***My First Great Grandfather***

Note: Louis Enwall's name was LARS ENVALL in his native Sweden. It was changed when he came to the United States. The name on the memorial stone has his first name as Lewis but his descendants knew him as Louis.

Lars/Louis had 1 brother, ERIK PERSSON ENVALL, b. 17 Nov, 1819, Enänger, Gävleborgs, Sweden, d. 29 Aug, 1910, Swedona, Mercer County, IL. His wife was LENA JULIANA ANDERSDOTTER, b. 16 Nov, 1826, Enänger, Gävleborgs, Sweden, d. 12 Nov, 1897, Swedona, Mercer County, IL. Lena's parents were ANDERS ANDERSSON, b. 1775, and, CHERSTIN JONSDOTTER, b. 1793. Erik and Lena emigrated to the United States 27 Jun, 1861, from Finnika, Enänger, Gävleborgs Lan, Sweden.

Lars/Louis emigrated to the United States in 1850 from Västra Finnika, Enänger, Gävleborgs Lan, Sweden. In the book, "Swedish Passenger Arrivals in New York" by Nils William Olsson, it states that Lars Envall was a passenger on the ship "Sophie" out of Gävleborgs, arriving in New York on 19 Aug, 1850. He is listed as 23 years of age, a farmer's son from Enänger Parish in Gävleborgs. He received his passport in Gävleborgs, 10 June, 1850.

Lars/Louis Enwall became a Naturalized Citizen of the United States on 03 Feb, 1859. Source: Ancestry.com., "U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)" Index to Naturalization Petitions for the Untied States District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration Service District 9, 1840-1950 (M1285); Microfilm Serial: M1285; Microfilm Roll: 51. There is copy of the certificate on Ancestry.com.

Lars/Louis was the husband of KAROLINA JONSSON. Karolina Jonsson's name was changed to CAROLINE JOHNSON when she came to the United States from Sweden with her parents and brother in 1849. Louis and Caroline were married 31 Jul, 1854, in Rock Island, Rock Island County, IL. It is not known when or where they met. To this union, 10 children were born: MARY JANETTE, CHARLOTTE JOSEPHINE, EMILY CLARISSA, LOUIS ELMER, JOHN ARNOLD, FRANK RENHOLT, HARRY EDWARD, SELMA AMELIA, CHARLES LEROY, and, LETAH DELPHINE.

CHARLES LEROY WAS GWEN LOCKWOOD'S GRANDFATHER.

In the 1860 census, they are in Richland Grove, Mercer County, IL. In the 1870 census, they are in Swedona, Mercer County, IL. In the 1880 census, they are in Edgar Precinct, Clay County, NE. In the 1910 census, Louis is 82 and is living with his son Elmer, and is a widower.

"Louis took advantage of promotional groups in the United States such as the railroads. They were encouraging people from the Scandinavian countries and Germany to come to settle in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Louis went to Chicago and found work in a wagon factory. There he learned a trade that he followed all the working years of his life.

Later in his life, he told his children that he was very unhappy at the factory at first because the workmen laughed and joked about him. He vowed that as soon as he saved as much money as he had before he left Sweden, he would return there. Before he had saved the money, he had learned enough English to know that the men were not laughing at him, and besides that, he was beginning to like this new land."

-from the narative of Goldie Madge Enwall Carroll, niece of Louis, daughter of Selma Amelia Enwall Carroll.