The Shop Owners - Sepia Saturday 682

 

Linking to Sepia Saturday 682

As far as I know, this photo of my great-grandfather Samuel (1835-1907) is the only one of him that exists. The sign he is holding in his hand is a Bible quote and also part of a line from a Swedish hymn: “Lord, increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)  In my childhood I always found this odd (and no one ever explained), but my guess now is that the photo was probably taken in connection with him being involved in the founding of a new mission covenant church (c. 1884). (Cf an old post of mine from March 2012.) 

If you wonder what connects Samuel to the Sepia Saturday prompt for this week, the answer is not in the old car, but in the shop that can be seen in the background behind that car. Because Samuel was not only a farmer, and the father of eleven children (and a layman preacher, or whatever position he may have held in the church) - but also a country shop owner. At least for a while, around 1880. 

Three of Samuel's children (i.e. three of my grandmother Sally's older half siblings) also became shop owners: The oldest daughter, Emma, married the owner of country shop. They in turn opened a branch shop in another village, of which Emma's brother Oscar became the manager. Later on, he and his family moved to a bigger town, where he probably owned his own shop. And a younger sister, Ester, who never married, also became a shop owner - first of a flower shop, and then a confectionery shop.

Postcard from 1904, which may be showing Oscar's shop at Odensberg. (Cf my post from June 2019.)

The Wilander shop and family home in Floby, owned by Emma and her husband Brynolf. Photo probably from the 1940's (?)

I've been told that this is Ester behind the counter of her confectionery shop. And I think (although I'm not sure) that the man and woman may be her brother Oscar and his wife Elin visiting. (In which case the photo must be from before 1930.)  (Cf my post for SS 638.)

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Above is the short version. Below follows the "long version"... 

Swedish Censuses from 1880-1930

 I've been trying to sum up some of the things I learned (or got confirmed) from Swedish censuses (found online) from 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910 and 1930. 

My great-grandfather Samuel was born in 1935. In 1866 he got married to his first wife, Anna Sophia. With her, he had nine children; two of whom died when they were only 8-9 years old. Anna Sophia hereself died in 1894, only four months after their youngest daughter; and Samuel was then left a widower with seven children - the two youngest, Gustaf and Gerda, then 15 and 13. (About those two, long-term readers of this blog have already heard a lot, as this blog was started as a project of going through their postcards, and especially their years in America 1902-10).

In 1898, Samuel got married again, to my great-grandmother Selma - a younger widow, with an eight year old daughter from her first marriage (Hildur). They moved to the farm Storegården, and together, they had two more children - my grandmother Sally (born 1900) and Nils (born 1902).

In the census of 1880, where it's mentioned that Samuel was a country shop owner as well as a farmer,  he is 45 years old, and still married to his first wife, Anna Sophia, with seven children living at home. The oldest child Emma 22 years old then, and the youngest son Gustaf only 2.

In the next census, 1890, the family is still at the same homestead (Långared, Borgstena), but now the record only lists Samuel as a farmer (not as shop owner). Whether this was just an omission, or because he had given up the shop by then, I don't know. They still have seven children living at home; but the oldest daughter Emma has moved out, and one younger daughter had died back in 1882, only 8 years old. However, two more daughters have been added. Gerda, born 1881 - was to live to be 92 years old, and would get to see a lot more of the world than any of her siblings. But the youngest (Anna), died only 9 years old. And their mother Anna Sophia, as stated above, passed away only a few months later, in the spring of 1894. Which left Samuel a widower with five of his children still living with him: Olivia (26), Carl (24) and three still in their "teens" - Ester, Gustaf and Gerda.

Emma, at age 24, got married in 1890 to Brynolf - a country shop owner. They had three children, born between 1891 and 1901. How much Emma was actively involved in the business, I don't know - but with a father who had also had a country shop while she was growing up, she would have had some experience.

One of Samuel's three sons, Oscar, born 1872, became a shop owner himself. In the census of 1900, he is still single, and his profession listed as "store manager". I've been told that this shop was a branch to the one owned by his brother-in-law Brynolf. (They did not live in the same village, but not too far apart.) A year or so later, Oscar got married to Elin. In the 1910 census I find them living in Norrköping (a bigger town) with four sons (born 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905) - and Oscar now probably his own boss as shop owner. In the next census, 1930, Elin is a widow, but three of the sons are still listed as members of the household. One of them a chemist, one a bank accountant, and one an "assistant" (to what/whom, it does not say). 

