Copyright © Hans Högman 2017-06-07
How a Swedish Snusdosa Ended
up in the USA
A Small Engraved Silver Box
Sonja Thomas, Orlando, FL, is in the possession of a
small metal box. It is probably made of silver and is
about 3 inches wide. The box is engraved and the
inscription reads: “J. Sjöberg, Hismofors, 1905”. Below
is another name engraved “Pål Olsson, Wånga”.
If the box is made of silver there ought to be some
hallmarks on the box stating material (silver), year of
manufacture and place of manufacture etc.
Early 2016 Sonja sent an email to her cousin Peter
Johnson in New York City with a photo of the box
attached. Peter is a keen genealogist and Sonja
asked Peter if he knew what the box was and had
been used for. Sonja thought that the word
"Hismofors" might be a clue to what kind of box it is.
Peter is a member of the Johnson family whos
emigration from Sweden to America is described in
detail in my emigration article,
see The Johnsons, an emigrant family.
Historien om hur en svensk
snusdosa hamnade i USA
- Släkten Sjöberg
This is an image of the box with its inscriptions. The
box is about 3 inches wide.
The inscription reads: “J. Sjöberg, Hismofors, 1905”.
Below is another name engraved “Pål Olsson, Wånga”.
The image is shown with consent of Sonja Thomas.
Peter, who is a friend of mine, mailed the photo of
the box to me and asked what kind of box it was.
Sonja got the box from her parents' home after their
deaths but she really does not know of the history of
how it came to America. However, since the box has
the inscription "J. Sjöberg" it must have something to
do with her paternal grandmother (farmor) Emma
Carlson (nee Sjöberg). Since Sonja's Dad was an only
child of Emma and her husband Victor Carlson, his
parents belongings just ended up with him.
Peter, being a genealogist soon found information
that Emma was born in 1892 in Sweden and
immigrated to the US in 1913.
The Box is a Swedish Snusdosa
As soon as I saw the photo of the box I realized it was
a so-called snusdosa; a snuff box.
Snus
Snus is a Swedish moist powder tobacco product
originating from a variant of dry snuff in early 18th
century Sweden. It is consumed by placing it under
the upper lip for extended periods of time. Snus does
not result in the need for spitting. In the 19th
century, Swedish producers began to manufacture
moist snus. “Ljunglöfs Ettan” (meaning "Ljunglöf
Number One"), registered since 1822, it is the oldest
brand of snus still sold. The Swedish emigrants
brought the snus to their new homeland.
Snus is still used in Sweden today.
Snusdosa
In former days snus was bought loose, by weight.
Therefore, most people in Sweden had a personal
“snusdosa”, small boxes where they had their daily
ration of snus. A “snusdosa” could be made of
different materials such as silver, steel, horn or
wood. They were often engraved.
The Inscription on the Snusdosa
There are two names engraved on the box. One is
the name of the owner and the other of the maker.
Who was "J. Sjöberg" engraved on the lid and what
does "Hismofors" mean? Well, Hismofors (modern
spelling Hissmofors) is the name of a place and is
located in Rödön parish, Jämtland province, Sweden.
It is close to the rural town Krokom.
J. Sjöberg is of course the name of the owner of the
snusdosa and 1905 is a year, probably the year
when he bought the snusdosa. In those days only
men used snus so the owner must be a man.
The Snusdosa Maker Pål Olsson
The second name on the box is “Pål Olsson, Wånga".
This is the name of the maker of the snusdosa.
Pål Olsson lived in Klastorp, Wånga (Vånga),
Östergötland province, Sweden.
Pål August Olsson was a snusdosa maker
(dosmakare) and was born August 13, 1863, in
Stjärnorp parish, Östergötland to Olaus Pålsson
(b.1838) and his wife Anna Svensdotter (b. 1833).
Pål Olsson died August 31,
1941, Vånga.
See image to the right.
Vånga parish is located
west of Norrköping city, Östergötland, between the
two lakes Roxen and Glan. The northern and western
parts of the parish are in a hilly wooded district while
the southern part is farmland.
The name Pål is a version of Paul.
