Menny Holmquist and Family from 1854

Menny was the daughter of Trufvid and Elin Holmquist, and she was the sister of Johan, Gustav, Jonas, Kristina, Johannes (John), August and Anna. Menny emigrated to America and married the Swede Jon (John) Carlson.

5. Maria [Menny] Holmquist (July 30, 1854 - April 8, 1906) married Jon [John] Carlson (June 5, 1856 - May 23, 1919) after she arrived in America. John was also from Sweden. This marriage was also recorded in Sweden where the records state that "daughter Maria [Trufvid's daughter] married to mechanic Jon Carlsson in 'Cicago' [i.e. Chicago] in America." Menny went to America from Sweden on October 9, 1878.

Around 1895 the family returned to Sweden for a visit and then returned to America.

Menny and John settled in Englewood in the Chicago area where John started the first laundry in Englewood complete with his own laundry truck to pick up and make deliveries. It was called the Englewood Home Laundry. Their home was at 6612 South Green Street across the street from the home of Mennie's brother, Johannes and his family. It is unclear whether Menny and her husband operated the laundry out of their home at 6112 Green Street or operated their laundry elsewhere.in Englewood

The location on Green Street is a residential neighborhood. A Google photo in 2014 shows the approximate location of the building. 6612 Green Street is now an empty lot.

Menny's brother John T. Holmquist mentions in his memoirs that Menny and her husband moved to Donaldson, Indiana around 1900. If that is true then they may have sold their laundry. Alternately, they may have kept the laundry business and still did farming in Indiana. Menny's brother did this. He owned his own company in Chicago, and also owned and operated a farm in Grovertown, Indiana.

In any case the 1900 United States Federal Census - Menny Carlson does give the Carlson family's residence as being Oregon [township], Starke County, Indiana. And, apparently, the family lived in Donaldson, Indiana1 which is only a few miles away. Perhaps their stay in Oregon township was temporary. At this time or later they had a farm in the Grovertown area, again which is only a few miles away.

At some point the laundry was relocated around the corner at 6637 South Halsted. The building no longer stands. A 2014 Google photo shows an empty lot where the building once stood. We cannot tell if the former buiding was a commercial building or a residential building, part of which John and Menny used as a laundry.

John Carlson was a farmer in the Grovertown area, and apparently also made a living selling farms to Chicago Swedes including the land sold to Emil Anderson who built the large Anderson Hotel in the area. John's brother, Sven Carlson, used to help cook at the hotel during the summer season.

John and Menny's granddaughter, Virginia, remembers her mother, Amanda, telling her about the chore of planting and harvesting onions, and that Menny and John had farm animals including horses to pull the plow.

The laundry business does not appear to have grown significantly in size whether or not they kept or sold it. A 1902 Factory Inspectors report gives the number of employees at five for the year 1901. A 1906 Factory Inspectors report gives the number of employees at seven. A 1911 Illinois State Board of Equalization proceedings gives some idea of the value of Englewood Home Laundry.

Menny was born in Småland, Sweden, died in 1906 in Grovertown at fifty years of age. She is buried at the Lutheran Cemetery in Donaldson, Indiana.2 John was born in Värmland, Sweden and also died in Grovertown, Indiana.3

They had eight children though two died young. The others were Edward (Eddie), Enoch, Amanda, Esther, Arvid, and John.

5.1. Edward William Carlson (1883 - July 26, 1932) who went by the name of Eddie married Eva Randolf Dorchester (August 28, 1880 - October 14, 1926) on October 4, 1911 in Hopkins, Texas, United States. Eva's father was born in Missouri and Eva's mother was born in Kentucky. Eddie and Eva had one daughter, Marjorie.

5.2. Enoch Carlson (January 4, 1887 - July 22, 1946) married Edna Mae Bollinger (June 15, 1890(?) - February 8, 1962 ) who was from Donaldson, Indiana. Enoch was born in Illinois, possibly Sterling. Enoch was a farmer, possibly taking over the farm from his father. The farm was on the Kankakee River near Crumstown. Crumstown is near South Bend, Indiana. He may have also owned or worked for a trucking business where he was pinned under a load in a work accident.

