN OF DOVRE, VOL. 19, Page 588
JOHN LARS ABRAHAMSON
White, Male, Married.
Wife: Clara Abrahamson
Place of Death: Barron County Town of Dovre
Residence of Deceased: Barron county, Dovre, RFD New Auburn, Wis.
Born: Feb. 20, 1870 Age: 71 years 8 months 1 day
Place of Birth: Dovre, Barren County, Wis.
Father: Lars Abrahamson born Sweden,
Mother: Johanna Jones born Sweden
Informant: Abrahamson Bros.
Residences; RFD New Auburn, Wis.
Buried: Oct. 25, 1941 Dovre Township,
Undertaker: Halvorson Bros. Dallas, Wis.
Dated: Oct 28, 1941 Orville Moe, Registrar
Died: Oct 21, 1941 at 7:10 AM
Cause of Death: Myocardial Degeneration Duration of Illness: 10-12 months
R.W. Adams M.D. Chetek, Wis. Dated Oct. 22, 1941
John Lars Abrahamson
In April of 1868 his parents and older brother moved to their 160 acre homestead land in Dovre, Barron County Wisconsin. His family was one of the first to settle in Dovre and John was one of the first white children born there. He was born in a log cabin that his father built and lived all of his life on that farm. In the 1895 Wisconsin State Census he was listed as the head of the family. His father was about 64 at this time and probably decided it was time for his son to take over officially the responsibility for the farm.
After a first cousin in Sweden died, Anna Abrahamsdotter (see #99), he received money from her estate for a number of years afterwards. She had inherited the old family farm. Recently a few letters dating from September of 1921 and part of a will from 1907 were found to indicate this.
Note 15 MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL. 1. PAGE 515. Number 36.
Husband: John Abrahamson
Occupation: Farmer
Father: Lars Abrahamson
Mother: Johanna Jones
Residence of Husband: Dovre, Barron county
Husband Born: Town Of Dovre
Wife: Emma Carlson
Father of Wife: Otto Carlson
Mother of Wife: Lena Christenson
Birthplace of Wife: Barron county, Wis.
Time Marriage was contracted: January 10, 1900
Place: City of Chetek
Color of Parties: White
Type of Ceremony: Civil
Witnesses: Henry Christianson, Clara Hanson
Person Conducting Ceremony: Frank H. Gilbert Justice Of The Peace
Residence of the above named: City of Chetek, Barron County
Date of Marriage Certificate: January 10, 1900
Certificate Registered: Jan. 12, 1900
Note 17 DEATH CERTIFICATE. BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL.1. PAGE 408. Number 2476
EMMA ABRAHAMSON
Maiden Name: Emma Carlsen
Color: White
Sex: Male
Nationality: Swedish
Age: 20 years 1 month 19 days
Father: Otto Carlsen
Birthplace: Sweden
Mother: Leana Carlsen
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Place of Death: Dovre, Wis.
Condition: Married
Husband: John Abrahanson
Occupation: Farmer
Born: September 16, 1882
Died: Nov. 4, 1902
Place of Death: Dovre
Cause of Death: Consumption (TB)
Undertaker: Ole O. Rude
Buried: Plot #15
Place of Burial: Lutheran Church
Certificate dated: Nov. 7, 1902
H.A. Stade, Clerk
Registered: Nov. 12, 1902
Note 18 MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL. 2. PAGE 830. Number 115
Husband: John Abrahamson
Occupation: Farmer
Father: Lars Abrahamson
Mother: Johanna Johns
Residence of Husband: Dovre, Wis.
Birthplace of Husband: Dovre, Wis.
Wife: Clara Arneson
Father of Wife: Gulbran Arneson
Mother Of Wife Ann Hanson
Birthplace of Wife: Norway
Color of Parties: White
Date Of Marriage Licence: May 4, 1904
Time Marriage was contracted: May 28, 1904
Place or Town it was Contracted: Dovre, Wis.
By what Ceremony Contracted: Lutheran
Witnesses: Andrew Wold, Agnes Arneson
Person Pronouncing Ceremony: H. Lund
Residence of Above: Dallas, Wis.
