Werner Oberg immigrated to the USA with his parents and siblings in 1892. The search for his ancestry has been somewhat hampered by difficulties with the Swedish records and the migratory nature of his soldier forebears. The main difficulty is that some ancestors do not appear to have been born either when or where the later records state, thus making it difficult, if not impossible, to find early records of them. Without these, their parents cannot be found and the tree cannot be continued along that branch.
The Oberg name came to the family in the 1830's when it was assigned to Werner's grandfather, who was a soldier at the time. At the end of the 17th century the military system of Sweden was completely reorganized and the system was to remain in effect for over 200 years. Simplified, it specified that four farms (there were exceptions) were to join forces and equip a soldier and provide him with a house (soldattorp). The soldier was to attend military drills and in time of war was to report for duty, wherever that might be. Since he had a rural background he had a patronymic, which might be very common, such as Andersson, Johansson, Olsson or Petersson. This could lead to confusion with multiple soldiers with the same name. Thus when the soldier appeared before the military scribe, he was given a soldier's name, which he kept during his service and which he often retained when he was pensioned or left the service. The military name was sometimes one that went with the group of farms that the soldier was from, as was the case with our ancestor.
The name in Sweden was spelled Åberg. The A with a ring above it is pronounced as a long O, so the name is pronounced Oberg. And this is how the name came to be spelled in America since English does not have the Å letter.
#2 Lars Johan Åberg and #3 Maria Andersdotter
Lars Johan Åberg (son of Anders Johansson Åberg and Anna Maria Olofsdotter), b. Yllestad, Skaraborg 10 Aug 1843, m. 23 Jun 1879 Maria Andersdotter b. Börstig, Skaraborg 1 Aug 1836, d. Worcester, MA, USA 1924.
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1. Werner A. Oberg
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2. Lars Johan Åberg |
4. Anders Johansson Åberg |
8. Johannes Andersson Sandberg 1755-1817 |
9. Anna Stina Andersdotter 1789-? |
|
5. Anna Maria Olofsdotter |
10. Olof Olsson 1785-1852 | 11. Cajsa Berglund 1788-1867 | |
|
3. Maria Andersdotter |
6.
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12. | 13. |
|
7.
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14. | 15. |
Maria Andersdotter is supposed to have been born in the parish of Börstig 1 Aug 1836, but there is no person born that day in that parish, nor is there any girl of that name born near that date. Whether she was born in Börstig at some other date or was born in a different parish remains to be determined.
Lars Johan and Maria had at least four children together but did not marry until three months before the birth of the fourth. They also don't appear to have lived together until after their marriage. They emmigrated to the USA in 1892. Lars Johan didn't like it in the USA and returned to Sweden, but he got sick on the return voyage and died six months later.
Werner was born August Werner but went by the name of Werner A. Oberg.
Ref:
Skaraborg Civil Registrations (Births) 1879 LDS Film 0201208
Yllestad Clerical Survey (Stora Skattegården) pg. 152
LDS Film 0509798 Item AI 10
Children (all born Yllestad):
1. Anna Josefina, b. 8 Nov 1871, d. Worcester, MA 3 Jan 1942 (of
pneumonia), m. Worcester 16 Jan 1897 Carl August Hanson, b. Boras,
Vastergötland 22 Aug 1867, d. Worcester 12 Apr 1918
2. Karl Algot, b. 13 May 1874
3. Gustaf Emil, b. 27 Jan 1877, d. 30 Apr 1880
4. Werner August, b. 17 Oct 1879, d. Northborough, MA, m. Worcester,
MA Amanda Elisabeth Erickson (dau. of Erik Svensson and Johanna Sophia
Persdotter), b. 16 Dec 1888 Trehörnigen?,
Finnerördja, Skaraborg, Sweden, d. 1960
Anders Johansson Åberg (son of Johannes Andersson Sandberg and Anna Stina Andersdotter), b. Bjurbäck, Skaraborg, 29 Mar 1813 (or possibly 22 Sep 1813), d. 8 Feb 1897 Ljungrydet, m. Sandhem, Skaraborg 14 Sep 1834 Anna Maria Olofsdotter (dau. of Olof Olsson and Cajsa Berglund), b. Sandhem parish, Skaraborg Sweden 18 Nov 1812.
