Backlund family

[Debbie Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Debbie]

Hello - I am new to the boards. These are my ancestors:

Johan Vilhelm Abrahamsson BACKLUND (KARFPRäST) b. 3 SEP
1854, d. 1915 + K. Lovisa Mattsdotter KARF b. 25 JUN 1858

Their son: (my grandfather)
Matts Vilhelm Johansson BACKLUND b. 19 JAN 1886 in Pensala.

Went to America in 1903.

Thanks -
Debbie

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

Backlund family

Hi and welcome to sfhs!
Do you have a town and state to which your ancestors emigrated in 1903?
If so, I might be able to find them in a Swedish lang church file at Swenson Swedish Immigration Center here in Rock Island.
Chuck

[Debbie Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Debbie]

Backlund family

Thanks Chuck!
They both went to Salt Lake City - my gr.grandfather, Johan Vilhelm Backlund changed his name to John Wilhelm Backlund, and Matts Vilhelm changed his name to William. John Wilhelm actually went earlier - I believe in 1898.

[syrene Registered Find all posts View Profile Close syrene]

Backlund UT

Hi,
I just went through K-G Olin's namelist for Utah miners at turn of century, and although there is one complete page, double columns, there was no Backlund matching your birthdates.
Sorry,
Syrene

[syrene Registered Find all posts View Profile Close syrene]

Backlund

Dear Debbie,
I went to Olin's book on Gold and the Redwoods (CA) in case any of your relatives moved around, as many did.
There is one Backlund born in Pensala, Munsala:
(and I translate)
Backlund, Matts Vilhelm, botrn 19.01.1886 from Pensala, emigrated to America 1903, lived first a short time in Murray UT with his father, 1909 in Riverside in CA, married the same year to Edith Baker, moved later to El Cajon where he drove a freezer trucn/car (??), moved to San Diego, died there 1965.
All this from Jarl Roos, who lives in Pensala and is a Karf family tree branch. Excellent genealogist! I believe he is a member of the Finlander forum. You could reach him via that listing.
Good luck!
Syrene

[granskare Registered Find all posts View Profile Close granskare]

nothing found at Swenson

I did not find the Backlund men at either Salt Lake City Zion Lutheran, S339, or Riverside Eden Lutheran, S637 but I did find at Zion a Backlund, Selma Julina born 4-27-1879 listed as baptised Finland and from what appears to be Skattwegby Kristianstad. Received 1931.
On the same reel as Zion were Bethel Lutheran of Eureka UT, Swedish Lutheran of Bingham Canyon, UT, and St John's of Park City UT. The men were not there either.
Chuck

[Debbie Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Debbie]

Thank you for looking, Syrene and Chuck! I appreciate your efforts!

[syrene Registered Find all posts View Profile Close syrene]

Backlund

Dear Debbie,
SFHS recently received a new society member with a mother named Backlund from Vörå.
If you are interested in contacting him, I will send you the address by private email. I have called the family to ask if they are interested in such contacts, and they are.
Regards,
Syrene

[Debbie Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Debbie]

Yes, please - thanks, Syrene!

[jeanette Registered Find all posts View Profile Close jeanette]

Backlund 1910 HQ Census Index

Hi Debbie,
I had an opportunity to check the Heritage Quest Scandinavians in the 1910 Federal Census Index today and found the following which may be useful to you.

BACKLUND, John age 55 b. Finland State UTAH County Salt Lake, Locality 5-WD Murray T624 1605 Part 1 Page 44 Sub page A.

As this index only lists Heads of Household or those in the house with a different surname you may find William living in Murray with his parents on the above census roll. In case he isn't I also took note of three listings for William Backlund age 23.
CA Fresno County, Fresno 3-TWP 76 1 190 A brn SW
MN St Loius County, Hibbing 723 2 184 A brn FIN
WA Mason County, Potlatch Pct, 1666 2 351 B brn FIN

Hoping someone can help you with a census lookup.

Jeanette

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Backlund, Utah 1900 census

Debbie,
Not sure if you need this or not but there's a John Backlund in the 1900 census in Murray Precinct in Salt Lake County, Utah. (see attached)

I'll check the 1910 as well...

[kpaavola Registered Find all posts View Profile Close kpaavola]

Backlund, Utah 1910 census

This is the same man but not sure it's your family. See attached.

There were 2 Williams. One was 18 and one was 40 so they don't look to be the same person. There were a few other Johns as well but they weren't close to the same age.

Not sure this helps.

[Debbie Registered Find all posts View Profile Close Debbie]

Hi Kevin - thank you so much for these censuses! It definitely is my gr.grandfather. What is interesting is that he (probably like many others) left his wife and family back in Finland, came to America, and started a new family - unfortunately without divorcing the first wife. So he really was a bigamist.

I forgot to mention when I first posted, that my grandfather, William Backlund, actually changed his last name - to Ellis - I believe it is because he was angry with his father for deserting his mother and remarrying - but that is just my theory. I do know that he did not keep in contact with his father so I think it is probably right. (I do have William Ellis's census information already.)

I wonder how common this really was? (Leaving family behind and starting a new one.)

Anyway, thank you VERY much for posting these censuses for me - I really appreciate it!
Debbie