Per August Olsson was born in 1841 in Ålem Parish, Kalmar Co., Sweden.  His parents were Olaus Jonsson and Anna Maria Andersdotter.

Per August married Wendla Sofia Andersdotter circa 1865.  They had the following children:

August Engelbert (August Palmgren) Persson born 1867
 Alfred Egidius Persson Peterson  born July 31, 1869
Axel Julius Persson born November 26, 1873
Joseph Emanuel Persson Peterson born February 25, 1876
Eric Petrus Valentin Persson born March 11, 1879
Selma Vilhelmina Persson born April 16, 1883
Ottilia Persson born 1886

 

This is a picture of the family home where he was born and where his children were born. It has been moved to another location since he was born there, according to my cousin in Sweden.  This cousin's connection is through my great grandfather Alfred Peterson's sister Ottila, who stayed in Sweden.

Birthplace of Per August Olsson

The farm in Åslemåla, which Per August Olsson left with his family, was one of the largest farms in the village - but this is wood land not very fertile soil.  According to the records it was 100 acres: 14 acres cultivated land, 10 acres meadows and the remaining 76 acres wood. There were 8 farmers at the time when Per August left in circa 1890. I would guess a total of 400-500 acres. The family settled in Kaplansgården, Lilla Vångerslät,  Åby parish.

August Engelbert stayed in Sweden and went to the University there, he changed his name to August Palmgren and worked on a farm for two ladies and eventually purchased the farm called Spandelstorp. It was something like 400 acres, but a lot of it was wood.

(Spandelstorp in Augerum Parish, Blekinge County, close to the town of Lyckeby, Sweden)>>>>>

August Palmgren earned a lot of his living from the woods, cutting down
timber and running his own sawmill. August kept cattle, they would take the cows in boats out to small islands in order to use the pasture there. They had a greenhouse and sold lots of vegetables and fruits into town.

The names Åslemåla, Århult, Tolebo (Tålebo in modern spelling) are names of
different villages within Ålem parish. This family was easy to follow through the church books - they didn't move much for centuries!  The family farm that Per Augst sold had been in the family for at least six generations. He and his family settled down at Kaplansgården, Lilla Vångerslät,  Åby parish.

All but one of his sons left Sweden permanently to find a new life in America.  Also, his daughter Selma followed her brothers to America.  Ottila stayed in Sweden and was a very dear lady who took care of her parents until they died.

 
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