John Theodore Holmquist (aka Johny, John T.) was born on January 3, 1886, probably in a home in the suburbs of Chicago.

One source said the home was near 19th and 2400 Western Avenue. If this is 19th Street and the intersection near Western Avenue, this does not correspond to the maps of Chicago. More investigation needs to be done.

Johny's parents, Johannes and Johanna and his step-mother, Emma, were all immigrants from Sweden.

Immediate Family

John's father Johannes, was from Stenbruhult, Kronebergelan, Småland in Sweden and emigrated to America in 1880 with his brother August. Johanna, the girl he was to marry was from Stockberga, Karlskoga parish in Värmland, Örebro län (province), Sweden.

See http://andre-fam.info/view_link.php?id=src:SVAR.C0002086_00269&from=II000

Johannes was an iron worker, and to make extra money he played his accordion in saloons. During this time he became what he considered was a real Christian, and the particular brand of Christianity he identified with considered drinking alcohol in any form, and encouraging others to drink alcohol, to be a sin. Johannes never drank alcohol, nor probably played the accordion in saloons again.

One day when Johny was a small boy he wondered where the music in his father's accordion came from. To find out he took a knife and cut the accordion open. Johannes felt so bad about this that he cried, and said he would never be able to afford another one. The story was told by John T. Holmquist (Johny) to a family member later in life.

Johny had three younger brothers: Ed (Edward), Bill (aka Wilhelm Wilhem) and Val (Waldemar). Edward and William were identical twins.

Their mother Johanna (Hanna), while caring for a friend during a flu epidemic, caught the disease and died. John's brother William (Wilhelm, Bill) Holmquist writes, 'I can remember way back when I was one and a half years old . . . . I remember standing in the front room, my thumb in my mouth, looking up at the casket where my mother lay, having died of influenza.'

Hanna was buried in Oak Woods Cemetery. Johannes would sit there and read a book while Johny played. Sometimes he sat and cried.

Family tradition said that Hannah was buried near the Illinois rail road tracks. But when I (Lennart Holmquist) visited the cemetery in 1998, I saw no evidence of railroad tracks. Either family tradition was mistaken or the tracks were taken out. Johannes would take little Johny out to visit her grave.

Johannes hired a Swedish housekeeper, Emma, to help care for the young boys. Some months later Johannes and Emma were married.

Johannes Holmquist & Family

John's family later moved to the north side near Lincoln park where his father took little Johny walking in Lincoln Park Zoo.

He and his brothers were raised at 6613 Green Street in Chicago.

1904 - 1907 Johny and Ruth

Johny and Ruth's relationship started when they were very young. Esther Holmquist believes that Johny and Ruth probably met a church as did many young people in those days. Sometime around 1904, when Ruth was only 17 years old, things seem to be getting more serious between them. It was at this time we begin seeing a lot of letters between the two. In October of that year Ruth wrote to Johny that 'I long to see you once again.' And 'I beg to remain your own, Ruth.' In March of that year she signed off 'Hopefully Yours.'

Johny too was in his teens, 18 years old in 1904, when their relationship was starting to get more serious. In December of 1906 Johny wrote to Ruth,

It isnt long since I saw you but still I must write a few lines to you before you jump out of your teens and into you[r] ty's, Ive been waiting a whole year for you and at last you have decided to follow me in the ty's. The ty years are many but I hope that you and I may not part till we have lived a great many of them and if possible all.

When I write these lines it makes me wish I could see a few years ahead, and feel as satisfied as when I look back into my teen's especially the last of them the years I have known you.'2

Johny 's and Ruth's letters could be quite touching and sweet when writing to each other. Johny writes:

I wish I could see you while I write this . . . Ive got your picture but that dont satisfy me, I may be foolish but I cant help it, its the way I feel.3

Johny's parents didn't like the idea about Johny seeing so much of Ruth for he wrote that 'If my parents did not object that I keep company with a girl I would go and see you oftener but they think I am to[o] young yet so I don't like to have make them feel bad about it.' He said to his son Bernard (Bud) many years later that he would tell his parents, 'If I can't go with Deacon Swanson's daughter, who can I go out with!? A deacon was on the governing board of the church. Johny also said to his son that his father, Johannes, had mentioned that his step-mother did not like the idea of Johny and Ruth getting together, and that Johny didn't exactly know why. He thought that perhaps she did not like losing the income that he brought in. This may or may not be true. It was typical in those days that sons turned in their paycheck to parents. Bud said that Johny's step-mother was really a very nice woman, and a fine outstanding Christian. Bud had fond memories of her.

Bud also said that it was to her credit that Johny and the rest of his brothers had a Christian upbringing. His real mother Johanna had not apparently been a Christian until shortly before her death. Neither was his father, Johannes, a Christian, though he committed himself to the Lord also shortly before his wife's death. Both of them were led to the Lord by a Swedish covenant pastor. Johannes lived a godly life from then on as is evidenced by two letters he sent to his sister Christiana exhorting her to accept Christ.

Ruth often seemed to be the initiator in the relationship. Ruth invited Johny frequently to church functions, which he didn't often care to go to, and an occasional dinner at her home. She often tried to get Johny to commit himself to seeing her. In one letter she asks Johny that the next time they see each other she will give him a picture of a group of girls that includes herself. 'It will be on Sunday I hope. ''Yes or no!''

Johny ventured to mention marriage indirectly in a letter on July 16, 1907. Ruth was going to a wedding the next day. Johny writes, 'I hope you have a goody good time but dont you get married, for then you will have some body after you.' Perhaps this was the first time he had brought up marriage. Reading the letters Johny and Ruth had been writing since 1904, we can safely guess what Ruth would think of such an idea. She makes it plain in her next letter.

I like to know who I should marry. There is no one but you whom I want, so bear that in your mind, and when my time comes, it will be yours also. At any rate I hope so.4

Ruth never seemed to leave anything up to second guesses. She was always pretty clear. If Johny had any doubts before, he wouldn't have had any now.

We don't have any more of their letters until September. Maybe he officially popped the question to her in the intervening weeks.

Whenever he did ask her to marry him, he mentions in a letter in May 1908 5 that he wish he had 'the job left to be done.' He writes, ' It tickled me to see you blush that time. I could give most any thing to see it again . . .'

At any rate, the idea of marriage is certain. Even though Johny and Ruth have frequently said loving things to each other like missing each other, and even two days until their next meeting seems so long, Johny 's next letter following the July 1907 letter is sweeter than probably anything he has written before:

It is not long since we saw each other but still my heart is longing to hear from you and my eyes to see the girl I love. And it make[s] my inside feel good when I know she loves me. and another thing, she is my future wife.

The idea of eventually marrying 'Ruta' had been held for a long time. In the same letter, Johny mentions a letter he received from Ruth dated April 8, 1904. That was over three years previous. What was in the envelop contained more than just a letter. Johny writes that when he read and looked at the colors 'my eyes and thoughts stopped at the white bow. It was the one for you but not then not untill I was sure.'

Bud says that there was a custom during those days of sending to your boyfriend or girlfriend a collection of different colored bows. Each bow had a particular meaning.

Johny and Ruth's daughter, Laverne, still has that letter with the bows. We can see why Johny 's eyes stopped at the white bow. The verses written out by Ruth in stanzas read:

To My Love:

If this letter is ought to you,
Delight you'll find in reading it through.
If of me you ever dream,
Return to me the bow of green.
If of me you ever think,
Return to me the bow of pink.
If you are another girl's fellow,
Return to me the bow of yellow.
If you wish to turn me down,
Return to me the bow of brown.
If your love for me is dead,
Return to me the bow of red.
If your love for me is true
Return to me the bow of blue.
If the courage to propose you lack,
Return to me the bow of black.
If you want me for your wife,
Return to me the bow of white.
If you want me to elope,
Return to me the heliotrope.
If you think me fine and dandy,
Send to me a box of candy.
If the writer you can guess,
Send the bow to the right address.
If the writer you cannot guess,
Send to the girl that you love best.

