History Hans Högman
Copyright © Hans Högman 2019-12-24
Made with Xara

A Bridge Tender on Göta Canal

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The Berg Siblings

Lars Johan Berg and his wife Kajsa Bengtsdotter Berg had 8 children of whom 4 lived into adulthood. Three of the children left Sweden for America at various points in time. Emma Christina went to the US in 1892 but returned to Sweden in 1910. Helga Sofia went to the US in 1891 and Julia went to Canada around 1898.

Emma Christina Berg

Emma Christina was born on 1862 -01-03 in Fredsberg (R). Emma went to Germany on 1879-12-24, and is believed to have been away for a few years. There is a notation in Örgryte household records (1890-1897): “Free to marry, has not been well 24 October 1879 for a few years and been in Germany”. Maybe she went to Germany to get well? Source: Örgryte (O) AI:28 (1890-1897) Image 23 / page 769. Örgryte is a town just outside Göteborg (Gothenburg). She went to the USA on 1892-09-02. She sailed on the SS Nevada from Liverpool, arriving in New York on 3 October 1892. Emma returned to Sweden on 1910-09-08 after the death of her father. She died on 1950-03-30 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg. Unmarried.

Lars Johan Berg

Lars Johan was born on 1863-10-08 in Fredsberg (R). He has a notation in a household record ”dömd för 1:a resan snatteri 1879” (first conviction petty theft 1879). Source: Göteborgs Oscar Fredrik (O) AI:19 (1886-1893) Image 153 / page 2399. I haven’t found any indication of him being married. There is a notation about him in a parish record from in Göteborg covering years 1900 - 1910; Obef. R. meaning Obefintlighetsregistret which means that he has no known address (i.e. nonexistent). Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIIa:4 (1900-1910) Image 170 / page 162. Lars Johan (b. 1863) was found in the Obefintlighetsregistret (register of nonexistent people). Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIII:2 (1889-1908) Image 10. Lars Johan probably left Göteborg without a moving-out certificate. Maybe he emigrated from Sweden to North America without his papers in order? In 1910, according to the Göteborg Magistrate, Lars Johan was abroad at an unknown address. Sources: • Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:43 (1914) Image 6170 / page 590 • Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136 This information about the magistrate was provided by Inga Ellsäter. There is also a story that Lars Johan died as a seaman when his ship went down in a storm on the English Channel (Peter Saal).

Julia (Yulia) Berg

Julia (Yulia) was born on 1865-12-26 in Fredsberg (R). She married Karl Fredrik Johansson on 1889-02-24 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg. He was born on 1864-11-25. Occupation; seaman. However, the couple were divorced in 1898. Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIIa:2 (1889-1899) Image 101 / page 397. After the divorce Julia left Sweden for North America in 1899 and went by the name Yulia in North America. According to the ship manifest she traveled alone and sailed on 12 September 1899 from Liverpool in the UK and arrived in New York City on 21 September on the SS Aurania (built for Cunard Line 1883). The manifest holds information that she was going to her sister in New York. She married Tomas Leakey in Canada and lived in Goodland, Canada, as a married woman in 1910. Source: Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136. (Estate inventory deed after her father´s death in 1910 [See above]). This information was provided by Inga Ellsäter. Inga also adds: “I haven’t found any Canadian sources confirming Yulia being married.”. Peter Saal has provided information that Yulia lived with her sister Helga Berg Lehr and her family in Elmont, New York. Helga was Peter’s great grandmother. Yulia died circa 1953. "Julia worked for many years as a maid in an upscale hotel in New York City, the Prince George, I think. She had lied about her age when she was hired and after working for many years, the management realized that she must be much older than she claimed and terminated her employment. I don't know if she got a pension. She lived for many years with her sister Helga’s family. ” Evelyn Saal. It makes sense that Julia went by the name Yulia in the US. The Swedish J-sound is different from the English J-sound. The Swedish J-sound is more like the English Y-sound. Julia was Swedish and by spelling Julia as Yuilia in the US her name was pronounced as it is pronounced in Swedish.

