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Elizabeth Matintytär Carlson (Harju) - immigration

Started by Alex Moes on Saturday, January 1, 2022
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The Ellis Island record connected to this woman on Family Search has a few problems if we are to accept it is for this woman https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C959-4WMC?i=121&cc...

The immigrant is listed as Elisabet Harju, a 25 year old woman arriving in the USA in 1906 to join her husband, _NICOLAS_HARJU_

By August 1906 "our" Elizabeth was a 26 year old woman, it is unlikely she would get her own age wrong. The 1930 census lists her arrival in USA as 1905, not 1906. Most importantly her husband's name is Harold, perhaps Timo, not Nicolas and not Harju. She doesn't even have a brother or uncle named Nicolas Harju that might have been incorrectly recorded as a husband.

It looks like you are trying to tie records from different individuals into a single profile.

What we have records for at this point is:

  • An Elisabet Harju married a Timotej Remsujeff in Finland in 1901 and the same couple appear to be in Illinois in the US 1910 census.
  • An Elisabeth NN married a Nicolas Harju in Finland and immigrated to Illinois in 1906.

Both Elisabeth's have two daughters, the eldest in each case being named Annie.

  • Elisabeth Carlson NN who married "Harold Carlson" also has two daughter's, the eldest being named Annie.

Husband(s)

  • Harold T. Carlson is a Swede who in 1920 is a farmer in Pennsylvania
  • Timo Remsujeff is a Finn who in 1910 is working as a Wire Puller (a skilled craft) in Illinois.
  • Nicolas Harju I can find no further records at this point.

Why would a self identified Finn working a skilled craft in Illinois in 1910 change his name completely and move in 1912 to Pennsylvania to take up farming and start self identifying as a Swede by 1920?? As a narrative this doesn't make sense.

Following from above, Harold and Elizabeth Carlson have a son named Paul Johannes Carlson When Paul dies in 1982 his obit in the Beaver County Times names his mother as "Elizabeth Hill".

https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10606-376119/beaver-coun...

Private User do you have marriage records for Paul or his siblings? They sometimes list name of the mother in full.

Ok...lots of information here to follow up on.

1. a. The immigration record listed with Elisabeth is going to meet her "Husband Mikko Harju 125th 10st, DeKalb, Ills"
1. b. Anni and Jenni were supposed be born in Finland/Sweden.

2. The marriage date of 14 July 1901 seems to fit with what I have - a wedding ring passed onto me.

3. Harjü translated to Hill after the family came to the U.S.

4. Elisabeth has a brother, MIKKO who appears to keep the Harjü last name in his naturalization file card. I have not been able to follow him any farther as of today.

5. I do NOT have any actual marriage certificates for any of Harold and Elisabeth's children. I can check with my father as far as Elmer goes.

6. "Why would a self identified Finn working a skilled craft in Illinois in 1910 change his name completely and move in 1912 to Pennsylvania to take up farming and start self identifying as a Swede by 1920?? As a narrative this doesn't make sense." AGREED with this point as made above.

Hopefully I have added/answered everything?

Okay good.

1. a) Mikko, I can see it now. (b) yes all the records for both families show this.

2. How does the date fit the ring? Does the ring have a date inscribed? That would be almost unassailable proof.

3. Seems reasonable.

4. If Timo Remsujeff changed his name to Harry Carlson it may well prove impossible to find Mikko as he could have changed his name to anything.

5. I am not American, never been to PA, so don't know exactly how they do it. I'd look for marriage and maybe also birth records from Illinois.

6. counter to this point, we know that Harry was living in De Kalb around 1910 when his younger kids were born so the fact we cannot find him listed in the 1910 census is actually a positive.

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