his 3 WIVES and 16 CHILDREN
by EUGENE H. HALVERSON
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| Holms Manor |
Iwish to express my gratitude to Kent Holmes who visited Vora in search of genealogy. He then put me in touch with, Goran Holms, from Vora, Finland. They are like me, the last of the “Kock/Holms. They are grandsons of Johan Johansson (Kock)Holms, the last farmer of Holms. Goran has e-mailed the translated text from Johan Johansson’s Bible and a translated version of the genealogy his wife’s, Uncle Runar Hagberg, had completed of the Kock-Holms family. Goran has also helped me correct dates and places in this story. I would also like to thank, Rolf Ronquist, who lives in Vora and is a renowned genealogist has added more names and dates beyond what my sister, Vivian and I had done in previous years. We thank him for his generosity. Gunnar and Ralf Norrgard, Brita Hagglof has generously shared so many so much genealogy and history. I am very grateful to them.
On the Father's side of the family back in the early 1700's or very late 1690's records show that Erik Jakobsson Bertils and Margareta, last name unknown was the father of Erik Eriksson Bertils who was born May 1729 in Kaitsor, Vasa, Finland. This son married Anna Simonsdotter Kock , born 1744, this is where our Kock name originated. The old story of a farmer or even a “Drang” marrying the Landlord’s daughter. His name now was Simon Carlsson Kock, born July 1718 on Kock at Karvat, Vasa. His wife was Anna Andersdotter, born April 1717.
The child of Erik Bertils and Anna Kock was Simon Eriksson Kock, the given name Simon and the sur-name Kock came from her family, the landsman family. He was born 9 November, 1774, died 6 July, 1831. On the 13 June, 1798 he married Brita Mattsdotter Rannars who was also the daughter of a landloard. Her parents were Matts Martensson and Beata Mattsdotter Rannars. Her Grandparents Marten Johansson and Anna Michelsdotter Rannars, he was born 23 Mar 1728 at Korvat, Vasa, Finland
Too many years have passed to find the many things I wish to know about the Holms/Kock family but little by little parts are found. In 1970 my sister, Vivian went to Holms and brought home some genealogy, pictures, one being a picture of a scroll hanging in the Vora Folkshogskola with the names, Johan Kock, Mickel Holms and Matts Hoijer and a book all written by P.R. Fredriksson, school master and historian of the Vora Folkhogskola. “Ett Halvsekel I Folkbildningens Tjanst” (the 50 years of school from 1907 to 1957). Also it gives a brief history of Holms back to the 1500’s. (Goran said Maria Holms Hoijer gave Fredriksson many papers and documents. Goran wonders if they are still at Holms?) In 1873 Johan and Mickel Raback bought the Holms Farm (R nr 3) with 30,000 marks. The Farm was sold by Landsman Carl Johan Solfvin who was forced to sell his beloved Holms Farm, because the peasant farmers had left him and the farm. The time was the starting of the industrial revolution. The peasant farmers were not happy at Holms and now many new work opportunities were available in the world. Johan S. Kock came as a new farmer to his part of the 1 ½ assessment unit of land (mantalshemman). He came from Kvevlax but was born in Karvat.
Johan was fifty-one years old at the time of the purchase. For some reason or other it took two more years before the family was able to move from Norrgard to Kvevlax to Holms. I have been told our family was well off and enjoyed life here, I have also been told of hard times and Russian domination. Well with sixteen children he had a lot of help on the farm but almost all of them left Holms. The farm contained six small crofts (cottages and holdings) that were sold to relative farmers. I know some of them but it is still a puzzle. Johan Simonsson and his wife lived on Holms his death 7 December, 1893, 71 years old, Maria died a year earlier in 1892, 53 years old.
