Reconnecting a family chain, 130 years post-emigration!
Per Erik Lundström from Enköping Sweden (left) and Ken Kofoed from Utah, USA (right) did not know of each others´ existence but met for the first time as two grandsons of brothers who were separated by the great emigration to the United States in 1886.
Ken Kofoed, a retired surgeon from Utah was together with wife Lynn embarking on a Baltic cruise with Overseas Adventure Travel when we were contacted if we could help bring Ken to the city of Vingåker. This is where his grandfather Anders Gustaf Lundström was born and raised before emigrating to the United States as a teenager in 1886.
Once Anders Gustaf (or AG as he was called) was established in Utah, the rest of his family in Vingåker followed, with the exception of eldest brother Per Erik Lundström, who had married and stayed on the family farm Gustafstorp.
At MinnesotaSwede, we brought Ken and Lynn to Vingåker, to the parish church and several family farms that his grandfather was born and grew up on, including Gustafstorp. We also told Ken that we had located a living descendant of his great Uncle Per Erik Lundström, who shared the same name.
Do not miss reading about this amazing story of emigration and joyful reunification in our next newsletter, coming out in July!