Kiron Kountry Pioneers in Centennial Feb 10, 1998

SENIOR CITIZEN PIONEERS


The following are 'Thumbnail Sketches' of some of the oldest immigrants that were present in the Kiron vicinity.  The plan is to add to these sketches as additional credible information becomes available and hopefully develop a biography that includes their entire life.  The primary criteria used for placement  in this list is age. (This list first appeared in the 10 February 1998 issue of the Kiron Centennial)


Andersson, Nils
 Nils was born on 17 April 1800 in Kristianstad län in Sweden.  Immigrated around 1869 with wife and family.  He purchased 80 acres in the NW of  Stockholm section 8.  He built one of the first frame houses in the settlement.  Nils retired, sold the land and moved to farm of daughter in Hayes township around 1885.  He died on 22 February 1887 in Hayes township and is buried in Kiron Cemetery.

Olsson, Olof
 Olof was born on 6 May 1800 in Hassela, Gälveborgs län in Sweden.  He immigrated around 1880 to Wheeler township.  He is father of  three sons who were all carpenters and  built the strongest beam-based house in the settlement with tenon and mortised building methods.  Married to Sigrid Erickson in Sweden.  Died on 14 September 1888 at home in Wheeler township.  He is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Petersson, Johan
 Johan was born on 11 March 1810 on the Kroxtorp farm in Misterhult parish in Kalmar län in Sweden.  He was a boat skipper in Sweden.  He and his wife Anna immigrated with a large group of Swedes from Misterhult to northern Crawford county in May of 1868.  He purchased land in the NE of Otter Creek section 13 and began the life of a farmer.  He died on 3 August of 1878 at his farm home and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.
 
Linman, Carl
 Carl was born in 1811 in Sweden (probably in Östergötland län).  He married Margaret Johnson there and their six children were born there.  The parents and four living children came to Stockholm township in 1869 and purchased the NE of section 8 from Christ Christianson where they began farming.  He and his wife attended the Swedish Mission church.  He died on 21 December 1901 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Lind, Nils Ingemar
 Nils was born on 4 January 1813 in Sweden.  He and wife Ingri Magdalena immigrated to America in 1857 and came to Otter Creek township in the 1870’s buying land in the NE of  Section 1.  He was a farmer until the late 1890’s when he retired.  He died on 1 June 1900 and is buried in the Bethel Cemetery.

Engström, Sara Christina
 Sara was born on 2 February 1813 in the village of Figeholm in Kalmar län in Sweden.  She married Carl Peter Frodig in Sweden.  Two of her children died as babies in Sweden.  She is one of the original Kiron area immigrants having left Sweden with her husband and daughter in June of 1865 to join the Swedish settlement at Swedebend near Stratford in Iowa.  Two years later they came to live in a “dugout” on their own farm in the SE of Stockholm section 19.  She was a charter member of the Swedish Baptist church which was started in her humble home.  She was an active mid-wife during the first 15 years in the new settlement.  She made her home with her daughter in Wheeler township in her late eighties.  She died on 27 January 1901.  She is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Berggren, Paul
 Paul was born on 14 January 1814 in Malmöhus län in Sweden.  After his wife died he immigrated to America in the early 1880’s with his daughter to the farm home of his son in the SW of Wheeler section 29.   He lived with his son and family until his death on 15 April 1887.  He is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Petersson, Gustaf Fredrick
 Gustaf was born on 11 June 1814 at the Figsjökrog dwelling in Misterhult parish in Kalmar län in Sweden.  He married Christina Nilsdotter over there and had a daughter Mary Gustafsdotter.  Gustaf was a boat skipper sailing out of the seacoast village of Figeholm.  On 29 November 1868 the family left Sweden for northern Crawford county.  They bought land first in the NE of Otter Creek section 11 and added more in the NE of Otter Creek section 2.  He retired from farming  around 1885 and went to live with daughter’s family in Hayes township in Ida county.