I was told that the large ancient buildings at Holms were expensive to maintain and pay taxes on. Money also had to be paid to the state as bribes to keep the boys out of the Russian army. Johan Johansson, Erik Johansson and Mickel Johansson, (all Kocks) all emigrated and returned to Holms at least twice with money for their part of the Holms Farm. Some grandchildren also made the return trips. Johan Johansson (died 1917) was called the last farmer of Holms, all his siblings had left Holms. The farm was sold and/or donated in 1907to become the Vora Folkshogskola. He then built his house between Holms and Holms Hill. His daughter, Maria Johansdotter Hoijer would latter live in it. Eriks Johansson’s wife, Brita Murkais Hagglof (my g grandmother) lived in her stuga higher on Holms Hill near the weather mill until it burned town in 1934, she died in 1939. Sometimes life in America was pleasant, it mostly depended on who owned the mine and in what State. At Bisbee, Arizona 1200 miners were forced at gunpoint into in boxcars like cattle and deported. Then there were the wars fought between miners and company gunmen in Colorado at Cripple Creek and Ludlow.
JOHAN SIMONSSON KOCK
Born 3 August 1822 in Karvat. He died 7 December 1893 at the Holms farm in Rokio.
JOHAN'S SIXTEEN CHILDREN—THREE WIVES
1st Wife 4 children
ANNA-LISA SIMONSDOTTER KOCK, (born Kock) in Karvat 13 February 1825. She died 10 June 1849. They were married 30 June 1842.
Johan’s 4 Children with Anna Lisa Simonsdotter
1st child
SIMON JOHANSSON KOCK, born 21 September 1842 and died 7 October 1843.
2nd child
SIMON JOHANSSON KOCK, Simon was born in 29 October 1844. He married Maria Simonsdotter Finne. He was listed as the new farmer at the Kock farmer in Karvat where he died. He never went to Holms he remained in Karvat. His daughter, Fredrika, born 19 September 1873 died in Karvat in 1940. Her cottage is used by the villagers as a meeting house. I maveled at the ‘May Pole” with its ropes still hanging from the pole in the Park she donated to the village. I was proud to be related to her. Goran Holms showed me the many houses and family sites still standing.
Children
Anna Lisa 12 March 1864, Beata Lovisa 23 Sept. 1865, Maria 28 Aug. 1867, Maria Lovisa 29 Nov. 1870, Fredrika 19 Sep. 1873, Johannes 1 June 1875, Brita 15 Feb. 1877, Simon Erik 17 July 1879, Mickel 27 Sep. 1882
3rd child
JOHAN JOHANSSON KOCK-HOLMS He was born 14 January 1847 at Karvat. He married Anna Maria Abrahamsdotter (Kveflander) in 1867. Officiating was Vicar Frans Oskar Durchman in the Church of Kvevlax, Vasa, Finland. She died 25 May 1925, age 58 years, 1 month, 28 days and he died 1 October 1917, age 70 years, 8 months, 17 days. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He was unconscious for 24 hours and was buried Friday 5 October 1917.
This text is translated from Johan Johansson Holms family Bible.
“We married in 1867 as the text above shows. We then lived in Kvevlax parish for two years. Then I bought a farm in North Jungsund. The name of the farm was Back (n:o 1). We stayed there for five years. Then we moved to Vora, stayed there during the winter and I bought a farm in Weikars in Mustasaai (Korshorm). The name of the farm was Kulla. We lived there until 1879 or five years.
1879 I went to America and sold the farm, but my wife stayed in Weikars until 1880. Then my wife moved to Kvevlax for five and a half years until I came home from America in 1884. When I came home in 1885, I bought a farm in Vora. Then I immigrated to America again in 1888 and the family stayed in Vora and took care of the farm. I was in America for three years until 1891. I possessed Holms farm until 1907 and sold it to a committee that bought it to set up a folk high school (Vora Folkhogskola). I kept a piece of land near the school and built a cottage in 1908. The other members of my family had moved out except my wife and my son Herman Evin, unmarried.
