DRAFT - Bessie Peterson Bengtson 1866-1912

 Bessie Peterson is said to have been born in Norway on October 18, 1866.

Bessie told her children she came to Red Oak and Nyman, Iowa area from Stockholm, Sweden to help start Mission churches. We have not been able to locate a church in the area that she was a charter member of or even an early member.

It is believed that Bessie had two sisters in the Red Oak area, but that upon her marriage to Claus Bengtsson, her sisters would have nothing further to do with her.

The first record other than Bessie and Claus' marriage license that we find on Bessie is in the city directory of St. Joseph, Missouri. They are living at 1818 Lafayette and Claus works for the Burlington Route. We can follow their movements in St. Joseph until 1906 with the city directories.

Bessie was admitted to the St. Joseph State Hospital on September 20, 1909, with epilepsy. Her records there state her name as Bessie Benson born in Norway. That she belonged to the Congregational church and was a housewife, and the mother of three children. Bessie was a patient at the State Hospital until her death on September 11, 1912 at 6:30 am of tuberculosis. Bessie was buried from the D.E. Heaton Undertaking Company on September 13, 1912. (the record at the funeral home also has her name as Bessie Benson,) Church services were held at the First English Lutheran Church in St. Joseph. Place of burial was Oakland Cemetery, now known as the Ashland Cemetery. Bessie is recorded as Bessie Peterson in the death records at First English Lutheran Church.

When Bessie entered the hospital the children were placed in the "Home of Little Wanderers" Orphanage on October 1, 1909 - just west of the hospital. Her daughter, Ebba, remembered walking over to the fence to watch her mother march with the other patients as they went to dinner. Bessie would tell the children, "Now you kids be good." Ebba said her mother was placed in the hospital because they could no longer cope with her seizures at home.

Before Bessie's death in 1912, Ebba went to live in Essex, Iowa with Charles Bengtson, a cousin of her father. Later, Paul also went to live with Charles, and Helen stayed with the Victor Bengtson family.

Ebba was the only one of the children at attend their mother's funeral. She and Charles Bengtson went by train to St. Joseph and she remembers the weather being warm and her mother being covered by glass.

For years the truth of Bessie's epilepsy was kept a secret. In those early years, this was something people were ashamed of and this may be the reason Bessie was admitted to the hospital under the name of Benson. This may also be the reason she was buried from the church under her maiden name. 

DRAFT - Jonas Petter "John Peter" "J.P." HENDRICKSON

 

Jonas Petter and Johanna Lovisa Hendrickson and Amanda and Carl Johan came to America in 1868 from Kristdala, Sweden according to the church records at St. John's Lutheran Church in Essex, Iowa. They arrived in Quebec, Canada on June 4, 1868. From there they settled near Hobart, Porter County, Indiana, where they lived for about 4 years. Jonas filed his Declaration of Intent for Citizenship in Porter County, Indiana on April 5, 1869. Jonas stated he was 34 years old and wished to renounce forever, all allegiance and fidelity to Charles 15th King of Sweden. 

About 1873, Jonas and his family moved to Red Oak, Iowa, where he worked in a brickyard for about 6 years. 

In 1879, they moved to Essex, Iowa, where he started his own brickyard west of Essex. He made the brick for many of the business buildings in Essex. He also made the brick for the house of his daughter, Amanda, southeast of Essex. 

Around 1887, he bought an 80-acre farm, the south one-half of the southwest one-fourth of Section 21, two and a half miles northwest of Essex in Pierce Township, where they lived the rest of their lives. 

All of their children settled in Page or Montgomery County, Iowa and lived their entire lives there. Many of their descendants still love in Page or Montgomery counties, but others are scattered all over the United States. 

Swedish obituary/memorial notice for Jonas P. Hendrikson

With this we wish to announce that the Lord God, in His all-wise counsel, has called home our beloved father,

JONAS P. HENDRIKSON

on July 22, 1927, at the age of 91 years, 7 months, and 4 days.

