Announcing the Newest Member of our Williamson Clan.

Bryce Hunter Williamson

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Andrew and Heather Williamson are please to announce the birth of their son, Bryce Hunter Williamson. Bryce was born on the evening of August 12. He came in at 9 pounds and 21 inches long. Both Bryce and Heather are doing fine.

Andrew and Heather

Heather With Bryce

Andrew, Heather and now Bryce live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Andrew is stationed at Ft. Wainwright.

For more information please contact Grandpa Bill at
postinobj@msn.com

Welcome to the family Bryce!

Simply,
Victor

Our Swedish Letter Translated!

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Our 9th cousin Pertti responded to my call for help and translated the letter (written in Swedish) sent to our Great Grandmother Ida from her sister Hilma. That's right, Hilma. Luella always remembered Ida calling her Wilma. There is another mystery waiting to be solved.

We begin with the letter itself.





And now, the Translation:

Dear Sister With Your Family!

I have to put my thoughts into action and let you hear from me. It's been a really long time since I wrote to you and everyone else with you. I feel good and everyone so does everyone else here at my house.

I'm wondering just how you have it [how are things during the war] and how you are so far away from homeland. Homeland that you might have forgotten for a long time ago. But unfortunately we must admit we have a good homeland. Just think that we still have everything compared with other countries. [Sweden was neutral during World War 2]

Pertti's remark: (Unfortunately might here have the meaning that from Hilma's view that Ida has lost her good homeland).

Lately we have not suffered any shortages except for coffee, which we do not have at all now. I was going to beg coffee of you. The coffee there [ in the USA] is so cheap. And it is sent so much from there. Coffee is coming continually from America. I envy those who get it. I have the post so I can see all the packages that are coming. So I think you might probably also send some to us. For you know, it feels unpleasant to be entirely without coffee when you have become used to it from childhood.

Now I hope you show your sister's love and send me a couple of kilograms of coffee. They generally come in two kilos packages and you pay the customs duty yourself. Now don't forget it away! I will send this letter by air mail so it goes faster.

Well, Valter is at home with his wife, and how many children they have. Astrid is now to take real (school subject?) in spring. If she gets it (the grade?), I'll send a card for her.

Lennart is reading for the third year. Hasse started school in the previous fall and Rolf is five years. Charles is 20 years.

You might have heard that Nanna Tornberg is dead. Arthur is also at home in Karungi. He has become a bit strange during his long stay away from homeland. But he is not so dangerous. He has some kind of repair station. Adriana, she also lives in Karungi. Her husband is in Canada. All her children are adults. She has four children.

We are still having full winter here. You of course have a lot warmer weather there. But soon we have the lovely Nordic spring here with sunshine and summer.

Well how is Valter [Grandpa Walter, Ida's husband] is he at the front or is he at home? Yes, we also have electric lights here with radio and everything, so now there are other [modern] times here in the Torne Valley than in the old days. You should come and see. You would not recognize the home region. Yes, now I have scribbled a lot so I have to stop.

Do not forget the coffee. And do not forget to write some time. It's nice to hear something about you. It's awful, that we are just two siblings and never write to each other. So much should you still have fellowship with one another that you write some time.

Yes, I become 50 years old in August. Sure I am old. In August 30th is my birthday. You must be 56 or so. Think we are old people. And mother has been lying 10 years in the grave. Greetings to Valter and Albert with his wife.

Writes sister Hilma
Neistenkangas

Sveden

ANSWER BACK

Do not forget the coffee drop!

Greetings to the aunt

Kalle

Pertti adds the following:

By the way, I think Hilma speaks of her and Ida's cousins in this letter, like Nanna and Adriana.

Best regards
Pertti

Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg's Arrival to the United States

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
More information on Great Grandmother Ida (Walter Mattson's Mother).

We begin with Ida's departure from Sweden (above). This is the immigration manifest from Sweden. You'll notice that Ida was traveling with friends. You'll see her destination was Houghton, Mich.