Another of Samuel's daughters, Ester (born 1876), never got married, but ended up a shop owner herself. In 1900, she 's living with her brother Oscar, and her profession is said to be "tricot-knitter" (I assume for a factory, but I have no details about that). In 1910, somewhat to my surprise, I find her as housekeeper for her brother Carl at the farm Storegården, Fristad. Samuel died in 1907, and in the census of 1910, his second wife Selma and her three children (Hildur, Sally and Nils) are counted as a separate household, although at the same farm. (Probably living in a separate cottage then.) 

In 1930, I can't find Ester in the census; but from another source I know that during her life, she also worked for a while as housekeeper at some large estate; then at a gardening school; then had her own flower shop; and finally a confectionery shop.

The future emigrants to America - Gustaf (b. 1878) and Gerda (b. 1881) - were listed in the 1900 census as living with Samuel, Selma and baby Sally (my grandmother), plus the eldest brother Carl, at the farm Storegården. (The older sister Olivia had died in 1899.) From the postcard collection I know that both Gustaf and Gerda periodically stayed with their older siblings instead, though - either with Emma, or with Oscar. I imagine that they probably helped out at either their father's farm or in their siblings' country stores or households according to where their help was most needed or wanted - but not feeling quite at home anywhere, made plans to emigrate and escape to a different life... In 1910, Gerda is included in the American census for 1910 (as maid in a household in Chicago). And Gustaf actually appears both in the American census (living in Galeton, Pa, working at a lumber yard) - and back at the farm in Sweden with his older brother Carl, and with their sister Ester as housekeeper... (Gustaf listed as farmhand.) Gerda also returned to Sweden in late 1910 or early 1911. But finding Gustaf also included in the Swedish census suggests that he probably went back a bit earlier than she did, and that they did not travel together.

Nils the Bus Driver - Sepia Saturday 681

 

I recently found (or re-found) this photo of my grandmother Sally's younger brother Nils as a bus driver. I recall being told in the past that he worked both as a bus driver and a taxi driver. I don't know the exact year when this photo was taken, but I'd say around 1930 (give or take a few years). From the text on the bus I can see that it ran between the centre of the town of Borås and one of its outskirts (Hestra) - which in those days must have been more of a rural area than it is today.  

Last year in my online searches I found a population census from 1930. It must have been carried out in the month of December that year, as it has my newly-wed (since September 1930) grandparents Gustaf and Sally settled in their new house, Nils and his Carin (married 30 November) at another address, but their older sister Hildur still living at the farm, listed as unmarried (she and her fiancé Olle got married on 30 December that year, and then moved into the upstairs flat in my grandparents' new house). 

Nils was born in 1902, and lived on the family farm until he got married (28 years old). In the 1930 census, his profession is listed as "driver" (not specified whether taxi or bus, so it may have been both), and on the side also working at a driving school, teaching others to drive. The same census also contains the information that back in 1925 his main occupation was farm work. So evidently it was between then and 1930 that he sought a new career. I've also already concluded from Sally's letters that in 1930, he must have had a car (or at least access to one). 

Nils' wife Carin was born in 1903, in the province of Småland. How or where she and Nils first met, I don't think I've ever heard,  but I think she probably moved to Borås to work in one of its many textile factories. According to the church record of their wedding, she was a seamstress. Oddly the 1930 census does not mention her occupation, even though it does state an annual income - it just has her down as "married" and "wife".  I don't know if she gave up her job already in connection with her marriage; but about a year later, their first son was born, and followed by two more sons and one daughter over the next few years - so from then on I guess she was probably busy enough "just" being a housewife. 

Their oldest son (Sten) was born only a couple of months after my dad, towards the end of 1931; and their next son only a year after that. I've been told that in their childhood, Sten periodically stayed with my grandparents and my dad (who was an only child), to ease the situation for his own parents a bit during the years when they had three or four young ones. Sally and Gustaf did not get any more children; but my dad and Sten remained rather close throughout life, and he was also almost like an uncle to my brother and me. He was a journalist, and when I've thought about it in later years, I guess he may have been influenced by my grandfather in that choice of career. He did not have any children of his own, but several nieces and nephews (the children of his younger brothers), and also still kept in touch with me even after my dad died. And when Sten died in 2016, I attended his funeral.

In my dad's and his cousins' childhood, the extended family had a tradition of coming together most years at midsummer at my grandparents' house and garden. Midsummer Eve (back then always on 23 June) also happened to be my grandfather Gustaf's birthday. There are quite a few photos in the old albums to confirm that these family gatherings were a recurring tradition. Most of those also include some people I can't identify - but I think they were Carin's siblings, with spouses and children.  