| 2. Lars Johan Åberg
|
4. Anders Johansson Åberg |
8. Johanes Andersson Sandberg |
16. | 17. |
| 9. Anna Stina Andersdotter |
18. | 19. | |
|
5. Anna Maria Olofsdotter |
10. Olof Olsson |
20. | 21. |
| 11. Maja Cajsa Berglund |
22. Jonas Berglund 1748-1792 | 23. Maria Kristina Jonsdotter 1745-1809 |
Anders Johansson entered the army 28 Nov 1830 and completed his service 2 Jun 1855.
Ref:
Yllestad Births pg. 184 (1843) LDS Film 0154807 Item C3
Sandhem Births pg. 148 (1812) LDS Film 0248980 Item C4
Sandhem Marriages (1834) LDS Film 0248980 Item C4
Yllestad Clerical Survey (Storagården 1823-1840) pg. 81
LDS Film 0154806 Item AI 5
Yllestad Clerical Survey (under Stora Skattegården 1823-1840) pg. 87
LDS Film 0154806 Item AI 5
Yllestad Clerical Survey (under Stora Skattegården 1840-1850) pg. 124
LDS Film 0154806 Item AI 6
Yllestad Clerical Survey 1850-1857 pg. 124
LDS Film 0419090 Item AI 7
Yllestad Clerical Survey 1857-1864 pg. 132
LDS Film 0419090 Item AI 8
Yllestad Clerical Survey (Hofmansgården) pg. 160-161
LDS Film 0509798 Item AI 9
Yllestad Clerical Survey pg. 152
LDS Film 0509798 Item AI 10
Yllestad Clerical Survey (under Stora Skattegården 1823-1840) pg. 87
LDS Film 0154806 Item AI 5
Swedish Military Records courtesy of Sylve Larsen (via e-mail)
Children (all b. Yllestad):
1. Christina Charlotta, b. 1 Dec 1834
2. Johannes, b. 17 Jul 1836, d. (19 Jun)? 1837
3. Louisa, b. 30 Mar 1838
4. Mathilda Sophia, b. 13 Oct 1840
5. Lars Johan, b. and bap. 10 Aug 1843,
m. 23 Jun 1879
Maria Andersdotter, b. Börstig, Skaraborg 1 Aug 1836,
d. Worcester, MA 1924
6. Carl Henrik, b. 18 Jan 1846, d. 24 May 1846
7. Gustafina, b. 5 Aug 1847, d. 8 Oct 1847
8. Carl Otto, b. 6 Dec 1848
Johannes Andersson Sandberg , b. Bankeryd 1755, d. Bjurbäck 19 Nov 1817, m(1) 31 Jan 1779 Elin Andersdotter, b. Bjurbäck 7 Sep 1757, d. 2 Jun 1810, m(2) Anna Stina Andersdotter, b. 1789.
Johannes entered the army 30 Mar 1784 and was released 28 Jun 1797. His soldier name was Sandberg. Johannes Sandberg saw action in the war with Russia from 1788 to 1790. This war was begun by Gustav III, King of Sweden when he sensed weakness in the Russians. In 1743 Sweden had lost a war with Russia, and Russia had taken Finland from the Swedes. In 1788 Russia was locked in war with the Ottoman Empire, and most of her military resources were engaged in Turkey and the Crimea leaving the Baltic poorly defended. What's more, of 48 ships of the line of the Russian Baltic fleet, 15 were being prepared for departure to the Mediterranean and 19 needed to be replaced altogether. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, Sweden prepared its fleet to engage the Russians.
The confident Gustav III did not wait for the Russian squadron to depart for the Mediterranean. In the form of an ultimatum, he ordered Russia to return all Finnish provinces to Sweden. Incensed, the Russian empress Catherine the Great ordered Admiral Greig to stay in the Baltic and prepare for war with Sweden. The Swedes began with a sudden assault on the fortress at Neushlot on June 21st. The war was made up of a number of sea and land battles, many of which did not go well for the Swedes and they eventually settled for peace in 1790.
