Tag Archives: Cook

Lola May Landfair

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Lola May Landfair
birth: 27 April 1891 in Black Creek Township, Mercer, Ohio to Francis “Frank” Marion and Emma Jane Kuhn Landfair
death: 30 January 1964 in Gary, Lake, Indiana
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 17 March 1914 in M.E. Church, Celina, Rockford, Ohio
Edwin Anton Leininger
birth: 14 August 1891 in Chattanooga, Mercer, Ohio to Theobald and Caroline Fredericka Kable Leininger
death: 7 August 1976 in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana

Children of Lola May Landfair and Edwin Anton Leininger:

  • Orlo Guy Leininger (1917-1996) m. 1st Dorothy Elizabeth Leininger m 2nd Myrna Elizabeth Allgor Schavey
  • Mary Ellen Leininger (1918-2002) m. Theodore Norman Tronolone
  • Bonita Frances Leininger (1921-1997) m. Harold Mathes Cook

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
  • Gary, Lake County, Indiana

Other Information:

The fourth of seven children born to Frank “Francis Marion and Emma Jane Kuhn Landfair, Lola May Landfair entered the world on 27 April 1891 in Black Creek Township, Mercer, Ohio. Her early years were difficult at home; although Lola never discussed her circumstances. Records show that her mother obtained a divorce from her physically abusive husband on 20 March 1908 in Mercer, County. As the courts noted, a woman being granted a divorce at the time was not common. The courts had to intervene again as Emma died on 21 February 1914 in Chattanooga, Mercer, Ohio; the children petitioned the courts on 19 June 1914 as Frank was not paying their support. It was during this difficult time, on 17 March 1914 that Lola married Edwin Anton Leininger, a former classmate, at the M.E. Church in Celina, Rockford, Mercer, Ohio. Family members report that Lola worked for a short time as a teacher in the local school, though no records have been found. This was possible as Lola had completed 8th grade and had an uncle that had been the town’s mayor. The couple resided in Mercer where Edwin farmed and their first two children were born. About 1920, the family moved to Blue Creek, Adams, Indiana so Edwin could manage a farm. In 1921 they are found in Pleasant Mills, Decatur, Indiana where their third child was born. By 1922 the family was residing in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana where Edwin found work as a car representative for the Penn Company. Lola tended their home on Nuttman Avenue. The family was members of the South Wayne Bethel United Brethren Church. In 1927 the family relocated to Hobart, Lake, Indiana and lived on Washington Street. They joined the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Lola became an active member of the Prairie View Home Economics Club, often hosting the group at her home. Edwin and Lola purchased the Avilla Dairy in Hobart in 1951. She maintained a large kitchen garden while her husband and son farmed the surrounding acreage. On 30 January 1964 in Gary, Lake, Indiana, Lola died of carcinmatosis that had spread to her lungs and pancreas. She was buried in Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Edwin Anton Leininger

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Edwin Anton Leininger
birth: 14 August 1891 in Chattanooga, Mercer, Ohio to Theobald and Caroline Fredericka Kable Leininger
death: 71 August 1976 in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 17 March 1914 in M.E. Church, Celina, Rockford, Ohio
Lola May Landfair
birth: 27 April 1891 in Black Creek Township, Mercer, Ohio to Francis “Frank” Marion and Emma Jane Kuhn Landfair
death: 30 January 1964 in Gary, Lake, Indiana
burial: Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Indiana

Children of Lola May Landfair and Edwin Anton Leininger:

  • Orlo Guy Leininger (1917-1996) m. 1st Dorothy Elizabeth Koss m. 2nd Myrna Elizabeth Allgor Schavey
  • Mary Ellen Leininger (1918-2002) m. Theodore Norman Tronolone
  • Bonita Frances Leininger (1921-1997) m. Harold Mathes Cook

Ancestor here lived in:

Lake County, Indiana

Other Information:

Edwin Anton Leininger, born to Theobald and Caroline Fredericka Kable Leininger on 14 August 1891 in Chattanooga, Mercer, Ohio was the third child of seven. Two of his siblings died in infancy. By age 9, the family had relocated to Black Creek, Mercer, Ohio where Edwin’s dad owned a farm. Edwin attended local schools through grade 5 and was a classmate of his future bride, Lola May Landfair. The couple wed on 17 March 1914 in M.E. Church, Celina, Rockford, Mercer, Ohio. The couple lived in Mercer county where Edwin farmed and their first two children were born. About 1920, the family moved to Blue Creek, Adams, Indiana so Edwin could manage a farm. In 1921 they are found in Pleasant Mills, Decatur, Indiana where their third child was born. By 1922 the family was residing in Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana where Edwin found work as a car representative for the Penn Company. Their home was on Nuttman Avenue. By 1926 he had become an Inspector with the company. The family was members of the South Wayne Bethel United Brethren Church. The following year they relocated to Hobart, Lake, Indiana living on Washington Street. They joined the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Edwin continued to work as a car inspector for the railroad. Edwin and Lola purchased the Avilla Dairy in Hobart in 1951. Besides farming, he worked for the U.S. Post Office as a railroad mail carrier. Their son helped him with the farming. Edwin raised corn, soybeans, and alfalfa, along with chickens, pigs, and running a dairy farm. The farm also contained a palomino horse named Trigger and numerous ponies. On 30 January 1964, Lola died. The following year Edwin decided to retire from farming as he had already retired from postal service. He sold the farm to his son, Guy, and moved to Fort Wayne, Allen, Indiana living on Sandpoint Road. On 21 May 1966 he married his widowed sister-in-law, Gladys Ireta Wood. She had previously married Lola’s brother, Stanley Raymond Landfair. Edwin died at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne on 7 August 1976 of pneumonia. He is buried next to his first wife in Graceland Cemetery, Valparaiso, Porter, Indiana.

2nd m. Gladys Ireta Wood (1909-2005) no children.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Mary Thompson

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Mary Thompson
birth: 9 September 1861 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Thomas Coke and Drusilla DeWolf Thompson
death: 25 February 1942 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 11 May 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Andrew Cook
birth: 27 July 1859 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to John and Mary O’Brien Cook
death: 3 February 1944 in Chesterton, Porter, Indiana
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Mary Thompson and Andrew Cook:

  • Lulu May Cook (1883-1968) m. Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson
  • Grace Gertrude Cook (1886-1962) m. John Henry Honaker
  • John Thompson “Jack” Cook (1887-1967) m. Hilda Albertina “Snooky” Gustafson
  • William DeWolf Cook (1890-1945) m. Helen Anna Curran
  • James Andrew Cook (1893-1906)
  • Drucilla E. Cook (1897-1897)
  • Whitney Calvin Cook (1902-1924)

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Chesterton, Porter, Indiana

Other Information:

Mary Thompson, born 9 September 1861 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois was the daughter of Thomas Coke and Drusilla Williams DeWolf Thompson. Both of Mary’s parents had been married previously. Thomas Coke, whose first wife’s name may have been Elizabeth, had six sons, four who died as infants and one within weeks after mustering out of the Civil War. Drusilla had one son, John Calvin DeWolf, from her first marriage to Calvin DeWolf. It is likely that both of Mary’s parents knew each other in Lansingburgh, Troy, New York where their first marriages occurred. Thomas and Drusilla married in Chicago on 15 July 1857; Mary was the third of possibly four children born to that union. Mary’s birth was recorded in the family Bible. Her birth date and location were confirmed when she was an adult and became a member of the Augsburg Lutheran Church in Porter County, Indiana. In 1870, Mary is found with her parents and two older brothers attending school in Chicago’s Ward 10. She continued to reside with her parents in Maywood, Illinois in 1880 but had completed her education, having attended school for 8 years. On 10 May 1882 at 261 Forquier Street in Chicago, Mary married Andrew Cook. The couple had three daughters and four sons. Youngest daughter Drucilla, likely named after Mary’s mother, died as an infant. Son James was killed as an 11 year old by a train on his way home from school. Youngest child Whitney, died at age 22 of hemmoraghe from a tantric ulcer. It is not known for certain when the family relocated to Porter County, Indiana, but Mary can be found there with the children in 1900. Andrew remained in Chicago as a boarder working as a blacksmith. Several records have been found that show Andrew selling lots in the Cook Waverly subdivision so it is possible that Mary maintained a household in Porter County to oversee the land purchases. There is no record of Mary being employed outside of the home. In 1910, the family is found reunited in Westchester, Porter, Indiana. By 1920, the family had moved closer to Andrew’s job in Gary, Lake, Indiana. The couple did not stay long in Gary; shortly after Whitney’s death there Andrew and Mary are found in Valparaiso, Indiana. By 1930 the couple had returned to live in Chesterton, Porter County. They remained in Westchester through 1940. After selling their home they traveled to Illinois and Ohio to visit relatives and to winter in Florida where they reported that they saw the president and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In December 1941, Mary and Andrew traveled to Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona to visit their son John who had relocated there. She became ill from the flu and died of broncho pneumonia on 25 February 1942. Mary’s body was returned to Indiana for burial in Burstrom Cemetery in Porter County.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Andrew Cook

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Andrew Cook
birth: 27 July 1859 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to John and Mary O’Brien Cook
death: 3 February 1944 in Chesterton, Porter, Indiana
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 11 May 1882 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois
Mary Thompson
birth: 9 September 1861 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Thomas Coke and Drusilla Williams DeWolf Thompson
death: 25 February 1942 in Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona
burial: Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Mary Thompson and Andrew Cook:

  • Lulu May Cook (1883-1968) m. Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson
  • Grace Gertrude Cook (1886-1962) m. John Henry Honaker
  • John Thompson “Jack” Cook (1887-1967) m. Hilda Albertina “Snooky” Gustafson
  • William DeWolf Cook (1890-1945) m. Helen Anna Curran
  • James Andrew Cook (1893-1906)
  • Drucilla E. Cook (1897-1897)
  • Whitney Calvin Cook (1902-1924)

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Chesterton, Porter, Indiana

Other Information:

There are only two records of Andrew Cook’s birth on 27 July 1859 in Chicago, Illinois. The first is a baptism record from Old St. Mary Church in Chicago, Illinois. The second was made by the Augsburg Lutheran Church in Porter County, Indiana when he and his wife, Mary, became parishioners. Andrew was likely the son of John Cook of Scotland, a Protestant, and Mary “Molly” O’Brien, an Irish Catholic, who had met in New York City after emigrating from their native countries. Andrew’s parents settled in Chicago in 1854 and had three children, Andrew being the youngest. Family legend states the couple agreed that any sons would be raised Protestant and any daughters, as Roman Catholics. Records have been found, however, that both sons and daughter were baptized as infants in the Roman Catholic Church. The sons and their lines did join Protestant denominations while the daughter’s line did follow the Roman Catholic faith. In 1860, Andrew was found living with his inferred parents and siblings in Chicago Ward 1. The family is not found in the 1870 US federal census but they were found in Chicago City Directories between 1870-1875. In 1880, Andrew was noted to be a single engineer living on West Congress Street in Chicago. On 11 May 1882 in Chicago he married Mary Thompson. The couple would go on to have three daughters and four sons. Tragically, they lost their youngest daughter, Drucilla, likely named after her maternal grandmother, as an infant. Son James was killed in a train accident on the way home from school as an 11 year old. Youngest son Whitney died at age 22 of a hemorrhage from a tantric ulcer. By 1900, Andrew and Mary had purchased a home in Westchester, Portage, Indiana. Andrew continued to live in Chicago where he was employed as a blacksmith. By 1910, Andrew had relocated to live with Mary in Westchester and was employed as an engineer. By 1920, Andrew, Mary and Whitney were living in Gary, Lake, Indiana where he was working as a machinist for the nearby steel mills. Andrew sold a lot in Cook’s Waverly subdivision in Porter County to David L. Atkinson on 28 September 1927 for $1.00 and a lot to Samuel Goldman on 13 October 1927 for $10.00. He continued working as a machinist in the mill in 1930 but had relocated back to Weschester, Porter County. The couple enjoyed a two week trip to Akron, Ohio in July 1931. Retired by 1940, Andrew and Mary sold their Westchester home and traveled to Illinois and Ohio to visit relatives and spend the winter in Florida where the saw the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and the President. Mary died in Phoenix, Arizona where she had been visiting for 3 months on 25 February 1942 of broncho pneumonia from influenza. The couple was likely visiting their son John who had relocated there. Andrew returned to Porter County and died at his daughter Lulu’s home on 3 February 1944. His obituary noted he was a 45 year resident of Chesterton. He is buried in Burstrom Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Lulu May Cook

