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Q: From whom does our extended family take its name?
A: From Svante Lind and his wife, Anna Kajsa Larsdotter. Svante was an
orphan in Sweden, and Anna Kajsa was born in Skara, Sweden.
Q: Where is Skara, Sweden?
A: It is sort of in the Southern part of Sweden, near a large lake.
Q: When did they come to the United States?
A: Svante came first, to Illinois in 1869. Eventually, by working in the
coal mines, he earned enough money to bring Anna Kajsa and the rest of
the family to the United States three years later. The two girls, Lovisa
and Mathilda, and their three sons, John, Thure, and Emil came with her
on the ship.
Q: How did they get to the Nebraska prairie, to Phelps County, Nebraska?
A: In 1879 the men and boys of the family set out for Nebraska in wagons
drawn by their strong team of horses, Billy and Fanny. Anna Kajsa and
the girls came a few days later by train. By now there were two more girls,
Ida and Augusta, who were born in Illinois.
.Q: Do we have relatives still residing in Sweden?
A: Yes, and often members of our family have gone to Sweden to visit them.
Q: How many children did Svante and Anna Kajsa have?
A: Seven who lived to adulthood: Anna Lovisa, Johannes, Thure, Johanna
Mathilda, Emil, Ida Caroline, and Augusta Amalia.
Q: I notice that my branch is named after one of the children in the
list above, right?
A: Yes, John, or Uncle Johnny as some knew him, never married, but each
of our Lind branches corresponds to one of the other six children.
.Q: What was important to these early Nebraska pioneers?
A: Family life, of course; and the church, hard work, their neighbors,
education for their children, and music.
Q: Did they really raise children in a sod house?
A: Yes. Ida Caroline, in her later years, wrote an extended memoir about
growing up on the prairie in a sod house. There were constant concerns
about rattlesnakes and prairie fires, but in spite of their difficult
life, Ida remembered how she and her younger sister, Augusta, played in
the tall grass surrounding the house, much as kids do today.
Q: How many Linds are there now, and how many generations?
A: There are now over 1,100 descendents of Svante and Anna Kajsa, scattered
around the world, and we are now up to eight generations.
Q: Where can I learn more about our ancestors?
A: Well, there are some good memoirs written by several family members,
Esther Lind Morin, Ida Lind Lund, Alice Shaffer, Delores Swanson, Naomi
Nelson, Don Peterson, and Eugene Abrahamson, just to name a few. There
are also some books in which you can find stories and information about
our family. Ask Ingrid Youngdale about her writings.
Q: When and where did the first Lind Family Reunion take place?
A: The first reunion of all the branches of the family was held on August
27, 1950, at Fridhem Lutheran Church in Funk, Nebraska. The events of
the day took place both in the church sanctuary and on the lawn surrounding
the church. It was a hot day. Some of the men remember wearing wool suits,
even though it was an August day on the prairie, and there was no air
conditioning in the church.
Q: “Fridhem”
is an odd name—is that Swedish?
A: Yes, Fridhem is Swedish and means “Home of Peace.” After
all the hardships our Swedish ancestors had been through to get to America
and to Nebraska, they certainly needed a haven where they could find peace
and comfort.
Q: Have there really been reunions every year since 1950?
A: Yes, the descendents of Svante and Anna Kajsa have met every year since
1950—over half a century.
Q: Are the reunions always in Nebraska?
A: No, while most reunions have been in the middle third of the United
States, we have had reunions on both coasts, in California and Georgia.
Reunions have also been held in Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Missouri, and South Dakota.
.Q: But most have been in Nebraska, right?
A: Not exactly, but every five years since 1950 the reunions have returned
to central Nebraska—an extra big event, with an extra big effort
by family members to return to our roots. As our society becomes more
and more dispersed, and families are separated by great distances, Linds
feel a sense of belonging and stability when they attend these summer
reunions.
Q: When are reunions held?
A: In the 1950s and 60s, reunions generally were held over a weekend in
the latter part of the summer. In more recent years, because of changes
in society, work and school schedules, and individual family vacation
plans, we now have our yearly reunion the first weekend of August.
Q: A family reunion from Friday to Sunday — pretty long and boring,
huh?
A: Yeah, boring stuff like airplane rides over the Rocky Mountains, trail
rides on horseback, boat rides, tours of historic regions, swimming, golf,
hayrides, singing around campfires, good food, and lots of laughter, and
some happy tears, of course.
Q: At our reunions I always hear us sing the song, Children of the Heavenly Father. Why is that?
A: That song, or hymn, which dates from the 1800s, has been special to a lot of Swedish people for many years. The words were written by a Christian Swedish woman named Lina Sandell. From the earliest years of our ancestors' coming to America, that hymn has been sung by our family. Even now, many family members can sing a verse or two in Swedish. If you want to hear the melody (with MIDI sounds), and learn or practice your Swedish, here is a web site to check out: TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA. Hint: at the bottom of the page, you can toggle between English and Swedish.
Q: But at those reunions I don’t know my cousins, and I feel a little strange and
left out.
A: Yeah, it seems odd that that kid across the room is your third cousin,
but you don’t know anything about her or him. Well, be brave and
make a connection; find something to do together: Go swimming together,
or play a game, or just get acquainted. Years from now, you will be glad
you did — glad you belong to and feel a part of such a big, special
family.
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