Släktleden i rakt nedstigande
led: (Ericsons släktled) Fortsättning följer!
- Per Persson (1718–1782)
– Den sista bergsmannen i Gulltorpet.
- Nils Persson (1748-1842) – Skogvaktare i Näset
- Eric Nilsson (1792-1850)- Skogvaktare i Stjärnorp
- Nils Peter ”Pelle” Ericson (1822-1888)- Skogvaktare
i Grytgöl
- Anna Lovisa Ericson Edgren (1861-1945) Från Grytgöl
till Chicago
- Myrtle Edgren Howes vars släkt vi här följer
- Charles Edward Howes (1924-1973) Chicago; Dan Howes (1926-2008) Colorado; Phillip Howes (1935- 2012) Canton Ohio
Kapitel 8: Anna Lovisa Ericson Edgren –
Stygnen som aldrig syntes
Eric Edgren och Anna Lovisa
Ericson Edgren. Dessa porträtt är tagna år 1881, samma år som paret förenades i
äktenskap och påbörjade sin långa resa från Östergötland till Chicago. Bilderna
markerar startpunkten för den släktgren som kom att slå rot i Amerika.
Eric Edgren and Anna Lovisa
Ericson Edgren. These portraits were taken in 1881, the same year the couple
was wed and began their long journey from Östergötland to Chicago. These images
mark the beginning of the family branch that would take root in America.
Barndomens hårda skola
Anna föddes den 21 mars 1861 i Grytgöl. Som ett av elva barn i ett hem där
fadern Nils Peters lön i natura aldrig riktigt räckte till, blev hunger och
arbete tidiga följeslagare. Redan som åttaåring skickades hon bort för att
tjäna som barnflicka. Där, i ”herrgårdshuset”, lärde hon sig att sy med tråd
nummer 100 – stygn så små och fina att de inte fick synas på tygets baksida.
Denna extrema noggrannhet och flit skulle komma att definiera hela hennes liv.
Resan mot den Nya Världen
Den 1 november 1881 vigdes Anna med Erik Edgren i Hällestads kyrka i en
dubbelvigsel tillsammans med brodern Karl Henning och hans Frida. Tillsammans
med systern Augusta Amanda och hennes make John blev de en liten skara om sex
personer som lämnade Grytgöl för Amerika. Den dramatiska ankomsten till Chicago
i december samma år, där de nyanlända sjöng väckelsesånger på gatan för att
hitta sina väntande mostrar, markerade början på ett nytt liv.
Ett liv i Chicago Anna och
Erik slog rot i Chicago och fyllde snart hemmet med åtta barn: Edith, Rea,
Fred, Walter, Ruth, Harold, Roy och Myrtle. Trots att barnen växte upp som
amerikaner såg Anna till att de svenska rötterna vårdades. I lägenheten på
Massasoit Avenue serverades svenskt kaffe med kardemummabullar, och Anna
förblev den fasta punkten för både barn och barnbarn.
Familjen Edgren samlad utanför
hemmet på Massasoit Avenue i Chicago omkring 1908. Här ser vi Eric och Anna
Lovisa med sina åtta barn: Edith, Rea, Fred, Walter, Ruth, Harold, Roy och
Myrtle. Vid denna tidpunkt var familjen väl etablerad i Amerika, och de unga
barnen på bilden skulle snart föra arvet vidare i egna familjer.
The Edgren family gathered
outside their home on Massasoit Avenue in Chicago, circa 1908. Pictured are
Eric and Anna Lovisa with their eight children: Edith, Rea, Fred, Walter, Ruth,
Harold, Roy, and Myrtle. By this time, the family was well-established in
America, and the young children in this photo would soon carry the legacy
forward into families of their own.
Bröderna Edgren i uniform under
första världskriget, 1917. Från vänster: Fred, Walter, Harold och Roy. Efter
att Eric Edgren gått bort 1908, var Anna Lovisa änka och bar ensam oron för
sina fyra söner när de tjänstgjorde samtidigt i de amerikanska styrkorna.
The Edgren brothers in uniform
during World War I, 1917. From left: Fred, Walter, Harold, and Roy. Following
Eric Edgren’s passing in 1908, Anna Lovisa was a widow and bore the weight of
worry alone as four of her sons served simultaneously in the American forces.
Tre systrar Ericson förenade i
USA under 1930-talet. Från vänster ser vi Augusta Andersson, Alfrida Andersson
och Anna Edgren. Bilden är ett fint vittnesbörd om den livslånga
sammanhållningen mellan systrarna som en gång lämnade barndomshemmet i Östergötland
för en framtid på andra sidan Atlanten.
Three Ericson sisters reunited in
the U.S. during the 1930s. From left: Augusta Andersson, Alfrida Andersson, and
Anna Edgren. This photograph is a beautiful testament to the lifelong bond
between the sisters who once left their childhood home in Östergötland for a
future across the Atlantic.
