WIFE #1 - Anna Christine Knudson

This photo hangs in the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum

BIOGRAPHY: Biography of ANNA CHRISTENA KNUDSEN FORSGREN "PIONEER" written by Olivia Forsgren Andersen, grand-daughter, July 11, 1916. Submitted [to DUP] by Jneil Andersen Madsen, Provo, Utah.

Anna Christena Knudsen was born 6th October 1830 at Mohn, Denmark. She was the daughter of Jens Knusen and Julia Jensen Knudsen. They were honest, upright people and devoted believers in the Lutheran Faith. They kept a small store in the town where they lived.

In the year 1851or 1852 the glad message of truth as taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith and his followers was brought to their home by H.P. Jensen, the mother's brother. They heard the message of the great Latter-day Saint Gospel with joyous hearts, and became converted to the truth about Chritmas 1852.

This worthy couple and two children, William and Anna Christina left their native land together with the Saints of God. They sailed in Brother John Forsgren's company. They had a hard sea voyage. A severe storm came up and it seemed for a time their ship would be engulfed, but He who calmed the turbulent waters of the sea of Galilee had a watchful care over that little company of Saints. They united together in faith and prayer and once again through the power of their mighty faith was the fierce sea made calm. The remainder of the sea journey was more peaceful. They arrived safely in America and gathered with the Saints while at Keokuk, Iowa.

Anna was married to Peter Adolph Forsgrn, May 8th, 1853. [ By John Erik Forsgren, his brother, in Keokuk, Iowa.  John was the leader of the company of Saints that immigrated from Scandinavia].  She was a fair and beautiful bride. Because of her beauty some Indians desired to buy her for a pony and a sack of sugar. Soon after their marriage, they came to Utah by ox team. The journey was full of trials and hardships. Had not the Father chosen men and women of heroic wealth we would not be enjoying our beautiful homes. They arrived in Utah and came to Brigham City, October 3rd, 1853.

They lived for a time in the old fort. Although the saints were now free from oppression of their enemies, yet they had many hardships to endure. It was very difficult to get food enough to eat. At one time a man from Salt Lake City drove some cows to Brigham City to try to get food for them. One old cow was so starved that she kept nibbling at the bull rushes that covered Brother Forsgren's dug out. He asked permission of Bishop Nichols to shoot it. Brother Nichols said that he might get into trouble if he did, but if he saw that it could not possibly live, then he might shoot it. This he did when the cow dropped from utter exhaustion and starvation. That together with a little bran furnished them food for some time.

Brother Forsgren built a log house on 1st East street between where Forest and 1st South now are. They had neither doors nor windows in the house. It was necessary to use an umbrella over the bed to keep the rain off. Their first daughter, Sarah, was born July 23, 1854.

At one time Sister Forsgren made two loaves of bread from the little flour and bran. They ate one loaf for supper and she told her husband that she was glad they had something for breakfast. She had no sooner spoken the words than an Indian Squaw and her papoose came to their door and said they were hungry. She made some tea from some leaves she had dried and gave them their last loaf of bread to eat with it. This act of unselfishness of character was one which actuated our pioneers. God was with them. They wre sacrificing to do His will and were elected to high thoughts and nobel deeds. If future generations would reach the same lofty heights then they must willingly sacrifice to do God's will. On that principle alone can great things be obtained.

One day Brother Forsgren came home with some good news. he said that down in the fields they had found many large segos which were very good to eat. These the people used for food for some time, but after sufficient grain and other things were raised to supply food for the people the segos never grew so large or so plentiful. Surely God provides for those in need. When their second daughter, Olivia, was born February 10, 1856, they had 10 pounds of flour in thehouse, and this was ll they had until after harvest.

Their first son, Adolph, was born March 25, 1858. News that Johnston's Army was coming reached Brigham the day before he was born, and the Saints were ordered to move South. Brother Forsgren was weaving some cloth. This he cut from the loom and when their boy was only three days old Sister Forsgren had her dress cut and sewed. When he was but ten days old she took her three little ones and walked part of the way to Salt Lake, driving a cow and calf. Brother Forsgren had to stay in Brigham for a time to help guard the property.

He afterwards joined his family. They lived in a dugout at Payson for some time. Here they had many trials with the Indians. One day an Indian came and was determined that Brother Forsgren should trade his new gun for an old one. This he of course refused to do. The Indian was trying to compel him to make the trade when Sister Forsgren felt inspired to go out and call the name of some man, although she new no man was near. This she did and the Indian, thinking some other man was near, left the house. The family afterward moved back to Brigham. They found all their grain and foodstuff had been taken by the Indians.

Five other children besides the three already mentioned came to bless their union. They are Oscar, Eli, Mary, William, Lenora. The two girls, Mary and Lenora died in their youth.

