Ida Hokanson, 1888, Notes On

Ida Hokanson, 1888, Notes On....
Her Parents Descendant Chart

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Ida Hokanson came to Galveston from Sweden to work as a maid. Her sister was apparently already in Galveston and found a job for her. She was only 16 years old.

Ida returned to Sweden once with her young son, Carl Anton Harry Hokanson. Except for that visit, she never saw any of her Swedish ancestors again. Her siblings who came to Galveston were Marie, Adolph, and Gerda. Gerda married a man named Emil Nelson or Nilson. He was Norwegian. He was captain of the dredge boat, "Matagorda." Their children were Mabel, Evelyn, and John. Gerda was called "Tante Yerda." Tante is "Aunt" in Swedish and the "G" was pronounced as a "Y."

Three of Ida's sons served in Europe during World War II. A picture of them all together in uniform taken near Darmstadt, Germany was in the local papers and is a prized memento.

Ida and Anton deliberately spoke only English around their children. They wanted their kids to speak very good, unaccented English as they felt that they would fare better financially and socially. However, sometimes Ida longed to speak Swedish with others and hear fresh news of how things were in Sweden. Ida liked to visit the port in Galveston whenever she read in the papers that a Swedish ship was docking. Several times during World War II, she got her daughter-in-law, Patsy, to drive her to Galveston to meet Swedish ships. She taught Patsy to shout "Hello!" in Swedish. Then the sailors really came flocking!!! Ida would get to speak Swedish, and sometimes someone would give her some Swedish newspapers!

When the Texas City explosion happened, Ida was sewing. She had just gone to a large closet to find some materials when the explosion knocked her down and slammed the closet door shut behind her! She was unable to get out of the dark closet for some time. She was not able to find out what had happened or to start looking for her family!!! When she did get out she found that the extremely tall window over her sewing machine had shattered, and her sewing machine was covered with glass. It is lucky she wasn't sitting there. For other family info on the Texas City explosion see notes on Anton Hokanson.

Ida's oldest daughter died at the age of 11 days. It was very cold and Ida had her three young children in bed with her to keep them warm. In the morning the baby was dead. Ida always grieved that she may have smothered the baby by covering them all up too well. Of course, it could have been SIDS, pneumonia, or anything, but she always blamed herself.

Once when a hurricane was blowing in, Ida delayed going to higher ground in case Anton's dredge boat was operating near enough for him to come home to her. She didn't want him to wonder where they had gone. Finally, she had to wade through waist deep water carrying Harry in her arms. I suppose that may have been the 1915 hurricane.

Ida lived to be 90 years old.

Descendants of Hakan Jonsson

    1     Hakan Jonsson    b: 1851     d: 1916         Fact 1: Was in photo taken in Brantevik, Sweden about 1902
.        +Karolina Unknown    b: 1849     d: 1934        Father:     Mother:    Fact 1: Was in photo taken in Brantevik, Sweden about 1902
.    2     Maria Hokanson    b: 1874 in Sweden      Fact 1: immigrated to Galveston, Tx from Sweden
.....        +Frans Wahlquist                 Father:     Mother:    Fact 1: Was in photo taken in Brantevik, Sweden about 1902
.    2     Gerda Hokanson    b: 1875 in Sweden        Fact 1: Immigrated to Galveston, Tx from Sweden
.....        +Emil Nelson                 Father:     Mother:
.....    3     Mabel Nelson          Fact 1: Was a nurse
........        +Unknown Busby           Father:     Mother:    Fact 1: Dr. Busby
.....    3     Evelyn Nelson
.....    3     John Nelson
.    2     Adolph Hokanson    b: 1878 in Sweden      Fact 1: Immigrated to Galveston, Tx from Sweden
.....    3     Inga Hokanson
.    2     Johan Hokanson    b: 1883 in Sweden    d: 1918 in USA in Spanish Influenza epidemic                 Fact 1: Was in photo taken in Brantevik, Sweden about 1902
.    2     Ida Hokanson    b: April 23, 1888 in Simmersan, Sweden    d: June 01, 1978 in Texas City, Texas                 Fact 1: Ida's maiden name was also Hokanson, though no kin to Anton
.....        +Anton Hokanson    b: October 25, 1879 in Sodra Brantevik, Sweden    d: May 16, 1952 in Texas City, Texas    m: December 17, 1910 in Galveston, Texas     Father: Hakan Nilsson    Mother: Kjersti Andersdotter     Fact 1: Birth and death info from Fam. Bible
.....    3     Carl Anton Harry Hokanson     b: July 13, 1911 in Texas City, TX    d: in Houston, TX                 Fact 1: Birth info from Family Bible
........        +Josephine Aarts                 Father:     Mother:
.....    3     Oscar Laurence Hokanson     b: July 01, 1916 in Galveston, TX    d: July 21, 1996 in La Marque, TX                 Fact 1: Birth info from Family Bible
........        +Thanet Octave Hassler                 Father:     Mother:
.....    3     Ida Hokanson    b: December 20, 1917    d: January 01, 1918                 Fact 1: January 01, 1918 Written in Swedish in Fam. Bible, "Herren gaf och Herren tag, Valsignadt (con)
.....    3     Nils Anton Hokanson    b: December 21, 1918 in Beaumont, TX    d: July 18, 1986 in Texas City, TX                 Fact 1: Never married
.....    3     William Leonard Hokanson     b: in Texas City, TX         Fact 1: birth info from Family Bible
........        +Patsy Sue Peek    b: August 09, 1923 in Fordyce, AR    d: December 19, 1978 in Houston, TX     m: February 14, 1944 in Fayetteville, AR    Father: Joel Harrison Peek    Mother: Maudie Elmer Trucks    Fact 1: Birth info from delayed birth certificate
.....        *2nd Wife of William Leonard Hokanson:
........        +Jacqueline Kyser             m: Abt. 1983     Father:    Mother:
.....    3     Ida Maria Hokanson    b: in Texas City, TX       Fact 1: Birth info from Family Bible
........        +Carl Keating Green, Sr.                 Father:     Mother:
.    2     Karl Hokanson    b: 1891 in Sweden                     Fact 1: Was in photo taken in Brantevik, Sweden about 1902

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