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Victor Anderson’s Autobiography
Note:
Victor Anderson wrote this autobiography toward the end of his life.
He notes
that he wrote it at the urging of his oldest son, Elam. He
wrote it
in Swedish. It was translated into English by his oldest
daughter,
Ruth, and typed and duplicated by his youngest daughter,
Delight. Probably
each of his children received a copy. I remember that our copy
was
in a black construction paper folder with “Victor Anderson” on the
cover
in letters cut from green (?) construction paper. Our copy was
always
kept in the piano bench.
I am indebted to Ann Bjork for converting the autobiography into
electronic
format.
DE
Victor Anderson was born April 17, l857, in Ångarp, Linderas,
Jonkoping,
Sweden. [Ed. note: Ångarp (the "Å" is pronounced
as though
it were an "O") was the name of the farm on which Victor's family
lived.
"Linderås" is the name of the parish in which the farm
was located;
and "Jonkiping" (pronounced "YON shipping) is the name of the
county.] I
was the fifth of ten children, five girls and five boys. One
brother
died when only a few months old, and mother grieved so much over the
loss
of this child although she had nine left. Such is a mother’s
love.
There was great poverty in my home at times. Mother
would cut
a loaf of bread into eleven pieces. This would be our
meal. Many
times mother would do without her piece. Many times we were
without
bread, and then she would make potato pancakes. This would
bring us
through until spring or early summer, and then we would have to do
without
potatoes also until the early crop was ready. We lived on a
small acreage
so we could keep two cows, three or four sheep, and a dozen
chickens.
Two calves were butchered every year when eight days old, and a good
sized
hog was also butchered before Xmas. Of course, the greater
part of
the butter and meat butchered had to be sold to buy other
necessities.
We would then buy a keg of herring, salt, sugar, flour and such
things.
We also had to buy our potatoes and grain, as this little place was
not nearly
large enough to take care of such a big family and it takes a good
deal to
supply the needs of eleven mouths and the necessary clothes.
My father was a carpenter and builder and maker of shoes
(wooden shoes).
However, he received very little reimbursement for such work, but he
made
all the wooden shoes for the family. Wooden shoes were the
only kind
of shoes worn at that time. He would sometimes help the
farmers with
their thrashing or help them to break the land. There were no
farm
implements at that time. He would sometimes help them as
everything
was done with a spade. A piece of the grass sod 10” and 18”
was cut
with the edge of the spade and then turned over. It was
tedious work.
A large hoe was also used for this. The sod was left to dry
and then
thrown in a pile where it was burned to ashes. The ground was
then
plowed and dragged and sowed into grain. For this kind of work
we were
paid at the rate of from 25 to 40 cents a day, or rather 25 to 40
ore.
Four ore are equal to one cent in American money, and perhaps we
would receive
our meals and a loaf of bread.
We boys and girls worked in the potato fields, weeding, etc.,
during
the summer for which we were paid 10 ore a day, and in the fall we
picked
potatoes on share according to what our pay would be. As
children,
we never had clothes that were fit to go to church in, so when we
went to
church we went two at a time, using some of the other’s
clothes. The
most difficult problem was shoes, as we could not go to church in
our wooden
shoes, so we would sometimes go to neighbors and borrow shoes and
even clothes
to enable us to go to church.
Our hardest experience in poverty was in the year of
1866. I
was nine years old. Sweden and Norway experienced the worst
draught
in its history. The majority of the people experienced the
pangs of
hunger, and especially the poor people. I remember so well how
many
times I ached and cried and would search the cupboards for a crust
of bread
hoping I might find a piece that had been overlooked, but could find
nothing.
Mother was ill in bed and father was at the military training camp,
where
he had to spend six weeks each year. [Ed note: Victor's
father, Anders
Fasth, was a member of the Royal Jonkiping Regiment, and was
required to
go through six weeks of training every year. Each large farm
was required
to supply one soldier and to provide free housing for the soldier
and his
family. It was up to the soldier to keep his family fed and
clothed,
earning money on the farm or in the community as he could.]
Although
we were without food and in such poverty, we were not allowed to go
and beg.
That was too much of a disgrace, and it would be almost useless to
do so,
as there were so many out begging and so few had anything they could
spare.
It was early in the spring and there were no wild or other greens,
or potato
tops. These greens were cooked, chopped and thickened with
flour making
a palatable and nourishing dish.
One day mother called me and my brother into her room and told
us to
go to our grocer dealer and tell him that we did not have a thing in
the
house and father was away and mother ill in bed and to let us have a
little
flour. We hurried away to the store, which was three miles
from our
home, and told our dealer as well as we could how things were at
home.
After thinking it over a while and knowing our poverty he let us
have about
ten pounds of flour. We returned home happily with the flour,
and mother
told the girls to put on a kettle of water, salt it and when
boiling, add
slowly a cupful of flour and let it cook a while, then scoop it into
a dish
and eat, and how we did eat and what a treat to be able to fill our
empty
stomach and for a week we were contented. Then again we were
without
anything to eat and our stomachs began to ache for the want of
food.
We could not go back to our grocer dealer for more flour, so mother
had to
find some other way out. At this time two of my sisters were
helping
a farmer four miles away, so my mother told me and my brother
to go
up to this place and try to get some grain. This farmer was a
good
Christian and she thought he would help us out without pay.
She told
us to hurry and if we were able to get the grain to take it right to
the
mill and have it ground. So we took our two-wheeled cart and
trotted
off the best we could. It was not easy walking the four miles
with
very empty stomachs, but we reached the farmer and made our
request.
He said he was afraid he did not have any to spare but he would go
and look
in the grainery; which he did and replied, “Well, I suppose I will
have to
help you out”, and then measured out a half bushel oats and a half
bushel
rye. While he was doing this our eyes were in the ceiling on a
long
pole of bread. (The bread was baked in flat cakes about an inch
thick with
a hole in the center. These cakes were hung on a pole to
thoroughly
dry out before using it.) The farmer saw we could not take our
eyes
from this bread, so he asked us if we were hungry. This, of
course,
we could not deny. He then took down one of these breads and
broke
it in two giving us one half each. How tickled and happy we
were to
get this bread.
After this treat we hurried to the mill two miles farther
away.
When this was done, we turned our steps on the trip of six miles
home.
When we were half way home we passed a farm called Upsala, where a
very kind
family lived. These people had noticed us when we passed in
the morning
and had guessed where we were going, also knowing a little of our
conditions.
When we came back now they stopped us and asked us to come in and
have something
to eat. We did not have to be asked twice, but left the cart
immediately
and went in and sat down at the table and ate until we could eat no
more.
The lady asked us several questions but we could not take our
thoughts off
the eats long enough to answer her definitely. When we had
finished
we bowed politely and thanked her kindly. We were taught to
always
express our thanks nicely and show our gratitude for any
kindness.
We then continued our journey home and what joy there was when we
arrived
with this grain. The frying pan was placed on the fire to make
pancakes
as they could not wait for bread to be made. An old tallow
candle was
brought to use in greasing the frying pan. Pancakes were make
of water
and this flour of rye and oats ground together just as they
were. Often
hulls from the oats would catch in our mouth and throat, but we were
filled
up and again satisfied. There was no milk as the cows were
almost starved,
but the bread lasted us a few weeks and then the grass started to
get green
and we were able to gather some wild greens and cook. Now we
felt the
worst was over. Mother was now able to leave her bed of
illness.
