Notes:

Johannes attended the common schools in Sweden until he was about 15 or 16. He may have been a bit wild in his younger days. Johannes, his wife Johanna, and their two children immigrated to the US in 1869. They were with a group of about thirty other families from the same province, including Johannes' brother Magnus They stayed for a short time with the N. B. Berggren family, who were from the same area in Sweden. The Berggrens had settled by Silver Creek, around Mead, NE, in 1867. The newly arrived immigrants probably made the Berggren farm home base while the men checked out possible homestead sites. While there, Johanna died in childbirth and was buried on that farm. Johannes homesteaded in Richland precinct in Sa Saunders County, 2 1/2 miles southwest of what was later called Swedeburg. During the 1869-70 winter, six men including Johannes and Magnus, one woman, and Johannes' two children lived in a dugout on the homestead. They had acquired horses and a wagon in Omaha, and also had an axe, spade, a small stove, washtub, two boards which were probably used as a table and other small articles.

Both Johannes and Magnus needed wives so in 1870, they went to Minnesota where the Swan Deidrick family, probably neighbors from Sweden, were living. Swan Deidrick had four eligible daughters, one of whom was named Ellen (Elna). Johannes married Ellen and Magnus married her sister, Betsy. Ellen had typhoid which killed her father and another sister but recovered after her trip to Nebraska.

There were many hardships endured in getting started on the farm. Johannes worked for a short time in 1870 for the railroad in what is now Lincoln. During that time, the family lived in a tent near Johannes' work. Ellen pastured their cow on land that is now part of the University of Nebraska. Johannes' homestead farm consisted of 80 acres. Being financially able, he subsequently purchased 80 more acres of railroad land.

Ellen's first pregnancy resulted with twins who died and were buried on the farm. Johannes and Ellen were both religious and were founding members of Swedeburg's Grace Lutheran Church in 1870. The first services were improvised and some of theem were held on the farm. From 1875 to 1909, Johannes was postmaster and the area mail was initially delivered to the farm. In 1883, Luther College was established in Wahoo with a board of directors consisting of five ministers and four laymen. Johannes was one of the laymen, borrowing money on the farm to contribute to the college's establishment. Johannes was also on the board of directors and a stockholder of the Swedeburg State Bank.

Johannes farmed and raised livestock for several years. He usually had a hired hand or two working on the farm. He bought the general store and grain elevator in Swedeburg which the family ran for several years. Their daughter, Theolina, wawas known for her business acumen and carried on many of the business dealings behind the scenes. At one point, Johannes, Ellen and their children lived in a residence on top of the store, while Johannes' son Anton lived on and operated the home farm. Around 1906, Johannes, Ellen and their family built and moved into a house west of the home farm while their children Herman and Agatha lived on the home farm.

Johannes was a straight forward man and afraid of no one. He was adventuresome and did not hesitate to take chances in business. He was a big man, about 6 ft. 2 in. He speculated in farm land, and was known to have bought land without making a cash down payment. He probably owned about 1000 acres of land in the area, although not at the same time. He left his wild days in Sweden and led a personally severe life. Upon his death, Augustinus inherited the home farm, Herman inherited the farm west of the homestead, and Anton inherited a third farm. Ellen was a frail woman, very religious and loved children. In addition to her own family, she brought up Johannes' two children from his first marriage, her granddaughter Hilda from 1906-1908, and also raised a foster child Ruth Henrickson.

Family/Spouse: Ellen Diedrick. Ellen was born on 17 Apr 1840; died on 8 Jan 1918 in Saunders County, Nebraska; was buried in Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 17 Oct 1875, Grace Lutheran Church, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska
• 1880 Federal Census: 15 Jun 1880, Kearney City, Buffalo County, Nebraska
• Confirmation: 13 Apr 1890, Grace Lutheran Church, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska
• Occupation: 1900, Servant
• 1900 Federal Census: 13 Jun 1900, Richland Precinct, Saunders County, Nebraska

Notes:

3 MISSIONARY PIONEERS AND SOME WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THEM

OTHERS WHO HAVE GONE TO CHINA

IN MEMORIAM

In the footsteps of Dr. Edwins, the pioneer to China, many other Augustana men and women have gone out to assist int he ingathering of the great harvest. Each one has been faithful and diligent with his God-given talents and each one would desrve a chapter. Space does not permit us here to say much about each one, but we desire to make a brief statement about those who have finished their course. Several of them fell in the midst of the battle for the Lord as soldiers on the front lilines of the Church, some of them while very young, all of them while yet it would seem that years of useful service might lie ahead. But God knows what is best for His servants and for His Church. He gathers home His laborers, but His work moves on.