When the first Relief Society was organized Sister Forsgren and Sister Susannah Boothe were chosen as teachers. When the city was divided into wards, Sister Boothe was chosen President and Sister Forsgren as first counselor. She had a splendid ability in advising ways to get funds for Relief Society work, and was a wise counselor. She was a very industrious woman and the first to take hold of the silk industry in Brigham. She, together with Brother Forsgren and his plural wife, wove 150 yards of silk. They also wove many yards of cloth and carpet.

One day when Sister Forsgren had been out gleaning wheat she came home and told her husband that if he ever married another wife she had seen the girl she would like him to marry. This was Elise Thomassen who afterward became his plural wife. They lived happily together weaving and working to each other's interest. Anna Forsgren died March 11th, 1895, sure of a well-earned place in the Father's Kingdom. (Written July 11th, 1916).
 

This pioneer stone no longer stands in the Brigham City Cemetery

This information is found on the back of the [modern] stone for Peter Adolph Forsgren

This stone is the marker for Anna Christine's actual plot  (Brigham City Cemetery B-18-20-4)

This is a photo of the Peter Adolph Forsgren/ Adolph Peter Forsgren family plot as it would have been after 1907.  The small stones visible are infant children of Adolph Peter Forsgren, Peter A's third child.  Those stones were excavated and reset in 2009 by the Bott Monument Company and now stand in their former locations.

PETER ADOLPH FAMILY HOME IN BRIGHAM CITY

This photo was taken in 1996.

This photo was taken just before the Forsgren Reunion in 2008 after some renovation was begun by David Ericson of Salt Lake City

THE PETER ADOLPH FORSGREN HOME

59 South 100 East, Brigham City, Utah

The following information is extracted from a document labeled “Utah State Historic Preservation Office Structure/Site Information Form. It was prepared by Researcher Larry Douglass of the Museum,  March 1987.

Name of Property: Marilyn P. Pierce home

Street Address: 59 S. 100 E. Brigham City, Box Elder County, [Utah]

Current Ownership: Private
Site No: [blank]
T. 9N R. 2W S. 24
Map Name/Date: Brigham City Quad/1969
Tax #: 03-121-0033

Legal Description with acreage: Beginning at the SW corner of Lot 4, Block 14, Plat A, Brigham City Townsite Survey, thence N. 6 rods, E 10 rods, W 10 Rods to the beginning. .375 acre.

Property Category: building
Evaluation: eligible/potentially eligible
Condition: fair
Alterations: minor
Photo Data: prints, Mar 1987

Research sources: Abstract of Title, plat records/map, tax card & photo, Sanborn maps, obituary index, census records, biographical encyclopedias, newspapers, city/county histories; LDS Genealogical Library

Bibliographical References:
Improvement Era v.II, p. 483; Also June 1950 p. 474-5
Deseret News: Mar 2, 1908
Box Elder Journal: Dec. 27, 1962
Box Elder News: Mar. 5, 1908
Brigham City Bugler: March 16, 1895
DUP Histories: Peter A. Forsgren; Christena Knudson Forsgren

                                       ******************************************
The Peter A. Forsgren home is described in great detail in a Univ. of Utah College of Architecture & Planning Publication (#10) of 2005.  "Polygamy in Lorenzo Snow's Brigham City: An Architectural Tour" wirtten by Lowell C. Bennion, Alan L. Morrell, and Thomas Carter.  The book also includes brief biographical sketches of Peter A. and Christina Erika Forsgren.  The publication is on sale at the Brigham City Museum and other locations in town.   The following elevation sketches are from that publication:

The home is described in the publication as probably dating from the late 1860s.  It is described as being very fashionable for its time and "one of Utah's finest Gothic Revival cottages."  It was made of unfired brick, or adobe, which was light grey in color & durable.  It was probably unplastered until at least the 1920's.

In Oscar Forsgren's short history of his father he makes this statement about the home:

     "When they could afford it, they built an adobe house.  It was a room about 14 X 16 feet square.  Later a lean-to was built for the loom, Father being a weaver.  Next they built a kitchen, then added a granary.  North of the first room, separated by a hall, was the bedroom.  There was an upstairs used as a bedroom and as a place where they kept silk worms."   

     In January of 2007 the Peter Adolph Forsgren home was in danger of being demolished.  While away on our Senior mission in Chile I was contacted  by Larry Douglass, Museum Director and Historic Preservation Coordinator for Brigham City Corporation, informing me of the death of Marilyn Pearce who owned the home and was its sole occupant for many years.  She had left the home to her son and daughter who were willing to let Mr. Douglass see if he could find a buyer to preserve the home.   He was inquiring if there was any possibility that the Forsgren Family Association might be able to purchase the home to save it since it has such historical significance.   After a minor survey I was able to ascertain that we would not be able to come up with sufficient money.  

