Sharing our Links to the Past
by Wally and Frances Gray


The Lundquist Family of Sweden

Thanks to the efforts of Lundquist family members headed  by Eugene and Thelma Lundquist and instigated by Elsie McNabb (Saye), we are able to trace the records of this family back eight generations as follows (see Frances McNabb Gray Ancestor Chart for more details):

#M1 Frances Mildred MCNABB>#M3 Elsie Gladys LUNDQUIST>#M6 Emanuel Richard LUNDQUIST (1867-1925)>#M12 Carl Gustav (Larsson) LUNDQUIST (1834-1880)>#M24 Lars Johan OLSSON (1803-1834)>#M48 Olaf JONSSON (1761-1814)>#M96 Jons JONSSON (1738-1782)>#M192 Jons JONSSON (b about 1710).

You will notice the change of surnames which is typical for Swedish families. In this section you will learn, also, how the Lundquist name came into being.

The applicable biographies that will help in the narration of this history will be found with Elsie Lundquist McNabb, Emanuel Richard Lundquist, Grace Honor Bushman, Ada Rosa Flory, Carl Gustav Lundquist and Karin (Carolina) Ersson. Please refer to them for additional information.

The Lundquist Name

Carl Gustav Larsson (father of Emanuel Richard Lundquist) and his brother Johnannes Larsson took upon themselves the surname of Lundqvist perhaps because the biggest estate in the parish of Lerback where they lived is called Lund. The children never lived at Lund. At first they were called by the surname of  Larsson Lundqvist, later only Lundqvist. Carl, Johannes and their sister Anna Lisa Larsson were orphaned at an early age. Their father Lars Johan Olsson was drowned in Lake Hjalmaren in 1834. Carl Gustav was only 10 months old, his brother, about 3 and his sister about 4. Their mother died   in 1835. (An incorrect reason for acquiring the name of Lundquist is given below under "The Strange Story of the Rocine Family.)

The childrens' father, Lars Johan Olsson, was a small hereditary tenant farmer on crown land officially valued at about 30 pound sterling. Their grandfather (Olaf Jonsson) had lived on the same farm as had Lars and his oldest brother Anders Olsson. (This information comes to us via Ella Heckscher, the Swedish genealogist who was the first to do research for the family.)

The Strange Story of the Rocine Family

For many years it was believed that the family came from the Rocine family. This was due to a story handed down by family members, namely Victor, son of Carl Gustaf Lundquist.   Here is the story as it was believed by the family for many years (copied as it was written without corrections.)

Apr. 1925
Our Family History as gathered by Dr. Victor G. Rosiene in
his travels through Europe

"Our great grandfather was French, named Eugene LaGrande Rociene. He came to Sweden 125 years ago [1800] with Marchall Bernadatte. When Bernadatte was invited to the Swedish Ricksday to beome King of Sweden.

Our great grandfather was rich. When he died, our grandfather called Carl Eugene Rociene, inherited the estate. He married Hiss Louise Klingberg, a fine literary Swedish lady. Carl Eugene was a great spender, lived high, mortgaged his estate and lost it. His wife died at our father's birth and Carl Eugene died while out hunting on a lake, drowned and was never recovered. When Father was two years old. Father was left an orphan at two, and Peter Lundquist, a money-lender and blacksmith, became father's guardian. Father received 15000.00 crowns, all that was left of the estate. This or most of it Peter Lundquist got for father's keep.

They were mean to father, made him work in the blacksmith shop when quite young. As time went on, people called father Lundquist's ward, later his boy or son. Gradually he became known as Carl Lundquist and being down and out he felt too cheap and humiliated to relate his correct name, Carl Eugene Rociene but intended doing so if he could regain his estate in some way.  He went to France when 20 or 21 to get acquainted with his rich relatives there but they snubbed him because of his poverty. So he went to Germany to follow his trade trying to save money so he could again return to Sweden to fight for his estate. He met Carrie Erich in Germany at age 23 whom he married Nov. 20 1857 and Mary, Victor, Aran and Alex was born there. Then he went to Sweden but failed to win back his inheritance. Emanual was born in Sweden at that time. Then he moved with his family to America and leased a farm near Winona Ill. and also plied his trade as blacksmith. Then word came to him Peter Lundquist had died so again he returned to Sweden to see what he could do for his lost fortune. Carl Eugene was born just before reaching Swedish shore on the ocean. Father fought court battles for a long time always losing but always trying again. Ben and Helen was born in Sweden at this time. Father died at age of 46, Sept. 24 1880.

Mother returned to America in Aug 1881 with her young to join her older children left in America. Later went West and settled in Logan, Utah. Victor re-took his right name of Rocine through the courts in Chicago, Ill, Where he practiced phrenolgy (?) and authorship, later as Dr. of Diatics.

When the researcher, Ella Heckscher checked into this story in Sweden she discovered it was wrong. Eugene B. Lundquist, had it rechecked by Ella. She checked and stated that the story written by Victor Rocine was 95 percent untrue and the "remaining part contains a trifle of truth."