Children of Johan Johansson Kock-Holms
Maria Holms born 24 September 1868. Married in 1892 with Matts Martensson Hoijer from Rokio, Vora. He died in 1909. Matts built Maria a new house from money earned in America it is still standing. A.P. Fredriksson, writer of “Holms History” called Maria “Holmvardinnan” (Holms-hostess) for the many dinners and information about Holms.
Children
Hilda Maria born 28 July 1897
Johannes Verner (John Holmes), born 21 July 1903 and died in Richfield, Utah 31 January 1992. He said, “I was very young man when and I woke up to the sound of gun fire. I was given a rifle to fight in a war. The Red and White armies were fighting a revolution in Finland. I immigrated in to Canada soon after this war. Worked for the US&R Mine in Copperfield, Utah most of his life. Married, Helga Vera Forsnes on 6 July 1926 and had a daughter, June born 1928
Johannes Holms, born 28 April 1871. Immigrated to America, worked in the mines at Bisbee, Arizona and returned to Finland.
First marriage to Anna Beata Johansdotter Klark in 1895. She died 5 January 1901 leaving a son
Johannes Edwin born in 25 September 1898.
Second wife, Maria Eriksdotter Nygard from Rokio Vora 1907.
Children: Ester Maria, Erik Arvid, Signe Elvira and Elsa Adele
Isaak Erik Holmes born 12 November 1873. He immigrated to America at the age of 19 in 1892 and worked in the mines at Bisbee, Arizona. He was married in America to Anna Charlotta Svenson from Lidkoping, Sweden. The family homesteaded in Idaho. Kent Holmes, a great grandson of Edvard Johansson Holms, gave me a copy of Alvin’s book “Swedish Homesteaders in Idaho”. It starts with Isaac Erik Holms at Holms in Finland, to Bisbee, Arizona and the trials of homesteading in Idaho. A Wonderful book.
Children: Erik Arvid, Alvin
Children Mary (Newman) born 1899, Edward, Elmer.
Karl Alfred Holmes born 19 April 1887. Immigrated to America. Spent his life in Los Angeles as a carpenter. Married Hilda Johanna Myrskog from Kronoby, Finland.
Children: Carl Gunnar , Irene.
1st Marriage Ester Elisbet (Maria) Antell:
Lars Edwin born 1923, children Goran, Caj,Ralf
Margit Elizabeth born 1925.
2nd Marriage Karin Bjorkestam. She was born 28 December 1899.
4th child
BRITA JOHANSDOTTER KOCK was born in 16 July 1848. She moved with her family in 1861 from Karvat to Kvevlax. She stayed in Kvevlax, when the family moved to Vora.
JOHAN’S 2nd Wife 6 children
ANNA LISA ANDERSDOTTER KEJSAR, born on Kejsar farm on 12 June 1824 at Kaitsor, Vora, Vasa, Finland. They were married 23 October 1849, she was my Great Great Grandmother.
Johan’s 6 Children with Anna Lisa Andersdotter
5th child Anna’s 1st
LISA JOHANSDOTTER KOCK
Lisa was born 4 January 1851 and possibly remained in Kvevlax.
6th child Anna’s 2nd
ANDERS JOHANSSON KOCK
Anders was born Kvevlax 13 January 1853 and died 12 september 1858, five years.
