Berggren, John (1827-1908)

BERGGREN, JOHNSON, LAVINE, JONASDOTTER, ROSENGREN

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:00

Webster City Tribune
August 14, 1908

PIONEER DIES AT STANHOPE

John Berggren Passed Away at Age of 82 Years - Old Settler of Marion Township.

John Berggren, one of the highly respected and oldest settlers in Hamilton county, died yesterday forenoon in Stanhope at the age of eighty-two years. Mr. Berggren's death was caused by ailments incident to his advanced age. He was confined to his bed only two or three days preceding the final summons.

Mr. Berggren settled upon a farm in Marion township in 1865 or 6, some forty-three years ago, and was well and widely known throughout the southern part of the county. Seven years ago he removed to Stanhope and has since made his home in that place. His wife preceded him to the great beyond seven or eight years ago.

Deceased is survived by three daughters and three sons. They are Mrs. Iver Johnson and Mrs. August Lavine both of Stanhope; Miss Emma Berggren who is residing somewhere in the west; Alfred Berggren of Stanhope; John Berggren of Stratford, and Gust Berggren of Marion township.

The funeral will be held Saturday afternoon at 1 o'clock in the Christian church at Stanhope.

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Stratford Courier
August 20, 1908

Obituary

BERGGREN

Johann Berggren died at the home of his son, Alfred, in Stanhope, Thursday, August 13, 1908, at the ripe old age of 81 years, 4 months and 29 days, the cause of his death being due to old age.

Deceased was born in Småland, Sweden, March 14, 1827 and was married there. In 1864 he came to America with his wife and five children. In all seven children were born to them, two having been born since they came to this country. Of these six are still living.

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at Stanhope.

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Biography
By Bernice Sealine Lund

Born Johannes Petersson Berggren on March 14, 1827 in Harlov, Kronoberg, Sweden, the son of Peter Svensson and Anna Stina Samuelsdotter.

He married Maria (Mary) Jonasdotter on February 1, 1851 in Kvenneberga Parish, Kronoberg, Sweden.

John, Mary and five of their children came from Kvenneberga Parish in Sweden in 1864 and located in Moline, Illinois for about three years. They then moved to the settlement of Hook's Point, which was north of the area that later became Stratford, Iowa.

John and a young man, Olof Rosengren, who had come from Sweden in 1868, began working together in a blacksmith shop. They could do repair work quickly for the farmers when they needed a plow lay sharpened, horses shod, or vehicles repaired. John made wagon boxes that were popular, for he made them with the same perfection that he did pieces of furniture, his spare time hobby. It was said that every farmer longed to own one of their wagons, for a good wagon and box was one of the first essentials since it served so many uses.

John and Mary Berggren had seven children, five of whom were born in Sweden.

Gustaf Adolph Berggren, John Peter Berggren, Anna Maria (Berggren) Lavine, Christina Katharina (Berggren) Rosengren, Ida Sophia (Berggren) Johnson, Alfred H. Berggren and Emma Berggren.

John and Mary Berggren, with their son and his wife, Gust and Ingre Berggren, moved from Hook's Point to the East Marion area in the 1870s, where they farmed. Mary passed away in 1896, John in 1908, and were buried in the South Marion Cemetery.