MRS. ALFRED TRUED

Mrs. Theolina Trued spent nineteen years in the China service as the wife of Dr. Alfred Trued. She also took an active part in the missionary work.
She was born in Swedeburg, Nebraska, October 6, 1875. Her early years were spent in this community, where she studied music and served for a number of years as organist and choir director of the local Lutheran church.
In 1908 she was married to Pastor Alfred Trued, who had accepted a call to China, the first pastor to go out to assist Pastor Edwins in Honan. They arrived in Honan Thanksgiving Day, 1908.
"She had a great ambition for work and loved especially the work amoung the women. The first station assigned to the Trueds was Juchow. She accompanied her husband to that place, where they made their home in a big Chinese room, divided intoller one by means of bamboo partitions covered with paper. Later on property was purchased and a home was built." (Thirty Years in China, p. 186).
She came home to America in 1927 due to the political disturbance in China. Shortly afterwards her husband also returned and later accepted a call to Stromsburg, Nebraska. After a year of gradually failing health she died April 17, 1936. Shes survived by her husband and two children, Eleonora and Constantine.
Bibliography: Thirty Years in China, pp. 186-187. S. HJALMAR SWANSON Author

WAHOO DEMOCRAT - APRIL 23, 1936

SERVICES HELD FOR MRS. ALFRED TRUED

Mrs. Alfred Trued passed away at a hospital in Muscatine, Iowa in Friday at the age of 60 years. The family lived in Ceresco several years ago. She is survived by her husband, Rev. Alfred Trued, one daughter, Elanor, and a son, Constantine,l of Stromsburg.
Funeral services were held at the Lutheran church north of Ceresco, Monday afternoon. In charge the Rev. Gulleen of Fremont. Internment was in the Lutheran cemetery.

Hulda married Rev. Dr. Alfred Edward Trued on 28 Sep 1908 in Grace Lutheran Church, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska by Rev. Arthur H. Peterson.. Alfred (son of Nils Trued and Johanna Mathilda Walin) was born on 9 Mar 1875 in Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska; died on 12 Jul 1946 in the Immanuel Home for the Aged, Omaha, Nebraska; was buried on 15 Jul 1946 in Grace Lutheran Cemetery, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 29 Nov 1911, China

Notes:

THE TRUED FAMILY IN THE U.S.A.

ELEONORA: Born Nov. 12, 1910 in Kiahsien, Honan Province, China, and received her early education there. Attended Luther College, and graduated from high school in Stromsburg, Nebr., after which she enrolled at York College of York, Nebr. She iis gifted in music like her mother, and was choir director and organist at the Stromsburg church.In 1945 she married Dr. Walter Fahrer who had completed graduate work for his Ph. D. degree at Iowa University in languages (German) and who had helld teaching positions at several institutions of learning. At present he is professor of languages at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas, where the family resides. They have two children: Norman Dean, born Feb. 9, 1946 and Walfred John, born June 23, 1948, both very energetic.

S. Clarence Trued, Author - Published 1953

Eleonora married Walter Fahrer on 22 May 1945 in Douglas County, Nebraska. Walter was born on 26 Mar 1906; died on 27 Sep 1960; was buried in Elmwood Cemetery, McPherson County, Kansas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 21 Feb 1914, China

Notes:

THE TRUED FAMILY IN THE U.S.A.

CONSTANTINE: Born Feb. 11, 1914 at Kiahsien, Honan Province, China. Spent most of his life until 1927 in China. Attended American school at Kikungsha, Honan, China; grade school at Ceresco, Nebr.; high school at Stromsburg, Nebr.; York Collegee, York, Nebr.; Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill. (B.A.); Augustana Seminary, (B. D.) Rock Island, Ill; graduate work at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. Sang with the Augustana Choir three years. Male quartette two years, directed the Seminary Chorus one year. Pastor at Granville, Ill., 1940-1943, serving the Granville, Utica and Putnam parish. Pastor at Salem Lutheran Church, Chicago, Ill., six years to 1949. At present pastor of Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, St. Paulul, Minn. He married Dorothy Berquist of Minneapolis Oct. 23, 1940, whose special gifts and vivacious personality have stamped her as a leader among the church young people of that city. They have two children: Kathleen Susan, born March 11, 1943 and Marcia Louise, born Nov. 19, 1945, both born in Illinois.
Late word is that the family is moving to a new church in Detroit.

S. Clarence Trued, Author - Published 1953

Who's Who in America. 38th edition, 1974-1975. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1974. (WhoAm 38)
Who's Who in America. 39th edition, 1976-1977. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1976. (WhoAm 39)
Who's Who in America. 40th edition, 1978-1979. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1978. (WhoAm 40)
Who's Who in America. 41st edition, 1980-1981. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1980. (WhoAm 41)

Rev. married Dorothy Lydia Berquist on 23 Oct 1940. Dorothy was born on 12 Sep 1916 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; died on 26 Jul 1987; was buried in Grace Lutheran Church, Swedeburg, Saunders County, Nebraska. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Yamada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]