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The
Sjostrands
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Grandpa Sjostrand’s ancestors, the
Sjostrands and the Norlands, were from western Sweden, mostly near Sveg, in the
county Härjedalen.
Härjedalen is one of the most
remote, alpine areas in Sweden. Lapps, the reindeer people of the far North,
are well-established in Härjedalen.
See the Härjedalen tourist brochure to get a feel for what Härjedalen has to offer.
Today, Härjedalen is the
southernmost district of Jämtland. Both
Härjedalen and Jämtland were formerly separate districts within Norway, at a
time when Norway was united with Denmark. The two regions came under Swedish
control about 360 years ago.
The Andersons, from whom we derive
1/4 of our Swedish heritage, came from Dalarne, well South of Härjedalen.
The Andersons and Norland appear to have met in Wisconsin or Minnesota, but they
may have followed similar courses once in America. Ole Norland and his wife
Sofie Anderson had Anderson neighbors in Kittson County, Minnesota.