Hopefully yours,

Ruta

Earlier he referred to this 1906 letter that 'made me think but decide at once.' Possibly he means here the letter that 'made me think and decide at once.' We don't know what color bow he sent back to Ruth at that time. It wasn't the white one for he said, 'my eyes and thoughts stopped at the white bow. It was the one for you but not then not untill I was sure.'

He actually saved that letter and the white bow. And now in this letter of 1907 he sends it back to her saying, 'There was only one white bow and that is for you, so hear it is inclosed.' Johny had made up his mind for sure, and now he sends back the white bow meaning that he wanted Ruth to be his wife. Pretty sweet.

Letters of John Holmquist and Ruth Swanson

1908 Church

Johny (as he sometimes signed his name in letters to Ruth, and she sometimes called him 'Teddy') may have officially joined the church the Sunday following February 10, 1908 as seen from a letter from Ruth.6 A church bulletin also mentions that Johny was baptized and joined the church in 1908.7 He served on the Deacon Board for over eleven years. The church was the Englewood Swedish Baptist Church on 59th and Emerald Avenue, a block east of Halsted, a short distance from the University of Chicago.

Johny's decision to join the church was a delight to Ruth. She had written before that she wanted to 'win' him to the church. Back in 1905, Johny was reluctant to go. Apparently he had a bad experience with the church for he said, 'But was it not for you I would not be seen in that church for a long time.'8

A letter dated just a day before Ruth said that she felt bad that he didn't care to attend church, because that was where they first became friends. If they were not treated right in that church, they would find another where they were treated right. 9

Both he and Ruth had attended the same church since they were very young. They really grew up in church together. When very small, they used to sit in their respective Sunday School classes and admire each other 'making goggle eyes' at each other as Bud says. Sometimes they reached over and touch each other's hands. They were always sweethearts for as long as they could remember. There was never anybody else apparently who interested either of them.

Johny was no doubt concerned about what his mother (step-mother) thought of his going to church. He writes, 'As soon as I came down this morning ma asked if we went to church Sunday night, I didn't tell a fib about it I only said know [sic]. She thinks I dont care for church no more so next Sunday I have to go again.' Bud says that Johny 's step-mother was a somewhat harsh old Swede who was strict with the four boys. But it was probably through her that they became Christians. Bud knew her until he was about 17 years old. From age 14 or 15 he visited her every Saturday after the pastor's Bible class. She was always kind to him and he grew to love and appreciate her.

Johny said that from the time he was saved he never smoked or went to movies, two actions which were strictly taboo among the Baptists. He never did drink, so that was one practice he did not have to give up as a Baptist. He did smoke though before he married Ruth. Ruth told him that she wouldn't marry him if he continue to smoke. He stopped smoking.

Besides his step-mother, whom Johny always called 'mother' incidentally, two of his friends influenced Johny to become a Christian. These were the Carlson brothers - whom he admired. He was best friends with them. The fact that they neither smoked nor drank impressed him. Ruth later told Bud that she had told Johny that she would not consent to marry him or become engaged until he became a Christian.

Joining the church included baptism Bud says. Ruth, also mentions in her letter that Johny may want to join next Sunday 'when there is going to be six or seven bapti[zed].'

Ruth's father taught Sunday School class at their church. Ruth writes to Johny that her father cannot get anyone to take his place at Sunday School next Sunday so he may not take his planned trip across the lake. It is known that Ruth's father S. John Swanson (the 'S' standing for Swan) was vice-chairman of the church, which had a membership of about 500 people. His vice-chairmanship was the longest of any deacon. He, in effect, ran the church from this position for over twenty years.

The church was of Swedish Baptist background. Even during Bud's childhood, Sunday morning services were conducted in high Swedish. An extant invitation to a church function for the 28rd of December 1904 sent by Ruth to Johny was entirely in Swedish.

Pastors were voted into the church by the congregation it seems. Ruth writes that a Pastor Erik Carlson has been 'called' to the church as pastor, supposedly, and she hopes that he is a 'good one, although it was not the one that I voted on.'

1908 Married

John and Ruth were married by Pastor Erik Carlson on October 3, 1908.

Ruth and Fridhem Swedish Baptist Home for the Aged

Ruth was involved in many women organizations over the years. For instance he was the head of the Fridhem old people's home10 women's auxiliary, which was an influential position among Chicago's women because there were a lot of Swedish baptist churches in Chicago. The auxiliary raised money for the home and oversaw the home to make sure things were run right. Their big event was their yearly bazaar where women from all over the city held a big sale to raise money (probably during the summer). Also at another time of the year they held a tag day where they would go out to shopping centers and busy corners asking for money. People who donated money were given a tag that they affixed to a button showing that they had donated money and that they needn't be hit again for money. This was actually done by many of the help agencies in the city and would all be done at the same time. As a kid Bernard Holmquist remembered going to various activities at Fridhem. At Fridhem he 'learned the facts of life,' he said, because the women attending breast fed their infants.

Ruth coordinated these events, assigning women to various tasks, and she did this for a number of years. Ruth's daughter-in-law Doris' first job in United States after emigrating was as a nurse's aid at Fridhem. Her Swedish came in very handy because most or all of the residents were of course were old Swedes who perhaps at this time of their life remember more Swedish than English. Doris worked hard at this job. Fridhem was close to home in Morgan Park though so she didn't have far to go.

Ruth was also involved with music in her church.

Pastimes

Both Johny and Ruth ice skated, possibly at the park on 67th and Morgan. The Saturday following January 23, 1908 (the 23rd being Ruth's birthday) they were planning to do so. It was so nice and cold so they thought there would be ice. But Ruth's mother was telling her almost-to-be-married daughter, that she could not go ice skating because it was too cold. As Ruth wrote to Johny, 'I can't go ice skating, now what do you think of that. Come and we will see what turns out.'

Johny hunted on occasion with his friend and cousin Enoch Carlson, son of Aunt Maria ('Menny' Holmquist) and Johny Carlson of Grovertown, Indiana who had a farm in back and to the east of Johannes' farm. Menny was a sister of Johannes.11

When Johny was dating his wife-to-be, his step-mother, Emma, gave him his an allowance. With this he would take out his girl to a ice cream parlor in Chicago by the name of Cubans (sp?) according to Bud . 'Bright Ice Cream Parlor' is mentioned in another letter.12 This may have been the ice cream parlor at 63rd and Green Street mentioned in one of Ruth's letters.

One day while riding on the street car, she saw Johny and his friends going into this particular parlor, but he didn't see her passing by in the street car.13

Swimming was also an occasional pastime for Johny, sometimes at Koontz Lake, Indiana, not far from Johannes's farm.

Parties were fairly frequent, rather tame affairs no doubt - good-bye parties and the like, often related to church or members of the church. Mention is also made to a 'hay rack' party put on by a club.14 In one letter Johny (who also signed his letters 'Ted') wrote, 'There will be so many parties going on that our parent will make a kick about it I guess.'15 They often also went to parties and religious meetings at the Swedish Covenant church at 59th and Carpenter where they both had many friends.

Coming from a fairly conservative church background, parties normally attended didn't include dancing which was considered to be a sin. Ruth was very much against dancing. On one occasion Ruth along with the other employees at her work was invited to a dance put on by the factory she worked for.16 She turned it down more than once, probably because she did not agree with it and possibly she did not think Johny would like it. In the next paragraph Ruth said to Johny 'I didn't have the nerve this evening, thinking you would get offended . . .' It is not clear, however, if she is referring to the dance or to something else.

Movies are never mentioned - for good reason: they were also considered a sin. But later when television arrived, Johny was quick to get one. Bud thinks that had Johny 's mother still been alive, she would not have disapproved. Perhaps the sin that everyone was worrying about was not the movie itself, but what everyone imagined went on in the dark in the back rows of the movie theater - no doubt premarital hand holding and kissing. But this is never spelt out so we just don't know.

