Olof August och Alma Bergquists hemresa 1953

Svenskamerikanare på besök i bygden
Ett par av S-T VV:s trogna läsare i USA mrs och mr Bergqvist från Chicago besöker för närvarande hembygden. De kom för någon vecka sedan men har legat ute och rest i södra Sverige. De har nämligen bilen med sig, ett pampigt dollargrin.
— Det är 25 år sedan jag var här säger mr Bergquist, och det är verkligen roligt att se landet igen. Man märker sannerligen att det inte står stilla här. Om man bara tänker på trafiken, märker man en oerhörd skillnad. Bilarna går i en stadig ström nu, och det gjorde de inte förr. Jag har sett på skörden. Det växer bra. Men sannerligen tycker jag att Näset i det här fallet har ryckt fram på ett särskilt sätt. Det förefaller mig som skördarna just nu är bättre här än i södra Sverige.
Säffle har ju också vuxit raskt och artar sig till en fin stad. Folk synes överallt ha det bra här nu. Det måste vara en mycket stor skillnad på nu och vid början av 20-talet, när jag reste till Amerika.
Bergquist ägde på sin tid Hösserud i Botilsäter. Hans fru, Alma Bergquist, är född i samma socken. Under sin Sverigevistelse, som varar till i okt., har de också sitt stamtillhåll i Kalvhagen.

Swedish Americans visiting their origin
A couple of S-T VV's loyal readers in the United States Mrs. and Mr. Bergqvist from Chicago are currently visiting the county of origin. They came a couple of weeks ago but have been traveling around in southern Sweden. They have the car with them, a showy American car.
"It's been 25 years since I was here", Mr. Bergquist says, and it's really nice to see the country again. You really notice that it does not stand still here. If you only think of traffic, you notice an enormous difference. The cars are moving in a steady stream now, and they did not do it before. I have seen the harvest. It grows well. But, indeed, I think that Näset¹⁾ in this case has advanced in a special way. It seems to me that the harvests now are better than in southern Sweden.
Säffle has also grown rapidly and is heading for a nice city. People everywhere seem to be comfortably off now. There must be a very big difference between now and the beginning of the 1920's, when I traveled to America.
Bergquist owned Hösserud in Botilsäter. His wife, Alma Bergquist, was born in the same parish. During their Swedish stay, which lasts until October, they also have their hangout in Kalvhagen.
--- 1) "Näset" is short for Värmlandsnäs, the peninsula of the Värmland province that streches far out in the Vänern lake.

American laurel wreath to the Kinsmen Monument - Receives a heartly welcome
The sun is hot and the flags of Swedish and American colors fluttered cheerfully in the fresh August breeze, when a small group of Varmlanders and Swedish Americans gathered in front of the Kinsmen Monument at Rottneros, according to the Nilw signature in Nya Wermlandstidningen¹⁾ for August 19th. The Värmland Nation in Chicago had sent a laurel wreath to be laid down at the bottom of the monument as a thank you and a greeting for the collaboration mentality being kept alive at home in Old Värmland. It was sweet to see, when the soon 75-year-old former fryksdaling²⁾ Olof August Bergquist, a longstanding trustee of Värmland Nation in the pork packet town at Michigan, stood there with the beautiful laurel wreath and really did not know what he would say, to say it nice enough! "You understand that I am touched on this occasion," said Mr. Bergquist, and then expressed in simple, modest phrases, his great pleasure to have been given the assignment to give evidence of the gratitude of the Chicago Varmlanders for everything that has been done here in recent years for the revival of relations with the Swedes and their descendants in America.
The well-known Swedish American Carl Boberg endorsed further what Bergquist felt inside. "You should not think that we Swedish American people forget Värmland. And nothing can tie us more firmly than the thought behind this beautiful monument."
Teacher Sigurd Gustavsson also received the word and presented the Värmlands hembygdsförbund³⁾ thanks to Värmlands Nation as well as to the surrender and spouse for the beautiful reminiscence they showed the county of origin through the transfer of the laurel wreath. Finally, Mrs Påhlson expressed her and her husband's gratitude for the beautiful gesture that the laurel wreath at the bottom of the monument is made up by our Varmlander kinsmen in Chicago. Nilw.
--- 1) New Wermland newspaper; 2) A person from the valley of Lake Fryken; 3) Värmland Local Heritage Federation.