Next we have the passenger list for those wanted to enter the United States from Canada on the Canadian Ship SS. Empress of Britian. The ship departed from Liverpool on 7 May, 1909. The Atlantic crossing was a 4 or 5 day affair.

This is the passenger list (Click to Enlarge). You'll notice that Ida is listed as a domestic (servant). You'll notice that her father's name was Isak Tornberg and that her final destination was Houghton, Mich.

Ida sailed on one of the finest and fastest ships of its day, the SS Empress of Britain



We move to the 1910 Census showing Ida working in Houghton, Michigan as a servant for the Miller family.


From here we have a postcard proving Ida was living in northern Michigan (please refer to the earlier post of the day).

Finally, we have Ida and John Albert marrying in Lead, South Dakota on 11 March 1911.

Simply,
Victor

A Letter to our Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg in Swedish. Anyone Out There Read Swedish and Can Translate?

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today I'm posting a letter written to our Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg from her sister Wilma. The letter was posted from Sweden, written in Swedish. I'd use Google Translator to translate the general meaning of the letter but can't due to the odd handwriting. I can't make out many of the letters.

I'm hoping someone out there reading the blog either reads Swedish or knows someone that does and would be kind enough to translate this letter for me.

We are still searching for our nearest relatives living in Sweden. Ida's sister Wilma may be the key and finding her descendants is a priority.

Simply,
Victor

We start with this post card written to Ida before her marriage to John Albert Mattson on 11 March 1911. At the time Ida was living in South Range, Michigan. It is my opinion that Ida moved to South Range from Sweden. I asked myself why would anyone choose to live in South Range Michigan when first immigrating to the United States? The only answer was family or friends.

I did more research and found the following person living in South Range at the same time.

Karl Levi Isaksson Tornberg b. 1876 d. 1939 Immigrated to America without certificate about 1903-1904. Later residing in South Range, Michigan, USA. Died in a mining accident.

Now, considering the population of South Range in 2000 was 797, I'm inclined to believe that a family member moved there first and Ida followed.

We also have record of another Tornberg living in South Range:

Charles Levi Isaksson Tornberg b. 1876 d. 1939
Immigrated to America around 1903 to 1904 Migration. Lived in South Range, Michigan

There are also several Tornberg immigrants living in nearby towns in Michigan and one or two that moved to Lead, South Dakota where Ida settled after marrying John Albert Mattson.

Johan Isaksson Tornberg b. 1863, d. about 1920 To N. America 1.6.1883. Later residing in Lead, South Dakota, USA

Karl Adolf Persson Forsman b. 1862 d. 1923 who immigrated to N. America 11.6.1884. Residing in Houghton, Michigan, USA. Married: Greta Wilhelmina Isaksdotter Tornberg b. 1859 d. 1946 who immigrated to N. America 11.6.1884. Karl and Greta returned to Sweden on 6 Oct. 1894 They married in the USA on 27 July 1884.

Their Children born in Houghton, Michigan:
Karl William b. 1885 d. 1951
Anna Vilhelmina b. 1887 d. 1975
Sedi Sofia b. 1888 d. 1910
Elisa Amanda b. 1891 d. 1961
Etna Teresia b. 1893 d. 1917
All Returned home to Sweden with their parents

Isak Wilhelm Isaksson Tornberg b. 1862 d. 1948 Immigrated to N. America without certificate about 1884. Later residing in Ishpeming, Marquette, Michigan, USA

Kaisa Maria Isaksdotter Tornberg b. 1866 d. 1959 Immigrated to N. America 15 June 1889. Arrived from Göteborg (Gothenburg, Sweden) destination Hancock, Michigan. Married 1893 to Johan Kermuniemi (John Kermu; se above 1883), residing in Mass City, Michigan, USA

Herman Abiel Fredriksson Tornberg b. 1881 To N. America without certificate about 1903

Oskar Isaksson Tornberg b. 1879 d. about 1910-1915 Immigrated to N. America without certificate about 1903-1904. According to family information he should have immigrated to America 25 Nov. 1910 and settled in Ironwood, Michigan, USA

Once again I believe it is safe to say that Ida immigrated and moved in with relatives in northern Michigan. We also know that her sister Wilma did not immigrate and married a Laplander.

