Helgum parish is located in Västernorrlands län in the northern part of Sweden. It is in the area called Ångermanland. The church is located in the valley where the beautiful clear waters of the Faxälven flow into the Helgumsjön. This was the home to a group of Swedish people who decided in the 1860's that maybe life would be better for them in America. In 1867, Hans Hallander led them across the Atlantic to a place in western Iowa - the place that would eventually be known as Kiron. Others who came early on were the Anders Andersson family, the Lars Peter Olsson family, Olof Gradin, Jonas Fanberg, Oluf Edlund and dotter, the Lars Andersson family, Jöns Hedström family, and Jonas Hedström.

Anders Andersson and Lars Andersson were brothers. Their parents were Anders Andersson and Margit Svensdotter. They had a sister named Kristina and a sister named Maria who stayed in Sweden. Kristina married Lars Andersson and they had eight children. They were: Anders, Kristina, Lars, Abram, Johan, Matilda, Anna, and Selma.