Selma Alvida Antonson
1870 - 1959

Selma Alvida Antonson was born January 8, 1870 in Svenljunga, Älvsborgs, Västergötland, Sweden.

Selma headshot
Selma

Selma's birth entry Selma Alvida Birth, ArkivDigital, Svenljunga (P) C:8 (1861-1894) Image 23 / page 21

Selma's birth certificate issued in 1924
Selma Alvida Bengtsson Birth Certificate

When Selma was 7 in 1877 her father died. The family moved to the poor house.

household examination record fattighuset
Fattighuset, poor house, ArkivDigital, Svenljunga (P) AI:11 (1872-1880) Image 110 / page 105

Selma's mother died at the poor house in 1885. She died of tuberculosis. Selma was 15.

Selma left the poor house in 1887. She went to live in Kinnarumm and later in Borås. She came to the United States in 1895.

Selma's entry from Emihamn
Source: Emihamn, Swedish passenger lists

Selma bought land in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1899. You can look at the agreement here.

Selma married John Peter Benson on December 20th, 1904. Six months later she gave birth to twin girls. One girl was still born. She had a son John Benson (Jack) born July 12, 1907 and a still born baby born on May 29, 1910. All children were born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Selma's husband died in 1915. She and her children went to Sweden to live. They returned to the United States in 1919 and went back to Sweden. Her children wanted to live in the United States so they were stowaways on a boat in December 1919 to return to the United States. You can read more about this in pages that mention Stowaways. You can view Selma's passport here.

Selma standing in front of brick building Selma standing in front of a brick building

Selma

Selma
Selma

I have been told that Selma died in a house for the poor in Sweden. After her death each grandchild received a small amount of money of almost fifteen dollars. Below is a receipt for this money

check for $14.70

Pedigree Chart