A few weeks after I had published this article I
received an email from a Swedish woman, Gunilla
Kärrbrand, who had been reading the article. She is a
stepdaughter to Pål Olsson’s son Samuel. Gunilla had
some further information about Pål Olsson’s
professional career.
Pål Olsson not only made snuff boxes but also made
stools with low backrests made of horn as well as
frames of horn for mirrors. So, it seems his favorite
raw material was horns.
The image to
the right is a
photo of Pål
Olsson standing
outside his
homestead in
Wånga and the
photo has been
in the
possession of Gunilla’s stepfather Samuel.
In front of the house, by the fence, are 4 men and Pål
Olsson. Pål is the man to the far right according to
what Samuel has told Gunilla.
The men seem to be in working-cloths and a few of
them have leather aprons. So, I wonder if these men
are Olsson’s employees? The smaller building to the
right of the dwelling was Olsson’s workshop. Up at
the house, by the entrance, is a woman.
Emma Sjöberg
The Emigrant Database EmiWeb
I had a look in the Swedish online emigrant database
EmiWeb and found an Emma Elisabet Sjöberg born in
1892 who emigrated to the USA in 1913. She was
then 21 years old. Her occupation was listed as
laborer (arbeterska). She lived in 1913 in Hismofors
(Hissmofors) in Rödön parish, Jämtland province. Her
Moving Certificate was issued on March 14, 1913.
According to the database Emma emigrated alone.
This information matches the information Peter had,
i.e. born in 1892 and emigrated in 1913. It also
matches the name of the place on the snusdosa,
Hismofors since Emma lived in Hismofors when she
left Sweden in 1913. Her surname also matches the
surname on the box, Sjöberg.
So, it is safe to say that this Emma Sjöberg is Sonja
Thomas's paternal grandmother.
Moving Out Records (Utflyttningslängd)
I found Emma Elisabet Sjöberg in the 1913 Rödön
parish moving out records.
The moving out record lists Emma Elisabet Sjöberg,
b. 1892, as a laborer from Hissmofors, Rödön parish
and the noted moving out date is March 14, 1913.
Her destination is America.
Rödön parish, Moving-Out records:
Above, extract from Rödön parish's moving-out
record for 1913, Rödön B:4 (1902-1915) Bild 690 / sid
126 (AID: v115161.b690.s126, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090).
No: 13 is Emma's entry in the moving-out record
for 1913. The second column is her date of
migration, i.e. March 14, 1913. Next column is
Emma's name and occupation "Arbeterska" (Laborer).
92 is her year of birth, i.e. 1892. The next two
columns show how many men and women that
emigrated. A "1" in the second of these two columns
tells us that there was only one person, a woman; in
other words, she emigrated alone. Next column is the
place she migrated from, i.e. Hismofors, Rödön
parish. 45 is a reference to the page in the parish
book where she can be found. The last column is her
destination, "Amerika" (America).
The Parish Records, Rödön Parish
The moving out records contains a reference to the
Rödön parish record, församlingsbok, for 1913, page
45.
At this page we can see the entire Sjöberg family.
Emma’s father is Jöns Bengtsson Sjöberg, born on
August 3, 1867, in Ekshärad parish, Värmland
province. He is listed as laborer in the above parish
record and within brackets “montör”, a fitter at one of
the woks in the parish.
Emma’s mother is Lisa Brita Lorentsdotter, born on
June 9, 1871, Åre parish, Jämtland.
The family lived in Hägra, Hissmofors, Rödön
parish, Krokom municipality, Jämtland.
I think we now can establish that the “J. Sjöberg”
inscription on the snusdosa is Emma’s father Jöns
Sjöberg. As mentioned above, it was the men that
used snus and the father is the only male in the
family who’s first name begins with an “J”. Hismofors
in the inscription on the box is an information that
the owner of the sunsdosa lives in Hismofors.
Emma Elisabet was born on December 12, 1892, in
Hjerpen (Järpen), Undersåker parish, Jämtland.
The Sjöberg Family as of 1904 –
1933
Parents:
•
Jöns Bengtsson Sjöberg, b. August 3, 1867,
Ekshärad parish, Värmland province. Died July 1,
1949 in Rödön parish.