Johny used to spend a lot of time in the basement of the house working on some project or other. Shortly before his death he was working on plans for an inexpensive electric car for children.

Swedish

Both Ruth and Johny knew Swedish, but did not speak it normally. Laverne Holm said they spoke Swedish fluently having learned it from their parents. Ruth may have spoken some German, according to a now unknown family source. We do not know where she may have picked up. Her family background was wholly Swedish. An occasional Swedish word comes up in their letters. Johny called Ruth the Swedish 'Ruta' in some of his letters, but he was joking with her when he called her this Bud says. He opens one letter with 'My lila Ruta', My little Ruth.17 In another letter he closes 'Hälsa till min lila Ruta' , Greetings (literally 'health') to my little Ruth.18

The boys learned Swedish in their younger years. Johny 's younger brother, William, said that 'Speaking only Swedish in the home, I had to learn the English language. I knew just a little English. I was sent to a Swedish School to learn good Swedish.' We don't know if Johny also went to a Swedish school. But it is likely that he learned most of his English outside the home.

Even when Johny was a young man, his mother spoke to him in the language of the old country. Johny 's parents were still up one night when he came home. Johny 's mother asked him where he had been. He said he had been at the Swanson's - probably Ruth's home. Uncle August had just gone home after visiting Johny 's parents. Johny 's mother's reply was, 'Oh! dä [cåmi or cimi (?)] jag wäl trol!'19

Speaking of their upcoming wedding Johny tells Ruth in imperfect Swedish, 'You will be a sharing and I will be a gube.' 'Sharing' in Swedish is spelled käring and means an old woman. A gubbe is an old man. He adds, 'Them two word are suposed to be Swedish, if they are I dont know.'20 Doris (the wife of Bud) who was born a Swede, says Johny spoke household Swedish well if he had to - that is, everyday Swedish used around the house, but his Swedish was an old Swedish from the 1800's which he had learned from his parents. This Swedish would have been of the Småland dialect where his family was originally from.

Years after his marriage to Ruth when Johny 's father, Johannes, died in 1925 Johny wrote an entire letter in Swedish to the relatives in Sweden. At the end of the letter in Swedish he writes, ' It is hard for me to write in Swedish. It's been 15 years since I wrote the last one, perhaps I'll do better next time.'

According to Doris who translated the letter John T. did very well in his Swedish and that 'we can be proud' [of his Swedish fluency].

Ruth's mother still wrote to people in Sweden, possibly to her cousin Adele the wife of Reverend Skylling. In one letter Ruth says, 'She is telling them that I am going to get married this Fall, so they will know it across the water also.'21

Education

Johny initially only had a 6th grade education. His self-consciousness of this is reflected in his letters to Ruth. He asked Ruth to excuse his spelling and in one letter said 'excuse bad writing and everything that is wrong'22 Considering his limited education, he did remarkably well in his letters despite the misspelled words and absent punctuation.

He would have gone further in school except his step-mother required him to find work. She had said, 'Johny, time to bring home board money.' All his wages were turned over to her until the time he was engaged to Ruth.

Ruth also asked for Johny to excuse her own mistakes. It would not be surprising though if she said this so that Johny would not feel too badly about his own mistakes. Ruth attended (though we don't know if it was at this time or later) business school. Her letters were well written and had far fewer mistakes than his. Their daughter, Elaine, considered Ruth to be a walking dictionary, her vocabulary was so good.

Later he went to Englewood night school where he eventually got his high school diploma according to Eleanor.

As the years went on Johny 's English grammar and spelling improved considerably. No one would be able to guess that he only made it to the 6th grade. And considering what the success he achieved having complete so little of grammar school Johny must have been not only an admiringly persistent person, but also intelligent.

Profession

Johny studied chemistry or pharmacy weekday nights and possibly Saturday nights.23 probably with hopes of becoming a pharmacist. He originally wanted to become a doctor, but couldn't afford to study for the medical profession.24 Johny also studied electrical engineering before he was to learn the tool trade. When he and Ruth were courting, Johny was attending classes at Englewood night school where he earned his high school diploma. Far fewer people graduated from high school in those days.

Pharmacist or Engineer

But Johny was interested in technology as well, and this is the route that he eventually took. He found he could make a lot more money in manufacturing. Also, he said the hours were far too long in the pharmacy trade. One had to work from morning till midnight.

We know of his early interest in technology from letters between Johny and Ruth were married. One Friday night, for instance, he told Ruth that he was going to go to the electric show at the coliseum and wondered if she would like to go with.25 The mail moved fast in Chicago during those days. There were two deliveries a day and a letter cost 2¢ to mail. In a letter the next day Ruth accepted Johny 's invitation to join him. In another letter to Ruth Johny writes that he had a machine running that he took to pieces the week before, and it 'runs all right.'

His interest in technology included automobiles. He wrote to Ruth that he had just come from the doctor at 59th and Emerald, talking with him about autos. 'He don't like the horse no longer I quess' he said about the doctor.26 He wrote to Ruth in one letter that he had an offer for a job in a machine shop though he didn't know if he was going to take it. He was more interested in a job in a tool room, but those jobs were difficult to get.27

When still a teenager an older friend taught him how to use the lathe. He eventually bought his own secondhand lathe for a good price, rented some garage space and made extra money doing freelance work. He got pretty good at it, and eventually got a job in a company as a lathe operator. He learned the tool trade at a tool shop called Kholer Tool and Die at Green and Washington Blvd. There he learned how to use other machines. Eventually, he was well skilled in shop work.

Standard Die and Specialty Company ²

Two other fellows at Kholer together with Johny eventually decide to try starting a tool and die shop for themselves. This shop which may have originally been called Mall Tool 29 was to be later called Standard Die and Specialty Company or for short, Standard Tool and Die. The company was organized in 1912 by partners John T. Holmquist, Axel Selander and his brother Gustave Selander, and Christian Anderson. Christian was eventually bought out by Axel and Johny, and presumably also by Axel's brother Gustave. Axel was with Johny until the very end of the existence of the company. Holmquist oral tradition did not mention Gustave Selander as a partner. This information was found in the book Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries of Chicago.

Their first manufacturing site was at 60th and Halsted in the back of what may have been a car garage. As time went on they bought more and more equipment. The company was not at this location for long, moving soon to downtown Chicago on 169-73 North Jefferson Street. Around the year 1918, the company used 5000 square feet of floor space and averaged about 40 employees.'[T]he concern . . . has the best modern facilities for the manufacturing of a great variety of metal specialties and for designing and building specialty machines, machine parts, tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, gages . . . . The equipment of the plant includes the best provisions for hardening and tempering metals, and the mechanical appurtenances of the establishment include the most approved types of grinders, large milling machines, drill presses, screw presses, punch presses, lathes, sharpeners, etc.

At this time Johny and Christian were said to supervise the office and commercial departments while the brothers Axel and Gustave were in charge of the factory and general production. See: Manufacturing and Wholesale Industries of Chicago: In Three Volumes. Chicago: Thomas B. Poole Company, 1918. pages 314-316. Johny 's job emphasis included the invention of products, and presumably their production by the company.

Ruth Holmquist worked as a stenographer for the company for a time according Ruth's daughter Elaine.

Johny 's involvement with the company could have been interrupted by the First World War. In September of 1918 Johny registered for the draft. His draft Registration Card says he is a Tool and Die Maker at Standard Die and Specialty Company at 169 N. Jefferson St. His home address at this time is 7725 South Park Ave [Chicago]. His height is tall and his build is medium.

Johny was not called to serve in the military. He was 32 years old at the time. Younger men were drafted first. In any case the war was over in November.

The ad on this web page from the January 1921 issue of The National Drug Clerk gives an address for the company at 817-825 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago.

