Sisters Reunited - Sepia Saturday 766

Yesterday, opening another envelope of miscellaneous old photos taken by my grandfather, I found two of my grandmother Sally (in the middle above) with her sisters (+ brother-in-law) that I can't recall  having seen before. But they were obviously taken on the same occasion as the portraits below of my great-aunt Gerda proudly wearing a medal - previously posted on this blog in a post entitled Gerda's Medal, for Sepia Saturday 634, in August 2022.

That post was about my research to try and establish when and why Gerda was presented with that medal; and my conclusion was that it was probably after 30 years of service to the countess Estelle Bernadotte. Estelle was American (born Estelle Romaine Manville, 1904). She got married to the Swedish count Folke Bernadotte in December 1928; and  Gerda - by then 47 years old and an experienced lady's maid who had worked as such not only among nobility in Sweden, but had also lived in both America and France, and was well used to travelling - got  employed as lady's maid to Estelle from shortly before their wedding; and ended up staying with that family the rest of her life.

If Gerda got the medal after 30 years of service, that dates this photo to 1958. An alternative might be if she received it in connection with her 75th birthday, in 1956. (She was born in 1881, and lived to be nearly 92 years old.) Either way, it seems that shortly after Gerda was presented with this medal, not only did she visit my grandparents Sally and Gustaf, but they also managed a reunion with all four sisters still alive. 

The woman next to Gerda here must be her sister Ester, who was born 1876 (five years older than Gerda), and died in 1959. (So this may even be the last time they got together.) The one standing in the middle behind Ester is Hildur (born 1892) - older half-sister to Sally on their mother's side, and step-sister to Gerda and Ester. The man to the left is Hildur's husband Olle. (They lived only a few minutes walk away from my grandparents.) And to the right, my grandmother Sally (born 1900). 

Below to the right is a double portrait of Ester and Gerda together from their youth (some time before Gerda emigrated to America in 1902); and to the left, one of Ester on her own (obviously some years later, but I don't know the year). 

Linking to Sepia Saturday 766

I ett kuvert med foton märkt "efter 1930" fann jag två foton som jag inte kan påminna mig att jag sett förut, men som uppenbarligen måste vara från samma tillfälle som andra foton av min farmor Sallys halvsyster Gerda Ekman med samma medalj, sittande i mina farföräldrars vardagsrum. Jag har tidigare spekulerat kring dessa och årtalet för och anledningen till medaljen, i ett inlägg från augusti 2022, Gerda's Medal. (Text där på både engelska och svenska.) 

De nytillkomna fotona ovan visar att även Gerdas och Sallys äldre syster Ester Ekman, (1876-1959), var med vid den här syskon-träffen. Detta bekräftar väl också min teori att Gerda troligen fick medaljen antingen år 1958 efter 30 år i tjänst hos familjen Bernadotte; eller möjligen i samband med sin 75-årsdag två år tidigare.

Med på gruppfotona här är också min farmor Sallys halvsyster Hildur (1892-1964) och hennes man Olle Hellsten, som bodde bara ett par minuters gångväg ifrån mina farföräldrar. (Hildur var dotter till Sallys mor Selma från hennes första äktenskap; medan Gerda och Ester var döttrar till Sallys far Samuel Emanuelsson från hans första äktenskap.)

Family Portraits - Sepia Saturday 694

This portrait of  my great grandfather Samuel, born 1835, is the only one of him that exists. The sign he is holding says "Lord, increase our faith". Back in childhood I always wondered why, and I can't recall anyone ever explaining. (Possibly they did not know either.) He was a farmer and a merchant; not a clergyman. However (thanks to research done by one of my dad's cousins), much later I learned that Samuel was involved in the founding of a local free church in 1884. Then he was 49 years old, which seems to fit with this photo.

Back then, he was still married to his first wife, Anna Sophia. She died in 1894. (There is no photo of her.) Together they had 9 children, born between 1866-84. Two died in childhood, and another (at age 31) in 1899, before my own grandmother was born.

In 1898, Samuel got remarried to my great grandmother, Selma (born 1861);  she also a widow, with a young daughter. There is no wedding photo or other portrait of Samuel and Selma together either.