Date of Certificate: May 28, 1904
Date of Registration: June 16, 1904
Note 21 DEATH CERTIFICATE, BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL. 25, Page 375
CLARA JOSEPHINE ABRAHAHSON
Date of Death: Aug. 2, 1950
Place of Death: Barron County Rural Dovre section 29
Length of Residence: 50 years
Usual Residence: Wis. Barron County Rural Dovre section 29
Occupation: House wife
Female, White, Widowed
Born: June 12, 1872
Place: Norway
Age: 78 U.S. Citizen
Father: Gulbran Arneson
Mother: ?
Informant: Arthur Abrahamson
Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Stomach
Duration of Illness: 6 months
Also: Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease Duration: 1 year
Died: Aug 2, 1950 1130 AM
John B. Balken MD Chetek, Wis. Dated Aug 3, 1950
Buried: Aug. 5, 1950 at Dovre cemetery, Dovre, Barron County, Wis.
Undertaken William L. Burnham, Chetek, Wis.
Note 24 Klara Arenson and her aunt Beathe Arneson left Oslo, Norway August 25, 1893 on the SS ANGELO. Their destination was listed as "Kvbek." That particular ship only went from Kristiania (Oslo) to Christiansand and then Hull, England. She had to take another ship to Quebec.
She left Oslo, Norway with Beatha Arneson, her aunt, on August 25, 1893 on the SS ANGELO. Their destination was listed as "Kvbek." That particular ship only went from Kristiania (Oslo) to Christiansand and then Hull, England. In Hull she probably took a train to Liverpool and then had to take another ship to Quebec.. This was not uncommon. It was easier to enter the U.S. from Canada than to take a ship directly to New York. My father told stories of her taking a long train ride after she got off the ship. She took a train to probably either Chicago or Minneapolis. She moved between Chicago and Minneapolis where her uncles lived. She worked in Chicago for many years. In the 1900 Census she was living with her uncle, Ole Hanson, in the West Town area of Chicago. She had a number of relatives in the Chetek, Wis. area which she visited on her way between Chicago and Minneapolis. This is probably how she met John. She was a trained nurse and was hired to attend his first wife, who was dying of TB.
Part of passengerlist below
Note 25 Digitalarkivet: Emigrants from Oslo 1867-1930 (incomplete). [340390/1605] All rights: Digitalarkivet
Record 98504-98513 of 259039 total in The database
Harbour No. Year Month Day
Oslo 9469 1893 Aug. 25
Name Sex Status Age Residence Destination Freight Line
Petter Osdalen m u 11 Aamodt Brodley Clark Dak. Angelo
Anna Osdalen f u 4 Aamodt Brodley Clark Dak. Angelo
Anna Arneson f u 40 Brandvold Kvebek Angelo
Beathe Arneson f u 26 Furnæs Kvebek Angelo
Klara Arneson f u 20 Kr.a. Kvebek Angelo
Note 26 Information from "Immigrant Ship Information " web site
ANGELO
"Angelo" did indeed belong to the Thomas Wilson Line of Hull. She was built in 1874 for the Hull - Gothenburg - Christiania (Oslo) service by Humphrys and Pearson of Hull and was a 1600 ton vessel, 262ft long x 33.5ft beam, one funnel, three masts rigged for fore and aft sails and a service speed of 12 knots. She must have been a quite impressive ship for her time as she received an extensive review in the Illustrated London News of August 1874. [Posted to the Emigration-Ships Mailing List by Ted Finch - 28 July 1997]
The "Angelo" was built in 1874 by Humphrey and Pearson, Hull. She was a 1,547 gross ton ship, length 258.8ft x beam 33.6ft, one funnel, three masts.Sold for scrapping to White & White in 1906. [The Wilson Line 1831-1981 by A.G.Credland & M.Thompson] [Posted to The ShipsList by Ted Finch - 2 December 1997]
Note 27 DEATH CERTIFICATE. BARRON COUNTY, WIS. VOL. 17, Page 326
LEWIS JOHN ABRAHAMSON
Place of Death: Barron, Town of Dovre
Length of Residence: 31 years 10 months 3 days
Male, White, Single,
Born: July 1, 1905
Age: 31 years 10 months 3 days
Occupation: Farmer
Last Worked: Aug. 1936 Age at that time: 31 years
Place of Birth: Dovre, Wis.
Father: John Lars Abrahamson Born: Wis,
Mother: Clara Josephine Arneson Born: Oslo, Norway
Informant: John Abrahamson
Residence: New Auburn, Wis. Rt 2
Buried: Dovre on May 7, 1937
Undertaker: Halvorson Bros. Dallas, Wis.
