Saturday, August 25, 2012

Surname Saturday: GUSTAFSDOTTER and Related Surnames

This family is my adoptive great-great-grandmother's line. I first saw the surname as GUSTAVSON, which would be a common Americanization/Anglicization of her Swedish surname, although the correct Swedish spelling would be GUSTAFSSON. My ancestor's proper surname was GUSTAFSDOTTER, because she was "Gustaf's daughter" and not his son. Patronyms (surnames based on the father's first name) were used in Sweden by all social classes (nobility often took traditional surnames) until 1901, when the Names Adoption Act was passed and patronyms were banned.


Stories and History:

Rather than list the direct paternal line of Ida Charlotta GUSTAFDOTTER from her earliest known ancestor down to the present as I do in most Surname Saturday posts, I am listing her complete ahnentafel as known, using my ahnentafel numbers. I use the letter "B" after each ahnentafel number to distinguish my adoptive family ahnentafel from my biological one.

Ahnentafel #1 - myself

Ahnentafel #2 - my father (living)

Ahnentafel #5 - Jane Marie YORK, a.k.a. Jeanne Marie HOLST (1924 - 2012)

Ahnentafel #10B - Alfred Henry HOLST (1882 - 1952) - read his AnceStory here

Ahnentafel #21B - Ida Charlotta GUSTAFSDOTTER (1861 - 1939) - Born in Hamneda, Sweden, Ida was one of eight children, and as a young adult immigrated with a number of her siblings to Hannover, Germany. There she met Johan Deidrich HOLST, whom she married on 6 Feb 1880. With their young son Alfred, they left Germany on the ship Lessing via the port of Hamburg, stopping at LaHavre, France, and arriving in New York City on 5 Jul 1883. Their destination was Western Michigan, where Johan's sister and brother-in-law, Anna and Claus BORCHERS lived. The HOLSTs first lived in Spring Lake Township, Ottawa County, Michigan, where their daughter Annie was born. Their next three children, Jennie, Mary, and Margaret (Maggie) were born in Crockery Township., Ottawa County, followed by their youngest son John's birth in Ravenna Township, Muskegon County in 1894. Another child died young. The family lived in Sullivan Township in Muskegon County in 1910 and 1920, but had returned to Ottawa County by 1930, living in Coopersville for the rest of their days.

Ahnentafel #42B - Gustaf NILSSON (1822 - 1869) - born in Vittaryd, Sweden; m. Martha Stina SVENSDOTTER by 1848; died in Hamneda, Sweden.

Ahnentafel #43B - Martha Stina SVENSDOTTER (b. 1826) - born in Hamneda. She and Gustaf had eight known children, several of which emigrated to Germany. It's possible Martha emigrated there as well after Gustaf's death, as I do not find her death listed in the Swedish parish records.


Ahnentafel #84B - Nils - Gustaf's father; no further information is known.

Ahnentafel #86B - Swen Bosson HURTIG (1794 - 1850) - Martha's father, born, married to Anna (1821) and died, all in Hamneda

Ahnentafel #87B - Anna JONASSON (1801 - 1885) - Martha's mother, also born and died in Hamndea. Had at least seven children.

Ahnentafel #172B - Bo MANSSON - Swen's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #173B - Marta Stina SVENSSON - Swen's mother; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #174B - Jonas - Anna's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #354B - Mans - Bo's father; no further information is known

Ahnentafel #356B - Sven - Marta's father; no further information is known


More About the GUSTAFSDOTTER and Related Families, plus useful resources:

1. Online database (I update this at least once a month): GUSTAFSDOTTER/GUSTAFSSON ancestors and relatives (no info on living persons available)

2. Some GUSTAFSDOTTER obituaries

3. Posts about GUSTAFSDOTTER ancestors and relatives on this blog

8. ArchivDigital - Swedish genealogy subscription site with digitized church records - free access available at many FamilySearch Centers (special free access this weekend, 25 and 26 August 2012)

9. Anna-Karin's Genealogy Blog - helpful information (in English) on researching Swedish families and records. Anna-Karin personally helped me with my GUSTAFSDOTTER research! She also has a terrific genealogical podcast (also in English), here.


The GUSTAFDOTTER Immigration Trail:

Vittaryd, Sweden > Hamneda, Sweden > Ottawa Co., MI > Muskegon Co., MI > Ottawa Co., MI > AK > Stevens Co., WA > Spokane Co., WA

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