Father also came home after a six weeks absence. The flour was
almost
gone and the rye was not ripened enough to harvest but father took a
scythe
and cut a few shocks. This we put in the big oven and dried
out thoroughly
until we could remove the kernels by rubbing between our
hands. Then
it was taken to the mill and ground. Then we had more bread,
pancakes,
and broth. Sometime later we had potatoes again, and
milk. Then
the grain was harvested and we were supplied with flour again.
At Xmas
time a good sized hog was butchered.
The next four years passed by without anything
unusual
happening. Many times it was very trying and hard, but no
unusual hardships
had to be endured. Five of us went to school. Rye bread
was given
there every day to the poor children by the community. This
was a great
help to us.
The fourth year or 1871 was a year of great
sorrow to
us all. In September father died very suddenly. We had
all gone
to the potato field in the afternoon to dig up potatoes when father
complained
of feeling ill and returned home. In a little while he sent
word out
to us to come home as he was very sick. We all ran home and
found father
on the bed suffering intense pain, and asked us to send after a
doctor.
I ran to a farmer in the neighborhood and told him that our father
was seriously
ill and asked him to go for a doctor. He immediately harnessed up a
horse
and drove twenty five miles for a doctor. Meanwhile my brother
sent
after our school master who was a good old Christian man and he came
over
to see my father and asked him if he was ready to meet God. “I
do not
know. I know I am a big sinner”, he said. Then Mr.
Linquist told
him that Jesus came to save just such men. This gave him peace
to his
troubled soul. He had always been considered a Christian, but
a terrible
fear came over him at this hour. When the neighbor and doctor
arrived
father had passed on. This was too much for my poor
mother. She
had not been very well for several years. The weather became
very cold
and a severe blizzard set in and mother took a bad cold.
We could
not get a doctor or any medicine for her, as we were simply shut in
on account
of the snow. All the roads were blocked. I started out
to go
to a place three miles from there to get some medicine, but could
not get
very far so I had to turn around home. About two months from
father’s
death, mother passed out from our midst. A few days before she
died,
we were all standing beside her bed. There were seven of us,
the youngest
being four years old. How hard it must have been for her to
leave all
her children. We heard her pray, “O God, take care of my dear
children”.
The last words she uttered with her hand raised, saying, “Children,
look
up!’ Then her hand dropped and her eyes closed in death.
The oldest sister came home to keep house and
take care
of us for a while as we had the right to live in the house for a
year.
At the end of the year, an auction was held and everything on the
place was
sold. When all bills had been paid and creditors satisfied, we
had
left each twenty-five crowns. Not a large sum to get started
in life.
Although we were so poor, we had the satisfaction of knowing we did
not owe
anything to anyone. Everyone was paid up and now we must
separate.
The youngest, a girl of four years, was taken in
by an
aunt, and the next child, eight years old, was taken to a friend in
the town.
The township helped to support these children. A girl, ten
years old,
was placed in a farm home where she was to help out for her board
and room
and necessary clothes. My brother twelve years old, was taken
in by
a tailor where he worked for his board and room. I then
fourteen years
was given a job with our administrator at a salary of $10.00, plus a
cotton
shirt and a leather apron, and believe me I surely earned my
salary.
I was called 4 o’clock in the morning and worked hard until eight or
nine
at night. When we cut (with a scythe) hay, corn, grain, clover
and
timothy, I had to keep in line with my employer. It was very
hard to
keep up with him all the time, and how my arms and feet would
ache.
Yes, they would ache so I could hardly sleep at nights. But
you know
a boy does want to eat, and if he only can get decent eats and
plenty, he
can stand a lot of work. Sometimes I was so weak and tired
that when
I drove the oxen in the field and had to stop them to let them rest,
I would
fall asleep myself. The farmer would, of course, catch me and
give
me a bawling out telling me never to do such a thing again.
As soon as we had dressed in the morning, we went
into
the kitchen for our breakfast which consisted of a chunk of bread,
cheese
and a glass of skimmed milk (very blue milk). The cheese was
generally
so wormy that the worms would crawl on the bread. Some tried
to believe
that the worms tasted good, but I could not go them or find them
palatable,
so I would pick them off and put them down on the table where they
could
crawl around all they wanted. This was all we had from 4 a.m. until.
8 a.m.
Then we had another meal of barley broth, which was placed on the
center
of the table in a large bowl. Using our wooden spoons we all
ate from
this bowl, scooping the barley from the bottom of the bowl.
The mistress
also handed us each a chunk of bread which she had buttered, but we
had to
look twice before we could detect any butter on it. The noon
meal was
served at 12 o’clock, and generally consisted of potatoes and
meat,
pork or sausage. A frying pan with a thickened gravy was
placed in
the center of the table. Each one pealed his own potatoes with
their
fingers as there were no knives or forks, and then we would dip our
potato
in the frying pan. Sometimes we would break our potato in two
and make
a ridge in it with our teeth and thus enable us to scoop a little
more gravy
with the potato. The bread was eaten the same way. The
mistress
handed each one their portion with her fingers, and we received it
with our
fingers, holding it until we placed it on the table, as there were
no plates
on the table.
At 6 o’clock, we had supper and were served the
same kind
of food we had for breakfast or bread, cheese and skimmed milk. At 9
o’clock
a lunch was had which consisted of rye porridge. This was
poured into
a large wooden bowl and placed on the table, also a large bowl of
skimmed
milk. Then the wooden spoons were put into action. First
we dipped
our spoon into the bowl and took a small amount of porridge and then
filled
the spoon with milk from the other bowl, taking no more than we
could successfully
transfer to our mouth without spilling it. Naturally being
hungry we
would hurry too much, causing the collision with other spoons,
knocking the
porridge off the spoons.
With this meal the day was ended. The days
that
followed were of the same nature. I worked for these people
six months
and then accepted the job with another farmer for 25 crowns a
year.
The food at this place was a little better. At the close of
this year,
I went to another farmer, working there two years and receiving a
salary
of 50 crowns a year. This farmer was a rather pleasant man to
work
for. My sister was also doing housework at this place and this
made
it more pleasant for me. The work and customs were about the
same.
Sometimes I could help myself to a chunk of bread from the storage
room.
This I broke in two and dipped into a barrel of pickled herring and
put it
in my coat pocket and lunched on it while I was working in the
fields.
As you know a sixteen year boy working hard was always hungry.
During the summer I did all the work on this farm
alone,
as the man I was working for took sick and had to go away to a
Sanitarium
for two months. Of course, the lady there tried to boss me
around but
feeling that I was capable of doing my work the way it should be
done, I
did not think it was necessary for her to boss me around so we did
not hitch
so well. They had a nice five year old boy, but she was real
mean to
this little fellow and would whip him for the least thing. She
was
always calling him such horrid names, so one day I told her she
should at
least use common sense when she punished her child. This made
her very
angry and told me to mind my own business. After this she
certainly
had it in for me, and when her husband came home, she had lots of
complaints
against me, so he did not treat me the same way any more.
I will have to mention a little experience I had
when
I took my employer to town where he took a boat for the
Sanitarium.
We arrived at the docks late in the evening and I did not want to
return
home that night, so I drove into a vacant place near the docks and
unhitched
the horse, fed and watered him and then crawled into the wagon to go
to sleep.
