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« skrivet: 2000-10-24, 19:32 »
Hi Donna,
Today I received a letter from John Uno Erickson in Lethbridge, Alberta, with some information about John Fogelberg.
Following is from his letter :
John and Hilda Fogelberg arrived in Alberta just before Christmas in 1908. They were to have helped my mother with farming that winter while dad (Eric Erickson) was in Edmonton attending Alberta College to improve on his education and english..
After staying with mother on the homestead for a very short time, they left and spent the rest of the winter with the Larson brothers, who at that time were all single. They then moved to Daysland in the Spring of 1909 where John did carpentar work. Later they moved to Medicine Hat.
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About 1912 Fogelberg decided to take up homesteading about 80 miles southwest of Medicine Hat, just a short distance north of the Montana border (Pendant d'Oreille). During the time he lived in Medicine Hat he made a good living doing carpentar work. However, some homestead land was still available and dozens of families were moving into this one area, so he decided to make the change.
In the early 1970's while I was with the Alberta Government, I made a visit to this area (Pendant d'Oreille) on an inspectation trip with the possibility of establishing a natural area Provincial Park in the vicinity of the Milk River. In 1970 a history book had been published about this area and the early homesteaders, and I was fortunately able to obtain a copy. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Fogelberg had also homesteaded here.
When I travelled through this area on my inspection trip all or most of the early settlers had moved away or died. I saw many abandoned houses and farm buildings, all in bad condition or fallen down, complete desolation, , a sad sight. On account of many years of drought and poor crops these early settlers were forced to leave or starve to death. I located the quarter section where the Fogelberg family once lived. There was nothing there but a hole in the ground for a cellar where the house had been, some scraps of lumber, broken dishes, bottles and so on. I also found where he had broken up a few acres and tried to grew some grains and a garden.
This area where Fogelberg homesteaded is a scene of complete desolation, open prairie for miles, not a tree anywhere, and drought stricken. I felt sad when I stood there and thought about what they must have endured.
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When Fogelberg got into trouble with the law he abandoned his family and joined the army in WWI. I don't think there was a divorce, she probably got a court order for a legal separation because of desertion. Later Hilda married Knut Mattson, another of the homesteaders there.
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The war ended in 1918 and when he received his discharge I remember that he visited our family on the Bawlf homestead for a short time. It must have been after this visit that he went to the States.
The letter I received from Fogelberg was posted in Joliet, Illinois on May 4, 1934. He was on a holiday and was going to visit in St Louis and Boston before returning to Chicago. He had a good job doing carpenter work and appeared to be in good spitits. He mentioned that times had been quit bad during the depression but now things were beginning to improve. He promised to write again, and sent greetings to the family, but I never heard from him again.
Following is from the history book (Pendant d'Oreille) 1970:
John Fogelberg was a carpenter by trade and built houses in Medicine Hat before he decided to come homesteading in Pendant d'Oreille. It was about 1912 when he moved out here with his wife and two daughters, Thea and Helga. He built a house on his homestead, and began to break his land.
John became entangled with the law over som bad cheques, and served time in jail for this offense. His family was left out here on the homestead and he finally abandoned them. He served in the army during the First World war, but never returned to Pendant d'Oreille.
Mrs. Hilda Fogelberg worked in the cook car for Parkinson's threshing crew to support herself and her girls. She also took on the task of baking the bread for the police officers stationed at the detachment in Pendant d'Oreille. They would supply her with the flour and she would let them know when she needed more.
Later on, Hilda lived with Louis and Mike Amb because her house was too cold to stay in during the winter months.
Hilda Fogelberg was an attractive girl, and very popular in the community. She later married Knute Mattson, a bachelor in (section) 3-8, and lived with him on his homestead with her two girls (?). Thea and Helga attended school at Dow during those years.
Hilda and her daughters later returned to the United States (?). Hilda is dead now, and Thea also passed away recently. Helga occasionally visits Knute here and keeps in touch with him.
John's comments:
Helga was living with her husband Leslie Johnson in Victoria on Vancouver Island, she probably died around 1980. Thea was also living in the Vancouver area when she passed away 1970. They lost contact with the youngest sister Hilda who probably moved to the United States, before or after her marriage!
My regards
Gunnar
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