In this photo from 1937 we have Nils on the left, probably holding his youngest son Olof. (The daughter Marianne was not born yet.) I suppose it must be Carin to the right of them, even if I can't say I quite recognise her here. Of the three boys standing in front it's my dad (Bertil) to the right, probably Sten in the middle and his younger brother Bernt to the left. Behind my dad is their grandmother Selma; on her left her daughter Hildur; and behind Hildur to the left her husband Olle. Behind Selma to the right is my grandmother Sally. The rest of the faces unknown to me. My grandfather Gustaf is not in the picture - I assume he was behind the camera.

This one is from 1939. Here my grandfather Gustaf is in the picture, on the far right, next to Nils. Hildur in front of them, and her husband Olle on the far left. In front of him my dad - wearing glasses now. Probably Sten next to him and Bernt behind (one step up?) - not all easy to tell them apart at that age, though! The woman standing with a baby on her arm is Carin, with daughter Marianne. Sally's face in the middle of the back row; and Selma in the row below, wearing glasses. 

Collage of three more similar photos from 1940, 1941 and 1942, just to show that the summer reunion  tradition continued. (In the top one my dad is half hidden behind one of the other boys.)

Linking to Sepia Saturday 681

SVENSKA

Det första fotot är av min farmor Sallys yngre bror Nils som busschaufför, ca 1930. Bussen  gick mellan Borås centrum och området Hestra (som på den tiden måste ha varit ganska lantligt). 

Den svenska folkräkningen från 1930 måste i den här delen av landet måste ha utförts i december månad, ty av densamma framgår att Gustaf och Sally (som gifte sig i september) nu var bosatta på Nysäter, medan Nils och Carin (som gifte sig 30 november) var registrerade på adress Öreberg, men Hildur fortfarande bor kvar på Storegården. (Hon och Olle gifte sig 30 december 1930, och flyttade då in på övervåningen i mina farföräldrars hus.) 

Nils var född 1902 och bodde på Storegården tills han gifte sig vid 28 års ålder. I folkräkningen 1930 anges hans yrke som chaufför, med bisyssla “bilskola”. (Jag tror att han förutom buss även körde taxi.) Samma folkräkning innehåller också uppgiften att han 1925 var "jordbruksarbetare".

Nils hustru Carin var född 1903 i Lenhovda i Kronobergs län. Var och hur hon och Nils träffades vet jag inte, men antagligen flyttade hon till Borås för att arbeta på någon av textilfabrikerna. I vigselregistret anges att hon var sömmerska. I folkräkningen 1930 står hon bara som "gift", och “mor/fru”. Om hon fortsatte att arbeta under första året som gift vet jag inte. Deras förste son föddes i slutet av 1931 och sedan fick de ytterligare tre barn (totalt tre söner och en dotter) ganska tätt, så snart lär hon i alla fall ha haft fullt upp som hemmafru.

Äldste sonen Sten föddes bara ett par månader efter min pappa (Bertil). De två kom att stå varandra ganska nära under hela livet. Efter vad jag hört berättas, så bodde Sten periodvis hos mina farföräldrar i barndomen, som avlastning för Carin och Nils. (Min pappa var enda barnet.) Sten blev till yrket journalist, och jag tänker att han kanske påverkades i sitt yrkesval av Gustaf (min farfar).

I min pappas och hans kusiners barndom var det tradition att familjerna/släkten samlades hos mina farföräldrar vid midsommar. (Midsommarafton, som på den tiden alltid firades den 23 juni, var också min farfars födelsedag.) Ett antal gruppfoton bekräftar denna tradition. Med på dessa är också en del personer som jag inte kan identifiera – antagligen Carins syskon med familjer.

Whitsuntide 1947 - Sepia Saturday 680

 

Linking to Sepia Saturday 680 (Old Cars)

As mentioned in a previous post of mine on the same theme, my grandparents Sally and Gustaf seem to have been more interested in where their car could take them, than in photos of the car itself. 

I think I have also mentioned that when they got their first car in 1947, Sally started keeping notes of the outings they made. For this post, I had a look at the first of her notebooks, from the beginning, and managed to match a couple of her earliest entries with these photos in my dad's photo album:

From Sally's Journal, started in May 1947

This spring I've had the opportunity to go on several outings by car in our beautiful county of Västergötland.

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Thursday, 22 May (1947): 
A sunny, summery day for a celebration: Bertil's graduation from 'Realskolan' (lower secondary school). How wonderful it felt to be standing outside the school to greet him, and then to have a little family feast at home, drinking coffee outdoors, surrounded by the lovely fresh greens of early summer. So I must add thanks to God, that I got to experience this bright day so filled with joy and happiness – one of my most beautiful memories.

