My husband’s ancestors immigrated to the United States from Sweden. His great-grandfather, Nils Malkom Nilsen, was a minister with the Swedish Mission Church and gave sermons in the Swedish language. It is possible he learned English to conduct business, but his son, Arthur, said when he started school, he only knew Swedish, a clue to the language spoken at home. Because of this, Arthur would not allow his children to learn Swedish.
Nils Malkom’s wife, Hulda, died before he did in 1924. Four obituaries have been found for her. English language obituaries were printed in the Stockton Record, Turlock Daily Journal, and the Modesto Bee. Nils Malkom had served in churches in each of those localities. An obituary was also printed in the Swedish-language newspaper Vestkusten.
A comparison of the obituaries shows some differences and why it’s important to locate all that may have been printed.
"Beloved Woman Passes to Rest. Escalon,” Record (Stockton, Calif), 17 Nov 1924, p. 8, col. 7.
Nov 17--Mrs. N.M. Nilsen, wife of Rev. N.M. Nilsen, pastor of the local Swedish Mission church, died at 4 o'clock Saturday evening in a Stockton Sanitarium. The funeral will be held at Hilmar at 2 o'clock on Wednesday, at the Swedish Mission church. The Nilsens are old-time residents of that place. Their home has been in Escalon for the past two years. By the death of Mrs. Nilsen there are left the husband and five children, one of whom, Mrs. I Rydquist, lives in Escalon."
“Deaths and Funerals,” Turlock Daily Journal, 17 Nov 1924, p. 5, col. 2.
Hilda Nelson, wife of Rev. N. M. Nelson, passed away Saturday afternoon at the age of 58. She is a native of Sweden. Besides her husband, Rev. Nelson, she leaves one daughter, Mrs. Esther Rydquist of Escalon, five sons: Arthur and Joseph Nelson of Turlock, David, Ernest and Berger Nelson of Los Angeles. Mrs. Nelson and her husband came to Hilmar 18 years ago. Rev. Nelson was pastor of the Mission Church there for thirteen years, leaving there five years ago to take up the pastorate of the Mission Church at Escalon. The funeral services will be held in the Hilmar Mission Church on Wednesday at 2 o'clock. Interment will be in the Hilmar cemetery. Friends may call at the O'Hara Funeral Home to view the remains."
“Pastor of Escalon Church Loses Wife,” Modesto Bee, 18 Nov 1924, p. 7, col. 5.
Escalon, Nov 18--Mrs. N. M. Nilsen, wife of Rev. N.M. Nilsen, pastor of the local Swedish Mission church, died at 4 o'clock Saturday evening in a Stockton sanitarium. The funeral will be held at Hilmar at 2 o'clock on Wednesday at the Swedish Mission church. The Nilsens are old-time residents of that place. Their home has been in Escalon for the past two years. By the death of Mrs. Nilsen there are left the husband and five children, one of whom, Mrs. I. Rydquist lives in Escalon.
The Pacific Coast, CALIFORNIA. Mrs N. M. Nilsen dead. Mrs. Hulda Nilsen (born Anderson) died in
San Pedro last Saturday. She was born in Rappestad, Östergötland [a Swedish county], on the 14th August 1868. She spent her youth in Stora Mellösa in Närke [another Swedish county], until she came to America to marry her husband, N.M. Nilsen, the 20th May 1893.
San Pedro last Saturday. She was born in Rappestad, Östergötland [a Swedish county], on the 14th August 1868. She spent her youth in Stora Mellösa in Närke [another Swedish county], until she came to America to marry her husband, N.M. Nilsen, the 20th May 1893.
She has been a member of the Hilmar congregation since the 28th June 1908 until five years ago, when Reverend Nilsen moved from Hilmar to the San Pedro congregation. About 3 months ago, she started to suffer from a severe headache and became nervous, a condition which soon got worse. In September her thoughts were confused. Her life journey ended peacefully in the presence of her husband and her daughter on the 15th of November. She was aged 56 years, 3 months and 1 day.
About three months ago she realized that she would soon pass away. She declared this fact at the breakfast table when she said: "I have been to Heaven tonight. The Lord brought me there. How wonderful it was!" (translated by Merit Janbrink).
Analysis
Reading through the four obituaries, two are nearly identical and mention the daughter, Mrs. I. Rydquist, who lived in Escalon, where her mother lived. She may have been the one to submit it to the newspapers. The obituary in Turlock has more information about their time living in Hilmar, a neighboring town. The Swedish paper has the most information about her. It includes her birthplace, birth name, other places they lived, and her health before her death.
Conclusion
So, if your ancestor was an immigrant, check out newspapers printed in their native language for articles about them, especially their obituary.
#52Ancestors-Week 14: Language
This is my eighth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe.
I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family (https://mam-massouthernfamily.blogspot.com/) or My Trails into the Past (https://mytrailsintothepast.blogspot.com/). I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.
Copyright © 2011-2025 by Lisa S. Gorrell, My Trails into the Past. All Rights Reserved.
I have found this to be true as well. I think it is always best to check all newspapers to find as much information as possible. Thanks for the great reminder.
ReplyDeleteI always recommend to researchers that if their relatives were of a specific ethnic group, check to see if that group had a newspaper published in the area the family lived. It almost always covers that community in more depth than the general mainstream paper does.
ReplyDelete