Some young boys were passing by and seeing me, started to call me
names and
threw sand and pebbles at me. Thinking I would have to get rid
of those
boys, I got up and grabbed a stick of wood and ran after them,
frightening
them away and was sure I got rid of those pests, but soon they
returned with
some older boys with them and they started to give it to me good and
hot.
I no know how it would have ended if some one had not come to my
rescue.
In the evening before I had tried to go to sleep I had another
adventure.
Looking around for something interesting I had gone aboard the
sailship that
lay in the harbor. When I was walking around on the deck two
sailors
came up out of a trap door and wanted to know what I was doing
around there
or what I wanted. I told them I just wanted to see what a
sail-boat
looked like. They said they did not believe me and tried to
accuse
me of trying to steal and said they would make my visit a short one
and took
a hold of me by the feet and held me over the railing as though they
would
drop me in the water. I really did not think they would comply
with
their threat. They soon let go of me and told me to beat it,
which
I quickly did.
In the fall I left this farmer and rented a room with another
family
and then I worked all winter in a forest, and cut wood. In the
spring
I went with an older brother and worked on the railroad. This
was very
pleasant work. We had fine board and I developed physically
and got
fleshy. After eight months of this work, I went back to my
other home.
I had saved 150 crowns and felt indeed rich. In the winter I
worked
again at wood cutting, and in the spring, I hired out to a farmer
who was
to pay me 75 crowns for the summer. After a few weeks here, I
took
sick with typhoid fever and was very near death. I was ill for
eight
weeks. In the fall, I went to live with one of my married
sisters and
worked at wood cutting during the winter. In the spring I
hired out
to a building contractor for three years. I was to receive no
pay for
this except board and room, as I was to learn the carpenter
trade.
In the summer we built houses and in the winter we did cabinet work
and furniture
and even made thrashing machine outfits. When I had worked for
him
two and a half years, I asked him very kindly if he could not let me
have
a little pay. At this request he became very angry and told me
I could
leave if I wanted to, and I was glad to go. Another carpenter
gave
me work and paid me $6.00 a week and board and room and worked for
him for
six months. Then he left Sweden for America. Whereupon I
started
my own business, making furniture, thrashing machines and mill work,
keeping
on with this three years. I also took charge of a manual
training school
two terms, and made the church seats or pews in the Lutheran Church
of Marback
and remodeled the church parsonage.
I also remodeled a parsonage having a young man help me.
One
day, when the pastor and his family had gone away, the maid invited
me and
the other young fellow in for coffee. While we were looking
around
at the beautiful furnishings I took special notice of a beautiful
heavy looking
cutglass vase. This was standing on a cutglass pedestal.
As cutglass
value was judged by its weight, I lifted the vase to see how heavy
it was,
and when lo and behold! the pedestal having stuck to the vase
crashed to
the floor. What a terrible scrape I had gotten into. For
one
thing another one could not be bought, and another thing I had no
business
in the house, as I had finished my work in there. When the
lady of
the house came home I went in and apologized for the accident,
saying I had
gone in to see if there were any cracks in the floor as we had
shortly before
laid a new floor there. I also told her I would be willing to
pay for
it no matter what it had cost. Whereupon she told me it could
not be
bought as it had been given her by a very dear friend., Of
course,
I felt very sorry about it all. Thus that incident was passed
by.
About this time I met a young lady that I rather liked and we
were
out together quite often. She said right away that she liked
me very
much even before I thought of saying such a thing to her, as I was a
rather
particular fellow and had my ideals as to what I wanted my wife to
be.
After going together six months, she turned me down, saying she was
Christ’s
bride and was going to live as such. She did not prove to very
sincere
about this as she started to go with other fellows, one after the
other and
before long married a hired man who was not a Christian. Sad
to say
this union was not a happy one. It really hurt me to be turned
down
by this girl as she was the only girl I had ever really taken
to.
However, God had better plans for me, including a dear young
lady on
the other side of the ocean, whom God sent home to Sweden, and
within two
years she was my beloved wife, and the best wife God ever gave a
man.
We were married Nov. 26, l885. I was twenty-seven years
old and
my wife twenty-one. We started housekeeping at once. It
was then
fourteen years since I had left my dear childhood home, and which
had been
connected with so much poverty. Although God had led me
through these
years in such a wonderful way, it seemed so lovely to be in my own
home again,
and we were very happy in every way.
My wife had lived in America three years and knew conditions
here quite
well and felt positive that we could do much better and find more
opportunities
for future progress in America, so we sold our furniture, packed our
trunks,
and set sail for the promised land of America, which we reached
within three
weeks, arriving here the 18th of May 1886. On arriving in
Chicago we
looked up some old friends. My wife knew where they lived, but
when
arriving at the Dearborn St. Station at 7 o’clock in the evening she
had
forgotten the street car we were to take to get us to these
friends.
However, two Swedish fellows standing on the corner and seeing that
we were
emigrants, directed us where to go, etc. My wife knew the way
somewhat
and had her land marks to follow. When we passed a meat market
with
a big sign over the door, and a pig painted on this sign, she said,
“Here
is where we get off,” and so we did. We had not written to
these friends
that we were coming so when we arrived at her door where she was
standing
on the porch, she was almost stunned, she was so surprised.
She said
it was sometime before she could believe it was really us. She
welcomed
us heartily and the next day we went out and rented a six room new
brick
house. We then went to a second hand furniture store and
bought the
most necessary furniture. We only had $75.00 in our pocketbook
when
we arrived in Chicago and that is not much to buy furniture and
necessities
for a six-room house, although $75.00 went a long ways at that
time.
We paid $16 a month for rent. We took in four young men to
room and
board with us and in a few days I started carpenter work, receiving
$1.50
for a nine hour day.
I worked all summer and part of the winter so we got along
well.
My wife earned as much as I did. We kept on this way for three
years.
Then I was earning $2.50 and sometimes $2.80 per day. At this
time
we were the proud parents of two daughters. My wife now gave
up keeping
boarders and we moved to a suburb called Lake View, where we rented
a three
room flat for $8.00 a month. At the end of another year we had
a bank
account of $600.00 and then my wife inherited $300.00 from her
parents.
With this we purchased a lot in Lake View on Osgood St.(then called
Baxter
St). I built a two flat building (frame) on the back of this
lot.
There were four rooms in each flat and we rented the second flat,
living
in the first flat ourselves. Here we lived comfortably for ten
years.
I was nearly always busy at my carpenter work, doing contract work
and making
my own plans.
During this time I built a three flat brick building in the
front.
Each flat had five rooms and bath, modern in every way. At
this time
I helped in the building of the new and present Sw. Baptist Church
in Lake
View on the corner of Barry and Clifton Streets.
Lake View was becoming very closely settled, so we traded this
place
for a home in the beautiful suburb of Rodgers Park, three blocks
from the
lake on Estes Ave., and remodeled this place somewhat. This
property
was on the beautiful corner of Estes and Perry Aves. This was
shortly
after the World’s Fair, which was followed by a never forgotten
depression,
and it was then impossible at that time to get work of any
kind. I
had been suffering for several years with catarrh and dyspepsia and
decided
it would be best to try a change of climate, so we traded this
property for
a farm in the southern part of Missouri, near a town called
Olden.
Pomona was the name of our R.R. Station and Village. Our farm
was a
large fruit farm of 140 acres, containing 3,000 peach trees about
seven years
old and 2,400 apples at a good bearing age. This was a very
pretty
place and a beautiful country with a good climate. We arrived
in March.
