Otto R Swanson (1875) B. Sweden needs connecting

Question

Otto Swanson was born in 1875 in Stockholm, Sweden. He married Edith Pike before 1905. Their daughter Dorothy married “Notable” professional heavy weight boxer Jack Sharkey. Need Swedish help on connecting and better sourcing of marriage and divorce and a death date 

Comments

Sticking my nose in again LOL

His middle name Robert - Swedish HRODEBERT

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Good job! I think the spelling is more of the barrier in finding sources 

Possibly his FindAGrave

Possibly his Obit

Possibly Otto’s second wife’s Obit

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I'd go with the obit and find a grave

His daughter lived until her marriage with her grandparents in New Hampshire beginning 1910 census

What happened to Edith? She got remarried and abandoned her daughter?

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It seems to appear that way very interesting

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The Otto Robert Svensson in the Find-a-grave page is probably not the one you're looking for: he was born 1873-03-02 in Augerum, Blekinge county in the south of Sweden, and does not seem to have ever been in living in Stockholm. He is listed as a miller and first emigrated in late 1898, came back in 1908 and then returned again to the USA in 1909. He is said to have become a US citizen in 1904.

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Sometimes second husband's did not want to claim a child as well?

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Otto didn't want his daughter - no evidence he ever lived in NH

Edith didn't want her daughter. Edith remarried, so if the FAG is not our Otto, where did he go? Dead by 1910 or before Edith remarried ?

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Eureka !! image of document, Edith marrying Payne, says she's divorced.

Did Otto return to Sweden after the divorce, which would have been 1903/04, since back then, it took a while to get divorced and she remarried July 1905

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On his daughter Dorothy's birth cert in NH it says Otto's residence is Evanston, IL and Edith is in Epping, NH

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2SD-ZZQ5

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Adding to the conundrum - my hobby you know

Name: Swenson Gender: Male Birth Date: 3 Nov 1905 Birth Place: Somerville, Massachusetts, USA Father: Otto R Swenson Mother: Gertrude O Eck Source Information Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Birth Records, 1840-1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

In the 1910 census also - Middlesex County Mass. / some records this family aka SWANSON

Answer 1

Hi Andrew,

I am looking into him now, but could always some help. I found he could have come to America on 27 Apr 1894 (there are two Otto R Svenssons, but one was born in about 1870 in Sweden):

"New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JX9Q-V4S : 2 March 2021), Otto R. Svensson, 1894.

Comments

Name:	Otto Robert [Otto Robert Svensson]  [Otto Robert Matthisson]  [Otto Robert Mattisson]  [Otto Robert Mathisson]
Gender:	Man (Male)
Birth Date:	2 mar 1873
Birth Place:	Augerum, Blekinge, Sverige (Sweden)
Father:	Matthis Svensson
Mother:	Erica Eulalia Emerentia Elmlund
Volume:	454

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Birth record:

Augerum, C I/9 (1862-1874), bildid: C0056920_00198 https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0056920_00198

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HHE Records:

"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930", database with images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLKX-MTW3 : 9 December 2020), Matthias Svensson, from 1872 to 1880.

They moved to Nättraby:

"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930", database with images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLKF-P73L : 12 December 2020), Mattis Svensson, from 1881 to 1890.

"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930", database with images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLKX-6BGQ : 12 December 2020), Otto Robert Svensson, from 1881 to 1890.

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The HHE records say he went to America on 17 Apr 1899 from Malmö Sankt Pauli:

"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLPX-TJ9M : 28 August 2019), Otto Robert Svensson, from 1898 to 1906; from "Sweden Household Examination Books, 1860-1920," database and images, MyHeritage (https://www.myheritage.com : n.d.); citing from 1898 to 1906, 6948103, Sankt Pauli AIIa478, various Lutheran parishes, Sweden.

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I can not find him in those moving out records, however.