Helga Sofia Berg Lehr

Helga Sofia was born on 1876-11-23 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). She went to the USA on 1891-04-24. She is listed as traveling alone in the emigration database EmiWeb when she left in 1891. Helga departed Göteborg on 1891-05-01 on the Wilson Line ship Ariosto to Hull, England. She then sailed on the Inman Line’s ocean liner City of Berlin from Liverpool, England to New York as a steerage passenger. In the US she married Albert Lehr. Albert was of German origin and born on 1873-02-12 in New York, USA. Helga died in 1970. In the 1940 US Census, Helga was 63 years old and lived in New York, New York, with her husband Albert, 2 sons, and 2 daughters; Robert, Helga, Ralph and Mildred. "My great-grandmother, Helga Berg emigrated to the US in May 1891, at the age of 14. Her only possession, a mattress, was stolen by a woman onboard the ship with a number of children who said to her, “my babies need a place to sleep,” so Helga slept on the floor. When Helga got off the boat in New York, she went up to Narragansett and worked as a maid at the Dun family estate. By September 1902, she was in Manhattan, NY where she married Albert Otto Lehr.” Peter Saal. Helga Berg Lehr lived with her family in Elmont, New York. Elmont is located on the border of Nassau County, Long Island, and the New York City borough of Queens.

Related Links

• About First and Middle Names in Sweden • Swedish naming practices in earlier times • The Swedish spelling reform of 1906 • How To Type Swedish Characters • Spelling and Pronunciation of Swedish Names • The Emigration from Sweden to the USA • Map Swedish Provinces • Some facts about Sweden • Swedish/English Dictionary, Genealogy Terms • The Official Website of Göta Canal • The History of Göta Canal

Source References

• Swedish church records online, Arkiv Digital • The Swedish Online Emigration Database, EmiWeb • Some information about the Berg immigrants from Sweden has been supplied by Inga Ellsäter • Wikipedia Top of page
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Above, Ship manifest for the SS City of Berlin in 1891. Helga Sofia Berg traveled at the age of 14 alone from Göteborg to the USA. Destination: Chicago, IL. Helga and Albert Lehr’s children: 1. Charles, born 1903-08-22. Died 1967-05. 2. Roy, born 1905. Died before 1910. 3. Evelyn, born 1906-01-18. Died 1952-09-01. 4. Mildred, born 1907. 5. Robert, born circa 1910. 6. Helga, born 1912-04-29. Died 1978-07-03. 7. Adele, born 1916-09-16. Died 1950. 8. Willard, born 1921-10-29. Died 1983-05-20.

Emigration dates in this article

The above listed emigration dates are the dates when respective individual’s emigration was registered in the Swedish church records and not the dates of departure.

Lars Johan Berg’s sister Sofia Berg Plantin

Lars Johan’s younger sister Sofia was born on 1840-03-11 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-10-02 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Also Sofia left Sweden for the USA. She married a shoemaker called Nils Persson. Nils adopted the family name Plantén in Sweden when he became a shoemaker. Both lived in Stockholm in the 1860s, but not together. I have no information whether they married in Sweden or in the US. Nils was born on 1839-11-05 in Kattarp (M) and died on 1933-07-15 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He went by the name Nicholas Plantin in the US. However, I haven’t found any references in the Swedish church books or in the EmiWeb emigration database about their emigration. Sofia was in the US in 1868 so she must have left Sweden in 1868 or just prior to 1868? Besides, the 1910 US Census for New Haven, Connecticut, has her year of arrival to the US listed as 1867. If Sofia left Sweden without a moving-out certificate this can explain why all traces of her in the Swedish church records vanishes in 1867. This was an early emigration, but from 1884 the emigrants had to present a moving certificate to the emigrant agent before the emigrant contract could be signed and the ticket paid for. The Police Departments of the ports of departure checked the emigrants’ papers to verify that they were legal emigrants. This image shows an extract from the household records of Solna parish 1867- 1874 regarding Sofia Berg. The household has a notation that Sofia moved to Vadstena in October 1867 but she never showed up there. Source: Solna (AB) AIa:18b (1867-1874) Image 980 / page 252. Nils/Nicholas became a US citizen in 1874-03-18 so in 1874 he must have been living in the US for at least 5 years. In the 1870 US census the family is listed by the name Plantine, i.e. Sophie and Nicholas Plantine. There is a baby with the family, Nicholas J, 3 months old, therefore born 1870. Together with the family is also an Anastasia Plantine, age 24, i.e. born around 1845/1846 in Sweden. She was a sister of Sofia’s husband Nicholas? See an extract of the 1870 census below. In the 1910 US census Sofia is a widow living with her son Julius. It says there were 5 children but only 3 were living. In the 1880 census there was a daughter named Lottie E who was less than a year old, born in January 1880. This is presumably one of the children who died before her mother. Sofia died on 1913-10-02 in New Haven, Connecticut and is burred in the Bethesda Lutheran Church Cemetery. Sources, Sofia: • Fredsberg AI:6 (1843-1852) Image 140 / page 269 • Jakob och Johannes (A, AB) AIa:83 (1864) Bild 191 / page 188, maid • Katarina (A, AB) AI:119 (1861) Image 120 / page 231, maid • Katarina (A, AB) AI:121 (1862) Image 135 / page 259, maid • Solna (AB) AIa:17b (1862-1866) Image 1080 / page 247, maid • Solna (AB) AIa:18b (1867-1874) Image 980 / page 252, moving to Vadstena 1867-10-18 but doesn’t show up there. • Solna (AB) BI:3 (1861-1882) Image 510 Moving-out • US Federal census 1870, New Haven, Connecticut , ward 2 • US Federal census 1910, New Haven, Connecticut , Orange, district 0446 Souces, Nils: • Kattarp (M) CI:2 (1802-1859) Image 83 • Adolf Fredrik (A, AB) AI:84 (1868) Image 11 / page 11. Moved prior to 1869. Shoemaker journeyman. • Östra Ljungby (L) AI:11 (1856-1860) Image 11 / page 8

