One of the greatest feelings of success is researching for years, not giving up and, not only break down a brick wall, but finding a photo and seeing from it the strength that person had. Many people would see this picture and not understand the life she lived many years ago, but I feel as though it makes us closer.
Märta Anderson
February 13, 1823 a daughter was born to Anders and Eva Svenson in a small village in the South Central farming region of Sweden - Tofteryd. Tofteryd sits 50 km south of the old trading center city Jönköping at the southern tip of lake Vättern in the Småland region. Jönköping (“Jön” meaning “creeks” and “köping” meaning “market place”) had been fortified many times during the 16th and 17th century. Once belonging to Denmark Jönköping was subject to attacks due to the river’s routes and the lake’s end. Småland itself was home to Stone Age people’s since 6,000 BC and with it’s long history of peasant rebellion and dense Viking activity, it is likely that Märta’s ancestry was deep rooted with it all.
Märta was raised Lutheran in the small village. Her whole life was likely set in stone the moment she was born - Attend the Lutheran church, marry a farmer, have kids, and later die. She did just that and married a Farmer named Andrew Anderson at the early age of 15 in 1838. The first documented child was born in 1849 though she most likely had stillborns in the first decade of marriage. Her name was Anna and It seems from this point forward children came easily. After the third child was born the family decided to make their way from the only land they knew, across the ocean, to a whole new world of opportunity.
In the mid 1800’s good farm land was a hard thing to find in the south of Sweden as were Industrial Urban jobs. Population was huge and with the temptations of dirt cheap land from Illinois to Montana the family boarded a ship in January of 1852 and made their way to Chicago.
On the ship over, the couple lost a child which would be buried at sea. A hard way to start a new life.
The family headed to Minnesota like many Scandinavians though 9 years later they made their way to a small town called New Boston located on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River just southwest of Chicago. In 1861 Andrew joins the 57th Illinois Infantry..The civil war has begun.
Märta, pregnant, husband at war, gives birth to their son Frank in 1862. In 1864 their boy Charles is born. Unfortunately, Charles’ didn’t live to see his 3rd Birthday and Frank didn’t live to see his 6th.
People say “Everybody lost their kids back then”. Sure, it was more common than it is today but I don’t believe, not even for single second, that it was any easier.
1870 comes around and the family is back down to 4 though Anna the eldest daughter is married and now living with her new husband and come December, her second daughter Harriet will be gone and starting a family of her own. Only one child in the house.
Just years away from empty nesting Martha finds herself pregnant in 1872 at the age of 49. Baby Stella is born though she dies the following September. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to lose all of those children and still go on functioning. You would think rock bottom had been hit. It probably was. Though Martha had more trials to go through.
Her son John marries and leaves the house in 1876. Empty nesting begins, her husband still works and Martha keeps house. Alone. Her loneliness was about to get even worse…though I’m sure Grandchildren were a gift for her!
In December of 1877 her husband of 39 years receives injuries from a runaway-horse accident and later succumbs to his injuries leaving his widow behind. Though loss seemed to have riddled her life, she kept going.
In the 1900 census 77 year old Martha is living alone as the head of her household in Colona, Illinois. 1902 she loses her first grandson at the age of 25. As she gets older, she moves in with her daughter Anna and her son in law William for the remainder of her life. She seemed to have been close with her children, particularly the one who stuck around, Anna.
Unfortunately on January 17th, 1920 just before her 71st birthday Anna died. Martha, a strong 97 year old woman who lost whatever she had in life, died just days later on February the 4th, 1920. She regained in death all that she lost in life...and boy, was that a lot to gain!
So when I see this picture I just cannot comprehend how she went on living with her beliefs intact. I suppose it was all she had at times. The only thing that life couldn’t take away from her.
But that’s the life of Martha Anderson, and I am glad I uncovered her story but most of all I am honored to be her 4th Great Grandson.
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