 |
| Bruno and Emma - Southington, Connecticut |
Bruno
and Emma returned to Brooklyn sometime between 1896 and 1898. There they
had one other little girl, Ethel, born in 1898. Bruno worked as a tailor
for a while and then tried working as an agent. (United State agents met new
immigrants at the dock and helped them find housing and jobs.) In 1902,
tragedy struck again when Emma died in premature childbirth. Bruno was left a
widower with four children. In 1903, he left for Bradford, Pennsylvania
and lived on Bank Street in the Swedish settlement, working as a tailor in
Bradford. Aunt Mary once said that he moved to Bradford for the good air,
hoping it would be better for the children. But, even the good air
couldn’t protect the family from more loss. The baby of the family, seven
year old, Ethel passed away from meningitis in February 1904. She was buried at
Oakhill Cemetery in Bradford.
 |
| An advertisement for Bruno's shop in Connecticut |
After
the loss of Ethel, Bruno seemed to have lost heart. He returned to
Brooklyn in the summer of 1904 and placed his two remaining daughters in the
Kallman Scandinavian Orphanage in Brooklyn, leaving Alexander to work for
himself in the city at age 16.
The Kallman Orphanage was a Christian home run by a Swedish emigrant who
felt called to help other Swedish emigrants who fell on hard times in the new
country. Anna, was adopted by a well to do Swedish couple who ran a furrier
shop on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Anna lived a very happy life
and married William Alhouse, an executive for Nestles Chocolate Company.
Elsie was never adopted and spent the rest of her childhood at Kallman’s.
 |
| Kallman's Swedish Children's Orphanage where Anna and Elsie lived after Bruno left Bradford, Pennsylvania |
Alexander
eventually moved to Jamestown, New York
to join his father. While
in Jamestown, Bruno met a widow by the name of Christine Berquist and they
married in 1909. Bruno’s life stabilized in Jamestown. He and
Christine rented a home and let out a couple of the rooms. Bruno’s daughter,
Elsie came to live with them after spending her youth at the Kallman
Orphange. Bruno continued to work as a tailor and opened up a shop. He
lived in the same place until his death in 1920. While living in
Jamestown, Bruno was involved in several benevolent societies such as Odd
Fellows and the Swedish Hundreds Club. Bruno is buried in Lakeview Cemetery
in Jamestown, New York.
 |
| Bruno's gravesite in Lake View Cemetery, Jamestown, New York |
 |
| Bruno and Cristine's home in Jamestown, New York |
Next Week: Anna and Elsie Dahlgren
No comments:
Post a Comment