Olof Gustaf Hedström (1803-1877) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree

Biography

Olof Gustaf was born 11 May 1803 to corporal Johan Carlsson Hedström in Tvinnesheda, Nottebäck and his wife Annica Persdotter.^[1] Olof Gustaf Hedström left home in 1819.^[2]

Olof G. Hedstrom came to America as a waiter on the af Chapman in 1826. The ship was sold and once ashore Hedstrom was robbed of the money for his journey home. He found work in his previous profession as a tailor, who happened to be a Methodist.^[3] Hedstrom became a member of the American Methodist Church and married in 1829. In 1833 he visited Sweden and returned to America together with his brothers Jonas and Elias on the "Minerva" arriving in New York 17 October 1833.^[4] The three brothers and a Danish construction worker seem to have been the only passengers on board.

He worked as a seaman's missionary on the Bethel ship in New York harbour.^[5] Thus he became the natural contact point for Olof Olsson from Söderala, when he came to America in 1845 to look for a suitable location for a colony of Erik Jansson's followers. Olson stayed for some time with the Hedstroms in New York, and then travelled inland to Illinois and Hedstroms brother Jonas, also a methodist.^[6]

At the time of the US Census 1850 Olof G. Hedstrom lived in New York with his family.^[7]

Preacher Olof G. Hedstrom, born in Sweden 1803, died on Manhattan 5 May 1877.^[8]

Sources

1. ↑ Nottebäck (G) CI:3 (1745-1860) Bild 131 / Sida 251
2. ↑ Nottebäck (G) AI:10 (1815-1819) Bild 134 / Sida 251
3. ↑ Beijbom, Ulf, 1995, Mot löftets land: den svenska utvandringen, p. 96, LT, Stockholm
4. ↑ "New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPX-PVVB : 11 March 2018), E S Hedstrom, 1833; citing Immigration, New York City, New York, United States, NARA microfilm publication M237 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 2,266.
5. ↑ Olson, Ernst Wilhelm (1917) The Swedish element in Illinois : survey of the past seven decades : with life sketches of men of today. p. 17. Chicago : Swedish-American Biographical Association online at archive.org
6. ↑ Herlenius, Emil (1900). Erik-Jansismens historia. p. 59. Diss. Uppsala : Univ. [https://archive.org/details/erikjansismenshi00herl/page/58/mode/2up online at archive.org
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCT7-DKG : 12 April 2016), Olof G Heastrom, New York City, ward 1, New York, New York, United States; citing family 441, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
8. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WJX-2B4 : 10 February 2018), Olif G. Hedstrom, 05 May 1877; citing Death, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,373,923.

• Whyman, Henry Carl (1992) The Hedstroms and the Bethel Ship saga : Methodist influence on Swedish religious life, Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press. Available at archive.org - log in and borrow