The plum trees were in full bloom, but that summer turned out to be
an unusual
dry summer, and every one down there were entirely dependent on rain
water
for their water supply both for their own personal use and for the
stock.
We would then have to take a barrel and drive two or three miles for
water.
All the farmers had were cisterns as wells were very scarce
around
there. In spite of the draught, we had a very good peach crop,
as the
ground was a heavy clay soil and held moisture. The potato
crop was
a failure. I planted four bushels and when I tried to dig them
in the
fall, I had to use a pick ax to chop the ground because it was so
hard, and
we only managed to get up a small basket of very small
potatoes. The
apple crop was also very good. There were no good schools and
no Swedish
Church. Our children were just at the school age, and these
things
had to be taken into consideration. We also found out that
they did
not look for a fruit crop more than about every seven years.
We did
not know how the fruit should be taken care of, packed and shipped,
as there
were no fruit growers association down there.
That summer a man from Des Moines came around there to buy up
fruit
for shipping and inquired about our fruit, but we could not agree on
the
price, so then he asked us if we wanted to sell the farm with the
fruit.
Taking all things into consideration we said we would for
$3,500.00.
This man had seven lots in Des Moines he valued at $300.00 a
piece.
He offered us these lots and $1,500. in cash. I wrote to Rev.
Paul
Hallin in Des Moines asking him to look up these lots and inquire as
to their
value, which he did and wrote me that they were worth $250 or
$300.
We had heard a good deal about Des Moines and knew that there were a
lot
of Swedish people there and good colleges. It was also the
state capital
of Iowa so we decided to move to Des Moines. I engaged a
freight car
in which we packed all our furniture, a lot of fruit, two cows, a
horse and
some chickens. My two oldest boys rode with me in the freight
car.
My wife and the other children remained a day longer and then took a
passenger
train and we all arrived about the same time in Des Moines.
The arrangements
were far superior to the ones we made when we went to Missouri from
Chicago.
Then all the furniture was packed and shipped and we remained in
Chicago
a week after. Then we were to leave 10:30 on Tuesday but
missed the
train on account of the expressman’s delay, so we had to remain at
the Union
Station all day until 11 o’clock at night. On account of this,
we missed
connections at Springfield, Mo., and had to wait nearly a whole day
there
for another train. When we got into Pomona it was 11 o’clock
at night.
No one at the station and everything was dark, but we found our way
to the
inn and roused the keeper and found lodging for the night. The
next
day we rode to our farm home in a wagon driven by a team of mules,
called
Tom and Dick. The farm house was nice and also comfortable
when we
finally got our furniture. Such an experience we had before we
were
settled. Our furniture did not arrive until a month after we
did.
All that time we had to sleep on the floor on the few blankets we
had with
us, and get along with very few housekeeping necessities.
After considerable
writing back and forth with R.R. Co., and officials our furniture
was located
side-tracked in St. Louis. How wonderful it seemed to have a
furnished
home again. So moving to Des Moines, we made arrangements to
avoid
all that trouble and everything went fine.
We were welcomed to Des Moines by the Swedish people and were
at home
immediately. The Swedish Baptist had just started to build
their new
church and I was asked to help out with that, and from then on I had
work,
taking most of it through contracts. I also build the Swedish
Methodist
Church in Des Moines.
We lived in Des Moines ten years but my health was not always
so good.
It seemed that the climate was not very good as it was a rather damp
climate.
There was always a heavy dew at night and often foggy, so I was
compelled
to remain indoors during most of the time during the winter
months.
I was advised by doctors to try a change of climate. Some
friend advised
Nebraska and others Wyoming and California, Etc., We had a
family
from Des Moines that had moved to Wyoming and they spoke so well of
that
climate. My son Lawrence went with that family and helped them
with
some building and he also thought the climate seemed so good, so he
told
me to go up there and look around which I did and found it as they
had said.
But somehow I did not really like it. It really was not a
pretty country.
However, at that time there was a student that had been out
there a
year and while there had taken claim on a homestead, and was anxious
to dispose
of it, so he offered it to me for $50.00 for his 300 acre homestead.
I wrote to my wife and tried to give her an accurate
description of
it all and asked her what I should do, and she wrote back that I
could do
whatever I thought was best, so I decided to take this homestead and
at once,
my son, Lawrence, and I started to build a house on it as there were
no buildings
on it. By Xmas we had walls and roof on the house and we used
fibre
boards for plastering. We then went home and celebrated Xmas.
After Xmas we started to pack up and in March we moved to
Wyoming.
At that time two of my daughters were married, one living in
Chicago, and
other in Seattle. It is twenty-five years since my daughter,
Ester,
married and went immediately to Seattle to live. Since that
time we
never had the privilege of all being together at one time. My
son,
Elam, was attending Drake University, having received a scholarship
when
graduating from highschool, so only three of our children went with
us when
we moved to Wyoming, i.e., Lawrence, Rueben, and Delight.
Delight was
six years old.
Arriving in Wyoming, we had to start farming. We had to
plow,
plant, and harvest, something I had not done since I was 19 years
old.
I was now 56 years old. We hired a man to plow with a
tractor.
This was quite a help and all went well. We all like Wyoming
except
mother. For some reason she could not like it and never was
quite happy.
After three years, we received the title of ownership to our
homestead,
and then we got ready to move again. I told mother this time
she had
to choose the place we were to go, either to Seattle, Chicago, or
Des Moines.
She decided on Seattle. Then we sold our personal goods and
rented
out the ground to a neighbor and pulled off to Seattle with
$3,000.00 in
cash.
On arriving in Seattle, we found that the building work was at
its
lowest condition, and it was impossible to get any carpenter work so
we looked
around for a small farm where we could go into the poultry
business.
We traveled around at Puget Sound and in Oregon but could find
nothing.
Then we were told that there were good small farms around Mr.
Vernon, so
we looked around in that vicinity and found some very good
places.
I went back home after my wife to accompany me to help me pick out a
satisfactory
place. We found farms that sold from three to six hundred
dollars an
acre. There were three places we were interested in and we
went home
and took these into consideration, deciding which was our first
choice and
what we should pay for them.
We wrote to these places making them a reasonable offer, and
soon received
an answer from the owner of the place we like the best and this we
were happy
about, so I went there and made arrangements to close the
deal. The
owner then told me I could not occupy it for another year, as it was
rented
to a tenant. I told him he would have to get the tenant off
the place
at once if I was to buy it. This he refused to do so that deal
was
off. Then I went to the farm of our second choice and asked
him if
he would accept my offer. After considerable argument he said
he would,
but then I had on hand $1,000 in auction notes and asked him to take
these
in part payment. These notes carried 8% interest but he
refused to
take these so that deal was a disappointment. We then
proceeded to
the third place although we did not like this place so well, as it
was situated
on a high place and would easily dry up in a draught, but we
made arrangements
to put the deal through. He told me that there were 18 acres
of cleared
and broken land. That same day I met a Swedish farmer near by
and talked
a while with him about farming around there and he said that this
farm had
only 9 acres broken land and the other nine acres had the timber
removed
but the stumps were there. When I met the owner, I asked him
about
this and he admitted that it was only nine acres, so that deal was
given
up. I went back to that Swedish farmer and asked him if he
knew of
any place for sale, and he showed me one nearby. I went
directly over
there and inquired his price but found it was more than I wanted to
pay for
it. I asked him if he would rent it and he said he would for
$300.00
a year. I offered him $250 and told him if he would let it go
at that
at once I would give him $10.00 deposit for him to hold it three
days while
I went home and consulted with my wife. If she was satisfied
with the
arrangements I would send him a check for the full amount
immediately, otherwise
the $10.00 was his for his trouble. He accepted and the
contract was
drawn up and signed.
