The Johnson's from Sweden - my great-grandma's mother's family

My last blog post was about my great-grandmother Doris (Colson) Denhof's father.  This blog will be about her mother's short life.  It's hard to believe she died at the age of 21 and had a daughter that lived to be 98.  Unlike Charles, who's parents I've already blogged about I'll be blogging about Freda's parents next so some details will be left out of this one.

Freda Maria Johnson (birth surname Jonsson) was born 11 Dec 1882 at Qvilla, Torsås Parish, Kalmar, Sweden (now known as Kvilla) the 3rd of 8 children of Erik Jonasson and Emma Andersdotter.  The handwriting in Swedish records is terribly difficult to read but here is her birth record, line #175.

I don't have the actual record of their emigration (it's on my "to-find" list) but I do have this transcription that tells me that Freda came to America via New York, leaving 25 Jul 1884 with her mother Emma and her sister Hilda.  Erik came to America earlier, more on that in another blog.  

First name: MARIA

Last name: JÖNSSON

Age: 1 Gender:

Parish: SVERIG County:

Title/Note: BARN

Port: KÖPENHAMN

Date: 1884 07 25

Destination: NEW YORK

Source: 2209

As mentioned in my previous blog Freda married Charles Perkins 5 Apr 1900 at Fremont, Newaygo County Michigan.  Their marriage was witnessed by James and Hilda McKenzie, Hilda being Freda's older sister.  

Freda gave birth to Milo in 1901 and to Doris in 1903.  Beyond that there isn't much known about her.  She died of pneumonia 18 Mar 1904 at Ashland, Newaygo County Michigan and is buried at the Bridgeton Township Cemetery at Bridgeton (Newaygo Co as well).  She's buried with 2 sisters and her parents in one plot, although all of her siblings are buried at this cemetery.  

Yet another mystery the great Charles Perkins left us with is why his wife is buried under her maiden name of Johnson.  Her death certificate clearly says Perkins and that she's married but that's not what's on the headstone.  Given that her parents are buried with her and Charles skipped town (although I don't know how soon after her death) my guess is her parents handled everything and perhaps were angry with Charles and did that to stick it to him?  I try to put myself in his shoes and try to imagine losing my wife so young, with young children and possibly not much in the way to support them and I can guess he may not have been thinking rationally but c'mon, flee to the middle of the state and give a child away?  Did Milo or Doris ever see Erik and Emma again?  Did they even know who they were?  So many questions..........

One question we don't have is who is in this photo.  My grandma had gone through my great-grandma's albums with her before I did and she identified and labeled this picture as Freda.  It was verified by another Johnson cousin who also has this picture.  It is the only known photo of Freda.  Every time I look at it I see lost potential in a life cut short by something very survivable by today's standards.  How would life have been different for my great-grandmother (and then for all of us that followed after) had Freda lived?  Would I even be here?  If she didn't go to the Colson family does she ever meet my great-grandpa?  Life is funny that way.........