This photo of Selma is probably from her first marriage - or even earlier. Her first husband was younger than her; but died when their daughter Hildur was only two years old.

Together, Samuel and Selma got two more children: my grandmother Sally (born 1900) and her brother Nils (born 1902). Samuel died in 1907 (72 years old) and then Selma was a widow again, now with three young children. She did not get married again, but remained living on the farm with her step-son Carl (single), who had taken over the running of the farm already around 1903/4.  

In the census of 1910, two separate households are listed for the farm: Selma and her children (probably at the time living in a separate cottage) counted as one family; and Carl, his brother Gustaf (recently returned from eight years in America) and their sister Ester (housekeeping for them) as another. Later on, it seems that Carl, his stepmother and her children all lived together in the farmhouse, though. 

Selma (born 1861) and her sister Ida (born 1865). Not sure which year, but my guess is c. 1917. 

Ida and her husband Gustav  in 1908
(the year actually printed on the photo!)

 

My grandmother Sally (born 1900) and her half-sister Hildur (born 1892 in Selma's first marriage). Same studio background as in the photo of Selma and Ida. Could be from the same occasion.

Hildur, Selma and Sally, around the same time as well. (Compare Hildur's bow tie here to the one Ida is wearing in the first portrait.)

Another studio portrait of Sally and Hildur
 - a few years later, I think.

Sally's half sisters on her father's side, Ester (born 1876) and Gerda (born 1881). Must be from before Gerda emigrated to America - 1902 or earlier.

Ester, a bit later in life (year unknown)

▲Gerda with a friend, from Chicago (1902-1910)▼
LEFT: Gerda to the right - RIGHT: Gerda to the left

Gerda returned to Sweden in 1910/11, but soon went abroad again.

Gerda in Lyon, France, 1913 (or 15?)

Hildur, Gerda and Sally. My guess is that this was taken on Gerda's return from France in 1919 - after the end of WWII.

Gustaf, born 1878, also emigrated to America in 1902, and returned in 1910. The portrait above is from Port Allegany, probably 1903. The photo below is one I just recently found and realised that it must be Gustaf to the right. It's printed on American postcard paper (but not written on) so I'm guessing that it must be from his later years in America. I don't know who the other two men are.

Once back in Sweden, Gustaf did not go abroad again. He helped out on the family farm for a while; then moved away to work elsewhere in Sweden (also with farm work); then returned again to help out at the family farm - and took over when his older brother Carl died in 1928. But I think the farm was sold after Sally, Nils and Hildur all got married and moved away - to do with distribution of inheritance.

Carl, Selma, Hildur and Sally 

Hildur, Selma and Sally, probably summer 1930

Nils, Sally and Selma

("when big hats were the fashion")

Linking to Sepia Saturday 694 - Portraits

Buses, Cars and Queues - Sepia Saturday 638

The Sepia Saturday prompt this week (see the bottom of the post) made me go back and look up some photos in my great-aunt Gerda's photo album.

The text on the side of this bus at least gives a clue as to location: Mullsjö is a village situated about 25 km NW of Jönköping; and Liared is another village in that neighbourhood. 

Gerda's sister Ester (born 1876; died 1959) lived in Mullsjö. She was five years older than Gerda; and like Gerda, she never married. I can't say that I recognize any of the women in the photo as either Gerda or Ester - but as the photo is very blurry, it's difficult to say for sure. 

Ester had a florist's shop in Mullsjö, and later a confectionery shop. (For a while it may even have been a combination of both.) Back in 2013, a relative identified the woman behind the counter in the photo below (also from Gerda's album) as Ester, and the shop as her confectionary shop. 

He said nothing about the customers; but I have since come to recognize that man and woman from other photos in Gerda's album as well - and have come to believe that they must be Gerda's and Ester's brother Oscar (born 1872) and his wife Elin, who lived in Norrköping. 

Oscar was a merchant himself. I've been told that early on in the 1900s, he was manager of a country store that was a local branch to one run by his brother-in-law in another village. I'm not sure when exactly Oscar and Elin moved to Norrköping (I may be able to figure out from going back to the old postcards); but  I recently found them there in the Swedish censuses of 1910 and 1930. And in the 1910 census, Oscar was registred as merchant.    