     We were so grateful to hear, a few months later, that David Ericson of Salt Lake City had purchased the home and was interested in renovating it to be used eventually as an office of some sort.  He has renovated multiple  homes.  Together with his son (who currently lives in the home) they worked hard - first gutting & demolishing weakened floors and timbers and walls, then shoring up and fortifying important support beams.  David allowed attendees of the 2008 Forsgren Reunion to walk through the home, observe its multiple layers of paint and wallpaper, its tiny doorways and steep stairs to the 2nd floor.  It was quite an experience to get to go through the home and photograph it before they began the renovation in earnest - staying with it even through an economic downturn that could have brought the work to a  halt.   They complied with requirements of homes listed on the Historic Register to retain as much of the original structure as possible, so that now, even after passing modern kitchen equipment, you will step onto a threshold that has been hollowed out with years of use and will still open doors that were hung during the era of Forsgren family inhabitants. 

This  SW corner photo shows the carriage house-turned garage.

The back of the home taken from the SE. Corner.

Back view from the East showing the renovation started on the carriage house/garage.  Note the new horizontal roof support beam in place

Close up of the front upstairs balcony and door and railing which has been replaced by Mr. Ericson.  Later on part of this railing had to be removed in order to place furniture in the upstairs rooms that would have been impossible to bring up by way of the very steep stairs.

Exterior side view from the South.  Notice where roof lines have been changed to add to the original structure that would have been built by Peter A.



The original front door opens off a very warn threshold and stoop

Front door closed, taken from inside the entryway looking out.

Standing at the front door looking into the entry way back towards what was the kitchen.  The indoor kitchen would have been added on in later years from the original structure.  That is a coat closet just to the right.  Large rooms open off just to the left (would have been the parlor) and to the right - later used as a bedroom.

The coat closet in the entryway.  You can see it is beneath the stairs leading to the second story.  Note the original adobe bricks and the wooden pegs in the upper right of the photo which would have been shaped and placed by Peter A.

Close-up of the original hand carved pegs and the wood of the staircase

North room and window taken from the entryway.  The house looks particularly rundown because the work of removing old wallpaper and stucco has already begun.  For some reason I could easily imagine an upright piano in this room.  I don't know why that came to my mind when I entered since I have no idea if the Forsgren's owned a piano or not.

In the North room looking back towards the front entry

Standing inside the kitchen looking back at the doorway leading into the entry way of the house.  Notice the worn threshold and the now-exposed original bricks.  A variety of wallpapers and paint graced this room over the years as noted above the lintel of the door.

Wallpapers detail in kitchen

Three doors side by side.  The left door leads to a bathroom, the door in the middle leads to the upstairs.  You can barely note the opening of the door from the entryway at the right.

A view in the kitchen.  Doorway from entry hall on the left;  doorway on the right leads out into a utility/work room and stairs to a cellar.  Beyond that room is the garage/carriage  house.

Kitchen foundation and floor, original to the house, had to be taken up and re-laid for safety.  Anyone but me remember this type of linoleum???

Another view of the kitchen looking at what must have been a pantry before it was torn down.  Also note the two windows and the exposed floor beams.   The bathroom & stairway doors are in the extreme right of the photo.

A door from the bathroom leads into the front South West facing room.  Most of the window glass is original to the cabin

Another view of the South room.  Note hole for stovepipe denoting that this room might have also served as a sitting room.

It was a fairly daunting task to go upstairs to see the three bedrooms up there.  No handrail (nor evidence that their ever had been)  Steps are quite high and ascent is very steep.

Whew!  I made it!  Upstairs looking back down.  I am standing in a small entry by the door that leads out onto the balcony above the front door.

I hope none of the Forsgrens were tall!  My husband, Victor is 6' 1". 

And here I am standing at the same doorway.  I am 5'6".

Upstairs South facing bedroom

We need to be glad the house never burned down!  Some of the electrical wiring was a little scary!

Looking back to the front upstairs door and the stairway down - from the East bedroom.  All the upper rooms were essentially the same with the slanted roof/walls.  I felt right at home since my room in our family home in Boise was the same.  I thought I was the only one in my group of friends who could lie on her bed and put her feet on the ceiling!   There is a coziness to an attic bedroom.   These rooms are now occupied by the Ericson children.  Hopefully mom and dad don't have to go up and down the stairs too many times during the day.

Back downstairs to the utility room/storage room/porch that is on the back North side of the house.  Dave Ericson believes that these hooks in the beams of the ceiling were probably used for the weaving looms that Peter and Ana Christina used.  They wove silk, but also wove some of the rugs that were used in the Logan Temple.

So there you have it!  A little flavor of 59 South 100 East, the new home (built after they left their log cabin located on First East between Forest & First South which they had moved to after leaving the fort) of Patriarch Peter Adolph & Anna Christina Knudson Forsgren and their 8 children.  Only 6 of the children lived to adulthood.  Rebecca died just after her 7th birthday.  Mary Magdalene died two months after her 16th birthday. 

The home in August 2012 as they continue to update & improve it!  Lovely

GAVLE or GEFLE ??

     Perhaps something needs to be clarified about the spelling of the town where the Forsgren Siblings came from.  You will find entries in various personal genealogical records using the two spellings and may wonder which you should use.  Both are correct.  (Though entries in the newFamily Search will use the modern spelling of Gavle).   Citing an entry in the on-line Wikipedia we find the following:  Gävle is pronounced "Yev-luh".
    
     Gävle [ˈjɛːvlə] is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 68,700 inhabitants in 200. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Sweden's Northern Lands), having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria.
    
     It is believed that the name Gävle derives from the word gavel, meaning river banks in Old Swedish and referring to the Gavleån (Gävle River). The oldest settlement was called Gavle-ägarna, which means "Gavel-owners". This name was shortened to Gavle, then Gefle, and finally [back to] Gävle.

     For a long time Gävle consisted solely of small, low, turf or shingle roofed wooden buildings. Boat-houses lined the banks of Gavleån, Lillån, and Islandsån. Until the 1700s the town was built, as was the practice then, around the three most important buildings: the church, the regional palace, and the town hall.

     Over the last 300 years Gävle has been ablaze on three different occasions. After the fire of 1776 the town was rebuilt with straight streets and rectangular city blocks. The number of stone and brick houses also started to increase. The biggest town fire occurred 1869, when out of a population of around 10,000 approximately 8,000 inhabitants lost their homes, and about 350 farms were destroyed. Almost the whole town north of Gavleån was burnt down. All the buildings south of Gavleån were saved. An area of the old town between the museum and the library has been preserved to this day as a historic reserve, Gamla Gefle.  [It is in this sector that the Forsgren family home is located]

The Town Shield

     Gävle is situated by the Baltic Sea near the mouth of the river Dalälven. At 60 degrees north and 17 degrees east, Gävle has the same latitude as Helsinki and the same longitude as Vienna and Cape Town.

     Gävle has a similar climate to the rest of central Sweden, with an average temperature of −5 °C (23 °F) in January and 17 °C (63 °F) in July. Yearly rainfall is around 600 mm (23.62 in).

     Gävle is mostly known for the coffee called Gevalia, produced by Kraft General Foods Scandinavia and exported under multiple brand names. Gevalia is particularly popular in the Americas. Gevalia produces dozens of unique flavored coffees for the United States that are not available to its customers in Europe.

The following entry is from the 1911 Britannica Encyclopedia:

GEFLE, a seaport of Sweden on an inlet of the Gulf of Bothnia, chief town of the district (län) of Gefleborg, 112 m. N.N.W. of Stockholm by rail. Pop. (1900) 29,522. It is the chief port of the district of Kopparberg, with its iron and other mines and forests. The exports consist principally of timber and wood-pulp, iron and steel. The harbour, which has two entrances about 20 ft. deep, is usually ice-bound in mid-winter. Large vessels generally load in the roads at Gråberg, 6 m. distant. There are slips and shipbuilding yards, and a manufacture of sail-cloth. The town is an important industrial centre, having tobacco and leather factories, electrical and other mechanical works, and breweries. At Skutskar at the mouth of the Dal river are wood-pulp and saw mills, dealing with the large quantities of timber floated down the river; and there are large wood-yards in the suburb of Bomhus. Gefle was almost destroyed by fire in 1869, but was rebuilt in good style, and has the advantage of a beautiful situation. The principal buildings are a castle, founded by King John III. (1568-1592), but rebuilt later, a council-house erected by Gustavus III., who held a diet here in 1792, an exchange, and schools of commerce and navigation.

PETER'S SON PEHR JOHAN FORSGREN & HIS DAUGHTER MILDA

Pehr Johan FORSGREN
The Son Who Got Left Behind

The original of this photo is in the possession of Adele Austin.  It is identified on the back as Pehr Forsgren.  I had it in my possession for nearly 25 years before I realized who it was.  When my Grandmother, Alfrieda Forsgren Sorensen passed away I became the family archivist for all her photos.  I had been through the envelope many many times and had seen the picture but just figured it was some Swedish relative and didn't know who it was or pay much attention.  But shortly after I began the quest for information on Milda I was going thru the pictures randomly with my Step-mother and once again pulled out this picture.  Turned it over and saw the name and felt like a bolt of lightening had struck me!  This was Peter's son!!!  This was the elusive "boy left behind!"  I couldn't believe my fortune.   He suddenly took on more life and meaning for me, even from before.   I knew I had to keep researching this Swedish branch of the family. 

The following photos were found years later in the possession of another Forsgren relative, Lester Lee Knight who inherited them from his mother, Olivia Lee, grand daughter of Peter A. Forsgren.  The photo is of Pehr Johan as a much older man with his wife, I assume sent to the family after Pehr had somewhat reconciled himself to his American family...or perhaps sent by his daughter Milda.