ERIK JOHANSSON KOCK-HOLMS (my G.Grandfather)
Erik was born 16 December 1854 at Karvat, Vasa. He died 5 April 1900. The family moved to Nygard prior to the birth of siblings, Anna and Mickel. No exact date is given. His mother, Anna Lisa died in Kvevlax shortly after Mickel was born. His father while living in Kvevlax then married Maria Beck in 1868 to care for his children. Erik was fourteen years old at the time. Johan had purchased the ancient Holms Farm in 1873 but it wasn't until 1875 that the family moved from Kvevlax to Rokio. Goran Holms said Erik married a young lady while still living in Kvevlax but she died soon after. Then 1 December 1876 Erik married Brita Hermansdotter Murkais. She was born on Koskeby, 7 Feb. 1848, to Matts Herman Eriksson Hagglof-Kneck and Lisa Mattsdotter Murkais-Pahis. When her father died 9 July, 1858 Lisa and her children moved back to her Torpare in Makipaa. Makipaa is a village in Vora, where the Folkhogskola was first located, it was in a Hostel (Inn) there. 1903 Brita sold some of Holms to the Nygards. Nygards now Norrgards called Brita “Holms Moster” (she was a maternal Aunt). Gunnar and Ralf has given me a wealth of information. Brita lived in her Holms Stuga (cottage) on the Holms Bergen (Hill) where she lived until it burned to the ground in 1934. She then paid Maria Murkais to care for her in Maria's home at Makipaa until she died in 1939. We believe Brita still owned a part of Holms when the land owners who gave the Vora Folkhogskola school its last and permanent home. When she moved from the big home to the one on Holms Hill is unknown. The Murkais-Hagglof Family have been very interested in education. Several Haggof-Holms families came to America. Some of them were; Johan Erik Hagglof-Holms, Viktor August Hagglof-Holms, Alfred Hagglof-Holms
1881 was the time when Erik emigrated to America the first time, he then returned to Finland with money for Holms. The second trip for money was disastious, as he was returning with money to buy a larger share of a troubled Holms, he not only lost or was robbed of his money, he was dying. John Holmes (Johannes Verner Hoijer) said Erik and his father, Matts Hoijer were “leaded” in some mine. Erik died, 5 April, 1900 at the age of 46 shortly after returning to Holms. Brita was previously married to Jakob Jakobsson Skarper. Then after Erik died in 1900 she married married Anders Mattsson Knooka (Trask) in 1902 from Lillkyro, he died on the 9 October, 1921. Brita died in 1939.
My grandfather
Johannes Eriksson Holms born 29 May 1878 and died in Eureka, Utah in 1954.
Lisa Eriksdotter Holms born 28 May 1879 and died 16 June 1879
Erik Eriksson Holms born 12 Sep. 1881 and died three days later.
Johannes Eriksson Holms (John Holmes) married Lisa Jakobsdotter Ohlis Antbrams 28 June 1896 in Rokio, Vora, Finland. They were my grandparents. He immigrated in 1900 and she immigrated in 1903 with their daughter, Edith Maria.
1--Edith Maria born 14 May 1896, Rokio, Finland, emigrated in 1903, married Erik Svens-Swenson 20 May 1914. He was working the Frisco, Utah mines at the time. They moved to Eureka and lived the rest of their lives.
Children; Helen. Edith, Margaret, Virginia, Walter and Arnold. Erik died of silicosis 9 Dec. 1931. Edith married Ramon Achaval 14 April 1937. Child, Noel.
Edith Maria born 14 May 1896 died 17 June 1970
2---Werner Johannesson born 20 Feb. 1899, Rokio, Finland, died 9 Dec 1900 Rokio, Finland.
3---Signe Elizabeth born 21 June 1904 in Frisco, Utah, raised in Frisco and Eureka, Utah. Married Harvey Halverson 24 Dec. 1927 at Telegraph, Utah where their children were born and raised. Eugene Harvey, Leland John, Paul David and Vivian. Moved to West Jordan where she died 3 Oct 1974. Harvey died 16 March 1996.
4---Verner Herbert (Vanner) born 16 Mar 1906 Eureka, Utah, married Eleanor LaVere Steele 29 Aug. 1929, died 19 Oct. 1930 giving birth to Dorothy. He died 8 May 1982 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
5---Nestor Conrad born 26 Feb 1908 in Eureka, Utah, died 26 Apr. 1908 Eureka, Utah.
