The Wessman Home in Göteborg

If you were to visit today, this is the Swedish neighborhood where the Wessman family lived in the 1880s through the 1890s. It appears to have been greatly gentrified.

The Swedish Household Examination Books are an excellent genealogical source. Here is the page for the Wessmans. Their entry begins on the top line.

Here is the first part of the entry for the family.

It lists each member of the family with names, exact birth and marriage dates, whether they'd been vaccinated for smallpox (everyone but the baby), and their religious status.

Amanda and Johan Wessman and baby.

Officials updated the entry yearly. This is the second page showing the name of the neighborhood on the top, Skolgatan 13 and Nygatan 23 (see that corner in the Google Streetview above).

It records their previous residence. If I'm reading it right, they moved within the city to their current location on November 5, 1884. The last columns show Johan moving to a different location and Amanda and the rest of the family moving to America.

"Sweden, Household Examination Books, 1880-1930," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLP2-T36M : 5 April 2019), Johan Westman, from 1885 to 1895; from "Sweden Household Examination Books, 1860-1920," database and images, MyHeritage(https://www.myheritage.com : n.d.); citing from 1885 to 1895, 12842981, Haga AI 6, various Lutheran parishes, Sweden.

Walking in Their Footsteps: The Wessmans at Ellis Island

A few days ago I stepped off the ferry onto Ellis Island and walked up the path to the immigration building. I'd been there before, so I was surprised by the emotion that overtook me as I walked the path taken by my grandfather's father, Henry Wessman, in July 1893 and Henry's parents, Amanda Hall Wessman later in 1893, and Johan Bengtsson Wessman three years after that. 

Amanda was about my age when she left Sweden for America with her four-year-old son Joseph. She had already sent her daughters Fanny and Bertha and her sons John and Henry ahead. 

John shared the following memory of the trip. 

July 1st 1893, I and my brother Henry left Sweden for America. My father took us to Copenhagen. We were there for two days and took a steamer for Hull, England, and from there overland to Liverpool. I remember an incident there. There was a fight of several men, and a squad of bobbies was sent to bring them in. It became a general fight between bobbies and civilians. They were dragged to the jail. We stayed in Liverpool for five days, and we then boarded a vessel called the ‘Alaska’ for America. When we were 2-3 days out, three large whales came to the surface for air. Many flying fish followed the steamer to get the offal for food, and when we got to the banks of Newfoundland, the sirens and the horns kept blowing continuously that we didn’t get much sleep that night. 

In entering New York, we saw the statue of liberty and landed at the dock six and a half days from Liverpool.

John doesn't mention why Amanda and Joseph traveled separately to America several months later. I have not been able to find John (Johan) or Henry (Harry) Wessman (Westman) on any ship's register., including the voyage of the Alaska that matches John's description. They may have been traveling with other adults, using the names of the family.

When Amanda left Sweden, she left behind her husband, who would come three years later, and their two deceased children.

Amanda and Joseph traveled on the ship Alaska. Here is the ship's register. They are number 16 and 17.

Just as my family and I did, they would have walked down the gangplank onto the dock, walked into the immigration building, and walked up the gray staircase to the great hall, probably carrying all their earthly possessions.

We have mother Amanda's immigration record, and father Johan's, and Joseph's, and hopefully someday someone will locate the immigration records for the four Wessman children: Fanny, Bertha, John and Henry.

Here is Johan Wessman's Ellis Island record. He is on the next-to-the-last line, and his name is written "Westman."

Here are some of the textures in the immigration building.

Amanda Hall Wessman's Headstone

Amanda is buried at the base of this tree. 

If you look closely, you can see the orange flag marking her headstone. 

After several unexpected delays, Amanda Hall Wessman’s headstone has finally been set. We are so grateful to all of those who donated time and money to help with this special endeavor.

A little about the headstone and its design. It is gray granite, similar to the stone the Salt Lake Temple is made out of. It is the largest stone the cemetery would allow, but we had a lot of information we wanted to put on the headstone!

