Missionary Week 39 - June 10 - June 16, 2019

Missionary Week 39         Date:  June 10, 2019 – June 16, 2019

Hello Everyone, we hope that your Summer is going strong and you are enjoying your weather, the sites around you and your family!  Happy Father’s Day to all of our Father’s! Not a big deal here in Sweden – it may be a different date.

Flowers on bushes at the Archives

Monday –  We wake up pretty early in the morning – because it is bright!  I took a picture of the sun from our kitchen window – at about 6:15a.m. to show you how high it is in the sky!  John has been keeping track of the Sunrise & Sunsets – just out of curiosity – Today, sunrise was at 3:38am and sunset was at 9:58pm – still light for awhile after that. 

6:15am at our apartment

When we arrived at work there was a man with a machine by the door and wanted to come in when we opened the door.  He told us he was there to clean out the elevators.  We let him come in and we went on to our floor.  About 10am the fire alarm went off and we were told we needed to get out.  So we went down 3 floors and out the doors onto the street.  We could already hear the sirens coming – they must be pretty close to us!  Here came the 2 fire trucks and in they went.  About 10 minutes later the fireman came out and told us it was okay to go back in.  We believe that all the “dust” that was kicked up from the “cleaning of the elevators” may have set off the alarm.  It smelled pretty bad all day.  John took the opportunity to talk to the fireman and see if he was interested in trading patches with our St. Johns Fire Dept. and he said to walk on up to the fire station “BrandStation” and he would fix him up!  Good thing we went out that door!  Later when we got home we headed to the grocery store to stock up and found that another little store “Öbb” right by the grocery, had somethings a little cheaper and took advantage of that.  We got a call from Jaylen & Blaire – going over all of our mail, and then we got a Marco Polo from Jenn and Lily – Lily got a hair cut and Lost a Tooth!  It’s so neat to see the kids and we are grateful to be able to talk and see them!

Ladder truck at the Archives

Tuesday – Normal day at work – no fire alarms!  Tonight, we met with Sister Westerlund, who is our wards Family History Consultant and she was able to translate Jonas Gustaf Karlsson’s Estate Inventory!  We stayed until 8pm and gave her a ride home. 

Below is the translation – those who aren’t interested don’t have to read it all!  I will tell you, this is not a Last Will and testament… like we are used to – it was an inventory of the mans (very rarely the woman) possessions.  These Estate Inventories all followed the same pattern of naming his heirs and then the items in the same order – like Copper, Silver, Iron etc. When you see these brackets [ ] that is where I insert an explanation. It was interesting to note that they say his wife was born Nilsson – her father was Nils Carlstrom, but I’ve seen her always listed as a Carlstrom not Nilsson.  So she was taking his surname instead of using the patronymic.

Patronymics is an interesting naming pattern. And Note that C’s and K’s are interchangeable…no standard.  Jonas Gustaf Karlsson’s father was a Carl Persson.  So, Jonas was the son of Carl making him a Carlsson.  So by looking at his father’s name you know that his father’s first name was Per – who was a Hendriksson….so his father was a Hendrik.  Clear as Mud? 

First Page of Estate Inventory for Jonas Gustaf Karlsson

Second Page of Estate Inventory of Jonas Gustaf Karlsson

Third & final page of Estate Inventory for Jonas Gustaf Karlsson

ArkivDigital - Norra Möre häradsrätt (H) FII:59 (1892-1893) Image: 183

Estate Inventory of Blacksmith Jonas Gustaf Karlsson - died 19 March 1892 Smedby left his wife Augusta Elizabeth Karlsson, born Nilsson along with 5 grown up children - Son's Ironworker Karl Johan Karlsson in Amerika, goodman: Prison Constable T. Karlsson [goodman explained below], Ironworker Emil Andreas Karlsson going by Karlstrom, living in Hamburg Germany, iron worker Gustaf Fritz Karlsson in Smedby. Daughter, Jenny Elisabeth Karlsson in Hamburg, married to Office Worker-Secretary Karl Kessler and Hilda Augusta Karlsson in Hamburg.  As there isn't any more to write he says after living wife.

Copper: 3 Copper Kettles, 2 coffee pots 2 pans 1 pot 2 jars

Iron: 5 bigger pots 4 large stove (tops) Knives & forks etc.

Pans, Porcelain, China, Glass jars, Clay pots, Tin $54 Krona + 50

Furniture: 1 drawer 2 drawer 2 cupboards 2 beds 2 bed chairs 4 couches 5 tables 12 chairs 1 big wall clock 3 mirrors, pictures on the wall, 1 bigger cupboard, 3 cupboards

Linen and sheets for bed: 1 Quilt, 3 pillows 17 ?[didn’t know word], 8 quilts, 17 sheets, 6 mattresses 3 pillows, 2 table clothes 6 napkins, 12 handkerchiefs 12 pillow cases, curtains, clothes from man who died, Blacksmiths tools 100 Krona.  Weaving machine with things to go with it 4 wood baskets.

He had a bench planer, 2 sharpening stones, iron junk, fishing line and tools for fishing, shovel, rake and sickle – (scythe).

