I'm an Olympian

I don't know if you enjoy watching the Olympics like I do, but today more history was made. I won a team bronze medal in the Denver Staff Olympics! We divided the staff into 7 groups and were put through different tasks ranging from a hoola hoop pass, spelling bee, trivial pursuit, lifesaver pass, talent show, Are you smarter than a 5th grader test, and speed hot dog eating. My team of 8 came in third and we all received a bronze medal in a medal ceremony.
Of course that's not all we did today but it was part of getting back in the swing of things and meeting the new staff.

More on the ship Orlando

The "Orlando" of 1876 was a 1,473 gross ton ship, built by C & W. Earle, Hull, England for Thos. Wilson, Sons & Co. of Hull England. Her details were - length 260.4 ft x beam 32.2 ft, one funnel, two masts, accommodation for 44-1st, 36-2nd and a considerable number of steerage class passengers. Launched in Dec. 1869 and used on the Baltic and North Sea routes and Hull where passengers could board a train direct to Liverpool for transatlantic steamers. She was lengthened to 274 ft, 1,610 gross tons in 1878 and re-engined in 1897. Sold to French owner Paul Castanie, of Oran in 1909 and renamed "Algerie", again renamed "Dzezair" in 1913, and sold to J. Avranitidi, Constantinople in 1914 and named "Velissarios". In March 1914 she was laid up at Constantinople and in Nov.1914 was inspected by German and Turkish Naval officers for possible use as a transport, but rejected as being in too poor a condition. In 1916 she was taken up by the Turkish navy due to heavy losses of Turkish ships and placed under the management of Osmanli SS Co. Renamed "Umit" she was again laid up in 1919 until 1922 when she was used as an army transport in the Black Sea. In 1923 she was sold to Turkish owners and renamed "Umid", and on 17th Mar. 1924 was wrecked on the breakwater at Carodia while on passage to Crete to rescue Turkish refugees.[Wilson Line by John Harrower] Wilson Line did run a service from Hull to New York from 1875 and from 1896 in conjunction with the Furness-Leyland Line from London. They were never very successful as a transatlantic passenger company and ceased this service in 1916. Their ships used on the Hull - Southampton - New York service in 1876 were:- Othello, Virago, Columbo, Navarino, and Hindoo.- [Posted to The ShipsList by Ted Finch - 17 October 1998]

Here is what the 1887-88 Lloyd's Register of Shipping lists for the ship. ORLANDO. Call sign : JPVG. Official registration # : 60199. Master : Captain F. Dossor. Rigging : iron single screw steam Schooner; 2 decks; 2 bulkheads and 3 partial bulkheads. Tonnage : 1,581 tons gross, 1,197 under deck and 1,031 net. Dimensions : 274 feet long, 32.2 foot beam and 19 feet deep ; Forecastle 29 feet long; ship lengthened in 1878; major repairs in 1873. Built : in 1869 by C. & W. Earle in Hull. Propulsion: compound engine with 2 cylinders of 38 & 76 inches diameter respectively; 300 horsepower; new boilers in 1878; engine built by the same company as the hull. Owners : T. Wilson, Sons & Co. Port of registry : Hull. - [Posted to The ShipsList by Gilbert Provost - 22 October 1998]

Johnson's to America in 1881

On the Swedish CD Emigranten - A.P. Jansson (Jönsson), 35 years old, w. Albertina, 31 years old, d. Emma, 6 years old, s. Carl, 4 years old, d. Ullrika, 2 years old, and nephew C. Carlsson, 19 years old, are listed as leaving from the port of Göteborg on June 3, 1881, coming from Ljung parish, Östergötland county and they had a ticket for New York. Source code: 17:795:11818
According to the passenger lists in the Police Chamber of Göteborg vol. EIX:17:795:11818, the ship was "Orlando", destinated for Hull, England. The shipping agent was Frederick Nelson. The Orlando belonged to the Wilson Line of Hull. She sailed between Baltic and North Sea ports and Hull where passengers could board a train direct to Liverpool for transatlantic steamers. The Wilson Line, Hull, ran the traffic between Göteborg and Hull. As the agent was Frederick Nelson, our ancestors probably continued their journey from England to America on board an Inman Line ship.