US Federal Censuses

1870:
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, ward 2, page 56, district 33. 6 July 1870. The Plantine family; Nicholas and Sophie, Anastasia and young Nicholas J. Since baby Nicholas is listed below Anastasia and not immediate below Sophie he might be a son of Anastasia? Nicholas had a sister who went by the name Anna in Sweden, born on 1846-06-21 in Kattarp (M). Like Anastasia she was 24 years old in 1870. Anastasia was Nicholas sister Anna? Anna/Anastasia left Sweden in 1870 to join her brother in New Haven. On 1875-07-01 she married a fellow Swede in the US, carpenter Nils Larsson. Nils was born on 1850-05-07 in Gladsax (L), Sweden, and immigrated to the US on 1870-04-17 at the age of 20. On 1876-01-09 Anna/Anastasia gave birth to a daughter, Laurina Helena in New Haven, CT. A few years later, on 1878-06-14 Anna and Nils returned to Sweden together with their daughter. No boy named Nicholas returned to Sweden with Anna and her husband. Nicholas either died before 1878 or he wasn’t a child of Anna. However, in the 1880-census Sofia and her husband Nicholas had a 10-year-old child named Julius N. Most likely was Nicholas J in the 1870 census the same boy named Julius N in the 1880 census? In Sweden Anna and Nils Larsson had two more children. Nils Larsson died early, on 1881-02-15 in Simrishamn (L). Anna died on 1896-06-21 in Tryde (L), Sweden. Anna went by the name Anna Persdotter Plantén in Sweden in the 1880s, i.e. the same surname as her older brother Nils/Nicholas used in Sweden. Sources: • Gladsax (L) AI:14 (1874-1879) Bild 118 / sid 114. • Simrishamn (L) AI:19 (1881-1886) Image 425 / page 419 • Kattarp (M) AI:11 (1870-1874) Bild 38 / sid 38 1880:
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, Orange township, sheet 11, district 446. 26 April 1910. The family is split on two pages in the census. Julius is on a previous page. In this census the family is listed by the name Plantin or possibly Planten. Sophia is listed as mother and widow, age 70 and living in the same household as her son Julius N (age 40). Two young boys are listed as “sons”; Kenneth age 5 and Arthur age 3. Then there is a wife, Emily age 39, born in England (UK). At the bottom there is a “sister” by the name Emma M, age 33, single.

Children of Nicholas and Sophia Plantin

1. Julius Nicholas, born 1870-03 in New Haven, CT 2. Charles J, born 1882 in New Haven, CT 3. Annie S, born 1874 in New Haven, CT 4. Emma M, born 1877 in New Haven, CT 5. Lottie E, born 1880-01 in New Haven, CT
Above, Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136. The above estate inventory extract has information about former seaman Lars Johan Berg’s heirs. He died on 27 February 1910 at the age of 76. His wife was Kajsa Bengtsdotter, now a widow. Their children listed in the deed: • Son, seaman Lars Johan Berg. He is abroad at an unknown address. • Daughter Emma Kristina. She was present, unmarried and of legal age. • Daughter Julia, married to laborer Tomas Leaky in Goodland, Canada. • Daughter Helga Sofia, married to laborer Albert Lehr in New York, North America. The deed holds the information that the assets of the estate of Lars Johan Berg was 50 SEK and merely matched the liabilities so there was nothing to inherit by the widow and children. 50 SEK in 1910 corresponds to about 2,600 SEK in the monetary value of 2018. The image to the right shows Kajsa Berg’s signature on the deed. The abbreviation “m. h. o. p.” means “Med handen på pennan” which means that someone helped Kajsa to steer her hand when she signed her signature.

