Different Backgrounds, 52 Ancestors

During a recent family discussion, I was asked about the difference in the backgrounds of my Swedish great-grandparents. Since week two of the 52 Ancestors challenge calls for a photo, I'll explain a bit about their backgrounds and share their photo. The following is based on my research and impressions and any errors are mine alone. 

When I write about Sweden, I rarely show a map and rarely specify to which family the ancestor belongs. I want to do better this year. I have spent a lot of time studying parish maps, but have never shared the big picture and the geographical differences for this couple. 

Agnes Emilia Fors and Gustaf Emil Ferdinand Ekstrom married in 1888. Gustaf had already buried a wife and two children. The couple buried one more child before they emigrated in 1891 from the city of Linköping, in southern Sweden, to Chicago, Illinois. They opened a tailor shop in Evanston, north of Chicago. I hope they displayed this lovely portrait in their shop window to show off their handiwork.

Photo Colorized at MyHeritage, Digital layout from ClubScrap

Sweden is divided into counties that are are similar to states in the US. The couple came from three different counties of Sweden. Though the areas are close, there were differences in culture and in record-keeping. Agnes and her ancestors came from roughly the area shaded in purple: Södermanland County and Stockholm County. Gustaf's family was from the area shaded in orange: Östergötland County. There were a few ancestors from other counties in both families.

The couple also had somewhat different socioeconomic backgrounds. Both families have a history of poor farmers known by the term torpare, or crofter. The crofters often struggled to feed and provide for their families. Disease, including tuberculosis, was common and high infant mortality was a persistent problem. The families worked in the 1800's to improve their economic lives by learning trades. 

Gustaf was a tailor, as were his brothers and their father. Agnes' grandfather was also a tailor. The extended families included tradesmen such as shoemakers, carpenters and bricklayers. However, Agnes and her family had the more advantageous life. Her father was a bricklayer who worked for the railroad and had moved into management. Her aunt married a schoolteacher who moved to the railroad and into management. Her mother's background was full of military men of the lowest ranks: sailors (known as a båtsman), infantry soldiers (soldat) and cavalry men (ryttare). These men were of a higher socioeconomic level than the crofters. I suspect that nutrition and health were better for Agnes' ancestors.

There seems to be a difference in the survival of the families. There are many more relatives from the Fors side who show up in our DNA test matches. Gustaf is the only one of seven siblings to have living descendants today. I have not identified any other branch in either family that was as decimated as this single Ekstrom branch. The DNA match disparity also raises the possibility that the DNA from Agnes Fors is simply more dominant in my family.

In 2023, I am exploring the edges of my Swedish research. The records of Östergötland are more limited than the other counties, as reflected in the number of ancestors identified on each side. The first multi-post series explores an Ekstrom ancestral branch from the parish of Grebo in Östergötland. It started with one mystery woman, but grew into a research project that covered several generations and some 80 years of tax records. 

The star on the left side marks the ancestors that appeared in the previous post. The next post will explore the issue from a later generation that triggered the search.