WICKSTROM FAMILY PRESENTATION:

ANDERS (ANDREAS) WICKSTROM
(12.1.1816-2.11.1882)

KAISA (CATHARINA) MAGDALENA RISTRÖM
(5.9.1820-29.7.1913)

Anders was born at Selets Bruk at Nederluleå Sweden. 
His father was masterblacksmith, later farmer Anders Wickstrom (1782-1873), who was born at Melderstein Bruk at Råneå Sweden.

Anders mother was tailor’s daughter Anna Löfgren (1780-1826) from Prästholm Råneå. They were living at Melderstein Bruk. 1808 or 1809 family moved to Nederluleå, where Anders sr was working at Selets Bruk until 1817, when family moved back to Melderstein. Anders was 10 years old and his younger sister Lisa Johanna only 3 years old, when their mother died 1826. 1828 their father Anders Wickstrom sr. got married with Maria Larsdaughter (1799-1862) from Prästholm Råneå. Between 1836 and 1839 family moved to Orrbyn Råneå and Anders sr came a farmer.  

In the family there was all together 17 children. 9 of them was born in the 1^st marriage and 8 in the second. 3 of the children died very young. Anders sr came blind and he died 1873. His 2 sons from the second marriage continued as farmers at Orrbyn Råneå.

Anders Wickstrom jr began his working career as assistant of masterblacksmith by his elder brother Nils Petter Wickstrom at Melderstein Bruk. 1839 Anders jr moved to Rosfors Bruk at Piteå and worked also there as assistant to a masterblacksmith. At Piteå he met Kaisa Magdalena Ristrom, who was working as maid in a teacher’s family. Kaisa Magdalena’s father was a worker at Melderstein Bruk. Anders and Kaisa got married at Piteå and  got there 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl).

1850 Anders moved with his family to Pudasjärvi Finland. He worked as masterblacksmith  at Timonen Bruk at Hirvaskoski village. They lived nearby at Kesänen farm by Korentojärvi. They got there 4 more children (2 boys and 2 girls). Timonen Bruk was destroyed in a fire 1877 and Bruk finished to function. Anders stayed with his family as a tenant at Kesänen, where he died 1882. Anders was very eager fisherman.

Johan Peter, eldest son of Anders moved to live at Penttilä farm by Hirvasjärvi. He was 3 times married. From the 1^st marriage with Maria Berg (Johan Peter’s cousin’s daughter) were 5 sons, 1 died young and 3 (Carl Johan, Peter Magnus and Nils August) emigrated to USA. In the second marriage with Priita Parkkinen only 1 daughter Anna was born. Priita-mother died on the next day after Anna’s birth. Anna was grown up by her aunt Anna Loviisa Liikanen (nee Wickstrom), who did not have own children and lived at the Ollila farm near Penttilä. In the 3d marriage with Anna Laakkonen Johan Peter had 7 children. 3 of them died young. Daughter Augusta (Ada) (Koski) emigrated to USA, Ida moved to Taivalkoski and married Edward Karvonen, Aina got married with Hjalmar Holmström and lived at Mummula farm. Youngest child Yrjö married Alma Törrö and stayed at Penttilä farm.

Second son Nils August lived at Komila near Hirvaskoski. He was married twice. With Anna Kaarret he had 8 children. 5 of them emigrated to USA. August Anders, Aina (Eskola), Charles, Frans Oscar and Hanna (Koski).

Janne moved to Suolijärvi Puolanka. Later he changed his name to Virrankari. Tuomas and Maija did not get married. Maria worked all her life Mummula farm. Nils August’s second wife was Brita Pesälä. They got one son Sakari.

Third child, eldest daughter Anna Loviisa was only 6 months old, when family immigrated from Sweden. Her marriage with Olli Liikanen was childless.

Third son Karl Magnus married Maria Laakkonen and bought a farm from Iinattijärvi. They got 9 children. 2 of them died young and Maria (Kitti), Anna (Koivuniemi) and Eino emigrated to USA. 

Daughters Katariina Josefiina and Fredrika emigrated to USA. Katariina Josefiina via Ii, where he got married with Jacob Laukka (Pulkkinen). Fredrika’s husband was Sakari Niemelä from Iinattijärvi.

The youngest son Frans Oskar stayed at Kesänen farm. He was married with Kaisa Reeta Naamanka. They got 7 children. 3 of them died young. From children Frans Hjalmar had 2 daughters and Maria 8 children. Frans Hjalmar and his wife both died, when their daughters were only 2 and 3 years old. Frans Oskar and Kaisa Reeta took care of the girls. They got help also from USA. Fredrika Niemelä’s son Rudolf sent every year money to Kesänen to help Aune’s and Elina’s education. Rudolf was also ready to adopt girls to USA, but grandfather Frans Oskar did not let them go.

Wickstrom Family research has been done earlier many times. First this was done by Rudolf Niemelä. He wrote already 1934 a letter to Kesänen and asked his uncle Frans Oskar to try the get info about relatives from Råneå Sweden. That did not happen, but in the Reunion 2003 I promised to get that info and I have now rather well covered Anders’ och Kaisa Magdalenas’s ancestors and siblings. I have also seen some of Rudolf’s papers from Pudasjärvi church archives. He has added his own info to those papers. Annikki Koukkari and Reuben Koivuniemi have also collected family info.

Number of descendants of Anders Wickstrom:
(October. 17.2008)