Question

What is the real surname for Alex WELCOME, 1890- 1976,  born in Helsinki, Finland. Came to USA through Ellis Island 1905-1907. His brother (first name unknown) amy have come at the same time, but was seperated when he went to Canada to become a logger. Alex moved to Bain, Minnesota and married Velma McAninch.

Comments

Do you have a Wikitree profile for him?

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"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSJB-87W : accessed 1 June 2016), Alex Welcome, Bain Township, Aitkin, Minnesota, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-3, sheet 3A, family 43, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 1903.

 

Alex Welcome

United States Census, 1940

Name	Alex Welcome
Event Type	Census
Event Date	1940
Event Place	Bain Township, Aitkin, Minnesota, United States
Gender	Male
Age	50
Marital Status	Married
Race (Original)	White
Race	White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original)	Head
Relationship to Head of Household	Head
Birthplace	Finland
Birth Year (Estimated)	1890
Last Place of Residence	Same House

HOUSEHOLD	ROLE	GENDER	AGE	BIRTHPLACE
Alex Welcome	Head	M	50	Finland
Ula Welcome	Wife	F	43	Iowa
Donald Welcome	Son	M	20	Minnesota
Dallas Welcome	Son	M	20	Minnesota
Eldred Welcome	Daughter	F	19	Minnesota
Alberta Welcome	Daughter	F	17	Minnesota
Janice Welcome	Daughter	F	13	Minnesota

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"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images,FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K877-2PK : accessed 1 June 2016), Alex Welcome, 1917-1918; citing Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,675,275.

Name	Alex Welcome
Event Type	Draft Registration
Event Date	1917-1918
Event Place	Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States
Gender	Male
Nationality	Finland
Birth Date	17 Mar 1890
Birthplace	Purre, , Finland

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From cemeteries/waukenab

WELCOME, Alex                     17 Mar 1890  Pori, Finland      09 Jun 1976
WELCOME, Ula Vea McAnich          17 Apr 1896  Iowa               28 Sep 1947                             Wife of Alex
WELCOME, Dallas Urbin             20 Jun 1919                     09 Mar 1994                             Served in the Navy during WWII ~ twin son of Alex Welcome
WELCOME, David Wayne              25 Dec 1956                     19 Nov 1993                             Served in the US Navy ~ son of Dallas Welcome
WELCOME, Dean Ervin               14 Apr 1949                     30 Jul 1978                             Son of Donald Welcome
WELCOME, Donald Ervin             20 Jun 1919                     12 Jun 1989  Spokane, Washington        Served in the Army during WWII ~ twin son of Alex Welcome

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Wikipedia about Pori

Family Search on Finnish Genealogy

• Finland_Church_Records
• Hiski Björneborg - Pori - Try search on Alex is my suggestion in this database....

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When people immigrated,when they arrived,immigration people would

Americanize there names.His true name may be on his immigration

ship list.

Answer 1

I ran some searches on the online databases, which do contain Pori birth records for 1890. I didn't find any Akseli or Aleksi (two most likely spellings for Alex) that would have either the birth date or the christening date of 1890-03-17. The closest match I found is from the neighbouring Ulvila, Vihtori Aksel Holstila, born 1890-03-16, but I don't think this is the real match.

Search for the entire Finland was similarily unsuccessful with the only matches being far away from Pori.

Answer 2

You can search passenger lists and passport records of the people who moved from Finland at that time.

http://www.siirtolaisuusinstituutti.fi/en/genealogy/emigrantregister

Answer 3

Pori seems to be the correct place of birth as his draft card for WW2 lists his birth location as Bari. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91T-M4CQ-H

The death index lists his birth at 17 Mar 1892. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J579-5J9

The 1930 census shows his immigration year as 1907 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RHF-6RL?cc=1810731

1907 Ellis immigration with search words Alex and Finland finds only Alex Quarustrous (pending correction by me to Quarnstrom) arriving at age 17 with sister Helga aged 14.  https://www.libertyellisfoundation.org/passenger-details/czoxMjoiMTAxODgyMDEwMTkzIjs=/czo5OiJwYXNzZW5nZXIiOw==#passengerListAnchor

Someone who knows the American genealogy sources better than me should be able to confirm if this is the correct person.

If this Quarnström (or Qvarnström or Kvarnström) is the correct person, is the next step to backtrack him and his sister via Copenhagen, Denmark, as the port of departure.

Bear in mind that records that contain anything younger than 120 years are not yet made public in Finland, meaning that birth records of the 1890's could contain records that are younger and thus prohibit the release of the entire record. The restricted records are of course accessible for research, but not publicly online.