The Berg Family

Lars Johan Berg was a son to bridge-tender Lars Johansson Berg (b.1806-10-01) and Maja Katharina Larsdotter, (b.1811-07-16). Lars Johan was born on 1833-12-26 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1910-02-27 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). Lars Johan married Cajsa Bengtsdotter on 7 April 1861. Cajsa was born on 1837-04-16 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-08-11 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). Some of their children left Sweden for North America. Lars Johan and Cajsa’s children: 1. Emma Christina, born 1862 -01-03 in Fredsberg (R). To the USA 1892-09-02 but returned on 1910-09-08 to Sweden. Unmarried. Died 1950-03-30 in Göteborg. 2. Lars Johan, born 1863-10-08 in Fredsberg (R). 3. Julia (Yulia), born 1865-12-26 in Fredsberg (R). Married K.F. Johansson 1889 in Göteborg. Divorced 1898. To Canada. Died circa 1953. 4. Anna Sophia, born 1869-09-12 in Fredsberg (R). Died 1871-07-03 Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 5. Anna Sophia, born 1874-10-12 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). Twin. Died 1874-11-01 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 6. Oskar Alfred, born 1874-10-12 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). Twin. Died 1874-10-21 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 7. Helga Sofia, born 1876-11-23 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). To the USA on 1891-04-24. Died 1970. 8. Stillborn baby, born 1880-11-02 .

The Estate Inventory of Lars Johan Berg 1910

The image below is an extract from the Lars Johan Berg estate inventory deed dated 1910-05-31:
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, page 26. 7 June 1880. The Plantin family; Nicholas and Sophia and their children; Julius N, Charles, Annie, Emma and Lottie. The family’s surname is listed as Plantin in this census. The young boy Nicholas J born in 1870 is no longer with the family. Julius N in this census is most likely the same boy named Nicholas J in the 1870 census. As mentioned above, Anastasia and her husband Nils Larsson returned to Sweden in 1878 and young Nicholas was not with them to Sweden. 1910:

Lars Johan Berg’s Wife Cajsa Bengtdotter’s Brother

The wife of Lars Johan Berg, Cajsa Bengtdotter, had a brother by the name Johannes Bengtsson. He was born on 1848-05-04 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-02-18 in Halna (R). Johannes was married to Anna Jansdotter, born on 1821-12-05 in Björkäng (R) and died on 1894-02-02 in Halna (R). The couple had 7 children of whom at least two left Sweden for the USA. The couple’s children: 1. Johan Johansson, born 1848-05-04 in Fredsberg (R). 2. Anna Christina Johansdotter, born 1850-03-21 in Fredsberg (R). Died on 1922-08-01 in Örebro Nikolai (T). Married name Svensson. 3. August Johansson Berg, born 1852-03-06 in Fredsberg (R). Died 1916-02-04 in Motala (E). 4. Sophia Johansdotter, born 1854-08-24 in Björkäng (R). To USA 1882-04-12. 5. Leonard Johansson, born 1857-09-28 in Björkäng (R). 6. Otto Johansson, born 1860-05-02 in Björkäng (R). To USA 1903-03-13. 7. Beata Augusta Johansdotter, born 18662-12-02 in Björkäng (R). Died 1948-07-27 in Töreboda (R). Married name Augustsson. Peter Saal has provided the following information about Sophia Johansdotter: “Sophia had a job as a maid at Dunmere, in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It was the summer home of Robert G. Dun, (1826-1900) of Dun and Bradstreet Stock Market fame. When Helga Berg got off the boat in New York in 1891, she went up to Narragansett and worked as a maid at the Dun family estate. ”. Helga Berg Lehr was Peter’s great-grandmother. Sophia and Helga were first cousins.
History Hans Högman
Copyright © Hans Högman 2019-12-24
Made with Xara

A Bridge Tender

on Göta Canal

The Berg Siblings

Lars Johan Berg and his wife Kajsa Bengtsdotter Berg had 8 children of whom 4 lived into adulthood. Three of the children left Sweden for America at various points in time. Emma Christina went to the US in 1892 but returned to Sweden in 1910. Helga Sofia went to the US in 1891 and Julia went to Canada around 1898.

