Ture's Story - In His Own Words
Part 4 (1920-1958)
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| Ture |
Reverse Emigration - Return to Sweden
The summer of 1920 I worked for my brother Emil, he had leased a big farm. There were not that many that had tractors at that time, we had six horses to drive with. I remember one day we were cutting corn with a horse binder, we each had a pair of horses, but rode on the binder and steered the bundle carrier with our feet. We stood the horses in the shade, for it was very warm, and went to drink coffee and the horses took off and ran right in a big oat field, but they soon tired in the heat.
In the month of August we finished the hay and oat harvest. I began getting ready for a trip home to Sweden. My sister Maria was to accompany me. We reserved tickets on a Swedish boat that went directly to Göteborg. I was an American citizen so I had to arrange for a passport. That went well so we were ready to travel the last of July. It didn’t go so fast at that time. To do a long trip, the first day we rode the train to a town in southern Iowa to arrange some papers for Maria since she was not an American citizen. There we had to lay over one night, then rode to Chicago, had to stay there one night. Later the way to New York, it took two days. The Swedish American lines had its own hotel we got to stay there two nights. We had to go to the consulate to have our papers examined, it was not enough. The express was on strike but I found a man that promised to transport our trunks down to port. That went well so it was only to go on board the boat.
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| S/S Drottningholm |
It was the 9th of September, Augusta day- Mamma’s name day and she had a coffee party. The neighbors were invited. I cannot write how it felt when we stepped in the house, but happiness was big. Mamma’s coffee and fine rolls and good cookies tasted good after the long walk. Thirteen years is a right long time when one is young but we soon became used to home. There were only four in the household: Father - 60, Mother - 64, David - 20 and a hired girl. My sisters Herta and Hanna were married and had flew out of the house. My father had aged a little but looked to have good health. Mother had taken the years harder but was glad and kind as she had always been.
I didn’t mean that I would stay in Sweden, but it became that way. David would choose his military service so father asked me to stay and help him. The farmers there bought a new thresher with a motor and grinder. They wanted father to manage their machinery, that he did many years. I rode around the farms and watched threshing in the fall. After that it was grinding grits and meal during the winter. At times it was poor with water so the mills could not run, so many came there wanting to grind. My mother’s health became poor, she could not work much. Father wanted that I should take the lease on the farm. He had a few years left and I took over both the lease and the renters. That was the winter of 1923.
I became acquainted with a very kind and capable girl named Elvira, born 1900 on a little farm. There were many brothers and sisters. Her mother died when she was school age. Most of the time she was out working. She came to my brother Oscar’s when she was 15 years and stayed their 8 years. A hired girl had very hard work during that time. Everything was done by hand, both outside and inside. Elvira and I were married in the spring 1923, we were happy and compatible. I prepared a small house, painted and put on new wallpaper. Father, Mamma and Maria moved into the little house. David lived in one of our rooms. He worked for me the first summer, later working in the woods and father did too.
I got permission to hire a hired man. It didn’t work to be alone during harvest. During the winter we could work in the woods. There was not much mining now, only one charcoal stack a year. {Editor note: see appendix below "Making Coal"}. Now became the job of chopping volumes of wood and firewood, which we hauled to the railroad station. Other times we drove to a floating channel, it floated as long as it could, from there it was transported to a big saw works. Father and Mother thrived and had it so good in the little house, but in the winter 1924, Mamma became very sick and had to go to the hospital. She never came home again. There was much sorrow. Everyone thought so much of Mother.