Amanda Hall Wessman

On the left side of Amanda’s headstone is an image of the Salt Lake Temple. The image represents all her family sacrificed to follow their beliefs and become an eternal family. Fifteen days after Johan’s death in 1898, Amanda had his temple work completed, by proxy, and they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity. On January 22, 1902, Amanda and her living children gathered in the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed as a family. As part of that special day, Johan and Amanda’s two children, who passed away in Sweden in 1881, were sealed to their parents as well. 

Johan Bengtsson Wessman

Since Johan is buried in an unmarked grave in Kamas, Utah, we decided to put an image of a sailing ship representing Johan and what he did for a living to support his family.  It is also symbolic of the family leaving their ancestral home and coming to America. (Wind powered ships were no longer in use when they immigrated, but a sailing ship looks better on a headstone than a steam powered ship.)

Johan, Amanda and their seven children are buried in many different places, three of them in unknown locations. For this reason, we felt it was important to list all of the family’s names on the headstone. 

Back, left to right: Henry, Herbert, Joseph.
Seated, left to right: Fanny, Amanda, Bertha.
Photo taken 1906 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This headstone is a fitting memorial to Johan, Amanda and their children who worked hard and sacrificed so much.  Because of this, we, their descendants, have much to be grateful for.

For those of you who would like to visit Amanda’s grave, in person or virtually, click here.  This will take you to Billion Graves website where you can view an image, obtain a map and get directions.

Here is a list of the rest of the family and where they are buried: 

• Johan Bengtsson is buried in Kamas, Utah, unknown location
• Fanny Constantia is buried here in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Bertha Maria is buried here, a short walk from her mother's grave, in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Gerda Hildegard is buried in Sweden, unknown location
• Anders Johan Herbert is buried in Sweden, unknown location
• John Herbert is buried here in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Henry Richard Emanuel is buried here in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Joseph Harold Moroni is buried here, by his mother, in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Utah

The view from Amanda's grave, looking east. 

The yellow and red flowers are by her headstone.

Coming soon...Amanda Hall Wessman's Headstone

Due to some unexpected delays, it took a bit longer than expected to get Amanda's headstone ordered and set. But have no fear, Amanda's headstone is finally in place!

Check back later this week for photos and a post about the headstone. Until then, refresh your memory on the headstone project here.

Autobiography of John Herbert Wessman, Part 5 of 5

My son Frank came to Mackay to live and I put him in the drug store to help me. Herbert Jr. also came to Mackay. He wanted to get out of Ogden, so he located at Malad Idaho. He started in Malad and picked up a wonderful business. My wife Ruby had been ailing for some time. She had had one operation. She was not getting any better, so we moved her back to Salt Lake. I helped out in Church as a ward teacher, and I was put in as a member of the Sunday school board. Apostle Ezra Taft Benson ordained me to a seventy, Nov. 16th, 1947. 

Autobiography of John Herbert Wessman, Part 4 of 5

I was doing well in Idaho, but we thought we would be better off if we moved back to Salt Lake City. I bought a nice home at Ucon, I sold it and the Drug store and we moved back to Salt Lake City. I went to work, we bought another nice home in Salt Lake on Princeton Avenue and we prospered there. We met friends and started to go to parties, some of these friends were all right. I was never one to drink and carry on though. About 1923 I bought a drug store at Ogden. I done very well. I eventually started a new store in the residential section, worked hard, made money, but it seemed there was always someone living with us. We had a wonderful home, plenty of rooms and had a houseful all the time.

I got into the machine business and was really taking in the money. Of course, I had to have help, and I put these boarders to work and paid them good salaries. In those days, food was cheap. I remember I bought large hams, 17 cents per lb. It took plenty to keep up the house and business. I was making money, but just couldn’t be every place at once, sold the 5 point drugstore and got rid of the other store and disposed of my businesses, and went to California and stayed all winter.