Emma Christina Berg

Emma Christina was born on 1862 -01-03 in Fredsberg (R). Emma went to Germany on 1879-12- 24, and is believed to have been away for a few years. There is a notation in Örgryte household records (1890-1897): “Free to marry, has not been well 24 October 1879 for a few years and been in Germany”. Maybe she went to Germany to get well? Source: Örgryte (O) AI:28 (1890-1897) Image 23 / page 769. Örgryte is a town just outside Göteborg (Gothenburg). She went to the USA on 1892-09-02. She sailed on the SS Nevada from Liverpool, arriving in New York on 3 October 1892. Emma returned to Sweden on 1910-09-08 after the death of her father. She died on 1950-03-30 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg. Unmarried.

Lars Johan Berg

Lars Johan was born on 1863-10-08 in Fredsberg (R). He has a notation in a household record ”dömd för 1:a resan snatteri 1879” (first conviction petty theft 1879). Source: Göteborgs Oscar Fredrik (O) AI:19 (1886-1893) Image 153 / page 2399. I haven’t found any indication of him being married. There is a notation about him in a parish record from in Göteborg covering years 1900 - 1910; Obef. R. meaning Obefintlighetsregistret which means that he has no known address (i.e. nonexistent). Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIIa:4 (1900-1910) Image 170 / page 162. Lars Johan (b. 1863) was found in the Obefintlighetsregistret (register of nonexistent people). Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIII:2 (1889-1908) Image 10. Lars Johan probably left Göteborg without a moving-out certificate. Maybe he emigrated from Sweden to North America without his papers in order? In 1910, according to the Göteborg Magistrate, Lars Johan was abroad at an unknown address. Sources: • Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:43 (1914) Image 6170 / page 590 • Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136 This information about the magistrate was provided by Inga Ellsäter. There is also a story that Lars Johan died as a seaman when his ship went down in a storm on the English Channel (Peter Saal).

Julia (Yulia) Berg

Julia (Yulia) was born on 1865-12-26 in Fredsberg (R). She married Karl Fredrik Johansson on 1889-02-24 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg. He was born on 1864-11- 25. Occupation; seaman. However, the couple were divorced in 1898. Source: Göteborgs Karl Johan (O) AIIa:2 (1889-1899) Image 101 / page 397. After the divorce Julia left Sweden for North America in 1899 and went by the name Yulia in North America. According to the ship manifest she traveled alone and sailed on 12 September 1899 from Liverpool in the UK and arrived in New York City on 21 September on the SS Aurania (built for Cunard Line 1883). The manifest holds information that she was going to her sister in New York. She married Tomas Leakey in Canada and lived in Goodland, Canada, as a married woman in 1910. Source: Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136. (Estate inventory deed after her father´s death in 1910 [See above]). This information was provided by Inga Ellsäter. Inga also adds: “I haven’t found any Canadian sources confirming Yulia being married.”. Peter Saal has provided information that Yulia lived with her sister Helga Berg Lehr and her family in Elmont, New York. Helga was Peter’s great grandmother. Yulia died circa 1953. "Julia worked for many years as a maid in an upscale hotel in New York City, the Prince George, I think. She had lied about her age when she was hired and after working for many years, the management realized that she must be much older than she claimed and terminated her employment. I don't know if she got a pension. She lived for many years with her sister Helga’s family. ” Evelyn Saal. It makes sense that Julia went by the name Yulia in the US. The Swedish J-sound is different from the English J-sound. The Swedish J-sound is more like the English Y-sound. Julia was Swedish and by spelling Julia as Yuilia in the US her name was pronounced as it is pronounced in Swedish.