It was a severe winter with much snow. That year we hauled lime far into April, but summer came that year also. For us it was a big happy summer. In July we got a little darling girl, we named her Ellen. It made a deal more work for mamma when there was an increase in the family, but we got much help from Maria. She was home with father in the little house, but in time we acquired a domestic girl. In that time we did everything by hand, milking and separating milk, churning butter - that we did once a week. We hauled home ice in winter, some we packed in sawdust so it lasted until summer. Butter we sold at the store or traded for other goods. I had a mowing machine, it was horse- drawn and there was an old apparatus to put on the machine so one could mow grain with it. After a few years I bought a rake. It went fast and drove the grain and laid it in fine bunches but we had to tie them by hand. It cost 500 kroner. It was big money at the time. Around the 30’s, it was hard times, impossible to sell anything. I remember I sold pork for 60 ore/kg. Two years after Ellen came a girl Mildred. She was also welcome. There were some said that it was a sin for us that it was not a boy but I answered that I always like girls.
I became acquainted with a very kind and capable girl named Elvira, born 1900 on a little farm. There were many brothers and sisters. Her mother died when she was school age. Most of the time she was out working. She came to my brother Oscar’s when she was 15 years and stayed their 8 years. A hired girl had very hard work during that time. Everything was done by hand, both outside and inside. Elvira and I were married in the spring 1923, we were happy and compatible. I prepared a small house, painted and put on new wallpaper. Father, Mamma and Maria moved into the little house. David lived in one of our rooms. He worked for me the first summer, later working in the woods and father did too.
I got permission to hire a hired man. It didn’t work to be alone during harvest. During the winter we could work in the woods. There was not much mining now, only one charcoal stack a year. {Editor note: see appendix below "Making Coal"}. Now became the job of chopping volumes of wood and firewood, which we hauled to the railroad station. Other times we drove to a floating channel, it floated as long as it could, from there it was transported to a big saw works. Father and Mother thrived and had it so good in the little house, but in the winter 1924, Mamma became very sick and had to go to the hospital. She never came home again. There was much sorrow. Everyone thought so much of Mother.
It was a severe winter with much snow. That year we hauled lime far into April, but summer came that year also. For us it was a big happy summer. In July we got a little darling girl, we named her Ellen. It made a deal more work for mamma when there was an increase in the family, but we got much help from Maria. She was home with father in the little house, but in time we acquired a domestic girl. In that time we did everything by hand, milking and separating milk, churning butter - that we did once a week. We hauled home ice in winter, some we packed in sawdust so it lasted until summer. Butter we sold at the store or traded for other goods. I had a mowing machine, it was horse- drawn and there was an old apparatus to put on the machine so one could mow grain with it. After a few years I bought a rake. It went fast and drove the grain and laid it in fine bunches but we had to tie them by hand. It cost 500 kroner. It was big money at the time. Around the 30’s, it was hard times, impossible to sell anything. I remember I sold pork for 60 ore/kg. Two years after Ellen came a girl Mildred. She was also welcome. There were some said that it was a sin for us that it was not a boy but I answered that I always like girls.
The last of the 20’s began corporations which made better work on farms. We had to deal out pasture for the animals, for my share around 15 acres. They removed all the trees and bushes and moved it away and we got a good ground fertilizer. We could lay in ditches between the acres and some tile, there was shifting between farms so there was more on same acres. I got 10 acres for my share. We got new lease contracts. I should pay 600 kroner / year and drive in woods in winter as much as I had time. Pay was poor. I drove with three, sometimes four horses, at that time the tiling was held up. I thought it was the last mile that year when I was forty. I remember Swensson, the timber warden, came to me that day and I invited him for coffee in the bunkhouse.
Two years after Mildred, we got a boy, Göte, and we were very glad. After additional two years there was a girl named Britta. Four children in six years, all born in the same month of July. Isn’t it wonderful? One can imagine how much work with so many small children. You couldn’t find many ready made clothes but one bought material and sewed them yourself. Elvira was good to sew, made many small rare clothes for the girls. First fall we were married, I went to Hällestad market, sold one cow and got 300 kroner. It was enough to buy a sewing machine, it was put to good use.
In the spring of the 30’s, I became very sick - double pneumonia. I lay at home for six weeks, doctor came many times and also the preacher came and greeted me. Everyone thought it was surely the end for me, but time for me was not out. So I began getting better, but it took most of the summer before I was wholly stable.