Take a moment to note a family genetic trait.  If you compare the photos of  young Peter A (at the top sidebar of the blog) with the photo of  young Pehr Johan AND the photo of Pehr's daughter Milda, (later in this post) you will notice a slight deformity or difference in the left eye....almost as if were rounder or a wall eye.  It is even somewhat noticeable in the only existing photo (that I know of) of Christina Erika, Peter's sister.  That makes me wonder if Johan Olaf or Anna Christina, their parents, had this same trait.  I know of no photos of either of the parents.

1. Pehr Johan FORSGREN was born to Peter Adolph Forsgren and Britta Cathrina Wallstrom on 30 Jul 1848 in Gavle, Gavleborg, Sweden. He died on 15 Dec 1919 in the town of Sandarne, Gavleborg, Sweden. He was buried on 21 Dec 1919 in Soderhamn, Gavleborg, Sweden.  Pehr was employed as "Faktor" (head or foreman) in 1885.

BIRTH: Gavle Clerical Survey 1851-1855 AI 14a-C (SL film # 0.130,168 p. 216)

DEATH: Research work done by Elias Peter Forsgren records the following source: Gavle Par. Reg. (19087 pt. 26)

BURIAL: Cemetery record in possession of Adele Manwaring Austin lists the grave site for Per Johan Forsgren and Maria Kristina Forsgen and their daughter Milda Kristina Forsgren as 2 08 8:1,2 & 3.
Soderhamn-Sandarne Church. Sandarne New Church Street. On 7 Mar 2003 a money order for $120 was mailed to Kyrkogardsforvaltningen Box 10, Prastgardsgatan 5, 826 21 Soderhamn Sweden. This money was supplied by the Fors. Family Assn. for the maintenance of the headstones for the next 25 years. It is the custom in Sweden that if maintenance funds for headstones are not paid, then after the expiration date the headstones are removed, other persons are buried on top of those already interred and new headstones are put in place. Our discovery of this situation was learned just weeks before it would have been time to take down the stones!

     In a letter from Elias Peter Forsgren (son of Peter Adolph) to "Vera" [probably Vera Palmer Symes Nelson] dated 20 Apr. 1965 the following is stated:
     "Yes - father [Peter A. Forsgren] did have a wife & child "Pehr Johan" - but when father joined the LDS Church the mother left him and would have nothing to do with him. Later he offered to send for them, but the mother refused. She married another man by whom she had children. . .
     In January 1906, father received a letter from Pehr Johan, written in Swedish, in which he stated that he was glad that he, father, had married your grandmother and they had lived a very happy life. 1913 is the last time we heard from Milda [Pehr Johan's daughter]. She could possibly still be living."

During a visit in the year 2000 with LeJune Maughan, Elias's daughter,  this letter was discussed as well as other family contacts. Elias Peter served a mission to Sweden from 1910 to 1913. During that time period he made contact with his step-brother, Pehr Johan. Pehr Johan would have been 64 years
old - a difference of 40 years in their ages! LeJune said that her father told her that the feelings of bitterness were still strong with Pehr and his family .... these feelings that Peter Adolph had abandoned them and had joined this "terrible religion of Mormonism." Their initial meeting did not go well.
LeJune said her father told her that he had a gold watch which was precious to him (even though it didn't work). He tried to make a gift of it to Pehr Johan. Pehr took it and threw it back at him. The watch crashed against the wall and broke into pieces.

It appears from the above letter that in time Pehr Johan and his family must have resolved that bitterness somewhat.

SEALING: Pehr John was sealed to his mother Brita Cathrina Wallstrom and her second husband, Jonas Persson.

Pehr married  Maria Kristina Olsson on 31 Aug 1885. Maria was born on 5 Nov 1858 in Oregrund, Stockholm, Sweden. She died on 22 Mar 1929 in of Sandarne, Gavleborg, Sweden. She was buried on 1 Apr 1929 in Soderhamn, Gavleborg, Sweden.

Sources:
1. Elias Peter Forsgren, Family Group Sheet, LDS Family History Archive Library, Joseph Smith Mem. Bldg., South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT.

2. Gavle Clerical Survey 1851-1855, AI 14a-C , p. 216, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 USA, Film 130,168.

3. Cemetery Tombstone & Records of the Soderhamn-Sandarne Church. , Kyrkogardsforvaltningen, Box 10, Prastgardsgatan 5, 826 21 Soderhamn, SWEDEN.This information obtained by Sarah Wall at the request of Adele Manwaring Austin in Aug. 2000. Church papers sent to Adele so that the Forsgren Fam. Assn. could pay the fee to maintain the headstone.

4. Elias Peter Forsgren, Family Group Sheet.Also in possession of Adele Manwaring Austin.

5. Cemetery Tombstone & Records of the Soderhamn-Sandarne Church.

Milda Kristina Forsgren

The original of this [cropped] photo is in my possession.

