Volume II
May 2001

Our Ancestors

Olof Eriksson Rudin

Olof was the youngest child born to Eric Tomasson and Marta Eriksdotter. He was born in Rudsbyn, Värmland, Sweden on August 21, 1832. Olof was confirmed when he was 15. He lived with his widowed mother, his sister Maria and his brother Erik in Rudsbyn until 1850. Olof’s brother Johannes & his wife Kajsa Olsdotter and their daughter Maja Stina moved in with them in 1847. Olof left Rudsbyn in 1850 to move to Essbjörbyn. He moved back to Rudsbyn to work on another farm in 1853, then in 1854 moved back to live with his mother & sister. On February 22, 1862 he obtained a work certificate to go work in Norway for a short time.

Sometime around 1860 he added the name Rudin (sometimes the name appears as Rudeen) to his name. This probably was done because he had joined the Swedish Army and it was required that he change his name to a less common one than Eriksson. He was listed as a sharpshooter/rifleman and infantryman specially trained for scouting and missions behind enemy lines.

On May 21, 1862 his mother Marta died in Rudsbyn.

Marriage banns were announced on October 30, 1863 for Olof and Christina Ericsdotter. Christina moved to Rudsbyn on November 16, 1863, and they were married on January 10, 1864.

Olof & Christina had a son, stillborn in May 1865. On August 27, 1867 they had a daughter born in Rudsbyn, Värmland, Sweden. They named her Maria Stina Rudin.

On April 11, 1884 Olof, Christina, their daughter Maria and Ida Andersdotter, (Christina’s niece) left Sweden for America. They joined Christina’s sister Catherina and her husband Anders Persson Nyberg in Stillwater, MN.

On February 8, 1886 Olof & Christina’s daughter, Maria married August Nyberg in Stillwater.

Olof and Christina moved from Stillwater to Zimmerman/Livonia, MN and homesteaded a piece of land near Lake Fremont.

Christina died on May 1, 1907 and Olof died on July 7, 1909 in Zimmerman. They are buried in unmarked graves in the Livonia Cemetery in Zimmerman, MN.

Olof had one sister and two brothers. His sister was named Maria Eriksdotter. She was born September 1, 1821. All through her life the church records state that she was a sickly person. The last record we have of her so far is in 1910 living in Lönskog, Långserud, Värmland, Sweden. She never married or had any children. We have not yet found the record of her death.

Johannes Eriksson was Olof’s oldest brother. He was born on January 16, 1825, in Rudsbyn, Långserud, Värmland, Sweden. He married Kajsa Olsdotter on October 15, 1848 in Rudsbyn. They had a daughter, Maja Stina Johannesdotter born October 30, 1848 (15 days after their marriage). Maja was baptized on November 5, 1848.

Johannes was a crofter, a person who works on a small farm.

On September 6, 1852 they had a daughter, Lotta Johannesdotter, born in Hogen, Långserud, Värmland, Sweden. She was baptized on September 12, 1852.

They had a son born July 22, 1857, and named him Karl Johan Johannson, and he was baptized on July 26, 1857.

Their next son, Eric Jan Johanneson, was born on February 9, 1860.

Then on March 16, 1864 Olof Frederick Johanneson was born.

They continued to live in Långserud, Värmland, Sweden.

Kajsa Olsdotter, Johannes wife, died on January 25, 1876.

On December 29, 1876, Johannes married Charlotta Carlsdotter. They had a daughter, and named her Emma Johannesdotter on August 25, 1877, and a son named Emil Johannesson born on April 3, 1881.

Eventually his daughters Maja Stina and Lotta (a dressmaker) moved away from their home, and his son Karl Johan Johannesson joined the Swedish army. It is at this time that he changed his name from Karl Johan Johannesson to Karl Johan Dahlstrom.

By 1884 Johannes’s sons Erik Jan Johannesson and Olof Frederick Johannesson have moved away from home, and they have also both changed their last name to Dahlstrom.

Karl Johan Dahlstrom, on January 2, 1886, married Charlotta Larsson (a former primary school teacher) in Ed, Långserud, Värmland, Sweden.  

In 1886 Olof Frederick Dahlstrom left his home in Sweden and came to America. He dropped the name Olof, and became Frederick Dahlstrom. In 1890 he married Ida Amelia Andersdotter. (Ida is the niece of Christina & Catherina Eriksdotter, who came from Sweden to America with Olof Rudin)

On June 13, 1891 Johannes Eriksson, and his new wife, Charlotta Carlsdotter and their two children, Emma & Emil leave Sweden to come to America. Johannes’ son Karl and his wife Charlotta Larsson and their two children, Karl Harold, and Gustaf came to America with their father.

After coming to America, Karl’s wife Charlotta died and he married a woman named Augusta in 1894 who was also from Sweden.

We have a lot more information about Johannes Erickson and the Dahlstroms after they came to America, but too much to put down here at this time. Their families grew, children married, and they seemed to all stay in the same area. From at least 1900 to 1920 they show up on the census living in Milaca County. We will continue to research them to find as much as possible about them.

Maja Stina Johannesdotter, (Johannes’s daughter by his first wife) married Karl Johan Eriksson. In 1890 we found them living in Gilberga, Värmland Sweden.

In 1890 Lotta Johannesdotter, Johannes’ daughter by his first wife, is unmarried and living in Byn, Värmland, Sweden.

Erik Johannesson, a shoemaker, (Johannes son by his first wife), continued to live in Ed until 1889 when he moved to Sillerud. He was still there in 1890, and not married.

Olof’s other brother Erik Eriksson was born in Rudsbyn, Långserud, Värmland, Sweden on September 20, 1829. He also lived at home with his mother and worked on various local farms. On November 27, 1863 he moved to Westra Furton, Brunskog, Värmland, Sweden. He and Stina Persdotter had a daughter named Maria born on December 3, 1863. She died on February 7, 1864, just prior to her parents marriage on February 21, 1864. Erik and Stina had three more children, Carolina Eriksdotter, born November 28, 1864, Erik Johan Eriksson, born January 13, 1867, and a daughter they named Maria Eriksdotter, (named after their first daughter) born February 9, 1870. They continued to live in Westra Furton at least until 1890 where they show up on the Swedish national census.

We are still following these people and hope find out more about them, and possibly find their descendants.

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