And now the letter from Wilma to Ida:

Front. We see that this letter was mailed in 1942 at the height of World War 2. Sweden was neutral in the war.

The back of the envelope with Wilma's return address in Sweden.

Neistenkangas, Sweden

Page 1 (Click to Enlarge)

Page 2 (Click to Enlarge)

Page 3 (Click to Enlarge)

Page 4 and End (Click to Enlarge)

Luella's Day of Freedom! No More Trips to the Canal. And Pictures of the Early Mattsons!

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello To All,
A major purchase for the Fortress was made today. A new washer and dryer will be delivered on Thursday to make mother's life a bit easier. I took Luella to Best Buy and RC Willey once she returned this morning from doing a load of laundry down at the canal. She was overjoyed with the announcement that after all these years of knuckle scrapping on a wooden washboard, Dad and I were finally willing to spend the money to get a completely automatic, ELECTRIC no less, washer and dryer for the Fortress.

Our first stop today was Best Buy in Orem. Luella wasn't impressed with the salesman at Best Buy. He was young and wasn't able to answer all her questions. I think he was thrown off his game by her appearance. She looked like an old Chinese washerwoman with bleeding knuckles (I didn't give her time to wash up before we left). He printed the information on an out of model LG washer and dryer and we went on our way.

Luella enjoyed our next stop and the RC Willey across the busy street. The salesman was sales veteran. He was upon us the moment our feet hit the Appliances Department. He looked like he was dressed for church (1950's style). He had polished shoes, perfectly pressed slacks, a crisp white shirt with tie and hair cut and combed back off his face (a lesson the Best Buy kid should learn). He knew the answer to every question. He enjoyed talking washers and dryers. He even had washing and drying jokes! He had the Consumer Reports Books on hand for comparison shopping. He knew every screw and magnet in the machines and threw in enough goodies and rebates to seal the deal. Luella was overjoyed. To be honest, I was more interested in the new 3D Panasonic Television they had on display at my 11:00 o'clock position.

We drove back to the Fortress several hundred dollars lighter in the wallet.

I wonder if our clothes will be any cleaner? Will they smell better? Don't know. I do know it won't take three days to dry a full load of towels in a new dryer. That should save some electricity. Anyway, the money will be well worth it to keep mother from making another trek to the canal below the Fortress with her washboard and soap to do the laundry. Bless her heart but could we continue to let her push a full load of canal washed, wet clothes back up the hill of 1100 North in that borrowed WalMart shopping cart with the wobbly wheel? This new washer and dryer will be well worth not having to put up with the neighbor's dirty looks and the never ending calls from Social Workers banging on the door asking uncomfortable questions about Elder Abuse.

And now, for tonight's enjoyment as we gather around the digital fire we will look at some old pictures of a simpler time in the 1950's for the Mattsons of Montana and Spearfish, South Dakota.

In this picture we have Luella, Grandma Violet holding baby Linda and Grandpa Walter. This picture was taken around 1942 on the Montana Ranch. This is one of Luella's favorite pictures of her parents.

This is Luella proudly modelling her new coat. She thinks she is a junior in high school.
She loved the coat. Isn't it a sad commentary on life today when you think that Luella, even after all these years, can still remember everything about that coat. Just getting a new coat was such a special occasion you had to stop to take pictures of it!

In this picture you have Uncle Marvin, Uncle John, Great Grandmother Vesta and Luella in her new coat. This was taken early in the morning. Luella is still in her pj's. Luella was about 15 years old. John was 11 and Marvin was 9.

This is a picture of Great Grandma Vesta with her husband Jim Logan. Standing beside them are Luella and Charles, newlyweds of two days. Back then, Charles took his shirt off all the time to show off his muscles. If he did that now, at 74 years old, Immigration would be called in to deport the strange starving Ethiopian on the loose every day in the Orem, WalMart.

