Höckert, Oskar b1855, emigr Sweden 1875-1882 to Chicago

[Lauren Hockert]

Hello distant cousins!
 I have been searching extensively for my g-g-grandfather, Oskar Höckert born about 1855, who emigrated from Sweden to Chicago, Illinois sometime between 1875 - 1882. I do not know where he came from, and cannot find him in any passenger manifests arriving in America during that time period. The first evidence of his presence in America is when he marries Sofia Augusta Andersson in Chicago, Illinois on 29 Dec 1882. She was also an immigrant from Sweden, but I do not know where she was born either and her name appears to be a common one in Sweden.
I found a passenger manifest for Oskar Höckert returning from Horn, Sweden in 1899 and the address given on that manifest is his home address in Chicago. Apparently he had been living in Horn for 2 years before returning to America. (That also seems unusual to me) However, I am not sure if he had family there, or his wife Sofia did, or why he was there.
I found another record for Carl Oskar Höckert born 1857 in Karlskrona Blekinge Län, so that could be where he was born too!
 None of the records I have searched that are available in Chicago indicate where he was born in Sweden.  I know that there was a Höckert family living in Horn at the time of his return, but I still have not found anything to conclusively tie him to that family.
 On a side note - where does the surname Höckert come from? I'm curious as to why his family did not follow the typical patronymic naming practice commonly used in Sweden.
 
Thank you so much for any help you can give me!
Lauren

[Chris Bingefors]

Lauren,
 
 
The Oscar Höckert from Horn should be this man in the Emibase register:
Post 99143
 
Höckert Gustafsson, Frans Gustaf O
Son (unmarried man)
 
b. 1/1/1855 in Horn, Östergötlands län (Östergötland)
 
Emigrated 7/8/1881
from Höghult Hult, Horn, Östergötlands län (Östergötland)
to Nordamerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 254
 
Emibas migration file ID: Horn E 1881 061
 
Your G grandfather´s birth is given as Jan 1856 in the 1900 US Census.  Could this be him anyway? He had 7 siblings in 1881, so that may be a good reason to emigrate. Your g grandfarther is a tailor in Chicago, that corresponds tohis father´s occupation, another clue. Also he is 45 years of age in the original census page, the year of birth has been changed afterwards. That means he was born early in 1855!!
 
His father, tailor Carl Höckert, dies in 1889. In the estate inventory (Kinda häradsrätt FIIIa:122 (1889-1889) Bild 174 / sid 341 (AID: v77008.b174.s341, NAD: SE/VALA/01548)) son Frans Oscar in said to be in America. His mother, Stina Greta Persdotter, is still alive in 1900 and a pauper.  
 
The surname is used by relatively affluent families, thay had proper surnames. But in this case his grandfather was a soldier, and was probably (has to be checked!) given the name when he enlisted, soldiers were often given names from prominent warriors. They still use their patronymics as well in the book, so I believe that is the case. Also, his father was a tailor and craftsmen often exchanged their patronymics for a surname.
 
But, let us look at the other Oscar. Oscar Höckert, a sailor, apparently jumped ship on Nov 11, 1876 in New York. His full name was Carl Oscar Amatus Höckert, born 13 Sept 1857 to a civil employee in the Navy base at Karlskrona, Amatur Theodor Filibert Höckert, and his wife Hedvig Charlotta Carolina af Klint. Thus a well to do family, the wife is from a noble family with long traditions in the navy, witnesses at the christening are many and upper class. BUT: In the Swedish seaman´s registry he is listed as working on the ship Callao, which went down outside Djakarta in October 1883 (he survived), so this cannot be the right man. Apparently he came back after running off in New York.
 
I think it is highly likely that Oscar from Horn is the right man. I have not found any other Oscar Höckert that fits, but the registers are not complete.

[Chris Bingefors]

Oscar Hockert dies 16 March 1903 in Chicago aged 48, death certificate number 00006535 (Cook County). There may be additional information there. Sophia (probably) dies in 1944 i Chicago.
 
