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The Tale of an Iowa Pioneer Family

This story was found in a book, called Swedish Settlements in Iowa. With Biographies of Swedish Men and Women in Des Moines and Vicinity, by O.M. Nelson, and first printed about 1937. A reprint was published in 1992 by Larry A. Peterson of Des Moines.

It is a most interesting book, which at the time of publishing probably was just regarded as a vanity publication, but which has great value in our time.

It contains overviews of the Swedish settlements in the counties of Boone, Crawford, Hamilton, Harrison, Ida, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Polk, Pottawattamie, Sac, Union and Webster and then the city of Des Moines.

Des Moines has a special section with detailed biographies of several prominent businesspeople. The index to this part of the book can be seen here.

As an example of the many stories in this book, the following has been chosen:

One of the first settlers at Swede Bend, Mrs. Maria Christina Ferlen, is still living in Stratford at this writing (1931), having attained the age of 91 years. Born in Åbo, Ulrika parish, Östergötland, October 10, 1840, she left her native land in the spring of 1849, with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lorentson, and an elder sister, and reached Swede Point, Ia., on her ninth birthday, after a six months' journey. The colonists at Swede Point, where the initial settlement had been made three years earlier, desiring to locate their own relatives in their immediate neighborhood, conducted the Lorentson family many miles up the Des Moines river where unoccupied land was still plentiful, and left them there in the wilderness to shift for themselves. With no other tools than a hand ax, brought from Sweden, and a wood chopper's ax, secured at Swede Point, Mr. and Mrs. Lorentson built their first hut with their own hands. Their domestic animals consisted of two hens and a rooster. When their provisions gave out, Mr. Lorentson picked his way back to Swede Point along the edge of the timber, and came near getting lost in a blizzard. All the flour he was able to purchase was a small bag of corn meal, as his poor countrymen at Swede Point had scarcely enough for their own need. During the first spring and early summer the Lorentson family had to exist on such greens as they could pick in the timber and on the prairie, until the corn they had planted on small patches of ground, dug up by their wooden implements, was ready to harvest. When other settlers located in the vicinity Mr. Lorentson earned his first money by assisting them in their farm work, and, in exchange for this money and his best Swedish suit, he secured his first milk cow. For several years he ground his corn on a primitive hand mill, constructed of flat stones that he picked up and shaped himself.

As the colony grew, the comforts increased, and with the other pioneers the Lorentsons lived to see the day when Swede Bend developed into a prosperous farming community. Mr. Lorentson died in 1866 at 72 years of age, and Mrs. Lorentson 14 years later, 82 years old. In 1865 Maria married O. M. Ferlen, who also devoted himself to farming, first at Swede Bend and then in Dakota, where one of their children had taken a homestead. Many years ago the Ferlens retired and moved to Stratford where he died in 1925. A widowed daughter, Mrs. Cora Walker, and a son, F. T. Ferlen, also a widower, now reside with the aged mother, who is still in good bodily vigor, and in full possession of her mental faculties, despite her old age and her strenuous life during the pioneer period.

Editor's note: The above mentioned family consisted of

Peter Larsson, born 1794 Nov. 7 in Västra Harg, Östergötland
w. Sara Andersdotter, born 1798 Aug.12 in Emtefall, Ulrika, Östergötland
d. Brita Helena, born 1830 Dec.6 in Åbo on Emtefall lands in Ulrika
d. Maria Kristina, born 1840 Oct.19 at the same place

all according to the church records for Ulrika parish.

Peter and his family arrrived in New York 1849 Aug.24 on the ship "Virginia" and finally settled in Swede Bend, Hamilton county, Iowa, as seen above.

Alphabetical index, Des Moines Biographies (ca. 1931)