This picture was taken in June 1956. After their wedding, the couple went to Newcastle, Wyo and stayed the night (giving them a one night honey moon. Romantic, yet cheap - important in those days). They had a lovely little apartment near Spearfish Park for the first few months of their marriage. Dad got a job in Deadwood with the State Highway Department so they moved to Deadwood. They had an apartment above the Montgomery Ward Store. Luella worked at Goldburg Grocery running the Bakery Concession Stand.

This is a picture of John Albert Mattson holding Luella as an infant. Ida and John were so proud of their first grandchild (they only had one child - our Granddad Walter). John Albert had large hands. He was a very hard worker and loved to walk whenever it was possible. He and Ida were born in Sweden. He was the black sheep of the Mattson family. He loved to drink before he and Ida married. After their wedding Ida took control of his spending money. Whenever they went to town Ida would give him one dollar to spend in the saloon and that was it. His drinking was under control.

The Mattson's drove to Belle Fourche, South Dakota from the Montana Ranch for a picnic and to take a few pictures. In the top picture you have Linda with her curls, then Uncle John, their first cousin Diane Pierce (daughter to Violet's brother Walter) and finally Uncle Marvin.

In the lower picture we have Luella proudly posing to show off her new saddle shoes. All the girls wore them with white anklets. Luella was 12 or 13 in this picture. Shocking isn't it. She was very tall for her age. The pictures were taken in Belle Fourche Park.




These are pictures of Uncle John as a baby.

And that is it for today.

Simply,
Victor

A Quiet Evening with our Swedish Ancestors

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Today, an old Lutheran hymn sung in Swedish, one of the languages of our Tornberg and Mattson ancestors. This scene comes from the Academy Award winning film "Babbett's Feast".

Over the last few days I discovered that many of our Swedish and Finnish ancestors were Lutheran pastors and priests. Faith played a major role in their day to day lives. The people of that time, as they do now, relied on their faith to see them through life's dark times.

In my mind's eye I see our ancestors sitting in this room on a dark cold Scandinavian night enjoying each other's company in word and song.



Oh, watch the day
once again hurry off,
and the sun bathe itself in water.

The time for us to rest approaches

O God, Who dwelleth in heavenly light;
Who reigns above in heaven’s hall.
Be for us our infinite Light,
in the valley of night

The sand in our hourglass will soon run out.
The day is conquered by the night.
The glories of the world are ending;
so brief their day,
so swift their flight.

God, let Thy brightness ever shine!
Admit us; Thy mercy divine.

A Few Stories about our Tornberg Ancestors

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I've been in email contact with Pertti Ervasti, my 9th Cousin on the Tornberg family line, from Finland. He has been extremely helpful in helping Angie and I trace the Tornberg genelogy. We are into the 1600's now.

There are a few interesting stories about the early Tornbergs I'd like to share with you translated from Finnish into English by Google Translation. So... the stories are as good as the translation makes possible.
__________________________________________________________

Our 9th Great Nicolaus Nicolaii Ulopolitanus Tornberg b. 1605 d. 1676. married Maria Nilsdotter Falk b. 1610.

It appears Nicolaus was a mayor or alderman of the city of Oulu, Finland. The city had just been founded. Nicolaus was a chaplain in Hietaniemi in 1637-1641 and a priest and pastor at another location until his death.

Maria's father (Nicolaus Philippi Falkia) was the priest of Yitornion from 1625 to 1638. In the Autumn of 1636 the parsonage burned along with the residential Buildings, stables and warehouses. The impoverished family received a two year exemption from taxation. Maria's father died in 1638. Fortunately our 9th Great Grandfather Nicolaus married his daughter Maria and saved the family from ruin.

to

8th Great Grandfather Johannes Nicolai Nilsson Tornberg b. 1640 d. 3 Jan. 1717. married Brita Isaksdotter Curtelia b. 1651. d. 6 April 1740 in Hietaniemi Lappi, Finland.


The walking stick in the picture above was owned by our 8th Great Grandfather. He was the minister of Övertorneå congregation. The cane's silver knob is missing, replaced with wooden knob.

