Maria Sophia Löfgren

   Another name for Maria was Maja Sophia Löfgren.⁵⁵⁰¹

  General Notes:

Biograhical Sketch: Maria Sofia Löfgren (1843-1928)


Written by Rueben D Grue, 22 Oct 2015 (i)



Maria Sofia's father was Nathanael Löfgren (1801- 1833) and she was sister to Per Erik Löfgren (1835-1918), my great grandfather (she was my great great aunt). Most of the family records and information record very little about Maria Sofia, other than she was unmarried.

By researching the Sweden Church Records, in particular the Husförhör books (Clerical examination records), we are able trace much of her history. Maria Sofia's mother died in 1849; Maria Sofia was about 5 and half years old at that time. From the Husförhör records for Stensele (1845-1854 and the years 1855-1863), it appears that Maria Sofia left to stay with another farm or family around 1850 (she is recorded on the farm Hällnäs as a "flicka" meaning girl). It also appears that her sisters, Eva Johanna and Margreta Kristina also went around 1850 to live on different farms, and that her brother Per Erik (age 14 at the time of his mother's death) went to another farm but by 1853 he had moved to Vilhelmina parish. Around 1863 Maria Sofia (along with her two sisters) returned to her father's house/cottage.

It is not clear why Maria Sofia and the two younger sisters left their father's cottage. It appears that her father Nathanael and her older sister, Anna Katarina, continued to live in the same cottage (Anna Katarina continued to live with Nathanael until his death in 1883; Eva Johanna also lived with Nathanael around 1863 and thereafter). From the Husförhör records it appears that over the years Nathanael worked as a labourer at a number of farms. It is possible that during the first few years after his wife's death, both Nathanael and Anna Katarina had to work as servants or labourers and could not look after the younger children and so they went to live on different farms where there were more people to look after them. It is also possible that Nathanael's living arrangements were not suitable for a family of young kids. Although I have no direct evidence, it appears that all the labourers may have been housed together, sometimes even sleeping in barns/sheds. The farms at this time would have been very small with only a few cattle. Today it is hard to imagine how the small farms in the mid 1800's Sweden could even have supported the number of people living there, with some farm owners having up to 12 or more "tjenstfolk" (servants). For the most part, many of the houses were small and likely didn't have many quarters for the "tjenstfolk." Of course, their food supply would likely have included wild game and fish, as well as wild berries. There may have been some "commerical" forest activity, but likely on a very small scale.

At any rate Maria Sofia (and her two younger sisters and her brother) lived away from their father's residence since the death of Maria Katarina Jacobsdotter. Maria Sofia, according to the Husförhör records from 1864-1873 was a "piga" (maid, maiden, servant) at various farms. In 1863 she was at Lubbträst, 1864-1865 at Kaskelought, 1866-67 at Näsvattnet, 1868 at Långvattnet, 1869-71 at Stensele, and 1872-73 at Löslängd (I may not have the exact spelling of each of the farms). Maria Sofia moved many times over these years.

In reviewing the information obtained from relatives during my trip to Sweden in 1980 (and information that my mother had over the years), Maria Sofia was only recorded as "unmarried". This is confirmed by the Sweden Church Records. However, Maria Sofia had a son, Nikolaus born 7 June 1872 with the birth record recorded in the Sweden Church Records. Nikolaus' father is not named in the records; Nikolaus would have been born out of wedlock (ii).

In 1878, Maria Sofia and Nikolaus moved to the farm Paulsele in Lycksele Parish and lived there until about 1881; from about about 1881-1889 they lived at the farm Bäcknäs in Lycksele parish. Around 1890, Maria Sofia returned to the farm Paulsele. She then moved back to the farm Bäcknäs around 1892 and continued to live there until her death in 1928. Throughout this time period (1878-1928) she is recorded in the Sweden Church Records as a "piga or tjenstfolk".

Nikolaus Löfgren continued to live and work at the farm Paulsele when his mother left for the farm Bäcknäs. In 1899 Nikolaus moved to the farm Rusele. At this time he had married Eva Emelinda Dahlbäck. Nikolaus and Eva had 3 children (Ebba Marie born in 1900; Elin Elisef born in 1901 and Ragnar Nikolaus born 1903). Eva died in 1904. In 1910 Nikolaus married for a second time to Maria Evelina Johansson (Johansdotter). Nikolaus and Maria also had 3 children (Erik Alexander born in 1910; Henny Elina born in 1915; and then Ruth Alfrida born in 1927).

Nikolaus contined to live and work at the Rusele until 1904 at which time he and his family moved to Paulund farm. The last record I have found for the family is the 1941 population register (image 1650 on ArkivDigital). Nikolaus and Maria are recorded at the farm Paulund. Also recorded are Erik and Ragnar; Henny is recorded as married to Albert Lindberg along with their 2 children; Elin is recorded married to Karl Oskar Brännström along with 2 children and Signhild, Elin's child from an unknown relationship, born in 1924. Nikolaus' other daughter, Ebba is not recorded.