6---Conrad Hjalmar born 13 Dec 1910 in Eureka, Utah, married Dorothy Helen Viertel 21Sep 1933, they had children, James Conrad and John Eugene, she died 1 Nov 1989. They lived most of their lives in Eureka and Payson, Utah. He died
8th child Anna’s 4th
MARIA JOHANNSDOTTER HOLMS, born 21 March 1858 and died 26 April 1860.
9th child Anna’s 5th
ANNA JOHANSDOTTER HOLMS: Anna was born 14 Dec 1863 at Norrgard Kvevlax. She married Johan Johansson Klark on 19 November 1886. Farm R nr 15. They and their daughter Greta immigrated to America in 1899. Johan died in America on 17 January 1901, I believe in a mine somewhere, but I haven't located him or his daughter. Anna left her daughter in America and returned to Finland where she died in 1904 at age 41.
Greta Lovisa Holms, born in Rokio, Klark 4 Nov 1887 - 24 July 1932. Married Viktor August Hagglof-Holms on 9 March, 1907 born Myrbergsby, Vora, December 24, 1886. He died in America on December 20, 1924 at the age of 37, another mine victim. They had three children all born in America.
Sanfrid born 20 Oct 1910, died 24 Feb.1912.
10th child Anna’s 6th
MICKEL JOHANSSON HOLMS: Mickel was born 7 Oct 1866 at Norrgard, Kvevlax. He first immigrated in 1884; he returned to Finland with his savings, immigrated again in 1892. He died in a Park City mine on June 22, 1895. He is buried under a large stone marker on Kearns Boulevard in Park City. He was killed shortly before his sister Lovisa arrived in America seeking his help. We have no record of any marriage.
JOHAN’S 3rd WIFE 6 children
MARIA BECK; (MARIA BRITA KARL-JOHANSDOTTER STRANDBACK)
She was born in Koklot, Kvevlax, 23 August 1839, married 6 December 1868, died at Holms 13 May 1892.
JOHAN'S 6 CHILDREN with MARIA BECK
11th child Maria’s 1st
MARIA JOHANSDOTTER HOLMS: Maria was born on 15 January 1869 at Norrgard, Kvevlax. She immigrated to America in 1892 with her brother Mickel but she stopped in New York where she married Charles Anderson and lived in the Bronx in New York City. We know of three sons that were living when she died in Valhalla on 1 June 1955 at age 86. Her sons Axel A., Gus, and Leo still live in the Bronx. Lovisa's granddaughter, Eleanor, remembered when this family came to Eureka for a visit when she was a child. Eleanor was envious of Maria's granddaughters, the girls were older and very beautiful and dressed in the fanciest clothes she had ever seen. it was just like looking into the latest fashion magazine, Huarache shoes and all. These styles were unavailable in Utah.
12th child Maria’s 2nd
shaft. A 200 pound rock fell and severly injured Herman. Charlie, Edward, Josef, and my grandfather Johan Holmes each bought a farm at Mosida. Josef was sent down to the valley to care for the farms.
Idena Westman Gundersen tells a story of the children visiting him in his small house at Mosida one Sunday morning. Josef was quite religious. He was a member of the Lutheran Church and the church
was many miles away. They all sat around him while he read to them from his Bible. The children loved him and they respectfully called him "Uncle Josef". Josef was buried in Eureka in 1924 as Joseph Holmes.
LOVISA MARIA JOHANSDOTTER HOLMS: Lovisa was born 25 August 1874 at Norrgard, Kvevlax. She immigrated to American in 1893 and came to Park City expecting to be met by her brother Mickel. When she arrived by train in Park City, no one was there to meet her and she couldn't speak or understand English. Her brother had been killed in a mine accident a few months earlier. She was in a terrible situation. She did find work in Park City and later ran a boarding house in Bingham Canyon. She knew Irene Edvik Westerland.