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Here are all the HHE records at Riksarkivet. There seems to have been some confusion about exactly when he emigrated, because the ship records say he did so in 1898 (and so does the Caroli HHE), but as you say he also shows up in the S:t Pauli HHE coming from Caroli about then, and emigrating in early 1899...

Augerums kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13014/A I/22 (1868-1873), bildid: C0056901_00372, sida 357    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0056901_00372

Augerums kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13014/A I/24 (1872-1880), bildid: C0056903_00365, sida 345    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0056903_00365

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/14 (1871-1875), bildid: C0058345_00078, sida 72    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058345_00078

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/15 (1876-1880), bildid: C0058346_00187, sida 173    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058346_00187

(Confirmation record 1887) Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/17 (1881-1890), bildid: C0058348_00206, sida 547    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058348_00206

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/16 (1881-1890), bildid: C0058347_00134, sida 123    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058347_00134    (The rest of his family moves to another farm, but he stays as a farmhand (first moved to line 23, then transfered the same day to the next page).

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/16 (1881-1890), bildid: C0058347_00133, sida 122    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058347_00133    (This says he moved to Ronneby, but in the next record it says he returned the paperwork and moved in with his parents instead.)

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/17 (1881-1890), bildid: C0058348_00152, sida 472    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058348_00152

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/18 (1891-1895), bildid: C0058349_00302, sida 271    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058349_00302

Augerums kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13014/A I/31 (1891-1896), bildid: C0056910_00315, sida 616    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0056910_00315

Ronneby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13316/A I/49 (1880-1898), bildid: C0058534_00794, sida 785    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058534_00794

Back to Nättraby, same page as above:
Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/LLA/13291/A I/18 (1891-1895), bildid: C0058349_00302, sida 271    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0058349_00302

Nättraby kyrkoarkiv, Församlingsböcker (inbunden serie), SE/LLA/13291/A II a/1 (1896-1901), bildid: 00139637_00371, sida 369    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/00139637_00371

Malmö Caroli kyrkoarkiv, Husförhörslängder, SE/MSA/00553/A I/121 (1892-1899), bildid: C0067566_00155, sida 188    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/C0067566_00155

Malmö S:t Pauli kyrkoarkiv, Församlingsböcker, bunden serie, SE/MSA/00618/A II a/478 (1898-1906), bildid: 00087736_00150, sida 195    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/00087736_00150

Returned from the US:
Malmö S:t Pauli kyrkoarkiv, Församlingsböcker, bunden serie, SE/MSA/00618/A II a/458 (1897-1909), bildid: 00087716_00187, sida 311    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/00087716_00187

Malmö S:t Pauli kyrkoarkiv, Församlingsböcker, bunden serie, SE/MSA/00618/A II a/459 (1909-1925), bildid: 00087717_00175, sida 207    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/00087717_00175

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...and here is the ship record I mentioned: Poliskammaren i Malmö, Utvandrarelistor, SE/MSA/00780/D 3/52 (1898), bildid: A0066727_00308 https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0066727_00308

He leaves with Öresundsångarne, "the Öresund steamers", which I would guess means a ferry to Copenhagen, with a ticket to New York from the Cunard line.

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Hej Olov,

Nice work! It says he went back to America in 1909. 

What does it say on the right on line 1 of this source (below):

Returned from the US:
Malmö S:t Pauli kyrkoarkiv, Församlingsböcker, bunden serie, SE/MSA/00618/A II a/458 (1897-1909), bildid: 00087716_00187, sida 311    https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/00087716_00187

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Yes, he went back -- I mentioned that already in my first summary, in the top thread.  :)

Line 1? If you mean the top line of the comment for Otto Robert (on line 24), it says "Erh. Kungl. Majts nåd. tillstånd d. 4/11 98 afflytta ur riket" -- basically that he was allowed to emigrate. This is an old permission and was already mentioned before he left for the first time. The second half says that he doesn't have records for the time 15/4 1899 - 19/10 1909, which mostly means that there is no paperwork stating whether he is married or not, so if he wanted to marry he would need to make public announcements beside the normal reading of the banns.