The children were healthy and well and grew, soon it was time to begin school. At that time they were changing the schools, so they had to go every day. We had 6 km and a poor road to schools. The little ones were hardly able to go, so there was a school strike. We had a meeting with school directors and parents. We had permission we would have rides every other day, but what would they ride on. There were so many children around there. Then there was one who suggested that we use a wood bench, but we did not think that was suitable. There was a farmer that lived by the school. He had a pair of horses and got ahold of an old cab. He started driving and it went well. When we came a few years in the 30’s, times were a little better. There were not so many unemployed an farmers got more pay for their products.
The circuit that belonged to the Hällestad Free Congregation began arrangements to build a Mission House. The group gave a little house and the plot on one of the farms in the community and they built a meeting room next to the house. There was a farmer in the community named Arvid, a young comrade to me. He was handy with little of this and that, so he got to be work boss and then everybody helped what they could. It was a very enjoyable meeting place. The house served as a kitchen and a young peoples’ room. There were many people around here at this time.
In 1937, I went with a R.L.F. and a butchering club. {Editor note: RLF was a Swedish farmers' federation}. The last of the 30’s the corporation group began to sell a part of their produce around here. The big timer owners refrained, so they sold nothing. In the fall, I bought my leased farm. Price was 22,000 kroner. It contained around 150 acres, of that six acres were pasture. The house was too small and the work demanding. In 1939, we built a new barn with room for 20 and 8 small cattle, 4 horses and a few hogs and a roomy barn, room for implements and over it a feed grinder. Also we built a granary. It was 5 meters high so it was easier to unload from. In the old house one had to scoop everything up.
Two years after Mildred, we got a boy, Göte, and we were very glad. After additional two years there was a girl named Britta. Four children in six years, all born in the same month of July. Isn’t it wonderful? One can imagine how much work with so many small children. You couldn’t find many ready made clothes but one bought material and sewed them yourself. Elvira was good to sew, made many small rare clothes for the girls. First fall we were married, I went to Hällestad market, sold one cow and got 300 kroner. It was enough to buy a sewing machine, it was put to good use.
In the spring of the 30’s, I became very sick - double pneumonia. I lay at home for six weeks, doctor came many times and also the preacher came and greeted me. Everyone thought it was surely the end for me, but time for me was not out. So I began getting better, but it took most of the summer before I was wholly stable.
The children were healthy and well and grew, soon it was time to begin school. At that time they were changing the schools, so they had to go every day. We had 6 km and a poor road to schools. The little ones were hardly able to go, so there was a school strike. We had a meeting with school directors and parents. We had permission we would have rides every other day, but what would they ride on. There were so many children around there. Then there was one who suggested that we use a wood bench, but we did not think that was suitable. There was a farmer that lived by the school. He had a pair of horses and got ahold of an old cab. He started driving and it went well. When we came a few years in the 30’s, times were a little better. There were not so many unemployed an farmers got more pay for their products.
The circuit that belonged to the Hällestad Free Congregation began arrangements to build a Mission House. The group gave a little house and the plot on one of the farms in the community and they built a meeting room next to the house. There was a farmer in the community named Arvid, a young comrade to me. He was handy with little of this and that, so he got to be work boss and then everybody helped what they could. It was a very enjoyable meeting place. The house served as a kitchen and a young peoples’ room. There were many people around here at this time.
In 1937, I went with a R.L.F. and a butchering club. {Editor note: RLF was a Swedish farmers' federation}. The last of the 30’s the corporation group began to sell a part of their produce around here. The big timer owners refrained, so they sold nothing. In the fall, I bought my leased farm. Price was 22,000 kroner. It contained around 150 acres, of that six acres were pasture. The house was too small and the work demanding. In 1939, we built a new barn with room for 20 and 8 small cattle, 4 horses and a few hogs and a roomy barn, room for implements and over it a feed grinder. Also we built a granary. It was 5 meters high so it was easier to unload from. In the old house one had to scoop everything up.