He was born in Kristdala, Kalmar County [län], Sweden, on December 18, 1835. He was confirmed in Sweden and entered into marriage there in 1921 with the widow Mrs. Johanna Lovisa.

In 1862 he came to this country, and in 1868 he came to this place, Essex, Iowa, from Red Oak.

In 1877 he joined the Evangelical Lutheran St. John’s congregation here. He remained a member of this congregation until his death.

Our father had suffered for several years and therefore could not visit the Lord’s house, but God had given him a good memory, and he could therefore recall what he had read and heard in his younger days. As long as he was able, he read the Word of God in his home.

During his final years, from 1921 to 1927, he was tenderly cared for by his daughter Hulda.

The funeral service was held first at the home and then at the church, where his pastor preached in the English language. After the funeral sermon, his remains were taken to the congregation’s beautiful cemetery, where the old and worn-out earthly dwelling was laid to rest to await the morning of the resurrection.

We hope and pray that one day we may meet our dear father again on Jesus’ other side.

Peace be upon his memory!

The grieving children.

DRAFT - Bengtson Family Reunions

 1939 Bengtson Family Reunion

1941 Bengtson Family Reunion

The annual Bengtson reunion was held on Sunday at McComb Park in Shenandoah, with a covered dish lunch.

Mrs. Ludvig Bengtson, 87, being the oldest present and Jerry Sederburg, 6 months old son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Sederburg being the youngest.

Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. Earl Pearson and Joan of Red Oak, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Bengtson and Mr. and Mrs. Joe Miller and daughter of Council Bluffs, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Moles of Lincoln, Nebr., Juliet Swanson and Ivan Holst of Omaha, Nebr., Marjorie Hendrickson of Omaha, Nebr., Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bengtson, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Martin and Claus Bengtson, all of St. Joseph, MO., Mr. and Mrs. Luther Swanson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Sederburg and family all of Shenandoah, Mr. and Mrs. Warner Sederburg and family, Mr. and Mrs. Reynold Almquist, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Woodin and family, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Almquist and family, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bengtson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Hendrickson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Erick Bengtson and Genevieve, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Bengtson and Junior, Mrs. and Mrs. C. J. Bengtson, Mr. and Mrs. Riley McClintock, Mr. and Mrs. Ludvig Bengtson, Mrs. Ellen McClintock and family, Mrs. Edith Almquist and family, Robert Young, Harry Kothe, F. E. Sederburg and Miss Florence Sederburg. 

DRAFT - Claus Edwin Bengtson 1866-1844

Claus Edwin (Gustafson) Bengtson was born October 6, 1866, in Swarji, Sweden. he died on July 22, 2944 at the home of his daughter Helen in St. Joseph, Missouri. Claus is buried in Ashland Cemetery in St. Joseph. His age was 77 years, 9 months and 16 days.

Claus married Bessie Peterson, who was born in Stockholm, Sweden on October 18, 1866. Bessie died in 1912 in St. Joseph, Missouri, and is also buried in Ashland Cemetery. 

Claus came to America to avoid the draft in Sweden. (He served 1887-1889). He changed his name from Gustafson to Bengtson and settled in St. Joseph, Missouri. (NOTE: he had relatives in Essex, Iowa whose last name was also Bengtson.) No port of entry is known for Claus. Bessie came to America with a church group from Sweden to help establish Mission churches in Red Oak and Nyman, Iowa. She met Claus while he was working as a hired man for John Hilt. They were married in St. Joseph and stayed there. Claus worked as a packer in a clothing store. he was called Charles in St. Joseph.

A picture of Bessie and 2 other young girls was found in a trunk belonging to Bessie's daughter Ebba Christina. On the back of the picture were the names "Bessie, Lena and Clara". Ebba Christina knew that her mother had 2 sisters, one of whom lives somewhere out on the West Coast of the US. Lena and Clara may be these 2 sisters. Ebba never met either of her mother's sisters.