Died; May 3, 1937 at 1 PM
Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Stomach
MD. H. McCormick, New Auburn, Wis.
Note 29 Funeral services held at Dovre Lutheran Church, Dovre, Wis. Information from a memorial card.
Elsie Marion Holten
She was baptized in the Dovre Lutheran Church , Dovre, Barron County , Wisconsin and remained a life long member. She attended school in Dovre in a small one room school house not very far from her home.
In 1902, when she was less than two years old her mother died. Her father remarried in 1904. Later as she was the oldest child she was responsible for helping to take care of the younger children.
After she married she spent most of her life on farms in the Dovre area. She was a member of the Bee Keepers Association, raising bees and processing and selling the honey. She raised goats and sheep. She enjoyed her animals and raising flowers and gardening. For the last eight years of her life she lived with her grandson, Holt Holten, in Milwaukee . She died at St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee .
My father told me this story about Elsie on July 15, 1996 . When my father was still young he remembers that at least on one occasion that Elsie burned an old tintype photograph. She had taken one of her father's old tintypes and had gone upstairs. She had taken all of the other children up their with her. She then proceeded to set it on fire. She had said that she like to see them burn. Evidently that made a big impression on little kids. My father said that it was a wonder that she didn't burn the house down. In fact, he was so afraid of the blaze that he stayed in the back of the group. Needless to say, when their father found out that one of his pictures was missing and what had happened to it he was not very happy.
Julia Abrahamson Pinnerud
Julia attended the new brick school across the road from her house. The old wooden one had burned down when she was five years old. The brick structure was known as the Lowell schoolhouse or Dovre Township School #2. This school went from first through the eigth grade. All of the children were in one big room. Later, when her daughter Janet attended the school, the schools consolidated and it was sold. My cousin Gale (Holten) and her husband Carl bought the school building and have converted it into a very nice home.
Julia met Carl when she was very young. Many school board meetings were held at her parents house and Carl and his brother George came to these meetings. They also used to see each other at church. As she grew older she started to work for the Pinnerud's during threshing time. Mina Pinnerud, Carl's sister, was a good cook but a poor house keeper. After Mrs. Pinnerud died in 1933, Julia became a live-in house keeper. Not only did she keep house but she also picked potatoes and drove the horses on a hay fork. It was very hard work for poor pay. After a couple of years they were married.
After Carl died, Julia stayed on the farm for a number of years but by Palm Sunday of 1991 she had to move to Chetek. She had been sick for about a week and couldn't get up. She lived in an apartment complex on Stout Street that is reserved for the elderly. Her cousin, Adeline Newman Reinolt, lives next door to her. The farm is still in the family but it is now rented out. Jim, Janet's son, lived on the farm for about a year and a half. Since March or April of 1993 it has been rented to another person.
In late 1997, she became so ill she had to be hospitalized and then she returned to her apartment for about a week. She then decided to go to the Dallas Healthcare Center in Dallas , Wisconsin . She had been living there since before Christmas of 1997 until her death.
Raleigh Abrahamson
He attended Dovre Township School #2. This was a red brick one room school house. This school building still stands and has been converted into a house by his niece Gale (Holten) and her husband Carl Mielcarek. He did not have far to go as the new school was situated across the road from his home. This school was also known as the Lowell school. The woods behind the school house were considered haunted by many people in the area.
He and his brothers had a pony named Daisy. They all rode the pony the neighborhood. Their father made a cart for it and they even rode it into New Auburn to by groceries. Later during the 1920's he bought a small Harley-Davidson motor cycle. This proved to be an adventure. The roads in the township had a lot of sand in spots. When he hit a patch of sand the bike sometimes would stop suddenly and he would fly over the handlebars.
In 1930 he and two friends, Clarence Anderson and Malcomb Pinnerud decided to try their luck out in North Dakota . They worked on a farm in the Mayville area. He worked there from April to October of 1930 but the other two went back to Dovre earlier. In 1937 he decided to raise goats. He had a small herd of two to four animals but had to give them up in 1942 when he was drafted.
