She managed the farm on her own

Augusta Landelius & Gustaf Erickson + John Peterson


  AugustaGussie” Sofia Landelius (25/12 1857 – 9/2 1949)
  C1 branch [1.2.10.1.4.3]
  Daughter of Anders David Landelius & Martha Sophia Nilsdotter
  Björnkullen, Biskopstorp, Rök, Östergötland
icon-wrench  Farm manager


  1. Gustaf Adolf Eriksson/Erickson (15/7 1853 – after 1900) (m. 29/10 1882 in Ekeby)
icon-home  Son of Erik J. Fredriksson & Stina Maja Samuelsdotter
  Appuna, Östergötland
  Farm manager, farmer
icon-globe  Emigrated to Colorado together
  At least 9 children – Founders of the C1b branch


icon-user  2. John Peterson (1863 – after 1910)
icon-location-arrow  Sweden
icon-wrench  Farmer


  Primary sources
  27-03-2020


Remains of Björnkullen. Photo: Esben Alfort 2019.

Augusta grows up in a very poor family living in the crofter’s hut Björnkullen in the grounds of the farm Biskopstorp in Rök parish in Swedish Östergötland. As a young girl she is in service in the household of royal hunter (kronjägare) Lars Erik Norström in Södra Djurledet in V. Tollstad församling from 1875. The year after that she moves to Särtsöga Lillgård in Svanshals parish, but 1877 she returns to Biskopstorp in order to serve on the main farm for a year.

Biskopstorp. Photo: Esben Alfort 2019.

Having completed her service there, she moves to Sillekullen in Rinna parish, where her father had lived in 1842. However, within a year she has moved on to Appuna Södra Mellangård in Appuna parish.

1881 she moves to Kalvestad in Strå parish, where she meets farm manager Gustaf Adolf Eriksson (son of Erik J. Fredriksson and his wife Stina Maja Samuelsdotter) from Appuna, who lives at Götevi Manor in Ekeby parish. She moves in the day before their marriage in 1882. They settle in the cottage Smedhem in the manor grounds.

Augusta Landelius och Gustaf Adolfs bröllop 1882. Ekeby församling.

Augusta and Gustaf Adolf’s marriage in 1882. Ekeby parish.

They have at least 9 children together.

  • 1.   Axel Verner Eriksson (15/9 1883 – 17/12 1883)
  • 2.   Klara Agneta Erickson (27/9 1884 – before 1900)
  • 3.   Karl David  Erickson (5/4 1886 – before 1900)
  • 4.   Johan Albert Ireneus Erickson (16/5 1888 – after 1900)
  • 5.   Thekla/Teckla Sofia Erickson (15/5 1890 – after 1900)
  • 6.   John Ivar Erickson (13/5 1892 – after 1920)
  • 7.   Alvin Erickson (1895 – after 1920)
  • 8.   Walter Oscar Erickson (1898 – 1934)
    •  Esther Maud Ennis
  • 9.  icon-female Bessie Erickson (1900 – after 1910)

In 1892 the couple moves to the cottage Långstorp in the grounds of Öringe Manor, but in November that year they choose to emigrate to Colorado with all of their children, who are then given the name Erikson.

In 1900 they live on a farm in Prairie Township near Fayetteville in Washington county, Arkansas (see source), where the son Albert works on his father’s farm as a farm labourer.

In 1905, Gustaf Adolf is no longer with them, and Augusta has married another Swede, the farmer John Peterson, who had immigrated in 1880. The youngest daughter, Bessie, spends some time with her uncle Henry Peterson and his Finnish wife Amelia in Bronx, New York, but in 1910 she is back with her mother.

It is a short marriage, for in 1920 she is once again alone with her children and two grandchildren. The family has moved to Westville across the border in easternmost Oklahoma icon-map-marker. Augusta herself has become the farm manager, with her son Walter working on the farm, while John works at an oil field and Alvin is a blacksmith.

Augusta dies in Fort Collins, Colorado in 1949 and is buried in Grandview Cemetery there.

Augusta Erickson’s tombstone is actually one year off – she was born in 1857. Source: Findagrave.com.


