Peter Olson from Varmland

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

My great-great grandfather Peter Olson, came to South Dakota(S.D.)from Varmland some time before 1877. I don't know where he stopped along the way, and don't know who his wife was. He was nick-named Varmland and had (at least)5 kids thought to be born in S.D. One was my great grandmother Minnie Olson born in 1877. Minnie married Fred Swedburg. Hoping for some other clues. Thanks!
Jamie Milne
Minneapolis

[Bo Johansson]

More clues are needed. For example when or where he was born, parents, siblings, etc.
 
There are 93 male Pe* Ol* in the Emigranten CD emigrating from Värmland up to 1877. And he might not be on that CD if he emigrated before 1869/1870, or emigrated via Norway which many from Värmland did.
 
// Bo Johansson

[Nils Roos]

Peter Olson and his family is mentioned in the book, History of the Swedes who settled in Clay County and their Biographies by August Peterson.
Contact Dalesburg Scandinavian Association.
 
/Nils Roos

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

Thank you Bo and Nils.
Too many Olsons, very few clues, but I will get a copy of the Clay County book.  
Some questions I have - was his name likely Per or Peder? Would Olson have been spelled Olsson, Olesson, Olsen? Minnie (daughter) middle name was Euphrenia or Euphemia. Is that a Swedish name? Peter's other children are known as Edward, Lee, J.C. and Lydia.
Why did these Swedes go to South Dakota?
I have looked at 100s of passenger records online, but nothing looks right, and very few have Swedish passengers in the right time period. Any suggestions? Did the Varmland emigrants travel in particular years? What ports did they travel to and from?
 
Thanks again for any help you can provide,
 
Jamie Milne (Swedburg)
Minneapolis

[Bo Johansson]

He was probably Per/Pehr/Peter/Petter Olsson/Ohlsson/Olofsson.
 
Peder, Ole and Olsen are Danish/Norwegian versions.
 
Eufemia/Euphemia was not a typical Swedish name, but it was used for Swedish women. Befolkning 1890 has 961 Eufemia/Euphemia. There were also 11 Eurenia, but no Eufrenia/Euphrenia.
 
// Bo Johansson

[Kay Engman]

Jamie,
I know this is very obvious, but have you looked for him in the U.S. census records 1800 - 1860 for South Dakota?

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

Thanks all,
I have looked at the census, but nothing matches up yet. Am wondering if the Olson children were born elsewhere.  
 
1870-Oldest Dakota census found-only 9 counties.  
http://www.census-online.com/links/SD/1870.html  
 
Where are the best census sources? Most seem to lead to Ancestry.com requiring a subscription.  
 
I have ordered the book, History of the Swedes who settled in Clay County and their Biographies by August Peterson, so hoping that gives me some new info I can work from.
 
Jamie Milne (Swedburg)

[Judy Olson Baouab]

Most libraries have some sort of free census access, either through microfilms or subscriptions to databases such as Ancestry or Heritage Quest. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has branches where you can check census microfilms for free.
 
http://www.archives.gov/locations/index.html
 
This board provides free lookups on censuses.
 
http://genforum.genealogy.com/recordlookups/
 
Many Family History Centers seem to have subscriptions to Ancestry.  
 
Judy

[Mats Ahlgren]

Jamie
 
I wonder if this might be your family.
 
Census 1880 Dakota Territory, Clay county
 
Peder Olson  born 1845
Johanna Olson   born 1847
 
James   1872
Lee     1874
Emil    1876
Mina    1879
 
I also found, in census 1900, Minnie Swedburg, living in Garfield, Clay, South Dakota with Fred.
She was born Oct 1878. Fred was born June 1875.  
Step daughter Edna A Swanson born May 1897. Together with Minnie lived her brother, Lee W Olson/Olsen born April 1874.
 
The above leds me to the following
South Dakota Births, 1856-1903 Record  
about Edna Alfred Swanson  
Name: Edna Alfred Swanson  
Gender: Femdale  
County: Union  
Mother's Name: Minnie Euphemia Olson  
Father's Name: Alfred John Swanson  
Birth Date: May 06, 1897  
File Date: October 25, 1961  
 
and from the same database
South Dakota Births, 1856-1903 Record  
about Myrtle Evelyn Swedburg  
Name: Myrtle Evelyn Swedburg  
Gender: Femdale  
County: Clay  
Mother's Name: Minnie Euphrenia Olson  
Father's Name: Fred O Swedburg  
Birth Date: June 24, 1900  
File Date: January 13, 1943  
 
As you can see is her name either Euphemia or Euphrenia
 
 
I followed Lee and found his ww1 card. He was born April 18, 1874 and he gives, as relative, Peter Olson (father), Burbank, Clay, SD
 

 
Census 1920 shows Peter Olson, 75, living in Vermillion, Clay. He is a widover and immigrated 1868. Close to him lives Michael Bystrom, 74 also immigrated 1868.
 