Russian cossacks were visiting Övertorneå in 1717, during the last years of "the Great Wrath" (a twenty year war between Russia and Sweden fought on Finnish soil). The cossacks attacked the city, killing many and stealing everything of value. They broke into Johannes' Church (he was also a Lutheran Pastor) and tried to force him to tell them where he had hidden the church's valuable silver and gold. Johannes refused to tell. The cossacks took our Great Grandfathers walking stick and beat him with it, then stole the silver knob. Johannes Nicolai died from his wounds three days later.

to

Our 7th Great Grandfather Isak Johanneson Tornberg b. 1677 d. 29 Sept. 1743 and Magdalena Hermannindr (?) Kempe b. 1678 d. 24 Sept. 1755.

Isak Johanneson Tornberg was a Lutheran chapel assistant from 1718-1743. He was ordained a priest. In 1710 he became the pastor to the ironworks at Köngäksen.

Rapids on the Torne River between Sweden and Finland in Lapland

Our Grandfather's life as a child was full of adventures, many of which could have killed him. One of the earliest is when his father was a vicar in Kautokeino and the whole family was traveling in the summer. The family had to cross a river. While passing through the rapids, Isak fell off the reindeer's back he was riding upon and fell into the swirling water. The family didn't realize he was missing for a few moments and when they did the power of the rapids carried him downstream quite a distance.

And so we learn more about our ancestors day by day. Consider how the daily occurrences in our life's can have such profound influence on the future. If our Great Grandfather had drowned in that river, which he could have easily done so, then none of us would be here today! Entire possible futures disappear with many actions and decisions we make day to day.

Simply,
Victor

Charlie's Bridge

The Keystone Wye Bridge on Highway 16.

The Black Hills of South Dakota (Click to Enlarge)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

This is the Keystone Wye bridge on Highway 16 taking you to the town of Keystone and Mt. Rushmore from Rapid City, South Dakota. It was built in 1967. The Federal Govt. sponsored a highway beautification contest in the late 1960's. Each of the 50 states could submit one highway for consideration. Highway 16 was South Dakota's entry. The Highway and bridge were designed in the State capital. The plans were sent to the regional Highway Department in Rapid City. Charles Williamson was appointed chief surveyor for the project.

This photo is taken on the deck of the lower bridge with a view of the higher arch bridge. These bridges are unique, they feature Glue Laminated (aka Glulam) Timber construction.

The Keystone Wye is a trumpet-style three-way interchange for the two divided highways, constructed in 1966-67 as part of the project converting US 16 to a four-lane, divided highway from Rapid City, South Dakota to Keystone for visitors to Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The high bridge is supported by three 20-meter wooden, single-hinged arches; six separate glulam pieces are used in the construction. Three more pieces were built but failed quality assurance tests; they were assembled into an interesting pyramidal sculpture which for years was located just off US 16 on the then-south edge of Rapid City (a site today occupied by a motel and convenience store), and which was moved to a new location on US 16 near Sitting Bull Crystal Cave in the mid-1990s.

The Wood beams creating the arches of the bridge were designed and built in
Washington State and trucked to the Black Hills.

Charles Williamson surveyed the expansion work for Highway 16. He surveyed all the roads leading into the interchange. He did the survey work and supervised the placement of the concrete pads anchoring the wooden arches. If his work wasn't spot, on correct the arches wouldn't have fit.

The project took two years to complete from beginning to end.

Charlie (SeeBee) Williamson, Back in the Day.

The interchange was designed before computers and calculators. Charles used a slide rule for some of his calculations but not the bridge. Slide rules were not accurate enough for five or six decimal places. Instead he used trig tables, pencil and paper.

Charles remembers that the blasting of the hillside, in preparation for the bridge's foundations and the widening of the road, brought up chunks of quartz rock with small embedded veins of gold. The Holy Terror Mine Gold Mine was down the hill from the bridge in the town of Keystone. The gold in the quartz was all part of the larger vein of gold that supported the mine.