To find the ship they arrived in America on one has to estimate on the date of arrival. It takes roughly three weeks from the time they leave Sweden.
They left Ljung parish, Östergötland, Sweden, 27 May 1881, for North America with their family of then 3 (and a pregnant wife Albertina). Landed in the U.S. around June 28, 1881, also stated - to Canton, SD 22 June 1881.
(Calvin Johnson has the original immigration document with Swedish and English translation below.)
Flyttningsbevis
Brukaren/Farmer Anders Peter Jönsson
och hans Hustru/and his Wife Albertina Gustafsdotter
blefvo vigad d 31/10 1873/got married on 31 October, 1873

Mannen/Husband
was born 1835 (Trettiofem/Thirtyfive)
in Ljungs församling/parish
of Östergötl. Län 6 Maj/County the 6 of May
Har haft skyddskoppor/Has been vaccinated against smallpoxes
Läser innantill/Can read from a text: PASS
Kristendomskunskap/Knowledge of religion:
Bevistat förhören/Been present at the test:
Oförhindrad att begå H.H. Nattvard/Free to partake the Communion
Åtnjuter medborgerligt förtroende/Has a good reputation

Hustrun/Wife
was born 1849 (fyrtionio/fortynine)
in Stjernorps församling/parish
of Östergötl. Län 25 April/County on the 25 of April
Har haft skyddskoppor/Has been vaccinated against smallpoxes
Läser innantill/Can read from a text: CONSIDERABLE
Kristendomskunskap/Knowledge of religion
Bevistat förhören/Been present at the test:
Oförhindrad att begå H.H. Nattvard/Free to partake the Communion
Åtnjuter medborgerligt förtroende/Has a good reputation

Afflytta till/Moving to Norra Amerika/North Amercia
före mantalsskrifningen här till nästa år/before the registration here next year.
Betygas/Certified: Ljungs försmling af Östergötl. Län
den 27 Maj 1881 (Åttioett)/27 of May 1881 (Eightyone)
L.B. Frieberg
Reverend pto

Omstående Makar åtföljas härifrån av icke konfirmerade barn: /The Husband and Wife overleaf are accompanied by the not confirmed children:
Daughter Emma Petronella, born in Ljung on 31 May 1874, vaccinated
Son Carl Johan, born in Ljung 15 ? 1876, vaccinated
Daughter Ulrika Mathilda, born in Ljung 4 July 1879, vaccinated
L.E. Frieberg

Andrew became a U.S. citizen Nov. 3, 1888, registered through Clerk of the District Court for Lincoln County, Dakota Territory (as stated in his citizen of US papers in possession of Calvin Johnson)

12/2000 Calvin Johnson relayed these insights of the Johnsons:
Anders Peter Johnson was known as quite a gardener. Joe Johnson would take some of the produce into Sioux Falls coming in from the tea farm by buggy to sell when he was a young man. Dad (Calvin) said when he was a kid he went with his Dad (Joe) into Sioux Falls and stopped at the Lyon home down by now Lyon Park near the statue of David and post office and he remembers looking at the old cars in the garage there (Calvin always had a fascination with old cars) and the maid came out and told him it was time for lunch and Mrs. Lyons told Calvin she remembered his Dad coming in and selling vegetables to her when he was a young man.