Source 1920 United States Federal Census > South Dakota > Clay > Vermillion > District 62>page 5B
 
He might be living in Iowa 1930.
I find a Peter Olson living in Sioux City, Woodbury. He is from Sweden and 85 years. This is the same place as Lee lived in 1917, so perhaps...
Source 1930 United States Federal Census > Iowa > Woodbury > Sioux City > District 31> sheet 4B
 
In 1910 (seems like I'm going wrong direction) he lives in Garfield, Clay together with Emil, 33 years. Peter gives 1868 as emigration year and is a widover
 
Source 1910 United States Federal Census > South Dakota > Clay > Garfield Twp > District 114 >sheet 4A
 
Will try to find him in census 1900 to see if we can get the month when he was born

[Mats Ahlgren]

Peter is found in Census 1900 living in Garfield, Clay. He is, in Ancestry.com, indexed as Peter Olsen. He is a widover and lives some houses away from his daughter Minnie. Together with him lives Lydia, born Oct 1881 and Ida , born jan 1884.
Peter was born Nov 1844
 
Source:1900 United States Federal Census > South Dakota > Clay > Garfield > District 95>sheet 10A

[Kay Engman]

Jamie,  Where I live (in Maryland) all the public libraries have Ancestry.com subscriptions that you can access for free.  That is a good alternative if you don't live so close to a regional archive.

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

Thank You Mats, Judy & Kay!
I feel like I have struck gold! I am a novice at all this, and you all are providing me with great information, AND an education.
 
I wasn't sure that the Ancestry subscription was worthwhile, but it seems like a great resource.
 
Mats, I believe this is my family! I had found the 2 birth records, but not much else. This will help alot!
 
Jamie Milne(Swedburg)

[Karen Kelsey]

The 1900 census for Clay county, SD shows that Fred Swedburg's wife had been married previously, since the step-daughter's last name was Swanson. Also, the column that asks for how long the couple had been married says 0 - which means that Fred and Minnie had not been married an entire year, and Minnie's 3 year old daughter from her first marriage lived with them.  If Minnie had been left a widow, then there ought to be a listing for the death of Alfred John Swanson - if SD has a death database available on-line.  If Edna had been born out-of-wedlock, then she should have had her mother's maiden name, since that is the usual naming practice in the U.S.
   Directly next to Peter, Lydia and Ida Olson, lived another Olson family - Daniel Olson, born Dec. 1849 in Sweden.  I cannot read the year of his emigration, so maybe he is related to Peter?  My Heritage census imprints are sometimes hard to read.  If you want copies from these various censuses, I can easily mail them to you, since I live in the Chicago area.
    I looked at the Bureau of Land Management for a land patent search on the last name of Olson or Olsen, to see if Peter filed a homestead claim. No one is listed as Peter OlsOn, but there are a number of homestead filings for a Peter OLSEN, and they are in Clay County, SD.  The first land claims were filed in March 1873 (Clay county, sections 3 & 4, Township 92N range 53W), and the second in 1878 (Clay county, sections 10 & 11, Twsh 92N range 53W). In the rectangular survey system section 10 is located directly south of and contiguous to section 3, so all of these pieces of property might be next to each other. Each claim was for 160 acres total, so he ended up with 320 acres - a lot of land. There is no way to know for sure if this was your ancestor, but there is a good chance that he was a homesteader, and that Peter stayed on the land long enough to prove up, and then he sold and moved on.  There was no document image attached to this file, so I cannot show you his signature on the land deed.  South Dakota did not become a state until 1889, but the land was opened to development after 1861, when the Dakota Territory was created by Congress.

[Karen Kelsey]

By the way, Alfred Swanson, Minnie's first husband, was born in the Dakota Territory in 1869 or 1870.  He was listed as the son of Nels P. and Mary Swanson, both from Sweden.
    Another daughter was born to the Swedburgs - Fern Swedburg, born 6-Feb 1903 to Minnie Olson and Fred Swedburg.

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

I have the descendants now; does anyone know who the ancestors are?  
 
Peter Olson, b. Nov. 24, 1844 Nysocken parish, Northern Varmland, Sweden; d. Dec. 25, 1932. He married Johanna Olson b. Jan. 21, 1847 Dalby parish, Varmland; d. Oct. 30, 1893 Clay County, South Dakota.

[Chris Bingefors]

The only Johanna born in Dalby parish in Jan 1847 is Johanna Halfvardsdotter, b 19 Jan 1847 to Torparen (Crofter) Halfvard Persson and wife Kristin Olsdotter in Backa. She emigrates to America on 23 July 1870 according to Emibas CD. There the birth date is given as 19 February, so there may have been some confusion about that.

[Jamie MilneSwedburg]

Chris,
I am finding that dates are commonly wrong by up to 2 years, depending on how they were estimated.
 
Can you please check 1846 and 1848?
Thankyou.
 
Jamie Milne(Swedburg)

[Jamie Milne Swedburg]

The information I have about Johanna Olsonis from the History of the Swedes who settled in Clay County, South Dakota. I looked her up again, and it says she came to Clay County abt 1877. Perhaps there is a trek across America from 1870 to 1877? Does the Emibas CD say who she emigrated with or from what port?
 
Also,  
Thanks Karen. The book says Daniel Olson married Anna Swedberg, a sister of Erick Swedberg, but I can't find a connection to either my Peter Olson family or my Lars Swedberg/Fred Swedburg family.