Ray Sanders, an old nut from Rapid City, originally owned the land where the bridge sits today. He refused to sell the land to the State of South Dakota. The State had no choice but to take the land from him when he refused to accept their best offer. He was angry, and on the first day of construction, just as the bulldozers started to clear the land, he climbed a nearby hill and shot at the construction equipment below. Charles remembers hearing the pinging of the bullets as they bounced off the tractor's blades. The sheriff was called, came out, and took him to jail.

Simply,
Victor

New Information on our Great Grandmother Ida Tornberg from Our New Swedish Family Connection

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All!
You will all remember my discovery of the Tornberg Family Association in Sweden and Finland. Well, I found several email addresses of Association members on their web site and wrote to them explaining our problem in researching the family past Ida's parents.

Success! I've been in email contact with a member of the association named Bertie in Sweden. I sent him the information we had and asked if he knew anyone that could help us break through the barrier.

Today I received a response. Using a new online Swedish Genealogy Database, Bertie found our Great Great Grandfather Isak and his wife Maria. We can now trace our Tornberg family back further and he promises more information in the coming days.

This is what he sent today:

Hei,

I've found the connection through Arkiv Digital Online:

Isak Wilhelm, b. 9.12.1844 Pajala

He married 15.4.1883 Maria Brita Johansdotter b. 28.6.1855

His father was

Karl Henrik Tornberg b. 31.10.1819 in Köngänen, Pajala

His father was

Isak Cristian Tornberg b. 4.4.1791 in Köngänen, Pajala

His father was

Isak Tornberg b. 24.8.1755 in Hietaniemi

His father was

Isak Tornberg b. 29.8.1721 in Hietaniemi

His father was

Isac Tornberg b. 1677 in Koutokeino

His father was

Johannes Tornberg b. 1640 in Övertorneå

His father was

Nicolaus Nicolai Ulopolitanus b. 1605, might be in Oulu.

More information in coming days,

Br

Bertie

I'm very grateful to Bertie for his assistance in our search for our Swedish and Finnish family ties.

With the information sent by Bertie and a new email from cousin Angie giving me the correct link: (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=/eng/search/ancestorsearchresults.asp). to track the family back (Thanks Angie!!) we can now display the full family line of the Tornbergs from Today back to the 1600's. There is also the following link with addtional information: http://www.annelikotisaari.net/N.Ulopolitanus.htm#Taulu%20320

Tornberg Relationship Chart

Nicolaus Nicolaii Ulopolitanus Tornberg b. 1605 d. 1676. married Maria Nilsdotter Falk b. 1610

Children:
Anders Tornberg b. 1625
Israel Tornberg b. 1627 d. 28 Feb. 1657
Nils Tornberg b. 1629 d. 1675
Anna Tornberg b. 1630
Olof Tornberg b. 1632
Johannes Tornberg b. 1640
Brita Tornberg

to

Johannes Nicolai Nilsson Tornberg b. 1640 d. 3 Jan. 1717. married Brita Isaksdotter Curtelia b. 1651. d. 6 April 1740 in Hietaniemi Lappi, Finland.

Children:
Johan Tornberg b. 29 Jan. 1670
Michel Tornberg b. 1670
Helena Tornberg b. 1676
Isac Tornberg b. 1677
Henrik Tornberg b. 1680
Olaus Tornberg b. 1684 d. 9 Mar. 1738
Margeta Tornberg b. 1686

to

Isak Johanneson Tornberg b. 1677 d. 29 Sept. 1743 and Magdalena Hermannindr (?) Kempe b. 1678 d. 24 Sept. 1755.

Children:
Brita Tornberg. b. 1707
Johan Tornberg b. 25 July 1709 d. 18 Feb. 1740
Abraham Tornberg b. 1710
Margareta Tornberg b. 27 Dec. 1711
Magdalena Tornberg b. 16 Feb. 1718
Elisabeth Tornberg b. 17 April 1720
Isac Tornberg b. 29 Aug. 1721
Catharina tornberg b. 8 April 1724

to

Isak Isaacss Tornberg. b. 29 Aug. 1721 Hietaniemi, Norrbotten Sweden. d. 30 June 1786. Married 11 Dec. 1750 to Anna Margareta Henridr (?) Niewardt b. 1727. d. 3 April 1803.

