Ancestors

Biography

Johan Viktor (Victor) Svärd was born on a soldier's farm in Trehörnahult, Villstad Parish, Jönköping County, Sweden, 7 Aug 1884.^[1] He was the fourth of ten children born to Mårten Svärd and Inga Haraldsdotter.^[1] His elder siblings were Esther, who died in 1879, ^[2] another Esther, born in 1880,^[3] and Emil, born in 1882.^[4] Like Esther and Emil, Victor was born in a place named Trehörnahult.^[1]

Victor's parents remained in Trehörnahult until about 1902.^[5] While they lived there, Victor's remaining siblings were born: Oscar in 1886,^[6] Mårten in 1888,^[7] Axel in 1890,^[8] Julia in 1893,^[9] Arthur in 1896,^[10] and Georg in 1898.^[11] In 1902, Victor and his parents, as well as his siblings, Emil, Oscar, Mårten, Axel, Julia, Arthur and Georg, moved about half a mile south, to another farm within Villstad called Käringebacka..^[12]

1909: Victor left Villstad for England, and then sailed from Liverpool, England on the S.S. Lusitania, arriving in New York City on 23 Jul 1909 bound, according to the manifest, for Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.^[13] His brother Oscar came with him on the S.S. Lusitania, also bound for Chicago.^[14]

In 1911, he lived at 50 West 113th Street in Chicago, where he worked as a "trimmer."^[15] His brother, Oscar, lived in Chicago, too, at 2018 West 69th place, where he worked as a "motorman."^[15]

In 1914, he lived at 3224 Graves Court in Chicago, where he worked as a laborer.^[16]

1954: Victor died as "Victor John Sward" on 8 Nov 1954 in Cook County, Illinois.^[17]

1965: Victor's brother, Emil, died on 3 Dec 1965 in Kärrningabacka, Villstad, Jönkopings län, Sweden.^[18]

1968: Victor's brother, Oscar, died in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa on 8 Jul 1968.^[14]

Album

Click here to view an album of photos and other memorabilia of Oscar's birth family, i.e., the family created by the 1876 marriage of Mårten Linus (Carlsson) Svärd and Igna Petronella Haraldsdotter, including their children, in their birth order, Esther Augusta Kristina Svärd, Esther Karolina Helena Svärd, Karl Emil (Svärd) Alqvist, Johan Viktor (Victor) Svärd, Oskar Leonard (Svärd) Sward, Mårten Gottfrid Svärd, Axel Julius Svärd, Julia Maria Josefina Svärd, Gustaf Arthur Svärd and Georg Teodor Svärd.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Sources: (1) Birth Record: "Johan Viktor," son of "Soldat [soldier] Mårten Linus Svärd" (age 27?) and "Inga Petronella Haraldsdr" (age 29), was born in "Trehörnahult S.T." ("S.T." standing for "soldattorp," i.e. a soldier's farm), 7 Aug 1884, and baptized 10 Aug 1884. ArkivDigital. Villstad (F) C:8 (1861-1887) Image 118 / Page 227 (AID: v36481.b118.s227, NAD: SE/VALA/00417). (2) His birth date/place and parents are also confirmed by census records cited elsewhere in this profile.
2. ↑ See Sister Esther Augusta's Profile.
3. ↑ See Sister Esther Karolina's Profile.
4. ↑ See Brother Emil's profile
5. ↑ See Father's Profile and Mother's Profile.
6. ↑ See Brother Oscar's Profile.
7. ↑ See Brother Mårten's Profile.
8. ↑ See Brother Axel's Profile.
9. ↑ See Sister Julia's Profile.
10. ↑ See Brother Arthur's Profile.
11. ↑ See Brother Georg's Profile.
12. ↑ Census Record, Household 3396948: Mårten, Inga and their nine living children, except Esther, moved from "Trehörnahult" to "Käringbacka" in 1902. See "Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLGK-G6Y5 : 27 August 2019), Mårten Linus Svärd, from 1901 to 1907; from "Sweden Household Examination Books, 1860-1920," database and images, MyHeritage (https://www.myheritage.com : n.d.); citing from 1901 to 1907, 3396948, AIIa 2, various Lutheran parishes, Sweden.
13. ↑ Manifest. Passenger Manifest of Alien Passengers for United States Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival, for S.S. Lusitania, from Liverpool, England, arriving in New York City on 23 Jul 1909, discloses passenger "Johan V Svärd, 24, a literate "farm labourer" from Villstad, Sweden, whose contact in Sweden is "father Martin Svard," and whose final destination is "Chicago," who paid his own passage ($20), had never been to the US before, and proposed to join "Johan Nelson" at "3224 Graves St" in Chicago, and that he, Victor, is 5'10 blond hair and blue eyes, and was born in Villstad, Sweden. (Victor was traveling with his brother, Oscar, and may have also been travelling with "Johanna Sofia Larsson" and Ester Rosmark" because they're from Villstad, too, and are heading to see the same person and are listed on the lines immediately above Victor's name). See Reel 1306 - Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, NY, 1897-1957 - 2878-2880 Jul 22, 1909, available online without restriction at archive.org[1].
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} See Oscar Sward's profile
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} 1911 Chicago [Telephone] Directory shows, at page 1337: "Sward, Osacr [sic], motorman h 2018 W 69th pl." and "Sward, Victor, trimmer h 50 W 113th." See Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995here. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
16. ↑ 1914 Chicago [Telephone] Directory shows, at page 1584: "Sward, Victor lab[orer] h 3224 Graves Ct." See Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995here. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
17. ↑ Information confirmed in 2020 at Genealogy Online, Historical Cook County, Illinois Vital Records, Karen A. Yarborough, Cook County Clerk, by searching last name "Sward" for relevant time period and record type[2]
18. ↑