Autobiography of John Herbert Wessman, Part 3 of 5

I wanted to help as much as possible, so I went to work for the Western Union Telegraph as a messenger. From the first I done well. I averaged $5.00 a day tips, which was big money those days, and from 5 to 60 dollars a month wages. My brothers went to school and my mother went to work in the Salt Lake Temple. I often think what this meant to both of us, and I thank god for this mother for she was a jewel among women. She started me on the road to success and Church, and I will never forget some of the things she told me. I want to relate an incident that happened. She was not well and one day, the President of the Temple and one of his counselors administered to here, and in the prayer she was told she would be shown what to do to regain her health. One afternoon I came home, she had boiled some potatoes. I noticed she had trouble in peeling them. I said “mother, why don’t you cook them longer”. Her answer “this is the way I was told to do”. By obeying that simple remedy, she was instantly cured and worked in the temple for 42 years – first 20 years not a day was lost when the temple was open.

Autobiography of John Herbert Wessman, Part 2 of 5

In entering New York, we saw the statue of liberty and landed at the dock six and a half days from Liverpool. It took five and a half days from New York to Salt Lake City. We went to stay with my sister, Fanny Parker, then I went to live with the Charlie Eleason Family at Millville Utah. I stayed at Eleasons for five and a half years, and had many experiences that were new to me. I set traps for wild animals, muskrats, mink, wild cats, coyotes and Mountain Lions. For the bigger animals I used to get help to set the traps at home, for they were so big. I carried them down to the pastures set.

One morning I rode my horse to the pasture when in the middle of the dam, I ran into 3 Mountain Lions. The horse gave one snort and whirled, jumped a 4 wire fence and raced for home. Mrs. Eliason said to her husband there is something wrong, Herbert doesn’t ride his horse like that. He ran to the corral, jumped the poles and stopped. I was still on his back. Another morning I went to the traps and found that a mountain lion got in one of the traps and had gone up the canyon. I was not well and the folks, they said I better stay home. Three young fellows took after it. It had dragged the pole seven miles. They shot it and skinned it. The skin measured 7 ½ feet over the back from foot to foot.

Autobiography of John Herbert Wessman, Part 1 of 5

Many thanks to Wessman cousin Dave Clawson, who sent this history. It includes lots of new and amazing information about the family.

John Herbert Wessman, born Oct. 14, 1882, Goteborg Sweden. Experiences of my life from the age of three years on.

It was meant for me to live and to come to this land of liberty that is blessed above all other lands of the earth. I have had many unusual experiences and I am grateful to my Father in Heaven that my life has been spared and I suppose it was to be. I had the raising up of a wonderful mother and thank God for this. If I can live an honorable life and graduate with honors in a life to come --in a life hereafter, I owe it mostly to the training of my dear mother.

At the age of three years there was a terrible epidemic of diphtheria. My older brother and sister died with it. Mother left me with a young girl to get medicine for me. I was choking and would have died but she picked me up by the feet and shook me. This broke the membrane in my throat and I recovered well thereafter. There was no diphtheria vaccine and it was almost sure death to have it.

Amanda Hall Wessman Gravestone Project

Amanda Mathilda Hall was born in Sweden on April 7, 1848 to Anders Hall and Edla Maria Bruhn. She married Johan Bengtsson Wessman in 1872 in Göteborg, Sweden. After joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the family could not afford to travel together to America, so Amanda and Johan sent their daughters Fanny and Bertha first, followed by their sons Herbert and Henry. Amanda and youngest son Joseph came next, and Johan finally emigrated in 1896. The Wessman family settled in Kamas, a small town in the mountains above Salt Lake City, Utah.

Johan died shortly after he arrived in Utah and is buried in Kamas. After he died, Amanda moved to Salt Lake City and supported herself and her youngest children. As she grew older, she spent many years working in the Salt Lake Temple.

Amanda Wessman died on February 15, 1931. She is buried in an unmarked grave in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery in Salt Lake City.

Since she was the driving force behind the emigration of the Wessman family to America, we would like to honor this courageous woman with a grave marker. Because her husband Johan’s gravesite is unknown, we will also list his name on her gravestone.

The current plan for the gravestone.

Emily Wessman and Amy Tanner Thiriot, two of Amanda's great-great granddaughters, are planning a simple granite marker with an engraving of the Salt Lake Temple. The cost to engrave and place the marker will be $775. We hope to have the donations collected by June 15 and the stone placed by Pioneer Day (July 24) 2013.

Amanda's grave in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery.

You can safely and easily donate to this project at GoFundMe. As of this morning we have donations of $30 130.

