Emma Sofia was born as number 8 of the 10 Sötåsa children. She was born the 19/7. 1852. When Sötåsa was sold 30/10 1874 she moved to Vireda. She was then 22 years old.
Two years later – 22/7 1876 she married August W Isaksson – she was then 24 years old.
August William Isaacson was born 24/9 1838 in Småland. He was 14 years older and had 5 children already with his first wife: Ida Mathilda. 2 of the 5 children, ‘Tillie’ and David, immigrated to America with Emma Sofia, his 2nd wife, and 7 of their their own.
They had 12 children together: Anna Julia 1877, August V.1878, Elizabeth 1880, Salome 1881, Efrain 1883, Gideon 1884, Josef 1886, Henry 1888, Ruth 1890, Ruebin 1892, Ethel 1894, Walter 1896.
The year after they arrived in the US 1888 in the sping and over the summer was very hard: they lost 3 children in ?fevers: August 10 yy, Salome 7yy and Efrain 5 yy. Emma Sofia expressed later: ‘I thought I would loose my mind…’
Her older brother Gustaf Fredrik who lived not so far away- in Springvale, Mn – had suffered a similar loss 3 years earlier in the winter of 1884-85 when 3 of his 4 children died in dysentery and diphteria. They kept in touch all their life. There is a letter from Gustaf F. that he wrote to Emma Sofia at the age of 75. See Gustafs page.
Emma became 93 years old and died on her mothers birthday.
August died May 13 1907- 38 years before Emma Sofia. At the tombstones Emma Sofia and August are named Mother and Father at Albion Free Church in Cokato, Wright county, Mn.
