Walter Gordon Anders Enstrom

ENSTROM FAHNING CARLSON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/20/2010 at 20:37:53

Woodbury County History 1984

Walter and Helen Fahning Enstrom
By Walter Enstorm

Walter Gordon Anders Enstrom and his wife, Helen Marie Fahning Enstrom, live ten miles southeast of Sioux City on an acrea on old Highway 141. He is the Pastor of the St John’s Evangelical Church of German City, and she is the Dietician at the Countryside Nursing Home in Sioux City.

They were married 29 June 1957 at the St Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, St Peter, Minnesota. They have three children: Karen Lynn, born 1 November 1962 at Waseca, Minnesota; Mark Alan, born 19 April 1970 at Battle Creek, Iowa; and Jon Erick, born 25 July 1977, at Battle Creek, Iowa. Karen is presently a student at the University of Uppsala in Uppsala, Sweden. She will return to Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota, to graduate in 1985.

Walter was born 15 October 1931 in Chicago, the son of Walter August Enstrom and his wife, Edla Viola Linnea Carlson. His paternal grandmother, Agnes Fredrika Johnson Ruberg descended from a line of Master Gunsmiths who worked at the Huskvarna Weapon Factory in Huskvarna, Sweden. Family tradition has it that they were originally French Huguenots who came from Liege, Belgium, to Sweden in the 1690’s to make guns for the Swedish Army. Walter’s paternal grandfather, Anders August Enstrom came from Dalarna Province in Sweden of a line of farmers who also mined the iron on their land and eventually worked in the Rolling Mills in that part of Sweden. Anders August himself was responsible for several inventions in the railroad industry. The Enstom family and their relatives were active in the Chicago area making railroad products since the 1870’s.

Walter’s maternal grandfather, Carl Robert Carlson, came fromt eh Province of Vastergotland, Sweden. His family were farmers who also travelled around Sweden and Norway selling dry goods that they had woven the previous winter. Farmers who had this second occupation were called ‘Knalle’ in Swedish. Family tradition has it that members of this family sat in the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament). This right was granted to farm owners at that time. Walter’s maternal grandmother, Ingebord Fredrika Anderson Lindquist, was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her parents came form Province of Bohuslan which had been Norwegian in earlier history. Her great grandparetns owned a farm at the Vagga Estate which was built by the Norwegian Viking King Olaf Tryggvasson who lived 969-1000 A.D. Descent from this king or his relatives has not been proven.

Helen was born 22 May 1933 at St Peter, Minnesota, the daughter of Henry Herman Samuel Fahning and his wife, Julia May Erickson. Helen’s paternal grandmother, Helene Augusta Amelia Gherke was born in Hinter Pommerania, Germany, now a part of Poland. The families were farmers. Helen’s paternal grandfather, Heinrich Louis Fahning was born near Detroit, Michigan, of German parents who had just recently came from Mecklenburg, Germany, now a part of East Germany. They also were marmers. In 1874, they travelled by ox-cart from Chicago to LeSueur County, Minnesota.

Helen’s maternal grandfather, Elling Erickson, was born in 1861 in Houston County, Minnesota, of Norwegian parents from Sogn, Norway. Helen’s maternal grandmother, Anna Maria Tostenson was also of Norwegian background. The Tostensons settled early in Goodhue County, Minnesota.

Walter was educated at the University of Illinois, the University of Minnesota, and North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, a Master of Science in Agronomy, and a Master’s Degree form North Park Theological Seminary. He has served churches in Chicago, Kansas, Minnesota and Iowa.
Helen was a County Extension 4H Leader in Waseca County, Minnesota; and a County Extension 4H Leader in Humboldt County, Iowa. She also went to Germany in 1955 as an International Farm Yough Exchange Delegate.