He was drafted into an engineers unite as a carpenter. He had some experience in this field from living on the farm. He was assigned to Company "C" of the 237th Engineers Battalion. This unit was stationed at Camp Carson in Colorado . He experienced sever ear problems and had an operation and was given a medical discharge in 1943. His total time in the army was about 18 months. After he left his unit went to England and then fought in North Africa and Italy .
After his discharge he returned home and was hired by Nash Motors, from Kenosha , Wisconsin . They had an office in Eau Claire , Wisconsin . He went down their and was hired on the spot. Other companies did this sort of thing because they needed people to meet their war production. Nash was building aircraft engines during the war and it was critical that they had enough people for this work. He was making $.85 an hour and was living in a rooming house that cost him $10.00 a week. This place was located just west of Sheridan Road near downtown Kenosha . He soon moved to a big rooming house on the corner of 56th street and 25th avenue . He had a smaller room but it only cost him $3.00 a week. Here he was only across the street from the plant's main entrance. In 1946, a year before he got married he moved to a larger apartment at 5522 25th avenue just down the block from his room.
He met Valeria Osilius while working at Nash. She cleaned the lunch room tables and did other cleaning at Nash. She and her sister Eva rode together from the farm and parked in Cooper's parking lot. This was only about two blocks from where Raleigh lived. After work one day he was on his way to buy groceries when he passed the Cooper's parking lot. Val motioned him to come over because she wanted him to meet her sister. They both said hello to each other and went about their business. They first met in 1943 and were married in 1947.
He and Eva were married in St. Paul 's Lutheran Church in Kenosha . They lived in the his second story apartment and they drove Eva's car. This location was convenient to both of their jobs as it was only a block away from his and about two from her's. They both worked hard and saved their money so they could buy a house. In 1949 they bought a house at 5533 25th avenue. The Ballards, the elderly couple that owned the house, wanted to retire, and then moved Colorado . The house was only vacant for a few weeks when they purchased it for $7,000. In 1996, he and Eva still live in that home and in June of 1997 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
On August 19, 1997 , he had a stroke but recovered sufficiently to go home. Two years later on September 26, he had another stroke. After a four day stay in the hospital he was transferred to Washington Manor, a nursing home. He died three days later on November 1, 1999 .
In 1975 he retired from Nash, now called American Motors, with about 32 years of service. He had started there in the fall of 1943 in the heat treating department later he went to machining and just after the war ended to the press room where he made $1.24 an hour.
Had a stroke on Tuesday, August 19, 1997 . Was in Kenosha Memorial Hospital to Wednesday August 27, 1997 when he was transferred to St. Catherines Hospital , Kenosha , Wis. He received therapy and in a few weeks returned home. Tuesday,
September 26, 1999 , he was taken to Kenosha Memorial Hospital after he had another stroke. He slowly weakened. On Friday September 29th he was transferred to Washington Manor Nursing home in Kenosha , Wisconsin . He died there at about 9:15 pm Monday, November 1, 1999 .
Note 44 Kenosha Evening News, Monday, June 30, 1947, page 4.
Osilius-Abrahamson Rites at St. Paul's
Nuptial ceremonies uniting Miss Eva Osilius and Raleigh Abrahamson, both of Kenosha, were performed by the Rev. J.H. Johnson on Saturday morning at St. Paul's Lutheran church. After the wedding dinner and reception at the bride's home, the young couple left on a wedding trip to visit the bridegroom's mother, Mrs. Clara Abrahamson at Auburn, Wis. Mr. And Mrs. Abrahamson will live in Kenosha.
Eva Osilius Abrahamson
She attended Jefferson Elementary School in Kenosha . This school was about a block from their house. Her parents sold their home in Kenosha and moved to Paris township in July of 1929, she attended Thomas Jefferson School . The school was about a block east of their farm house on their property.
In June of 1941 she started working at Cooper's in Kenosha and continued there until the fall of 1950. She took time out to raise her children. She returned to work there in 1962 and worked until 1973. The company is now known as Jockey International.
In 1973, after about 19 years of service, she quit Jockey and started at American Motors Corporation. The pay and benefits were much better there. She spent most of her time working on the motor line in various departments such as 820, 826, 830, 838 and 808. She retired after Chrysler Corporation closed most of their American Motors Operations in December of 1988.
In early 2000 Chrysler Corporation purchased her house. The first week of August she moved to the Villa Capri area on the north side of Kenosha .
She passed away in her sleep on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2001 .