Claus had relatives living on farms around Essex, Iowa whose last name was also Bengtson. When Bessie died in 1912, 2 of her children, Ebba Christina and Paul Edwin, went to live with one of these relatives. Ebba said that Samuel and Ludwick Bengtson were her father's uncles. Eric and Charles Bengtson were sons of Samuel and it was with Charles that Ebba and Paul lived. Ebba was also married to John Elmer Hendrickson in Charles' home. 

Claus and Bessie's third child, Helen Alivia stayed in an orphanage in St. Joseph for a while after her mother died.

Military

1887-1889 • Sweden

Served in the military 3 July 1887 until 2 Dec 1889. He entered the army from the district of Redvag and served in the district of Ulricheham in Vastergotland.

The first record we find of Claus in St. Joseph, MO is 1899. They (Claus and Bessie) are living at 1818 Lafayette and Clause works for Burlington Route. This is also the year their first child, Ebba Christina is born. Ebba was born July 11, 1899 in the home of her parents.

In 1900 Claus and Bessie have a son, Paul Edwin, born August 17.

In 1901 Claus and Bessie have a daughter, Helen Alivia, born December 19th. The family now resides at 622 S. 19th Street in St. Joseph, MO. Claus works for the Nelson M. Packing Company.

In 1906 the family lives at 2014 Angelique in St. Joseph and claus works as a janitor for the Board of Trade Building.

Bessie was admitted to the St. Joseph State Hospital on September 20, 1909. Bessie was a patient there 

DRAFT - Ebba Christina Bengtson Hendrickson 1899-1991

Notes from Ebba Hendrickson (undated and anonymously written) found in the genealogy information of Karen Stephens Swanson:

When her mother Bessie entered the St. Joseph State Hospital in St. Joseph, MO, Ebba, Helen, and Paul entered the orphanage (Home of Little Wanderers) just west and across the field from the hospital. Ebba was 10 years old at the time (appx. 1909). 

Ebba was 13 years old when her mother died on September 11, 1912. 

Ebba recalled the 3 children walking across the field to watch their mother march with the rest of the patients. Bessie would say, "Now you kids be good." Ebba said they were very good to the children in the orphanage, and she did like it there. The old ladies in the kitchen would let her help them make bread. 

Ebba was the only one of the 3 children allowed to attend their mother's funeral. They went by train to St. Joe. (distance from orphanage to funeral home was only 2 miles) Bessie was in a funeral parlor (Heaton) and covered by glass. Ebba says being covered with glass was a common practice. 

Ebba went to live with the Bengtson's in Essex, Iowa and stayed with them until her marriage. Paul and Helen left the orphanage also. Paul went to Charles Bengtson and Helen to Victor Bengtson.  

1910 census - inmate Home for Little Wanderers North 28th Street. Age 10.

1915 Iowa State Census - Can't locate

1920 census - married to John Elmer Hendrickson

Ebba didn't know if her mother had a middle name and only heard her called Bessie. Peterson was her last name. 

Clara Peterson (Bessie's sister) lived in Sioux City, IA but never tried to help the children. 

Bessie had 2 sisters who wouldn't have anything to do with her after her marriage to Claus. (Clara and Lina? don't know married names or birth dates)

A Life Marked by Loss: The Story of Rosannah Hanley Alter

Some stories don’t just sit quietly in a family tree—they demand to be told. This is one of them.

This is the story of Rosannah Hanley Alter.

Rosannah was born on September 30, 1888, in Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, to Henry Harry HANLEY and Mary Jessie PATTERSON. She was the second of thirteen children.

In 1892, at just four years old, Rosannah moved with her family to Marion, Grant County, Indiana. It was the beginning of a life that would be marked by both responsibility and loss.

Ten years later, in 1902, her mother Jessie died at only 32 years old. Rosannah was just 14.

I can’t help but wonder what that moment looked like for her—the second oldest child, and the oldest daughter, suddenly stepping into a role no child is ever prepared for. Caring for younger siblings. Holding a household together. Growing up overnight.

In the days that followed, her father, Henry, took Jessie’s body back to Canada for burial. While there, he met and married his next wife in 1903.

