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Sven ___? ___?-___? |
Kattrina ISREALSDOTTER 1792-1880 |
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Mathias "Matt" ANDERSSON 1790-1864 |
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Lena SVENSDOTTER 1844-___? |
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Gustaf MATTSSON 1839-1921 |
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Swan Augustus GUSTAFSON 1868-1937 |
Swan (whose name was originally Sven) received his primary and secondary education in Swedish public schools and then farmed in central Norway for a while. At the age of 22, in 1891, he emigrated to the United States. He sailed from Gothenberg on a steamship of the Wilson line to Liverpool, then on a Cunard liner Galia to Castle Garden (The receiving port in New York Harbor for immigrants in that year), where he arrived on April 26, 1891.
Almost immediatly after arriving in New York, Swan traveled by rail to Ridgeway PA where he filed his citizen papers (finalized in Oct. 1906), and worked at sawmills at Mill Creek and Ridgeway, then in 1893 securing a position as a helper on the steel vessels in the converting department at the Homestead plant of the Carnegie Steel mills in Pittsburgh. These mills were shut down that same year following the panic that followed a major labor disruption where several people were killed. Following that experience, Swan returned to the lumber camps and sawmills of Ridgeway.
By 1898 Swan had settled in Elkins WV, and in the period 1909-1913 he relocated to the town of William in Tucker County WV where he was a store manager for Richard Chaffee. In 1910, he married Lephia Hope Werner (1877-1975), who had two children by him, both sons. Lephia lived to be 98 years old.
In 1913, Swan relocated to the town of Ruthbell, in Preston County WV, and became the manager of the Ruthbell Lumber Company store, which had been formed by Mr. Chaffee. He remained there until he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1937.
Swan became a stockholder and Director of the First National Bank of Albright, a stockholder in the Bank of Kingwood, and oversaw certain coal operations in Kentucky. He also held a commission as Notary Public in Preston County WV.
Swan was a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Morgantown (WV) Lodge of Perfection. He was also a member of the Elkins Lodge, the Kingwood Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, the Maccabees of Detroit (Lodge No. 32), and several Swedish-American charitable and recreational organizations: the Svenska Turistforeningen Arskort (the Swedish National Travel Club), and the Federal Council Royal Arcanum in Pittsburgh. He was also a member of the Presbyterian Church of Kingwood WV. Swan was recognized and remembered in Ruthbell as one of that town's most charitable and public-spirited citizens.
Swan's parents were: Gustaf Mattsson; b. Jan 25, 1839; d. July 6, 1921; and Lena Svensdotter; b. Mar 19, 1844 in Amal Parish in the province of Dalsland, Sweden. Gustaf and Lena were married in about 1865. They had 8 children:
Gustaf Mattsson (b. 1839) was the son of: Mathias "Matt" Andersson; b. Sep 17, 1790; d. Feb 2, 1864; and Kattrina Isrealsdotter; b. 1792; d. Oct 27, 1880.
Mathias "Matt" Andersson (1790-1864) was the son of: Anders Isacsson Schullstrom; b. Sep 16, 1754, in Karlstad; and Maria Danielsdotter; b. Dec 8, 1754; d. Jan 31, 1842.
Kattrina Isrealsdotter (1792-1880) was the daughter of Isreal Svensson; b. Feb 16, 1759, in Aedane; and Anna Lena Andersdotter, b. Jan 20, 1760 in Sunnerud.
Anders Isacsson Schullstrom (b. 1754) was the son of Isac Schullstrom, b. 1710 or 1712, a Master Sculptor; and Cajsa "Catharina" Wedelin; b. between 1712 and 1715.
Maria Danielsdotter (1754-1842) was the daughter of Daniel Svensson; b. 1698; and Maria Andersdotter; b. 1734.
Isreal Svensson ( b. 1759) was the son of Sven Isrealsson; b. 1684; and Sigrid Olsdotter; b. 1716.
Anna Lena Andersdotter ( b. 1760) was the daughter of Anders Nilsson; b. 1722 in Sunnerud; and Stina Bryngelsdotter (?); b. 1724 in Mo Parish in the province of Dalsland.