Anna Olauson (52 Ancestors-#4)

This week’s challenge was to write about an ancestor who either shared a birthday with you or had a birthday close to your birthday. Oddly enough, I am continuing with my great-grandmother’s family in this week’s challenge. My great-grandmother, Ingrid Olauson, was the oldest of six children. The next oldest was her sister, Anna Olauson, who was born two years after Ingrid. 

Anna Olauson was born on 1 December 1875 in Malmohus Sweden, the second child of Olaus Hansson and Bengte Nilsdotter. Anna was the second of the six children to come to the United States. She immigrated in 1896 when she was twenty-one years old. I am guessing that she came straight to Peoria, Illinois where her sister Ingrid was living, but I don’t have proof of that. Miss Anna Olson is listed in the Peoria Illinois City Directories for 1898, 1899, and 1900 working as a domestic at 210 W. Armstrong in Peoria. Anna is listed in the 1900 Peoria, Illinois Census as a domestic servant in the household of Weston Arnold at 210 W. Armstrong. I have not located any records for Anna between 1900 and 1906. When Anna was thirty-one years old, she married Oscar E. Peterson in 1906. 

The next record I have of Anna is in the 1910 Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois Census.“Annie” is listed there as age 34, married four years, with one child. She is listed as being born in Sweden. She was living with her husband, Oscar E. Peterson, age 33, and her daughter Viola C. Peterson age 7. Her husband Oscar’s mother was also living with them. In the Peoria 1920 Census, Annie is listed as age 44, living with Oscar and daughter Viola. Annie’s daughter married John S. Walker in 1922. 

 The 1930 Peoria Census shows Anna living with Oscar. She was listed as age 53 and had been married for 24 years. Anna Olauson Peterson died in 1939, at the age of 63. Her daughter, Viola died in 1950. Anna’s husband Oscar lived until 1963. Anna seemed to have lived a quiet life. Two of Ingrid’s granddaughters did not remember Anna Peterson. A mystery has arisen for me since I began looking at Anna’s records. Her daughter Viola was born three years before Anna married. I wonder if perhaps Oscar had been married before and Viola was his daughter. Or had Anna married before and Viola was her daughter? Or was she adopted? I looked at Peoria City Directories for 1902, 1904, and 1905 on Ancestry.com. In 1902, Oscar was no longer living in his mother’s home (as he was in 1900 census). However, by 1904, his mother was living with him in his home. Unfortunately, the 1903 city directory was not available. The listings do not indicate if the male listed was married or had children, so all is speculation. I suspect that Oscar had married after 1900 and that his wife had died before 1904 after having a daughter 

 To complicate the issue, the 1910 Census indicates that this was the first marriage for both Oscar and Anna. My next move is to order a copy of the marriage records to see if I can learn more about this family….