Ref:
Swedish Military Records courtesy of Sylve Larsen (via e-mail)
Children (by first wife):
1. Cathrina, b. 17 Jan 1780
2. Stina, b. 4 Mar 1784
3. Lisa, b. Bjurbäck 20 Jun 1788
4. Anders, b. Bjurbäck 17 Sep 1791
5. Brita, b. Bjurbäck 9 Apr 1795
6. Isac (twin), b. Bjurbäck 9 Sep 1803
7. Abraham (twin), b. Bjurbäck 9 Sep 1803
Children (by second wife):
8. Anders, b. Bjurbäck 22 Sep 1813, d. Ljungrydet
8 Feb 1897, m. Sandhem, Skaraborg 14 Sep 1834 Anna
Maria Olofsdotter, b. Sandhem 18 Nov 1812
9. Jonas, b. Bjurbäck 14 Jan 1818
Olof Olsson, b. Dalsland, Skaraborg, Sweden 1785, d. 14 May 1852, m. Falköping 1 Sep 1810 Maja Cajsa Berglund (dau. of Jonas Berglund and Maria Kristina Jonsdotter), b. Falköping 30 Jul 1788, d. Eketorp, Sandhem 6 Mar 1867.
Olof Olsson was also a soldier. One record gives his birth year as 1775, whereas a later one gives it as 1785. Both list him as being born in Dalsland, which is a county rather than a parish, so finding his birth, and thus parents, will be a difficult task not knowing the parish, birthdate, or even birth year.
Ref:
Sandhem Clerical Survey (Hallavadet 1806-1821) pg. 253
LDS Film 0248978 Item AI 4
Sandhem Clerical Survey (Brobacken 1806-1821) pg. 248
LDS Film 0248978 Item AI 4
Sandhem Clerical Survey (Backstuga 1816-1834) pg. 311
LDS Film 0248979 Item AI 5
Sandhem Births pg. 148 (1812) LDS Film 0248980 Item C4
Children (born in Hallavadet, Sandhem):
1. Gustav Olsson, b. Hallavadet Soldbost Sandhem Mullsjö 29 Aug 1811, d. 5 Sep 1811
2. Anna Maria Olsdotter, b. 18 Nov 1812, m. Sandem 14 Sep 1834
Anders Johansson Åberg, b. Yllestad, Skaraborg
29 Mar 1813
3. Johannes Olsson, b. Hallavadet Soldbost Sandhem Mullsjö 2 Feb 1816, d. 15 Feb 1816
4. Karl August Olsson, b. 13 Sep 1823, d. 11 Apr 1829
5. Karl August Olsson, b. Herrtorp 19 Jun 1829
Jonas Berglund, b. Falköping, Skaraborg 1748, d. Falköping 8 Mar 1792, m. Maria Kristina Jonsdotter (dau. of Jonas Nilsson & Karin Larsdotter (Jungman)), b. Fågelgården Dimb Tidaholm, Skaraborg 12 Jun 1745, d. Fylka Tomten, Falköping, Skaraborg 7 Sep 1809.
Ref:
e-mail from Sylve Larsen
Children:
1. Maria Berglund, b. Skörstorp, Skaraborg 9 Aug 1774
2. Johan Berglund, b. Skörstorp, Skaraborg 29 Dec 1776, d.
Falköping 1778
3. Andreas Berglund, b. Falköping, Skaraborg 6 Mar 1778, d.
Nolgården, Skörstorp, Skaraborg 2 May 1819
4. Johannes Berglund, b. Falköping 19 Nov 1780
5. Svante Berglund, b. Falköping 9 Oct 1783, d. Falköping
29 Nov 1783
6. Gustav Berglund, b. Falköping 6 Jun 1785
7. Maja Cajsa Berglund, b. Falköping 30 Jul 1788, d.
Eketorp, Sandhem Mullsjö, Skaraborg 6 Mar 1867, m.
Falköping 1 Sep 1810 Olof Olsson, b.
Dalsland, Skaraborg, Sweden 1785, d. 14 May 1852
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