John Edwin Carlson

John Edwin Carlson was born Johan Edwin Karlsson, in Bredshult, Vimmerby landsf�rsamling, Kalmar county, Sweden to Karl Johan "August" Karlsson and Carolina Susanna Nilsdotter.

August and Carolina

Children of "August" and "Susan":

. Axel Ernfrid "Hugo" Karlsson,
Johan " Edwin " Karlsson, .
"Ernst" Wilhelm Karlsson, .
Karl " Albert " Karlsson . .

Johan "Edwin" and Axel Ernfrid "Hugo" Karlsson

In 1913, at age 19, Edwin made his first trip to the United States. The trip cost about $120.00. He first settled in Loleta (Sheffield), Pennsylvania, where he joined his brother Hugo who had come to America before him. Together they worked at Amsler & Campbell - Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company. Shortly after taking this job, there was a very large forest fire which drove all workers away from the woods. My Great Grandfather was quoted as saying "We had to run like heck to get out of there!" Working in the woods he made $1.50 a day, 10 hours a day, six days a week.

After leaving the Loleta area, he moved to Warren,PA and rented from the Hultman family on Hinkle Street for $4.00 a week. At this time he took Employment with Gissles which is presently Deluxe. One day while working there Edwin had a truly rare experience with his boss Mr. Onion, who was said to be very difficult to work for. Mr Onion told Edwin that he wanted to see him in his office at 5:00 and Edwin forgot to see him before leaving work and Mr. Onion showed up at his home the next day and gave him a $50.00 Liberty Bond for being a good worker.

Soon after moving to Warren, Edwin courted Svea Anderson, the daughter of Carl August and Charlotta Johanna Johnson Anderson. They were married December 14, 1914 and rented a house on Carver Street from a Mr. Morgan. In 1918 Edwin and Svea purchased their home from Mr. Morgan for the sum of $5,000.00.

Home on Carver Street

In 1923 Edwin made his first trip back to his mother country with his brother Hugo when they learned their brothers, Ernst and Albert, had died in a drowning-accident when they, together Karl August Gottfrid Fransson of Kvafhult, Appelkullen, L�nneberga, were fishing on Lake Gissen.

Home in Sweden

Apparently a storm came up and the boat overturned and they all drowned. They drowned 1923, August 18. Gissen is situated about 2.1 miles from Bredshult where the family lived. Edwin and Hugo stayed long enough to build their parents a new farm house before returning to America. Edwin would only make two more trips to Sweden, once in 1937 and again in 1940 to settle his father's estate.

From 1937 to 1940 Edwin took numerous jobs including Pairamount Furniture and Pheonix Furniture, which was located on lower Carver Street. In 1940, like many other people, Edwin was out of work. At this time he helped an attorney to get elected to a post in Harrisburg, and in return the attorney helped Edwin by landing him a job at the State Hospital located in North Warren where Edwin worked until his retirement in 1968.

John Edwin Carlson Died on June 27, 1982 at the age of 89. He is buried in Warren at Oakland Cemetery along with his wife Svea who preceeded him in death.

Carlson Family Report

Bredshult is a farm in Vimmerby landsf�rsamling (parish), but only a few hundred yards from the border to L�nneberga and Vena parish. Bredshult is situated 0.8 miles from Hultsfred Airport.
Vena and L�nneberga parish's belong to Hultsfreds kommun (rural district), while Vimmerby parish belongs to Vimmerby kommun.
You can see the farm, Bredshult on the map at:
[Hultsfreds] [hembygdsf�renings] map above [Vena]
and Lake Gissen at:
Map above area [Vetlanda]-[Hultsfred], 1950

Many thanks to Sam Blixt for helping me with information in Sweden on the message boards.

Sam has a page with Swedish maps of the area at http://samblixt.se/Kartor/Kartor_New.htm

Last modified Saturday, 08-Sep-2018 10:29:27 MDT
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Contact Sam Blixt Swedish Records Lookups.

Anbytarforum Message boards in Sweden (In Swedish and some English).

Sweden General message board at Rootsweb

Swedish Church Records of Jamestown, Chautauqua County, NY

Some useful genealogical links: Swedish, Scandinavian, and general: