Living married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living
4. Living

Notes:

Lee Bendz's records say he was born in 1900 in ND. On his WWI card he was a book keeper in Lincoln, NE and was single. (Sept 1918)

Joseph married Ruth Luella Medora Hanson on 16 Apr 1924 in Ceresco, Saunders, NE. Ruth (daughter of Edward Cornelius Hanson and Anna Martinson) was born on 27 Nov 1896 in Ceresco, Saunders, NE; died on 8 Jul 1982 in , , CA; was buried in 1982 in Los Gatos Mem. Cem., San Jose, Santa Clara, CA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Edward married Annas' sister Hulda after Anna died. In 1910 he was a retail merchant in groceries, living in Ceresco NE.

Edward married Anna Martinson on 23 Dec 1891 in Swedeburg, Saunders, NE. Anna (daughter of John Martinson and Nilla Swanson) was born on 24 Mar 1871 in Swedeburg, Saunders, NE; died on 11 Feb 1897 in Ceresco, Saunders, NE; was buried in Feb 1897 in Fridhem Cem., Swedeburg, Saunders, NE. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Anna died of "brain fever". Edward then married Anna's younger sister, Hulda. He and Hulda had 12 children, nine of whom lived into adulthood.

Notes:

Born in Ostra Wennenhoga Forsamling, Malmo Lan, Skane, Sweden. Olov (Olof) is the name of the farm he was born on. His given name was Jons Martensson. John and Lars went to America in 1869, leaving Nilla and children till they followed in 187070. John's parents met when Anna at age twenty left home to work as a milk maid on a farm in Skivarp where Martin also worked as a farm hand. They were married and lived with Anna's parents, Jons and Lisja and her physically disabled sister Elsa. During this time, Anna and Marten were supporting Anna's family who were poor as well as building a family of their own by having four children. A tragedy of unknown origin hit the family on August 17 1839 when Jons, Lisja and Else all unexpectedly died. Marten and Anna moved back to Skivarp where Marten was born forty two years earlier, in 1845. By this time they had seven children including Nils, John, Anders (who died at age seven), Lars, Sven, Bengta, and Elna. John's older brotother Nels (born in 1831) and younger brother Lars (born 1845) had the reputation of being good wrestlers in their youth. Both John and Lars ended up moving to Onestad where they worked as farmhands and eventually made the decision to emigrate to America in 1869. Each of John's sons got a 160 acre farm from Nilla and he. Each of his daughters got a 80 acre farm from them. His gravestone says Sep 24 1833.

1880 census
John Martenson 46 Nilla Martenson 43 Andrew Martenson 14 Nels Martenson 13 Ellen Martenson 11 Anna Martenson 9 Matilda Martenson 7 Howlda Martenson 5 Ida Martenson 2

John married Nilla Swanson in Oct 1864 in , Kristianstads, Sweden. Nilla (daughter of Sven Hansson and Elna Nilsdotter) was born on 4 Oct 1836 in Stroo Socken, Kristianstads, Sweden; died on 25 Mar 1917 in Swedeburg, Saunders, NE; was buried in Mar 1917 in Fridhem Cem., Swedeburg, Saunders, NE. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

(Svensdotter) (Nelson) Nilla and family came to America in 1870, her husband John and Lars had gone to America the year before, 1869. In the book "Gustafson / Martinson" by Don Ecklund, Nilla was born in the parish of Norra Stro, Kristianstad llan, Sweden, on a farm called Number 4 Kalaberga. She had a twin brother who died 3 days after her birth. Nilla's family lived in this area for more than sixty years with her grandfather, Hans Abrahamsson and her great grandfather Abraham Hansson living nearby at Number 6 Kalaberga. Eventually Nilla moved to Onestad.