Please contact us if you have any questions, to see the gravestone design, or to send a contribution by check. For project updates, see the Johan and Amanda Wessman Family page on Facebook or this blog.

Review: The Wessman Family in Sweden

An old house at a historical open-air museum in Tanum, Sweden.
From Christophe Dayer at Flickr.

After posting several rather technical snippets about the Wessman family, here is a quick review of the family history.

Our Wessman ancestors were farmers and farm workers from the countryside near the Swedish coast between Göteborg, Sweden, and the Norwegian border. 

View Larger Map

(On this map, "A" is Göteborg, the city where Johan and Amanda Wessman lived before they emigrated to America. "B" is Romelanda, Johan's birthplace, and "C" is Tanum, Amanda's birthplace.)

I have previously written a summary of the family history. It explains things like the Swedish naming system (patronymics) and the family origins. Here is a link to the history. It's in five parts but is fairly brief. (The Wessmans in Sweden.)

This fan chart shows the current state of the genealogy. It is presented here in some of the the colors of Swedish folk art. Additionally, don't miss a cool collection of pictures of Scandinavian folk art to give an idea of the cultural background of the area.

Much of the original work on the family lines was done by Johan and Amanda's granddaughter, Edna Amanda Olsen Taylor. Others in the family have gone back and checked and corrected some of her work. I am now entering my sources and corrections into FamilySearch Family Tree. With the explosion in internet resources, there is plenty more work that can and will be done on the history of the Wessman family in Sweden.

Amanda Mathilda Hall from Rungstung, Tanum, Göteborg och Bohus, Sweden

I haven't done any work on Amanda Mathilda (or Matilda) Hall's family and wanted to know how difficult it was.

First, I brought up her beautiful birth and christening record, which my mother sent a number of years ago.

Födde och Döpte år 1848...
Amanda Mathilda. 7./16. Anders Hall, E. M. Bruhn (21) u. Rungstung.
Sv. Andersß, Cath. Rasmdr i Rungst., Johs Hall på Grbßt, Ana Br. Olof i. Forsh.

Born and Christened in 1848...
Amanda Mathilda, born April 7, christened April 16th. Father Anders Hall, Mother Edla Maria Bruhn (21 years old) from Rungstung.
Witnesses: Sven Andersson, Catherine Rasmusdotter from Rungstung, [uncle] Johannes Hall from Grebbestad, Ana Brita Olofsdotter from Forshalla.

The information I wanted was the name of the farm where she was born. It was Rungstung. Here it is, at the end of this unpaved road:

View Larger Map

Here is the first place she shows up on a clerical survey.

County:  Göteborg och Bohus; Parish:  Tanum; Volume:  AI:19b; Record Type:  Husförhör (Household examination); Year Range:  1844 - 1850; Roll/Fiche:  XY-751; Handwritten/Stamped Page Number:  0/181.

The family's entry is in the right column.

It says:

Död
No. 268
Rbm. Man. And. Rasm. Hall Svbg. 1828 31/1. 1, K. dd
Hust. Edla Mar. Bruhn Udv. 1827 7/1. 1. 11 dd
Dott. Amanda Mathilda. Tan. = 48 7/4.
T. M. Svarteborg = 49

Dead
No. 268
Ropemaker Mr. Anders Rasmusson Hall, from Svarteborg, born January 1, 1828, ?.
Mrs. Edla Maria Bruhn, from Uddevalla, born January 7, 1827, ?.
Daughter Amanda Mathilda, born in Tanum April 7, 1848.
? Svarteborg in 1849.

"Dead" here refers to Edla's death about a week after the birth of her second child, Berta Carolina, in 1850.

Thanks to my mother and a helper at the Family History Library in Salt Lake for deciphering Anders Hall's profession.

The Marriage of Johan Westman and Amanda Mathilda Andersdotter

Yesterday's post with the birth record for Henry Wessman gave a clue for finding his parent's marriage record. I read through the Göteborg marriage records on Ancestry until I found the correct record book.

Here's the page showing their entry:

A close-up picture:

Excerpts from the 1873 Marriages for Gustavi Cathedral parish in Födra Dom Deanery for Göteborg Diocese and County. Page 19. ... Number 51. March 30, Westman Johan, sailor and Andersdotter Amanda Mathilda, young lady. Born 1840/1848.

