Karen,
My mom's family had a boarder when she was a little girl and he remained a dear family friend for decades. In a way we were his only family in the U.S. since he never married and only had family in Sweden writing to him. I also did some research on that friend and received great help from his Social Security application which provided a full birthdate, names of parents (including mother's maiden name), etc. Perhaps you will find your friend on the Social Security Death Index. I didn't see him using Herman but perhaps he is there with a different given name.
http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi From the Emigranten Populär 2006 CD:
Efternamn: SÖRLING
Förnamn: HERMAN T
Ålder: 21 Kön: M
Född: 1880/1881
Församling: SÖDERFORS Län: C (Uppsala)
Titel/Anm:
Utresehamn: GÖTEBORG
Utvandrdag: 1902 05 09 (May 9; registration date)
Destination: CHICAGO ILL
Medåkande: NEJ
Källkod: 70:48:26848
It looks as if he returned to Sweden for a visit and here he is on his way back to the U.S.
Efternamn: SÖRLING
Förnamn: HERMAN T
Ålder: 29 Kön: M
Född: 1879/1880
Församling: AMERIKA Län: US
Titel/Anm:
Utresehamn: GÖTEBORG
Utvandrdag: 1909 01 15
Destination: NEW YORK
Medåkande: NEJ
Källkod: 88:44:11353
The Emibas CD shows this Herman Emanuel Sörling traveling in the year you mentioned.
Post 992651
Sörling, Herman Emanuel
Kakelungsmakare (unmarried man)
b. 9/26/1879 in Hedesunda, Gävleborgs län (Gästrikland)
Emigrated 1910
from Brunn 3, Hedesunda, Gävleborgs län (Gästrikland)
to Nordamerika
Source: Household Examination Roll, p. 370
Emibas migration file ID: Hedesunda X 1910 008
You can find his naturalization papers which should provide a birthplace if he emigrated in 1910. If he was the man who emigrated earlier (1902), he wouldn't have been naturalized for at least five years after arriving. That means his naturalization would have taken place after late 1906, so you are lucky. The U.S. naturalization records were standardized about that time, so they became excellent, providing the name of the ship/port of arrival, the date of arrival, the port of departure, full name in the old country, birthdate, etc. Order them from the NARA facility (National Archives and Records Administration) closest to where he was living at the time.
http://www.archives.gov/locations/index.html Here are some maybes (4 families with a Herman) from the 1900 Swedish Census.
1.
Record 3111643
Sörling, Karl August
Hemmansägare Kvarn och Sågägare
b. 1852 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Man, married, father
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Valbo
Record 3111638
Berggren, Maria Adolfina
b. 1858 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
h.
Woman, married, mother
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3111637
Karl Johan Sigismund
b. 1878 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111640
Herman Emanuel
b. 1879 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111642
Maria Elisabet
b. 1881 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111639
Knut August
b. 1883 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111636
Per Efraim
b. 1885 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111633
Bror Elon
b. 1887 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111632
Syster Elin
b. 1887 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111635
Lars Otto
b. 1889 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111634
Oskar Adolf
b. 1891 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111641
Olga Johanna
b. 1893 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111645
Erik Bernhard
b. 1895 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111646
Clas Edvard
b. 1897 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
Record 3111644
Rut Adolfina
b. 1899 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
-------------------------
Record 3111648
Sörling, Lars Petter
b. 1822 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
fader
Man, married, father
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Valbo
Record 3111647
Pierron, Johanna
b. 1822 in Hille (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
h.
Woman, married, mother
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hille
This person was a pauper living in that household.
Record 3111649
Gustafsdotter, Margta
fattighjon
b. 1826 in Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Woman, single
Brunn
Hedesunda (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Hedesunda
*********************************************************************************************************
2.
Record 4030942
Sörling, Johan August
Lokomotivförare
b. 1842 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Man, married, father
Söderfors bruk 1:sta rote
Söderfors (Uppsala län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Valbo Gävleborgs län
Record 4030943
Sundgren, Margreta
b. 1843 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
h.