Children:
Magdalena Tornberg b. 3 Oct. 1751
Anna Margareta Tornberg b. 31 Aug. 1753
Apollonia Tornberg b. 16 Nov. 1753 d. 1829
Isak Tornberg b. 24 Aug. 1755.
Henrik Tornberg b. 3 Oct. 1756
Katarina Tornberg b. 11 Oct. 1757 d. 6 Nov. 1758
Eva Tornberg b. 8 Feb. 1759
Johannes Tornberg b. 27 April 1760 d. 11 May 1760
Elisabet Tornberg b. 22 May 1761 d. 21 June 1761
Abraham Tornberg b. 21 Aug. 1762
Jakob Tornberg b. 5 Sept. 1763
Salomon Tornberg b. 23 Oct. 1765
Ulrika Tornberg b. 30 Nov. 1766 d. 20 March 1767
Kuolleena Syntynyt Tornberg b. 3 Jan. 1768 d. Same Day

to

Isak Isakss Tornberg b. 24 Aug. 1755. d. 24 Oct. 1824. married Eva (Elsi) Olofsdr. Pietila Vitsaniemi b. 4 March 1765. d. 3 Dec. 1832

Children:
Anna Greta Isaksdr Tornberg b. 20 Oct. 1786. d. 1786
Anna Breta Isaksdr. Tornberg b. 1788 d. 24 May 1790
Isak Christian Isakss Tornberg b. 4 April 1791. d. 14 June 1879
Eva Lovisa Isaksdr Tornberg b. 27 Nov. 1793 d. 19 July 1794
Stina Frederika Isaksdr Tornberg b. 15 Dec. 1795. d. 1798
Johan Henrik Isakss Tornberg b. 20 Nov. 1797 d. 29 Sept 1798
Wilhelmina Isaksdr. Tornberg b. 2 August 1799 d. 8 Oct. 1799
Erik August Isakss Tornberg b. 20 Aug. 1800
Eva Maria Isaksdr. Tornberg b. 24 Jan 1803
Hedvika Johanna Isaksdr Tornberg b. 7 April 1804 d. 22 Oct. 1806
Sofia Wilhelmina Isaksdr Tornberg b. 29 Oct 1805 d. 17 July 1809
Alexander Isakss Tornberg b. 5 Dec. 1807. d. 24 Nov. 1809

to

Isak Christian Isakss Tornberg b. 4 April 1791, Pajala Konkanen, Norrbotten Sweden.
14 June 1879. married Anna Karolina Karlintytar Humble b. 5 May 1795. Married in 1815, Pajala Norrbotten Sweden

Children:
Isaac Wilhelm Tornberg b. 15 Feb 1817. Pajala.
Carl Henric Tornberg b. 30 Oct 1819. Pajala
Johan Fredric Tornberg. b. 4 July 1822 Pajala.
Gustaf Tornberg b. 23 April 1825
Anna Maria Tornberg b. 29 May 1828
Kuolleena Syntynyt Tornberg b. 11 May 1830

to

Carl Henrick Isakss Tornberg b. 30 Oct. 1819. d. 5 April 1892. and Sofia Johanna Olofintytar b. 1820. d. 7 Sept. 1885 Karl Gustav Parish, Norrbotten Sweden. (marriage 1844. Pajala, Norrbotten, Sweden)

