Across the state boundary

Axel Alford & Anna Newby


  Axel Edward Alford (17/10 1857 – 30/6 1918)
  D2 branch [1.2.11.8.1.6]
  Son of Frans Ahlfort & Johanna Johansdotter
  Knippe, Ekeby, Östergötland, Sweden
icon-wrench  Farmer


  Rebecca AnnaAnnieNewby (8/3 1869 – 20/2 1939) (m. 31/12 1886)
  Pleasant Gap, Missouri
  At least 4 children – Founders of the D2a branch


  Primary sources
  27-10-2020


Knippe, Axel’s childhood home. Photo: Esben Alfort 2018.

Axel emigrates from Sweden to Joplin, Missouri, with his parents as a child in 1866 and grows up in Twin Groves township in the vicinity of Carl Junctionicon-map-marker north of Joplin.

In 1886 he marries local farmer’s girl Rebecca Ann Newby (daughter of Milton Newby and Nancy J. Hastings) who is 12 years his junior. She is originally from Pleasant Gap in Bates Co., but has grown up in Twin Groves with her parents.

The couple has at least 4 children.

In 1888 they move to a farm in Lawtonicon-map-marker (Pleasant View Township in Cherokee Co., Kansas), just a couple of miles from Anna’s parents’ farm. His brother John lives at one of the neighbouring farms, and in fact it is unclear exactly which of these farms is the one known as Alford Farms to this day – perhaps they were simply merged at a later date.

Alford farms at Lawton. Source: Google.

At any rate, the original farm buildings are probably to be sought among the dilapidated buildings of Lawton village, as maps from the middle of the 20th century show no sign of any buildings among the fields. Alternatively, it could be the buildings in the southeastern corner of the fields, right at the state boundary.

The couple is buried at Carl Junction.

Axel’s grave at Carl Junction Cemetery. Source: Findagrave.com.

Anna’s grave at Carl Junction Cemetery. Source: Findagrave.com.


Research data

  •  name (others’ spellings): Axel Edvard (1857-1860); Axel Alford (1900); Axel Edward Alford (1918)
  • name (others’ spellings): Rebecca A. Newby (1880); Annie Alford (1900); Anna Alford (1930-1939)
  •  b. Ekeby 1857: v37219.b82.s156
  •  hous.ex. 1857-1860 Ekeby: v25386.b315.s293(1857-1860)
  • icon-male cens. 1895-1900 Pleasant View: 1895; Lawton: 1900
  •  cens. 1880-1900;1920-1930 Twin Groves: 1880; Lawton: 1900; 1920; 1930