5.3. Amanda Emelia Carlson (September 26, 1889 - July 1, 1948) married Victor Emmanuel Charn (October 17, 1889 - March 31, 1963). The Swedish spelling of the name "Charn" was "Kjörn."

Broman-Lovgren

Lillian Broman &
Esther (Carlson) Lovgren
Click Image

5.4. Esther Dorothy Carlson (December 3, 1895 - October 21, 1964) married David George Lovgren (July 23, 1892 - May ?, 1973) of Donaldson, Indiana on May 30 1917.10 In 1948 they were living in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. See A Brief Family Tree.

Esther had a good friend Lillian Broman Newberg. We do not yet know if they were related. They were in the same Swedish Convenant Confirmation class in 1910 along with Edna Newberg Peterson, Gunnard Newberg, Hildur Carlson Trease, Mabel Challman, Reverand Claus Youngren, Olga Larson and Ruth Youngren.

5.5. Arvid Bernard Carlson (February 11, 1897 - September 25, 1955) married Eva Marie Snyder (July 24, 1902 - May 19, 1984) who was from Tyner, Indiana on August 23, 1923 in South Bend, Indiana.

Arvid and Eva's wedding was performed by Rev. William E. Atteberry and attendants were her father Noah Augusta Snyder and her mother Almedia [Jones] Snyder.13

5.6. John Auburn Carlson ( - 1925). Died in Donaldson, Indiana. John owned a farm in back of Johannes Holmquist farm near South Bend, Indiana.

5.7. Unknown. Died young.

5.8. Unknown. Died young.

For more information on Menny and John Carlson and their descendants see Menny the Wife of a Swedish Mechanic from 'Cicago'.(If you neen a user name and password email:

family@earthwander.com

For more information on the Carlson family see Carlson Family.

1. In John T. Holmqusit's A Brief Family Tree, he writes that they moved to Donaldson around the year 1900.

2. This cemetery is now apparently in disuse. Letters to the cemetery in the 1980s were unanswered. This may have been a Swedish Lutheran Cemetery.

3. Marie's date of birth has been given as both May 20, 1857 and July 30, 1854, and her date of death in the year 1903 and 1906.

4. Eva died in Texas about 1925 and Eddie died in Sawyer, Michigan.

5. None of the Lambert children have middle names.

6. In American English a 'crumb' is a mildly derogatory term.

7. Russell died of bladder cancer and heart failure in Dearborn Michigan at the age of 81. Services were held at the Hackett-Metcalf Funeral Home in Dearborn on Monday, September 26, 1994 at 1:00 PM. Reverend Richard Danielak officiated.

8. Ruby passed away at St. Joseph Hospital of Marshall County. Funeral Services were held October 2, 1997 at Van Gilder Funeral Home. Rev. Mary Miller of the Evangelical Covenant Church officiated. Burial was at the New Oak Hill Cemetery in Plymouth. Her place of residence was 222 Parkview Street, Plymouth, Indiana.

9. Specifically Ruby taught one year at Donaldson school, twelve years at Washington Township School, one year at North Liberty School, one at Admore School, three years at Lakeville School, and twelve at West High School.

10. Last known address of Dave was 1112 18th West, Bradenton, Florida

11. Letter from Lovina Jones to Lennart Holmquist, February 5, 1997.

12. According to his obituary "Alden . . . died suddenly at his home." "Survivors include: his sister, Lovina Jones of Lakeside; his brother Melvin Lovgren of Florida; nieces and nephews Carl Lovgren of Florida, Burt and Andrea Lovgren of California, Melinda and Dr. Keith Anderson of Alabama, Heidi and John Castelamare of Florida; and three great-nieces and five great-nephews." Quoted from a newspaper clipping, no name and no date. Alden is buried at Riverside Cemetery, Chikaming Township, Michigan.

13. Marie's last known address was 742 S. Michigan St., Plymouth IN 46563.

Menny Holmquist & Family