In 1939 began the second world war. Then it wasn’t long before it was poor with import of coal oil and provisions, so then began rationing of almost all we needed. For us farmers it was not so bad. Our miller was not so particular as we could grind a little extra bread grain occasionally and we had milk. We had to economize on meat coupons so we got to butcher one pig for Christmas. Wild meat was not rationed, we shot both moose and deer in the fall. Same with coffee, we got so little of.. The crops were measured in fall and determined how much was left after they had taken and firewood was chopped as much as one had trees left.
There was a school teacher named Hedenqvist. He came to us and dealt our rationing cards for this route. Occasionally I helped if he didn’t have the time. In summer my brother Carl came from American and visited us. One day we rode with horses to Count Morner in Sonstorp. He had control over all rationing for the parish in his office. Carl must have cards, it was hard to be without.
In 1943 I bought a binder. It was not very big but it went well, could pull it with two horses. It cost around 1800 kroner. We had to bind with paper twine. We had permission to use paper for everything during war years, also for fodder for cattle. It was a poor harvest year in the beginning of the 40’s. We could get no oil for lights but had to use carbide lamps. They were very difficult to look after.
In 1945 was an occurrence to talk about. The war ended and peace came to us. Here they built a power line through the district. We got electric light and power. When the electric stream turned on there was happiness and joy in homes. I bought a freezer and an electric stove and radio. We traded for a new thresher with chaff and straw blower in time also a grain auger. Also, we had a electric motor for power to pull with. Also we put in a milking machine so we got away from hand milking. At that time we began to deliver the milk to a dairy in Hällestad. There was one from this neighborhood that drove, first with horses and later it was by freight car. Dairy barns closed down and we drove milk to Finspong. The same time we became members in the milk center. Now the dairy in Finspong closed also, so milk was handled every other day with a tank truck to the milk center in Norköpping.
When Göte finished his conscript he took driving lessons and in the first part of the 50’s we bought our first car. It was a new little Ford, price around 7,000 kroner. Father was still living and stayed in the little house. In the fall he fell down and broke the lower bone in his neck. Then he laid in the hospital a long time, became well enough so he could go around a little at home. After a short time illness he went to Hällestad old peoples home in 1954, nearly 94 years old. He had always tried to do his best for his big family and other people.
The spring of 1954 we began to dig a basement for a new living house. I planned an assembled finished house with 3 rooms, kitchen and bathroom downstairs, two rooms, hall balcony and toilet up over. Also whole cellar under with furnace room, washroom, food cellar garage and utility room. There was the freezer and many other things. We drilled a well by the only gable on the house, built a little room over it with place for a pump and hydrant. There was water for both us and the cattle. We did the most coarse work ourselves, but there were so many different handicraft workers to work on a living house, so it was hard to find them when we needed, but all went well. It was finished so we moved in time for Christmas in our new home ad we were very glad and thankful that Christmas.
I began to come to pension age so I let Göte lease the farm. He took over all business and soon he bought himself a tractor. After that the work went fast and much lighter. We had one horse a few years but now we have none. Now we had a few years without big expense, times were right good. We traded cars, got a new red Simca, we drove around right so much. On Sundays we were often in meetings in the congregation. Also we rode and looked at shows, many friends and others we knew, our children and their families we had to say hello to.
Luck and good fortune wasn’t for all times. Elvira, my dear wife, our kind and good mamma, became sick. She was in the hospital for a long time. There she had many hard treatments. It looked like it would help, she became better, came home, she improved. We were all glad and thought our mamma would be healthy, but it did not go as we thought. There is a higher power that rules over us all. One Sunday morning in June 1958, mamma was called home. It was the hardest day in my life, also it was that four our children.
He who rules over all, does what is best for us and gives us strength to bear all sorrow, how hard they are, life must go further.
Editor Note: In the early 70's, my wife and I and our 1 year-old son visited Sweden and were hosted by Ture and his family in their home in Forest Bed.
