John Edward Winblad

John Edward Winblad I (1856-1914) was a ship's mate and later a longshoreman. He ran away from high school in Härnösand, Sweden in 1871 to be a mate on a ship, rather than train as a Lutheran minister like his maternal grandfather. He didn't see his family for 5 years, until 1876. He moved from Sweden to Norway in 1879, then he moved to the United States in 1884 or 1885. He lived in Cuba from 1910 to 1914 and two of his grandchildren were born there. He died of cancer in Norway on a trip to visit his in-laws when his father-in-law was dying in 1914. (b. May 14, 1856; Prästbordet (church house), Ytterlännäs, Västernorrland, Sweden - d. September 24, 1914; Klungeland farm, Farsund parish, Farsund, Vest-Agder, Norway)

Ancestors:

Georg von Rohr (1550-1632) was his maternal sixth great grandfather. The von Rohrs are Swedish House of Nobility noble family number 807 and Finnish House of Nobility noble family number 85. Georg von Rohr was the Lord of Freyenstein Castle, Meyenburg Castle, Neuhausen Castle, Demnitz and Leddin in Brandenburg, Germany. Georg von Rohr migrated from Brandenburg, Germany to Sweden to start the Von Rohrs of Sweden. John Winblad's third great grandfather was Anders Örbom (1675-1740) who fought for the Swedish Empire in the Great Northern War. John Winblad's seventh great grandfather was Johan Makeléer, 1st Baronet (1599-1666) who migrated from Scotland to Sweden to escape the English Civil War.

Parents:

Anton Julius Winblad I (1828-1901) and Elsa Maria Elisabeth Näslund (1829-1907). Anton was a school teacher, and the church organist. Elsa's father was the minister for the church.

Birth:

May 14, 1856 in Ytterlännäs, Västernorrland, Sweden.

Baptism:

June 22, 1856 in Ytterlännäs, Västernorrland, Sweden.

Siblings:

His siblings include: Karl Israel Winblad (1857-?); Johanna Winblad (1859-1916) who married Per Olof Bernhard Vahlberg (1852-1927) and had children; Anton Teodor Winblad (1862-?) who became a Lieutenant in the military; Maria Elisabet Winblad II (1865-1937) who married the storekeeper Jonas Kempe (1861-1918) and had children; and Frideborg Winblad (1869-1964) who never married and became a teacher in Ytterlännäs.

Ytterlännäs to Anundsjö, Sweden:

"Folkskola", or primary school education begins at 7 years old in Sweden and runs for 4 years. After 3 years of the 4 years of "folkskola", children who enjoyed school and had good grades could choose to switch to a secondary school called "Högre allmänna läroverket". Högre allmänna läroverket was not free, so most students came from well-off families. However, some children with good grades got free education at "högre allmänna läroverket" because their parents could not afford to pay for it. As a child of a teacher, and as someone destined to be a pastor, he may have been given a free education. On January 24, 1866 at 10 years old, John was a student and his family moved to the "prästbordet", or church house in Anundsjö, Västernorrland, Sweden. The records show that John didn't move with his family, he must have been at Högre allmänna läroverket as a boarding school.

Run away from school:

For most people schooling ended at age 14 and children would go to work, usually on the family farm. John's parents were living in Anundsjö, and he was alone at school in Härnösand, Sweden attending high school. After high school he was expected to attend university. At age 15 he ran away from school and became the mate on a ship. He did not return to his family for 5 years.

Maritime:

He first shows up on a ship's manifest when he signed onto a ship in Härnösand on July 13, 1871, and signed off the ship on October 21, 1871 with Captain J.P. Lindström. John was 15 years old. He was leaving Härnösand on May 29, 1872 and going to Liverpool. By 1874, at age 18, he may have been captain of the bark Galatea, however, Kapten Winblad may be another Winblad from Enköping, Sweden. He returned to Sweden at Söderhamn on June 15, 1874 in a ship owned by C.M. Åberg. He returned to Stockholm on June 17, 1875. He then signed on in Härnösand on July 24, 1875 with Captain J.O. Stafverin and signed off the ship on Christmas Day, December 25, 1876 in New York City.

Migration to Norway:

John officially changed his residency on November 10, 1879 from Sweden to Farsund, Norway. This is most likely the trip where he met his wife. He was 23 years old.

Marriage:

While in Farsund he met Salmine Sophia Severine Olesdatter Pedersen (1862-1914). They married at Paulus Menighet church on January 14, 1883 in Oslo, Norway. She was listed as "Salmine Sofie Severine Pedersen" and he was listed as "Johan Edvard Vinblad". Salmine was the daughter of Ole Mathias Pedersen (1820-1914) and Thea Johanne Torstensdatter (1825-1864). Ole was a baker in Farsund.