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Hej Olov, sorry, my error. I was working on no sleep. 

Thank you!

Answer 2

Might be him, just because it's  1900 Evanston, IL?

Source: "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS7X-MKF : accessed 16 May 2021), Otto Swanson, Evanston Township Evanston city Ward 3, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1157, sheet 26A, family 366, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,292.   IMAGE: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QN7-6P5?cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMS7X-MKF

United States Census, 1900  Evanston Township Evanston city Ward 3, Cook, Illinois  Immig 1899  (Illinois Industrial School for Girls)
: Otto Swanson  Single White Male  Age 27 Birth Feb. 1873  Sweden  Servant /Gardner

''? '' Source:  "Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XKP9-3S2 : 2 March 2021), Otto Robert Swanson, 1904; citing Illinois, NARA microfilm publication M1285 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 161; FHL microfilm 1,432,161.  IMAGE:

Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index
: Otto Robert Swanson
: Residence 160 Sheridan Rd. Evanston, IL
: Birth  March 2 1873  Sweden
: Naturalization  Aug 22,   1904
: Immigration May 5, 1896, NY
: Witnesses Oscar Johnson; B. B Noyes

''?''  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-91WL-2BT?cc=1968530&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AK68C-JRT
United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
: Otto Robert Swanson  Birth 2 Mar 1873  Houseman/Gardner
: Mrs Anna Swanson

''?''  "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLYT-CQK1 : 17 March 2018), Otto Robert Swanson, 06 Mar 1926; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
: Otto Robert Swanson
: Male  Age    53
: Residence Place    975 East 60th St.  Chicago, Cook, Illinois
: Burial Date    08 Mar 1926  Oak Hill
: Death Date    06 Mar 1926, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States
: Birth Date    02 Mar 1873      Angernus, Sweden
: White Male Married/ Occupation    Janitor
: Father    Mathias Swanson
: Spouse/Informant    Anna Swanson
: Funeral Home    Charles J Dohlgrew

'' ?'' "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1968", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7ZN-Z5X : 10 March 2018), Otto R. Swanson and Anna S. Saell, 11 Feb 1916.
:Otto R. Swanson
: Residence Place    Cook, Illinois, United States
: Age 42y    Birth (est) 1874
: SpouseAnna S. Saell
: Age 48  Birth est 1868
: License /Marriage 11 Feb 1916 Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Comments

That's the find a grave above that Olov said is the wrong Otto

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Well, if the right Otto was born in Stockholm this is the wrong guy. The rest of the counter arguments seem less valid now: while the age in the marriage record would be off by a year (and the birth year in the bio by two), such things do happen; this data shows him to work as a gardner, rather than a miller, in the US, and apparently he ended up in Illinois after all even though the emigration record only said New York. So if the Stockholm connection can somehow be discarded, this actually looks quite promising. If.

The immigration year of 1896 in the naturalization record must be wrong, though; could it perhaps be a misreading for 1899?

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I was always told (by my great aunt, their granddaughter) that a set of maternal Swedish gg grandparents came from Stockholm. They did not. I think this is probably a similar situation.

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Chris and Andrew,

I did not think this was him, because wife Anna threw me off. So I went to Swedish research.  It seems this IS him.

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I'm not sure we'll ever prove which is the correct Otto.  I'm still trying  to figure out why wife Edith suddenly went to Illinois and got married in 1901, then right back to Epping by the birth of Dorothy in 1902!  In 1900 she is in Epping with her parents.

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Well, there is less than seven months between marriage and birth, so my guess would be that she moved there for some other reason, such as work, but met Otto and got pregnant. They married -- possibly more out of social and/or economical pressure than out of love -- but when it was time for the birth she moved home to her parents for support. This type of story s quite common, I believe, although I have no idea if it is a reasonable assumption in this case given the distances involved and similar factors. It does fit well with them not living together and getting divorced a few years later, though.