Anderson-Vriese Family Ties

MY BENGTSON FAMILY LINE IN AMERICA

updated by Staci Anderson January, 2007

GUSTAF ROBERT BENGTSON (Wedding photo taken 27 July 1910 of Gustaf Robert Bengtson and Jenny Peterson.)

Gustaf Robert Bengtson (Robert August) was born 13 Aug 1886 in Malmöhus, Malmo, Sweden. He was descended from a line of families in Virestad, Kronoberg, Sweden. His father was E.Bengt Persson , and his mother was Kristina Magnusson. Gustaf Robert’s father died when he was a child and his mother remarried. (Many of their records can be found in the Virestad church records in Sweden.) As a young man on March 2nd, 1904 Gustaf Robert arrived in the United States. A few of his siblings were already in the US, and later the rest would follow. His brothers and sisters included Jenny Marie, Per Johan, Nanny Martina, Amandus, Karl Emil and Ernest Olaf. All emigrated to America. Robert married Jennie Petterson (also born in Sweden) on 27 July 1910 in Cherokee, Iowa. Following in the footsteps of his father, Robert and Jennie farmed together for 44 years before he retired in March of 1952. As farm work can often be dangerous, he lost an eye in a traffic accident and used a glass eye in its place (and sometimes took it out to the amazement of his grandchildren!) Robert and Jennie took a ship back to visit Sweden when their son Clarence was only 3 years old around 1920 on the Cunard Liner “Mauretania”. He also received US citizenship. His certificate of naturalization reads that he was 5 foot 10 with blue eyes, wife Jennie 35 years old, of Aurelia, Iowa. Signed by Gustaf Robert Bengston, applied 7 December 1925 in Cherokee and signed 14 December 1925. They are listed on the 1910/1920 and the 1930 census records in Cherokee, Iowa. In 1950 they sold their farm and retired at 230 East Main Street. They also spent several winters away from the cold in Pheonix, Arizona. Jennie was a member of the Bethlemhem Lutheran church. They had four boys: Louis, Clifford, Clarence, and Donald Filmore. Gustaf Robert died on the 14th of June, 1961 in Cherokee Iowa and is buried at Good Hope Cemetery.

DONALD FILMORE BENGTSON

(Donald is sitting between his parents Gustaf Robert Bengtson and Jenny Peterson.)

Donald Filmore Bengtson was born on 13 February, 1927 in Aurelia, Iowa. He served in the US Navy during World War II. He married a Miss Annable (still living) and they had a large family of 7 boys and 2 girls. Donald and his wife divorced. In 1972 he moved to Oregon and lived in Portland from 1978 until his death. He was a carpenter until he retired in 1989. Donald died of a heart attack in his Portland home at the age of 64 on October 31st, 1991. He is buried at the Eagle Point National Cemetery in Southern Oregon.