When I arrived home my wife was very much surprised that I had
not
succeeded to buy any of the three farms we had under consideration,
so we
believed it was not God’s will and thought it best to rent this farm
for
a year. This would give us a chance to look around a little
before
we settled down out there permanently. We packed up and moved
out to
Mt. Vernon, bought six good milk cows for which we paid up to $160
for, and
then we sold milk to the milk canneries. Late in the summer
there was
a severe draught and we had to buy alfalfa and bran for the
cows. The
milk also fell in price so we received only 8 cents a gallon.
This
did not pay for the feed for the cows. Before we went to Mt.
Vernon
I mentioned that perhaps we had better go back to Wyoming, but my
wife said
she would rather stay there and take in washings, so I did not
mention it
any more. When fall came we had fed up all the income from the
farm,
and we figured we would need about $700 worth of feed to carry us
through
the winter. I had the notes left, but if we used them up we
would not
have anything left to get back to Wyoming on if we wanted to do
so.
One day my wife said, “I guess we had better clear out and get back
to Wyoming
before all the money is gone,” and I said, “All right, let’s
go.” I
went to the owner and asked a release from the contract, but he
would not
do this until all the rent was paid, but he finally gave off $50.00.
I went to the station and engaged a freight car in which we
loaded
our six cows, two calves, and two horses, all our furniture and
everything
we had. Rueben went with me in the car as I had taken a bad
cold and
did not dare to go alone. My wife and Delight took the
passenger train
two days after we left. After six days of travel we were back
in our
own home in Wyoming. It seemed so good to sleep under our own
roof
again. Next day we were all home again, and the best part was
that
my wife was now so satisfied to be in Wyoming. We had spent
$2,000
on this trip and moving, but it was worth that and more to have my
dear wife
satisfied.
Now we had to begin from the bottom again and it was a little
slower
than the first time. Then there was draughts and crop failure
but we
were all happy. Five years went by and then my wife started to
have
trouble with her eyes. She could not see to read at all and
they got
weaker all the time. We tried all kinds of glasses but none
helped.
We went to two eye specialists and they said they could do nothing
for her
as they did not know what caused it. They then advised X-rays
of the
head to see if anything on the brain could cause the trouble so
X-rays were
taken. The specialist reported that there was a tumor of the
brain
and nothing could be done except operation. He said this was
the cause
of her blindness also that the operation was a very delicate
and dangerous
one. I asked him what would happen if she did not have the
operation
and he said it would be fatal within a few months also that she
would loose
her mind completely. Her mind was already being affected by
it.
This was a terrible trial. I wrote immediately to Dr. R. Earl
of St.
Paul, to Chicago, and Omaha telling them the circumstances, and they
all
wrote back that the only thing that could be done was an operation
and that
50 or 60% proved fatal.
I told mother what she was up against, and asked her what she
wished
and she said, “I am in the Lord’s hand and if there is no other way
out,
we had better go at once and have it done.” She had a sister
in St.
Paul she had not seen for thirty years, and Dr. Earl had the
reputation of
being one of the best surgeons in the country, so we went directly
there
to Mounds Park Sanitarium in St. Paul. Six doctors held her
under examination
for four days, and after consultation advised two operations
necessary.
They claimed there was a nerve on the right side of the head that
had hardened
and that would have to be taken care of before she would be strong
enough
to go through operation on the brain. I asked him if it was
possible
for her to live through this operation and said she had 50 or 60%
chance
otherwise she had only two months to live. Although I had my
doubts
that she would live through one just has to fall back on the little
chance
there is. I told her that she had no chance except operation,
and she
answered, “So they are determined to put me on the butchering
table.”
She was already very weak both physically and in her mind and
it was
left to me to decide what was to be done. I stood between two
alternatives,
the one to keep her for two months during which time she would
become wildly
insane, and the other a faint hope of recovery from the operation,
so naturally
I chose the latter. I gave Dr. Earl my decision Saturday
evening and
Monday morning the doctors operated on her.
An incision was made on the right side of the head back of the
ear.
To get to the sick nerve the doctor had to drill through the bone
and break
off the bone with pliers. An opening three inches long was
thus made.
It required two and a half hours to do this operation. She
lived one
week and the following Monday evening 5 o’clock her spirit left to
be with
God. During this week she did not suffer or have any pain, and
they
could do anything with her they wanted. The nurse said she was
getting
better every day but I could not see any improvement. Monday
morning
she could not speak a word. When I spoke to her she just
moaned.
She hardly stirred all day long. About five o’clock I left the
room
a minute, and when I returned the nurse was standing by her bed and
said
she had called, “Anderson,” and then passed out. So she must
have regained
consciousness for a moment. How terrible I felt that I should
leave
the room at that moment. Why I should be gone just then and
not have
the privilege of having a last word from her remains a mystery to
me.
I telephoned to my sons in Wyoming, and it was decided to bring
mother’s
remains back to Wyoming for the last rites.
That trip back to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming and the
funeral
I will pass by, as they are too sad to put into print. Some
terrible
long and lonesome days followed. I had lost my most faithful
and best
friend on earth. Of course, I had my youngest son, Rueben, 20
years
old and my youngest daughter, Delight, 16 years old, with me so I
was not
entirely alone, but I had lost my dearly beloved wife and partner
that had
been with me for thirty-six years.
However, when time comes it seems we live through
whatever
it must be no matter how impossible it would seem before.
Three years
passed by and then my youngest son, Rueben, married and wanted to
take over
the management of the farm. The same summer, my oldest son,
Elam, with
his family came out here for a visit to say farewell as they were on
their
way to San Diego, Calif. They were going back to China as
Missionaries.
I had a son, Lawrence, and my daughter, Delight, in San Diego, so my
son,
Elam asked me to take a trip with them to San Diego, telling me it
would
do me a world of good. After some consideration, I decided to
go with
them. This I fully believe was God’s plan for me. I went
with
them and have been here ever since. It is six years since I
came here
and I have enjoyed it and felt fine. The climate greatly
improved my
physical condition and I have had no desire to go back to
Wyoming.
Of course, at times I do yet feel terrible lonesome.
Before I write further, I want to go back to my
childhood
days and write a little more about my home and customs at that
time.
I can remember back to when I was four years old. My home as I
have
mentioned before was a home of poverty, but it was very dear to us
all.
We lived in a house with one large living room and a smaller room
called
a kitchen. This small room was only used in the summer as we
could
not heat it in the winter. This large room had to serve all
purposes.
It was used as a work room for father, sleeping quarters for the
whole family,
kitchen and dining room. Mother also had her weaver there
where she
made all the cloth that was used in garments and underwear for the
whole
family. She also had her spinning wheel where she spun all the
yarn
and linen thread used. Sometimes in the winter when the
weather was
bitter, a newborn calf or a lamb and its mother would have to be
brought
into this room and room made for them in a corner and perhaps a few
chickens,
all housed in this large room 18 x 20. This seems almost
unbelievable,
yet it was true.