The company eventually moved to the 5th floor of the Kholer building located at the southeast corner Washington Boulevard and Green Street in Chicago. It was at this location a man came asking for Johny and Axel to perfect and build an adding machine. According to family members (Johny's children) this was to become the famous Victor adding machine.

Standard made all the dies and stamped out all the parts for the adding machine in their press room. They had about seventy-five people working for them by this time. The company eventually expanded to include the 6th floor also. Other tenants in the Kholer building 1922 were the General Steel Company, American Envelope Company, Speedomatic Company, A.M. Searles, Cruger-Peters Company, Kolner Refrigerating & Ice Machine Company and Electric Mining Machine Company. In 1922 the building was purchased from the Edward and Henry Kohler by the Jahn & Oilier Engraving Company. The printing company was to occupy the building in two years time after the expiration of leases of some of the current tenants. Perhaps Standard Die & Specialty Company moved from the Kohler building at this time. [See The Economist: A Weekly Financial, Commercial, and Real-estate Newspaper, Volume 67, Part 2, 1922, page 1332]

In 1923 Johny was awarded US Patent, Number 1,454512 for an 'Accelerator of Automobile Engines.' (The linked patent document here is a scan of an original printed copy inherited by John's grandson, Lennart Holmquist).

If Victor was to expand, more room and money was needed. Johny knew a stockyard [owner?] by the name of Buber(?) who was interested. Buber eventually bought ought Standard's interest and moved Victor to a larger building. Standard continued to do much of Victor's die and press work though.

After selling their interest, Standard Die and Specialty Company built their own shop at 1932-34 West Austin Avenue.

Johny was not only a manufacturer, but also an inventor. Though Johny invented and manufactured a number of products according to family members he took out only one patent in his own name. This was in 1923. The invention was an accelerator for automobile engines.32

Later Johny was reluctant to take out a patent on an invention. Johny said for one that patents were expensive to take out. Secondly, taking out the patent would often make pubic your idea so other people could capitalize on it. Even when a patent is taken out, somebody can often get around the patent by simply modifying a detail a little and claiming it to be another product.

Products

John invented, according to family members, the first permanent wave machine for hair, an electric curling iron, potato sausage stuffer,30 and a toaster that you put over the flame on the top of a stove. All these were manufactured in his company along with other products including airplane engines (or parts thereof), windshield wiper, parts for crystal radio sets and carbon sunshine machines, which was essentially an arc lamp and was to be called 'Sun-O-Lite Ultra Violet Ray Lamp'.31

Sun-O-Lite Ultra Violet Ray Lamp brochure (side a)
Sun-O-Lite Ultra Violet Ray Lamp brochure (side b)

Oral family history (coming down from Lennart's father and one or two of Lennart's aunts) also maintained that Johny invented a device to collect cream from the top layer of milk in a milk bottle. (Apparently, homogenized milk was not in general use yet.) Lennart's family of father's generation recall using the Cream-Cup in the Holmquist home.

This may or not be true. An improvement of the device was invented some time before 1912, the year when a patent was applied for, by Oscar F. Helwig. The patent for the Cream-Cup (patent number US 1222206 A) was granted on April 10, 1917, and then the patent was assigned to Standard Die and Specialty Company who manufactured Cream-Cup.

Alternately, perhaps, Oscar F. Helwig took out the patent though Johny invented it. In any case the patent was assigned to Johny's company, Standard Die and Specialty.33

The company, also, manufactured the wireless Electric Cigar Lighter operated by a battery, and a hanging cigar lighter. See The Retail Tobacconist, 1921, volume 12, number 4, page 8.

Metal ceiling dies was another product. See American Artisan and Hardware Record, volume 71, June 10, 1916, page 51.

Manufacturing Approach

Johny 's approach, according to Lennart's father, was that after he invented an item, Standard Die and Specialty Company would manufacture the product for a time, hopefully making a good profit on the initial introduction. Then he would sell the idea and all the machine tools for making that item to another manufacturer.

Besides creating the tools and dies to manufacture their own products, Standard Tool & Die did the same for other companies. A short ad in Popular Mechanics, November, 1926, page 63 says,

OUR factory will take your models, manufacture your articles as well as build your tools, dies and fixtures. Standard Die & Specialty Co., 1932 Austin Ave., Chicago, Ill.

The same ad was placed in April 1924 and February 1925 of the same magazine.

Safety

The machines at his factory or later the factories at which he worked were run by wide 'belts' that were wrapped partly around a wheel on the motor, and partly around on the machine that needed to be driven by the motor and belt. Belts that broke could be very dangerous considering the high rpm (revolutions per minute) at which they moved. At first safety guards were not in place at most factories until labor laws were put into place and labor unions were strong. Johny T., though was a good one for putting on safety devices. though even before it was required by law according to a family member (possibly Johny's son-in-law Carl Shumaker).

When the longer belts were worn on a particular part of the belt, they would be replaced,. The longer belts were cut down to form shorter belts to run other machines. A hinged steel finger-like clasps connected the two ends of the belts. The fingers or hooks were placed in a vise and squeezed into the leather.

If the belt became too short to be any longer useful Johny T. took the belts and cut them down to resole shoes for the family. He then added either new leather or rubber heels, and grind the leather flat all around the shoe so it looked good. The shoes were a little stiff because the leather was stiff, but after a while you didn't notice.

Building Contractor

Johny also did some building in his spare time (brick buildings), and eventually put up small and large apartments as a contractor (bungalows, two flat apartments, and three flats.) Johny did not do the actual building but contracted out the work. He also had built a tall building across from Jackson Park in Chicago. He and Ruth worked together on some of the finishing touches such as wallpapering and painting.

Johny also worked at Koller Roller Skating Company in Chicago, and Bendix in South Bend, Indiana, but we don't know when he worked at these companies.

C.D. Peacock Jewelry Store

Ruth worked for C.D. Peacock jewelry store in downtown Chicago 34 as an executive secretary, and another jewelry store.

1910

By 1910 John and Ruth were living in a building at number 5645 Morgan Street in Chicago, but now their family included little Alden. In the same building were two other families many of whose parents were born in Sweden and in one case was actually born in Sweden. The majority of the Holmquist's other neighbors were also first generation Americans whose parents came from Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Canada and France with a few coming from other states in America.

1920 United States Federal Census: John T Holmquist

1920 United States Federal Census: John T Holmquist original

The building on 5645 Morgan Street no longer exists. The site is a vacant lot. However, the building at 5647 S Morgan Street still exists (2015) which gives us an idea of what 5645 looked like.

5647 S Morgan Street

Google Maps: 5647 Morgan Street

1920

By 1920 the Holmquist family was living at 7727 South Park in Chicago not too far from Lake Michigan, and four miles away from their previous home at 5645 Morgan Street. Their new home was just a few blocks from the Field Museum of Natural History which was housed in a former building of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The Field Museum of Natural History eventually became the famous Museum of Science and Industry, which is still popular today (2017).

John and Ruth's children now included, besides Alden (age 10) Russel (age 7), Eleanor (age 6), and Laverne (age 3). John is now 34 years old. John's occupation is 'manufacturer' and in the 'oil stores' industry. They own their own home which is mortgaged.

Their neighbors are almost all first generation Americans with their parentst coming originally Sweden, Germany, Ireland, England, Austria, Canada, France and Denmark, together with some from various states in the United States. John and Ruth probably did not know the diversity of their neighbors' origins. By this time everyone was speaking English, except possibly speaking the language of the old country with their older relatives.

John for instance spoke Swedish to his step-mother, Emma, because she did not speak English. He may have spoken Swedish with his father Johannes, but possibly English and some Swedish. Johannes was an iron worker. Many of Johannes' fellow workers were probably born outside of the United States, so he would have used his Swedish-accented English to talk to them. Older family members also emigrated from Sweden to the U.S.A, so John may have spoken Swedish with them also, when they visited each other. John and Ruth spoke English with each other with the ocassional Swedish word or phrase thrown in. Their earlier letters when they were courting were almost all in English.