Helga Sofia Berg Lehr

Helga Sofia was born on 1876-11-23 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). She went to the USA on 1891- 04-24. She is listed as traveling alone in the emigration database EmiWeb when she left in 1891. Helga departed Göteborg on 1891-05-01 on the Wilson Line ship Ariosto to Hull, England. She then sailed on the Inman Line’s ocean liner City of Berlin from Liverpool, England to New York as a steerage passenger. In the US she married Albert Lehr. Albert was of German origin and born on 1873-02-12 in New York, USA. Helga died in 1970. In the 1940 US Census, Helga was 63 years old and lived in New York, New York, with her husband Albert, 2 sons, and 2 daughters; Robert, Helga, Ralph and Mildred. "My great-grandmother, Helga Berg emigrated to the US in May 1891, at the age of 14. Her only possession, a mattress, was stolen by a woman onboard the ship with a number of children who said to her, “my babies need a place to sleep,” so Helga slept on the floor. When Helga got off the boat in New York, she went up to Narragansett and worked as a maid at the Dun family estate. By September 1902, she was in Manhattan, NY where she married Albert Otto Lehr.” Peter Saal. Helga Berg Lehr lived with her family in Elmont, New York. Elmont is located on the border of Nassau County, Long Island, and the New York City borough of Queens.

Related Links

• About First and Middle Names in Sweden • Swedish naming practices in earlier times • The Swedish spelling reform of 1906 • How To Type Swedish Characters • Spelling and Pronunciation of Swedish Names • The Emigration from Sweden to the USA • Map Swedish Provinces • Some facts about Sweden • Swedish/English Dictionary, Genealogy Terms • The Official Website of Göta Canal • The History of Göta Canal

Source References

• Swedish church records online, Arkiv Digital • The Swedish Online Emigration Database, EmiWeb • Some information about the Berg immigrants from Sweden has been supplied by Inga Ellsäter • Wikipedia Top of page
Above, Ship manifest for the SS City of Berlin in 1891. Helga Sofia Berg traveled at the age of 14 alone from Göteborg to the USA. Destination: Chicago, IL. Helga and Albert Lehr’s children: 1. Charles, born 1903-08-22. Died 1967-05. 2. Roy, born 1905. Died before 1910. 3. Evelyn, born 1906-01-18. Died 1952-09-01. 4. Mildred, born 1907. 5. Robert, born circa 1910. 6. Helga, born 1912-04-29. Died 1978-07-03. 7. Adele, born 1916-09-16. Died 1950. 8. Willard, born 1921-10-29. Died 1983-05-20.

Emigration dates in this article

The above listed emigration dates are the dates when respective individual’s emigration was registered in the Swedish church records and not the dates of departure.

Lars Johan Berg’s sister Sofia Berg

Plantin

Lars Johan’s younger sister Sofia was born on 1840- 03-11 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-10-02 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. Also Sofia left Sweden for the USA. She married a shoemaker called Nils Persson. Nils adopted the family name Plantén in Sweden when he became a shoemaker. Both lived in Stockholm in the 1860s, but not together. I have no information whether they married in Sweden or in the US. Nils was born on 1839-11-05 in Kattarp (M) and died on 1933-07-15 in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He went by the name Nicholas Plantin in the US. However, I haven’t found any references in the Swedish church books or in the EmiWeb emigration database about their emigration. Sofia was in the US in 1868 so she must have left Sweden in 1868 or just prior to 1868? Besides, the 1910 US Census for New Haven, Connecticut, has her year of arrival to the US listed as 1867. If Sofia left Sweden without a moving-out certificate this can explain why all traces of her in the Swedish church records vanishes in 1867. This was an early emigration, but from 1884 the emigrants had to present a moving certificate to the emigrant agent before the emigrant contract could be signed and the ticket paid for. The Police Departments of the ports of departure checked the emigrants’ papers to verify that they were legal emigrants. This image shows an extract from the household records of Solna parish 1867-1874 regarding Sofia Berg. The household has a notation that Sofia moved to Vadstena in October 1867 but she never showed up there. Source: Solna (AB) AIa:18b (1867-1874) Image 980 / page 252. Nils/Nicholas became a US citizen in 1874-03-18 so in 1874 he must have been living in the US for at least 5 years. In the 1870 US census the family is listed by the name Plantine, i.e. Sophie and Nicholas Plantine. There is a baby with the family, Nicholas J, 3 months old, therefore born 1870. Together with the family is also an Anastasia Plantine, age 24, i.e. born around 1845/1846 in Sweden. She was a sister of Sofia’s husband Nicholas? See an extract of the 1870 census below. In the 1910 US census Sofia is a widow living with her son Julius. It says there were 5 children but only 3 were living. In the 1880 census there was a daughter named Lottie E who was less than a year old, born in January 1880. This is presumably one of the children who died before her mother. Sofia died on 1913-10-02 in New Haven, Connecticut and is burred in the Bethesda Lutheran Church Cemetery. Sources, Sofia: • Fredsberg AI:6 (1843-1852) Image 140 / page 269 • Jakob och Johannes (A, AB) AIa:83 (1864) Bild 191 / page 188, maid • Katarina (A, AB) AI:119 (1861) Image 120 / page 231, maid • Katarina (A, AB) AI:121 (1862) Image 135 / page 259, maid • Solna (AB) AIa:17b (1862-1866) Image 1080 / page 247, maid • Solna (AB) AIa:18b (1867-1874) Image 980 / page 252, moving to Vadstena 1867-10-18 but doesn’t show up there. • Solna (AB) BI:3 (1861-1882) Image 510 Moving- out • US Federal census 1870, New Haven, Connecticut , ward 2 • US Federal census 1910, New Haven, Connecticut , Orange, district 0446 Souces, Nils: • Kattarp (M) CI:2 (1802-1859) Image 83 • Adolf Fredrik (A, AB) AI:84 (1868) Image 11 / page 11. Moved prior to 1869. Shoemaker journeyman. • Östra Ljungby (L) AI:11 (1856-1860) Image 11 / page 8