However, when the Holidays came, everything had
to be
cleared out to get ready for the great Holiday events. About
two weeks
before Christmas, the washing was done. The washing was done
only twice
a year. Then everything was washed that could be washed.
A large
round tank was placed on a two foot rack and all the clothes were
packed
in this tank and then covered with a canvass. This was covered
with
three or four inches of wood ashes. Then boiling water was
poured on
top of this, which was allowed to slowly ooze through the ashes and
clothes
and then out through a hole in the bottom of the tank. The
ashes made
the water strong and soft, loosening up the dirt in the
clothes. This
water was again allowed to come to the boiling point and then poured
over
the clothes. This process was repeated all night long.
In the
morning the clothes after all water being drained off were taken
down to
the lake side. The clothes were dipped in the fresh water
there and
then placed on low tables or benches. A board three inches
wide and
two feet long was put into service. The clothes were beaten
very hard
with this piece of board and then dipped or rinsed again in the
lake.
They were then beaten again. This was done until they were
thoroughly
clean. Then they were wrung out by hand, hung up to dry or
freeze dry
and then ironed. When this task was completed, the butchering
had to
be done. A hog, and perhaps a calf or sheep were butchered;
all kinds
of sausage made, etc. Pork and meat sausage, barley, potato,
and blood
sausage were among the favored sausages. Then all kinds of
bread were
made such as rye, Oatmeal, graham, white, sweet and sour
limpas. Then
small bread or cakes were made in fancy shapes or in the shape of
animals,
such as elephants, bears, sheep, cows and horses, and in the shape
of dolls,
etc. These were kept for distribution as Christmas
gifts. We
also made the candles we used. These were made out of tallow,
melted.
A candle wick was formed of yarn and tied to a stick; then
dipped in
the melted tallow, hung up until cooled and hardened and then dipped
again
and cooled until the desired shape and size. Then some
were made
with three arms. These were called “candle crowns” or
candelabra.
There were also small ones for the Christmas tree.
On the morning of Christmas eve, the Christmas porridge was
placed
on the stove and when done served together with head cheese and
different
sausage. Then the men went to the woods to cut down evergreen
trees
and branches. These branches were placed (after being cut up)
on the
floor outside of the door and in the room. A large supply of
wood was
then brought in so that there would be enough to keep through the
holidays.
Then at noon we doppade i grytan ((dipped slices of rye
or limpa
in the broth kettle). Then we had all the Root beer or Juniper
Ale
we wanted to drink. This was considered a holiday treat.
Towards
evening all work must be done. The large round tank was
brought in
and filled with warm water and every body had to have a good
bath.
Then we donned our best clothes. Then every one sat down at
the table
while there was a reading from Luther’s Bible; a Christmas song or
carol
was sung. Then we were served our Christmas supper, which
consisted
of rice porridge and milk. Then we had some of the different
kinds
of sausage, bread, limpa, and finished up with coffee. Coffee
was seldom
seen between one Christmas and the next, so this was an unusual
treat.
After supper the candles and candelabra were lit, and the Christmas
gifts
and packages would start to come rolling through the door.
Then there
would be a scramble for the package and also a rush to try to catch
Santa
or the one outside. Of course, Santa nearly always slipped
away with
out being caught. When this package was untied and opened,
another
bundle would come rolling in and another scramble until everyone had
received
his or her gift, and then we sang some more Christmas Carols and
every one
was ready for bed.
Before we retired, we had to fix up a nice supper for Santa or
the
elf. A candle was lit and put beside his plate, About
midnight
he was supposed to come around and if nothing was fixed up for him
you would
have bad luck through the year. He would also look around to
see if
everything around was cleaned up and in order in the house as well
as in
the barn and other buildings. At midnight it was believed by
some that
the cattle talked to each other. There was a fable that a
certain farmer
decided to find out what the cattle were talking about so he went
out into
the barn at 12 o’clock. He sat down where no one could see him
and
listened. Pretty soon the critter raised up and said, “Ho,
Ho.
This year we will starve to death.” Then one cow stood up and
answered, “No.
The farmer has seven barrels of oats left in the oat stack and that
will
keep us alive.” The farmer hearing this had his oat stack
thrashed
again and received seven barrels of oats, but during the year all
the cows
died. It, of course, was mystery who the elf was. He was
a little
fellow two feet tall and wore red knickers, red jacket, and a red
cap.
If he was treated well, good luck would follow, if not it would be
the opposite.
He was seldom seen by anyone.
Christmas morning, we had to get up about 3 o’clock so as to
get to
the Christmas morning service at church which started at 5 o’clock,
and it
was quite a thrill if we could get there early enough to help the
janitor
light the Christmas candles. During the day we remained at
home.
If we left the house we might take the Christmas Peace away from
home.
If anyone came in during the day they would have to be served
something to
eat or drink or the Christmas spirit might drift out with
them. After
Christmas there would be parties all over in the neighborhood.
As I mentioned before at that time individual plates, knives
and forks
were not used. Every one helped himself to what was in a large
wooden
bowl in the center of the table, using a wooden spoon.
Something to
drink was placed in a wooden mug on the table and everyone took
their turn
and drank out of the wooden mug. Ten years hence, there was a
noted
change, as individual plates, knives and forks were put into use,
and other
improvements were seen. Of course, it took years before every
one would
get used to the new idea and some never did.
The hired girls had to work very hard in the old
country. In
the winter they had to take care of all the chores in the cow barns,
milk,
feed and water the cows, and keep the barn clean. In the
spring they
had to help to haul out manure, help with the planting and
harvesting.
When the grain was cut the women had to keep up with men, gathering
up the
grain, putting it in bundles, trying and shocking it. Then
they had
to rake the fields and pick up all grain that had been left
behind.
They also had to rake up the hay and help with it until it had all
been brought
in the hay mow.
In the winter, the men took care of the horses and oxen and
the horse
barn. Then they would cut down wood and haul home, and burn
brush and
clean up the pastures, etc. In the evening we would split long
thin
pieces of wood, used for kindling and also for light. If we
wished
to go to another room, we would pick up one of these pieces, light
it from
the fire, and use it as a light. In the living room all the
light we
had was from the fireplace. We would also make rope from hog
hair.
This rope was used as lines for the oxen also to tie the bundles of
grain
when harvesting, so we were never idle. On Sundays we had to
go to
church. In the afternoon, we would read a little while and
then the
young folks would go out for walks over the hills and through the
woods.
In the winter we enjoyed coasting over the hills.
Some of the early revivals and my spiritual experiences.
I remember an incident that happened when I was two years
old.
At that time the man of the house always made his own wines and
beer.
My father had been to market and brought grandfather and another man
with
him home and of course, my father wanted them to taste his home
brew, so
a big tub was brought in and they scooped it out of this and drank
all they
could. Grandfather was a little drunk when he came home and
then he
got much worse, but the other two seemed to keep their heads and
kept quiet.
This was the only time I saw my grandfather as he died a short time
after
this. It was the first and last time I saw liquor in our
home.
The next thing I remember is that my father took me along when we
went to
a preaching service in a farm home and listened to a lay
preacher.
He preached repentance and that they must change their lives and
become righteous
before God would be merciful and forgive them. Soon there came
other
preachers (evangelistic). They were more free. They
preached
about grace and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. A
wonderful
revival broke out. They had no church but met in the farm
homes.