Ebba Maria (born in 1900) had 2 boys born to unknown fathers (Johan born in 1922 but died the same day; Karl Erik born in 1928 and died in May of 1929). Ebba also had a daughter born out of wedlock, Trem Emelinda born in 1926 (the church record records her father as Johan Emil Olsson). Some between 1930-1935, Ebba Maria was likely married to Karl Petter Öberg, although I have not found a marriage record. It is likely that Ebba died in 1937. A death record for Ebba Öberg is record in the Degerfors parish (both the Kråken database and the Ancestry Public Member Tree note her death in Degerfors; the church record only records Ebba Öberg). I have not been able to able to independently determine her marriage or death.


Endnotes:

(i) In addition to the Clerical Examination Records, as well as birth and death records, I have also used the following sources: (1) Kråken Database created by Sven-Erik Johannson; (2) Dan Emanuelsson database; (3) Ancestry.com Public Member Tree 'Curt och Gerds Släkt owner Lief Svedin; (4) 1890 Sweden census/population register.
(ii) My first record of Nikolaus was through the Kråken Database and then to the Ancestry Public Member Tree noted in the first endnote. From there I was able to establish his birth, his living with Maria Sofia and his own marriages and his children.

  Research Notes:

Name: Maria Sophia Löfgren

see, http://person.ancestry.com/tree/73765372/person/34280414886/facts
Släktregister Lief Svedin, owner Lief Svedin, with last login on 13 Oct 2015; my last access, 31 Jul 2022

- Maria had a son (father unknown) -- tree records name as Nikolaus born 7 Jun 1872
Stensele birth records for 1872 from Ancestry (C:2; image 3, line 33) born 7 Jun 1872, Nils, "Oäkta",
father not recorded; - a bit different in ArkivDigital
mother, pigen Maria Sofia Löfgren in Stensele; not married; age 29 <1843>
- Maria dying after 1920 at Bäcknäs, Lycksele

- the above Public Tree has Nikolaus married twice, with 3 children from first marriage; and 2 children from second marriage


2. 1890 Sweden Census

- Paulsele, Lycksele parish along with son (oä. s.), Nikolaus born 1872


3. Lycksele Husförhör, 1890-1899;
Lycksele (AC) AI:14b (1890-1899) Page 424, Paulsele farm/village: page 424, t
Maria Sophia moves in 1892 to Bäcknäs in Lycksele
Nikoluas - page 424, then move in 1899 move to page 445

Lycksele (AC) AI:14b (1890-1899) Page 445, Rusele
Nikoluas Löfgren, b 7 Jun 1872, Stensele
wife Eva Emilinda Dahlbäck, b 30 Jan 1880 in Lycksele
dau, Ebba Maria, b 6 Mar 1900

under the column, Fräjd och aärskilda antechniingar (inquiries and a special notes)
220, then 173 over 1893 BUT this refers to a military service NOT a reference to the Household records
in the next volume: Värnpligts förhällan=The condition of military service

BUT: Lycksele (AC) AI:14b (1890-1899) Page 220, Grundfors
Johannes Jonsson Löfgren born 27 Sep 1859
------- there doesn't seem to be a relationship; re I've looked at his birth record and his parents birth record;
looks like he began using the surname, Löfgren



Lycksele Husförhör, 1878-1889;

page 158, farm Paulsele -- both, with reference to page 151
page 151, farm Bäcknäs -- both, with reference to page 178 or 158, Stensele; arrived in Lycksele 30 Sep 1878

others records, - see "events"


4. Stensele Moving in and out records: 1878, page 30, second side, line 10
Maria Löfgren and son Nicolaus ^5504,5505

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Residence, 1864-1873, 1864-1873, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵⁰⁶ Farm/locality: various farms as a servant; last farm with son Nikolaus (born 7 Jun 1872) in 1872-1873 was Löslängd (unsure of spelling)

2. Residence, 1878-1889, 1878-1899, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵⁰⁷ Farm/locality: Paulsele, 1878-about 1881
Farm/locality: Bäcknäs, 1881-1889

3. Migration - 1878, 30 Sep 1878, Stensele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵⁰⁸ "pige Maria Löfgren och sonnen Nicolaus [ ? }, Lycksele"

4. Residence, 1890-1899, 1890-1899, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵⁰⁹ Farm/locality: Paulsele, 1890-1892 (with son Nikolaus)
Farm/locality: Bäcknäs, 1892-1899 (Maria Sofia only)

5. Residence, 1900-1920, 1900-1920, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵¹⁰ Farm/locality: Bäcknäs

6. Residence, 1920-1928, 1920-1928, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵¹¹ Farm/locality: Bäcknäs

7. Death, 1928, 29 Mar 1928, Lycksele, Västerbotten, Sweden. ⁵⁵⁰² Location: Bäcknäs

Maria married.