Here I end Ture's Story, a good and honorable man.
The first one did was to build a bunk to live in. First a wall was built for fire of smooth stones, afterwards we made a saw horse 2 meters high and just as long , so tight as one could get it with pine branches and then laid turf outside the door. It was then nailed together with several boards. It was loose. We used a stick against it when we were going to be outside. As a makeshift, we sawed 4 short boards, two to each side and many fine twigs so it was soft to sit an lay on. There was a walk way between the beds, a loose board over walk became table and so the bunk was finished. It was warm and fine as long as the fire burned, coffee pot was always on the fireplace. Sometimes there would be a little rat that became so tame when he got a little bread crust.
The bottom should be around 10 meters in diameter, level and no slope, First we rolled in a coarse block in the middle and put braces around so it stood steady. Then we made a little drum to drop near fire, then there was to gather up wood round about. Then we packed a little in bottom to begin with so that it became a light. When we thought it was large enough so the draft burned bark off wood, we laid some smaller wood on top. Then it was only to add more. It took many loads of pine branches, one began near bottom till the whole mound was green, Then it was time to cover up milan with dirt. We started with the top, then the bottom. It had to be 12” of dirt and had to be packed good. Then it was time to make a ladder. It was made from a log cut out steps and then make a railing because in the dark we had to hold on so we didn’t fall. Now it was time to light milan and we started a fire on top and pushed it down the center in the drum and filled it with dry wood and then put spruce wood on top, holes to let the smoke out. At the bottom we made a few air holes to keep the fire going. Then it was only to put more wood on to make it hot enough to start making coal.
Sometimes the first few days gases build up and you had an explosion. Then it could happen the milan burned up, but it never happened to me. If everything went ok, you only had to put wood on a couple times a day and move the smoke holes. It was risky to go upon milan , you had to have a club to hit with. If someone stepped on it, it may cave in. It took 3 weeks to make coal on milan, then it was time to put the fire out in the milan. We made mulch from water and dirt and packed it all over milan to it got air tight to choke out the fire.
There was a school teacher named Hedenqvist. He came to us and dealt our rationing cards for this route. Occasionally I helped if he didn’t have the time. In summer my brother Carl came from American and visited us. One day we rode with horses to Count Morner in Sonstorp. He had control over all rationing for the parish in his office. Carl must have cards, it was hard to be without.
In 1943 I bought a binder. It was not very big but it went well, could pull it with two horses. It cost around 1800 kroner. We had to bind with paper twine. We had permission to use paper for everything during war years, also for fodder for cattle. It was a poor harvest year in the beginning of the 40’s. We could get no oil for lights but had to use carbide lamps. They were very difficult to look after.
In 1945 was an occurrence to talk about. The war ended and peace came to us. Here they built a power line through the district. We got electric light and power. When the electric stream turned on there was happiness and joy in homes. I bought a freezer and an electric stove and radio. We traded for a new thresher with chaff and straw blower in time also a grain auger. Also, we had a electric motor for power to pull with. Also we put in a milking machine so we got away from hand milking. At that time we began to deliver the milk to a dairy in Hällestad. There was one from this neighborhood that drove, first with horses and later it was by freight car. Dairy barns closed down and we drove milk to Finspong. The same time we became members in the milk center. Now the dairy in Finspong closed also, so milk was handled every other day with a tank truck to the milk center in Norköpping.
When Göte finished his conscript he took driving lessons and in the first part of the 50’s we bought our first car. It was a new little Ford, price around 7,000 kroner. Father was still living and stayed in the little house. In the fall he fell down and broke the lower bone in his neck. Then he laid in the hospital a long time, became well enough so he could go around a little at home. After a short time illness he went to Hällestad old peoples home in 1954, nearly 94 years old. He had always tried to do his best for his big family and other people.