My three sisters were converted and they came home and told me that
Anders
Peters, a playmate of mine two years older, had been
converted. I remember
I cried until the tears rolled down my cheeks and my mother asked me
why
I cried and I said I wish I was as happy as Anders Peters. I
could
not go to the meetings as my mother and father did not want to go
out evenings,
and although I was so young I realized I needed to be saved.
This revival
was felt mostly in the Southern part of Sweden. Now a regular
Mission
work was arranged and a Mission house was built and regular meetings
were
held. Sometimes there were evangelists there and otherwise
there were
prayer meetings. At the end of a year Jonkopings Mission
Society took
over our field, and their preachers called on us often and
preached.
They had some very good preachers, such as Svening Johanson, Samuel
Johanson,
Toll Stridbeck and Pohl and others. During this time another
real revival
started.
This revival seemed to just grip people. They were
stricken because
of their realization of sin and their need of salvation. They
cried
aloud and prayed for mercy. They kept on until they fell in
sort of
a daze or state of unconsciousness and after a while they would come
to and
then praise God for salvation. Then go around and try to win
others.
This revival kept on for some time. Many were converted and it did
not seem
to be because of the efforts of any preachers. Because
sometimes the
preacher had hardly more than started to preach before people seemed
smitten
and would start to weep and pray and the preacher would have to
leave the
platform and lead the individuals seeking salvation. I was
about ten
years old at that time. There was no church at that time, so
some became
backsliders as they did not have the privilege of a spiritual
home.
Others remained true through their lives. This revival went
through
upper part of Småland about sixty-five years ago.
Four years later another revival broke out. This had its
effect
in a more quiet way but very effective. It touched me deeply
and gave
me sincere longing to become a Christian. This was the year
after I
had left my home and I was working for a farmer. I asked him
for permission
to go to a meeting in Adelöfs Mission House. There was a
very
good old preacher and he spoke about salvation through faith in
Jesus Christ,
not by works, and said how thankful we should be for this.
This message
brought such peace and joy to my soul. I was so happy when I
went home
that evening. This continued for some time but as I had no one
to talk
to, it seemed as if I gradually lost the joy of fellowship with
God.
However, God through the Holy Spirit kept me from sin and I enjoyed
to go
to church but I did not cherish that any one spoke to me or asked me
if I
was right with God. This I preferred to keep to myself.
Sometimes
I would go out by myself in the woods and pray to God to save
me. This
continued for about five years. I was 19 years old and in the
winter
there was another revival. I went faithfully to these
meetings.
I had two Swedish miles (equal to 14 English miles) to walk to these
meetings.
I longed for the joy I had before. I believed I had to be born
again,
and I thought I did not have enough remorse and cry as much as I
should so
I thought I did not have a right to accept salvation when I was not
any more
stirred. The revival was almost at an end and I was beginning
to fear
that I would be left out. I walked home with my sister one
evening
and we discussed these things. She told me I must have faith
in the
promises of God, and believe His word. When I left her I tried
to remember
Bible verses and promises, but they did not seem to take any effect
on me.
Then when I came to the gate of a certain place, a song came to my
mind.
“He that believeth is saved.” After much arguing within
myself, faith
began to take hold and the joy of salvation was mine, and I was so
overcome
with joy that when I arrived home to the place where I was working I
had
to wake the people there and tell them of my joy.
The farmer was not a Christian and so he said, “Oh that will
not last
long”, but, Praise the Lord, it had kept for 53 years. I have
not always
been ready to jump for joy, but the joy of salvation does not depend
on outward
appearance but is founded on the blood of the Crucified
Christ. The
joy of salvation is just as certain during hours of trial and
darkness as
during the happy hours. Soon I was assailed with doubts.
The
next meeting I went to I sat down next to an old man by the name of
Anders
Israelson, a tailor, and told him that I had been saved and was so
happy.
Instead of rejoicing with me and encouraging me, he said, “Oh that
remains
to be seen.” This hurt me as he was an old Christian and I
began to
think that perhaps this was only my own idea that I was saved.
The
day after I went to my sister and told her about it and that I was
afraid
I was not saved. She said “Can’t you understand that it is the
enemy
or Satan trying to lead you astray,” and I said I did not see how
that could
be because Israelson was an old Christian and he did not have much
faith
in my salvation, so how could that be Satan? “Yes,” she said,
“the
devil does use the Christians to do his work, so the best for you is
not
to listen to him but stick to the promises of God for they never
fail.”
She helped me to gain courage so I was so very happy; yes, so happy
that
I really wanted to die so I could be with Jesus Christ my Savior
whom I loved
so dearly. Everything seemed so new and strange to me that I
really
believed I would not live long here but that God would soon take me
home.
Fifty-three years have passed and this desire has not been
fulfilled.
Perhaps I have not been ready for my departure.
Through life I have had many wonderful experiences, proving
how God
leads and protects us. Twice I had blood poisoning, when
nothing could
be done by man, but God’s power alone brought me out of it.
The first
time I had stepped on a large nail and I was in bed for six weeks,
having
lost a great quantity of blood. When all human aid
seemed in
vain, I prayed to God to heal me, and made a promise that if it
would be
His will to restore me, I would give 5¢ a day to Foreign
Missions.
This I have kept and God has blessed it. Once when crossing a
street,
I was so near to being killed by an automobile. Once five
other men
and I were high up on a scaffold and were lifting up a timber 12x14
and 16ft
long. We had lifted up as high as our chests when we began to
loose
our balance and were ready to drop below when once man grabbed a
post in
the last moment, and thus we were saved. Again God’s guardian
angel
rescued me when I was out on thin ice on a lake and was ready to
sink.
My wife was seriously ill with a fever twice. We turned to God
and
He healed her. Praise His Name. One time in Wyoming I
had a serious
attack of appendicitis. The doctor had little hope. I
had a terrible
pain and an awful hiccough which seemed almost to tear me to
pieces.
I said, “Dear Lord, can’t you at least take away this terrible
hiccough that
you see is tearing me to pieces?” He seemed to be standing beside my
bed
and said “Have you forgotten what I suffered for you?” and I said,”
If that
is the case, Lord, forgive me. I will keep quiet and not say
another
word.” Immediately the hiccough and pain left me and I fell in
a slumber.
When I woke up, Lawrence said, “You are better, are you not, Dad?”
and I
said, “Yes.” These are sacred experiences and I would not
mention them,
but they may be a testimony to glorify God. Of course, there
have been
hard passes and trials and struggles to get through, but those I try
to forget.
God has been merciful and has been patient with me, or I would have
perished.
His mercy endureth forever and ever, Praise His name. He has
shown
great mercy to me and all of my family and blessed us.
At the age of 24, I was baptized by a Brother, Engstrom.
There
were about twelve who followed Christ in baptism at that time. We
were living
in Marback, and there was a free church of thirty members.
This was
the first real Biblical baptism at that time. There were
several later
on, so before long nearly all were baptized, and then we joined the
Baptist
denomination.
In 1884 there was another revival. Many were converted
and this
revival kept on for three years. The spirit seemed to work in
a more
quiet way. I know one evening at the close of a meeting I went
to the
mill, where I was employed, to get something I needed. It was
rather
late so when I got there the two fellows working there had gone to
bed and
were asleep. As I went into the room, one of the fellows
stirred and
without even thinking I said, “Here you fellows lay and sleep until
you will
wake up in hell, while God is saving souls all around you.”