Lagerkrans från Chicago till stamfrändemonumentet
Med enkla men innerliga och vackra ord tolkade förre fastighetsinspektören Olof August Bergqvist chicagovärmlänningarnas varma samhörighetskänsla med sin hembygd, då han på tisdagsmiddagen frambar en hälsning från Värmlands nation i Chicago och lade ner en lagerkrans vid stamfrändemonumentet i Rottneros.
Vid den lilla högtidsstunden vid monumentet var ett tjugotal personer närvarande och bland dessa såg man, förutom hr Bergqvist med fru, även förre ordföranden i Värmlands nation i Chicago kamrer Carl Boberg Karlstad samt fru Greta Påhlsson, folkskollärare Sigurd Gustavsson, trädgårdsarkitekt Edv. Jacobsson m. fl.
Hr Bergqvist, som nu besöker sin hembygd, var den som först tog till orda i egenskap av representant för chicagovärmlänningarna.
— Det är ett glädjande uppdrag som jag anförtrotts, förklarade han, då han placerade den stora lagerkransen med blommor och band i de amerikanska färgerna vid monumentets fot. Talaren frambar i fortsättningen ett tack till makarna Påhlsson och till Värmlands hembygdsförbund för resandet av det storslagna monumentet. Hr Boberg, som var nästa talare, konstaterade att värmlänningarna i Chicago ingalunda har glömt sin hembygd. Vänskapsbanden har i stället knutits allt fastare och ingenting kan understryka samhörighetskänslan på ett bättre sätt än detta monument framhöll talaren, som vidare poängterade att värmlänningarna och svenskarna i allmänhet gjort god propaganda för sin bygd och sitt land i Amerika.
Värmlands hembygdsförbund representerades av sin sekreterare Sigurd Gustavsson som framförde förbundets tack till makarna Bergqvist och till Värmlands nation i Chicago samt till de närvarande, som hedrade dagens högtid. Sedan fru Påhlsson å egna och makens vägnar framfört ett tack för de vackra orden samlades de närvarande till kaffe på Rottneros herrgård. Forts. å sid. 6¹⁾.
--- 1) Fortsättningen på VF:s sida 6 ingår inte i denna webbsida.

Laurel wreath from Chicago to the Kinsmen Monument
With simple but sincere and beautiful words, the former property inspector Olof August Bergqvist interpreted the affinity of the Chicago Varmlanders with their county of origin, when he on Tuesday afternoon brought forward a greeting from the Varmlands Nation in Chicago and laid down a laurel wreath at the Kinsmen Monument in Rottneros.
At the little solemn ceremony at the monument, about twenty people were present, and among them, besides Mr. Bergqvist and his wife, also the former chairman of the Varmlands Nation in Chicago, Carl Boberg Karlstad, as well as Greta Påhlsson, elementary school teacher Sigurd Gustavsson, garden architect Edv. Jacobsson et al.
Mr. Bergqvist, who is now visiting his county of origin, was the first to speak as a representative of the Chicago Varmlanders.
"It's a pleasing mission I have been entrusted," he explained, placing the big laurel wreath with flowers and bands in the American colors at the foot of the monument. The speaker continued to thank the spouses Påhlsson and the Värmlands hembygdsförbund¹⁾ for the raising of the grand monument. Mr. Boberg, who was the next speaker, ascertained that the Varmlanders in Chicago have never forgotten their county of origin. The ties of friendship have instead become more firm and nothing can underline the sense of togetherness in a better way than this monument emphasized the speaker, who further emphasized that the Varmlanders and Swedes generally made good propaganda for their land and their country in America.
Värmlands hembygdsförbund was represented by its secretary, Sigurd Gustavsson, who conveyed the thanks of the union to the spouses Bergqvist and the Varmlands Nation in Chicago, as well as to those present at today’s ceremony. After that Mrs Påhlsson, on behalf of herself and her husband, conveyed thanks for the beautiful words the attendants gathered for coffee at Rottneros Manor. Cont'd. on p. 6²⁾.
--- 1) Värmland Local Heritage Federation; 2) The continuation on VF's page 6 is not part of this web page.