1920 United States Federal Census: John T Holmquist

1920 United States Federal Census: John T Holmquist original

Their home at 7727 South Park doesn't exists any longer. The area has been heavily developed since the 1920s.

1931 The Depression

Johny was to become moderately wealthy and his family was well respected.35 The depression, however, nearly wiped him out financially and he lost his company, and his home. Just before the depression Johny and his company were manufacturing the arc lamp. The product was successful, they had a lot of orders, and had purchased the raw material to meet all those orders. When the stock market crashed many stores canceled thier orders for the lamp, as well as other products no doubt, and Johny was left with a large inventory he couldn't sell. He was also left with the invoices for the raw material for the arc lamp. He couldn't pay his invoices unless he sold his inventory, which he couldn't. The arc lamp was a luxury which few people could now afford. The year was in 1931.

He was understandable depressed after this tragedy - all the more in that he felt he his business could have survived if the judge would have given him two to three more weeks. The family suspected the judge was getting a kick-back because of his unreasonableness effectively closing down the business. Despite the financial problems Johny and Ruth never said much about it. The seemed to take life as it came. Their daughter Laverne said years later (1997) that she doesn't know if the family really had to do without. Life seemed to go on much as before. The family still owned the Grovertown farm, and they drove to the farm frequently, and were frequently joined by friends and family.

Johny did own two apartments for which he charged $110 rent. This helped the family. Johny owned a three story brick apartment house which cost $25,000 to build. Eventually those who owned the mortgage on the apartment said they would pick up the mortgage, the back taxes, and give him some money for the apartment block. Johny accepted this offer.

Johny had friends still working in various factories who would give him occasional work. Johny kept tool boxes in several factories, so that his friends or the company management would think that he was available for any work considering his toolbox was there ready to use. What they of course did not realize was he had tool boxes in more than one place.

He also sold vacuum cleaners Frigidaire working out of a little refrigerator store. He knew several people who owned apartment buildings. He sold refrigerators for them, probably to put into the apartments of tenants. Johny came out with top sales amount the refrigerator salesmen even though he had been working the store for a much shorter time.

During this time Ruth was looking for promising positions for Johny in the help wanted section of the newspaper. She came across a position that looked like a fit for Johny. Johny answered the newspaper ad for a foreman to manage a shop at Handithings Co. of Ludington, Michigan. The whole family moved to Ludington except Alden who was married by this time. They lived in Ludington from 1932-34.

In years following the depression was never far from Johny 's mind. Before she died in 1948 Ruth told her daughter, Elaine, that Johny hid 100 dollar bills in a crevasse in the dresser in the bedroom. When Johny died in 1953 Elaine remembered what her mother had said some years before. She checked the dresser and found several 100 dollar bills hidden away. 36

1932-34 Ludington, Michigan

Ludington was a very positive experience for the Holmquist family. As Laverne says, 'We had a great time in Ludington, Mich[igan] when we lived there. We made a lot of great friends.'

The family first lived in a place on Monroe St. and later 706 North James Street and attended the Washington Avenue Baptist Church, a Swedish Baptist church. They considered becoming members but never did. Rev. Alphin Conrad was pastor. Later Johny and Ruth's son, Bernard (also known as Bud) studied under Dr. Conrad at Bethel Seminary. And Bud made a profession of faith at an evangelistic meeting where Conrad spoke. This was September 24, 1937. Alphin Conrad was also best man at Eleanor and Milton Swenson's wedding in June of 1934

1934-35 Back to Chicago

Later Johny got a job under Henry Edison at Zenith Radio Co.(later called Zenith Television), and more specifically according to John's daughter Elaine, Zenith Radio Die Shop. A friend of Johny 's, Henry, was foreman of the tool and die shop at Zenith.37 Henry (possibly Danish or Norwegian extraction) used to work for Johny at Standard Die and Specialty Co. (at 1932-34 W. Chistin Avenue) and then depression wiped the company out. The family moved back to Chicago. Johny worked for Zenith until they all moved to the northwest side of Chicago.

Johny then worked at Protectoseal Co, at 1920 S. Western Avenue, Chicago beginning about 1935. Johny went to and from work on the street car from 1900 S. Western to 11100 S. Western where Ruth would pick him up at the end of the street car line at the end of the day. They lived just east of there at 11342 Church Street. While on the streetcar he had a chance to read and relax. To get to work took about an hour and a quarter.

Protectoseal's products were primarily containers for storage of volatile fluids, especially gasoline. Johny worked first as shop foreman and then plant superintendent responsible for overall operation of manufacturing. In this role he was, also, directly responsible for the toolmakers and the training of apprentices. He managed about 70 or 80 people indirectly and all the tool makers directly of which there were seven or eight. Carl Shumaker who did mostly drill press work in the drill press and assembly department says that Johny 'was good at delegating to his department managers. He was supportive but demanded the best effort, but was patient with employees. Yet, [he was] very demanding and impatient with himself.' To illustrate how knowledgeable Johny was with the work of the company, Carl related the following story:

One day while workers in receiving were restacking an order of sheet metal that would be used for punch press stamping of various parts Johny was standing by watching. As they flipped one sheet onto the new stack [Johny ] asked to set it aside. He then took one end and shook it causing ripple to move along the sheet while he listened to the sound. He then marked a section of the sheet and had them take it to the shear and cut that section out, then cut a strip of it and a strip from the other two sections. He then had the strips taken to a punch press (picking one with a die configuration, which would allow easy removal of a jammed punching). First he had a part punched from each of the two strips which were from either side of his marked area. They punched out with no problem. Then he had a part punched from the questioned area of he sheet. Sure enough it split and jammed in the Die. This was the talk of the shop for some time. To me, because I knew him better than most, it was amazing that he heard the difference in the sound as the ripple moved along the sheet of metal as he was a little hard of hearing.38

During the time at Protectoseal, Johny 's friend Henry had retired, but Johny talked him into working for him at Protectoseal during the war. Later Bud served his apprenticeship as a tool and die maker under Henry, and Carl Shumaker worked for Johny there, also.

In 1948 Johny and Ruth (and other members of the family) drove to Seattle, Washington to visit Eleanor and family who were living there at the time. Quite possibly they also visited Canada since we have a photo of Johny standing at the Canadian border.

Johny worked for Protectoseal up until he died in 1953.

Homes

Johny lived at 6613 S. Green Street in Chicago, a two or three story wood apartment building with a basement, which his parents had owned. This is the address on an envelope addressed to Johny from Ruth, the first one we have addressed from Ruth to Johny apparently (though we do have a letter without an envelope which is dated earlier).

Letters to Ruth were to 640 West 57th Place, Chicago. This was a small cottage that her parents Swan Johny and Beata (known as Betty to many) Swanson owned.

When Johny and Ruth first got married they lived somewhere around 56 and Morgan, then rented the first floor of Johny 's parent's home at 6613 Green Street. About 1916 they bought a bungalow at 2725 South Park Avenue which is now King Drive. They sold that about 1924 or 1925 and built a two flat at 7930 Eberhart Avenue then sold that, and built at 8041 Vernon.

See Holmquist Addresses.

Johannes Holmquist Farm

As mentioned, they owned a small farm of about 40 acres in Grovertown, Indiana, originally bought by Johny 's father, Johannes. When Johannes died Johny T. bought it from his mother Emma for $4000 (which was considered more than it was worth then.) The original house on the farm was built by Johannes. Later Johny enlarged and remodeled the house. Gus Peterson and Borgren were the carpenters. Johny did the plumbing and wiring.

The family went out to the farm on weekends and pick up the eggs. They owned about 2000 layers. Chickens that were no longer laying were done for. Ruth chopped off their heads, plucked their feathers, and made a meal of them.

