John (Jacob) (Persson) Westberg

John Westberg was born in Karlstad Sweden September 21, 1865, the 10th of 14 children born to Per Anderson Westberg (1823-1908) and Maria Nilsdotter (1826-1874). When John was young, his father was the miller in charge of the community’s flour mill located on the waterfall of Olman at the Estate of Refors. Previously John’s father had worked with his brother, Anders, on farms and later learned the trades of carpentry and blacksmithing.

John was confirmed in the Olme forsamling church by Pastor Hajor. What was his life like in Sweden?

In 1884, 19 year old John and his 15 year-old sister, Mathilda (1869-1950), emigrated to Chicago, Illinois. They had been preceded to Chicago by several family members whose stories about America perhaps help convince them to leave Sweden and try their luck in the new world.

Fifteen years earlier (in 1869) , John’s older cousin Per August (Andersson)Westberg (1846-1904), a cabinet maker had traveled to the U.S. at age 23 going first to New Orleans and arriving in 1870 in Chicago where he worked as a carpenter, receiving barely enough pay for board and lodging. Then on October 9, 1871 the great Chicago fire occurred, and he lost what little he had accumulated. After the fire, Per joined others in moving to the suburb of Englewood. The upside of the tragic event was that the rebuilding of Chicago and the building of suburbs provided Per August with plenty of work.

Per August kept in touch with his relatives in Sweden. Perhaps encouraged by the work possibilities, Per August’s older brother Anders joined him in Chicago in 1872. In the following year their mother Christina Olsdotter (1816-1888) and 2 sisters (Karin, Sophia, and Christina??) followed. The father, Anders Andersson (1812-1858), was no longer living. The sisters became servants in American families until they married. Sophia married Charles Lindstrom. Charles, Per August, and Anders joined forces and contracted and built residences, stores and office buildings, churches and public schools.

John and Mathilda were also preceded by their older brother Per August who came to Chicago in 1882 with two older sisters Christina and Lovisa.

Shortly after John arrived, family members (who?) helped him go to Bethany College in Linsberg, Kansas where he studied English for about 6 months. Then he lived in the very Swedish community of Rockford, Illinois for a year where he worked in a mill and played the cornet in a dance band.

John returned to Chicago in 1885 or 1886.. It is likely that John’s older sisters Christina and Lovisa, were still in Chicago, although it’s possible that Christina had married Fred Ehrenstrom, and they were living on a farm in Donaldson, Indiana.

John’s older brother , Nils Frederik (1860-1936), was probably in Chicago because he arrived there in 1885.

In 1888 John’s older brother, Per August, visited Sweden and brought his father and stepmother to Chicago where they joined 5 of their sons (Per August, Nils Fredrik, John, William and Fred and 3 of their daughters (Christina, Lovisa, and Matilda). Two sons (Anders Gustaf and Carl) and one daughter Anna Maria stayed in Sweden. Three daughters had died in infancy, and daughter Anna Maria had died in 1877 at age 17.

At the time they came to Chicago, Father Per Anderson Westberg was 65. Maria Lardotter, his wife, was 60.

Until their deaths in 1908 and 1912 respectively, they lived with their children [which ones?] in Chicago and then later on a farm in Indiana with daughter Christina and son-in-law Fred Ehrenstrom and their family.

Younger brothers William (1871-1942) and Alfred (1873-1909) arrived in Chicago in 1889.

Like many other Scandinavians, John and his brothers entered the building industry in various trades. (Do we know any details?) One brother (who?) became a reed and pipe organ tuner. The sisters worked as servants in American families until they married. All became members of the Augustana Lutheran Synod.

John and his brother Will attended Bethel Lutheran Church where they sang in the choir. John became a member on February 6, 1898. Rev A.S. Becklund was the pastor. At that time John lived at 6828 S. Green Street. [Did other family members go there also?] He also played the trumpet (probably not at church).

After John married Alma, the two of them lived [where ???]

When John and Alma were married on Nov 17, 1898, they are listed in the church records as living at 6828 S. Green Street. In time they had 4 children. Viola was born 2 years after they were married, April 5, 1900. She was baptisized as Viola Beatrice Westberg on July 1, 1900. At that time the family lived at 6411 S. Morgan Street. Eulalia was born April 5, 1906; Orville, June 30, 1930, and Granger July 11, 1913. When Granger was born, Alma was 42 and John was 48.

From the time Eulalia was born until 1912, Alma’s sister, Marie, lived with the Westbergs.

At the time of Granger’s birth the family lived at 6336 Peoria. In 1918 they moved to a temporary home at 7701 Aberdeen. In 1919, they moved to the house that John built at 8144 Green. Across the street from them lived Christina’s children (John’s nephew and niece). Arthur Fredrick Ehrentrom and his wife Elfrida Christina Larsson lived on the first floor. Laura Ingebord Ehnrenstrom and her husband Ole Louis Aanerud lived on the second floor.

When Alma and John were married, John was probably working in a mill. [Do you know?] Eventually he created his own wood and sash wood working company. One of his company’s contracts was helping to build Augustana Hospital, on whose board John served for 18 years.

While the building of Augustana was underway, Orville, who was interested in his father’s business, was allowed to leave school and serve as time-keeper for the job. (

During the depression, John treated his employees very well. Because it was getting so costly to do business, John took a cut in his salary and asked his employees to do likewise. The labor union did not like that. Some tough looking men came to visit the company and let it be known that they would close the company down if the men took a cut. The men decided not to take a cut but the company couldn’t afford doing business.

Lael remembers: “Daddy played the cornet in a dance orchestra when he first came to this country - probably in Rockford. He played the piano by ear and had a few rather cute pieces. Daddy was thin when he was married but became rather heavy later. He never had to make an effort to make friends. He was the one that relatives turned to when they were in trouble. When a relative died, Daddy was called before the undertaker. He was wonderful about having relatives live with us.”

“Daddy was very quiet. He didn’t like to “discuss things.” This bothered mother. He liked to make quick decisions when buying furniture for the house. This also bothered mother. He was very emotional. He cried easily, especially when he heard beautiful Swedish spoken.”