Johnson, Axel
 Axel was born in Bronestad parish in Kristianstad län in Sweden on 13 April 1815.  He married Pernilla Nilsdotter in Sweden and had several children.  The family immigrated from Sweden to Henry County, Illinois in 1866 where they started farming.  Several of the daughters married and moved to northern Crawford county.  Around the early eighties, Axel retired from farming and came with his wife to live with his oldest daughter, Johanna Engberg, and family in Stockholm township section 8.  He died on 13 March 1885 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Beck, Nils Peter
 Nils was born on 9 May 1815 in Kalmar län Sweden, probably at Bankhult farm in Kristdala.  He married Lena Maria Persdotter and they had six children.  They were living in Figeholm, Sweden when they immigrated with their daughter Anna to America in May 1868.  They came with several Misterhult area immigrants to Swedebend and on to north Crawford county where they bought land in the NE of Otter Creek section 13.  The family were members of the Swedish Baptist church.  Nils died on 19 August 1889 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Persdotter, Lena Maria
 Lena Maria was born at Grindstuga on the Virum manor in Misterhult parish in Kalmar län in Sweden.  She married Nils Peter Beck  in 1845 and had six children.  She immigrated with her husband and daughter to Iowa in May 1868 and settled into a “dugout” home on the NE of Otter Creek section 13.  She was a charter member of the Swedish Baptist church in Aug of 1868.  After her husband’s death she moved to live with her son Fred in Odebolt.  She died there on 24 March 1895 and is buried next to her husband in the Kiron Cemetery.
 
Sparfeldt, Jöns
 Jöns was born the farthest north of all the immigrants.  His birthdate is 12 June 1815 and his birthplace is on the Finnvattnet farm north of Ström in Jamtland län in Sweden.  He was married to Anna Johansdotter of Ramsele and had five children.  He immigrated with his youngest son and came to Stockholm township in the winter of 1867.  He purchased an 80 acre farm in NW Stockholm township section 20 in February 1868 and lived there the remainder of his life.  He died 9 May 1895 and he is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.  His farm stayed in the family and qualified for one of the first Iowa Century farms around Kiron.

Andersson, John P.
 John was born on 23 June 1815 in Sweden (Västervik area) and came to the north Crawford county area by way of Chicago in 1870.  Financially prudent, he had accumulated $1000 of Stockholm township real estate in section 7 by June of 1870.  Together with son Charles J. they built one of the first above ground houses in the community in late 1870.  His family provided a temporary home for traveling clergy in the early days.  He died on 7 February 1908 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Weberg, Peter W.
 Peter was born on 26 August 1815 in the Norrköping area of Sweden and married Bertha Lydia Johnson there.  They immigrated to Iowa and came with the group from Swedebend to north Crawford county in  August 1867.  He purchased an 80 acre farm in the SE of Stockholm section 19 next to the Frodig farm.  He was a member of the  Swedish Baptist church.  A farmer all his life, he retired and moved into the Erickson log house of the neighboring farm to be cared for by Mrs. Erickson.  He died on Christmas day 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska.  He was buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Ericksson, Erick
 Very little is known about Erick’s early days.  He was born in 1816 in Sweden, married Anna there, and came to northern Crawford county with the group from Swedebend in August of 1867.  At that time he purchased a farm in the NW of Stockholm section 19.  A carpenter by trade, he distinguished himself by immediately setting out to build an above ground “Log Cabin” instead of a “dug-out” as a home.  The Erickson’s have one known son in this area who used the name of Nyland.  Erick  only got to enjoy his farm for about ten years as he died on 5 August 1879.  He is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Lindblad, Nicolaus
 Nicolaus was born on 5 November 1816 in Ingatorp parish which is in Jönköping län, Sweden.  He was a military man and had a 40 year career in the Army of the King of Sweden.  He married Elizabeth Johnson and came to America with the families of their three daughters around 1870.  After a short time in the north part of Michigan and in Illinois they came to the Kiron area.  The four families all bought property in Wheeler section 31 and began farming.  Nicolaus has the distinction of having enjoyed a very long vigorous life.  One of the leaders of the Bethel Lutheran church, he was honored at the church on his 100th birthday.  He died on 30 September 1919 and is buried in the Bethel Cemetery.

