BERNHARD KARL YOUNGQUIST, who married Alma Soderquist in Seattle, and who was her husband when she died.  Alma was sister of Oscar Soderquist.  Who was Bernhard and what happened to him?

Probably Bernhard and Alma Youngquist 1910

Karl Bernhard Pettersson was born 4 Aug 1886 in Boldoen, Vissefjärda, Kalmar, Sweden.

He changed his name to Youngquist when he came to Seattle wth his older brother F Youngquist in 1905 at age 19.

About 1906 they joined the First Swedish Baptist Church and learned English there in classes.  

In 1906 he took the first step to getting citizenship by applying for Declaration to the court for citizenship. Then in five years he could apply for citizenship as Karl Bernhard Youngquist. He probably never became a US citizen.

Departure for Trip to Sweden in 1907 in Seattle, King.

Probably came with his older brother F. Youngquist. on 29 Nov 1907 in Seattle, King , Washington United States registered in Gothenberg as Karl Bernhard Pettersson.

Changed his name to Bernhard K Youngquist.

In April 1910 US Census he was living in a large boarding house with his brother F.Youngquist. They were both laborers on the streets.

On 3 December 1910 he married Alma Serafina Soderquist at First Swedish Baptist Church. 

4 July 1917 he was a cabinet maker and lived in Haller Lake area of Seattle. His wife was ill and he said he had to support her.  She stayed sometimes at the Firlands Sanitorium, the county TB sanitorium near present Kings School.

21 Oct 1917 his wife Alma died from tuberculosis. Buried Washelli Cemetery, Seattle.

1918 he was a ship joiner and lived with Charles and Emily Soderquist Nordell.  144 W 81st Street.

April 1920 in the US Census he was living along at his home at Haller Lake north of Seattle. He was a house carpenter.

1 June 1921 he married Esther Anderson at First Swedish Baptist Church, Rev. Emil Friborg. She was born 1887 in Sweden. and came to Seattle with her family in 1891.

Probably he left the US in 1931 due to the Depression and lack of work. Esther probably refused to relocated to Sweden and they divorced.

Departure: Travelled back to Sweden. about 1930 from Seatle, King, Washington United States. 

24 Dec 1932 he married Elna Margareta _______ at Mortorp parish church in Kalmar County. She was born there in 1889.

Bernhard lived in Mortorp, Kalmar, Sweden in 1959. They may have had children.

Karl Bernhard Ljungqvist died on 30 Jan 1959 at the age of 72 in Tallhagen, Kalmar, Sweden.

His wife died in 1989 about age 100.

Alma Youngquist funeral 1917, lt. to rt.,Oscar Soderquist,  Bernhard Youngquist, Charles and Emily Nordell, Hilda and Ben Benson

Ruth Iris Soderquist Andersson (1941 - 2008) - Find A Grave Memorial

Ruth Iris Soderquist Andersson (1941 - 2008) - Find A Grave Memorial

 Ruth Andersson, my mother's cousin in Sweden.  She sent Christmas cards for many years and hosted us for dinners and let us stay with her on a trip to my grandfather's home parish.  She was a very strong and remarkable person.

Her friend wrote in Swedish a memory of her, here translated by Google:  

My Friend Ruth Andersson

Marie Söhrman

On 26 September [2008] I was at Ruth Anderson's funeral in East Ämtervik Church. Ruth worked at the bank and the former post office at Eastern Ämtervik before it was closed. Then she continued her work in home care. She hand worked and painted porcelain figurines. Ruth was one of those people who never took a lot of space but still was there for anyone who needed her care. It was not long ago, Ruth ended up in home care and then, too soon, within a few years, became ill and herself needed the help that she gave others throughout her life. It was not long ago she wandered from her home and up to mine to help me through the home care that I needed. It did not matter if it was raining or a snowstorm, Ruth went punctually doing the rounds to all who needed her care. This was not an ordinary work for her, but rather a calling. It did not matter that the day was significantly longer for her than the time she actually got paid for. "I want to work at my own pace, she said, and also I need these walks." I remember my husband Kjell described that when Ruth did any household chore for us so she would not disturb us, she was scarcely heard as she handled dishes. Kjell said she made just as much noise as a "dust mote flying in a draf"t. A loving description that symbolically explains how Ruth managed her task when she helped a fellow human being. I also remember how she in a natural manner got in front of television camera after Ingela Power made thedocumentary about me and Kjell that was shown on TV in summer of 2001. Ruth's children wonder to this day how I managed to get her to go along with this, she never even wanted to have a still image photographed or be central in any way at all, They said.Ruth's explanation was that she thought it was important to show people how disabled people were in reality, though they are invisible to many. "I do not think people understand how hard she has it, "she says in the film. I don't think it was easy for her to do this but she thought it was important that it came out. To me, she often said when someone came to me and Kjell on a coffee break:"Do not lift the thermos, but let guests pour themselves."When Ruth was at the community center and helped us by sitting in the bank museum, she would also then like a mother bird asked me: "Are not you going up to bed for a while, I think it looks like you need it, you're running around here too much. "I have often wondered how she could know things long before I came to, that which later gave me pain and difficulty sleeping late at night. .Ruth was an angel who stayed too short a time here on earth. She never had time to think about herself and when she finally received a pension after a long working life, well then she got sick and left us too soon. Ruth was only 67 years. [page 12, Ostemtingen, East Amtervik Folklore Society, year 2008, Number 50].