Johny T. really wanted to live on the farm year round, raise chickens and eggs and farm the land. He was never able to do this full-time, though he did do this for a brief time working in nearby South Bend before he got his job at Protectoseal. Before Johny got his job at Protectoseal Ruth did live in Grovertown on the farm, and Johny came out weekends. Bud and Elaine actually went to school in Grovertown as a result. Ruth moved back to Chicago when Johny got his job at Protectoseal.

The farm did bring in some income. On the land were trees which Johny sold for lumber. On November 29, 1925 40 he writes, ' [Made a] trip to farm and made count of trees cut by Aron Johnson. Found he had cut 24 trees. He is to receive all wood from these for cutting them and getting them ready for sawing into lumber. He is to pay ma 7.00 per ft for these logs.'

Dave Lovegren also cut trees at an hourly wage. The wage was paid in logs. The rest of the logs Dave cut were to be sold to Aron Johnson, Mrs. Bjorklund, Mr. Borgren, Grizula, and the rest to whomever wanted to buy them. Dave was also to get some wood and $1.00 for plowing, spreading limestone, and planting alfalfa in the north-west corner. Johnson was to paid in wheat for the wheat he had planted in front of the house.

Johny also wanted some asp cut, and had arranged for Carl Newberg to cut it. When Johny visited him in November 1925, Carl said he thought he was getting a bad deal for cutting the asp. Johny told him he could have the wood for nothing as long as he cut the trees down. Anton Carlson was to be paid 30 cents per hour for grubbing and burning asp west of where he grubbed last year, and cutting all asp sprouts that had grown that year.

All this cutting and clearing meant that there was a lot of brush to burn. On May 1 of 1926 Johny started burning brush, but the fire got out of hand. 'Fire got away from me at end,where Johnson cleared, and burned over nearly the whole farm taking with it the barn & nearly the house also. Fire caught in the shingles; could not stop it. If it hadn't been for Alden on the roof of the building it would have burned also.'

There was always a lot to do on the farm besides cutting, trees, clearing and planting. On July 1 Johny noted that he 'layed roof on building [probably layed roofing paper, 5 rolls of which he had brought to the farm at the end of June], fixed kitchen door, repaired pump, built toilet, went home [to Chicago] 2a.m. Tuesday [and] got home 6a.m.'

He kept accurate financial accounts of the amount of wood he had, measuring it himself, recording who had promised to do what on the farm as far as cutting trees, sawing logs, clearing brush, plowing and planting, digging in posts, stretching wire.

In February of 1927 Johny arranged for Carl Neubert and Toney(sp?) to build a sheep shed out of asp poles. In March Johny drove out to the farm from Chicago with Alden, Richard Anderson and Lester, and Dave Swanson They went out and bought six sheep at $8.00 each. Johny gave $1.00 spend money to Dave's boys because Dave would not accept anything for helping Johny get the sheep. Dave promised to keep an eye on the sheep for Johny.

In October Johny got Harness to undertake to disc a field and plant mint, and arranged with old man Drypert for two loads of roots. Harness chargde $1.75 an hour for discing, and planting the mint.

In March of 1928 Johny drove out with Al, Russell and Joe Swanson, an d found five lambs born and doing well. Later in the month he saw Dave Swanson about planting potatoes the crop of which they would split 50/50. Johny talked to Mr. Carlson who said he would talk to Henry Harness about discing and planting the roots.

In April Johny planted four apple trees, four cherries, two pears and some bushes. He also got Henry to help plant mint roots. The following month he planted two maples, three blooming trees and one huckle berry bush. Later in the month he used Dave's grain drill and planted oats and timothy on land south and west of the house. He used 6 1/2 bushels of oats for planting at 70 cents a bushel and 6 1/2 bushels of timothy at 32 1/2 cents. He also planted two birch trees. At the end of the month, the sheep were sheared. The wool was sold at Wakutain(sp?) elevator.

For the years 1929 and 1930, Johny doesn't write much. But in February of 1932 he had some land plowed by Carl. On April 30th he drove to the farm and found four sheep dead and the bark eaten off all the apple trees. He also arranged with Carl Newberg to plant oats in the southeast corner for pasture and soy beans in the field to the west. Carl Nelson was to plant soy beans in the field north of the house. The soy beans would grow well and in some places would be up to Johny 's armpits by September. He, also, arranged with Norman Swanson to take care of the sheep, and for doing so he received 1/3 of the lambs, and 1/3 of the wool.

In May Johny planned some spruce which he dug up in the Michigan swamp. He got Tavener to shear the sheep. Tavener sheared 17 and left one unshared it had too little wool. There were also eight new lambs. In November Johny writes the rye was also planted.

In April of 1933 Johny plants four red cedars, two Jack pines and one beech.

See Notes of John T. Holmquist Mostly Concerning Farm in Grovertown. (That title was added to the scanned document by Lennart Holmquist many decades after the original was written by John T.).

Johny T's son-in-law, Elmer, farmed the land at one time for Johny T.

Besides planting and managing the farm Johny also did some hunting on the farm.

Did Johny make money off his farm? Looking at his balance sheet from 1930 to 1932 he just about broke even. If you consider the money on food that he saved by growing some of it himself and bring it back to Chicago, he probably made a little.

Why did he make so little? For one, the farm in Grovertown was very small - just 40 acres. Its difficult to make money with just 40 acres of land. Also, Johny could only go out to the farm on weekends. Most of the work on the farm he had to have other people do, and then pay them for their work. This ate up nearly all the money the farm made. The value of the farm should not just be measured in the amount of cash it brought in, but rather in the obvious joy it brought Johny and his family. There are a lot of happy memories associated with the farm by many people.

At some point Johny started working on A Brief Family Tree. In 1934 he typed it up. The document is important. The information provided the base for all subsequent research on the family, and the history of the family found on this website.

In later years Johny enjoyed plowing with his red tractor. Johannes too went out with the family to Grovertown and would bring along a bag of bananas for all the kids to enjoy. One time going to Grovertown on a bumpy gravel road he said he wished that he could live to see a cement highway going to Chicago to Grovertown.39

Of course Ruth was very much involved with the farm, gardening and cooking. Ruth was a good cook. Sometimes they went into town to buy food - what food they did not raise on the farm - and supplies. Often, however, food and other products could be bought from 'old man Uncipher,' and later his son, in a refrigerated truck.

For more about the farm as told by John's uncle Wilhelm see:

Boyhood Days of William Holmquist

Also see:

Holmquist Farm

1938 Church

Johny was a deacon of the church from about 1938 or 1940 until his death in 1953 with the exception of every 4th year when a deacon had to take a year off. No one could be a deacon more than 3 years at a time. Johny was also an active member of the Judson Bible class, probably since his conversation and until his death. Most of the leaders of the church came out of the Judson Bible class. Johny also later became chairman of the nominating committee for church officers - deacons, trustees, Sunday School superintendents, etc. In his later years he was sponsor of the high school teen association, attending their meetings.

Johny was not one who spoke out much. If he gave a testimony at all or prayed at all during Wednesday night prayer meetings which he and Ruth consistently attended, he said few words and spoke directly to the point. He came to be a deeply religious man who didn't 'wear his religion on the cuff.'

Johny did not believe in 'eternal security'. If you slipped away from the Lord (backslid) you could be lost forever, i.e., end up in hell rather than heaven. This theology made him take his Christian life very seriously, and very strictly - not only for himself but for his family also. John T. would not allow his daughter Elaine to go to the movies. When Elaine married Carl, Carl pointed out to Johny T. that he liked watching westerns of TV. According to John T. though this was different than going to a movie house and watching a movie.

Relatives

Johny 's first mother, Hannah, had a sister named Christina. Christina was the mother of Charlie, August and Ellen. Though Hannah died when Johny was quite young the families kept up their relationship over the years.41

Charlie, August and Ellen's father, Johny, worked for International Harvester Co. (IH) which made farm machinery.42 This was secretly done because IH did not want other companies to try to put them out of business.