Lovisa married Herman Snell on the 17th of August 1899. He was born January 3, 1877 Lovisa and Herman lived in a house of Swedish design next door to Grandpa Holmes. It was
Herman & Lovisa Holms Snell
covered with ginger bread molding. We have a photograph of Aunt Lovisa and Grandma Lisa on its long porch. Lovisa and Herman were active in the Lutheran Church and were the leaders of the Order of the Runneberg Society. Herman was sent to Minnesota as their delegate. Lovisa was a very reserved person and lived a very private life. She was truly a hard worker, never complained about the hardships she had to endure. She was very loving and kind to her family.
Herman was killed in the Wasa mine in North Tintic in a cave-in, on August 3, 1908 at age 31. His back was broken and was completely paralyzed. It took three days to carry him off the mountain to the road and the fifteen miles to his home where he died. For the past ten years was an active leader in the community. Herman and Lovisa had four children: Eleanor possesses Herman's organ, he won it in a raffle. Lovisa complained to him on many occasions when he sat for long periods of time playing it. She said, he could make better use of his time by working.
Helen Maria born 3 March 1900 in Eureka. Married Erik Alexander Jackson, 25/12/1898- 20/02/1935. His parents were, Jakob Eriksson Kjerp (Karp), 1867/1943 and Lisa Micklesdotter Rasmus, 1857/1932.
Gilbert Edmond born 22 Mar 1902; died 26 Jan 1975. He married Ellen Frances Davis.
Elmer Mauritz (Maurice) was born 11 April 1904 in Eureka, Utah
Ehart Herman was born 6 November 1906 in Eureka, Utah. He married Mabel Peterson.
Lovisa later married Alfred Erickson (Bergstrom) who was born 31 January 1883 and died 20 March 1920. Alfred was a very distinguished man of some means.
Child Glen Alfred Erickson
14th child Maria’s 4th
KARL JOHANSSON HOLMS (CARL JOHN or CHARLIE): Karl was born on the 11th of July 1877 in Rokio, Vora. He and his sister Lovisa immigrated to America in 1895, the same year as his future wife, Maria Fredriksdotter Karp. She was born 1 Oct 1875 and died 2 Nov 1960. He died the 9th of December 1929 at age 52.
Audine (Idene) Westerman Gundersen shared some information about Charlie. I appreciate the help and friendship she, her brother Leo, and Leo's wife, Amilia, have given me. Idene said, "Maria (Mary) Fredricksdotter Karp (Kjerp "I think") and her brother Alexander Frederiksson Karp immigrated to America from Finland about 1895. I believe that Mary met her husband, Charlie, in Eureka. Karp (Kjerp), I believe, was a farm name, just like Holms. This was a proud name in Finland. Alexander was always proud of who he was even after he found his name in America was the same as given to a fish. His sister Maria, on the other hand, was deeply humiliated and tried her best to lose it. When she and Charlie were married on 18 March 1904, she wrote her name on the marriage certificate as Mary Anderson. Charlie told the county clerk "I don't know any Mary Anderson." Mary then had to sign as "Mary Karp".
Idena tells of a time when three little girls would stop at a store in Eureka to look at the most wonderful doll house in the world. Each girl wanted this little house for her very own. Idena was one of the girls and Charlie and Mary daughters, Ila and Hilve, were the other two. A few days before Christmas, the house disappeared. The girls were devastated. On Christmas morning the doll house was under the Holm's Christmas Tree. When Idena came over to see what Ila and Hilve had got, she began to cry when she saw her doll house. They said, "Don't cry, you can play with it any time you want." Alexander Karp bought the house.
Charlie worked in many mines but I only know of one of them by name. This was the Silver Shield Mine in the bottom of the canyon below Eureka. Mary ran the boarding house there. Both Charley and Mary were members of the Runneberg or Temperance Society.