Hansdotter, Anna
 Anna was born on 14 January 1817 in Hassela socken in Gävleborgs län, Sweden.   With her  husband Erick Ljunglof, she came to the Kiron area in 1881 settling on a farm in Hayes township.  She spent her remaining days with the families of her children who were farming in the area.  She died on 23 April 1907 and is buried in the Kiron  cemetery.

Star, Charles J.
 Charles was born on 13 June 1817 in Sweden and immigrated with his wife Margaret and daughter Carolina to America around 1852.  They first settled around Rock Island, Illinois and came to Swedebend in Iowa around 1855 where they farmed for several years.  Charles, along with Carl Frodig and Nils Rodin, were the original threesome that selected the Kiron community in July 1867 as the future homesite for the Swedish immigrants.  He lived on his farm in Otter Creek section 13 and made a building available on his farm for the first schoolhouse in the area.  It also served as the place of worship for the early Swedish Baptists of which he was a charter member.  Charles died on 24 March 1886 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Nilsson, Peter
 Peter was born  on the island of Hunö off the east coast of Sweden in the parish of  Misterhult and  in Kalmar län.  His first wife, Maria Christina Jönsdotter, died leaving Peter with young children so he married Maria Greta Clausdotter, a sister to Carl Fredrik and Sara Lotta.  The Nelsons left Sweden for Iowa in May 1867 and in August they purchased a farm in Stockholm township.  They raised a large family on this farm in the SW of section 19, but all of them moved away.  Peter died on 20 Feb 1888 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Lindberg, Nils
 Nils was born on 28 December 1817 in Sweden and came to America with wife Bengta and three sons and two daughters around 1866.  He was with the group from Swedebend who came and purchased land in north Crawford county in August 1867.  His farm was the NW of Stockholm section 18.  It was on his farm that the first to die of the immigrants were laid to rest in the extreme northeast corner of his farm.  This eventually became the site of the original Kiron Cemetery.  Nils was a charter member of the Swedish Baptist church and served as its first chairman.  He died suddenly on 30 April 1872 and is buried with two of his babies in the Kiron Cemetery.

Nilsdotter, Cathrina
 Cathrina was born on 7 May 1818 in Sweden (Västervik area).  She married John P. Anderson and immigrated to America.  They lived for a time in the Chicago area and came to the north Crawford area around 1870 starting their farm in the E of  Stockholm section 7.  She had one of the first above ground houses which she shared with traveling ministers.  She died on 7 March 1904 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery next to her husband and granddaughter.

Petersson, Lars Magnus
 Lars was born on 17 September 1818 at Figsjökrog in Misterhult parish in Kalmar län in Sweden.  He was a laborer and sailor in the area around Figeholm. His wife Anna Maria Magnusdotter and his two young children died in Sweden.  He came to northern Crawford county around 1880 and stayed with his brothers and nieces families in Otter Creek township.  He attended the Baptist church.  He died on 26 Dec 1910 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Lundell, Andrew W.
 Andrew was born on 6 Feb 1819 in Skaraborgs län in Västergötland, Sweden.  He, his wife Anna, and their three children immigrated to Princeton, Illinois in 1869 and came to the Kiron area about 10 years later.  They settled on a farm in Wheeler township in the NW of section 29. Andrew died on 23 Feb 1896 and is buried in the Bethel Cemetery alongside his wife.
 
