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ShannonSteadman
New on board
USA
3 Posts |
 Posted - 19/02/2010 : 19:53:05
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Hello All,
I am new the forum and am looking for any and all information regarding my gg grandfather and his nephew's antecedents. All we know that is they came from Norway. John Johnson (clearly Johan Johanson) immigrated around 1869. After settling in he sent home for his Nephew C (K) arl Svarva or maybe Svarrva. They both settled in Caddo Parish in LA. Carl became a successful business man in the community but died young in 1918. His widow who was much older than him was left alone to raise their adopted son who in turn died a few years later. There is a life-sized memorial marble statue to the boy in the Forest Park cemetery in Shreveport, LA.
John Johnson had 6 children with Ella Green(Carl's wife's sister actually) in Shreveport, La.
Their descendents are spread far and wide and I am actually having difficulty tracking down the family members. ugh.
I would really like to find living descendents in the USA as well as Norwegian ones not to mention what area of Norway the family originated from. : )
Any and all help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Shannon |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 20:35:14
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| What were their years of birth? Any other items of identification available? |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 21:10:28
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Karl M. Svarra (22) from Namsos, Nord-Trøndelag, emigrating to Shreveport, LA.
He arrived New York on Apr 01, 1892, on the ship "Norge".
Jan Peter |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 22:04:24
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There is a "John Johnson" born 1850 in Norway in the US-1900 census for Caddo, La.
Jan Peter |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9544 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 22:55:15
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Here is the Ancestry.com record of his arrival into New York.
Name: Karl M Svarva
Arrival Date: 1 Apr 1892
Estimated birth year: abt 1870
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Copenhagen
Ship Name: Norge
Search Ship Database: View the Norge in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9544 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 23:00:07
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If this is the right John Johnson from the 1900 US Census it indicates that he immigrated in 1869
Name: John Johnson
Home in 1900: Shreveport Ward 6, Caddo, Louisiana
Age: 49
Birth Date: Jul 1850
Birthplace: Norway
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1869
Relationship to Head of House: Head
Father's Birthplace: Norway
Mother's Birthplace: Norway
Spouse's name: Ella
Marriage Year: 1878
Marital Status: Married
Years Married: 22
Residence : Shreveport City, Caddo, Louisiana
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 23:12:42
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Karl August Mikkelsen looks like a good possibility for Karl Svarva. His father as a single painter in census-1865,
Name: Michael Tomasen
Born: 31 May 1824, chr 01 Aug 1824, Beistad, Nord-Trøndelag
Parents: Tomas Dahl & Marit Olsdr
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 19/02/2010 23:13:54 |
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AntonH
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
9544 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 23:14:13
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Here is an interesting find, would he have applied for a passport. On the original document it states that he arrived in the US on July 1869 but unfortunately does not give the ships name.
Name: John Johnson
Birth Date: 30 Jul 1850
Birth Place: Norway
Residence: Shreveport, Louisiana
Passport Issue Date: 11 Dec 1890
Passport Includes a Photo: N
Source: Passport Applications, 1795-1905 (M1372)
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 19/02/2010 : 23:27:42
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From the christening record of Karl August (8-Jan-1871), we find some interesting names among the godparents:
Paul Svendsen and Elen Eliasdatter are mentioned, and in census-1865 we find them on the Svarva farm in Beistaden... 
The mother of Karl August is listed as Anna Kristiansdatter Rostad.
The names of all godparents:
Sivert Rostad
Johanne Mikkelsdr
Ove Larssen Rostad
Anne Sivertsdr
Paul Svendsen Rostadaunet
Elen Eliasdr
Jan Peter
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Edited by - jwiborg on 20/02/2010 01:12:21 |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2010 : 01:40:11
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Jan Peter |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2010 : 03:24:05
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Some thoughts about the relationship between John Johnson and Karl Svarva:
What I can't understand, is how a person with a lastname of "Johnson" can be an uncle to Karl...?
Assume that it's the correct Karl found above, ie Karl's parents was Mikal Tomassen and Anna Kristiansdatter.
Then; an unmarried uncle to Karl should be a Tomassen or Kristiansen. But he is a Johnson...?
He could of course be an intermarried uncle, and thus be married to Mikal or Anna's sister.
But emigrating at the age of 19, and then marry Ella in 1878, indicates for me that he was unmarried when he left Norway. Something is strange...
Mikal Tomassen's parents:
Thomas Olsen Dahl, chr 25 Jun 1780 & Marit Olsdr, chr 08 Jul 1781.