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Lulu May Cook
birth: 15 August 1883 in Melrose Park, Cook, Illinois to Andrew and Mary Thompson Cook
death: 14 October 1968 in Gary, Lake, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 3 December 1904 in Baileytown, Chesterton, Indiana
Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson
birth: 29 April 1879 in Baileytown, Chesterton, Porter, Indiana to Samuel August and Maria Svendsotter/Swanson Samuelson
death: 9 October 1947 in San Bernardino, California
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Lulu May Cook and Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson:

  • Ruby Mae Samuelson (1907-2003) m. 1st. Charles Kenneth Lindell m. 2nd Carl Mitchell Sederberg
  • Lester Gustaf Samuelson (1908-1978)
  • Arline Marie Samuelson (1910-1969) m. Milton Richard Danderson
  • Margaret Samuelson (1912-1982) m. Earle Charles Heritage
  • Carolyn “Loretta” Lucile Samuelson (1916-1932)
  • William Lewis Samuelson (1919-1992) m. Betty Jean Harbaugh
  • Edwin Donald Samuelson (1921-1993) m. Lorraine Maleski

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Gary, Lake, Indiana

Other Information:

Lulu May Cook Samuelson was the oldest of seven children born to Andrew and Mary Thompson Cook. Born on the 15 August 1883 in Melrose Park, Cook, Illinois, Lulu attended 8 years of schooling and was found in the 1900 US federal census as a 15 year old boarder living in Westchester, Porter, Indiana where she was employed a cord maker at the Warren Featherbone Factory, also known as Three Oaks. The plant was known for stripping turkey feathers of their quills to use in women’s garments of the era, such as corsets. Lulu’s mother, Mary, and her siblings were also residing in a home they owned in Porter County in 1900. Father Andrew remained in Chicago as a boarder, working as a blacksmith. It is not known why the family relocated to Porter County. On 3 December 1904, Lulu married in Baileytown, Chesterton, Porter, Indiana Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson. She was noted in all further records as being employed as a housewife. The couple would go on to have four daughters and three sons with daughter Loretta, a piano virtuoso, dying unexpectedly at age 16. Lulu’s husband also died unexpectedly, in 1947 on a visit the couple had made to San Bernardino, California to visit their married daughter Arlene. After Gust’s death, Lulu continued to live in Westchester, Indiana in the home she owned. After daughter Margaret’s husband died in 1954, Lulu spent the summers at a lake near Middlebury, Indiana where her daughter ran a grocery store. She enjoyed playing card games, such as pinochle, and Scrabble, after dinner with family and friends. During the winter months, she lived in an apartment building in Miller, Indiana next door to her daughter, Margaret. It was there that she died on 14 October 1968 of generalized arteriosclerosis. Edmonds Funeral Home provided the arrangments. She was buried next to her husband in Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.