•
Lisa Brita Lorentsdotter (Larsdotter), b. June 9,
1871, Åre parish, Jämtland. Died May 25, 1942,
Rödön parish.
The couple married on December 27, 1890.
As far as can be seen, the parents, i.e. Jöns and Lisa
Britta did not emigrate from Sweden to the US, at
least not during the period 1904 – 1933. Anyhow, the
couple died in Sweden, Jöns in 1949 and Lisa Brita in
1942.
Jöns’s parents are tenant farmer (torpare) Bengt
Jonsson and Anna Jönsdotter, Ekshärad parish
Värmland.
Lisa Brita's parents are Lars Olovsson and Brita
Fredriksdotter, Åre parish, Jämtland.
In the 1900 census Jöns is listed as a laborer at the
pulp mill in Hissmofors. In the 1910 census he is
listed as a “montör”, a fitter at the mill.
The pulp mill, “Hissmoforsfabriken” was established in
1898 and produced sulfite pulp. The mill was closed
down in 1978.
Children:
1.
Anna Birgitta Kristina, b. March 14, 1891,
Undersåker parish, Jämtland. Emigr. September
5, 1909.
2.
Emma Elisabet, b. December 12, 1892,
Undersåker parish. Emigr. March 14, 1913.
3.
Hjalmar Bernhard Leander, b. February 22, 1895,
Undersåker parish. Emigr. March 12, 1911.
4.
Frans Oskar Waldemar, b. August 25, 1896,
Undersåker parish. Died May 25, 1917.
5.
Herman Valfrid, b. October 2, 1898, Rödön
parish, Jämtland
6.
Bengt Gustaf Folke, b. March 13, 1901, Rödön
parish
7.
Ester Viktoria Linnea, b. March 31, 1903, Rödön
parish. Emigr. July 4, 1923.
8.
Jenny Hildegard, b. September 18, 1907, Rödön
parish
9.
Bror Artur Holger, b. March 6, 1909, Rödön
parish
10.
Edit Elvira Astrea, b. September 17, 1911, Rödön
parish. Emigr. December 12, 1927.
11.
Maj Bibbi Margareta, b. July 3, 1915, Rödön
parish
12.
Sven Jonas, b. September 1, 1919, Rödön parish.
Died July 1, 1921.
I have shortened ”emigrated to ”emigr.” in the chart
above.
It looks like 5 of the 12 siblings emigrated from
Sweden to the US. Who of the siblings brought the
snusdosa to the US is still unknown, I guess. My
guess is that it was one of the sons, i.e. Hjalmar
Bernhard Leander Sjöberg? However, it might have
been Emma?
Swedish Church Records
Extracts from the Parish Records:
Rödön parish book (Församlingsboken):
Above, extract from the parish book, Rödön AIIa:2
(1904-1933) Image 550 / page 45 (AID:
v228706.b550.s45, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090). Left page.
This is an extract from Rödön parish book covering
the years 1904 - 1933 showing the Sjöberg family,
Hägra Hissmofors.
Here we find the parents and their children with birth
notes.
1st column contains names of the family member,
the 2nd occupation (yrke), 3rd and 4th date of birth
(född), 5th place of birth (födelseort), 6th information
about vaccination, 7th date of marriage (gift), 8th
widow/widower, 9th migrating from parish to this
present parish and 10th date of migration.
Above, extract from Rödön AIIa:2 (1904-1933) Image
550 / page 45 (AID: v228706.b550.s45, NAD:
SE/ÖLA/11090). Right page.
On the right hand side of this parish record we can
see the dates of emigration for the ones of the
siblings that went to America (Amerika).
Each line above has a line number which makes it
easy to match the notes on the right-hand side with
the person it concerns by looking at the left-hand
page.
14th column contain remarks, 15th information
about conscript military service, 16th and 17th
migrating to parish/place/country from this present
parish and date of migration. 18th date of death.
Undersåker parish, birth book (födelsebok)
Above, extract from the birth book, Undersåker C:6
(1888-1894) Bild 860 / sid 80 (AID: v115389.b860.s80,
NAD: SE/ÖLA/11100), year 1892.
