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Friday, July 16, 2010

FOUR LITTLE GIRLS

Posted by Carolyn Christensen, great half niece of four little Swedish Girls.

I had worked on my Swedish Family History since before I was married. I first remember sorting family group sheets at Ricks College in 1964. Even though my Swedish Grandparents had their lines researched by a professional researcher, I have reviewed the information several times to make sure it was correct. Each time during my life when I brought out the records, I wondered about and researched again my Grandfather’s immediate family. I found a few interesting details, but not a lot. My grandfather’s parents were engaged, he was born, and his mother died before the marriage took place. He lived with his Grandfather and later came to America. His father, five years later, married a woman who had one son. They, in turn, had two sons, and then disappeared from the parish.
While on my mission, I once again reviewed this information. Wouldn’t it be great if I could find where my great-grandfather and his wife disappeared to? However, checking the Swedish Records convinced me that this wouldn’t happen. I wasn’t too concerned for the wife had turned 40, so I was sure no other children were born to this marriage. One day, I asked one of our faithful staff members if they had any ideas. She introduced me to the 1890 Swedish Census. There the family appeared; my great-grandfather and his wife, his step-son and two sons, in a parish to where they had moved. I decided to check the parish registers for this family, and to my shock, surprise, and delight, I found four little girls had been born into this family. The first and second little girl were 1 ½ years apart. When the oldest was 3, both she and her sister died within two weeks of each other. The mother, 8 months later, gave birth to twin daughters, who died the same day they were born. Therefore, this mother and father buried four little girls within eight months of each other. And these girls were my half-great aunts! No one in our family had any idea they had ever existed.
It wasn’t long before several of my family members joined together in the Jordan River Temple to unite the four little Swedish girls to their family, of which I am a part, for eternity. I have been serving on my Church Service Mission for 6 years in November, 2010. This one experience has been worth any time of service I have been able to render.



Following is a family group sheet for this family, and the research notes.

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