Children of Johan August Backman, part Two

 Samuel Arthur Backman, 11 Apr 1892 - 10 Dec 1940, was one of the Backman brothers serving  in World War I in Europe, possibly all in France. Centerville took pride in its "boys over there". I have not found any record that especially recounts Samuel's life. His death came very early, at only forty-eight years. He  married Margaret Parenzin on 10 May 1923 in Salt Lake City, she a daughter of immigrants from Italy. They had three children born in their marriage before her death in 1936, aged 32 years old. Their first child, Samuel A. Backman, was the only surviving child. Samuel Arthur Backman's employment listed on the Utah death certificate was listed as Laborer at Cudahy Packing Company. It reports that he passed away suddenly after suffering a precordial attack due to Coronary occlusion. Margaret had died in 1936 of acute pneumonia only several months after the stillborn birth of their third child, the second, Mary Pauline had died the previous year shortly after birth. Father, mother and two infant children are buried in the Centerville city cemetery. 

Walter Emanuel Backman, 16 Dec 1896 - 19 Jul 1970, passed away at the Veterans Hospital in Salt Lake City. The third son of  Johan August and Sarah Duncan Backman to serve overseas during World War I. His memorial in the Centerville cemetery cites his service as Idaho volunteer, Private in Battery B of the 114th Field Artillery. His death notice states he was employed by Eimco, of Salt Lake City, which manufactured mining equipment. Walter never married. When he passed away he was survived by only three of his siblings.

It is at this point in relating the history of Johan August Backman that I begin to have some personal connection, that is where I have been witness to these lives I have tried to know and understand. Even so it is weak, and from a distance, as I will show.

David Alfred Backman, 19 Mar 1898 - 30 Sep 1951, was the youngest son of Johan A. and Sarah E. Duncan Backman. David also passed away young, aged 53, and presumed due to coronary occlusion. His death certificate says exact cause is unknown, indicating it may have been unwitnessed. He was employed by the Union Pacific railroad. 

David had also served in World War I. His memorial in the Centerville cemetery notes he was a private in the 11th Field Artillery 6th division, his death certificate reflect service years from 1919 to 1922.

David married Elizabeth Rigby of Idaho. They had one son, David Alfred Backman, who passed away after I had moved back to Utah and whose funeral I attended. I met Elizabeth Backman at that time, only briefly. 

Sarah Elizabeth Backman, 21 Apr 1900 - 23 Sep 1985, sometimes called Sadie in her family or Beth. Sadie recounts her life story in family search memories. She claims that she was 15 pounds at birth, a weight usually reserved for twins. She says she looked like her mother, but for "the Backman forehead."  Sarah married a young man from the American Falls part of Idaho, William Theodore Barnard in 1925. They settled in Idaho and raised their family there. The youngest in the family of this report, she has a profile on www.familysearch.org that has many color photographs, indicating the modernity of her life, in fact a life entirely in the 20th century. There were 8 children born, of whom five survived to maturity. They have be active in family history as well, which has provided me with much insight to this family.

I was employed at the Utah Salt Lake Veterans Home, now named William E Christoffersen Home, and met a man of the name Barnard. I naturally inquired where from and upon learning he was from the American Falls area noted my relations there. Not unusual, his daughter claimed, but neither could recall our kinsmen. After this gentleman's death I located a school record that showed his picture just beside that of William T. Barnard! But that story will have to remain with me. 

Other stories will come forth here. I know I vacillate in my telling some. Do I have anything to add to the understanding of our pioneer family? Am I sharing anything of a personal relationship? I don't know. I hope I keep the story of my Backman family alive in some manner, as it came to me: alive and a necessary part of my own story.

There is more of the Sven Backman/Inger Dahlberg family I want to introduce, more I want to learn.

Children of Johan August Backman, Part One

 Johan August Backman - I do not know if he went by John or not, though I continue to slip between the two unwittingly. Hid daughter Sarah Elizabeth Backman Barnard in her touching biography varies in the reported name: Johan Auguste, Johan August, John. And a family group sheet has it as John Augustus. His headstone at Centerville City Cemetery reports John A. 

We will remember the man, the father of  a large family, wrought with struggles to survive the times in which they lived. Of the ten children born, eight grew to adulthood, five passed age 70 and four married. All were born in Centerville, or at least grew up there; some remained or returned to work, age and finally to be buried in the cemetery up the hill. In fact, John's mother Inger Dahlberg Backman and several of her progeny rest just inside that place of rest. John's widow, Sarah Elizabeth Duncan Backman died in American Falls, Idaho and was brought back to join again with her family.