My dad is (nearly) 16 years old here.

Saturday, 24 May – Whitsun Eve:  
We went on an outing to Gräfsnäs, where we had coffee in the vicinity of the old castle ruin.   

Sally and Bertil in front of
Gräfsnäs Castle Ruin (1947)

My own photos from Gräfsnäs castle ruin in 2015

Hildur, Sally, Gustaf and Bertil - I'm not sure exactly where, but as the photo is on the same page in the album as those from his graduation and the outing to Gräfsnäs, it's probably from the same weekend.

Whitsun Sunday (25 May): We went to Stackenäs at Karl Gustav, where we picked lilies of the valley.

Both days we travelled through beautiful scenery.

Photo borrowed from a tourist website for Kungsäter and Stackenäs Museum. 

I don't know if this was a museum already back in 1947, but according the website, the first floor of this building was built in the 1670s to accommodate guests for a famous wedding in a noble family in that neighbourhood. (The second floor was added in 1895.) The story says that it was a lavish wedding, but the bride wanted to be free, and when she found an opportunity, she changed into to hunting clothes and ran away from the party on her horse - but her bridegroom caught up with her in the morning. (Alas that's all the website tells us... I really just wanted to borrow the photo as an example of the landscape Sally enjoyed on this outing - but I think Gustaf (journalist with keen interest in local history and various folklore) would have appreciated the story as well!

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Från Sallys dagbok, maj/juni 1947

Tillsammans med mina kära har jag fått göra flera bilresor i vårt vackra Västergötland. [---]

Torsdagen d. 22 maj. En solljus, sommarvarm högtidsdag. Bertils realexamen. Så underbart det kändes att stå utanför Läroverket och ta emot honom, att sedan vid hemkomsten tillsammans med de närmaste ha lite festligt med kaffe I det fria, och omgivna av försommarens ljuvliga grönska. Så vill jag säga: Tack gode Gud att jag då fick vara med, denna ljusa dag så fylld av glädje och lycka. En bland de allra vackraste minnenas dag.

Lördagen d. 24 (Pingstafton) reste vi till Grävsnäs där vi drack kaffe I närheten av slottsruinen. Pingstdagen åkte vi till Stackenäs I Karl Gustaf. Där plockade vi liljekonvalje. Båda dagarna gick färden genom de mest natursköna trakter.

Old Cars (1950s) - Sepia Saturday 679

In Alan's introduction to this week's Sepia Saturday, he writes: 

"This might take you back to the days when getting a car was such a big event in life that you would instantly drop your kids, your pet dog and your Great Aunt Sophie and rush outside with your camera and take a picture of the car." 

Having searched my grandparents' albums for photos of cars, I can only come to the conclusion that for my grandfather Gustaf, the car was no more than a means of transport, of little interest in itself. He was obviously far more interested in great aunts, kids and dogs! I can't find a single photo of the car (their first one bought in 1947) even though it obviously brought about quite a big change in their lives. I know they loved going for outings, visiting friends, having outdoor picnics, and exploring an extended area around where they lived. But the photos are all of the people and the places; not the car itself.

Moving on to my dad's albums, he seems to fit Alan's description better...

My parents as newly-weds, with their first car (which I know they named Patrick). (1954)

Their second car, which I think they bought in connection with Little Me entering the world, in August 1955 - followed by a very wintry winter. Here dad obviously did leave wife and kid in the car and rushed outside with his camera to take a picture! (Only a few months old, I assume I must have been lying in some kind of cot in the back seat. Special car seats for babies were still unheard of back then.)

 

Photo from a family outing the following summer (1956). My grandparents in the foreground, and I suppose the other car must be theirs. My mum and me (in a stroller) in the background.

In dad's album I also found these photos below that he snapped of an unusual accident he happened to witness. Not sure if he actually saw it happen, or passed by after. Judging by the crowd gathered, my guess is on the latter alternative.

Dad's note in the album says this was in July 1955 - which is the month before I was born. I recognise the shop ("Milk & Groceries") as the corner shop in the street where we lived (in a flat) during my first five years - in the house of which you only see the roof in the background. So what seems most likely to me is that dad happened to pass by this scene, rushed home and fetched the camera and rushed back again to take the photos... 

(Dad's interpretation of the cause of the accident was drunk driving. Not even out of the womb yet myself at the time, I have to take his word for it...)

Linking to Sepia Saturday 679