Visit in Värmland after 25 years in USA
A few days ago the former carpenter master Olof Aug. Bergquist and his wife Alma visited NWT's ¹⁾ editorial team in Sunne. We had a causerie with two homey värmlänningar^2a) in the diaspora. It was Mr Bergquist that earlier in the week laid down a laurel wreath from Värmlands Nation at the bottom of the monument at Rottneros.
B. comes actually from Ransäter, where he was born and grew up, then he resided in many parts of Sweden och tried a lot of jobs, before he as 44 year old took a chance to buzz off to USA 1922. Now he is soon 75 and will not before long celebrate his birthday together with relatives and friends in Säffle. 1903 Bergquist worked for a short while in Sunne at the "Fryksågen"³⁾ and later became horse minder at patron Dahlgren's on Ransbergs farm. The he tried out as carpenter in Stockholm and farm worker in Östra Fågelvik etc. before he left for America. 1928 he was home for a summer visit and is now 25 years later back, healthy and merry and full of värmländsk^2b) good nature. B. now is part of the leadership for Värmlands Nation in Chicago and thanks to this association he got in contact with Dr. Paulsson — born in Kristinehamn — and was employed by him as houseman to attend to Dr. P's property. Mrs. Bergquist at the same period was housekeeper, as Paulson was a bachelor. When he passed away last year the Bergquist spouses were in his will given the property. Mrs. Bergquist is born in Botilsäter on "Näset"³, at her brother's, the farmer Vilhelm Jansson, the USA guests have set up their "headquarter" during their Sweden visit, they narrated. Bergquist however has a son in Sunne, agricultural instructor Eric Bergquist whom they have been visiting this week. Furthermore B. has a brother in Skattkärr, gardener Albert Bergquist, so there are several contact points in our province.
Sweden is a good country in many ways, the Bergquist spouses stated with one voice. The only complaint is that Mrs. B. goes around freezing a bit in the middle of the Swedish indian summer. She is used to a milder climate by Lake Michigan. During the months in the country of origin the two have been gadding about considerably in south of Sweden in their brought car, henceforth they plan to keep calmer. The 22 Oct they will again embark the Gripsholm to return to their home in Chicago. Then Mr. Bergquist will bring warm regards from the home province to the members of the Värmland Nation. Nilw.
--- 1) New Wermland newspaper; 2a) Persons from the province of Värmland; 2b) Adj. caracterizing a person or something from the province of Värmland; 3) "Näset" is short for Värmlandsnäs, the peninsula of the Värmland province that streches far out in the Vänern lake.

Jubilant Swedish-American gives big praise to the country of origin
— When I this Saturday celebrate my seventy-fifth birthday in old Sweden, after having spent 31 years in USA, I want to give the statement that when I as a poor crofter's boy ran about in Ransäter, it was different than now. I could then not in my wildest imagination believe that Sweden once would be what it is today, and I can not stop to admire the men who have brought the native country to where it stands. I admire the leading men in Säffle, who through the years created a beautiful and pleasant city here, and I admire the current government leadership that is not weary of its work for progress.
It is the Swedish-American Olof Aug. Bergquist who expresses these words, when Wermlands-Tidningen¹⁾ interviews him before the birthday, and as he during the summer has been gadding about in almost every corner of the country, he knows what he is talking about. His cradle was rolled for the first time in Ransäter om the farm Bäckfall, a place, that then was far from all "honor and reason", but can today be frequented even with the "yankees" dashing Dodge. As a crofter's boy he had early to learn to be self-reliant. Efter marriage the family settled at Hösserud, but when his wife died, he did not think there was much that tied him to Sweden.
Times were bad, and the America fever was raging. It also captured O.A. and 44 years old, he boarded to go to the land of great opportunities. It was not that fat there either, but work was possible to have so he became carpenter at a factory, where he was responsible for repairs etc. He was not a "hoppjerka"²⁾ so he stayed until the depression, then he widthdrew from hard labor. How he behaved he succeeded, short after his arrival to USA, to find out a girl who came from the farm he cultivated in Sweden, and so marriage came off. As well he as his wife joined Värmlands nation, which was formed 27 years ago, in this association they have number 12 and 13 on their membership cards. Now the association have more than 200 members with its main task of preserving the Swedish langauge, which is increasingly dying out in the states. As is known, no new Swedes are coming there nowadays, he says, and why should they do that by the way? — It is as good here as in America, claims the seventy-five year old, and especially socially speaking you are here at home unrivalled by America nowadays.
What I most regret is that I have been away for too long perpetually, for I have not been able to properly follow the Swedish development, and it proved to be a completely new country I met. I am also missing many old friends, whom I wanted to meet, but now it is too late. You have good roads in Sweden, considering the size of the country and its tax base, you have healthcare facilities with world reputation, you have a standard of living that is the highlight amongst the world's nations, and you have first and foremost democracy, states the jubilant finally.
Buskas.
--- 1) New Wermland newspaper; 2) ≈ drifter, a person that changes job often.