Gustaf and Vendela Christina (Johansdotter) Nilsson Research Report

Woman in front of hut in Åkers parish, By A. Steijertz [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 Gustaf Nilsson was born on 5 Jun 1822 at Torpet Skantabo in Åker, Jönköping, Sweden to Nils Hakansson and Christina Johansdotter.[1] For the first couple years of his life his family moved every six to eight months between Åker and Tofteryd parishes about eight miles apart, as the crow flies, in Jönköpings County, Sweden.[2]  In 1829 when Gustaf was about seven years old, his family moved from Åker to Tofteryd parish, where he lived and worked as a farmer throughout his adult life until his death on 30 January 1906 at Båramo in Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden.[3] [4] Gustaf was a crofter or tenant farmer, this meant that he worked his land to provide for his family and would during the busiest seasons work for the landowner to meet his obligations for his tenancy. The croft or cottages were usually small one or two room cottages with dirt floors. (A possible croft from Åker pictured above)

Tofteryds Church from Luften, By L.G.foto (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Gustaf Nilsson married Vendela Christina Johannesdotter, daughter of Johannes Jonasson and Ana Catrina Svensdotter, on 9 January 1851 in Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden.[5] Vendela Christina Johannesdotter was born 16 October 1826 in Kävsjö, Jönköpings, Sweden and died 19 November 1915 in Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden.[6]  Gustaf and Vendela  Christina had eight children and raised six to adulthood. Their oldest living daughter Betty Cecelia married in Sweden, she had three children, two died before age five. Betty died in 1886 leaving her last child Bror Theodor, age two, with his father, Klaus Gustaf Carlsson, until he was thirteen.[7] Gustaf and Vendela's other five grown children emigrated to America from 1882-1888. Gustaf and Vendela’s first child Christina contracted dysentery when she was 2 years of age which caused her death.[8] Their other child Johanna Louis died of a seizure or stroke when she was not quite 10 months old.[9]

Kävsjö Church By Gunnar Creutz (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Due to Gustaf and Vendela’s children emigration to America, the two were left alone in their old age. When Betty Cecilia’s son Bror was thirteen he came to live with Gustaf and Vendela most likely to help care for his aging grandparents and helped work the farm with his grandfather. After Gustaf’s death in 1906, Bror continued to care for his grandmother Vendela for the next 20 years, although her last couple of years, after he had married, were spent in the community home for the aged, poor, infirm, etc. until her death in 1826.[10]

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[1] Åker, Jönköpings, Sweden, C:4 (1803-1832), pg. 121, Gustaf, Birth Record; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.net : accessed 7 November 2015).
[2] Åker, Jönköpings, Sweden, Åker AI:6 (1814-1827), pg. 107, Gustaf Nilsson, Household Record; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigtal.net : accessed 7 November 2015). Tofteryd, Jönköping, Sweden, Tofteryd AI:11, pg. 103, Gustaf Nilsson household exam. record; digital image, Arkiv Digital (arkivdigital.com : accessed 8 November 2015).  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:12 (1825-1830), pg. 118, Gustaf Nilsson Household Record. Åker, Jönköpings, Sweden, Åker AI:7 (1827-1834), pg. 118, Gustaf Nilsson, Household Record.
[3] Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, AI:12 (1825-1830), pg. 103, Gustaf Nilsson Household Exam Record.  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:12 (1825-1830), pg. 14, Gustaf Nilsson Household Exam Record. Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, AI:12 (1825-1830), pg 22, S. Gustaf.  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, AI:13, pg. 24, S. Gustaf.  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, AI:14 (1836-1840), pg. 22, S. Gustaf 5 Jun 1822. Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:14 (1836-1840), pg. 14, Gustaf Nilsson household exam record.  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:15 (1841-1845), pg. 15 and pg. 16, Gustaf Nilsson household exam. record. Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:15 (1841-1845, pg. 72, Gustaf Nilsson household exam record.  Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, Tofteryd AI:16 (1846-1850), pg. 72, Gustaf Nilsson household exam. record. Tofteryd Husförhörslängd, AI:16 (1846-1850), pg. 21, Torp. Gustaf Nilsson.
[4] Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd F:1 (1895-1908), pg 37, Gustaf Nilsson, death and burial record; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.net : accessed 8 November 2015).
[5] Tofteryd (Jönköpings, Sweden), Tofteryd EI:1 (1850-1860), pg 13, no. 5, Gustaf Nilsson to Wendla Christina Johannesdotter, marriage record; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.net : accessed 8 November 2015).
[6] Kävsjö, Jönköpings, Sweden), C:2 1822-1860, pg. 25 / image 16, Vendela Christina Johannesdotter; digital image, Arkiv Digital (arkivdigital.net : accessed October 2015). Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd F:2 1909-1937, pg 24, #30 Nov 19 Vendla Christina Johannesdotter; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.net : accessed 15 October 2015).
[7] Tofteryd (Jönköping, Sweden), CI:6 (1875-1892), pg. 211/ image 111, Lysnings number 7; marriage number 9; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.com : accessed 1 November 2015). Jönköpings Sofia (Jönköpings, Sweden), Jönköpings Sofia AI:31 1881-1889, pg 178, Betty Cecilia Gustafsdotter family. Järstorp, Jönköpings, Sweden, C:6 (1861-1894), pg. 377, Betty Cecilia Gustafsdotter death record.
[8] Tofteryd (Jönköping, Sweden), Tofteryd CI:4 1835-1860, pg 215, #20 11 Oct Christina Gustafsdotter; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.com : accessed 15 October 2015).
[9] Tofteryd (Jönköping, Sweden), CI:4 1835-1860, pg. 223 image 118, Johanna Louisa Gustafsdotter.
[10] Lutheran State Church (Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden), AIIa : I (1895-1900), pg 54, Gustaf Nilsson Torpare; digital image, Arkiv Digital (www.arkivdigital.net : accessed October 2015). Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, AIIa: 2 (1901-1905), pg. 37, Gustaf Nilsson, Congregation Record. Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd A II a: 3 1906-1927, pg 32, Vendla Christina. Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd AIIa:4 1906-1910, p. 432, Vendla Christina Johansdotter. Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd AIIa:4 1906-1911, pg 369, Vendla Christina Johansdotter. Tofteryd, Jönköpings, Sweden, Tofteryd AIIa:5 1911-1927, pg 510, Vendela Kristina Johansdotter.