Swensson, Carl Christian
 Carl was born on the Hillorp farm in the North Akarp parish in Kristianstads län in Sweden on 11 June 1821.  He married Elna Olsdotter and together with three children immigrated to America arriving at Swede Bend on 4 July 1866.  In March 1880 they purchased some land from Nils Rodin and began a small farming operation in the SW of Stockholm section 18.  Carl was also a carpenter. A religious family, he saw his son go to Seminary at Morgan Park in Chicago and his daughter go to Nurses Missionary training.  Unfortunately, both died unexpectedly young.  Carl passed away on 20 June 1882 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Berg, Olof
 Olof was born on 19 July 1821 near Bjuråker in Gävleborgs län in Hälsingland, Sweden.  He married Katherine Uddblom and together with their four children immigrated to the Kiron area in 1870.  They purchased a farm in the NW of Stockholm section 5 where Olof continued his blacksmith trade while his son did the farming.  Olof lived his retired years with the families of his children and died 14 August 1883 on the farm.  He is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Peterson, Waldemar
 Waldemar was born 11 March 1822 in Kristianstad län in southern Sweden.  He married Hanna Hansson there and the family immigrated to Swedebend, Iowa and on to the Kiron area by August of 1867.  They purchased a sizable farm in Otter Creek township in section 24 along the Otter Creek river bed and here they set up their farming operation.  He was a charter member of the Swedish Baptist church.  Waldemar died on 2 May 1904 at his son’s farm home in Hayes township.  Burial was in the Kiron Cemetery.

Carlsson, Peter
 Peter  was born 16 December 1822 around Stockholm in Sweden.  He married Anna Mary Johnson from Karlstad around 1850.  With their four living children they immigrated to America and arrived in north Crawford county in August 1867.  He purchased 80 acres from the Providence Western Land Company in the NE of  Stockholm section 19.  He was a charter member of the Swedish Baptist church.  Peter died on 25 July 1892 and was buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Swede (Svensk), Jonas
 Jonas was born in February 1823 in Sweden.  There he married Ingrid Göransdotter and had two sons, Erick and Jonas, Jr.  They all immigrated from Sweden to the Kiron area in 1870.  They lived on a farm on the NW of Wheeler township section 19.  His two sons were two of the earliest to set up a general merchandise store in Old Kiron.  Jonas, Sr. was a farmer.  After the early unexpected death of his son, he made a home for his sons family.  Jonas, Sr. died on 8 May 1902 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Hamren, C. Ludwig
 C. Ludwig was born in northern Sweden in May of 1823.  His obituary refers to him as Baptist minister in Sweden.  He immigrated with wife Christine and sons Charles and Josef  to the north Crawford area around 1870.  They farmed in the SW of Otter Creek section 13 along the Otter Creek River.  Records show he drowned crossing the river after attending some meeting on 5 September 1875.  He is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.
 

Lindberg, Olof
 Olof was born 9 October 1823 in Bollnäs socken in Gävleborgs län in the Hälsingland province of Sweden.  He was married around 1860 to Mary and they had one daughter Anna Marie.  The family immigrated to America around 1860 and came to north Crawford county around 1869.  Olof was able to purchase 80 acres in the SW of Stockholm section 20 and he set up a the first blacksmith shop in the Swedish settlement at his farmstead. (Later this corner was called Johnsonville for a short while.)  His hired farm laborer married his daughter and moved to a farm in the NW of Otter Creek section 13 so Olof sold the farm to neighbor Julius Johnson and moved his shop to the new farm.  Here he spent the remaining years of his life.  He died in November of 1897 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.

Olsson, Peter B.
 Peter was born in Skåne, Sweden about 1824.  He married Anna Holmquist and immigrated to the north Crawford county area before 1870.  After Nils Lindbergs untimely death, Peter purchased the east 80 acres from the Lindbergs in the NW of Stockholm section 18.  After getting the deed to the farm, he gave the 2 acres used for the cemetery to the Kiron Cemetery Association.  When the Mons Berggren family arrived, he set aside the north 28 acres for them to get started farming.  When they obtained a larger farm in Wheeler township, he set aside an acre next to the northwest corner of the cemetery for the first Church of God (Ev.Free) church building.   He died on 2 April 1891 and is buried in the Kiron Cemetery.
 


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