Emma Elisabet Sjöberg's birth entry in the
Undersåker parish's birth book for December 1892.
Number 77 is her entry number in the birth book. 12
is her date of birth, i.e. December 12, 1892. 20 is the
date when she was baptized, i.e. December 20, 1892.
Her Christian names are Emma Elisabet. Number "2"
after her names means that Emma was her parent's
second child.
The next column contains her parent's names;
laborer (Arb.) Jöns Bengtsson Sjöberg and Lisa Brita
Larsd__ (Larsdotter). Number "2" after their names is
the number of years the couple had been married.
The right-most column is the name of the place
where they lived; Hjerpen (Järpen), Undersåker
parish.
Ekshärad parish, birth book
Above, an extract from the birth book, Ekshärad C:6
(1847-1867) Bild 281 (AID: v6416.b281, NAD:
SE/VA/13100), year 1867.
Jöns Bengtsson Sjöberg's birth entry in the
Ekshärad parish's birth book for August 1867.
Number 162 is his entry number in the birth book. 3
is his date of birth, i.e. August 3, 1867. 4 is the date
when he was baptized, i.e. August 4, 1867. The digit
"1" in the column means that one baby boy was born.
His Christian name is Jöns.
The next column contains his parent's names; tenant
farmer (torpare) Bengt Jönsson and Anna Jönsdotter.
The right-most column is the name of the place
within the parish where they lived. 460 is a reference
to the page in the parish record where they can be
found.
Åre parish, birth book
Above, an extract from the birth book, Åre (Z) C:5
(1861-1878) bild 370 / sid 33 (AID: v115465.b370.s33,
NAD: SE/ÖLA/11104), year 1871.
Lisa Brita Lorentsdotter's birth entry in the Åre
parish's birth book for June 1871.
Number 19 is her entry number in the birth book. Juni
9 is her date of birth, i.e. June 9, 1871. 25 is the date
when she was baptized, i.e. June 25, 1871. The digit
"1" in the column means that one baby girl was born.
Her Christian names are Lisa Brita.
The next column contains her parent's names; Lars
Olovsson and Brita Fredriksdotter.
The right-most column is the name of the place
within the parish where they lived. 142 is a reference
to the page in the parish record where they can be
found.
Lisa Brita is listed sometimes with the patronymic
Lorentsdotter and sometimes with Larsdotter in the
parish records.
Emma Sjöberg in the USA
In the US Emma Sjöberg married Victor C. Carlson in
1913, i.e. the same year as she arrived to the US.
Victor was born on February 12, 1888, in Gunnarsröd,
Hede parish, Bohuslän, Sweden and came to the US
in September 1906. Victor Carl Carlsson was born to
Vilhelm Carlsson (b. 1853) and Adelina Carlsdotter (b.
1862).
In 1930, Emma and Victor were farmers in Minnesota
according to the Census that year, and Sonja’s father,
Willard, was then 13 years old. Later, at some early
age, he left Minnesota for Florida. Willard was their
only child.
Emma and Victor Carlson lived in St Luis County, just
outside of Duluth, MN, according to the 1940 census.
Sonja Thomas’s relationship to Emma Sjöberg
respectively Sante Johnson
Sonja Thomas is related to the Sjöberg family as well
as the Johnson family. Sonja's maternal grandfather
Sante Johnson was a brother of Peter Johnson's
father Hilmer Johnson (1884-1968). In other words,
Sonja Thomas is Peter Johnson's first cousin once
removed (kusinbarn).
Sante Gottfrid (Johansson) Johnson was born May 31,
1893, in Ranarp, Fröslöv parish, Skåne, to Johannes
Nilsson and his wife Patronella Pehrsdotter. Sante
immigrated to the US in 1908.
Sante's wife Elin Sofia Olsson was born on October
18, 1893, in Karlslund, Ölme parish, Värmland
province and immigrated to the US in August 1911.
Elin was born to Jan Peter Olsson (b. 1854) and his
wife Anna Beata Göransdotter (b. 1857).
See chart below.
