Blända Louisa Kjellgren (1887 - 1918)

Born 10 Dec 1887 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, United State States

Died 18 Oct 1918 at age 30 in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, United State States

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Biography

Blenda Kjellgren died of Influenza in the 1918 Flu Pandemic on Oct 18, 1918

Blenda Kjellgren has Swedish ancestors

Blända was born in 1887. She was the daughter of Swedish immigrants Andrew Kjellgren and Christina Sällberg. ^[1][2]

She taught science at the Rockford High School.

When the high school was closed due to the Spanish Flu Pandemic Blenda and her sister Anna volunteered as nurses at a makeshift hospital at Camp Grant.

Blenda contracted influenza and died on Oct 18, 1918. ^[3][4]

Her sister died the next day. A double funeral was held for the two sisters.

Obituary

MISS KJELLGREN DIES; SISTER AT THE POINT OF DEATH

Death’s shadow passed over the home of Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Kjellgren last night, their daughter, Miss Blenda Kjellgren having succumbed at Rockford Hospital just before midnight to an illness of pneumonia. Their sadness is augmented by the fact that her sister, Mrs. Stuart Ralston, lies at the point of death at the Rockford Hospital suffering with the same malady. At 2:00 o’clock this afternoon it was stated at the hospital that Mrs Ralston was not expected to survive the afternoon.

Miss Kjellgren was on the faculty of Rockford High School and Mrs. Ralston was the librarian. When authorities ordered the schools closed to aid in fighting the epidemic, the young women offered their services in emergency work, and worked at the morgue and at the headquarters soldiers club through the night continually until they were both taken ill, almost at the same time. Miss Kjillgren’s condition had not been serious until this week, although Mrs. Ralston has been in a critical condition since last week.

Miss Kjellgren had a wealth of friends, won by her charm of manner and attractive personality. She was a young woman of beautiful character and generous, kindly spirit in serving others to the utmost of her ability. Her death will be mourned by a great many in this city and elsewhere.

Miss Kjellgren was born in Rockford Dec 10, 1887, and attended the public schools here, graduating from Rockford High School and later from Lake Forest College. She spent two years in post-graduate work at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and was for over a year on the faculty of the Marshfield, Wisconsin High School. For a short time, she was an instructor at Rockford High School, leaving for a year to teach at Leeds, South Dakota. At the opening of the school year this fall she was again on the faculty of Rockford High School teaching in general science and physiology until the health authorities closed the schools as a precaution against the epidemic.

Surviving her are the grief-stricken parents Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Kjellgren, three brothers, Martin A. Kjellgren, Siegfried P. Kjillgren, and Howard Kjellgren, ensign in the US Navy; three sisters, Mrs. Ann Ralston, wife of Lieutenant Stuart Ralston, now overseas; Mrs. J.H. Abrahamson, and Mrs. Axel Eckblade; and a half-sister, Mrs. L.C. Jansen.

Funeral services have not been made, owing to Mrs. Ralston’s serious condition. ^[5]

1918 Rockford Directory

Name: Miss Blinda L Kjellgren

Residence Year: 1918

Street address: Seminary

Residence Place: Rockford, Illinois, USA

Occupation: Teacher

Publication Title: Rockford, Illinois, City Directory, 1918. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Elk Grove Village, IL, USA; Swedish American Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths, and Burials; Parish: Zion Lutheran Church; ELCA Film Number: A77(3); SSIRC Film Number: A077 Original data: Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths/Burials (Swedish Churches), Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minnesota, USA. Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, USA.Free Image

   Name: Blända Louisa Kjellgren

   Gender: Female

   Baptism Age: 0

   Event Type: Member List

   Birth Date: 10 Dec 1887

   Birth Place: Rockford, W., Illinois

   Baptism Date: 27 Jan 1888

   Relation to Head: Daughter

   Church: Zion Lutheran Church

   Father: Andrew Kjellgren

   Mother: Christina Mathilda Kjellgren

2. ↑ "Illinois Births and Christenings, 1824-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V22L-GXD : 11 January 2020), Blenda Kjellgren, 1887.
3. ↑ Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Elk Grove Village, IL, USA; Swedish American Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths, and Burials; Parish: Emmanuel Lutheran Church; ELCA Film Number: A80(1+2); SSIRC Film Number: A080. Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths/Burials (Swedish Churches), Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minnesota, USA. Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, USA. Free Image

   Name: Blenda Kjellgren

   Death Age: 30

   Event Type: Burial

   Birth Date: abt 1888

   Death Date: 17 Oct 1918

   Burial Date: 22 Oct 1918

   Burial Place: Emmanuel Lutheran Church, :Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois, USA

   Church: Emmanuel Lutheran Church

4. ↑ "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3ZL-LFN : 8 March 2018), Blenda Kjillgren, 18 Oct 1918; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,544,465.
5. ↑ Rockford Republic (Rockford, IL) 18 October 1918, page 2 GenealogyBank: accessed 27 March 2020
6. ↑ Free Image

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #166988191: accessed 26 March 2020), memorial page for Blenda Louise Kjellgren (9 Dec 1889–18 Oct 1918), citing Scandinavian Cemetery, Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Linda Magley (contributor 46945111) .