His parents were Jons and Augustine _______Lofgren. His mother died when he was 5 yrs. old. He attended school in Vinslov, Sweden and finished the 8th grade there. He came to America in May 1892. He was 18 years old and had only $5.00 when he landed in New York but he already had his train ticket to Prophetstown, Illinois and a job awaiting him. He worked for a man on a farm who raised Black Angus Cattle.
In about 1895 he sent for his brother Karl Lofgren and Karl went to work for another farmer. Karl married May Howland (school teacher) A. J. went to her school to learn the English language.
The man A. J. worked for sold his farm and moved to Larmar, Missouri and A. J. went with him. The man started drinking a lot and sold his farm. At that time A. J. moved to Midway, Kansas and went to work in the Coal Strip Pits as a muleskinner.
On August 24, 1898 he was married in Lamar, Missouri to Flora Leona Davis of Midway, Kansas. Flora was the daughter of George and Estella Taylor? Davis She was born in St. Joseph, Missouri Jan. 11, 1880. After their marriage they lived near Pittsburg, Kansas about one and a half years and then moved to Indian Territory Jan. 1990. In 1993 they moved West of Welch, Oklahoma where they leased a 340 acre farm.
A. J. applied for American Citizenship Oct. 4, 1910 and became an American Citizen June 14, 1911. He was the first person in Craig County to take out Citizenship papers.
He was registered with the United States Selective Service during World War I but didn't have to serve as he was farming and had seven children at that time. He served on School Board, Election Board, and Township Board. Flora served on Election Board. They had total of ten children the last being twins in Jan. 1920.
In 1910 the family moved again bought 270 acres 14 mile South of Sunshine School and built a house and in 1911 they built a barn.
From 1926 to 1930 Flora carried the U. S. Mail, Star Route out of Welch. During that time her son Elbert lived in Welch with her where he attended high school. They would return to the farm on weekends to join the rest of the family and help with the work there. She took this assignment to help out financially so they wouldn't loose their farm. One weekend Sept. 29, 1929 their farm home burned down. While building a new house they cooked in the smokehouse and slept in the barn. Elbert had to miss about three weeks of school at this time during his senior year. They were moved in their new house on Thanksgiving weekend.
In 1944 they sold their farm at Welch and bought a small farm North of Vinita, Oklahoma. In Dec. 1946 they retired from the farm sold it and bought a home on N. Foreman in Vinita. While living there they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. At that time all of their children were still living.
On May 19, 1950 A. J. died and was buried in Fairview Cemetary in Vinita, Oklahoma. After his death Flora sold the house on N. Foreman and bought a smaller house on S. Smith where she moved in 1953 and lived until her death Feb. 21, 1957 and was buried beside her husband in Fairview Cemetary.