House building were taped? 500 Krowns

Debts owed to Dörby Parish $200 Krowns - [probably for funeral expenses]

This is well done and here gives both of our okays -

[she couldn't write] - Augusta Elizabeth Karlsson – [she held pen and drew a swirl line as her mark]

Page 3 signed by the 2 men who took inventory G. Andersson from Kyling and Anton Callestöm of Smedby

At this time, we have been, Emil through G Astrand [power of attorney] to do this

As a Goodman fixed to take care that the heirs got their right shares P. Karlsson Share of Karl Johan Karlsson

Us being here and okaying and because of that my goodman P. Karlsson I free him from his assignment

5 Aug 1892 C.J. Karlsson

[“Goodman” – a good man – or a trustworthy man - was appointed to make sure that the heirs not present at the inventory were to receive their fair share that was due them.]

 [Some things in here I will try to get a better understanding. I wrote as she translated – she had to think about the English words for some things and it wasn’t quite clear if we were on the same page! But what fun to know the items that they owned – no animals were listed here and usually they were and, in some cases, even the names of the animals were included!]

****************END OF ESTATE INVENTORY*************************

Wednesday – We went to Zone Conference for South Stockholm Missionaries today and we were able to help the office couple The Baileys’ with the food.  John and Elder Bailey went to get the food from the store and Sister Bailey and I got the things ready so when the Missionaries were outside taking their pictures we set up the tables and food line.  We also help with clean up.  It was a great conference.

At the close of lunch they always have the missionaries who have had a birthday since the last conference come up and they sing a Sweden Happy Birthday song – there is cheering and yelling involved.  Since John had his birthday on May 29, he got to stand up with them too!  Sister Youngberg hands out a big Maribou Candy bar to each one of them! (they are melt in your mouth kinda chocolate)  We will have to get them to write out the song – because we need to practice it – they told us it has at least 3 verses.

Sister Youngberg in Maroon dress handing
out Birthday Candy Bars - Elder Richardson
at left end in gray apron

While we were in the afternoon class we heard some people in the building – so Elder and Sister Bailey went out to see – and it was a husband, wife and daughter – that had just moved here and they passed by our building and the front doors were open – (so we could get more cool air inside!) and they looked in and saw the Picture of Jesus Christ and they were drawn in.  They wanted to know when the church meetings were held, and they also wanted to see if they could get their daughter some Swedish lessons.  We had 16 pairs of Missionaries there that day!  We hope to see them again! 

When we got home, we got a Marco Polo from Lucy –our granddaughter and she had finished her first embroidery kit of an owl!  That is her favorite animal, and she had done a wonderful job.  She was so happy and wanted to show us! 

Thursday – We got ready for work, ate breakfast.  Heard some thunder – and looked and it had started pouring rain! The coats went back on and we got out the umbrella!  As the train passed by our usual stop Fridhemsplan – we had to figure out our new route!  They said that it would be closed as they are doing a whole remodel of that station….we thought it was going to be the 16^th. Not.  We ended up going to T-Central and catching another train back to Rådhuset and then walk to work as usual.  It was fine – just took us a little longer.  No rain when we left work, but it was foggy! 

Foggy

We went out to the Sister’s apartment from our ward to do the quarterly inspection. They live in an apartment attached to a house.   All is well and we had a fun visit with them.  When we went to get into our car in the driveway -we were blocked by a moving trailer.  The owner of the house came out and said sorry – they would only be another 10-15 minutes.  John offered to help but they declined.  So we just sat in the car and enjoyed the cool weather.  They were a little longer than 15 minutes, but we were glad we were able to talk to them a couple of times. 

We got a Marco Polo from Jenn – our daughter – and she was trying to find out where her dad went to get tires for the pontoon boat trailer.  They are getting ready for our “Richardson Reunion” next week and everyone has a lot to do to get packed and ready for a week at Roosevelt Lake.  They’ll miss us but everyone else should be able to be there most of the time.  We will miss being there for sure!  We are hoping for a lot of Marco Polos’ from everybody!

Friday – Today we went to T-Central and just walked to work – this is the way we went the first few weeks we were here!  It works fine.  We got shuttles uploaded and sent off today and were able to leave work about 3pm. 

Saturday – Happy Saturday! John got the laundry done – and I did some house cleaning and we enjoyed a lazy day.  At 5:30 we picked up the Borgs and went to a Baptism in our Ward for Mattias.  He is a young man who has been coming to church, we think since April – it sounded like he found the missionaries sometime in December – when he came he had long hair and a beard – which is fine – but when he saw all the men – clean shaven and shorter hair – last month he showed up with short hair and clean shaven.  It was a nice ceremony and good talks and music.  AND FIKA!  Treats – cookies, cakes, brownies, water etc.  Fun to sit and talk and mingle.  The Clouses' came too. They are the Apartment Couple Missionaries - and they had just gotten back from Boden - up near the Artic Circle - yes still coat weather up there....and he told us the Sunset was at 3:12am and the Sunrise was at 3:47am! 

Sunday – We picked up Borg’s for church and enjoyed our meetings.  We’ve been invited to dinner on Thursday night by Elsa one of the ladies in our ward and she invited both the Borg’s and us.  She said she hasn’t entertained in a very long time but she wanted to celebrate Mid Summers with us! Yes next Friday we are off work again! 

We think of you often and miss you!  Love hearing from you!  Love, John & Linda, Mom & Dad, Gramma & Grampa

Remember to check out our blog  https://adventureswiththerichardsonsinsweden.blogspot.com/