Degerstrom Family from Maine Introduction
The Degerstrom Genealogy website features the Swedish branch and history of the Degerstrom family from Maine. The Degerstrom surname and family history information here covers one branch only out of the six groups of Degerstroms documented on www.Degerstrom.org. We are the descendants of our root ancestor Peder Danielsson who was born in 1560 in Ranea, Sweden.
The Ranea church photo shown to the left is the 150 year old church and church hall built in 1857 in Ranea Sweden, our ancestor’s village. This was built on the site of the previous Ranea church from 1646 which was outgrown. Our crop and edit of the original photo is used by permission and courtesy of Lina Engman, Ranea Sweden.
The Ranea photograph in the top banner of this website is a panorama of the Rane River Valley in Norrbotten Lan of Northern Sweden, and is used with permission courtesy of Kim Sundström from Luleå, Sweden.
Patronymics and the Degerstrom Surname
Patronymics were used until the Degerstrom name was first adopted by Nils Fredrik Johansson Degerstrom (1819-1907), son of Johann Danielsson Jernhatt (1771-1850) of the 7th generation. Other sons took surnames including Degerlund and Ek, and two kept their patronymic surname Johansson.
The entire Nils Degerstrom group emigrated from Sweden to Maine beginning with the oldest son in 1870, the oldest daughter in 1880, and the balance of Degerstroms including Nils and his wife in 1881.
Research in 2003 resulted in the discovery of links between Degerstroms in America and living descendants of Johan Danielsson Jernhatt in Sweden by Leif Persson of Stockholm, family member and adoptive son of a descendant of Johan Danielsson Jernhatt. As a result, Swedish relatives of the Degerstroms from Maine with a variety of surnames in Sweden are being documented and included in the family tree going back to Peder Danielsson in 1560.
Degerstrom Family History Content and Plans
The intitial site launch includes over 100 surnames with 2500 persons documented in the Degerstrom Family Tree. We are developing narrative history of family life in Sweden and America, plus a photo gallery of family members, places, and documents, plus more content that will be featured as this website grows.
Questions? Please contact us from any page or visit the Degerstrom Genealogy blog to read and comment on blog posts. We look forward to family member feedback with updates or corrections, also.