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Särskilda ämnen & övrigt => Discussions in English => Ämnet startat av: James Halsey skrivet 2020-06-27, 21:19
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Hello,
I'm searching for the origins of an ancestor of mine who is the biggest "brick wall" in my genealogical research. Below I've listed all the information I have of him. I will note that I've done DNA testing and my closest Swedish DNA matches (besides those from southern Sweden who are connected to me through a well-researched part of my tree) all seem to have ancestors Högbo, Gästrikland.
He went by the name Lewis Hedberg in the US. The details I have of him come only from a small number of records, including the 1900 and 1905 US censuses, his marriage record, and his death certificate, and much of it is conflicting - leading me to believe much of the info is misleading if not outright wrong. He emigrated from Sweden in 1886 according to the two census records, however I have no records until he shows up in directory records from Des Moines, Iowa in 1895.
First name: Lewis, Louis, Lucie
Surname: Hedberg
Birth location: Sweden
Birthdate: Sep 1866, Sep 1867, July 13 1867
Immigration year: 1886
Death: Jan 16 1907 in Des Moines, Iowa
Father's name: Hans Hedberg (in marriage record), John Hedberg (in death certificate)
Mother's name: Anna
Occupation: Blacksmith
Regarding DNA evidence, many of my highest Swedish matches are connected to a public family tree on geni.com: https://www.geni.com/people/Jöns-Jönsson-Högfors/6000000013579334321?through=6000000013579675108 (https://www.geni.com/people/Jöns-Jönsson-Högfors/6000000013579334321?through=6000000013579675108)
Several of my DNA matches share this common ancestor, and perhaps my closest Swedish match is descended from his daughter Anna Jönsdotter Abrahamsson. Unfortunately I am unable to find anyone who is actually in this tree whose identity would be consistent with Lewis Hedberg.
This has been quite challenging to figure out. Does anyone have any insight?
Thank you in advance.
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I think I have a candidate for you but this needs to be further investigated. Perhaps with more DNA testing. And it would also mean a slight change in the last name...however, this candidate is from Högbo parish, he emigrated in 1887 and I think that I can connect him to the family tree you linked.
Details (I have added the Swedish church records as references but I don't know if you have access or any experience with them before):
Lars Mathias Högberg born September 21st 1865 (sometimes also written September 22nd or 24th 1865 in the examination rolls) left Högbo parish January 25th 1887, Högbo AI:14 (1886-1890) Page 39 (ArkivDigital).
This is his passenger list from Gothenburg:
Name: L M Högberg
Birth Year: abt 1866
Gender: Man (Male)
Place of Origin: Högbo Gävleborg Län, Sverige
Destination: Philadelphia
Record Date: 4 feb 1887
Port of Departure: Göteborg
Database Name: EmiHamn
Archive Call Number: 31:77:7630
Principal Person: Högberg L M
I think this is his arrival to New York even though ancestry has messed up the name:
Name: Lars M Magberg
Arrival Date: 19 Feb 1887
Birth Date: abt 1866
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: Swedish
Place of Origin: Sweden
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Destination: USA
Port of Arrival: New York, New York, USA
Ship Name: Etruria
I have seen before that the name Lars can become Lewis or Louis but I cannot really explain why (if this is the right man) Högberg became Hedberg. Also, found no trace of this man in Pennsylvania (destination was Philadelphia).
Anyway, Lars Mathias parents names where Hans Mattsson Högberg (bJuly 20th 1834) and Anna Larsdotter (b December 25th 1828).
I think that I can connect Anna Larsdotter to the tree you provided:
Annas parents were Lars Larsson born July 20th 1793 and Märgta/Margta/Märta (different writings in the different books) Svensdotter born March 20th 1804. Lars and Margta lived in Östanbyn but Margta was born in Överbyn (both in Högbo parish), Högbo AI:4 (1821-1826) page 62.
Margtas parents where Sven Olofsson born 1772 and Stina Jonsdotter born 1776, Högbo AI:2 (1803-1810) page 33.
Stina Jonsdotters father was Jon Olofsson born 1733, Högbo AI:1 (1780-1800) page 123. She had a brother named Olof Jonsson born 1759.
Olofs granddaughter was Margta Ersdotter born November 5th 1818 (her father was Eric Olofsson, son of Olof) and she was married to Jöns Jönsson Högfors.