The spring of 1954 we began to dig a basement for a new living house. I planned an assembled finished house with 3 rooms, kitchen and bathroom downstairs, two rooms, hall balcony and toilet up over. Also whole cellar under with furnace room, washroom, food cellar garage and utility room. There was the freezer and many other things. We drilled a well by the only gable on the house, built a little room over it with place for a pump and hydrant. There was water for both us and the cattle. We did the most coarse work ourselves, but there were so many different handicraft workers to work on a living house, so it was hard to find them when we needed, but all went well. It was finished so we moved in time for Christmas in our new home ad we were very glad and thankful that Christmas.
I began to come to pension age so I let Göte lease the farm. He took over all business and soon he bought himself a tractor. After that the work went fast and much lighter. We had one horse a few years but now we have none. Now we had a few years without big expense, times were right good. We traded cars, got a new red Simca, we drove around right so much. On Sundays we were often in meetings in the congregation. Also we rode and looked at shows, many friends and others we knew, our children and their families we had to say hello to.
Luck and good fortune wasn’t for all times. Elvira, my dear wife, our kind and good mamma, became sick. She was in the hospital for a long time. There she had many hard treatments. It looked like it would help, she became better, came home, she improved. We were all glad and thought our mamma would be healthy, but it did not go as we thought. There is a higher power that rules over us all. One Sunday morning in June 1958, mamma was called home. It was the hardest day in my life, also it was that four our children.
He who rules over all, does what is best for us and gives us strength to bear all sorrow, how hard they are, life must go further.
Editor Note: In the early 70's, my wife and I and our 1 year-old son visited Sweden and were hosted by Ture and his family in their home in Forest Bed.
Here I end Ture's Story, a good and honorable man.
Appendix: Making Coal
Editor note: Here is an example of the degree of self-sufficiency required when living in rural Sweden in the early 20th century - "making coal". (I could not find a definition for the word "milan", but I assume it refers to the wood/dirt mound).The first one did was to build a bunk to live in. First a wall was built for fire of smooth stones, afterwards we made a saw horse 2 meters high and just as long , so tight as one could get it with pine branches and then laid turf outside the door. It was then nailed together with several boards. It was loose. We used a stick against it when we were going to be outside. As a makeshift, we sawed 4 short boards, two to each side and many fine twigs so it was soft to sit an lay on. There was a walk way between the beds, a loose board over walk became table and so the bunk was finished. It was warm and fine as long as the fire burned, coffee pot was always on the fireplace. Sometimes there would be a little rat that became so tame when he got a little bread crust.
The bottom should be around 10 meters in diameter, level and no slope, First we rolled in a coarse block in the middle and put braces around so it stood steady. Then we made a little drum to drop near fire, then there was to gather up wood round about. Then we packed a little in bottom to begin with so that it became a light. When we thought it was large enough so the draft burned bark off wood, we laid some smaller wood on top. Then it was only to add more. It took many loads of pine branches, one began near bottom till the whole mound was green, Then it was time to cover up milan with dirt. We started with the top, then the bottom. It had to be 12” of dirt and had to be packed good. Then it was time to make a ladder. It was made from a log cut out steps and then make a railing because in the dark we had to hold on so we didn’t fall. Now it was time to light milan and we started a fire on top and pushed it down the center in the drum and filled it with dry wood and then put spruce wood on top, holes to let the smoke out. At the bottom we made a few air holes to keep the fire going. Then it was only to put more wood on to make it hot enough to start making coal.
Sometimes the first few days gases build up and you had an explosion. Then it could happen the milan burned up, but it never happened to me. If everything went ok, you only had to put wood on a couple times a day and move the smoke holes. It was risky to go upon milan , you had to have a club to hit with. If someone stepped on it, it may cave in. It took 3 weeks to make coal on milan, then it was time to put the fire out in the milan. We made mulch from water and dirt and packed it all over milan to it got air tight to choke out the fire.
Our lives are too easy, by comparison. We've lost something.
ReplyDeleteOur lives are too easy, by comparison. We've lost something.
ReplyDelete