During that time, Rosannah and her siblings remained in Marion—without either parent there to care for them. Whether by necessity or circumstance, Rosannah was left to carry far more than any child should. It’s difficult to imagine what those days and weeks must have been like for a 14-year-old girl suddenly responsible for a household of children, navigating grief while trying to hold everything together.

When her father returned, the family dynamic had already begun to shift. With a new wife came more children. The family kept growing. So did the weight on Rosannah’s shoulders.

In 1905, at just 16 years old, Rosannah gave birth to a baby girl, Rose. Six months later, that baby was gone. The newspaper account is brief and clinical—but heartbreaking:

Marion Daily Chronicle
November 6, 1905

Coroner is Investigating Child's Death
Six Months Old Child of Miss Hanley
Found Dead This Morning

Coroner Davis is investigating the death of the 6-months-old child of Miss Hanley, daughter of Henry Hanley, corner of nineteenth and Brownlee Streets.  The baby was sleeping with its mother last night and once during the night awakened its mother.  The mother found the little girl dead with her face in the pillow of which she had been sleeping.  The funeral of the child will be held from the residence tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.  Interment in the IOOF cemetery.

We know today what they did not then—this was likely what we now call sudden infant death syndrome. But knowing that doesn’t soften the loss.

She was 16 years old, and she buried her child.

In 1908, at age 19, Rosannah married Claud Alter. Four months later, she gave birth to their son, Romain Howard. Two years later came George Marshall.

Then, in 1912, another son—Joseph. He lived only eight months, dying from chickenpox. Another loss. Another child buried.

In 1913, almost exactly one year after Joseph’s death, Rosannah gave birth to her youngest son, Albert Louis. By then, she had known more grief than many experience in a lifetime.

At just 34 years old, Rosannah died of “complications of disease.” She left behind young children—just as her own mother had. Her oldest son, Romain, was 14. The same age Rosannah had been when she lost her mother.

The parallels are impossible to ignore.

A daughter who became a caretaker too soon.
A mother who buried children.
A life shaped by loss, repeating itself in the next generation.

These are the stories hidden between names and dates— the ones that remind us that every branch of a family tree once carried real lives, real burdens, and quiet resilience.

Covid-19

It's been years since I have written in this blog. Life gets in the way sometimes but currently, the date is May 18, 2020. Years from now people will be talking about this time in the history of the world. This is the time of Covid-19.

The world has been on lockdown since March trying to stem the spreading of the disease and attempting to "flatten the curve". For the past 2 months, we have been at home. Some of us continuing our full-time jobs from our living rooms, kitchens, and home offices. We have learned more about the world of Zoom meetings then we would ever want to know. And, ironically, the value in a roll of toilet paper which continues to be in short supply.

It's hard to document what life is like right now. Anything becomes normal after a time. Only essential businesses are open but visiting a pharmacy or grocery store requires wearing a mask. X marks made with tape are found on the floors with signs reminding you to keep 6 feet between you and the people around you. Limits to the number of people in a place of business means waiting in line outside the store until it is safe for you to enter.

Social distancing has kept us from visiting and hugging our family members. For some, those members are in nursing homes who ceased allowing visitors in March. So many people are fighting for their lives, and some losing that battle, alone in hospitals. Visitors are not allowed.

Weddings, funerals, and baptisms have been canceled. The churches are not open and gatherings of groups are not allowed. This past weekend my University, Notre Dame, held its first-ever virtual degree conferral. There is no commencement for the Class of 2020 around the world.

Large companies like JC Penny and Macy's are filing for bankruptcy. Many small businesses will never reopen. The economy has been hard hit. Even the government has extended tax filings from May 15 to July 15. The US government has issued stimulus checks in the amount of $1200 per adult and $500 per child. There is rumor of a second round of checks being sent.

Such is life during a world pandemic.

We don't yet know what will happen next. Phase 2 of slowly reopening the world has just begun. For those of us living now only looking back from the future will tell us if we have been successful in defeating the disease.

For now, we watch the nightly news and wonder what our new normal will be when we begin to cautiously emerge from our homes. And for those of us who find extra time on our hands we attempt to document for future generations what this time in our lives is like.