US Federal Censuses

1870:
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, ward 2, page 56, district 33. 6 July 1870. The Plantine family; Nicholas and Sophie, Anastasia and young Nicholas J. Since baby Nicholas is listed below Anastasia and not immediate below Sophie he might be a son of Anastasia? Nicholas had a sister who went by the name Anna in Sweden, born on 1846-06-21 in Kattarp (M). Like Anastasia she was 24 years old in 1870. Anastasia was Nicholas sister Anna? Anna/Anastasia left Sweden in 1870 to join her brother in New Haven. On 1875-07-01 she married a fellow Swede in the US, carpenter Nils Larsson. Nils was born on 1850-05-07 in Gladsax (L), Sweden, and immigrated to the US on 1870-04-17 at the age of 20. On 1876-01-09 Anna/Anastasia gave birth to a daughter, Laurina Helena in New Haven, CT. A few years later, on 1878-06-14 Anna and Nils returned to Sweden together with their daughter. No boy named Nicholas returned to Sweden with Anna and her husband. Nicholas either died before 1878 or he wasn’t a child of Anna. However, in the 1880-census Sofia and her husband Nicholas had a 10-year-old child named Julius N. Most likely was Nicholas J in the 1870 census the same boy named Julius N in the 1880 census? In Sweden Anna and Nils Larsson had two more children. Nils Larsson died early, on 1881-02-15 in Simrishamn (L). Anna died on 1896-06-21 in Tryde (L), Sweden. Anna went by the name Anna Persdotter Plantén in Sweden in the 1880s, i.e. the same surname as her older brother Nils/Nicholas used in Sweden. Sources: • Gladsax (L) AI:14 (1874-1879) Bild 118 / sid 114. • Simrishamn (L) AI:19 (1881-1886) Image 425 / page 419 • Kattarp (M) AI:11 (1870-1874) Bild 38 / sid 38 1880:
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, Orange township, sheet 11, district 446. 26 April 1910. The family is split on two pages in the census. Julius is on a previous page. In this census the family is listed by the name Plantin or possibly Planten. Sophia is listed as mother and widow, age 70 and living in the same household as her son Julius N (age 40). Two young boys are listed as “sons”; Kenneth age 5 and Arthur age 3. Then there is a wife, Emily age 39, born in England (UK). At the bottom there is a “sister” by the name Emma M, age 33, single.

Children of Nicholas and Sophia Plantin

1. Julius Nicholas, born 1870-03 in New Haven, CT 2. Charles J, born 1882 in New Haven, CT 3. Annie S, born 1874 in New Haven, CT 4. Emma M, born 1877 in New Haven, CT 5. Lottie E, born 1880-01 in New Haven, CT

