Herman was born 12 Jul 1853 in Takene, a small village in Värmland County. He was baptized on the following day in the parish church in Brunskog. See this link for a photograph of the area (the church depicted was built in the 1870s).
Värmland County, Sweden locator map, FamilySearch,
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Värmland_County,_Sweden_Genealogy : downloaded 23 Aug 2023
Herman Liljestrand
(1853-1940)
1853: Birth in Sweden
Brunskog, Sweden, with annotation, screenshot from Mapcarta, https://mapcarta.com/28611622/Map :
downloaded 23 Aug 2023
Present-day Brunskog parish church, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10436493 : downloaded 23 Aug 2023
The household of Jonas Olsson, MyHeritage (image provided by ArkivDigital), Swedish Household Examination Books, Värmlands County, Brunskog, AI27, 1856 - 1860, Ö. Takene, p. 136. https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10180-63483106/jonas-olsson-in-sweden-household-examination-books: downloaded 17 Sep 2024.
According to this birth record from the Swedish Archives, Herman’s parents were Jonas Olsson and Kajsa Månsdotter.
Herman in Brunskog Parish birth records on ArchivDigital, Brunskog (S) CI:4 (1841-1860) Image 85 / Page 161 (AID: v5047.b85.s161, NAD: SE/VA/13065) : downloaded 23 Aug 2023
1884: Emigration to America
On 9 May 1884, Herman (now with surname Liljestrand) embarked from Sweden, sailing to New York via England on the ship Romeo.
Herman Lijjestrand in Gothenburg, Sweden, Passenger Lists, 1869-1951 on Ancestry.com, 1884 > 05 > Romeo, image 3 of 46 : downloaded 24 Aug 2023.
1885: Marriage to Hannah Swenson in Brooklyn, NY
Sven Liljestrand's parents Herman Liljestrand and Hannah Swenson were married on 21 Jun 1885 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York. They were both immigrants from Sweden, with Herman arriving in 1884 and Hannah in 1881. See scans of their original marriage certificate below, held in the New York City Archives, with a transcription following.
NYC Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records, Marriage Certificate #2044, Kings, 21 Jun 1885, downloaded 4 Aug 2023 from https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/digital-vital-records
Transcription
Front
Form C. Jan 1, 1880
Certificate of Marriage, Brooklyn - 2044
I hereby certify that Herman Liljestrand and
Hanna Swenson were joined in marriage
by me, in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York, in the City of Brooklyn, this
(21st) Twenty-first day of June 1885. [Purple stamp: Department of Health, Office of Register, June 22 1885]
Attest, Official Station and Residence [all illegible]
Witnesses: G. Hedlund and Edla Hedlund
Back
All the following blanks are required to be
filled.
OF THE GROOM
Name, Herman Liljestrand
Residence, 640 Atlantic Av.
Age, 31 Color, __
No. of Marriage, 1st
Occupation, Shoemaker
Place of Birth, Sweden
Father's Name, Herman Liljestrand (?)
Mother's Maiden Name, Maria H. Månson (?)
- Note that the parents' names on the marriage certificate differ from those in the Swedish records, which we believe to be correct.
OF THE BRIDE
Name, Hanna Swenson
Maiden Name if a Widow, __
Residence, 640 Atlantic Av.
Age, 32 Color, __
No. of Marriage, 1st
Place of Birth, Sweden
Father's Name, Sven Erickson
Mother's Maiden Name, Katrina Johnson
We the Groom and Bride named in the above certificate, hereby
certify that the information given is correct to the best of our
knowledge and belief.
[Signatures of Groom and Bride]
1969: Information from Aunt Hulda
The following paper was passed down to Jim through his father Robert during a visit from his Aunt Hulda in September, 1969. It lists information about the Liljestrand family name and a set of cousins on page one, along with some additional info about Herman and his wife’s Hannah Svenson’s families on page two.
This Swedish Household Examination Book from the 1855-60 shows Herman’s family, including his parents and siblings.
