John N Backlun

  Research Notes:

Ancestry's FTs; three FTs that I have consulted:

Sharons Tree; https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/family-tree/person/tree/82652950/person/30464114421/facts
[ recorded as Engeborg "Ida" or "Inga" ]
Backlund Släktträd FT; https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/family-tree/person/tree/77026247/person/44355332212/facts?ssrc=&queryId=10b607b61dbaf3fd5e03ed2e786f3d6b&ml_rpos=1
Watts_Bergstrom FT; https://www.ancestrylibrary.ca/family-tree/person/tree/77026247/person/44355332212/facts?ssrc=&queryId=10b607b61dbaf3fd5e03ed2e786f3d6b&ml_rpos=1

Summary: as indicated below, John Nilsson Backlun (Backlund) was born 7 Jul 1860 at the farm/village of Utterbyn in Fryksände parish in Värmland, Sweden. His parents were Nils Ersson (1816, at Fryksände) and Kjerstin Nilsdotter (1818 at Vitsand parish). I have recorded some of the records from Sweden Parish Records below (point 2). I have not established a family relationship to John Backlun, other than through his marriage - see Mary Olson's research notes (b 1884) for information after their marrage.

Point 1 below outlines some information of John Nilsson's family coming to the US.

1. US information

1870 US Census, Wright Co, French Lake Twp, page 2 dw 19 fam 19 (line 30)
Nels Erickson, age 53 born in Sweden [1815]
wife Christine, age 51 [ 1817]
son John age 9 [1861]
Mary, age 12 [


1880 US Census, Wright Co, French Lake Twp, ED 62, page 6, dw/fam 46
name indexed as Nils Bocklin [but the second letter of surname, Backlin] age 64 **
wife Christine, age 62
son John age 20 ; Marit or Mary is not noted [Backlund ... FT; records her marriage, but lists 5+ spouses, so ??]


** Backlund ... FT and Watts .. FT - records that Nils Ersson Backlun died 29 Jan 1898 at Fairhaven Twp, Douglas Co

- both of these FTs do not have more information on John Nilsson Backlun b 1860 and married to 'our' Maria Olson (b 1884) other than what is recorded on Maria's research notes



2. Kjerstin - Kerstin Nilsdotter birth:
Fryksände (S) CI:4 (1763-1820) Page 357 no 127 Åpsby [??] Åsteby ; born 14 Dec 1818 (AID: v6472.b183.s357)
öakta; mother Brita Nilsdotter;
Fryksände (S) AI:14 (1812-1821) Page 269, Åsteby (AID: v10906.b277.s269, NAD: SE/VA/13131)
Fryksände (S) AI:15 (1820-1824) Page 287, Åsteby (AID: v10907.b291.s287, NAD: SE/VA/13131)
5th name from bottom: Ink Brita Nisdotter, b 1795 and then oäkta, Kjerstin, b 1818
Vitsand (S) AI:1 (1824-1830) Page 83, Åsteby (AID: v8686.b89.s83)
last name of first grouping, Kjerstin Nilsdotter but no year; a note to the right, but ??????; Brita Nilsdotter not recorded ??

Fryksände (S) AI:18b (1835-1839) Page 408 , Utterbyn (AID: v10913.b100.s408)
Nils Ersson b 7 Sept 1816 at Utterbyn ; came from Hvitsand in 1840
Kerjstin Nilsdotter, b 1818 at Hvitkärn ;
son Erik b 9 Jan 1840 at Utterbyn

daughter Marit, b 1 Sep 1837 at Hvitsand [ her birth, Vitsand parish records, Vitsand births (S) CI:1 (1824-1860) Image 21 no 50; birth 3 Sep 1837; parents Nils Ersson and Kjerstin Nilsdotter; location: Lofknoln; register for AI:2, 1830-1836, spelled Lövknölen, p 154, but Löknölen is NOT in the next record (AI:3, 1836-1841), but from AI:2 it is in between Vägessjöfors (also spelled with a "W'
3 Aug 2020 - I looked at the pages Vägessjöfors, but I could not find them.
Next: check marriage records


Fryksände (S) AI:19b (1840-1845) Page 429, Utterbyn (AID: v10915.b107.s429)
Nils Ersson b 7 Sept 1816 at Utterbyn
Kerjstin Nilsdotter, b 1818 at Hvitkärn ; arkivdigital, indexed as born at Hvitsand, Vitsand parish
but I think Vitsand became a seperate parish much later - but there apparently was a chapel from Fryksände parish and then later in Östmark parish; Vitsand as a separate parish started in 1929

Note: there are various spelling of Hvitkärn, including Hvitkjern or Vittjärn - Östmark AI:13, 1841-1845, register although on the actual pages, starting on page 30, the handwriting spelling is Hvitkjern with a dot or maybe two dots on the letter 'i' and letter 'e', but that is not typical of Swedish alphabet ; in AI:12 (1836-1840), page 28 and AI:11 (1830-1835) and AI:10 (1826-1830), spelled Vittjärn;
and then in AI:9 (1821-1827) and AI:8 (1816-1820) as Vitkärn
one page in Fryksände, AI:16a (1825-1829), page 175 with 2 families and again in AI:15 (1820-1824) page 398




Fryksände (S) AI:24 (1856-1860) Page 562a, Utterbyn (AID: v10921.b33.s562a)
Nils Ersson b 7 Sept 1816 at Utterbyn
Kerjstin Nilsdotter, b 1818 at Hvitkärn
.... 7 children noted
son Jon, b 7 Nov 1860

Fryksände (S) AI:26 (1861-1865) Page 558 , Utterbyn (AID: v10923.b26.s558)
Nils Ersson b 7 Sept 1816 at Utterbyn
Kerjstin Nilsdotter, b 1818 at Hvitkärn
.... 7 children noted
son Jon, b 7 Nov 1860


Fryksände (S) AI:28 (1866-1870) Page 605, Utterbyn (AID: v10925.b69.s605)
Nils Ersson b 7 Sept 1816 at Utterbyn; to North America, 21 Apr 1868 **
Kerjstin Nilsdotter, b 1818 at Hvitkärn
and, daughter Kerstin, b 14 Nov 1849
daughter Maria, b 13 Jun 1858
son, Jon b 7 Nov 1860

other children did not move to America
Erik Nilsson b 9 Apr 1840 [he likely stayed at the home place]
Nils, b 24 Aug 1842; moved to Falun lan or parish in 8 Sep 1866
Per, b 7 Feb 1846; mover to page 589 in 2 Nov 1870 [another place in Utterbyn as a farm hand


** Fryksände Moving out records (S) B:3 (1861-1884) Image 61, no 43-47 (AID: v6467.b61
Nils Ersson and family; 2 males, 3 females

John married Mary Carolina Olson, daughter of Peter Olson and Ingeborg Erickson, about 1902 in Wright Co, Minnesota, United States.⁹⁰¹⁹ (Mary Carolina Olson was born on 23 Oct 1884 in Marshall Co, Minnesota, United States and died on 20 Mar 1963 in Tribune, Saskatchewan, Canada.)