Related Links
•
The Swedish Emigration to the USA
•
The Johnsons, an emigrant family
•
Military enrollment numbers for conscripts
(draftees)
•
Map of Sweden
Source References
•
Rödön (Z) B:4 (1902-1915) bild 550 / sid 98 (AID:
v115161.b550.s98, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090)
•
Rödön (Z) B:4 (1902-1915) Bild 690 / sid 126 (AID:
v115161.b690.s126, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090)
•
Rödön (Z) AIIa:2 (1904-1933) bild 180 / sid 8 (AID:
v228706.b180.s8, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090)
•
Rödön (Z) AIIa:2 (1904-1933) Bild 550 / sid 45
(AID: v228706.b550.s45, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090)
•
Rödön (Z) AIIa:2 (1904-1933) bild 670 / sid 57
(AID: v228706.b670.s57, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11090)
•
Undersåker (Z) C:6 (1888-1894) Bild 860 / sid 80
(AID: v115389.b860.s80, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11100)
•
Ås (Z) AIIa:1 (1895-1914) bild 2630 / sid 249 (AID:
v115483.b2630.s249, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11105)
•
Ås (Z) B:2 (1895-1929) bild 520 / sid 46 (AID:
v115487.b520.s46, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11105)
•
Åre (Z) C:5 (1861-1878) bild 370 / sid 33 (AID:
v115465.b370.s33, NAD: SE/ÖLA/11104)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:29 (1866-1870) Bild 468 / sid 460
(AID: v10786.b468.s460, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:30 (1866-1870) Bild 68 / sid 581
(AID: v10787.b68.s581, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:32 (1871-1875) Bild 45 / sid 482
(AID: v10789.b45.s482, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:32 (1871-1875) Bild 61 / sid 496
(AID: v10789.b61.s496, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:34 (1876-1880) Bild 73 / sid 513
(AID: v10791.b73.s513, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:36 (1881-1885) Bild 77 / sid 503
(AID: v10793.b77.s503, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:38 (1886-1890) bild 75 / sid 65
(AID: v10795.b75.s65, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) AI:39 (1891-1895) bild 44 / sid 16
(AID: v10796.b44.s16, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) C:6 (1847-1867) Bild 281 (AID:
v6416.b281, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Ekshärad (S) C:9 (1868-1894) bild 283 / sid 627
(AID: v6419.b283.s627, NAD: SE/VA/13100)
•
Malung (W) B:3 (1895-1934) bild 90 / sid 1 (AID:
v184070.b90.s1, NAD: SE/ULA/11213)
•
Malung (W) B:3 (1895-1934) bild 500 / sid 42 (AID:
v184070.b500.s42, NAD: SE/ULA/11213)
•
Malung (W) AI:9f2 (1886-1895) bild 94 / sid 90
(AID: v130994.b94.s90, NAD: SE/ULA/11213)
•
Malung (W) AII:1f (1896-1905) bild 260 / sid 14
(AID: v131001.b260.s14, NAD: SE/ULA/11213)
•
Malung (W) AII:2f (1906-1916) bild 200 / sid 10
(AID: v184024.b200.s10, NAD: SE/ULA/11213)
•
Hede (O) C:6 (1870-1894) Bild 82 (AID: v2663.b82,
NAD: SE/GLA/13203)
•
Hede (O) AI:11 (1881-1894) Bild 80 / sid 69 (AID:
v2650.b80.s69, NAD: SE/GLA/13203)
•
Hede (O) AIIa:1 (1895-1916) Bild 790 / sid 75 (AID:
v29382föddb790.s75, NAD: SE/GLA/13203)
•
Hede (O) B:1 (1895-1916) Bild 320 / sid 28 (AID:
v46537a.b320.s28, NAD: SE/GLA/13203)
•
1900 Census, Sweden
•
1910 Census, Sweden
•
The Swedish Death Index 1901 - 2013
•
The Swedish online emigrant database, EmiWeb
The letters within brackets above, after the parish
name, is the county code.
•
O = Göteborgs och Bohus län
•
S = Värmlands län
•
W = Dalarnas län
•
Z = Jämtlands län