She found, through research, that:

    1. The family did not come from France with a person in Bernadette's staff. Bernadotte arrived in Sweden the 10th Nov. 1810. No noble family with the name of Rocine or LaGrande is registered at the House of Nobility.

    2. The sisters and brothers of Mr. Rocine (Victor) were not born in France, Germany and on the ocean. Proof was presented that they were all born in the Parish of Amneharad.

    3. Carl Gustaf Lunqvist did not work as a blacksmith. He was a farmhand.

    4. The guardians of Carl Gustaf Lundquist and his sister and brother were two men by the names of Jan Anderson of Rosendahl and Petter Persson of Karintrdop, both of Lerback. No man by the name of Peter Lunqvist is found. It is true that Carl and his brother took the name of Lundqvist, but no formality was necessary to change a name.

    5. No such person as  Klingberg has been found in the records. (Carl LaGrande Rocine, Victor's grandfather, was supposed to have married her.) It can be proved that Carl Gustaf Lundqvist's parents were Lars Johan  Olson and Anna Maja Andersdotter.

    6. It is true that Carl Gustaf Lundqvist's father was drowned in 1834 and the mother died in 1835, so the children were orphans at early ages.

    7. It is questionable if there ever was an estate. Lars Johan Olson was only a tenant and the land belonged to the state.

    8. There were not two trips to America.

To get the true story we refer you to the biographies of  Carl Gustav (Larsson) Lundquist and Karin (Carolina) Ersson.

This statement appears "From Dad's Record Book" typed by Elsie Gladys Lundquist McNabb: "Lars Johan Rosin, father of Karl Gustav Rosin, born Lukebo, Lerbeck Socken Sweden Sun. Feb. 9, 1834. Assumed Lundquist in Swedish army according to frequent customs there." This was probably what was believed at the time it was written: another version of the origin of Lundquist.

Genealogical Research

Research for the Lundquist family was done by two researchers. First was Ella Heckscher of Uppsala, Sweden who was retained by Elsie Gladys Lundquist McNabb at the recommendation of the Genealogical Society of Utah.She started work on the line around 1948, paid by the Lundquist family under the direction of Eugene and Thelma Lundquist and with promotion (raising funds) from Elsie Lundquist McNabb. Ella died in the early 1970s. By 1956 twelve family group sheets had been tabulated. By 1959, eighteen more family group sheets were prepared, and eventually a large pedigree chart was handed out to family members.

In 1973 Donald W. Christensen of Utah was retained by Eugene. By 1974 Mr. Christensen had completed the following:

    First Phase. He prepared 1,062 christenings from the Lerback Parish. (Cost $100.)
    Second Phase. He prepared 844 christenings from the Lerback Parish. (Cost $100.)
    Third Phase. He prepared 778 christenings and 191 marriages in the Tjallmo Parish. (Cost $100.)
    He had also extended some of the pedigree chart although his main contribution was extracting names from parish records.

By doing extractions, Christensen was able to clear many names for temple work and the family will never have to go into the parishes again. Beyond this point the work continued, but I (Wallace F. Gray) am unable to determine just what was done from the information I have.

Pedigree charts of the work done at least up to 1954 were sent to up to 50 families who were the direct line. Unfortunately we do not have the names of these families. The pedigree chart of 1954, starting with Eugene's father (Eric B. Lundquist) goes back seven or eight generations.

Unfortunately, the Ancestral Chart on file with FamilySearch (you can start with Carl Gustaf Larsson Lundquist) gets off on some different lines. Perhaps, eventually we will correspond with the person who submitted that information and reconcile it with the information we have from Eugene. I am not sure where a record of the names that were extracted exists. I believe the family can assume that temple work has been completed as far as possible for this line. Anyone is welcome to communicate with us regarding the information we have recorded on our Personal Ancestral File (computer program.)

Information Available in the Family History Library on This Family

1881 Emigration for Skarsborg Company. Microfilm #083159. Names Karin Ersson and her children.

Record of the family members of the Logan LDS 5th Ward taken from page 36. Microfilm #026084. Note that Caroline Lundquist and her seven children were received by the Logan LDS 5th Ward on 13 Nov 1882.

Record of the family members of the LDS Hyde Park Ward taken from page 28, Microfilm #025989. Note that Caroline Lundquist and her six children mentioned here were received by the Hyde Park Ward on 10 May 1884.

Family History of Peter Carlson Lundquist by Mary H. L. Brockbank and Leila L. Judd. This may not be the same Lundquist line. Not microfilmed. US/CAN Book Area 929.273. L 1972b.

Addendum, 1748-1982, to Anderson, Isaacson, Lundquist family story.   Contains genealogical records of ancestors in various parishes in Kronoberg and Varmland Counties, Sweden. (May contain information for our family.) Microfilm #1206432, item 15.

Family Reunions

Around 1963 the Lundquist family began holding annual family reunions. These are still being held.

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