The soldier, Johannes Fredman, his wife, Johanna Svensdotter, and their three sons, Carl Axel Ludwig, Emil and Johan Albert, were living at Ared Westergarden in the parish of Narunga, Alvsbord (Västergötland), Sweden, from the mid-1860's until 1871. That year must have been a regrettable one for the family with joy turning to sorrow. On March 30th another son was born and was named Victor. However, probably from complications in birth, Johanna died less than two months later on the 28th of May.
    This left Johannes with four boys ranging from 8 1/2 years to 2 months. What could he do? For some reason, he moved his family to the nearby parish of Ornunga to an area (farm) called Skjutshagen. Just what the arrangements were there for a soldier is not known, but within a year he had met, impregnated and married another Johanna Svensdotter. Her middle name was Christina and her folks Sven Johansson and Anna Svensdotter lived in the same parish at Spetalen.
    A son was born on the 9th of May in 1872. They named him Edward Leonard. Three and one-half years went by and on October 12, 1875 the family was blessed again. This time it was a girl. She was named Thelma Axelina. Whatever happiness a baby sister brought to father, mother and five brothers that happiness was short lived.
    1876 was a disaster year. On the 20th of January little Edward Leonard, not yet four years old, died. Three months later on the 27th of May the baby girl also died. That must have been a shock, but to make matters the worst possible, Johannes also died on September 5th.
    What Johanna did is difficult to ascertain, but what she didn't do is obvious in the records. She sent her four step-sons to other members of the family. Carl, the oldest and nearly 14 years old, moved to Narunga from whence they had moved five years earlier. Emil, nearly 10 years old, went to Spetalen to live with Johanna's parents and family where he remained until November 15, 1884, at age 18, when he moved to Vaselid Ostergarden, still in the parish of Ornunga, where an Aunt, Anna Rajsa (his natural mother's sister), was living with her husband and family. Emil probably worked as a farm hand and only stayed there a year before he moved to Lindas, another farm in Ornunga. Eleven months later he moved again. This time he left the parish of Ornunga and moved to the parish of Herrljunga where he met his future wife and then left for America on his 21st birthday, November 24, 1887.
    With her step-sons farmed out Johanna Christina also left Skjutshagen, evidentially going to the parish of Ljur. From there she returned to her birthplace and parents at Spetalen in 1879. (Emil was there too). Then on April 22, 1881, she returned to Skjutshagen and married Alfred Andersson on July 2nd of that year. They had a daughter in 1882 and a son in 1883. From the appearance of the records they were still living there in 1894.
    So, the little family of 1870 in Narunga ended being scattered in 1871. Although they probably visited one another, only in going to the United States did the three remaining boys become reunited for a short time. There in Latah County, Idaho, the three claimed homesteads (Carl and Johan together and Emil alone). Carl didn't stay long before returning East to Minnesota. Johan Albert was killed in an harvesting accident in the 1890's near Genesee, Idaho. In March of 1899 Carl and his wife, Ida, sold their interest in the Idaho property to Emil for $250.00.