Ottersjö in Dagsås parish, Halland province

[Karen Kelsey]

I am planning our next trip to Sweden, and I am curious about an area in Halland.  I wanted to post a question on the Halland area of this forum, but I do not know Swedish, so I had to post it in the English side. My mormor mors family came from Halland, Ottersjö, Dagsås parish.  This is what the record said:
Daughter Anna Josefina Johansdotter, born 14 Mai 1873, Dalen 1/4 mtl, Dagsås no 3. Confirmed 1887. Emigrated to North Amerika 20 Maj 1892. [Her father was] Johan Berntsson, born 1st December 1833, Vinberg Parish. Lived 1899 in **Ottersjö, Dagsås Parish** from 16/11 1873. Before in Dalen 1/4 mtl, Dagsås no 3, Dagsås parish. When he came to Dagsås not known.
   Here is the question:  If we come to Halland on our trip, what is there to see in the areas of Ottersjö and Dagsås that might help me understand the area where Anna Josefina Johansdotter came from?  Is Ottersjö a small lake, and is Dagsås a city or a small town?  Thanks for whatever help you can give me.

[Mats Winbro]

Ottersjö is a small mansion, nowadays owned by a family faundation. Your ancestors are likely to have been labour at the estate. Dagsås is a very small parish, hardly even a village - consisting mostly of farms and two older estates (Ottersjö and Öströö). Dagsås i situated 15 minutes east of the city of Varberg.

[Bo Johansson]

Ottersjö in Dagsås parish is a farm or group of houses, on the map it looks like a big farm with a Manor house. Ottersjö is about 1.3 km NE of the lake Ottersjön, and 1.4 km NNW of Dagsås church.
 
Dagsås is a small village with a church, and there seems to be also a museum.
 
Maps of Ottersjö and Dagsås area: Lantmäteriet site
 
Some Ottersjö pictures: photos
 
// Bo Johansson

[Karen Kelsey]

Thanks so much!  I wonder what the Dagsås church looks like.  I will have to visit that area and take a photo of the church, since my Grt Grandmother was very faithful to her church.  However, the area seems to be very rural, and I am surprised that she was courageous enough to come to the U.S. alone, at the age of 18.  She traveled with a neighboring family, but they were in the aft of the ship, and she was in the middle - which shows that they were not together.  Once in Chicago, she struck out on her own.  Moving to an urban area was very big change for a girl from Ottersjö!

[Bo Johansson]

Here are some images:
 
 elmer.hallmus.se
 
This church seems to have been built in 1914 to replace one that had burned.
 
// Bo Johansson

[Karen Kelsey]

Thanks.  Now I know that the church she went to is cannot be seen, but the new one certainly is a pretty country church.

[Britt Börjesson]

Karen,
your great grandmother was certainly a courageous girl, leaving little Dagsås for big USA, but she was not alone in this state of mind. During the years 1881-1900, 132 people from this little parish (total population 1880 was 414 people) emigrated. Gives an average of 7 per year.  
I assure you that you will not regret a visit to Halland. It is a beautiful part of the country, and with a lot to see and visit. I am not especially familiar with the area of Dagsås, but if you drive a couple of miles north from there you will find Äskhults by, a unique 1700 village (http://www.askhultsby.se/). On your way, I recomment a stop at Landa church, about 800 years old and with 15th century wall paintings. Most parishes in Halland had churches like this 150 years ago, until those who could possibly afford it replaced them with new (quite boring) churches.  
If I was you, I would try to post a query in english under Dagsås. Of course there are no guarantees of ever getting an answer - but on the other hand, wonderful things might emerge if you dare to ask for them.
Good luck, and welcome to Halland!
Britt Börjesson

[Sam Blixt]

Hi Karen,
 
Below You can see a map where You can see Ottersjö about one mile north the Dagsås Church.
 

 
Regards
 
Sam

[Karen Kelsey]

Thanks to everyone for these answers!  This area will be included on our next trip.
   People on Rötter will get tired of my questions soon, since all of my ancestors came from Sweden and Denmark, and two of my husband's grandparents came from Scandinavia too.  I will soon be asking about other provinces too!
   Thanks again!