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(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Christina Bennberg Klarstrom in Boston

Pictures with horses and carriages just make my heart go pitter patter.

I guess it’s just the fact that it clearly shows how different life was at that time.  Much slower. :)

This is a picture of my great-great grandmother, Christina Elisabeth Bennberg Klarstrom while shew as on a visit to Boston.

Thank you to my cousin for sharing this with me – and for allowing me to share it with you!

Debi Austen - May 16, 2012 - 3:55 pm

I have a few of these, too, and I love them. Look at how regal she looks!

Cynthia Shenette - May 16, 2012 - 4:48 pm

Great photo! She does look regal! Do you know where in Boston it was taken? There are a couple of park benches behind the carriage. I wonder if it was taken in either the Public Garden or on the Boston Common. Just curious… :)

Jana Last - May 21, 2012 - 9:06 am

Love this! Approximately what year was this picture taken?

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(Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Christina Bennberg Klarstrom, Niagara Falls

I was so delighted to receive this picture of my great-great grandmother, Christina Elisabeth Bennberg Klarström.  She was born in Sweden in 1845.  I know through passenger records that she made at least two trips to the United States – one with her daughter Eugenia (my great-grandmother) in 1904/5 and another trip in 1910.  Both times, her final destination was listed as Boston – at least 3 of her daughters lived in that area.  She must have made a trip to New York though, because this picture was taken at Niagara Falls!  This is the first picture I have ever seen of her and it’s so nice to put a face to her name.:)

Thank you so much to my cousin who sent this to me!!

Amy Coffin - May 9, 2012 - 3:38 pm

How great that you cousin had this photo to share.

Jana Last - May 21, 2012 - 9:13 am

How awesome that you have this picture! Interesting that she lived in Sweden when three of her daughters lived in the U.S. Did she eventually immigrate to the U.S. as well?

Jen - May 24, 2012 - 1:43 am

I believe she stayed in the US for a while, but went back to Sweden, where she died.

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Follow Friday: This Week’s Favorite Finds

I’ve had some exciting finds in the past week which have gotten me really interested in research again.  I haven’t actually lost interest in recent weeks, just focus.:)  I now have some clear research goals and hope to make some real progress in the near future.

I am warning you that I’m going to be quiet on here this week.  I get keys to my new house today and we have 5 days to move out of this one and into the new one. We’re only moving a few streets away, but we have a household full of stuff and it’s going to take a bit to get settled again.:)

On to this week’s favorite finds…

And of course a few pictures I took this past week…

Brenda - May 4, 2012 - 5:42 am

Thank you, Jen for mentioning my blog. Good luck with your move. Look forward to reading more when you get settled.

Susan Clark - May 4, 2012 - 7:39 am

Thanks for the mention, Jen! And good luck on the move. Getting a house set up is always work, even if it’s only a few blocks.

Jana Last - May 4, 2012 - 5:08 pm

Thanks so much for mention and for adding my blog to your reader Jen! Congratulations on your new house! Very exciting, but yes a lot of work. Good luck with your move.

Myrt - May 4, 2012 - 9:53 pm

Thanks for the shout out, Jennifer! ;)

Debi Austen - May 5, 2012 - 7:33 am

Thanks so much for the mention. I’ve found so many treasures – more to come on my blog. Good luck with your move!

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Little Mysteries Solved

A while back, I posted a 10-part series on the Klarström family – my great-grandmother and each of her 9 siblings.  I posted what I knew about each of them {and for some of them I knew next to nothing}.

I was pleasantly surprised when I received an email from a third cousin in Sweden who was also starting research on this family.  He was able to visit with an older family member and look through a stack of about 50 old letters and cards from the 50′s and 60′s – correspondence back and forth between the family in Sweden and the US.

One of the letters provided a wealth of genealogical information.  It was listing what had happened to each of the siblings, as far as was known.  And it has given me new avenues and places to search.

The letter gave us more info on the families of the siblings who settled in the US, but there were a few of my great-grandma’s siblings who seemed to just disappear off the face of the earth.  Or at least out of the records I had searched.  And now I know the reason why – one of the brothers was a sailor, another had a claim in Alaska during the Gold Rush, and another was a sailor who ended up raising sheep and goats in Australia.  How exciting!!

So, where do I go from here?  I’m actually not sure.  Are there gold rush claim records?  Is there an Australian census in the early 1900′s?  These are questions that I don’t yet know the answer to, but I’m looking forward to continuing the search!!

 

Judy G. Russell, CG - May 3, 2012 - 7:01 am

That’s so exciting, Jen! What wonderful treasures your cousin is sharing with you (and BOY am I jealous…)!

Sheryl - May 8, 2012 - 1:38 pm

Wow, it sounds like they were an adventuresome family. It’s amazing how they ended up in all corners of the earth in a era when it was difficult to travel. I’m looking forward to reading future posts about gold rush records and the Australian census. :)

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Finding Cousins

Besides sharing my research with known family members and fellow genealogists, this blog also serves as cousin bait.

When someone out there starts the journey to searching for their roots, they usually begin by googling the names of their ancestors.  And I’m so happy when we have a common ancestor and they are directed to this humble little blog.

Just such a thing happened again this past week.  It seems like a miracle in itself, because I’ve been in a blogging funk.  Well, not really a funk, I’ve just been super busy with life.  Schooling the kids.  Taking pictures for friends.  Trying to keep up on housework.  And having fun with friends.  Having fun is important!!

I like that my blog works on genealogy even when I’m not.:)

A third cousin contacted me and we’re sharing information.  His family great-grandfather stayed in Sweden, while the rest of the 9 siblings emigrated (my great-grandmother went to Seattle).

And now I’m motivated to start posting again.  I have some new material and am ready to dive back into my Swedish roots headfirst.

I’ll be sharing some of what I’ve found out in the coming weeks.  It’s exciting!!!

And thank you to my new found third cousins in Sweden!  I’m so happy you guys found me.  And now I’m hoping that some of the descendants from the other siblings will find me too.

 

Marian Wood - May 2, 2012 - 11:34 am

Congratulations, Jen!! What a fabulous turn of events. And isn’t it wonderful that you’ve been documenting your family tree so the newly-found cousins can read all about the other branches (and add to your info). Yippee for cousin bait.

Jana Last - May 3, 2012 - 3:09 pm

How exciting!! Congatulations! I’m new to this blogging thing and so far I haven’t had any cousins contact me yet because of my blog. Hopefully sometime in the future that will happen. That’s so cool that cousins from Sweden contacted you! Oh, and I have Swedish roots too!

Jen - May 3, 2012 - 10:50 pm

Jana, I have at least a couple of people find me every month. Keep blogging and they will come!! :)

Debi Austen - May 4, 2012 - 9:04 am

I had a cousin fall out of the sky this week, too. Isn’t it exciting?!?!?!?

A. Lynch - May 10, 2012 - 7:16 am

Cousins seem to grow on trees! I am sure you will harvest many more just as I have. I try to get these new cousins to share photos to add a new dimension to my tree.

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