This is the full size snapshot of the above picture.  The original has two creases in it where it has been bent which I have tried to retouch.  The photo was forwarded to me by a friend of Milda's (see story below) with the explanation that this was probably taken on her 50th birthday since it was the custom to fill the home with flowers from well-wishers on a 50th birthday celebration.  It is possible that the scarf on the table at the right of the picture was made by Milda.  Her friend said that she was very well-known throughout the village for her handwork.

Here is the extraordinary story of the discovery of Peter Adolph's granddaughter, Milda Christina Forsgren:

"FINDING MILDA - THE STORY" by Adele Austin and Sara Wall

       In the year 1998 I reviewed a letter from Elias Peter Forsgren to "Vera", written in 1965 which stated that he had last heard from Milda in the year 1913 and that she could still possibly be alive. It ocurred to me that the Forsgren Family Association should follow up on Milda as the only living heir of Pehr Johan Forsgren to see if there were still Peter Adolph Forsgren descendants in Sweden. After searching SL microfilm records and finding nothing I followed the advice of the Research Consultant there and wrote a letter to the Pastorsexpeditionen i Soderhamn (Box 10, Prastgardsgatan 5, 826 21 Solderhamn) to see if they could give me any information on a marriage for Milda, possible children and her death. My letter was returned to me with a short typewritten reply at the bottom:

"Dear Adele, Unfortunately, the only information we can give you, is that Milda never married, and she did not get any children. She lived in Asbacka, Sandarne (near Soderhamn) her whole life, until she died, 4 jan.1965. Sincerely, Helena Olsson, secretary, pastorsexp."

I was thrilled to have concrete information, but also disappointed. That meant that a direct line of Peter Adolph Forsgren had come to an end in Sweden. Still, I continued to be interested in Milda and those who remained behind when Peter left for America. 1965 was not so long ago but that there might still be someone in the town of Asbacka who might have known her. In the year 2000 when vast preparations were being carried out in Sweden for the Sesquicentennial of the Scandinavian mission I made contact with Sara Wall, an American-born returned missionary who had married a Swede and was living in Sweden - helping as it turned out with the planning of the Sesquicentennial activities in Gavle. Through the miracle of e-mail we were able to correspond and she and her in-laws were a great gift in the discovery of Milda. The following is the tale in her own words:

"Well, I guess I can start from the beginning. Before we left Asbacka and Soderhamn, we called to a number of different places. We called the kyrkoforvaltningen to find out where Milda's grave was located. We even made an appointment with them to meet them at the graveyard. They said she was buried in a family grave with her parents in Sandarne. We also called Landsarkivet in Harnosand to find out the address of her/their home. The property had a "name." It was called, "Stad aga 8:09" Then we called markkontoret to find a map, but only got the answering machine.

We weren't quite sure how to get to Asbacka. Tage, Hakan's father, had driven to Soderhamn area several times, so he decided that he could drive. Early Tuesday morning, five of us hopped into the car with a prayer in our hearts and headed up North. We brought our video camera and video-taped everything, by the way. We found our way to the graveyard, where two ladies met us behind the gate. It was very well-kept. They then led us to Milda's grave. There was a surprisingly large gravestone there with Milda's name, along with her parents' names. It was in great condition. At the top of the gravestone, it said that Per Johan was a "faktor." That means that he was "boss" at a local sawmill. This family was probably very well-off. (Especially judging from the size of the gravestone.)

We then got a number of papers from the ladies at the graveyard. They were quite happy to see us. Here's an interesting fact: There are no other relatives who could take care of this grave. Had we waited another few months, the gravestone would have been taken away!! The ladies are so glad that there's a possibility that this won't have to be taken down. It is such an impressive gravestone . . . .

I think we all got a little weepy when we first saw the gravestone. (I think you might have too.) It was almost like Milda was standing there, saying, "Whew! I'm so glad you finally found me!"

We got back in the car and made our way to Asbacka. It's so pretty in this area! Asbacka is quite a small town with large, old (but well-kept) houses. We first thought about driving all the way to Soderhamn so we could go to the markkontoret and find out where the old house was. Then we changed our minds and decided to stop and ask somebody if they knew where "Stad aga 8:09" was, or even if they knew who the Forsgrens were.

The Lord directed us right. There was someone out taking care of their yard. Tage, the brave one, pulled up and asked this person if they knew anything. He said that an older lady lived behind him in a yellow house. So, we drove around and knocked on the door. Inside was a nice lady named Barbro Skjutare (probably in her 60's) who knew Milda! Can you believe it? And Milda had spent countless hours in that very house!! We stood where she had stood years and years ago ! (Barbro had grown up in this house, which was built 1906).

