By Sue Sylvester
I have decided to turn my attention and research to farm family history. The Maple Lake Library Archives are asking for the history of your farm families in Maple Lake and the surrounding townships. If you already have your history written, please contact me at the library. I would love to scan it and get it recorded for future generations. For this story I have the following people to thank for their information: Pat and David Holmberg, Lois Holmberg Carlson, Yvonne Lueck, and Christy Olson Harshman who is related to the Holmberg family and is the one who suggested I research the family history. I also relied on oral history, birth, death, plat and census records which helped me gather factual history on the Holmberg story. I had lived on Little Rock Lake 23 years ago and knew David and Pat Holmberg because their girls babysat my children. However, I did not know anything about their family history so my interest was peaked.
For this story, I plan to follow one branch of the Holmberg family and hopefully you will enjoy the information and get to know your neighbors a little bit better plus learn how everyone is related.
First let’s meet Eric Andersson and Mary Christina (Andersdotter) Andersson. In Sweden, the Holmbergs actually first were named Andersson. Like so many immigrants who came to this country, they had name changes. Eric was born on 9-24-1816 and his wife to be, Mary Christina was born 8-5-1818. Both were born in Sodermanland, Sweden. They were married on July 31, 1839 in Julita Parish, Sweden. They had 4 children Lars Eric, Charles Gustav, Johanna Sofia who died at age 4, and Peter August. The whole family will immigrate to the United States at different times.
Eric and Mary Christina Holmberg
Eric and Mary Christina Holmberg didn’t immigrate to America until 1869. Their passage was paid for by their son, Lars Eric Holmberg; who was the first Holmberg to arrive in America. Eric and Mary were booked passage on the ship Ellida from Sweden and their destination was St. Paul, Minnesota arriving by 1869. During this voyage, they also traveled with their son Peter August Holmberg. On the census records, Eric and Christina moved to a number of locations. In 1870, they stayed with their son Lars in Chatham, by 1875 they were in Marysville with son Peter August. By 1880 they had their own farm in Albion Township. At this time they were both in their 60’s. In 1885 they were back living in Chatham. In fact all their children were living in Chatham in 1885. Lars, Peter August, and Charles all had farms next to each other. Eric Holmberg died in Chatham on April 12, 1886. Mary Christina was on the 1895 census living with her son Charles Holmberg. She died July 23, 1897 in Chatham. There is some question as to where they were buried.