Note 53 Married by Justive of the Peace
Note 57 "A" Company 367 Engineer Battalion
Note 60 In the First Lutheran Church, Barron Wisconsin, at the evening service.
The Ancestry of Elna Abrahamsdotter,
Wife of Sone Gregersson
The earliest records examined place Elna Abrahamsdotter's branch of the family in Norra Strö socken (parish), Østra Göinge härad (district) of Kristianstads län, Sweden. In the local records it is usually just referred to as Strö parish. In 1658, the provence of Skäne was ceded from Denmark to Sweden. This area consisted of the counties of Kristianstads län and Malmöhus län. Records before this date chiefly consist of provincial accounts, land, tax and some court records that go back to 1614 at the earliest. The first record of reasonable genealogical value was a census that was taken of Skäne in 1659. As it was the first that was taken under Swedish rule it was more complete than some of the others taken after this date and it is well preserved.
The census or mantalslängden was really not a true census at all as it only recorded the people who had to pay a tax. This tax was levied on people between the ages of 15 and 63. Not even all of these people had to pay it. Soldiers did not have to pay it at all so only their wives are listed and also not everyone on a farm was listed by their name especially in the earlier ones. The census was not taken at a regular interval and sometimes they are up to ten years apart or even as close as a year apart.
The 1659 census lists an Abraham Truesson and a wife living in Strö, Norra Strö socken. Later records spell the surname as Trulsson, Tuesson or Tuvesson. The spellings of last names were not standardized as they are today and many variations can be found. Your last name was spelled like the parish pastor or whoever wrote down that particular record thought it should be spelled. No children are listed so they could have been married less than sixteen years. There is a Nils and an Oluf listed in the parish with the same last name. At this time it is not known if they are related. Strö parish records start in 1690 so we do not have a reliable listing of his children. The name Abraham is not as common a name in Sweden as many others so there is good reason to suspect that most if not all children in that parish with the last name Abrahamsson or Abrahamsdotter are related. Starting in 1690 the records suggest that Anders, John or Jon, Nils and Inger are related by blood. They are witnesses to baptism for each others children. At this time only brothers, sisters, close relatives and in-laws were given this honor.
Only information on Anders and John can be found in the parish which indicates the other two people lived elsewhere at this date. Funeral records would indicate that Anders was born about 1652 and John about 1662. This would lead us to believe that Abraham was married in 1643 at the earliest and 1652 at the latest. That would put his birth at not later than 1632 and probably not much earlier than 1623 if he was 20 to 30 years old when he married. The age of 20 was rather young for this time period to be married. So I am working with the assumption that Anders, John, Nils and Inger are brothers and sister and that Abraham is their father. He is in the right place at the right time and in the proper tax, land and census records to be the
age of their father.
Of the four children mentioned above Anders Abrahamsson is the next one in our line. As stated before he was born about 1652 and his father's name was Abraham. In the 1681 census he was listed as living in Strö and that he was married. It is not known how long he had been married but it probably was not for many years. We do know that 1n 1696, Elna Bengtsdotter died and she was listed as his wife in the parish death entry. She died shortly after their son Erlan was born. She was listed as being 32 years old which means she was born about 1664. Anders first child that we know about was Abraham and he was born in 1683. If Anders married in 1680 or 1681 she would have been 16 or 17 years old at the time. That is a bit on the young side but not impossible. Any earlier that 1680 and Elna would have to be his second wife. We do have proof that he had at least 9 children; Abraham born about 1683, Per born about 1685, Sisa born before 1690, Inger in 1690, Hans in 1693, Lars in 1695, Erland in 1696, Torkel in 1702 and Bolla born in 1706. We have reconstructed the family from the parish register, census records and probate records. Anders had remarried in 1698 to Kristina Larsdotter from Kålaberga farm № 3, and had moved there after the marriage from farm № 20 in Strö. In later years their son Par took over farming on Kålaberga № 3 and Anders died in 1736 and Kristina died in 1741 at the age of 66 years.
Abraham Andersson moved to Skepparslöv parish after 1711. By 1718 he had married Sine Larsdotter and settled on her father's farm № 4 Isgrannatorp. This was the year their daughter Elna was born. Sine, born in 1693, was the daughter of Lars Joranson and Signa or Keirstin Mattisdotter.
Lars' parents were probably Joran Parsson and Sisa.