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This text piece is a result of a correspondence with Mavis Malloy and research in both Swedish and American church records. Mavis was kind to answer a lot of questions I had about Mathilda and Teckla. Thank you for taking the time helping me! In the text all people are mentioned with their first name, except when referring to them in the church records. I wanted to write something about these two ladies because Mathilda is the reason I was able to find all of you in America. If I hadn’t found Mathilda I would probably not be in contact with you right now, because in all Swedish church records it only say that the Lindfors family emigrated to North America. But when I found Mathilda, I found out she had passed away in Fosston, Minnesota in 1972. So I took the chance and looked in the Fosston phonebook for anyone with the name Lindfors. I found Vernon and Irene. It was one of the happiest moments for me when doing genealogy! I will start off with a few facts from the church records. Mathilda and Tecklas parents were Johan Lindfors and Johanna Hillberg* (Comment: Might be Hillborg, every note I have about her and her parents are blurry, and Mavis has a third spelling of her maiden name and it is Helland). They lived in Hanebo parish, in Hälsingland. Johan was born there on july 17th 1852 and his wife Johanna was born in a neighbor parish named Annefors on July 20th. 1854. They were married on March 29th. 1880 in Hanebo parish. Mathilda’s complete name was Eva Mathilda Kristina Lindfors and she was born on December 24th. 1880 in Hanebo parish. Johan Elias was 28 years old and his wife was 26. During the christening Johan Elias brothers Per Victor (and wife) and Gustaf Theodor, and Johannas sister Caisa Hillborg* were witnesses. When Mathilda was 1 years old she and her parents emigrated. In the Swedish records (HFL AI:20A page 108 Hanebo Parish) it only say “Bortflyttade Nord Amerika 1881 2/9” and it means: Moved away to North America in 1881 September 2nd. And moving certificate no: 69. On the “Emigrant CD” it say’s, “J.E. Lindfors, 29 y.o. Wife Johanna 27 y.o. Daughter Mathilda 1 y.o. Left Göteborg (Sweden) on the 9th of September 1881 to go to Galveston, Texas. If someone can help me get passenger records from Galveston it would be wonderful. I don’t know where to turn to get a hold of those kind of records. Johan left together with his younger brother Mathias and his future wife Maria Strömberg. Mavis say’s she and her sister remember family members talking about how the family had to take turns staying awake at night, watching the baby (Mathilda), so the rats on the ship wouldn't get her. Mavis father Ernest was the one that was born on the way. He was born in Fergus Falls. The family was on their way to homestead in the Thirteen Towns, and to settle near Fosston. They arrived in Hill River Township in 1883 and Mavis Grandfather, Johan and his brother Mathias Lindfors homesteaded on quarters side by side. (This is also confirmed in the Local history book for Fosston, Minnesota”) They came to America in 1881 and lived for a short time in Dallas, Texas. Chicago, Illinois, and Elgin, Illinois, and when the Thirteen Towns was opened for homesteads they came to Hill River Township. There are records from the Land and patent office issued on February 2nd. 1891. The next record I have is the U.S. Census from Hill River Township 1900. And the family has now grown. Johan is listed as Head, Johanna as Wife and then the “Children” “Eva”(Mathilda), Ernest and Teckla. They are now 19, 16 and 13 y.o. It tells that Ernest and Teckla was born in Minnesota. ( Comment: There were a fourth child born to Johan and Johanna Lindfors named Adrian B. Lindfors. He was born on January 23rd 1895 and passed away on March 23rd the same year of pneumonia.) Mavis story continues: “They were my Aunts, my father's sisters. They lived on the same farm as I did when I was growing up. There were two houses on the farm, and they lived in the big house where their parents had lived. They were very special to us kids as we were growing up. Teckla was like a second Mother to us. She was the youngest of the two. They were churchgoing
ladies, and they went to Asphult Lutheran Church which their parents helped
to build when they first came over from Sweden. Teckla played the organ in
Church. The church services were in Swedish until the late 1930's or early
1940. The church is now at a museum in Thief River Falls, Minn. If you are
ever in Minnesota it would be a interesting place for you to visit. |
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Teckla Lindfors and Mathilda Lindfors Together with Mary Ann
Lindfors (Kjanaas) Thanks to Roger & Janet Christianson for contributing the photo!
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Thilda worked for a short time outside the home in Crookston, Minn. as a cook in a hotel, I think. But they spent most of their lives on the farm. They had some chickens which Teckla took care of, and they also had a few cows which Thilda milked and took care of. Thilda did all the cooking, and she was very good at cooking and baking. She did make some Swedish foods. Some of what we remember is something she called in Swedish, premost, or mismur which was a brown, slightly sweet cheese that we would spread on bread. She made wonderful brown bread and also Swedish Beans, she called Bruna Böner or something like that. She also made rosettes, Swedish meatballs, a headcheese, dumplings (klimp) , pickled cucumbers, beef tongue,and her chicken was the best, which she cooked for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I also remember she made wonderful fruit soup and also something called klob, which is ablood dumpling, I didn't care for that! but both of these dishes are Swedish recipes. That was just a few of the things she made. Teckla did the cleaning of the house and the dishes. The two of them were very close and did everything together. Teckla was the more social one, and Thilda the quiet one. Most of the time they spoke Swedish to each other and to my father, but they always spoke English if we kids were around, I wish now that they had taught us the Swedish language, but they wanted us to learn the English. They had a old Model A Ford car, made approximately in 1935 or so. Teckla was the driver, and they drove mainly to church and to town which was 9 miles away. The church was about 3 miles. Neither one of them married or had fiances. They lived way out in the country and there were not too many eligible bachelor's around. They loved children, especially Teckla, and I feel very, , very blessed and fortunate that they were part of my life, and I loved them dearly.” In their later years, I think when they were in their 80's they moved to Fosston, a small town which was 9 miles from the farm, and bought a little house there, and lived in it until they died. In the 1930 U.S.
Census Mathilda and Teckla are listed together with their brother Ernest and
his wife Gena and daughter Elaine. It looks a bit unfair to see that under
occupation it’s written, “None”. I am sure they worked VERY hard. But
housework was not rated as a profession, it was more a duty for women in
those days. Here you can view Tecklas Obituary! View Photos of Mathildas and Tecklas Homestead!
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