Barbro remembered Milda quite well. She was a very nice lady who was on the eccentric side and was quite chatty. She was long and thin. Milda was incredibly talented at weaving mats. She made up her own patterns, too. She sewed and embroidered things, like sheets and towels. She weaved other sorts of things, too. She was the "master" of the village, incredibly talented at handy crafts. She would weave at Barbro's house. Barbro's mother and Milda were very close friends. Barbro showed us the window by which Milda spent hours on end weaving. She was also a night owl, staying up and weaving until 11 or 12 at night. Barbro said she remembered several occasions where her (Barbro's) father wanted to go to bed, but he couldn't because Milda was still here, banging away at the loom and chatting, chatting, chatting away.

Milda always wore a little hat. Always the same hat. And she wore her hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck.

In Sweden there is something called a "brudkista." Translated: Bridal trunk. From the time girls are born, they collect things to put in their trunk: silver, initaled spoons, embroidered sheets and pillow cases, embroidered dish cloths, etc. Barbro remembers when she went over to Milda's house so she could help her embroider her sheets for her trunk. Milda spent the whole evening chatting, and they didn't get a single stitch sewn! Milda said, "Oh, that's okay, dear. You can just come back tomorrow. That's just fine." Milda was always nice and pleasant.

It was a big deal when TV came to Sweden. There was a man in the town who bought a TV when they first came out. He was the only one who had one in the whole town. Every Saturday, rain or shine, sleet or hail, light or dark, she went over to this man's house and watched a show called "10,000 Crown Question." I think it was type of a game show.

Milda walked everywhere she went. She never owned a car, and Barbro had never seen her on a bicycle. She really liked walking.

Milda was always aware of what was going on politically. She liked to talk politics too. She was a very intelligent lady. She also frequented the Salvation Army Church services and subscribed to their magazine.

Milda's house was torn down quite a few years ago. Everything she ever owned was sold at an auction a few months after her death. She had many old fine things. Barbro didn't attend the auction because she had just had a baby. (Barbro had moved to Stockholm when she got married.) Both her mother and mother-in-law attended the auction. A miniature chest of drawers came up to bid. Her mother was standing at one end of the home, and her mother-in-law was standing at the other. Both thought, "I'll bid on that chest of drawers for Barbro". So, they were bidding against each other, neither realizing who they were bidding against. After a few bids, they realized what was going on, and her mother bought the chest. Barbro still has this chest, but it is at her home in Stockholm. She said she could take a picture of it and send it to us (and we'll send it on to you).

We asked Barbro about any pictures she might have. She said that she didn't have any, but a woman named "Gunhild Andersson" would definitely have some pictures. She's about 87 and lives in a retirement/nursing home. We asked Barbro if Gunhild was senile and she said she didn't think so. Barbro also suspected that Milda and Gunhild were cousins. We don't know if that would be on her mother's or her father's side.

So, we drove to Soderhamn to the retirement home where Gunhild resides. We met the personnel and told them who we were and what we were doing. They looked at us kind of funny, but showed us to Gunhil's room anyway. She had LOTS of pictures! But I wouldn't say she was "with it" all that much. She said she wasn't related to Milda. We asked Gunhild about her own parents and family. This is what we got: Father: August Ludvig (or Ludwig) Andersson, born 2 Dec 1884. Mother: Anna. Gunhild couldn't remember when she was born. (This made her pretty upset).

Then she talked about "Axel and Olga" who were married and lived in Chicago and had a daughter named Winona. We think that Axel is Gunhild's uncle on her father's side. She then spoke of an "Otto" who is her father's youngest brother. Otto first lived with his own sister and took care of her. She had hurt her leg or something. After the sister died, Otto moved in with his cousin, supposedly Milda. I'm bombining the information that we got from both Barbro and Gunhild. Barbro said that Milda had a cousin named "Otto Andersson." Milda had helped Otto take care of his sister. According to Barbro, they were all cousins. Barbro, who referred us to Gunhild, said that Gunhild's dad was cousins with Milda, but as stated previously, Gunhild did not think so. The reason why we think that Barbro is correct is that Asbacka is a very small place and the name Otto is not very common in Sweden. It seems unlikely that there would be two different people named "Otto Andersson" who lived in Asbacka. Gunhild did say that she had an uncle who was her father's youngest brother named "Otto Andersson." It also seems strange that Gunhild would have all these old pictures of Milda Forsgren, her house, and friends of Milda in her album if there is no relation since picture taking was not a very common thing during the 40's and 50's. (In Sweden anyway). Gunhild also said that Otto was a gardener.

We are going to try to go back to Soderhamn in the future. We can try and ask her if we could make copies of her pictures. Maybe if we say a little prayer before we ask her. . . .

Oh, yes. Before we went into Soderhamn, Barbro pointed out the direction of where the Sawmill was. She said there were pieces of it left. Someone took an interest in it who lives in this little town and has started cleaning the area up. We went tromping though the forest to see if we could find it, but were unsuccessful. It was a really beautiful area, though. You go off the main road and walk through the forest until you hit the coast (the Baltic Sea). We can also try and find this again when we go back. We're not sure of what the name of the Sawmill is.