Marriage: 19 Jun 1803, Beitstad, Nord-Trøndelag
Children:
Ole Thomasen Dahl, chr 30 Dec 1804, Beitstad, Nord-Trøndelag
Anna Margaretha Thomasdr Dahl, born 16 Jun 1815, Beitstad, Nord-Trøndelag
Nicoline Thomasdr Dahl, born 07 Oct 1820, Beitstad, Nord-Trøndelag. Married Rasmus Haagensen Ostvik.
Michael Thomasen Dahl, born 31 May 1824, Beitstad, Nord-Trøndelag
This could be Anna Christiansdatter in census-1865.
Jan Peter |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2010 : 04:40:58
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I agree, that has been bothering me too.
But perhaps he called Carl/Karl a "nephew" and was actually stretching the word to fit another family relationship a bit more distant. I think the original poster said that Carl's wife and John's wife were actually related. John's wife was Carl's wife's sister?
I wasn't looking for a possible connection to Norway between the wives -- but how could John SEND FOR Carl if there was no marital tie of relationship YET? It's getting late and I'm getting confused.
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ShannonSteadman
New on board
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2010 : 06:43:26
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Thank you so much for everyone's interest in our little family mystery. I have located both Carl Svarva and John Johnson on the census's in Shreveport, LA as well as land records, court cases and so on. I have quizzed my grandmother till she is tired of me and have collected the stories from my mother.
John Johnson married Ella Green from Georgia. Once he became established, he sent for his nephew Carl Svarva. Carl arrived in NY with a postcard pinned to his shirt as to where he was to be sent. Once Carl arrived in Shreveport, Ella sent home for her sister, Elizabeth who was 14 years Carl's senior. Now I do not know if Elizabeth was a widower but it is not relevant to this story. Carl and Elizabeth adopted a little boy who my grandmother swears she saw records of his being a Green from Georgia. Again, interesting but not relevant to the topic at hand. Carl ended up being a very wealthy business man but his life was cut short by Spanish flu in 1918. His widow Elizabeth ended up being swindled by the butler, Mr. Morris, who got his name placed as sole heir in her will instead of her family. Again interesting but not relevant.
Now, I was scouring through websites and came across an inquiry on roots-web regarding John and Carl. The person stated that they were doing research for a family member who was related to an Anton Johnson, brother to John Johnson in Minnesota. The back and forth on the posts brought up the Anna Kristiansdatter but then someone seemed to later refute this line of inquiry. I am not a professional genealogist nor do I understand the culture and language of Norway to follow the reasons for the refutation.
I had always simply believed that Johan Johnson had a sister who married a Svarva. I realize that my assumptions are culture-centric since I have no idea what the naming rules are in Norway or what it means to call someone an aunt, uncle or nephew.
I am clearly out of my depth on this one and am interested in any and all leads.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!! I had not had any luck finding either Carl or John in the passenger lists coming into NY. You guys are real pros at this!! I have already documented this information and am out looking for the passenger lists to cite the source. YEAH!!!
Shannon |
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Hopkins
Norway Heritage Veteran
USA
3351 Posts |
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jwiborg
Norway Heritage Veteran
Norway
4967 Posts |
Posted - 20/02/2010 : 16:24:32
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See this and this.
This person fits with the passport-record lyndal40 found:
Johan Johnsen
Born 30 Jul 1850, chr 01 Sep 1850, Nedre Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag
Parents: John Johnsen & Karen Anna Andersdatter
Anthon Johnsen
Born 27 Aug 1848, chr 12 Nov 1848, Nedre Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag
Parents: John Johnsen & Karen Anna Andersdatter
Emigration on 02 Sep 1880.
Kasper Johnsen
Born 26 Jul 1853, chr 11 Sep 1853, Nedre Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag
Parents: John Johnsen & Karen Anna Andersdatter
Servant at Øvre Hodø farm in Fosnæs, Nord-Trøndelag, census-1865.
Anna Jörgine Johnsdatter
Born 04 Jul 1856, chr 31 Aug 1856, Nedre Stjørdal, Nord-Trøndelag
Parents: John Johnsen & Karen Anna Andersdatter
By census-1865, the family have moved to Namsos.
Emigration on 29 May 1869.
Jan Peter |
Edited by - jwiborg on 20/02/2010 18:57:10 |
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John Johnson of LA and his nephew Carl Svarva
