This seventh installment of David
Anderson’s Return To Sweden includes a visit to Skärsjön Lake and the Old Car Show drive around event which was the main
feature in Avesta.
June 7
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ujelang/14367756742/
On the 14th of May 1758 my ancestor Eric Hansson went out to
walk from the farm Höjen in Garpenberg parish to nearby Skärsjön to check on
the fishing. He was aged 67 at the
time. He didn’t make it to the lake
apparently dying of a heart attack on the way.
Today we walked the mile from Höjen to Skärsjön. The route starts out on the level then climbs
fairly steeply before crossing over a glacial moraine and dropping to Skärsjön. It is a very pretty spot and is most likely
the source of fish the people who lived at Höjen ate.
Skärsjön.
My ancestor Eric Hansson would have been very familiar with this lake.
Fish were apparently the chief food, or source of protein, for people at Höjen.
Remains
of disintegrating buildings were seen in the forest between Höjen and
Skärsjön. The amount of forested land in Sweden has increased in the late
20th Century as marginal farm land has reverted to Forests.
A
partially submerged boat on the rocky shoreline of Skärsjön.
Before coming back to Sweden in 1998 I made a posting on a
Swedish genealogical website informing anyone who was interested that I was
making a trip to Hedemora, and needed a translator! We would be visiting Anna Mattsson, the granddaughter
of Uncle Eric’s girlfriend. Anna would
be showing us around and taking us to places important to my family’s history –
including the house site for Svens, Grådö, Hedemora where my grandfather was
born. Jane Åhmark answered the posting
and volunteered, with her husband Tomas Vikman, to help translate for us. We later found out that Tomas is also
descended from Olaus Laurentii in Gagnef, but we haven’t figured where our
common ancestor is.
Jane joined us (today) on our trek to Skärsjön and later
guided us to their home where for lunch we had a recreation of Mom and Dad’s 50th
wedding anniversary dinner that we had enjoyed at Anna and Ivan Mattsson’s
house in 1998. A roast of moose, along
with new potatoes, is awesome.
Tomas enjoys tinkering on about anything, and has made two
jalopies, and invited us to ride along in a parade in Avesta. He had told us that there is a big collection
of vintage American cars in southern Dalarna, but I don’t think I was totally
prepared for seeing over 500 vintage cars parade up and down the main streets
of Avesta. What a show!
I can’t imagine what the world’s largest show of vintage American cars in Västerås, Sweden would be like.
I can’t imagine what the world’s largest show of vintage American cars in Västerås, Sweden would be like.
Through inquiries in researching the past I have found life
long friends in the present.
Tomas Vikman's jalopy
which we got rides in during the parade in Avesta.
Here
is a short video of some of the cars involved in the parade:
To view
ALL of the trip photos (up to date) that David has taken:
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