We also drove up the main road while in Asbacka to the school that Milda attended. It was built in 1892 and was in use until 1964. It's an historic building, so the new owners weren't allowed to change much. The downstairs portion is a little beauty salon, and the upstairs portion is a residence (to the person who runs the salon). A little wooden cart with wooden wagon wheel was out front. I filmed that and the school. The lady saw me through the window and came out and asked what I was doing. I spoke English to her and told her that a relative attended this school a long time ago. I got to go inside and film a bit. Barbro had told us about the school. (She, too, had attended it). And she told us about the grocery store that Milda always shopped at. (And always walked to!) It's right down the street from where she lived after her parents passed away. I got out of the car to film the store. It was just little. I think it was also an historic building. I happened to meet the owner there, too. It used to be a grocerty store call "Konsum." This chain still exists today, by the way. This building is now a second-hand boutique.

We drove up to the lot where Milda's house used to exist. The property was called "Langror". ("Long Pipe"). It is now a big pile of dirt. I think they're going to build townhouses there (according to Barbro). The scenery is beautiful. There was no sidewalk in front of where her house used to be and we don't think there was one back then either. There's lots of forest in this area. It reminds me of the scenery in a fairy tale. A lot of scenery in Sweden looks like that! We think that that is Milda who's standing on the right side of her house in the picture. This is the house where Milda Forsgren lived her last 36 years (as far as we understand. One person said it was her parent's home, meaning she would have lived her whole life there. Another person said that she was kicked out of her parent's home when they died, because the house was owned by the sawmill company that her dad worked for. Only workers could live in those houses. According to this source, Milda Forsgren then bought a house of her own).

I thought of another story Barbro told us. Her parent's old barn still existed. She remembers as a child, looking up through the window in the barn and seeing Milda and her mother threading and preparing the weaver. After it was prepared, they'd bring it into the house. They did it in the barn because the preparation demanded a lot of space. I just called Ingrid to ask her exactly what it was they were doing. I've never done any weaving myself, but apparently the preparation takes up a lot of space. All the way from ceiling to floor. And then she said something about spinning yarn. I asked where the yarn came from and she said, "The store." But it was possible that Milda could have helped to make yarn from sheep's wool when she was a kid.

Barbro's address is  [deleted for privacy reasons.  Contact Adele if you need the address]

This is her address in Stockholm. She only lives in Asbacka during the summer. She can read and understand English, but she can't speak it. She mentioned an older brother - Birger Skjutare - who would probably have many memories of Milda. He lives in Soderhamn, but we ran out of time. We got his telephone number and address from Barbro. Sara Wall."

So through what seems divine "circumstances" Milda Kristina Forsgren takes on form. I can "feel" her spirit and personality. What a marvelous gift for us that the Walls went to Asbacka during the season of the year that Barbro was in town and that they could then be sent to Gunhild who was still alive and well enough to share pictures of Milda. Would Peter Adolph have been proud to have a granddaughter who weaved as he did? And who excelled in these decorative arts?

A side-by-side placement of photos of Milda, Pehr Johan and Peter Adolph all show a common genetic characteristic: an unusual difference in the left eye of each individual when compared to the right eye - as though it is rounder, perhaps a slight "wall eye" or lazy eye. It has been an emotional and satisfying journey to make this connection across the waters. (Adele Austin, August 2004)

BURIAL: Soderhamn-Sandarne Church Grave site 2 08 8 grave #3
TEMPLE WORK: Ordinance work for Milda was performed on the occasion of the Sesquicentennial observance of the baptism of her grandfather, Peter Adolph Forsgren and his sister Christina Erika Forsgren by their brother John Erik. These were the first baptisms to the LDS Church in Scandianavia. An observence of this occasion was being held simultaneously in Gavle, Sweden in front of the Forsgren family home which is still standing.

Baptism proxy was Rebecca Julene Austin - the baptism performed by her brother Nathan Andrew Austin; Endowment & sealing-to-parents proxy was Adele Manwaring Austin with Nathan Austin standing in for Pehr Johan as father.

Milda is Peter Adolph's Granddaughter through his illegitimate son Pehr (or Per).

Adele is Peter Adolph's Great Great Grandaughter through his son Adolph Peter.

The Austins were unable to be in Sweden for the commemoration because our son Nathan was entering the LDS Missionary Training Center on that same day.

Milda's home in Soderhamn, Sweden. It is probable that the woman visible on the right is Milda.

Cemetery Records for Pehr Johan, his wife Maria Kristina and their daughter Milda:

Map of the Soderhamn-Sandarne Church Cemetery, Sandarne New Church Street

showing the location of the Forsgren Plot.

The enlarged Section map, showing Plot 8

Below is the official Record sent me by the Cemetery personnel  (I had the main parts translated from Swedish to make it easier to follow)