One day in Chicago 43 Johny T. Holmquist was standing in a long line hoping to get a job at International Harvester Co. His Uncle Johny Larson was walking by, spotted him and said, 'Johnnie, what are you doing here?!'

'Trying to get a job,' he replied.

'Come with me,' Uncle Johny said.

He took Johnnie to the employment manager and said, 'This is my nephew. Give him a job.' And the employment manager did.

In a letter dated October 10, 1906, Johny writes to Ruth that 'To marrow night we expect the Larsons over for they will move to sterling this week so then I can't study at all.' The Larson's eventually owned a tool factory in Sterling.

Margaret Chapin (Ellen's daughter) was born in President Ronald Reagan's future home. Harry Chapin played football against Reagan (Tampico vs Dixon). The Chapins were to own a cheese factory in Tampico, Illinois.

Johny 's mother died when he was quite young. His father married again and it was his second wife that really brought up the four boys.

Johny 's step-mother was not always in Chicago. She spent summers on the Holmquist farm in Grovertown, Indiana. In one letter Johny writes:

Ma came home yesterday[.] I thought she would stay a couple of weeks but she had to come home and take care of the pigs, that came today. Pa is down in the basement putting salt on them now.44

In a letter a few months later he writes that:

Ma and Pa came home monday night all right so the cooking for us is over and I am glad of it. Every thing in the country is the same only there is no berries on the bushes. Dont you wish you had some of those gosse berries you had last summer[?] [W]ell I dont want any of them green things, they dont tast good to me all I want is the red ones.45

Al doesn't think these were actually gooseberries, but rather blueberries of which there was quite a lot. Bud said there were blueberries, blackberries, and huckleberries. There were also peach and pear trees according to Elaine.

Johny and his brothers used to pick blueberries and sell them to the dining car on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Lillian Johnson says that she remembers going to the farm, picking blueberries and sleeping on a straw mattress in the farm house.

Bud writes:

Every summer Emma Holmquist spent summers at Grovertown, Indiana. She had a horse and buggy and bought a cow each summer so the boys could have milk. Johannes came out weekends on Pennsylvania RR [railroad] and they met him in Grovertown. They took the original winding road through woods to the farm. This road can still be detected by close observation.

The oldest four boys would pick cucumbers to sell to Heinz pickle factory in Grovertown. One boy would lift the vine with a long stick, another had a club to kill the rattlesnakes, the third picked pickles. [They would sell the rattles to neighborhood boys in Chicago.] They had a dog named Tallow who was a good 'snaker.' The dog was finally bitten and died.

Years later when I would drive highway #30 from Chicago 2 1/2 to 3 hours we would see Grovertown pickle factory and sing 'I see the pickle factory, pickle factory, pickle factory, in Grovertown. . .

Eleanor adds that one time it took all night and 6 flat tires to drive to Grovertown.

Distance from the Holmquist farm to the pickle factory? About 2 1/2 miles.

Lillian Johnson remembers her mom and dad, Esther and Bill, telling her that after her mother, Lillie, died in childbirth, she was often cared for by Johny and Ruth.

Lillian also remembers all the Holmquist family reunions in Zion, Illinois, at Uncle Val's and Aunt Nellie's in Ross, Indiana, and in Sawyer, Michigan and Des Plaines, Illinois. And there was Johny and Ruth's 25th Wedding Anniversary where Laverne and she sang 'Silver Threads Among the Gold' and 'Sweeter As the Years Go By' while Evelyn played the organ. Lillian was just 16 at the time.

Johny 's Personality

Somebody had mentioned to Ruth that Johny was a nice person, Ruth said in one of her letters. She also wrote that she thought even more of him than that.

Bud says that his father never defamed anyone, nor did his mother gossip. But she did like listening in on the party line on the old wall phone at Grovertown as many farm wives did at the time according to Bud.

Johny was a fairly quiet person, fair, didn't get angry easily though he got furious with himself when he made a mistake, and was patient with people. Ruth had neglected writing Johny for some weeks - which was rare. Noting his personality she writes tongue-in-cheek, 'I know that your are not a harsh judge, and will not make the penalty severely.' 46

A person named Dave, probably Uncle Dave Swanson, organized a birthday party one year and invited everyone except Oscar Sable, a good friend of Johny T.'s.47 Johny stuck up for his friend and told Dave that he didn't think it was right to treat Oscar that way. Dave got 'saucy' about it according to Johny .48

Dave Swanson was an attorney and Illinois state representative. He was a proud man and he thought the world of his sister, Ruth. Accordingly, he thought his sister Ruth should marry one of his own friends rather than Johny. Johny, understandably, never got close to Dave. Bud, Johny 's son, though liked Dave and was treated well by him.

Johny did appreciate one getting one's 'just desserts.' He writes, '[Charlie Johnson] told me that the boss that fired me, got the can some time ago so I am glad he got the same as I did.'49

Dave visited his mother every Saturday afternoon when he was not in Springfield. He was quite good about this. Later it was Dave's idea to put his mother into Fridhem old people's home where she would get proper care and where she wouldn't be such a burden to Ruth.

Johny had a keen sense of humor, though his humor was subtle. He was not the life of the party ever, but he was not afraid to speak up after others had had their say. His opinions often carried enough weight so his advice was often accepted and acted upon.

Favorite foods of Johny were spare rips and lemon cream pie. A favorite food of Ruth's were chicken necks!

Elaine relates that Johny had dreams that would come true. He had a dream, for instance, that he would move out of a certain building where his shop was located and then it would catch fire, which indeed happened. In another instance the day or so before he died, he had a dream that something was going to happen. He thought it was something concerning one of the kids, and he called the children and told them to be careful. What he didn't realize, of course, was that something fatal was going to happen to himself.

Ruth's Personality

This is what Johny and Ruth's daughter Elaine has to say about her mother:50

My mother was a giving person. Enjoyed traveling. She could accept things without complaining. During and after the depression we lived in Grovertown and she raised chickens and cleared over $1000 in one year from eggs sold to New York. She was proud of this. She also raised blueberries, raspberries, vegetables and canned them. We also had fruit trees.

She was rather quiet, but had a sense of humor. Dad was a little tight with money. (Probably because of the depression.) Mom wanted new furniture. She found what she wanted, but dad said he wanted to think about it. Mom got a grin on her face and said, 'I worked before I met you and I can go back to work again.' Of course dad gave into her. . . .

One Easter time she was making me a suit. She took really sick about a week before Easter and of course couldn't work on he suit, right? Wrong. The night before Easter I woke up about 3:00 AM and heard the sewing machine going. I went down stairs as she was finishing up the suit.

She - go down once a week on and off to help feed the down and out at the mission in downtown Chicago. She would go over to Fridhem old people's home and do volunteer work and was on the committee for their big outdoor yearly sale. I know she was president of the women's organization in the church at least once, but I believe more.

She had her elderly mother in our home for hears until Uncle Dave saw what mother went through with grandma. No bladder control, etc. He then put her in Fridhem where she died by falling out of a window.

Mom had very high blood pressure and just didn't feel good most of the time. We found out she had the kind of heart trouble where you fill up with fluid. At that time there was no pills. She had to go to the hospital and they'd removed the fluid. You [Lennart Holmquist] from your dad that she died from the wrong medicine, given to her at one of those times.

My mother loved the Lord and taught me so much in my younger years.

When your dad was in the service [U.S. marines] her one prayer was that she'd live to see him come back. The Lord granted that wish. . . .

I must tell you a little humorous story. I was dating this fellow and was trying to break it off. Mom and I were sitting in an enclosed porch. This fellow drove up and I didn't want to see him. Mom pointed to the back of the house and said, 'Go out the back door and I'll tell him your out.'

I hope this gives you a little of what mom was like. She was a real sweetie and you would have loved her.