Charles Swen Backman, 3 May 1881 - 30 Mar 1924, never married. His death certificate states he worked for the Oregon Short Line railroad, which began operating the same year Charles was born. 

My understanding is that the bachelor brothers all remained on the family homestead, originally gifted to their parents by their maternal grandfather Duncan. Charles passed away from a meningitis infection after a battle with cardio- renal disease of several years duration.

In 1883 Sarah bore a stillborn son. Another stillborn child, a daughter, was born in 1885.

John August Backman, 7 Jan 1884 - 22 Dec 1983, left Utah to try at farming in the Malta, Idaho region. We see by his dates that he lived nearly 100 years, a remarkable life in any time. 

His World War I registration card in 1918 says he was of medium height and build. He had blue eyes and light hair. At this time his nearest relative was  his mother. He did not marry.

Christina Backman Gamble Hutton, 11 Jun 1887 - 18 Apr 1972, passed away in Burley, Idaho. With her first husband, Charles Scott Gamble she settled in southern Idaho, farming in the Malta area. I find no record of children of their own, but know that they had two daughters, Ethelene Martha and Lorraine Sophia, nee' Johansson, who were born to Christina's cousin Edith Christensson Johansson, daughter of Inger Sophia Backman. I find records with both Johansson and Gamble as the names of these women, as well as both Christina and Charles' obituaries/death notices.

Several years after Charles Scott Gamble passed away, Christina married John Henry Hutton. 

Christina passed away at home in Burley, Idaho after a long illness, according to the published death notice. She was survived  by "daughter, Mrs. Jack (Lorraine) Lloyd of Fullerton, California. Also surviving were her brother John A. Backman and sister Elizabeth Barnard. Ethelene had passed away in1927. Christina - Chrissy - is buried in Albion, Cassia County, Idaho.

Clarence William Backman, 3 Feb 1890 - 29 Nov 1960, a recognized veteran of World War I, never married. He served in France, sustaining wounds requiring hospital stays. Twice, reported the Davis County Clipper newspaper, once for seven days, another for seven weeks. A third wound did not require hospital. He received a citation signed by Governor Bamberger of grateful acknowledgement of the State of Utah as a testimonial to his valor, fidelity and patriotic service. This can be found on his profile in www.familysearch.org. 

Clarence died from a heart attack, or as recorded on his death certificate: myocardial infarction due to coronary artery disease. He is buried in the Centerville City Cemetery.

The children of Samuel and Anna, part 4

 Many of the addresses that appear on the records of the Backman family in Salt Lake City have become the victims of modernization: a transportation hub, a freeway route, an interchange. I wanted to visit Jeremy Street to see if William Jacob Backman's home remained. Even the addresses had changed by that time, Temple Square no longer serving as the coordinate maker it once was. 

William Jacob Backman, like his father was a metal worker. Sometimes a tinsmith - a tinner, having his own shop. Or as reported in his death certificate, sheet metal work. Nearly all of Samuel's children settled in the same quarter of the city. Just now I want to say it was the Fifteenth Ward, and will post my correction if needed. They were building a new city. Skilled men were in demand. 

From the records I find William was successful. 

With his first wife Edith Louise Gill (married 1890) he had eight children, of whom three died as children or infants. Edith herself passed away in 1925. William married a few years later Mary Ann Haywood, a widow.

When William Jacob Backman passed away in Salt Lake City in 1943 he was 75. The cause of death attributed to carcinoma of the stomach, after twelve years. He and Edith are buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery.

Anna Wilhelmina Backman, Annie, was the first daughter of Samuel C. Backman and Anna Andersson. She adored her sister who was born shortly before the move across the United States and who passed away shortly after arriving. Annie's daughter Ivy Peterson Otteson has provided a wonderful biography which is posted as a  memory in Annie's www.familysearch.org profile. 

Annie had three daughters: Bertha Eugenia Malmquist, who died at age two. Gertrude Johanna Nilsson (Americanized to Nelson) and Ivy Olea Peterson. 

All reports declare Annie's intelligence and gift for caring. She studied, as a young divorcee, to become a teacher, trained as a midwife, outlived four husbands and her first two daughters. 

My grandfather, Ralph V Backman spoke of her fondly and of her husbands judiciously. But I was pleased to learn more about her as personal tributes became more readily available. I cannot drive through Spring City, Utah without Anna W. Backman Malmquist Nilsson Peterson Billington Jensen crossing my mind.