Agrell, Oscar, violin repairer, p. 89

Alexander, Arthur E., insurance salesman, p. 104

Anderson, Adolph Frederick, merchant, p. 70

Anderson, Herman Frederick, merchant, p. 70

Anderson, Hilding. E.O., auto parts dealer, p. 78

Appell, Gunnard C., automechanic, p. 81

Appelquist, Fred G., insurance executive, p. 91

Backman, Jonas A., manufacturer, p. 82

Barquist, Dr. Harry A., osteopath, p. 80

Barquist, Edward, sheet metal worker, p. 74

Benson, John A., building contractor, p. 75

Bloom, A. V., typewriter dealer, p. 81

Bloom, Clifford R., singer, p. 70

Bloomquist, Charles, automechanic, p. 98

Borg, , George H., office manager, p. 88

Borg, Axel F., grocer, p. 88

Borg, Carl O., bakery and ice cream, p. 88

Borg, Otto A., grocer, p. 90

Borg, Ruben F. grocer, p. 89

Borg, John C., grocer, p. 83

Broquist, William Albert, merchant, p. 99

Burkman, Carl A., county attorney, p. 83

Carlson, Carl Oscar. contractor, p. 97

Carlson, Chas. E., upholsterer, p. 69

Carlson, Clarence R., shoemaker, p. 77

Carlson, Claus, painter, p. 103

Carlson, Eskil C., attorney, p. 69

Carlson, Ralph I., bank teller, ins. agent, p. 103

Celander, Andrew G., grocer, p. 76

Dahl, Elmer H., mason contractor, p. 100

Dahl, Harry W., M. D., p. 90

Dahlberg, Robert B., painting contractor, p. 97

Dahlstrom, Alfred, mortician, p. 74

Danielson, Oscar C., welder, p. 78

Eck, Carl Elmer, baker, p. 98

Ellison, Andrew, automechanic, p. 81

Elmquist, Chas. E., attorney, p. 82

Englund, Dr. Victor A., osteopathic physician, p. 80

Englund. Peter J., deputy auditor, p. 91

Erickson, Claus E., manufacturer, p. 91

Erickson, Frank G., contractor, p. 104

Erickson, Iver C., dairy owner, p. 86

Erlandson, Elder J., cabinet maker, p. 78

Erlandson, John A., cabinet maker, p. 78

Franson, Birger, shoemaker, p. 82

Franzen, Gustaf E., contractor, p. 96

Fredrikson, Varina, masseuse, p. 92

Frish, Edwin Julius, attorney, p. 71

Frisk, Alvin C., treasurer, p. 71

Grandquist, Olof G., contractor, p. 85

Green, Oscar M., watchmaker, p. 87

Gustafson, Alvin C., investments, p. 75

Gustafson, Arvid, automechanic, p. 97

Gustafson, J. Glen, secretary, p. 97

Hamborg, Elmer:, meat dealer, p. 89

Hamborg, La Vern, manufacturer, p. 90

Hammar, Henning C., merchant, p. 94

Hanson, Harry E., branch manager, p. 97

Harpel, Albert O., photographer, p. 86

Heggen, Albin N., executive, p. 95

Heggen, Theodore S ., p. 95

Hellberg, Arthur Edward, watchmaker, p. 69

Holm, Chas. F., tailor, p. 80

Jacobson, John S., tailor, p. 95 

Johnson, A. Paul, grocer, p. 90

Johnson, Adolph, cabinet maker, p. 77

Johnson, Carl A., contractor, p. 81

Johnson, Emil F., grocer, p. 85

Johnson, Lawrence A., superintendent, p. 93

Johnson, Ted A., service station, p. 102

Julander, Dr. S. E., chiropractor, p. 79

Kullander, Albert E., manufacturing jeweler, p. 80

Lagerquist, Henry, manufacturer, p. 84

Lagerquist, Hugo Roger, manufacturer, p. 84

Landsberg, Arvid O., contractor, p. 104

Larson, David N. grocer, p. 87

Larson, Ivar, masseur, p. 75

Larson, Nels O., meat dealer, p. 81

Laven, Axel L., contractor, p. 104

Lindblom, Axel, contractor, p. 82

Lindfelt, Edward C., manufacturer, p. 87

Lindgren, Buell M., attorney, p. 67

Lindgren, George R., insurance agent, p. 79

Lindholme, Gotthard A., insurance, p. 73

Linstrum, Arthur C., manager, p. 83

Linstrum, Louis Oscar, deputy auditor, p. 99

Lundgren, Arvid L., executive, p. 94

Lundgren, George A., insurance agent, p. 79

Lundgren, Robert J., bridge contractor, p. 101

Mellin, Miss Mary C., executive, p. 99

Nelson Emil, manager, p. 83

Nelson, Carl A., watchmaker, p. 87

Nelson, Edward J., grocer, p. 85

Nelson, Nick, laundry owner, p. 84

Nero. Harry, contractor, p. 104

Nordholm, Hans, tailor, p. 94

Nylander, Daniel H., restaurateur, p. 100

Olson, Alfred B., merchant, p. 72

Olson, Gustaf R., photographer, p. 85

Olson, Harry E., salesman, p. 96

Olson, Harry S., quilt shop, p. 79

Olson, Olof G., contractor, p. 103

Pearson, Alfred J., dean, p. 68

Peel, Dr. Frederick F, dentist, p. 73

Peterson, Elmer Theodore. editor, p. 93

Peterson, George M., investments, p. 84

Peterson, Peter A., book binder, p. 92

Peterson, Wilfred H., automechanic, p. 98

Peterson, Wm. Harvey, dentist, p. 68

Peterson. Fred J., accountant, p. 91

Rosene, Edward A., plumber, p. 86

Rundberg, John, grocer, p. 102

Saf, Carl J., shoemaker, p. 76

Samuelson, Agnes, Supt. Public Instruction, p. 67

Sandahl, Chas. E., printer, p.  101

Sandell, Carl L., dentist, p. 76

Sandin, John F., painter, p. 92

Seastrand, Dr. Carl E, osteopathic physician, p. 96

Selindh, Nels M., automechanic, p.  73

Stolberg, John A., contractor, p. 99

Stromberg, Oscar E., contractor, p. 103

Sundberg, Clarence E., display artist, p. 74

Swanson, Arnold E., plumbing inspector, p. 102

Swanson, Fred S., insurance, p. 72

Swanson, Fred W., executive, p. 100

Swanson, Harold N. (Wick), automechanic, p. 98

Swenson, Herbert L., magazine agent, p. 77

Thorson, Oscar R., p. 92

Turnquist, Axel L., upholsterer, p. 101

Varme, Leonard C., deputy auditor, p. 89

Wallerstedt, Axel Herman, shoemaker, p. 76

Wallerstedt, Carl V., baker, p. 86

Wilmers, John W., insurance, p. 72

Yarn, George, merchant, p. 71
If you feel that one of the above mentioned persons may be your relative, and you would like to know the full text from the book, you can e-mail the Swedish Roots editor and don't forget to put Iowa in the subject line.

Swedish Roots
is published by Sveriges Släktforskarförbund.
The Federation of Swedish Genealogical Societies
Editor: Elisabeth Thorsell.
Last updated on 12 July 2002