Letter - Anton Johansson - October 1898

Anton Johansson was Emma Johansson Dahlgren's brother.  He emigrated from Sweden and worked for his brother, Johan A. Johansson in Brooklyn, New York. 

Anton Johansson

Anton and Annie Marie Johansson

Anton settled in New York and began his family with Annie Marie Johnson.  Together they had four children, Hilding, Esther, Florence and Agnes.  He and his brothers maintained close contact with their family in Sweden.
In 1898, he wrote a letter home congratulating his brother, Kalixtus on his recent marriage and asking for news from home:

Anton's letter dated October 1898.

Translation of the letter:

"...I will now tell you about our health.  Just now our little boy, Hilding is not well.  We had the doctor here yesterday.  He said that his stomach was in a very bad condition.  We are so afraid but we have to hope for the best.  Otherwise he is well." 

"We have been waiting for letters from home for a long time but in vain.  I do not know what I have done to my father.  He never writes to me.  He writes to Johan, but not to me.  I would very much like to have greetings from our dear parents once more in my life because if death were to strike one of us it would be hard on the rest of us.  We have ordered a picture of our little boy and we will send it as soon as we get it."

"I haven't got any more news for now.  More than a thousand greetings to all of you and please send regards to brother Petter and his family from us and ask him to write to me and to all my siblings who want to receive our greetings and do not forget our dear parents so that they do not forget us out here, asks your brother and sister-in-law and little Werrad (nickname for Hilding?).  Write soon!"

Anton Johnasson

Anton's little boy, Hilding,  died shortly after this letter was written on October 17, 1898.  

Hilding Johansson

Anton's wife, Annie Marie, died in 1904.  Anton died the following year in 1905.  

PIcture - Emma's Family

Picture of Swedish family:

Paula has been in correspondence with cousins on Emma's side in Sweden.  She has collected letters and pictures between Emma's family in Sweden and her brother Johan who immigrated to the United States and started a successful construction company.  This week's blog features a family group picture of the family in Sweden and a letter in Swedish with an English translation:

Family Group Picture of Emma’s family in Sweden:

Sitting in the first row is (from left to right): 1. Johannes, married to Tilda(Emma's sister) 2. Selma b.1875 (Emma's sister), 3. Hanna b.1877(Emma's sister), 4. Tilda b.1855(Emma's sister), 5. Mina b.1863 (Emma's sister), 6. Greta, from the preceding generation, married to Johan August´s brother Sven and 7. Un-identified. Second row: 1. Beda, a double cousin from Nygården 2. John b.1865 (Emma's brother), 3. Kalixtus b.1867(Emma's brother), 4. Matilda, Kalixtus wife, 5. Petter b.1859,(Emma's brother) 6. Hanna (Anna), Petter´s wife, 7. Anders Fredrik, married to Elisabeth(Emma's sister), 8. Unidentified young girl, 9. Elisabeth b.1871(Emma's sister), with a child, possibly Elsie, 10. Axel b.1879,(Emma's brother) 11. Unidentified lady, 12. Annie, Axel´s wife with a child and 13. Unidentified. In the back rows, there are cousins/double cousins of the 13 as well as siblings of the husbands/wives and some neighbors. We can identify four of the kids – John´s Edwin and Helen (close to the birch) and Kalixtus´s Ester (with apron) and Nils (sailor suit).