Woman, married, mother
Söderfors bruk 1:sta rote
Söderfors (Uppsala län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Valbo Gävleborgs län
Record 4030941
Herman
b. 1880 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Söderfors bruk 1:sta rote
Söderfors (Uppsala län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Valbo Gävleborgs län
**********************************************************************************************************
3.
Record 3312766
Sörling, Lars Herman
Fabrikör
b. 1849 in Valbo (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Man, married, father
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Walbo
Record 3312767
Forsell, Maria Katarina
b. 1858 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
h.
Woman, married, mother
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312765
Anton Valdemar
b. 1885 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312759
Bror Herman (but he died in Sweden. See the death records below the census records.)
b. 1887 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312760
Nelly Elisabet
b. 1888 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312761
Martin Emanuel
b. 1891 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
s.
Boy, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312764
Sally Eleonora
b. 1892 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
Record 3312763
Elsa Vilhelmina
b. 1896 in Sala (Västmanlands län, Västmanland)
d.
Girl, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Sala
Record 3312762
Anny Ingeborg
b. 1900 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
d.
Girl, child
Ny 293/V
Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland)
Place of birth (original source): Gefle
**********************************************************************************************************
4.
Record 2683559
Olsson Sörling, Lars August
Torpare
b. 1865 in Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
Man, married, father
Skärsjö
Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Nora Västmanlands län
Record 2683560
Ruth, Margreta Kristina
b. 1864 in Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
h.
Woman, married, mother
Skärsjö
Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Nora Västmanlands län
Record 2683557
Erik Herman
b. 1894 in Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
s.
Boy, child
Skärsjö
Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Nora Västmanlands län
Record 2683558
Lars Georg
b. 1899 in Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
s.
Boy, child
Skärsjö
Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland)
Place of birth (original source): Nora Västmanlands län
###########################################################################
From the CD Swedish Death Index 1947-2003:
18870330-731
Sörling, Bror Herman
Persbo Box 1221 Garpenberg
Dead 9/2/1961.
Registered in Garpenberg, Hedemora landskn (Kopparbergs län, Dalarna).
Born 3/30/1887 in Gävle (Gävleborgs län, Gästrikland).
Divorced man (5/14/1934).
--------------
Corresponding parish(es) as of Jan 1, 2005:
Garpenberg, Hedemora kn (Dalarnas län, Dalarna)
Parish of birth in the records:
Gävle (Gävleborg)
Source records:
DA / DOR 61
Here are others who died in Sweden.
18940105-6933
Sörling, Erik Herman
Solhem
740 45 Tärnsjö
(Address as of Nov 1, 1970)
Dead 9/23/1973.
Registered (1971) in Nora, Heby kn (Västmanlands län, Uppland). Registered for taxation (1971) in the same parish.
Born 1/5/1894 in Nora (Västmanlands län, Uppland).
Widower (6/12/1969).
--------------
Parish of birth in the records:
NORA (Västmanland)
Source records:
MTL 71 / RTB 73
19160724-6657
Sörling, Lars Herman
Karlslundsg 13 A
703 41 Örebro
Dead 9/13/2001.
Registered (1997) in Olaus Petri, Örebro kn (Örebro län, Närke).
Born 7/24/1916 in Längbro (Örebro län, Närke).
Widower (12/3/1998).
--------------
Parish of birth in the records:
LÄNGBRO (Örebro)
Source records:
RFV 03 / SPAR 97f
Try to find your Herman's death certificate too. It should have a birthdate on it and (if you are lucky) names of parents and a birthplace.
Herman T. seems like a good possibility since he went to Chicago but the others might have gone there too.
Good luck! I know how we can love these family friends even though they aren't actually blood relatives.
I used this site for the Ellis Island database and then searched using the white form. I just entered Sorling and born about 1879-1881, from Sweden. I see a Norman T. who is probably Herman T. from Söderford which is probably Söderfors. (Transcribers must have had a horrible time with the handwriting.) The image for Norman would not open so you'll need to check on microfilm, most likely.
http://stevemorse.org/ The second page of the manifest did open.
http://tinyurl.com/yzve2e I can't get the first manifest page to open for the Herman from Chever but the birthplace is there. It is just not readable (for me; the Swedes might figure it out.) This is the second page which has the unreadable birthplace.
http://tinyurl.com/yy7vcs Judy