Charlie became involved with the "Mosida by the Lake" dream. He was a leader of the Land Company in charge of laying out a town site and selling the land. State Highway 68 travels through twelve miles of rich alfalfa lands that was formerly Mosida (north from Elberta) Eight thousand acres were under cultivation; 50,000 fruit trees were planted, wheat, oats, and barley filled silos and barns. There was a large plush resort hotel and boarding houses with a capacity of 250. Imported French cooks made the meals for this operation. A post office, schools and stores were built as well as the many homes and other buildings that make up a town. The town covered 800 acres and had a population of 400 people. Large barges came from Provo with supplies and passengers. The promise of an ideal town and a new life away from the mines ended in 1917 when the water pumps became too costly and the land and the dreams dried up.
Ila said in her interview by the Utah State historical society that, “My father’s name was Carl J. Kiplin Holms” and my mother was Mary Karp, she was born in 1875. Father came from a large family of 16 or 18 children from three different wives. Most all of the children came to America. He came first to Telluride and maybe Leadville, Colorado and then followed his sister to Park City, Utah and then to Bingham Canyon, Utah and lived with the John Smith family in their boarding house and then to Eureka, Utah. He worked at Knightsville, Godeva May Day Mincancgre, the Gemini (Keystone) and the Bullion Beck. They had to pay the foreman to buy their job. The Swedish people lived here and the Finns lived in Dutch town or on the Leadville side of town. Our houses were more modern on this side of town. I can’t remember about Saunas being here. Mother and father met at a dance at this Temperance Lodge thing (Swede/Finn Hall) It had the first hard wood dance floor anywhere. It had a kitchen and a meeting room also. You had to be a member to be there but that changed in later years.
“My mother said the voyage was terrible, Oh, they herded them like sheep. They didn’t understand the language some were so seasick they didn’t care if they lived or died. She had problems asking and finding the bathroom. And she was so hungry. They did have bread and butter in their homemake, casscande they called it. They also had smeputant. She came through Ellis Island, oh, they herded them like sheep. They had name tags and place of destination pinned on their clothing. Mother had four sisters and four brothers. She came straight to Springville, Utah and then by train to Eureka. When we were little we all talked Swedish and we learned English from our playmates.
Sylvia said, "My father was also of Swedish-Finn decent. His father John Soderland died when Dad was a young teenager. Grandma Lena (Johnson) Soderland married his brother Victor, who was in poor health and they were only married a few years before he also died. I remember them talking about how Dad found his father dead in a miners cabin out in the hills and return him to town over the back of a
horse. The members of the Finish Lodge built a small two-room house for Grandma and there she raised her family of five children. Dad left high school at the age of sixteen to help, becoming the man of the house. He went to work in the mines. The family name was changed back in Finland, when an ancestor named Jacobson married a daughter of the landowner and took the Farm name, Sutherland.
"The thing I remember mother and Aunt Hilva talking about the most was having to deliver milk to other families in Eureka as Grandma had milkcows in what they called the barn in the backyard. When they lived at Mosida, Mom drove a model T up the old road to Eureka to attend high school making it possible for her to graduate. I guess that was quite some feat in those days for a girl to drive to school.
"They also had a social group which was affiliated with the Order of the Runneberg, to receive death benefits for which they paid dues. Mother was the secretary of this group for many years and at one time the member ship was quite large. They also spoke of the Finn Hall which was located on railroad street. Here they held dances and social events. Possibly this is where both sets of my Grandparents met. When I helped to establish the Tintic Historical Society about 20 years ago in Eureka, Mother donated a lot of the furniture from Grandma Holmes house along with pictures. She also wrote a short history concerning the Finn Hall.
I (Eugene Halverson) have a 20 page copy of Ila’s “Oral History Interview” that is saved in the Utah historical Society in SLC, Utah.
They always dreamed of going back to Finland but never got there. They never accumulated enough money to get there. A sister and her daughter did go back to Finland. They wrote and mother sent some money back.
Children
Marta Irene (Martha) was born 22 Mar 1905 and died 18 June 1907 of an infected arm caused by it being caught in the wringer of an old washing machine. We have a photograph of Mary holding Marta.
Carl Mauritz was born 7 Feb 1907 and died 3 July 1907, just 2-1/2 weeks after Martha's death.