Found his death certificate on Family Search Beta, unfortunately no mention of parents. He died from Bright´s disease (chronic kidney disease) and enlargement of the liver.
 
Sophia´s death certificate says her father´s name was Anders Anderson, mother´s name unknown. She was born 15 March 1858. Her immigration is given as 1880 in the 1910 census.
 
Here is one candidate:
 
Post 536112
 
Andersdotter Gustafsdotter, Augusta Sofia
Hemmansägardotter (unmarried woman)
 
b. 3/15/1858 in Böne, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
 
Emigrated 3/19/1880
from Åfärd Packgården, Böne, Älvsborgs län (Västergötland)
to Amerika
 
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 34
 
Emibas migration file ID: Böne P 1880 008
 
(Meddelandet ändrat av izla 2010-11-05 08:41)

[Chris Bingefors]

Her father was farmer Anders Gustaf Andersson, but Anders Andersson is one of the most common names in Sweden.

[Sofia Ingmarsson]

I do believe that I am related to you, Lauren.
 
Oscar Höckert's great-grandparents were Jonas Wåhlstrand (b 1747) and Helena Persdotter (b ca 1754) from Dalhem parish. Their son Jonas Fredrik Jonsson Wåhlstrand (b 1797) is related to me in a direct line on my father's side.
You must come from another son of their marriage: Sven Jonsson Höckert (b Mar 9, 1785, d Jan 3, 1859). He was a soldier in the Swedish army. He got the name Höckert when he joined the army in 1808.
Unfortunately, I don't have much information about Sven Jonsson Höckert. He wed Elisabeth Charlotta Andersdotter (b 1788, d 1854) in 1810.  
They had at least 4 children (probably more, but the parish records of Horn parish where they lived where sadly destroyed in a fire in 1851):
1. Anders Peter Svensson, b Aug 22 1810
2. Lena Christina Svensdotter, b Dec 15, 1821
3. Carl Gustaf Svensson, b May 20, 1826, d Dec 27, 1888 (Oscar's father)
4. Olof Svensson, b Mar 7, 1831
 
If you want further contact you are welcome to e-mail me. I can provide you with more information about our common relatives that way.
My address can be found by clicking my name in the column on the left.
 
//Sofia

[Lauren Hockert]

Wow! Thank you SO much!! i feel like I just opened a treasure chest..  
 
@Sofia - I would love to collaborate with you further, so I will send you an email.
 
@Chris - your research is phenomenal and wonderfully thorough! You have certainly put my mind at ease that we have the right man. Thank you for settling it for me.   I am so excited to research more about Sofia and her family now.  I had no idea how to proceed without having any other information besides her name!! Big hugs from Dallas, Texas!!
 
Lauren

[Moderator USA]

Transferred from topic Discussions in English/Emigrants

[Marie Höckert]

Hej alla Höckert/Wåhlstrand-släktingar!  
 
Jag upptäckte för ett år sedan på denna plats att vi har släktingar i USA! Såg Lauren Hockerts inlägg, kollade hennes uppgifter mot de som min pappa har och konstaterade att de överensstämde. Skickade givetvis direkt ett meddelande till Lauren i Dallas som i stort sett svarade direkt! Efter att ha utbytt information i lite drygt en vecka blev vi bjudna på bröllop! Vi blev förstås jätteglada och i juni förra året åkte vi och träffade vår släkt i USA. Det var helt fantastiskt!  
 
Lauren, som är mycket duktig och väldigt intresserad av släktforskning, har nu startat ett DNA-projekt för alla MANLIGA ättlingar av Wåhlstrand / Höckert. Här kommer hennes vädjan till er. Översätter det inte eftersom jag tror att alla förstår. Om inte, kontakta mig.  
 
I have started a surname project for any Wåhlstrand/Höckert descendants and that we would LOVE for any male descendants of that line to join the surname study!! I tested my Dad's Y-DNA and so far he is the only member in my project!  
 
Här är länken:  
http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/hockert/order  
 
Hoppas att det finns intresse för detta!  
 
Med vänliga hälsningar  
Marie Höckert