Lulu’s death certificate noted that the informant was her son, William, who resided at 5242 Miller Avenue. That information is incorrect. William had once resided at that address but had moved with his family to 6209 Miller Avenue. In grief, he must have provided his old address instead of his then current one.
William had recalled to this bio submitter that his sister Loretta was a piano virtuoso who had planned on touring when she came of age.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Gustaf Teodor “Gust” Samuelson

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Gustaf Teodor “Gust” Samuelson
birth: 29 April 1879 in Baileytown, Chesterton, Porter, Indiana to Samuel August and Maria Svensdotter/Swanson Samuelson
death: 9 October 1947 San Bernardino, California
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 3 December 1904 in Baileytown, Chesterton, Indiana
Lulu May Cook
birth: 15 August 1883 in Melrose Park, Cook, Illinois to Andrew and Mary Thompson Cook
death: 14 October 1968 in Gary, Lake, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Lulu May Cook and Gustaf Teodor “Gust” Samuelson:

  • Ruby Mae Samuelson (1907-2003) m. 1st Charles Kenneth Lindell m. 2nd Carl Mitchell Sederberg
  • Lester Gustaf Samuelson (1908-1978)
  • Arline Marie Samuelson (1910-1969) m. Milton Richard Danderson
  • Margaret Samuelson (1912-1982) m. Earle Charles Heritage
  • Carolyn Loretta Lucile Samuelson (1916-1932)
  • William Lewis Samuelson (1919-1992) m. Betty Jean Harbaugh
  • Edwin Donald Samuelson (1921-1993) m. Lorraine Maleski

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Baileytown, Chesterton, Porter, Indiana

Other Information:

The fourth son of six children born to Samuel August and Maria Svensdotter/Swanson Samuelson on 29 April 1879 in Baileytown, Chesterton, Porter, Indiana, Gustaf “Gust” Teodor Samuelson was only 11 months old when his mother died. In 1880, he was named August on the US Federal Census though no other records show him recorded with that name. In 1900, no occupation is listed for him; he was residing with an older sister Ida and his father, Samuel, who was a farmer. The categories for read/write/speak English were left blank though family and later records show he could perform all three and had attended school for at least 4 years. Gust was of medium height and build with blue eyes and light hair color. Gust married Lulu May Cook on 3 December 1904 in Baileytown. The couple would live in Baileytown throughout their lives and have four daughters and three sons. Although no records remain to show what career Gust had at the time of his marriage and first child, by December 1908 when his second child was born, Gust was a Fireman. He continued to work as a fireman in 1912, renting a house in Westchester, Porter, Indiana. By October 1912, Gust was employed as a Steam Shovel Engineer. In October 1916 he was a coal sampler. In 1918 he was known to be working as a Steam Shovel Engineer for the Michigan Central Railroad. By 1920, the family owned a home and in 1921 he continued to work as a Steam Shovel Engineer. At the start of the Great Depression in 1930, Gust managed a feed store. Daughter Loretta, a piano virtuoso, died unexpectedly in July 1932 of peri and endocarditis. Gust operated a gas crane for the railroad in 1940. On a vacation with his wife, Lulu, to San Bernardino, California, on 9 October 1947 to visit his married daughter Arlene, Gust died of a coronary embolism. At the time of his death he was employed by the Indiana State Highway Department as a fireman in Chesterton. Through the assistance of the Flynn-Lundbrg Funeral Home in Chesterton, Gust was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Maria Svensdotter Swanson

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Maria Svensdotter Swanson
birth: 17 September 1849 in Svenarum, Jonkoping Sweden to Sven Gustaf and Stina Gundmundsdotter Johannesson
death: 19 March 1880 in Baileytown, Porter, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 10 January 1871 in Baileytown, Porter, Indiana
Samuel August Samuelson
birth: 3 January 1839 in Stora Haddebo, Västra Harg, Östergötland, Sweden to Samuel and Anna Elisabet “Lisa” Torstensdotter Erickson
death: 14 January 1908 in Chesterton, Porter, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Maria Svensdotter Swanson and Samuel August Samuelson:

  • Johan Viktor “John Victor” Samuelson 1872-1921 Hilda Josefina Charlson
  • John Louis “Louie” Samuelson 1873-1919 Sophia Rebecca Swanson
  • Alfreda Frederika Samuelson 1874-1881
  • Ada Emilia Samuelson 1876-1955 Sven “Sam” Oscar Edward Charlson
  • August “Gust” Theodore Samuelson 1877-1879
  • Gustaf Theodore “Gust” Samuelson 1879-1947 Lulu May Cook

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Baileytown, Porter, Indiana

Other Information:

Maria was the youngest child of six children born to Sven Gustaf and Stina Gundmundsdotter Johannesson on 17 September 1849 in Svenarum, Jonkoping Sweden. The family emigrated to the US separately. Brothers Johannes, who changed his last name to Sandstedt when he left Sweden, and Anders departed Jönköping on 14 May 1869 for Chicago. Johannes left behind his pregnant wife and son who followed later. On 28 May 1869, Sven Gustaf emigrated from Göteborg, Göteborg Och Bohus, Sweden. The record is not clear as to who may have accompanied him to LaPorte, Indiana. The number 3 is listed on his line; it is possible he brought his wife and daughter Maria. Johanna, who had married Claus Peterson in 1866, emigrated with her husband and two children before 15 September 1870 when they are found in the federal census. Daughter Inga departed Rössby Mellangård, Sweden with her husband, Pehr Isaksson, and daughter Hulda on 11 September 1870. Carolina is shown emigrating on 2 August 1872 with her parents, who may have returned to Sweden to bring her to the US. Maria worked as a housekeeper for her future husband, Samuel August Samuelson, in 1870; also in the household was Matilda Sophia Johnson, who would soon wed Carl Gustaf Johnson, Samuel’s cousin. According to family stories, Maria and Samuel received a marriage license on 10 January 1871 and were wed at her parents’ home in Baileytown, Porter, Indiana on 17 February 1871 by J. P. Nyquist. Records confirm the dates but not that the wedding occurred at her parents’ home. The couple quickly started a family of six children, four boys and two girls. Maria died on 19 March 1880 in Bailytown at age 30, leaving behind a husband and children ranging in ages from 11 months to 10 years. She was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.

Since Porter County, Indiana death index was not begun until 1884 and vital records were not implemented in Indiana until 1882, no cause of death is known for Maria Swanson Samuelson.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Samuel August Samuelson

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Samuel August Samuelson
birth: 3 January 1839 in Stora Haddebo, Västra Harg, Östergötland, Sweden to Samuel and Anna Elisabet “Lisa” Torstensdotter Erickson
death: 14 January 1908 in Chesterton Township, Porter, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

marriage: 10 January 1871 in Baileytown, Porter, Indiana
Maria Svensdotter/Swanson
birth: 17 September 1849 in Svenarum, Jonkoping Sweden to Sven Gustaf and Stina Gundmundsdotter Johannesson
death: 19 March 1880 in Baileytown, Porter, Indiana
burial: Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana

Children of Maria Svensdotter/Swanson and Samuel August Samuelson:

  • Johan Viktor “John Victor” Samuelson 1872-1921 Hilda Josefina Charlson
  • John Louis “Louie” Samuelson 1873-1919 Sophia Rebecca Swanson
  • Alfreda Frederika Samuelson 1874-1881
  • Ada Emilia Samuelson 1876-1955 Sven “Sam” Oscar Edward Charlson
  • August “Gust” Theodore Samuelson 1877-1879
  • Gustaf Theodore “Gust” Samuelson 1879-1947 Lulu May Cook

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Chesterton Township, Porter, Indiana

Other Information:

Immigrant Samuel August Samuelson was the third son and fourth child of Samuel and Anna Elisabet “Lisa” Torstensdotter Erickson born on 3 January 1839 in Stora Haddebo, Västra Harg, Östergötland, Sweden. He also had an older step-brother, Carl Gustaf Johnson, from Lisa’s first relationship and two younger half-sisters, Anna Stina and Anna Sophia, from his father’s second marriage to Maria Helena Magdalena Larsdotter. Due to the patronymic style in use at the time of Samuel’s birth, his father’s first name became Samuel’s surname. Samuel, along with his parents, sister and brother Anders Fredrik emigrated from Sweden to Porter County, Indiana on 10 May 1851. After living for a year in Chicago, Illinois, the family made their way to Porter County, Indiana where Samuel’s step-brother had settled in 1849. His brother, Johan Peter, joined the family in Porter County in 1854. The family is found in the 1860 US Federal census misnamed with the surname Axen; perhaps the enumerator could not understand the word Erickson and assumed everyone in the family used the same surname. Samuel’s age is correctly listed as 21, however, his first name is missing; it is shown by quotation marks under the listing for his older brother, Johan Peter. On 16 August 1862, Samuel enlisted as a Private for the Union in the 73rd Indiana Infantry Regiment, Company E where he was described as 5 foot 4.5 inches tall, with a light complexion, blue eyes and light hair. He was promoted to Corporal on 12 December 1863. Samuel saw much action at Stone River, Perryville, and Murfreesboro where he received a severe shoulder injury due to a gunshot wound on 31 December 1862. He was hospitalized for 3 days in Nashville, Tennessee. He continued to serve but on 3 May 1863 near Cedar Bluff, Alabama he was captured as a prisoner of war and taken to Richmond, Virginia. On 15 May 1863 he was traded in a prisoner exchange at City Point, Virginia and taken to Camp Parole, Maryland on 18 May 1863. Due to the severity of reinjuring his shoulder, he was mustered out on 28 May 1863. He returned to Indiana where he struggled for three years to regain the use of his arm. He became a farmer like his father, owning 219 acres, and an active member of his community by his association with the Swedish Lutheran Church and the Republican Party. He became a naturalized citizen in 1867. Samuel wed on 10 January 1871 Maria Svensdotter/Swanson at her parents’ Baileytown, Porter, Indiana home. The couple had four sons and two daughter, four who lived to adulthood. Maria died in 1880; her youngest child, Gustaf Theodore, was only 11 months old. Samuel received a Civil War pension in 1895; it was renewed in both 1900 and 1901. Samuel’s accidental death was a tragic loss for the community. At age 69, he was driving a sleigh with friend, David Kastler, across the Pere Marquette railroad crossing when they were hit by a fast train and killed instantly. He was buried in Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Porter, Indiana.

Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor and Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. Counties of Porter and Lake Historical and Biographical Illustrated, Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co, 1882. p. 310.
Porter County, Indiana Biographical Sketches erroneously lists Samuel’s middle initial as “E.”

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Jerry Frank Graham

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Jerry Frank Graham
b. 16 October 1879, Fayette County, Indiana to William Isaac and Julietta (Cook) Graham
d. 28 May 1915, Knees, Montana

m.
Ida [–?–]

Submitted by:
Irene Krieger
Batesville IN
E-mail: ihdkrieger@yahoo.com

William Thomas Graham

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William Thomas “Will” Graham
b. 2 Jun 1874, Rushville, Rush County, Indiana, to William Isaac and Julietta (Cook) Graham
d. 7 September 1955, Great Falls, Cascade County, Montana

m. 19 October 1901, Champaign, Illinois
Frances Celia Preston
b. 2 June 1886
d. 25 September 1975

Will was a carpenter by trade. He died at age 82 and is buried in the Highland Cemetery at Great Falls, Montana.

Submitted by:
Irene Krieger
Batesville IN
E-mail: ihdkrieger@yahoo.com