Runquist, Rundquist, RÖNQVIST,Rönnqvist Oravais Finland

Question

I'm still on the search for the family of Alfred (?) Runquist. born 2/4/1888 Oravais Finland. Died 1941 Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. He must of appeared out of thin air!? I listed as much as I know on his profile.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Possible spelling of the surname is Runquist, Rundquist, Ronnqvist, Ronqvist, Rongqvist.  I found a passenger in 1907 on the Cedric and wonder if anyone can help confirm or deny if this was my grandfather."New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JXN2-146 : 6 December 2014), Alfred Rongvist, 14 May 1907; citing departure port Liverpool, arrival port New York, ship name Cedric, NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Minnesota has many Runquist's and Rundquist families. Most say they immigrated from Sweden. Many were living very close to Alfred during his lifetime. A lot of spellings of the Rundquist/Runquist surname, which makes my searching all the more difficult and frustrating.  I found a new spelling recently in Wisconsin as Rundquest. The trend is they changed from first middle and 2nd middle names on census records and moved a lot. I noticed many of these families including my own passed away from similar unfortunate circumstances of stomach, pancreatic, intestinal cancers. 

My mother's family say he had a disagreement with family and walked away to never look back? Or did he?  His 1918 life insurance papers from the veterans affairs claims "self" for his beneficiary. I'm not getting any younger and it would be a blessing to solve my mysterious (stubborn) grandfather. Who was he? What or who was he hiding from?

I also found this http://hiski.genealogia.fi/hiski/7iffng it was no help.  I don't know what question to ask if I'm questioning his real name his birth date and place.  I did order a DNA test, maybe that will give me some answers or will it?

Comments

• Hiski
• Wikipedia

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Thank you Magnus, I'm very grateful for all your help! I  couldn't have added all the information without you help!

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Seems no action at G2G

Maybe try contact people with the Finland tag is my suggestion

Family Tree has some pages  about Finland they link also to Facebook groups

• Family Search 
  • Group Facebook Finnish Genealogy
  • Group Facebook Northern Europe

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Already commented, but from what another commenter linked, Alfred's father was Henrik/Henry.

A Henry Ronquist, exists in my direct male lineage.  I can't know for sure where Henry Ronquist was born, but his son (my great-great-grandfather John) was born in Oravais Finland in 1880.

An interest sidenote, over the years, I've heard stories about the family name.  Apparently two brothers from Finland fought on the way over to the U.S.  When registering, one brother modified his last name and then he took off.  My grandmother once mentioned that 'Ronquist' was probably 'Rundquist'.  Maybe that's eluding to this story, maybe it's not related at all.

Answer 1

Runquist,likely his americanized version,Finland likely Ronnqvist,or

some version near that.Did see a Immigration in 1907,His WW1 draft

registration card has born Feb 4 1888.At that time living in South Dakota.

Could be another person? Farm Laborer.Have yet to find birth in Finland.

Comments

Did Alfred Runquist have a middle name ??

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Funny his headstone in Fort Snelling Cemetry says he was born 1892 but my mother. Had said he was born in 1888. I thought it was an error on her part, her being only 9 when he passed. Another story was he disowned family over an arguement they had and his mother passed away before coming to America with his Father, possibly in Wisconsin. On his death certificate it names his father as Henry and his mother Johanna Styre. He obviously walked away and never looked back because it's still a mystery.  I've searched for 16 years and I found nothing.  I  assumed he changed the spelling, Im just not sure to what he changed it from. :/ thanks for all your efforts.

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I  don't know when he immigrated,  I  only know of the 1918 at Valley City,  Dakota. Only one the purchase of the wedding has a middle intial R. My mother said his middle name was Carl with a C but again this could be confusion with my grandmother's father being in named Karl with a K. Her brother also had the middle name of Karl.  Only known occupation that I knew of is a Carpenter and Laborer. My mother said he modeled clothing,  I can't confirm this either. I  was a curious child and wondered why he was so mysterious and asked many questions,  she didn't have any answers to.  My grandmother's family was near Bemidji Farden twp. Minnesota about the time they were engaged.

Answer 2

According to Hiski a Henrik Mårtensson Rönnqvist from Oravais, Finland died in Michigan on 5 Sept 1904 at 69 years of age and was married. I can give more help Monday when I return home.

Comments

My mother's Minneapolis birth certificate (microfilm copy) has father born in Sweden. It says also he was a Carpenter at Porter[unledgible] Const. Co.  Some old papers have the spelling as Rundquist.

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My great-great-great grandfather was Henry Ronquist.  I'm unsure if he came to the United States.  His son, John Ronquist was born in Oravais, Finland in 1870, and died in Michigan.  So it seems quite possible that Henry was also from Oravais and perhaps moved to Michigan with his sons.  Possibly 'Henrik' became 'Henry' in the process.

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Check out this Pedigree File on FamilySearch.  It even has sources