Gustava surrounded by three of her children, Hannah, Adel and Augusta.
Gustava was born on 11 August 1839 at Djurnastorp.. Her father was Olof Djurfeldt. He was a soldier. His patronymic name was Olsson. Gustava's mother was Anna Katrina Karstrom. Anna was from Ostra Sonnarslov in Skane. To the left is a picture of Djurnastorp taken about 2005.
Today this is what Djurnastorp looks like. Sometime within the last three years it has been torn down. Bjorn and I visited here on 25 May 2008 and found nothing but the foundation.
Gustava's first job, as a servant, was at this house. At the time we visited this house the current owner was painting the outside.
On 25 May 2008 Bjorn Thysell and I spent a day tracing Gustava's life. We began by visiting Djurnastorp, the house where she was born.
The above photographs are of the roads that Bjorn and I traveled to get to the various houses in which Gustava lived.
The most significant house, for me is Svalnas. My great-great grandfather, Karl Johan Larsson, was born here as was my great grandfather, Karl August. Gustava came here as a servant and married Karl Johan Larsson on 26 December 1859. When Bjorn visited this house the owner let him tour the inside. She told him that the right side of the house was original and the left side was added on later.
Karl Johan Larsson died 14 March 1900 at Aspelund. This meant that Gustava had to move out of Aspelund. The house at Aspelund was built in 1903 so it is not the house that Gustava lived in. She moved into Kopparbol, pictured above. Kopparbol is a short distance from Aspelund.
Gustava is buried at Norra Kyrkogarden in Orebro. She is in the same grave with her children, Hannah, Augusta and John "Bill".
Norra Kyrkogarden is a very beautiful cemetery. Above is a picture of Gustav and Mona Olsson taking care of family graves. Mona is the granddaughter of Augusta and the great granddaughter of Gustava.
When Bjorn & I went to Djurnastorp, where Gustava was born, there was nothing left of the house. We found some old hinges and nails. I attached this hinge and nail to a tree trunk in my yard in Hessel, Michigan. So a piece of Gustava's house is now on her son's farm.
Bjorn built a fence in his yard in Vingaker, Sweden. The hinge is from Karlsdal which is a house that Gustava lived in after her husband died.