Hilva Marie was born 13 August 1908. She married Raymond Runyan now deceased. they adopted a son, Gary.
Aile (Ila) Linnea was born 15 April 1910, and died 27 March 1993. She married Walter John Sutherland. He was born 1 Feb 1904 and died 6 April 1975.
children
Walter Craig, Seligman, Arizona
Kerry Authur, West Valley City, Utah
Silvia Campbell, Winnemucca, Nevada
Ann Anderson, Englewood, Colorado
John, Eureka, Utah
15th child Maria’s 5th
JAKOB JOHANSSON HOLMS: Jakob was born in Rokio Vora on 16 Dec 1879 and died 7 Dec 1907 at age 28 in a mine accident in. Jakob and his sister immigrated to America in 1895. He married Maria and they had a daughter. Jakob's grave is one of the many unmarked graves at Bingham Cemetery.
Child
Wendla Maria was born 4 June 1904 in Bingham Canyon, Utah.
VENLA/WENDLA MARIE JOHANSDOTTER HOLMS: Wendla was born in Rokio Vora on 2 June 1881. In her obituary it said she was the 12th child of Maria Beck and 6th with Johan. After immigrating to America on 28 July 1899 with her brother Jakob, she stopped in New York City to live with or near her sister Maria. On July 3, 1903 she moved to Eureka. she married John Erickson on 5 September 1904. We have a photograph of John and Wendla in their wedding clothes. Her brother Karl (Charlie) and Mary who were also newlyweds are pictured with them.
Eleanor said, "Aunt Wendla was my favorite, she was a wonderful cook and liked to work in the garden. She had vegetables and beautiful flowers in her yard when she lived on Oakland Avenue in Salt Lake. "I loved her dearly, she was a very outgoing and fun-loving person."
She had one child with John Erickson. I know very little about John except that he was a superintendent of the Zuma mine in Eureka and that Wendla ran a boarding house there. John died on January 31, 1914.
Lovina Gunella was born 1 Oct 1911. She married C. E. Conn and lives in Detroit, Michigan. I have a picture of her and two of her children.
Wendla married Edward Olson 13 June 1919. He died 18 March 1932. child
Edward V. Olson
Edward like his mother thought that they were the last of the Holms. Niether cared to share what they knew. Edward wouldn't accept genealogy when my sister and mother visited with him. He said they were all dead.
Hello Gene. I have not been a serious student of the history of my family, but I took a notion and googled "vora finland johan holms". Much to my surprise I found your very interesting web page. Johan Simonsson Koch was my great great grandfather. His 3rd child, Johan Johansson Koch-Holms was my great grandfather. Johannes Holms was my grandfather, and Erik Arvid Holmes was my father. I heard from a cousin from Vora that my father may have been born on the Holms farm, but I don't know if that is actually true. Dad was born in Vora in 1908 and died in Anacortes, Washington in 1981. I will let my cousins and their children know about this web page. I know some will be very interested. This clears up a few mysteries and opens the door to many more. Thank you so much for making this available to us.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Evelyn Holmes Edeen
Lake Stevens, Washington
Dear Evelyn,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. I am searching for stories and pictures of Kock/Holms. I have some pictures and stories of John Johansson’s children. I have pictures of Maria, Issak, Edvard, Karl Alfred, and Herman but none of Johannes that I know of. Johannes went to Bisbee, Arizona and home to Finland. I still have many pictures from my grandmother’s album that are unidentified. Maybe Johannes is one of these???
Do you have any pictures or stories of him? I do not know who his children were so I know nothing about your father or you. Would you give me this??
Johan Johansson’s daughter lived at Holms until she died in 1954. Most of the rest were scattered all over the world by then. I don’t know where your father was born but I think it would be on Holms somewhere. Johan Johansson did say he was the last farmer at holms?
Please email me, genehalvorsen@centurylink.net
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