However, it seems that Oscar passed away in 1930, because in that census, his name is missing, and Elin is registred as widow, with the year 1930 given as the year when that happened. That also fits with a postcard from New Year 1929/30, on which Gerda writes to her brother Gustaf: "I called Elin yesterday, it seems to be the same with Oscar. I intend to go visit them [soon]. Elin wanted me to come before anyone else and see what I think." 

This helps me date the photo from Ester's shop to the late 1920s (while Oscar was still alive). My guess is that it's probably from before Gerda started working for the Bernadottes (the autumn of 1928), as she most likely saw more of Oscar and Elin while she was still at Sturefors castle near Linköping (which is not very far from Norrköping).  

Whether the bus photo is from the same occasion as the visit to Ester's confectionery shop I don't know, but I would say the late 1920s or early 1930s seems likely for that, too. 

Here's another group of people waiting by a big car. I'm afraid have no clue to the context. If Gerda is in the picture herself, she must be third from the left. But I'm not sure if it really is her. 

Another photo with a car - this one driving out through a portal with a royal symbol on top. It has to be the symbol of Gustaf V, who became king in 1907. In 1907, Gerda was still living in Chicago, though. She didn't return to Sweden until 1911 - and it wasn't until 1928 that she started working for Folke and Estelle Bernadotte (related to the royal family). But the car looks more like it belongs in the first decade of the century. Considering that Gerda was again living abroad (in France) between 1913-1919, I'd date the photo to between 1911-1913.  In 1912-13 she was working as lady's maid to a member of the Swedish aristocracy (Adele de la Gardie), and I suppose that might have involved a visit to one of the royal palaces as well.

Another photo I've been pondering about without being able to identify neither place nor people is this one:

It looks like a 'tourist' tour of a park belonging to a palace or similar; but I find nothing conclusive to even tell me for sure if it's in Sweden or abroad. Judging by the clothes I'd say 1920s or early 30s. If Gerda is in the picture, I'd say she's either the one in dark coat at the back of the line, or else the one turning her back to the camera (admiring the view).

I'm not likely to ever know for sure; but if anything rings a bell with anyone, please share :)

Linking to Sepia Saturday 638

SVENSKA 

Inspirationsbilden från Sepia Saturday den här veckan fick mig att gå tillbaka och leta upp några foton i Gerdas fotoalbum.

1. Texten på sidan av bussen ger åtminstone en ledtråd till platsen: Mullsjö är ett samhälle ca 2,5 mil nordväst om Jönköping, och Liared är en annan ort i samma trakt.

Gerdas syster Ester (född 1876, död 1959) bodde i Mullsjö. Hon var fem år äldre än Gerda, och liksom Gerda gifte hon sig aldrig. Jag kan inte påstå att jag känner igen någondera av kvinnorna på buss-fotot som Gerda eller Ester, men eftersom fotot är suddigt är det svårt att säga säkert.

2. Ester hade en blomsteraffär i Mullsjö, och senare en konfektyrbutik. (Under en övergångsperiod kan den ha varit både-och.)  2013 identifierade en släkting kvinnan bakom disken på fotot som Ester, och butiken som hennes konfektyraffär. Han sa ingenting om kunderna på bilden, men jag har senare kommit att känna igen både mannen och kvinnan från andra fotografier i Gerdas album, och har kommit slutsatsen att de måste vara Gerdas och Esters bror Oscar och hans fru Elin, som bodde i Norrköping.

Oscar var själv handelsman. Jag har fått berättat för mig att han i början av 1900-talet förestod en lanthandel i Odensberg, filial sin svågers i Floby. Jag vet inte exakt när Oscar och Elin flyttade till Norrköping (kanske kan jag lista ut det från vykorten sända till Gustaf  i Amerika), men nyligen hittade jag dem folkbokförda i Norrköping i de svenska folkräkningarna från 1910 och 1930. I folkräkningen 1910 står Oscar som 'handlande'. 

Det verkar dock som att Oscar avled 1930, för i den folkräkningen saknas hans namn och Elin står upptagen som änka, med ”upplösningsår” (av äktenskapet) angivet till 1930. Detta stämmer med ett vykort från Gerda till Gustaf från nyåret 1929/30, där hon skriver: ”Jag ringde till Elin igår, det är visst detsamma med Oscar. Jag tänker resa dit en dag. Elin ville att jag skulle komma innan någon annan och se vad jag tycker.”