Children: All Born in Karl Gustav Parish, Norrbotten, Sweden.
Isak Wilhelm Carlss. Tornberg b. 9 Dec. 1844
Johan Frederik Carlss, Tornberg b. 18 Sept. 1846
Carl Gustaf Carlss. Tornberg b. 19 Sept 1848
Henrik Carlss. Tornberg. b. 6 Sept 1850
Ida Johanna Carlsdr. Tornberg b. 19 Dec. 1852. d. 24 Dec. 1884
Maria Josefina Carlsdr. Tornberg b. 16 Aug 1854
Frans Oskar Carlss. Tornberg b. 22 Oct. 1856 d. 31 Jan. 1857
Matilda Carolina Carlsdr. Tornberg b. 31 Jan. 1858 d. 31 Dec. 1863
Hjalmar Carlss, Tornberg b. 4 Feb. 1859. d. 18 Dec 1862
Frans Levi Carlss, Tornberg b. 4 Feb 1859 d. 3 Dec. 1889
August Alfried Carlss. Tornberg b. 12 Aug 1864.

to

Isak Wilhelm Tornberg b. 9 Dec. 1844 Pajala , Norrbotten, Sweden married Maria Brita Johansdotter b. 1855.

Children:
Levi Lorens Isakss Tornberg b. 1884
Ida Josefina Isaksdr Tornberg b. 1886
Anna Alexandra Isaksdr Tornberg b. 1890

to

Ida Josefina Tornberg b. 1886 married Johan Albert Mattson b. 6 Aug. 1873, Fjaras, Halland, Sweden

Children:
Walter Albert Mattson b. 31 Jan. 1912 Lead, South Dakota, USA
d. 3 Feb 1973

to

Walter Albert Mattson b. 31 Jan. 1912 d. 3 Feb 1973 married Violet Mae Pierce b. 12 June 1918 d. 11 Sept. 1987.

Children:
Luella Mattson Living
Linda Mattson Living
John Mattson Living
Marvin Mattson Living

to

Luella Mattson married Charles Williamson in 1956

to

Kim, Victor, Kevin, Janice, Jon, Jilane, Lisa, and Annette.

Simply,
Victor

The Hunt is Afoot! The Search for Missing Ancestors. The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Family,
We are on the hunt. The horn is sounded and cousin Angie, astride her mount, has quickly moved ahead. The dogs pick up a scent and lead her toward the forest. I follow.
______________________________________

Angie sent an email with a possible lead to a missing ancestral line today. Of course, being the every curious, I had no choice but to join in the search and decided to let you all see the joy and agony that comes from searching for ancestors.

This is a step by step accounting then of my afternoon.

12:05 P.M. Email from Angie stating a possible clue to the identity of Grandma Violet's Grandparents on her father's side. We start with the Relationship Chart

The family line continues for Eldora Elizabeth Fiddler. The family line ends on the Pierce side with Edwin.

Angie finds a Edwin Pierce in the 1880 Census and sends the link to me. (Click to Enlarge)


I look at this entry in the Census for Coles County Illinois and see Edwin is listed as 15 years old at the time and living with a (Male) Pierce aged 24 and his wife, Emma Pierce age 20. In addition there is a 7 month old baby named Maude Pierce. According to this entry, Edwin was born in Illinois around the correct year of his birth. Our Great Great Grandfather was also born in Illinois. One source records his birth as 1862. This census would make his birth year 1865 (if this is truly the correct Edwin Pierce). I had trouble reading the name of the male head of household. After a bit more searching I found another source for the Census.

This is the same 1880 Census information but typed out by Ancestry.Com. Now we see the name of the head of household. If this is our Edwin, then I assume from this information that Gregory must be Edwin's older brother. He is living away from his parents.

My next step was to try to find the parents of Gregory Pierce. I found them all listed again in the 1870 Census (click to enlarge)


I was correct but we see an error in the record. The Census taker records him as Edward not Edwin. The good news is that we have the parents listed. If this is our G G Grandfather then his parents were Harrison and Lavina Pierce.


In this entry we learn the birth place and date of Harrison's birth.


And in this entry we see the listed information for Lavina Pierce. Of course, is this Edwin (Edward) really our Great Great Grandfather? Well, the birth year is off by a couple years but the Census records Edwin's birth as "about" 1865. This Edwin was born in Illinois as was our GG Grandfather.

The jury is out. What we have is a possible lead that must be investigated further.

Then hunt is on!

Simply,
Victor