Andersons Family History: Road trip around Alvdalen

ANDERSON FAMILY SITES:

GÅSVARV:

Monday 2nd August. We gathered at the Bogg Farm at 10:00 am and began our tour of ancestral sites. The caravan consisted of Mona with Erik, Ulla Bogg, our van, Sheldon's car and LeGrand's car. Maybe there were more.

First we went to the home of Gröt Kjell Andersson who told us a bit of the history of the 'Bibleman', his great grandfather Spjut Olof Swensson who rode a bike from Gåsvarv to Gävle to purchase a bible and carried it back home in his back pack. The Bible was large, I would estimate 11 X 12 X 8 inches and weighed about 15 pounds. He showed us the book and it is a beautiful work with wonderful illustrations. 'Bibleman' was a brother to Spjut Anders Swensson.

Kjell's son is living now on the old family farm. The farm is named Gröt Farm after Gröt Kerstin, Swen Olof's mother. Earlier on I think it was the Spjut Farm, at least that is how it is recorded in the Husförlängd (census) of 1867 to 1876. In that census there are 15 persons listed with 5 who died during that time period. Spjut Swen Anderson is listed as head of house with his wife Cherstin Persdotter, who died. His son Anders Swensson is recorded with his wife Cherstin Olsdotter who also died. Sons of Spjut Swen Anderson's sons Swen Olof, Anders, Per Axel and Lars are listed with two children who died . Spjut Swen Anderson's son Olof Swensson is also listed with his wife Kerstin Carin Larsdotter and two children Christina and Anna. One pigan is also listed. There is an old stable on the farm and it is called Spjutstallet (Spjut Stable), probably from the old Spjut Farm.

It was fun to look through the old buildings and see interesting artifacts from former days. One such was a snow shoe for horses which helped them travel through the deep snow. Another was an old wooden chest with several words carved on it. On our way towards Skinnarboda, Mona pointed out an old house which she called the Spjut half-house.

The Old Bible

Spjut Family Record

Mary by the Spjut Stable

Legrand - Larry - Sheldon by the Spjut Barn. Notice who is resting!!!!! Even in Sweden!!!!

SKINNARBODA:

We drove up the hill to Skinnarboda to see a fäbod which belonged to the Spjut family. A fäbod is a place where people stayed when they took their cattle to the mountains to graze. Before it became a fäbod, it was called Grötby. It was probably built by Spjut Anders Swensson for his family to live in.

In the Husförlängd of 1887 to 1896, Spjut Anders is shown living there with his three sons. Maybe it was the house where Gröt Kerstin died of barnsängensfeber (birthbedfever) in 1876 10 days after giving birth to a son Lars. The life of a housewife was hard during Kerstin's time with women working long hours to care for the children, prepare meals, manage the house and work with farm animals such as cows, goats, pigs and chickens. Even though the record in the Dödbok (Death Book) says Kerstin died in Gåsvarv, Skinnarboda may have been considered part of Gåsvarv. It is possible that it is the house which the boys Swen Olof, Anders and Per Axel were driven out from to sleep in the forest when Anders was drinking.

Mona and I had our photograph taken in front of the house when I visited there in 1958, so now, 52 years later, we had our photo taken there again. Mona looks even more beautiful than she did back then when she was 18, but I have changed a lot from how I looked at 21, kind of like the old fäbod has changed. Oh well, det är som det är eller hur!

SPJUTÄNG:

As we drove back down the mountain Mona pointed out a spot named Spjut Äng, (Spjut Meadow), which belonged to Sven Andersson, father of Anders Svensson. It didn't appear to be a very large piece of land and is now covered by trees. I don't know whether crops were grown on it or if it was a pasture or hayfield previously.

DAGENS RÄTT:

We stopped at a roadside cafe near Älvdalen and had a dagens rätt (daily special) lunch of korv och potatis mos (hot dog and mashed potato), it was good. I had been looking forward to korv och potatis mos since I got to Sweden. I had mine in a hot dog bun but Mona had hers in a thin bread wrap. I wish I would have done mine that way. By the way, dagens rätt that day was meat loaf and boiled potatoes, very delicious, according to Bonnie.

LOKA:

We continued our journey to Loka, the place where Kerstin Olsdotter, mother to Grandfather Anderson, was born. There was an old barn near a spot in a hayfield where the home had been. It is a beautiful broad area of farms and nearby mountains. In the Husförhör of 1837 to 1846, it is listed as the Gröt farm with Olof Pehrsson as head of house and his wife Kjerstin Pehrsdotter and 6 other people, Kerstin Olsdotter being one of them.

BRUNNSBERG:

Restoring the old Gröt Stuga

We journeyed on to Brunnsberg where Swen Olof was sent when his father could not care for him.
Brunnsberg is an impressive place with a large old house that is being restored by the State. Perhaps this is the house Swen Olof lived in. This farm was owned by Gröt Per Olsson, brother to Kerstin Olsdotter, grandfathers mother. Per Olsson was a businessman who had a store just up the hill from the house. He loaned money to Spjut Anders Svensson which Spjut Anders worked hard to pay back. He felt that by paying off his debt he had recovered his honor after being devastated when the Kommun (Community) took his sons from him and sent them to other places to live because it was felt that he was not giving them proper care.

Old Stuga and Storage building

MONAS:

The day ended gloriously with a feast at Mona's lovely house which she has converted from a 1600's horse stable, doing all the work herself. The dinner was a wonderful mixture of beef and Chantereller mushrooms which had been simmered for several hours. This exotic mixture was served over steamed rice. Älg (Moose) korv (sausage) was also served as well as roasted zucchini squash. Desert was delicious cake.We sang songs led by Rosalie and were also entertained by Erik's and Bonnie's piano music.