Högbo AI:5 (1827-1836) page 134. (Margta Ersdotter with parents)
Högbo AI:6 (1837-1841) page 29. (Margta Ersdotter with her husband)
There might be other family connections as well but this one was the one I could find for now. And that would make Lars Mathias Högberg and Anna Jönsdotter (m to Abraham Abrahamsson) 3rd or 4th cousins? How good was your DNA match?
I also found "bouppteckningar" for both of Lars Mathias Högbergs parents. Similar to probates.
His mother Anna Larsdotter died February 14th 1902 and her bouppteckning can be found in Gästriklands östra tingslags häradsrätt FII:23 (1902) Image 2020 / Page 401. Here only Lars Mathias is mentioned as living in North America (no further details).
His father Hans Högberg died December 10th 1921 and his bouppteckning can be found in Gästriklands östra domsagas häradsrätt FII:3 (1922) Image 800 / Page 43. Here it says that Lars Mathias Högberg is not living anymore but he has five children. However, their names are unfortunately not known. It only states that they live in North America.
So, Lars Mathias Högberg died sometime between 1902 and 1922 and he had 5 children.
Not sure how to go further with this without more DNA testing. Maybe someone else has further ideas or maybe found some holes in the information that I have listed...?
And what are your thoughts about all of this?
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I agree with Kristina Rylander, this must be the right man. I saw him but rejected him as Hedberg is such a good Swedish name, but Högberg is of course not working in US, and then Hedberg is a good "translation". Everything else are good translations or probable deviations.
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Wow, Kristina, thank you. I think you found my great-great-grandfather.
I have seen before that the name Lars can become Lewis or Louis but I cannot really explain why (if this is the right man) Högberg became Hedberg.
I had suspected he may have changed his surname to Hedberg at some point, based on the fact that there were no good Hedberg candidates in US immigration records, that it's not a name that shows up with any regularity in my DNA matches, and that he suddenly shows up as "Lewis Hedberg" in 1895 which was years after his immigration date. So that you found his real surname to be something else doesn't surprise me.
There might be other family connections as well but this one was the one I could find for now. And that would make Lars Mathias Högberg and Anna Jönsdotter (m to Abraham Abrahamsson) 3rd or 4th cousins? How good was your DNA match?
My match, who is the great-great-granddaughter of Anna Jönsdotter, and I share 0.7% of our DNA (46.3 cM across 3 segments, largest 20.7 cM). That's enough for our estimated relationship to be 3rd-5th cousins. Makes me wonder if there is a closer relationship in the tree somewhere, but perhaps that just reflects the randomness of DNA inheritance.
In any case I just took another look at the trees from some of my higher Swedish matches and found some more evidence that suggests you found the right person. I share one large 48 cM segment with someone who is descended from a Högberg from Högbo (Erik Högberg, born 1807), although I don't see where the connection lies as their tree doesn't go farther back than this individual. Even more confirmatory, however, is that one of my matches is the great-x4-grandson of the Sven Olofsson and Stina Jonsdotter that you mention.
I also found "bouppteckningar" for both of Lars Mathias Högbergs parents. Similar to probates.
His mother Anna Larsdotter died February 14th 1902 and her bouppteckning can be found in Gästriklands östra tingslags häradsrätt FII:23 (1902) Image 2020 / Page 401. Here only Lars Mathias is mentioned as living in North America (no further details).
His father Hans Högberg died December 10th 1921 and his bouppteckning can be found in Gästriklands östra domsagas häradsrätt FII:3 (1922) Image 800 / Page 43. Here it says that Lars Mathias Högberg is not living anymore but he has five children. However, their names are unfortunately not known. It only states that they live in North America.
So, Lars Mathias Högberg died sometime between 1902 and 1922 and he had 5 children.
Both facts are consistent with Lewis Hedberg. He died in 1907 from tuberculosis and did indeed have 5 children.
On the whole it seems impossible that this would not be him. Thank you so much for solving this. I genuinely thought his identity would remain a mystery to my family forever.
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This Erik Högberg born 1807 is interesting but I think it could be difficult finding out who his father was.
Looks like he was the illegitimate son of Greta Lisa Ekstrand born 1781 (not sure where she was born), Högbo AI:4 (1821-1826) page 23 (think the priest wrote Greta Cajsa instead of Greta Lisa here though). I cannot find Erik in the birth records for Högbo....
Greta Lisa Ekstrand shows up in Högbo AI:3 (1810-1820) page 4 when Nils Anderssons wife dies in 1810. She marries him.
Maybe someone more familiar with Högbo can help with this...?