Hearty Greetings to the Larson Cousins
Memories of family connections warm our hearts in this frightening time of COVID19. When I open our cwlarsonfamily.com website I can review our Centennial gathering months ago. It’s a reason to smile as we review the photos of OUR KIN! I believe we’ll keep up the 2018 info and photos for some time. Celebrate our success!
Ancestors in pandemic of 1918? I began to wonder who, in our kin, lived during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Looking through the genealogical listing that I have, here are some observations. (Disclaimer – Dates can be wrong, but here’s the best I have now.
Johanna Christina, our ancestor/grandmother, and Carl Wilhelm, our ancestor/grandfather both died before the Spanish flu, C.W in 1890 and Johanna in 1900.
Johanna’s brother Johan Falline (d.1917) and his wife, Brita (d.1918) They were ages 86 and 89, both buried in the Woodhull cemetery. Perhaps obituaries could be found to reveal any cause of death. They did live a good, long life until the years of the pandemic. These two were the sponsoring relatives who encouraged Johanna and CW to come to Henry County, Illinois.
All of our Larson Sibling ancestors (six boys, one girl) survived the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, with Julia passing earlier, at a young age in 1890.
What was life like for a family clustered on a farm? Our Larson Siblings were raised on a farm that C.W. rented from Johanna’s brother, Johan (John) Falline. We believe C.W. and Johanna had hopes of buying that land, but C.W. died of appendicitis before it would happen.
Days on the farm in late 1800s and early 1900s were so very, very different from recent decades in America. Perhaps they were a little more like our a-typical days now that families experience through this pandemic. Families had to work together to create meaningful days and experiences.
Imagine six young boys continuing on with the farm of sixty chickens, six horses, 5 cows, 10 pigs, 65 acres of corn, 24 acres of broom corn (a variety of sorghum), 45 acres of oats, and a garden. Inside the home you would find a sewing machine, washing machine, three beds, 12 chairs, and a family library with books.
There was one physically challenged girl (Julia) to care for in the home and one girl (Anna, 14) to help Johanna maintain the household for a family of ten people from 1882 – 1890. Julia passed away in January and CW passed in May of 1890, when all hopes and dreams changed.
We Keep On Keeping On! Through the challenges and heart-aches of the Larson Siblings, the five brothers and one sister carried on with family values and strength.
May we all do the same with the challenges we face today.
Be Well, Comfortable, and Peaceful,
Peg
CW&JCLarsonFamily 