So far, every single record I've seen spells Johan's surname as "Westman."

* * *

Here are the birth records for Johan and Amanda's seven children. 

Fanny Constantia

Gustavi Domkyrka, Göteborg. 1873. May 5. Fanny Constantia (...) Illegitimate. Westman Johan Sailor. Andersdotter Amanda Math/a. Mother not married. [Incorrect in record. They were married, but perhaps Johan was off at sea.]

Bertha Maria

1876. Gustavi Domkirkr, Göteborg. No. 224. February 23. Bertha Maria. Legitimate. Father Westman Johan, Sailor. Mother Mrs Andersdotter Amanda Mathilda. Mother married. Age 35/27.

Gerda Hildegard

Gustavi Dom, Göteborg, 1877. No. 42. December 28. Female. Gerda Hildegard. Legitimate. Westman Johan Sailor. Mrs. Andersdotter Anna Mathilda. Mother married. 37/29.

Anders Johan Herbert

1880. Gustavi Domkyrke. No 534. May 16. Male. Anders Johan Herbert. Legitimate. Westman Johan, Sailor. Mrs. Andersdotter Amanda Mathilda. Mother married. Age 40/32.

Johan Herbert

1882. Gustavi Domkyrka. Göteborg. No 1200. October 14. Male. John Hereberth. Legitimate. Father: Westman Johan Sailor. Mother: Mrs Andersdotter Amanda Mathilda. Mother married. Ages 42/34.

Harry Richard Emanuel

Entry 71. February 7 [1885]. Male. Harry Richard Emanuel. Legal status: legitimate. Father: Westman, Johan, sailor. G [probably marriage date] 30/3/73. Mother: Anna Mathilda Andersdotter. (O.H. 34.) Mother: married. [Ages?] 43/36. Medical attendant: "ex."

Josef Harold Moroni

No. 235. April 23, 1888. Male. Josef Harald Marone. 7th [child]. Legitimate child. Father: Westman, Johan, sailor. G 30/3/73. Age: 48. Mother: Mrs. Anna Mathilda Andersdotter. O. H. 8 ? 20. Mother married. Age 40. Medical attendant: "ex."

* * *

I have looked through all the Göteborg parishes and other jurisdictions but cannot find the death records for the two children who died in 1881, Gerda and Anders.

More Exciting Developments at TheAncestorFiles

The introduction of our first additional blogger, James Tanner, has been such a great success, that we decided to continue expanding our franchise. We're excited to announce our newest blogger, cousin Emily Wessman.

Fun times at the Wessman home. Clockwise from lower left: Marie, Eliza, Melinda, Heidi, Emily, Macrame Owl, Amy, Tiffany.

Emily has been working on the Glade and Wessman family history for quite a few years now. She has been able to collect and provide to the family an amazing number of wonderful family pictures and  letters and other memorabilia.

More happy times at the Wessman home in Sugar House, Salt Lake City, Utah.

One of Emily's family history interests is our ancestor, Elizabeth Ann Pugsley Hayward. Emily may have the opportunity to do some original research in the Utah State Archives and share some of that information here.

Additionally, Emily and I have been working together to have a gravestone placed for Amanda Matilda Hall Wessman. We will be posting more information about that soon.

Such exciting times! Welcome, Emily!

A Surprising Birth Record: Harry Richard Emanuel Westman

It's been more than 20 years since I've done any Swedish research, but when my mother mentioned that she was going to have a chance to look into the Swedish records, I decided to add my research to FamilySearch Family Tree. Back in 1991, I did a painstaking look through microfilm after microfilm of Swedish records for a Scandinavian Sources class, mostly concentrating on the direct paternal Wessman line.

One thing I never got around to was finding the birth records from the Johan and Amanda Wessman family.

Now with access to Swedish parish records on Ancestry, I decided to look for the birth record of my great grandfather, Henry Richard Emanuel Wessman and answer, once and for all, the question of the spelling of his third (baptismal) name. I ended up finding more than expected.