They did
not answer me and after I got outside I regretted what I said and
feared
I had been too harsh and might perhaps drive them away from
salvation instead
of winning them for God. After a few minutes these feelings
left me
and I was at peace. The next morning when I came to work and
met one
of the fellows he said, “You certainly spoke harshly last night,”
and I told
him that I knew I did and I did not know why unless perhaps it was
true,
and he replied that it was true. “If I should die now in my
condition
hell would be my place. I am a big sinner all right. I
have not
been able to sleep all night since you uttered those words.”
After
we talked a little while we fell on our knees and I prayed and he
prayed,
and when we arouse his face shone with the joy of salvation.
But now
he wanted to know what to do as he was engaged to marry a girl that
was not
a Christian and a rather wild girl. And I told him the only
thing was
to pray to God to save her before he married her and we would pray
with him.
Inside of two weeks this young lady was converted and so one by one
was added
to the fold.
One evening at the close of a meeting just as we got up to go
home
a young man remained sitting down near by and I walked over to him,
shook
hands with him, and asked him, “How are You?” and he said, “Not very
well,”
I asked him if his soul was sick or if he was ill physically and he
said
he thought it was his soul. I said, “Jesus Christ is here for
that
purpose and ready to heal you if you want to be healed,” and he said
he wanted
to, so we both prayed and peace came to his soul. This proves
how
God works. I did not know either time what I was to say
but the
Spirit led me to use the right words each time. One
needed to
be spoken to harshly and the other sympathetically.
The enemy was doing his best to fight these revivals.
The owner
of the mill was not a Christian and was mean. His wife had
been converted
and was attending the meetings and then she decided to follow Christ
in Baptism.
When he heard this he swore that was not to be and he would go over
and thrash
the whole gang if she dare to do such a thing. He was not
going to
be disgraced like that. One Sunday afternoon we all went to a
little
lake and prepared for the baptism. This wife’s husband and a
bunch
of fellows came just as we were ready, and we were somewhat
frightened at
what would be the outcome of it all. One by one were baptized
and his
wife was the last one but he remained motionless throughout the
whole event.
My brother-in-law Gust Tanquist, a deacon and chairman of the church
baptized
the candidates. There was another couple, man and wife that
belonged
to the Mission Church. The wife wanted to follow Christ in
baptism
but her husband was very much opposed to the Biblical baptism.
Gust
Tanquist baptized this woman also and her husband got so angry
that
he said he wished to see him dead, and he never attended any of the
meetings
again. However, when my wife and I came to Chicago his family
had preceded
us and there were also a couple of other families from the same part
of Sweden
there and we were together a good deal and had prayer meetings and
this man
started to come with us also and before very long he followed Christ
in baptism
and even gave a testimony in the baptistry telling how wonderful it
was to
follow Christ in everything. So Christ gains victory in the
hearts
of men.
There was also a soldier living near by there in Sweden.
He was
wicked and made fun of all Christianity. One night he came and
pounded
on the door and asked us to pray for him because he was a big
sinner, and
we prayed and he was converted.
We were still a free church but nearly everyone was baptized
and we
felt we ought to be a baptized church but we did not want to be a
Baptist
church as they were so narrow minded and they believed only they
were Christians.
There was an old Christian soldier that went around preaching.
His
name was Ragn and we liked him so we asked him how we should
organize a church
of baptized members, and he told us to send for a couple of baptized
preachers
to come down and help us organize. However, we did not see
that that
was necessary and asked him if he could help us get organized and he
said
he would. He went to a village two miles away and came back
within
a week and had a Baptist preacher with him. We were then
organized.
These men advised us to join or ask to be admitted to the
Ostergotland Mission
Association and we would then get some help as they would send their
missionaries
and evangelists down now and then to help us out. This we did
and before
we knew it we were a Baptist church. Everything had gone so
smoothly
and peacefully as it should. There was not much knowledge of
theology
amongst us but there was more brotherly love and that was why there
was peace
and harmony.
In 1886 we came to America and joined the First Baptist Church,
which was
in an old frame building on Oak Street. Rev. Ongman was pastor
at that
time but there was such a different atmosphere. There was
disharmony
dissension, exclusions, because of dishonesty in business and some
were excluded
because they claimed to be filled with the Holy Spirit and there
were squabbles
about church building. They started to build and stopped and
fired
their pastor. We were therefore, not happy there and within
three years
joined the Lake View Sw. Baptist Church. We enjoyed our
fellowship
with this church. Souls were converted and there was a
revival.
There was an evangelist by the name of Uno Brauer, who is now living
in Puget
Sound, Wash. He also had charge of the last revival we
attended in
Sweden. He was a sincere servant of the Lord and had a great
love for
winning souls for God. We had many wonderful and blessed times
together
both in Sweden and in Lake View.
While in Lake View the new and present church on Clifton and
Barry
Avenue was built and I had the privilege of helping out with
this.
I also worked on the First Baptist Church on Elm Street. After
living
in Lake View 12 years, the last year living in Rodgers Park, but
retaining
our church membership with Lake View we moved to Southern
Missouri.
After six months, we moved to Des Moines, Iowa and here also had the
privilege
of helping them finish their church building. Rev. Paul Hallin
was
then pastor. Rev. E.W. Linder succeeded him and then Albin
Holmer.
We enjoyed our fellowship with this church. After 10
year’s membership
here we moved to Pine Bluffs, Wyo., and joined the Gary, Nebraska
Church.
We belonged here 12 years and also built an addition to this
church.
Now four of my children had married and left home, and also my dear
wife
had passed beyond, so I left the farm in charge of my youngest son
and went
to San Diego, my present abode and it is here I am writing this
story of
my life.
Before I finish I would like to mention a few things about my
family.
Four of the children, two boys and two girls were converted,
baptized and
joined the Lake View Church during Rev. Swartz’ pastorate. The
youngest
son was converted in Des Moines, was baptized and joined the Gary
church
where he now belongs. The youngest daughter was converted,
baptized
and joined the Gary Church. To God be the glory for this.!
They are all faithful in their respective churches. One
daughter
living in Michigan City, has a number of duties to which she is
faithful.
One daughter is faithfully serving the First Baptist Church in
Seattle, Washington.
One son was a teacher in the Baptist College of Shanghai and then
for several
years served as principal of the American College in Shanghai, and
is now
to be inaugurated as President of the Linfield Baptist College,
McMinnville,
Ore. One son living here in San Diego is Sunday School
superintendent
and teacher. One son in Pine Bluffs, Wyo. assisting
superintendent
and teacher, and the youngest daughter organist and Sunday School
teacher,
in San Diego. All have helped out in the choir in their
respective
places.
Yes, how great are they works, O Lord! and like David my
soul
cries out, “What am I and my family, O Lord, that Thou should be so
merciful
unto us?” We are only sinners saved by grace. Naught
have I gotten
but what I received; Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting
excluded, pride I abase; I’m only a sinner saved by grace. I
praise
Thee, O God, for all they mercy unto me and my dear ones. I
owe it
all to Thy great love.
What a joy it will be on the resurrection morn when we shall
see Him
face to face and can they say, “Here am I, O Lord, and the children
Thou
hast given me. O God, forbid that any one should be missing on
that
morn.
This is a short outline of my experiences during my
seventy-five years
pilgrimage on this earth. A great deal more could be added to
it but
this has just been written for my family and because my oldest son
urged
me to do it.
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