Detta hjälper mig att datera fotot från Esters butik till slutet av 1920-talet (medan Oscar fortfarande levde). Jag skulle gissa att det är från innan hon började arbeta för Bernadottes (hösten 1928), eftersom det är troligt att hon träffade Oscar och Elin oftare medan hon fortfarande arbetade på Sturefors slott nära Linköping (som ju inte ligger så långt från Norrköping). 

Om fotot med Mullsjö-bussen är från samma tillfälle som besöket i Esters butik vet jag inte, men jag skulle gissa på sent 20-tal eller tidigt 30-tal för det fotot också.

3. Vad gäller fotot med en grupp personer poserande vid en stor bil har jag ingen ledtråd till sammanhanget. Om Gerda själv är med på fotot bör hon vara nr 3 från vänster. Men jag är inte helt säker på om det är hon.

4. Nästa foto visar en bil som kör ut genom en portal som kröns av en kunglig symbol. Symbolen måse avse Gustaf V, som blev kung 1907. Då bodde Gerda fortfarande i Chicago. Hon återvänd till Sverige först 1911, och det var inte förrän 1928 som hon började arbeta för Folke och Estelle Bernadotte (besläktade med kungahuset). Bilen ser dock ut att vara av tidigare modell. Med tanke på att Gerda under åren 1913-19 återigen bodde utomlands (Frankrike), så skulle jag datera det här fotot till 1911-13. 1912-13 arbetade hon som kammarjungfru till Adele de la Gardie, medlem av en svensk adelsfamilj. Jag antar att detta kan ha medfört besök på något av de kungliga slotten.

5. Det sista fotot ser ut att vara från typ en guidad tur i en slottspark. Min första association var att det var från någonstans i Sverige, men det kan kanske lika gärna vara utomlands. Att döma av kläderna skulle jag återigen säga 20- eller tidigt 30-tal. Om Gerda själv är med på kortet så borde hon vara antingen damen i mörk kappa långt bak i ledet, eller också den som vänder ryggen till (och beundrar utsikten).

Jag lär aldrig få veta säkert; men om någon tycker sig känna igen någonting, så hör gärna av er!

G.053.02 - G.055.03 Gustaf's Name Day 1912 (6 June) / Sepia Saturday 594

Namnsdagshälsningar från 6 juni 1912, adresserade till Gustaf på Storegården i Fristad (dit han återvänt 1911 efter 8-9 år i Amerika). Gustaf är nu snart 34 år gammal (hans födelsedag var i juli). Några av avsändarna är okända för mig (Hilda, Anna, E Obk, A.B.)

Name Day greeting cards from 6 June 1912, addressed to Gustaf at Storegården in Fristad (the family farm in Sweden, to which he had returned in 1911, after 8-9 years in America).
Gustaf is now nearly 34 years old (his birthday was in July). 
Some of the senders are unknown to me (Hilda, Anna, E. Obk, A.B.)

From Gerda (sent from Floby 3 June 1912).
Like Gustaf, Gerda also returned to Sweden from America in 1911.

Dear brother, I have now decided to go home on Wednesday instead of Tuesday. I'll be on the train at noon. I'm going to Falköping tomorrow, Erik is graduating then. Best wishes to all of you from all of us. / Sister Gerda / Floby, 3 June 1912.

Gerda is writing from Floby, which means she was with their older sister Emma and family. Erik was Emma's and Brynolf's  son. (I don't have his date of birth.) When Gerda says she'll be going 'home', she is obviously referring to the farm in Fristad, where Gustaf is now living with their older brother Carl, their father's widow Selma and her three children: Hildur (Selma's daughter from her first marriage, born 1892), Sally (my grandmother, born 1900) and Nils (the youngest, born 1902). (Samuel, the father, had died in 1907, while Gustaf and Gerda were living in America.) 

One reason for Gerda to go and visit the family at the farm that week may have been Gustaf's 'name day', which was/is 6th June. There have been several Swedish kings called Gustaf. Gustaf I of Sweden was elected king of Sweden on 6th June, 1523. It was celebrated as a sort of informal national day long before it got official status as national flag day in 1916. Not until 1983 did it get the official status of national day - and it took even longer before it was made a public holiday (2005). 

