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A HBC reader has provided here family infornation.
Charles and Sophia are my ancestors that came over to the U.S. from Sweden. Both of their families lived in Sweden for centuries prior to emigrating. I'm not sure if you know how the naming system in Sweden worked back then, but your last name was the father's first name followed by son or dotter, depending on if you were male or female. Therefore, Charles was known as Carl Oscar Danielsson in Sweden, because his father's name was Daniel. He came from Ryningsnäs in Småland. He was the 2nd born son, after Nils, therefore he did not inherit any of the farm as that would go to the oldest son.
I believe the desire to own his own land is why he emigrated sometime around 1871 and went to Illinois. At some point after Carl Oscar came over to the U.S. he changed his last name to Miller. I believe it was because the farm he lived on in Sweden was called Kvarntorpet, which means the mill farm in English. Sophia Anna's last name in Sweden was Jansdotter. She came from Lungsund in Värmland around 1880 and went to Illinois. Carl Oscar and Sophia met there. I believe they both had relatives that came to the U.S. before them, this was the general pattern for immigrants.
Charles (Carl Oscar) did not inherit the family farm in Sweden. We believe this is why he moved to the U.S. Although he did not begin farming. At first he lived in Rock Island, Ilinois. He started a horse and dray business, which is like a taxi service. By 1905, the family had moved to Minnesota to start a farm. They also ended up farming in North Dakota. Carl Oscar and Sophia met in Illinois. I believe they both had relatives that came to the U.S. before them and settled in Illinois, this was the general pattern for imigrants. They married in 1883 in Illinois and started a family. Allen Frederick Miller Sr. was the oldest and he is my great grandpa. Nine more children followed, so 10 altogether, 8 surviving to adulthood. Rhoda passed away as an infant and Gilbert passed away of Diphtheria at age 9.
However, by the time the family moved, Allen Sr. was already an adult and living his own life in Illinois, so he did not move with the rest of the family. He worked on a boat on the Mississippi river for a while before starting a grocery store. He married Olga Schroeder and they had three boys, Richard, Allen Jr., and Robert. Allen Jr. is my grandpa. The family had a two story brick building. The store was on the bottom and they lived on the 2nd floor. This was also in Rock island, IL.
By 1905, the family had moved to Minnesota to start a farm. They also ended up farming in North Dakota. Large numbers of Germans settled in the Midwest. Scandnavia had a smaller population, but also settled in the Midwest. Like the Millers, many Scandinavians (mostly Norwegians and Swedes) settled in the Midwest. Norway was part of Sweden until 1905.
Allen Jr. got his degree in business from Augustana College and worked for the same insurance company his entire life, except for a short time during WWII. During that time he was in the Army Air Corp.
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