Christening records

Axel Verners dop 1883. Vittnen: And. P. Petersson, snick. i Göthvik, o. h. Hedda Sander. Ekeby församling.

Axel Verner’s christening 1883. Wittnesses: And. P. Petersson, snick. i Göthvik, o. h. Hedda Sander. Ekeby parish.

Klara Agnetas dop 1884. Vittnen: Joh. Andersson, statdr vid Göthvik o. hans hustru. Ekeby församling.

Klara Agneta’s christening 1884. Wittnesses: Joh. Andersson, statdr vid Göthvik o. hans hustru. Ekeby parish.

Karl Davids dop 1886. Vittnen: Smeden Axel Karlsson, Sibbelyckan, o. h. Ingrid Katar. Petersdr. Ekeby församling.

Karl David’s christening 1886. Wittnesses: Smeden Axel Karlsson, Sibbelyckan, o. h. Ingrid Katar. Petersdr. Ekeby parish.

Johan Albert Ireneus' dop 1888. Vittnen: Trädgårdsmäst. K. A. Karlsson, Karlsborg, Ryckelsby bost., o. h. Anna Charl. Andersdr. Ekeby församling.

Johan Albert Ireneus’ christening 1888. Wittnesses: Trädgårdsmäst. K. A. Karlsson, Karlsborg, Ryckelsby bost., o. h. Anna Charl. Andersdr. Ekeby parish.

Thekla Sofias dop 1890. Vittnen: Torp. G. Dahlqvist o. h. Hulda fr. Pukedal, Åsbo. Ekeby församling.

Thekla Sofia’s christening 1890. Wittnesses: Torp. G. Dahlqvist o. h. Hulda fr. Pukedal, Åsbo. Ekeby parish.

John Ivars dop 1892. Vittnen: Mjöln. Oscar Strand, o.h. Ekeby församling.

John Ivar’s christening 1892. Wittnesses: Mjöln. Oscar Strand, o.h. Ekeby parish.


Research data

  •  name (others’ spellings): Augusta Sofia (1857-1875); Pig. Aug. Sof. Landelius (1875); Pig. Aug. Sofia Landelius (1876); Piga/Pig./P. Augusta Sofia Landelius (1876-1882); Pig. Augusta Sof. Landelius (1878-1880); Augusta Sofia Landelius (1882-1892); Agusta Erikson (1900); Agusta Peterson (1910); Augusta Peterson (1920); Augusta Erickson (1949)
  •  namn (others’ spellings): Gustaf Adolf Eriksson (1882-1892); Rättaren/Rätt. Gustaf Adolf Eriksson (1882-1892); Gustaf Eriksson (1884-1888); Gust. Adolf Eriksson (1890); Arb. Gust. Adolf Eriksson (1892); Gustaf Erikson (1900)
  •  namn (others’ spellings): John Peterson (1910)
  •  b. Rök 1857: v40049.b52.s95
  •  m. Ekeby 1882: v37223.b111.s215
  •  hous. 1857-1892 Rök: v28834.b19.s15(1857-1861); v28835.b16.s5(1861-1866); v28836.b14.s7(1866-1871); v28837.b17.s6(1871-1875); V. Tollstad: v26979.b56.s49(1875); v26980.b47.s40(1876); Svanshals: v29340.b156.s149(1876-1877); Rök: v28838.b13.s4(1877-1878); Rinna: v28678.b241.s230(1878); Appuna: v24029.b47.s48(1878-1880); v24030.b45.s77(1880-1881); Strå: v29275.b115.s96(1881-1882); Ekeby: v25392.b231.s222(1882); v25392.b238.s229(1882-1883); v25394.b246.s230(1884-1892); v25395.b319.s668(1892)
  •  hous. 1882-1892
  •  cens. 1900-1920: 1900; 1910; 1920
  •  cens. 1900
  •  cens. 1910
  •  children b. Ekeby: v37220.b144(1883); v37220.b155(1884); v37220.b170(1886); v37221.b9(1888); v37221.b30(1890); v37221.b52(1892)
  •  children d. Ekeby: v37230.b87(1883)