Before marriage Anders Petter lived with his parents in cottage Slättmotorp in Ljung parish. He moved in 1854 to the farm Djupsjö in Ljung parish and worked for the farmer Bengt Jonsson. 1855 he moved to Tjällmo parish and came back to Ljung parish in 1859. He worked for farmers in the village Slättmon and 1860 he moved to Bänorp. There he was living and worked on a farm when he married Albertina. Albertina had lived together with her parents in the cottage Nybrofallet until she married. Together they were living in a cottage Fredriksberg that belong to the Bänorp farm in Ljung parish. Albertina and Anders Peter moved in 1874 to cottage Nysätter. In 1880 they move to Grönkulla. 1881 to N. America. They settled on a farm near Canton, Lincoln, SD in Dakota Territory in June 1881. In 1903 Andrew and Albertina, with 3 of their children (Carl, Lena, & Joe), moved to a farm near Tea, SD. Anders died 13 Sept 1920. Berniece Haas Long told me in 2002 that Albertina lived with her daughter Emma and John Long, probably after Anders died, until her death (14 Feb 1935). Although I have her death listed as in Lincoln Co., SD? They are buried at Grandview Covenant Cemetery, Rural Larchwood, IA.

Road Trip

I've grown up with Dad and Mom's love of antiques and old cars, something that's been passed down to us kids. Dad restored a 1928 Chrysler Roadster Model 72 and Mom and Dad have driven it to Kansas City, KS, Medora, ND, The Black Hills, Norfolk, NE, as well as locally. Right: Deb and I went along on a local trip to Pipestone, MN, over 20 years ago, with the folks via the rumble seat. Below: I drew this view of the Chrysler in our yard on the farm. We had our family photo taken after driving the car to the Grandview Church yard for the shot on the lower right.

Hands + Head + Heart = Artist

I worked up at school today, preparing my classroom for the new year. I came across this quote I often post on a bulletin board by my desk to share with students and now I'm sharing it and an old drawing I did with you...

"He who works with his hands is a laborer.

He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.

He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”

- St. Frances of Assisi

More Fallhemmet to share

Fallhemmet was the home built by my Great Great Grandfathers Karl and Adolph Swanson in the woods behind Brohemmet in Sweden. I had posted a photo I had created digitally earlier but found these notes I forgot about and thought I should share with the relatives checking in.

Henry Lundström, grew up in a place called Gunnarstorp, in Ljung parish, and as a child and teenager he used to walk around a lot in the neighbouring woods and he said he recognized the house very well. (by the photo of Fallhemmet) He also remembered that he had been inside the house. It was then empty, no one lived there. He remembered that the walls were covered with old papers and of course he could not stop himself from tearing down some of these newspapers and behind some of them he found letters from America, Must have been sent by your relatives, don't you think? One could only wish that he would have saved them. (Inger Nyberg 8/2000)

We visited the site in 2001 and there was an apple tree and two cherry trees along with remains of a cellar but because of the thick moss everywhere it was tough to see exactly where the buildings were.

Counting Heads...

The Johnson's and our neighbors the Dieters family celebrated many birthday's together. Tracy and Mom's birthdays are a couple days apart, Carl and Dad's are also a couple days apart. As far as the kids go; Evelyn and Steve share the same date, one year apart and Glen and I share the same date, one year apart. Of course there are other close dates in the group but more often than not we shared the same birthday parties year round.
We lived 3 miles apart, rode the same school bus, went to the same country church, so it was natural that we also enjoyed family trips together. I remember taking off after church often with neighbors and church members for a picnic and afternoon of fun at Okoboji.

Here are some photos from 1959 of a Johnson/Dieters trip to Wall Lake, SD. Picture this: 12 kids, Two mom's swimming with the kids in the water, Two dad's with the babies and toddlers on the beach, everything wet, sandy and hungry. In my Dad's words, "We'd be constantly counting heads in the water". Not a relaxing day at the beach for the adults... but fun watching the kids have a good time.
In 1967, our parents were even brave enough to rent two campers and pull them out to Yellowstone via the Black Hills for an adventure we still reminisce about. Our car had to be put in for repairs on a buldging tire so the whole gang crowded into the Dieters station wagon for a trip to the Dairy Queen. On the way we pulled over for a hitch hiker to see if he wanted a ride... Imagine that, he turned us down! Well, there really wasn't any room with 15 people packed in the car already! I wish we had a picture of that, but I can still picture us in my mind. Here are the kids with a days catch after going fishing in Yellowstone.