Anyway - it is obvious from Gustaf's postcard album, that name days were widely celebrated in Sweden in the early 20th century. In 1912 (when he had been back in Sweden about a year), he received quite a pile of name day cards from family and friends. (Following below.)

Från Gerda (Gustaf's syster, som också återvände till Sverige från Amerika 1911)
(Poststämplat i Floby, 3 juni 1912 - som var en måndag)

Käre bror! Nu har jag bestämt mig för att resa hem på onsdag istället för på tisdag. Kommer då på middagståget. Jag tänker resa till Falköping imorgon. Erik har examen då. Kära hälsningar till Er alla från oss alla. / Syster Gerda / Floby 3 juni .12.

Gerda skriver från Floby, vilket betyder att hon var hos äldsta systern Emma med familj. Erik var Emmas och Brynolfs son (jag saknar hans födelsedatum). När Gerda skriver att hon ska resa hem, så menar hon uppenbarligen till Storegården i Fristad, där Gustaf nu bodde tillsammans med deras bror Carl, deras fars änka Selma, och hennes tre barn: Hildur (Selmas dotter från hennes första äktenskap), Sally (min farmor, född 1900) och Nils (den yngste). (Fadern, Samuel, dog 1907, medan Gustaf och Gerda bodde i Amerika.)

En orsak för Gerda att resa hem och hälsa på familjen just den här veckan i juni kan ha varit Gustafs namnsdag den 6 juni. Detta datum firades också som något av en informell nationaldag även innan den utsågs till Svenska flaggans dag år 1916. Status som officiell nationaldag fick dagen inte innan 1983 - och först 2005 blev den även nationell helgdag. 

Hur som helst visar Gustafs vykortsalbum på att namnsdagar uppmärksammades minst lika mycket som födelsedagar i börjand av 1900-talet. År 1912, när han varit tillbaka i Sverige ungefär ett år, mottog han en hel liten hög med namnsdagshälsningar från familj och vänner.

From: Elin & Oscar  (Gustaf's brother and sister-in-law) / Norrköping, 5.6.1912

Hjärtlig lyckönskan på namnsdagen och många hälsningar till Eder samtl[iga]. / Elin
Instämmer i föreg.! / Oscar

Our warmest congratulations on your name day, and greetings to all of you. / Elin
Agreeing with the previous speaker! / Oscar

Hjärtlig gratulation från Hilda

Congratulations from Hilda

Sent from Norrköping, 5.6.1912

Hjärtlig gratulation och många hälsn. från Anna
Congratulations and many greetings from Anna
Sent from Norrköping, 5.6.1912

6.6.-12
Hälsning på namnsdagen! / E Obk.
Greetings on your name day! / E Obk.

På Namns-dagen den 6/6. 1912 av H.L. (Hildur Lundgren?)
On your Name Day 6/6 1912 from H.L.

(As there is no sign of this card having been sent by post, I think H.L. is probably his step-sister Hildur Lundgren,  also living at the farm.)

På Namns-dagen den 6/6 1912 from A.B.
On your Name Day 6/6 1912 - A.B.

Sent from Malung 5.6 1912

Hjärtligt gratuleras du på Namnsdagen den 6/6 1912 / Syster Ester - Hoppas Ni mår godt hemma. Hälsa Gerda om hon har kommit. Skall snart skrifva brev. Jag önskar jag vore hemma i Fristad nu och finge vara i skogen något, här kan vi ej alls vara ute. 

Kära hälsningar till Eder alla.

Congratulations on your Name Day 6/6 1912 / Sister Ester - I  hope you are all well at home. Give my love to Gerda if she has come. I will write a letter soon. I wish I were back home in Fristad now and were able to be out in the forest a bit, here we cannot be out at all. Best wishes to you all.

Malung is a small town in the province of Dalarna in Sweden. I wonder what Ester was doing up there? As far as I know, she lived in the province of Västergötland; at this time in her life probably in Mullsjö near Jönköping. So her stay in Malung must have been temporary. But if it was a holiday, it sounds a bit odd that she wasn't able to go out at all!

Linking to: Sepia Saturday 594