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Here, gathered in our beloved South Dakota, are a few members of our Williamson / Mattson Clan. Charles and Luella are to be blamed (be kind, they didn't know what they were doing). We're generally a happy bunch and somewhat intelligent (notwithstanding our tenuous grasp on reality). I'm also proud to say that most of us still have our teeth.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Our Swedish Cousins, Found.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I started this blog two years ago with three goals in mind:
  1. I wanted to post our family's old pictures so everyone can enjoy them. Many people in those pictures are forgotten to time. The only people who knew who they were are dead. That won't happen again.
  2. Record my parent's (Charles and Luella) memories before time and / or old age take them.
  3. Tell the story of our family. I want our future generations to know where they came from. I want them to know their ancestors.
  4. I wanted to find our distant cousins in Sweden (Mattson / Tornberg) and Italy (Vercellino). Why those families? Because they immigrated to America rather recently. Our Great Grandparents arrived at the turn of the century. I also had the letter Ida's sister wrote to her from Sweden during the war.
One of my goals was achieved this week. After much searching a friend in Sweden found one of our distant cousins, Åsa. He made contact and gave her my email address. Åsa sent an email. I responded. Others followed. Our correspondents follow.

Our common grandparents are Karl Tornberg and Sofia Olofsdotter. We are descended from Karl and Sofia's son Isak. Åsa and her family are descended from another son, Karl.

Ida therefore was first cousins to Sigurd Tornberg
Our grandfather Walter was a 2nd cousin to Åsa's mother Agneta.
Luella is therefore a 3rd cousin to Åsa (born in 1968).
Finally, we are 4th cousins, once removed to Åsa.

Let's look at Rolf, mentioned in the emails below. Rolf was Hilma's son. Hilma was Great Grandmother Ida's sister. Rolf is still alive. Rolf is our closest relatives in Sweden.

Great Grandmother Ida was Rolf's Aunt.
Grandpa Walter and Rolf were 1st cousins.
Luella, Linda, John and Marvin are Rolf's 1st cousins, once removed.
73 year old Rolf is therefore our 1st cousin twice removed.

I'm excited to learn more about our family in Sweden. According to Asa, Rolf's computer is on the fritz. She's not sure how proficient he is on the computer. I may have to rely on Rolf's willingness and our younger Swedish cousins to help record Rolf's memories and family photographs for our family history. I'll stay on top of this and keep you all updated.

P.S.
Anyone fancy a trip to Sweden to meet our cousins? I think a small reunion may be called for. Perhaps they would like to come to Utah as well.


A Video of family pictures showing Ida, John Albert, Grandpa Walter, Violet and Luella, Linda, John and Marvin.