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Johan Edvard Gustafsson was born on 23 Dec 1861 on the farm called Stenstorp #2. This place is located within the parish of Rolfstorp in Halland län in Sweden. He was the oldest son of Gustaf Svensson and Johanna Maria Johansdotter who were farmers. He had five younger sisters and brothers. He also had five older half brothers and sisters - two of which died in infancy. Their mother was Helena Bengtsdotter who died at age 40. In the spring of 1885, Johan emigrated to America. In the fall of 1886, his younger brother Nils came to join him. Nils was only 14 years old. They probably chose Kiron because the Hansson's, Gundersson's, Samuelsson's, Andersson's among others had previously left from that part of Sweden for America and had settled in the area of Kiron. Two years later in the spring of 1887, he returned to Sweden probably because his mother had died and left his 11 year old sister Klara parentless. After making satisfactory arrangements, he returned to Kiron. Much later, a son of this sister, Gustav Karlsson, would come to Kiron and work on several Kiron farms in the 1920's. Gustav returned to Sweden when the depression came. Johan married Emma Carlson of Hayes Township on 24 Feb 1891 and they started farming. The following spring his young nephew, Carl Johansson who was only 17, left Stenstorp and came to Kiron. Carl traveled with his childhood friend, Ed Anderson also 17, who also was from the Stenstorp farm. Ed was well known in the Kiron area by the nickname of "Big Ed". He married Alma Anderson whose parents had come earlier from the same part of Sweden. Carl took the name of Gustafson in Kiron probably to show association with his uncle Johan Edvard Gustafsson (John Edward Gustafson). (Editors note: Carl is my farfar.) Nils Gustafsson who was working in Hayes Township, became ill in the 1890's and returned to Sweden in 1894. He died in 1902 at his sister Albertina's place on Lundby farm in the adjacent parish of Valinge. He is buried in the church cemetery there. Twelve children were born to John and Emma in Kiron. Four of them died in infancy. They raised their 7 boys and 1 girl on their farm in Wheeler Township in Sac County. Four of the boys stayed in the Kiron area and operated farms. The rest found life's work in California, South Dakota, and other places in Iowa. John and Emma lived the rest of their lives on their Kiron farm. Their final resting place is in the Hayes Cemetery. In this collection are pictures of the family especially the family gatherings when the children would come back to the farm for visits. |