Ett ögonblick från vardagslivet i
New Jersey i början av 1940-talet. Harold Edgren tillsammans med sin son
Burdett och familjens hund. Harold, som en gång var en av de fyra bröderna i
uniform under första världskriget, ses här som en stolt far i sitt eget hem.
A glimpse of everyday life in New
Jersey in the early 1940s. Harold Edgren with his son Burdett and the family
dog. Harold, who once served as one of the four brothers in uniform during
World War I, is pictured here as a proud father in his own home.
Notförteckning Kapitel 8
- [33] Hällestad (E) C:7, s. 201 (Anna Lovisas
födelse).
- [34] Hällestad (E) EI:3, bild 74 (Dubbelvigseln
Edgren/Ericson).
- [35] United States Census 1910 & 1920 (Chicago,
Cook, Illinois).
- [36] Korrespondens med Suzi Howes Moran (2025) och
Meghan Howes (2025).
A Harsh Education Anna was
born on March 21, 1861, in Grytgöl. As one of eleven children in a home where
resources were scarce, work became an early reality. By the age of eight, she
was sent to serve as a nanny in a manor house. It was there she learned the
extreme precision that would define her life; she sewed with thread number 100,
making stitches so small they were invisible on the back of the fabric.
At the age of fourteen, Anna
faced another challenge: she was forced to slaughter and prepare a chicken for
a formal dinner despite never having done it before. She saved the meal at the
last second, and the praise she received – "You will be a skilled cook one
day" – became a prophecy for her future role as the heart of a large
household in Chicago.
The Journey and Arrival On
November 1, 1881, Anna married Erik Edgren in a double wedding in Hällestad.
Shortly thereafter, they departed for America along with her brother Karl
Henning and sister Augusta Amanda. Their arrival in Chicago in December was
dramatic; the new immigrants were forced to sing revival songs on the street to
attract attention and find their aunts who were waiting for them in the city.
Life on Massasoit Avenue
In the apartment on Massasoit Avenue, Anna and Erik created a home for their
eight children: Edith, Rea, Fred, Walter, Ruth, Harold, Roy, and Myrtle.
Despite the children growing up as Americans, Anna ensured their Swedish roots
were nurtured with Swedish coffee and cardamom buns.
A Legacy Through Myrtle
Anna’s daughter Myrtle carried the artistic spirit and joy of life
forward. Her granddaughter Meghan (Phil's daughter) shares a touching memory of
her grandmother. She describes Myrtle as a fantastic pianist who played
entirely by ear. Meghan recalls sitting next to her on the piano bench as a
child, hearing Myrtle’s rings hit the keys as her hands flew across the
keyboard.
Another side of Myrtle’s warm
outlook is captured in her comment while watching heavy evening traffic: "Aren’t
men wonderful!" – a reflection on the men who had worked hard all day
and were now returning home to their families. This blend of gratitude and work
ethic became the foundation for the next generation.
Chapter 8: Anna Lovisa Ericson
Edgren – The Invisible Stitches
A Harsh Education Anna was
born on March 21, 1861, in Grytgöl. As one of eleven children in a home where
resources were scarce, work became an early reality. By the age of eight, she
was sent to serve as a nanny in a manor house. It was there she learned the
extreme precision that would define her life; she sewed with thread number 100,
making stitches so small they were invisible on the back of the fabric.
At the age of fourteen, Anna
faced another challenge: she was forced to slaughter and prepare a chicken for
a formal dinner despite never having done it before. She saved the meal at the
last second, and the praise she received – "You will be a skilled cook one
day" – became a prophecy for her future role as the heart of a large
household in Chicago.
The Journey and Arrival On
November 1, 1881, Anna married Erik Edgren in a double wedding in Hällestad.
Shortly thereafter, they departed for America along with her brother Karl
Henning and sister Augusta Amanda. Their arrival in Chicago in December was
dramatic; the new immigrants were forced to sing revival songs on the street to
attract attention and find their aunts who were waiting for them in the city.
Life on Massasoit Avenue
In the apartment on Massasoit Avenue, Anna and Erik created a home for their
eight children: Edith, Rea, Fred, Walter, Ruth, Harold, Roy, and Myrtle.
Despite the children growing up as Americans, Anna ensured their Swedish roots
were nurtured with Swedish coffee and cardamom buns.
A Legacy Through Myrtle
Anna’s daughter Myrtle carried the artistic spirit and joy of life
forward. Her granddaughter Meghan (Phil's daughter) shares a touching memory of
her grandmother. She describes Myrtle as a fantastic pianist who played
entirely by ear. Meghan recalls sitting next to her on the piano bench as a
child, hearing Myrtle’s rings hit the keys as her hands flew across the
keyboard.
Another side of Myrtle’s warm
outlook is captured in her comment while watching heavy evening traffic: "Aren’t
men wonderful!" – a reflection on the men who had worked hard all day
and were now returning home to their families. This blend of gratitude and work
ethic became the foundation for the next generation.
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