Eva Margareta Nilsson (1866-1947) (52 Ancesters #29)

Eva Margareta Nilsson > Edward Lundeen > Marion Elisabeth Lundeen

I love Eva's wedding dress!
(click on the picture for a closer look)

Eva Margareta Nilsson was born to Johan Nilsson and Anna Jonasdotter on Oct 12, 1866 in Lekaryd, Kronoberg, Sweden in the province of Småland. In 1884, at the age of 17, Eva came to America.** She was in Bay City, Wisconsin for a short time before moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota. While living there, she visited the area of Albion, near Annandale, Minnesota. It was on that visit that she met John Lundeen. The couple was married in Minneapolis on April 16, 1887.

John and Eva lived and worked their farm in Albion. Eva gave birth to 6 children including Alice who died at the age of 3 years old. (I remember hearing something about an accident with a stove or fire?) The couple also had an adopted daughter, Agnes. In 1917, John and son Carl opened a garage in Annandale, called “John Lundeen and Son.” Later, John would step aside and his sons Walter and Henry would join Carl. The business became Lundeen Bros., Inc., a Ford agency, and is still in business in Annandale. 

Ed, John, Carl, Agnes, Eva, Walter, Joe

Son Edward continued to work the family farm, and the 1940 census shows Ed’s family and John and Eva lived on the farm together. Following John’s death in 1940, Eva moved to Annandale and lived with her youngest son, Henry (or as I remember him, Uncle Hank). Eva died on January 18, 1947 and is buried in the Albion Free Church Cemetery. One of the 4 pastors that officiated her funeral, Rev. Wallace Larson (at that time pastor at the Annandale Free Church) was my first pastor more than 30 years later, (then at the Albion Free Church).

In April 1937, John and Eva, along with 350 family and friends, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The afternoon included an informal program where memories of their love and generosity were shared and congratulations from those absent were read. The final speech was given by son Carl, and as the local paper reported, “In the remarks by Carl, the stranger could picture this couple starting married life in a very small house, the floor of which was of wide, rough and loose boards, with very little furniture. Little by little improvements were made until the farm was comfortably equipped with buildings and furnishings that makes farming easier.”  

The conclusion of Eva’s obituary focuses on her faith. At a young age, Eva had given her heart to the Lord. She was a faithful member of the Albion Free Church and the oldest member at the time of her death. As stated in a family history, “John and Eva’s high ideals and Christian hospitality were an inspiration to all who knew them and lived in their children’s lives and that of successive generations.”

Eva and her sons

Sources: Newspaper articles from Annandale Advocate from Wright County Historical Society; Census records from Ancestry.com; family photos and clippings.

**Does anyone know if she came on her own or if she was traveling with or meeting family in America? The info I have says her parents died in Sweden and her obit only mentions siblings in Sweden.

John Tuthill, Graffiti Artist? (1658-1754) (52 Ancestors, #28)

John Tuthill > James Tuthill > John Tuthill > Keturah Tuthill > Elizabeth Lamoreaux > Samuel Ransom > Jameson Harvey Ransom > Charles Francis Ransom > Lillian Emma Ransom > Charles Lloyd Walters

John Tuthill was born in Southold, New York on February 14, 1658 to John and Deliverance (King) Tuthill. He married Mehetable Wells and the couple had at least 11 children. John’s father and father-in-law are listed among the founders of Southold which is located at the eastern end of Long Island.

John owned a large amount of land in Southold. He was also a member of the New York Provincial Assembly in from 1693-94 and again from 1695-98. He served as Justice of the Peace and Sheriff and was one of the men responsible for establishing the first road that ran the entire length of Long Island.

In a speech given in 1868, one of John’s descendants described John as having “great natural shrewdness and energy of character” and this combined with his friend manner and honesty made him “a great favor with the people.”

John was known as “Chalker John” Tuthill because of his habit of always carrying chalk with him which he used to mark various things and to do figures as the need arose.

John died on November 21, 1754 at the age of 96.

Sources: Salmon Records; English Origins of New England Families, Second Series Vol III - speech by Hon. William H. Tuthill from Ancestry.com; The Tuthill Family by Lucy Dubois Akerly; Ancestors of James Wilson Yates and his Wife Nancy Davis Terry by Josephine C. Frost

John Walters (52 Ancestors, #27)

John Walters > Melchior Walters > Freeman Walters > Florence Eugene Walters > Cecil Lloyd Walters > Charles Lloyd Walters

Earlier this week I had a delightful lunch with my cousin – my fourth cousin twice-removed, to be exact, but a cousin all the same. We chatted about our common line and shared stories about other branches too, as well as life in general. I thought it fitting that my next post be about our common ancestor.

John Walters was born on June 11, 1783 and was christened at the First Reformed Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His parents were Melchior and Barbara Walters.

Sometime after 1800, the Walters family moved from Lancaster to Bath in Steuben County, New York. He married Pamela Chapman, daughter of Caleb and Lydia Chapman, sometime before 1810.

John, along with his father-in-law, Caleb Chapman, was one of the founders of the town of Urbana. It was formed on April 17, 1822 out of the township of Bath, New York. The first elections were held in March 1823 and John was one of several men elected as "Path Master." A history written about the area stressed the importance of this position, saying it was one of “the most essential and important offices in the town.” The Path Masters, or Overseers of the Roads, were responsible for the roads in this untouched land and “to have good roads was the key to the rapid development of the township.” John was also chosen to be a fence viewer. A fence viewer would be in charge of inspecting the conditions and location of fences and settling any disputes that may arise due to placement or escaped livestock.

Based on census records, it appears John and Pamela had at least 7 children, although not all lived to adulthood. Son Melchior is my direct ancestor and his brother Franklin is the forefather of my cousin. Following Pamela’s death in 1822, John married Susanna.

John died on April 2, 1850 and is buried in the North Urbana Hill Cemetery in Urbana. Pamela, Susanna and a number of other family members are also buried there.

Sources: census records from Ancestry.com; birth records from Familysearch.org; An Outline History of Tioga and Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania, Chemung, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins and Schuyler in New York from Google Books; cemetery report from paintedhills.org