The family records stated that he was born in Göteborg, so I started reading through the parish records for 1885. Luckily he was born in February, so it did not require reading through each entire record book. Fourteen record books later, I found this.

Here is a close-up of his record:

Entry 71. February 7 [1885]. Male. Harry Richard Emanuel. 6th [child in the family]. Legal status: legitimate. Father: Westman, Johan, sailor. G [probably marriage date] 31/3/73. Mother: Anna Mathilda Andersdotter. (O.H. 34.) Mother: married. [Ages?] 43/36. Medical attendant: "ex."

Observations

First, "Harry"?

Second, this marriage date may provide a clue to finding Johan and Amanda's marriage record.

Third, why the spelling of "Westman"? (With Amanda's name being spelled "Anna" I wouldn't worry that this was a serious alternate spelling.)

Fourth, Amanda is still going by her patronymic name of Andersdotter at this late date, rather than "Hall." I just added a note to that effect to her Family Tree entry.

Fifth, Henry's baptismal name is spelled "Emanuel."

Finally, here's the heading from Henry's birth record, showing that the family was living in Haga, a district of Göteborg, the geographically smallest parish in Sweden, and at the time one of the poorest and toughest.

In those days after the dissolution of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, it would have taken a monumental effort for this poor Swedish family to leave that environment for America.

Amanda Hall Wessman Gravestone

While we're talking about all things Wessman, I thought I'd mention that cousin Emily and I are going to be heading an effort to provide a grave marker for Amanda Hall Wessman's grave in Salt Lake City. Here's the draft of the proposal we'll be sending to family members this spring.

(The grave marker will look different than the one shown; we're planning on including an engraving of the Salt Lake Temple on the marker.)

Fanny Constansia Wessman Parker Rule Johnson Moody

The Wessman Family, 1906, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Back, left to right: Henry, Herbert, Harold.
Front, left to right: Fannie, Amanda (mother), Bertha.

Amanda and Johan Wessman and their children were not able to emigrate to America together since they were living in reduced circumstances in Göteborg, Sweden.

The Wessmans sent their two oldest daughters, Fanny Constansia and Bertha Marie, to Utah first. Fanny had been born in Göteborg on May 5, 1873.

Joseph Harold Moroni Wessman

Joseph Harold Moroni Wessman was born in Göteborg, Sweden, on February 23, 1888, the youngest child of Johan and Amanda Hall Wessman. His parents had been members of the church for almost a decade when Joseph was born. They were working-class, and were scrimping and saving to be able to emigrate to America.

First, his two oldest sisters emigrated to Utah. Then his two older brothers Herbert and Henry traveled to Utah. Next, mother Amanda and four-year-old Joseph traveled to America in 1893 on the ship Alaska.

At first they lived in Kamas, above Park City, where Joseph's brother-in-law was homesteading. After father Johan arrived from Sweden in December 1896, and after he died in March 1898, Amanda and her minor children moved down the mountain to Salt Lake City.

They lived for a time at 47 Apple Street (1900 census), at 176 Lincoln Avenue (see article below), then later at 209 West First North (1910 census).

Joseph was a bike racer. He was mentioned in the newspaper from time to time for winning a bike race. For example, from 1909:

On May 24, 1917, Joseph married Anna Olson, the daughter of Henry and Anna Berglund Olson, in the Salt Lake City Temple. He was 29. She was 20.

From Jean's biography:

Jean and Henry liked to go out with Joe and Anna Wessman (Henry’s brother and sister-in-law). They would like to play cards. They had a lot of association with Henry's siblings.

Henry and his brother Joe had certain opinions about hair. They liked long, straight hair. Joe's wife Anna and Jean decided to have their hair cut one day. Their spouses were quite upset when they saw the new hairdos. Jean loved her haircut though. However, Jean did bring home her hair in one braided piece.

Joseph was in the printing business like his brother Henry. Here is a picture of him at a linotype machine.

I do not have much more information on the lives of Joseph and Anna Wessman. Joe died in 1961 in Los Angeles and Anna died in 1978 in Anaheim. They were both buried in Wasatch Lawn Cemetery in Salt Lake City, as was Joe's mother Amanda Wessman.

Thanks to Emily for some of the pictures.