Anders Persson

Anders Persson was born on 27 Jan 1807 as the first child of Per Andersson and Maria Bengtsdotter in Storegården, Fölene, Västergötland, Sweden. He had two siblings, namely: Petter, and Ingeborg. He died on 25 Feb 1903 in West Union. When he was 26, he married Ingeborg Ephraimsdotter, daughter of Ephraim Larsson and Stina Andreasdotter, on 16 Jun 1833 in Sweden. Anders Persson was baptized on 28 Jan 1807.

Ingeborg Ephraimsdotter

Ingeborg Ephraimsdotter was born on 24 Jun 1814 as the third child of Ephraim Larsson and Stina Andreasdotter in Hovmansgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs län, Västergötland, Sweden. She had four siblings, namely: Samuel, Johannes, Maja Stina, and Johanna. She died on 25 Dec 1893 in Carver County, MN. When she was 18, she married Anders Persson, son of Per Andersson and Maria Bengtsdotter, on 16 Jun 1833 in Sweden.

Anders Persson and Ingeborg Ephraimsdotter had the following children:

  1. Lasse Anderson was born on 25 Feb 1834 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland. He died on 02 Feb 1865 in Pine Bluff, Ark. He married Katrina Bryngelsdotter on 13 Apr 1856 in Fölene, Sweden.
  2. Johanna Andersdotter was born on 09 Sep 1837 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland. She died on 30 Mar 1917 in Rakåsa Svensgården, Fölene, Sweden.
  3. Samuel Anderson was born on 13 Mar 1839 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland. He died on 12 Jun 1895 in MN. He married Maja Stina Andreasdotter in 1864 in WU Luth CH.
  4. Benjamin Anderson was born on 16 Jun 1841 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland, Sweden. He died on 03 Feb 1911 in Carver County, MN. He married Johanna Randahl (Olson) in Jul 1877.
  5. Maja-Stina Anderson was born on 14 Aug 1844 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland, Sweden. She died on 12 Feb 1933 in Minneapolis Mn. She married Anders Peter Andreasson in 1871.
  6. Andrew Peter Anderson Felt was born on 19 May 1847 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland, Sweden. He died on 12 Nov 1931 in Carver County, MN. He married Christina Maria Wänquist on 26 Jan 1876 in Carver CO, MN.
  7. Britta Stina Anderson was born on 25 Jul 1854 in Rakåsa Mellomgården, Fölene, Älvsborgs lån, Västergötland, Sweden. She died about 1885 in America.

Anders and Ingeborg were married 16 June 1833.  Their first child, our great, great grandfather Lasse Andersson, was born 25 February 1834.  They had 7 children by 1854 and all were born at Rakåsa, Mellomgården.  On 9 November 1842 they bought Rakåsa, Mellomgården from her parents, Ephraim and Stina Larsson.  Stina’s parent, Andreas Larsson & Britta Persdotter first bought this farm in 1793. 

Anders and Ingeborg emigrated from Sweden in 1860 and arrived in New York on 10 August 1860.  From there they traveled to Carver Co. in Minnesota. Lasse, their oldest son and our great, great grandfather had immigrated to Carver Co.  in 1856.  He was known as Lars in the US.  Of their seven children, all emigrated except Johanna.  Samuel Anderson is ancestor of Randy Honebrink.  Benjamin Anderson is ancestor of Mellgren’s. Maja-Stina adopted her sister’s (Britta Stina) daughter, Hanna.  Hanna did not have children.  Andrew Peter changed his name to Felt and is ancestor of Joan Felt. Britta Stina Anderson died when she was 31.

Johanna stayed in Sweden.  She married Petter Johansson and two of their sons, Lars John Peterson and August Pettersson,  immigrated to Carver County Minnesota in the 1880s and later settled in what was then the Dakota Territory.  Their son Svante Pettersson, who stayed in Sweden, is ancestor of Viktoria.

Both Anders and Ingeborg are buried in West Union Cemetery.

Notes from Randy Honebrink re Anders Persson
Anders Persson filed his Declaration of Intention Sept 1860 and in it indicates he arrived in US about 10 Aug 1860.
In the 1900 census Anders was living with his son Benjamin Anderson in Carver Co. He said he had been in America 39 years and had emigrated in 1861.  He also said he could read and write (probably Swedish) but could not speak English.
T623 Roll 759 Page 149

Anders and Ingeborg Persson

Anders and Ingeborg Persson - Portrait done from photos above.

Anders and Ingeborg first lived in this house.
Then A. P. (Andrew Peter) Felt.
Then Walfred Felt.
Then Harold Felt.

While Alice was visiting in the Carver area in September 2004, she met Harold and Gladys Felt.  They lived on the farm that Anders and Ingeborg Persson homesteaded when they came from Sweden in 1860.  Ander’s and Ingeborg’s son, A.P. Felt (he changed his name) later took it over and after him, his son, Walfred Felt lived there. This farm was owned by the fourth generation of the Felt family when Walfred’s son Harold bought it. Harold and Gladys have since sold the farm, but the new owner has allowed them to live there for $1.00 a year.  As of 2004, Harold and Gladys were happy living in a mobile home and the new owner was restoring the old farmhouse.  

The house looks quite different from when Anders and Ingeborg lived there over 100 years ago. Additions and new siding are shown in this picture, but you can see the oldest portion of the house running north to south or front to back when looking at this picture.

4 August 2006 - Hand hewn logs in original part of house.

From Viktoria’s presentation at Minnesota family reunion in 2010:  Anders was 53 and Ingeborg was 46 when they came to the US.  Land in Sweden was scarce.  They owned a farm, but it was not large enough to support them and the families of their seven children. By 1870, when Anders and Ingeborg were 63 and 56 the Minnesota Census states they had 120 acres of land with 30 acres improved for farming.  They had 3 milk cows, 5 other cows and 18 sheep, with a value of $412 The farm was valued at $2000.

Letter written by Anders Persson in 1899.

From the copy of Swedish Obituary Joan Felt had for Anders – Viktoria translated for us.

This is in a very old-fashioned Swedish, but I will try to make a translation.  I have translated Swedish expressions directly to English and you may not understand all, so I have yellow-marked the comments where I am unsure of the English way to express the words.

“Now I announce to family and friends that God has taken home” (it’s not exactly what the text says but it’s so old-fashioned, so I haven’t got a clue how to translate it, but it is this meaning) “our tenderly beloved father ANDERS PERSSON that has in the faith of God silently slept in (died) on Feb 25, 1903, in the age of 96 years and 25 days.  He was born in Storegården, Fölene parish, Västergötland, Sweden; was in a happy marriage united with the late member of the parliament, Efraim Larsson’s daughter Ingeborg, who lived to a high age.  The family came to America in 1860, settled down in West Union, Carver Co, where they all are well-respected church members.

He leaves four children, two daughters and two sons, one of the daughters living in Sweden. One daughter and two sons have gone home before him.  He also leaves 28 grandchildren and 38 great grandchildren and a lot of other relatives and friends.  The funeral was held by Reverent J. H. Randahl from Norseland, Minnesota.  The body was brought into the church. Text:1 Mosebok (the first book in the bible) Chapter 47, Verse 8-9. His favourite song “At home, at home we may rest” was sung by the choir.

Peace over his memory.”

West Union, Minnesota in March 1908

The grieving children
Ben Anderson
Majastina Anderson
A.P. Felt

 

 

Gravestones in West Union Lutheran Church Cemetery