- Have ya seen any 'norrboa' (notherners). That was the usual question when Karl Henrik came back from Eksjö. Sophia was asking. They both had their origins in the north of Eksjö, both grandparents on Ingrids side. Karl Henrik Pettersson was born on the 13th of January 1825 ("Tjugondedag Knut" - twenty days after Christmas, a holiday in Sweden) and was from Torpa parish. Johanna Sophia Göransdotter was born on the 27th of January 1839 in Ralingsås in Lommaryds parish.
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The picture shows Näs with the family in front of
the house. My grandmother, Naémi, stands at the top of the stairs
to the left of the entrance. Her age and the fact that all persons are
dressed in black makes it plausible that the picture was taken at Carl
Henrik's funeral. /KHR
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They moved to Näs on the 19th of April 1869 from Hareryd in Flisby parish. Karl Johan (the grandfather of Rudolf in Näs), who was just harrowing the field on the 'Drängstugegärdet' (the field by the farmhands house) came to welcome: -Ya are welcome to Näs. The men helping them moving, neighbors from and at Hareryd, had been driving the loads of furniture and tools, and should get the 'flyttgröten' - moving in porridge. It had already been prepared in Hareryd. In the stove were some sticks and wet firewood 'pyste'. Olivia, who was born in February, must have special care. Sophia, used to the open landscape at Ralången, thought they had travelled through endless forests.
The farm was bought from "Petter" for 9000 kronor ($1000). He temporarily lived in the neighbours farmhand house (drängstuga), but soon emigrated to America. Petter belonged to Upphöredasläkten (best translated - the Upphöreda clan - Höreda being the parish west of Edshult). Their history has been closer examined by director Jean Silving (my comment - I have that book "From the medieval northern Småland" - 1952). The old house, probably small and grey, had burned to the ground. They say it was during the Christmas baking. It was probably situated where the old-fashioned rosebush now grows or at the to of the hill. Petter had possibly built the new house grander than he could afford and was forced to sell out. The house was not finished, but the bricks were laid and at least the large room had a floor.
It was soon known, that the new folks had potatoes.
There were beggers in the door almost all the time. They begged because it was
the 'Starvation
year' of 1868. "The difficult year", was followed by the winter of need
-69. -It happened in Hareryd late at the summer of -68. The maid,
who went to pick potatoes for the dinner was lingering. Sophia cooked something
else. When the girl at last came back, she was crying:
- I have picked a long row, but there were none. To the luck, just before it
was too late there were a local thunderrain over Hareryd that saved the potato
crop in their field.
In the summer of -69 relatives and old neighbours to "Kal Hinriks" came to see the new farm. Karl Henrik complained: - The pasture here is just a joke. But his friends comforted him: - Ya can chop the forest down and burn it. (The railroad Nässjö - Oskarshamn was not yet built. My comment: so there was no market to sell the timber.)
And Sophia felt that she was suffrocating by the forest and was longing back to the populated sun-open district around Ralången. When she was really sad, Karl Henrik said one day; - My dear, we could do like Flött-Abram (Abraham the mover), sell and move. (Flött-Abram war a farmer that constantly bought, sold and moved). Now it was easier. There was a way out.
The forest was partly a blessing that came to good use. Grandfather was an able farmer and a good administrator of the work. He built a new barn with cow-house and stable, which was large and modern for the time. It was all in (skrädda = logs prepared by an ax) logs. A 'cheap end' made out of boards were not available. The stable is unusually wide. The thick, quadratic beams, which carried the 'slinne - haybarn' above the 'loge - barn' were bought from a farm in Fläsås. Grandfather also built the 'drängstugan - farmhands house' with a 'visthusbod - food storage' and a 'sädesmagasin - crops store'. - Builders and hired men were here all the time. They should be fed on the location. The bogland (wetland) on both sides of the road next to Nybrottet were now broken and cultivated. This was probably also valid for the moor and the field 'Ängalyckan' at the Sandshults bay. The deep ditch on the side of the road, the drain through the rocks, was now built - a giant job, as there was yet only powder to blast the rocks with.
The stable and barn that Karl Henrik built.
When Karl Henrik and Sophia came to Näs there were six-seven childern in the family. Grandfather had been married before and from the first marriage were Hanna and Gustaf. --- Hanna 'flew out' early and married the lineman G. S. Jarl. They settled in Aneby.
Gustaf stayed in Näs, until he got married. He was kind and had a gentle nature. Once, when he returned home after drinking, his father, Karl Henrik, took him by the collar and put him down at the planing bench. He gave a lesson about the importance of soberness. --- He, himself, was not always the best ideal in this matter. The trips to town were temptations. Friend were meeting in the stables and treating each other. Crofters ('Torpare' and 'backstugesittare' - folks from small farms and huts), who were travelling with him, thanked for the help by offering a drink.
Tilda in Sandshult had been Gustafs fiancée for some time. The bridegroom was not too eager. So, one day Tilda arrived with padding on her belly. Gustaf was crying. But the descision was made. They got married straight away and Gustaf moved to Sandshult. They boy (child) lingered and Teodor was not born out of the proper time. Then the girls Ester and Frida followed. Just as his father Gustaf, Teodor Andersson was kind and feeble - and considerate. He married the very talented Cecilia, "Sissi". Tilly, who now lives in Sandshult, is their son. -- Ester lived in Sandshult and remained unmarried. Frida died young.
In Näs Algot, Ester and Elisabeth where born within short intervals. Finally Naémi came as the last. Algot had an appearance very close to that of his father. There are no photographs of Carl-Henrik. The children were brought up in a soft and understanding reign. When the infants were crying Carl said - Loosen her (him) up, she might be wet. When the boy or girl was hesitating, he pleaded: - Away you go! Then it was just to listen and get going.
In due time the children from the second marriage started to leave the nest or get married. Ida, the oldest girl, left for America in 1881, Elin in 1887.
-Ya should know, that my love was a feeble man, grandma often said. Karl Henrik was weak for a long time, it was the stomack and the legs. At least once he was in at the spa in Holsby to 'dricka brunn'. --- He often sat and handcrafted, both tools and furniture. He was very good with his hands. The planing bench was in the house during the winter, next to the two looms. This furniture always disappeared at Christmastime. Every now and then he had to rub the "jektaknöla" - goutbumps with a special stick. -- Once grandfather was very ill with hard pain. Carl was sent to Eksjö to find and bring the doctor. It was probably a stone in the kidney, and grandpa survived. The doctor said, that he pitied the crying boy (Karl) that was standing in the door begging him to come. --Grandfater was very weak at the end. He stayed in bed in the small chamber next to the kitchen.
- He died at the time of the oats and at the same time a horse 'stakade sig' - bolted at the bog. On the table by the bed they found a piece of paper with a trembing writing: "It is a firm Word and by all Means worth noting, that Jesus Christ has come to the World to save all sinners, from whom I am the Greatest". When grandfather was 68 years of age he left the earth and his near and dear. When he died in 1893, Sophia was 54 years old and the smallest girl, Naémi, was 12 years of age. He was buried at the Edshult cementary. Over the grave a seputchral monument out of oaktree was raised. -- Then the estate inventory and distibution followed. (As previously mentioned the wife in Karl Henriks first marriage was Louisa Magnidotter).