Migration to the United States:

John emigrated in May of 1882 according to his naturalization certificate, but he may have arrived in 1883, after his marriage to Salmine. As "John E. Winblad" at age 27 he arrived in New York on March 31, 1884 from England aboard the "Arizona". He listed his occupation as a "miner", but it may be a mis-translation of "mariner". On September 4, 1884 Salmine, listed as "Salmine Wemmeland", and her father, Ole Pedersen are traveling outside Norway. John worked as a longshoreman when he arrived and may have been a high ranking union member. They lived in Greenwich Village in Manhattan in New York.

Children:

Together Salmine and John had the following children: Anton Julius Winblad (1886-1975) aka Tony Winblad, who married Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939) and latter married Marguerite Van Rensselaer Schuyler (1891-1972) aka Marge Van Rensselaer Schuyler; Theodora Winblad (1888) who died as an infant; Mary Winblad (1889) who died as an infant; Otto Edward Winblad (1892) who died as an infant; Maria Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987) aka Mae Winblad, who married Arthur Oscar Freudenberg (1891-1968); John Edward Winblad II (1897-1899) aka Eddie Winblad, who died as a youth from pertussis; and Otto Perry Winblad (1902-1977) who was born in New Jersey, and married Helen Louise Hollenbach (1905-1928) and after her death he married Leah Maria Way (1901-1986).

Salmine visits Norway:

On April 27, 1894 Salmine traveled from Kristiansand, Norway to New York City, New York. She was listed as "Salmine Sofie Vinblad". She was traveling with her son, Anton Julius Winblad.

Naturalization:

John received citizenship on November 14, 1889 in Manhattan. He was living at 454 Washington Street in Greenwich Village.

Jersey City, New Jersey:

Around 1898-1899 John moved out of Greenwich Village in New York and moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, where it was quieter and more rustic. He had a two-family house built at 439 Wayne Street. He appears in the 1899 City Directory of Jersey City. In 1900 he appears on the census living with his children and a boarder named Anton Pedersen (1872-?), who was working as a longshoreman with John. John listed his emigration as 1886 and Salmine's as 1887. Anton, his son, was "learning making candy" for work.

Trip to Norway:

On August 2, 1901 John made a trip from Kristiansand, Norway to New York aboard a Cunard liner, perhaps coming home from visiting his sick father. John's father died on October 30, 1901.

Isle of Pines, Cuba:

There are several ads in the New York Times for plantations and homes on the Isle of Pines such as: "A Winter Home In the Isle of Pines. Escape the bitter competition of ... industrial conditions. Own a fruit and ..." The family appears in the US census for New Jersey on April 23, 1910, and after that, John and Salmine went to the Isle of Pines in Cuba. John's son, Anton, married Eva Ariel Lattin (1892-1939) in 1910. They returned from their first trip on March 21, 1911 aboard the ship "Saratoga". They may have grown pineapples or citrus on their plantation.

Julia Lattin (1880-1960), Eva's sister wrote the following in 1960: "In the year (1909) my parents moved to the Isle of Pines, just south of Cuba, which was populated at that time by 90% Americans. They had expected that the United States would take it over, but several years later [in 1924] it was turned over to Cuba. My parents [Jarvis Andrew Lattin and Mary Jane Puckett] celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary [October 15, 1924] there, and my sister Eva, [Earl Winblad,] and I made them a surprise visit. They were so happy to see us. The boat made only two trips a week between Cuba and the island. We had our luggage inspected in Havana and spent one night there. It took about two hours to cross Cuba by train, and the boat was waiting for us. It was just an overnight trip to the Isle of Pines, and it was so calm there was hardly a ripple on the water. But we did experience a very bad hurricane while there [the 1924 Cuba hurricane]. Every one boards up their windows when they see the storm approaching. [They returned from Havana, Cuba aboard the Siboney on November 8, 1924]. After Cuba took over the island [in 1924], many of the Americans left and went back to the states as my parents did."

Maria and Otto return to New Jersey:

His children, Maria and Otto, stayed about a year and returned on March 26, 1912 and they then lived in Jersey City.

Death during the annus horribilis:

John and Salmine returned to New Jersey from Cuba around 1912-1913. They attended Maria Winblad's wedding to Arthur Oscar Freudenberg on February 28, 1914. Salmine and Johan, and their son, Otto Winblad, went to Farsund, Norway in 1914. Salmine's sister, Lena Olson, joined them that year in Norway. They most likely went for the illness of Salmine's father. Her father, Ole Mathias Pedersen, died on August 24, 1914. He was 92 years old. John Winblad died on September 24, 1914 at Klugeland farm. He died of cancer just one month (31 days) after the death of his father-in-law. Lena Olson, Salmine's sister, returned to the United States from Norway on September 30, 1914, just six days after John's death.