Mother's Day, Easter, other special events or just a night out were often celebrated at Mickelberry's at 2300 West 95th Street in Chicago. Mickelberry's a rustic restaurant with old newspapers framed on the walls. 51

1953 Last Days

Ruth went to South Shore Hospital of Chicago to see her doctor, Dr. Dahlberg, regarding her heart. Her visit was not a crisis situation. However, according the nurse on duty who was Ruth's friend, Ruth was given the wrong mediation and died as a result of the medication. The family did not know about this until years of Ruth's death.

See Vital Statistics: Ruth Elfie Holmquist (Swanson) prepared by Elaine Shumaker

John died in his home at 11342 Church Street, Chicago, of coronary thrombosis.

Miscellaneous

Sources for most of the material above are from letters between Ruth and Johny (1904-1908), Bernard Holmquist, Eleanor Wisner, Elaine Shumaker and Edith Nieuburut

Johny was often called 'Johny T' to distinguish him from his father who was also called Johny in America. However, Johny T's father's given name was 'Johannes'. Johannes took the English spelling and pronunciation of the name after he emigrated from Sweden to America.

Note: According to Johny 's sister-in-law, Esther, in regards to Johny, 'I never knew a man so handsome.'

Bud remembers his dad taking him to Lincoln Park Zoo as a teenager so that he could have a part of his memories of himself and his father having gone there years before. This was a very special memory to Bud.

Bud was no doubt very fond of his father. Nearly every year, on January 12 Bud would comment to me (Lennart), 'It is dad's birthday today.' He then calculated in his head how old his father would have been on that day if he was still living. Eventually, Johny T, would have gotten quite old.

John T. was a rather quiet person with good sense of humor. Loved to laugh at his own jokes as did his son Bud. John T. would give himself away with his jokes, but still could hold a straight face. (How would he give them away?)

John T. always had something worthwhile to say.

Mentioned in 1953 that he was sponsor of senior young people's society at Emerald Street Baptist church. He was the sponsor or supervisor. Advisor - mentor.

A friend of Bud's, a man named Donald Nordstrom (who lives in California at the time of this writing) remembered that Johny T. did this because he was in their group.

John T. fit in really well in the youth group.

John and Ruth Holmquist Residences

Banking

John banked at:

Chicago Bank & Trust Co., 79th & Halsted, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Bank & Trust Co., 63rd & Halsted, Chicago, Illinois (Loan Officer - Victor Yetterberg)

Hamlet State Bank - Hamlet, Indiana

See also Vital Statistics: John Theodore Holmquist prepared by Elaine Shumaker

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Footnotes

2. Letter From Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, December 1906.

3. Letter From Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, December 26, 1907.

4. Letter from Ruth Swanson to Johny Holmquist, July 19, 1907.

5. The date of this letter may be incorrect, and must be verified.

6. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, February 10, 1908.

7. Bulletin of Emerald Avenue Baptist Church, VXLIII, No.4, January 25, 1953.

8. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, January 23, 1905.

9. Letter from Ruth Swanson to Johny Holmquist, January 22, 1905.

10. Name changed some years later.

11. Enoch eventually got TB. Johny would take Elaine with him to visit Enoch in the sanitarium. Enoch was buried in Lutheran Cemetery in Donaldson, Indiana. Apparently, Enoch owned or worked in a trucking company. Enoch's daughter, Ruby, now lives in Donaldson.

12. Letter 10/2/06

13. Letter from Ruth Swanson to Johny Holmquist, August 8, 1905. Years later Johny took his son, Bud to Cubans on one occasion to show him where he had taken his mother before they were married. He took Elaine to Cubans one time as well.

14. Letter 9/11/06.

15. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, September 11, 1906.

16. Letter from Ruth Swanson to Johny Holmquist, December 19 1906.

17. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, October 22, 1906.

18. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, December 21, 1906.

19. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, December 21, 1906.

20. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, April 1, 1908.

21. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, February 18, 1908.

22. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, November 20, 1908.

23. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, May 18, 1906.

24. Told by Johny to Elaine Shumaker.

25. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, January 24, 1906.

26. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, August 23, 1906.

27. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, March 15,1907.

28. Carl Shumaker says that the company name was Mall Tool.

29. Elaine remembers her father telling her the name of the business was Mall Tool. LaVerne thought this may have been the early name of the company when it started in a garage (or in a former stable according to another source. Perhaps the building started off as a stable, and became a garage when cars replaced horses).

30. One of which which Elaine still owns (June, 2000).

31. Al Holmquist still had one of these arc lamps many years later. The Sun-O-Lite Ultra Violet Ray Lamp brochure was handed down through the family and is now in the possession of Johnys grandson, Lennart Holmquist (2015).

32. Patent #1,454,512; May 8.

33. I have yet to check to see if he applied for Patents which were not accepted by the patent bureau.

34. Peacock's is still in business in downtown Chicago according to Eleanor. Letter from Eleanor Wisner to Lennart Holmquist, March 10, 1990. A web search by Lennart in 2005 found a citation to a CD Peacock jewelry store founded in Chicago in 1837 and still in business. Perhaps this is the same company that Ruth worked for.

35. Elaine Shumaker remembers Johny saying that at one time he was worth 1 1/2 million dollars.

36. This story was related to Len Holmquist by Elaine on May 8, 2004 on Bainbridge Island, WA. Elaine couldn't remember how many 100 dollar bills she found.

37. Lennart Holmquist contacted the corporate historian of Zenith in 1999 to see if there were still employee records still in existence for 1934-35. The records were long gone.

38. Letter from Carl Shumaker to Lennart Holmquist postmarked November 29, 1999. Carl became Johny 's son-in-law having married Elaine Holmquist.

39. We don't know if his comment about the road was in 1925 or earlier.

40. Johny 's father, Johannes passed away just two weeks before.

41. In the early 1970s my father took the family on vacation to the mid-west where he made a point of introducing us to Charlie Larson. [Lennart Holmquist, 2005].

42. Oral tradition has it that Johny Larson was a foreman who was sent to Sterling to start International Harvester Truck Co. A separate piece of oral history says Johny Larson worked as a blacksmith foreman in Rock Falls. Marguerite Moran, Archival Assistant of the McChormick/IH Collection, writes in an email to Lennart Holmquist on October 11, 2005 that experiments with a prototype vehicle were done in Rock Falls by an Edward A. Johnston. The production of the first 100 vehicles was done in Chicago in 1906. Therefore, it seems that Johny Larson worked in Rock Falls for IH though it may not have been known as the International Harvester Truck Co., specifically. He would have worked, presumably, on the pro type(s) in Rock Falls. Though it seems he may have been involved with the production also. See footnote below. Johny Larson may have lived, however, in Sterling which is right across the Rock River. His son Charles Larson did indeed live in Sterling later if not earlier with his parents.

43. As mentioned above IH started production of their first 100 vehicles in Chicago in 1906. Johny T. would have been about twenty years old at the time, so it is possible that he worked on these first 100 vehicles though we have no documentation to prove that he did.

44. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, October 10, 1907. They would bring pork home from Grovertown, and salted it down for the winter. This was called 'salt pork.'

45. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson,December 26, 1907.

46. Letter from Ruth Swanson to Johny Holmquist, October 3, 1907.

47. Oscar was also brother of Johny 's good friend, Ed, and brother of Professor Esther Sabel of Bethel College and Seminary who taught Greek among other things. She was at one time Al Holmquist's Sunday School teacher.

48. Oscar was to be a pallbearer at Johny 's funeral.

49. Letter from Johny Holmquist to Ruth Swanson, December 26, 1906????

50. Letter from Elaine Shumaker to Lennart Holmquist, postmarked August 4, 1997.

51. The source for much of this chapter has come from: Bernard (Bud) Holmquist, Eleanor Wisner, Elaine Shumaker, Al Holmquist, Richard Holmquist and LaVerne Holm.