The Berg Family

Lars Johan Berg was a son to bridge-tender Lars Johansson Berg (b.1806-10-01) and Maja Katharina Larsdotter, (b.1811-07-16). Lars Johan was born on 1833-12-26 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1910-02-27 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). Lars Johan married Cajsa Bengtsdotter on 7 April 1861. Cajsa was born on 1837-04-16 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-08-11 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). Some of their children left Sweden for North America. Lars Johan and Cajsa’s children: 1. Emma Christina, born 1862 -01-03 in Fredsberg (R). To the USA 1892-09-02 but returned on 1910-09-08 to Sweden. Unmarried. Died 1950- 03-30 in Göteborg. 2. Lars Johan, born 1863-10-08 in Fredsberg (R). 3. Julia (Yulia), born 1865-12-26 in Fredsberg (R). Married K.F. Johansson 1889 in Göteborg. Divorced 1898. To Canada. Died circa 1953. 4. Anna Sophia, born 1869-09-12 in Fredsberg (R). Died 1871-07-03 Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 5. Anna Sophia, born 1874-10-12 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). Twin. Died 1874-11-01 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 6. Oskar Alfred, born 1874-10-12 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). Twin. Died 1874-10-21 in Göteborgs Karl Johan (O). 7. Helga Sofia, born 1876-11-23 in Karl Johan parish, Göteborg (O). To the USA on 1891-04-24. Died 1970. 8. Stillborn baby, born 1880-11-02 .

The Estate Inventory of Lars Johan Berg 1910

The image below is an extract from the Lars Johan Berg estate inventory deed dated 1910-05-31:
Above, Göteborgs rådhusrätt och magistrat. Första avdelningen efter 1901. (O) EIIIa:29 (1910) Image 1560 / page 136. The above estate inventory extract has information about former seaman Lars Johan Berg’s heirs. He died on 27 February 1910 at the age of 76. His wife was Kajsa Bengtsdotter, now a widow. Their children listed in the deed: • Son, seaman Lars Johan Berg. He is abroad at an unknown address. • Daughter Emma Kristina. She was present, unmarried and of legal age. • Daughter Julia, married to laborer Tomas Leaky in Goodland, Canada. • Daughter Helga Sofia, married to laborer Albert Lehr in New York, North America. The deed holds the information that the assets of the estate of Lars Johan Berg was 50 SEK and merely matched the liabilities so there was nothing to inherit by the widow and children. 50 SEK in 1910 corresponds to about 2,600 SEK in the monetary value of 2018. The image to the right shows Kajsa Berg’s signature on the deed. The abbreviation “m. h. o. p.” means “Med handen på pennan” which means that someone helped Kajsa to steer her hand when she signed her signature.
Above, US federal census, New Haven, Connecticut, page 26. 7 June 1880. The Plantin family; Nicholas and Sophia and their children; Julius N, Charles, Annie, Emma and Lottie. The family’s surname is listed as Plantin in this census. The young boy Nicholas J born in 1870 is no longer with the family. Julius N in this census is most likely the same boy named Nicholas J in the 1870 census. As mentioned above, Anastasia and her husband Nils Larsson returned to Sweden in 1878 and young Nicholas was not with them to Sweden. 1910:

Lars Johan Berg’s Wife Cajsa

Bengtdotter’s Brother

The wife of Lars Johan Berg, Cajsa Bengtdotter, had a brother by the name Johannes Bengtsson. He was born on 1848-05-04 in Fredsberg (R) and died on 1913-02-18 in Halna (R). Johannes was married to Anna Jansdotter, born on 1821-12-05 in Björkäng (R) and died on 1894-02-02 in Halna (R). The couple had 7 children of whom at least two left Sweden for the USA. The couple’s children: 1. Johan Johansson, born 1848-05-04 in Fredsberg (R). 2. Anna Christina Johansdotter, born 1850-03-21 in Fredsberg (R). Died on 1922-08-01 in Örebro Nikolai (T). Married name Svensson. 3. August Johansson Berg, born 1852-03-06 in Fredsberg (R). Died 1916-02-04 in Motala (E). 4. Sophia Johansdotter, born 1854-08-24 in Björkäng (R). To USA 1882-04-12. 5. Leonard Johansson, born 1857-09-28 in Björkäng (R). 6. Otto Johansson, born 1860-05-02 in Björkäng (R). To USA 1903-03-13. 7. Beata Augusta Johansdotter, born 18662-12-02 in Björkäng (R). Died 1948-07-27 in Töreboda (R). Married name Augustsson. Peter Saal has provided the following information about Sophia Johansdotter: “Sophia had a job as a maid at Dunmere, in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It was the summer home of Robert G. Dun, (1826-1900) of Dun and Bradstreet Stock Market fame. When Helga Berg got off the boat in New York in 1891, she went up to Narragansett and worked as a maid at the Dun family estate. ”. Helga Berg Lehr was Peter’s great-grandmother. Sophia and Helga were first cousins.