In the cover picture the young people of Storrydet, Judiths childhood home, were gathered for a Farewell-party for Judith, Rudolf and Maria as they were about to emigrate to the US 1911. 

Sitting to the left is Judith and Mother Sofia and Judiths sister-in-law Anna Blomdahl + her children. On the right of the tree are from left to right Hanna, Maria, Rudolf, Ruben, John and Isak

 

Judith was the 5th child of Johan August and Sofia at Storrydet where she was born.

She was born the 26th of Febr 1884.  She grew up there together with her siblings and took part in the home-schooling which her parents had decided for them to have since they were living quite far away from any school.

Her family were very devoted Christians. She was baptized into the SeventhDayAdventist church at the age of 10.

Her first trip out of the house was 1900- as she was 16 years old. Together with her father she started out in the middle of the night to walk to the steam train in Vaggeryd. This railway from Vaggeryd to Jönköping was built and finished 1894, She now took the train to go all the way to Horten in Norway where her older brother John was learning to be a tailor with a tailor family Jenny and Albin Larsson.   She stayed there for a couple of years helping to take care of the 10 children in the family and at the same time learning skills of tailoring. As John was ready to open his own business he moved back to Sweden and she went along and continued helping him in his business.

In the village she stayed she was courted by a Rudolf Toursie: 

She was annoyed though that he did not keep the same sabbath-day as her- Saturday and thought they wouldnt have fun in the long run so she broke up.

The next Rudolf – Karl Rudolf Sandström – came down south from Sörfors, Umeå to Stockholm about 1903.  He learnt tailoring there and also became a member of the SeventhDay Adventist church.

One day in the summer of 1905, as somebody knocked at the door where Judith stayed in Småland, Rudolf was standing there offering to sell her some books. He did this as a summerjob.  She immediately thought that this Rudolf would be hers one day. She was very shy though and even if they got engaged it took 6 years until they got married in 1910 in Taberg.

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As newly-weds they decided to try their luck and emigrate to the US where there was a tailor in Lincoln, Nebraska where they could get work. Together with Judiths close sister Maria, they left 1911. Judith was 27 years old at the time and Maria 26. They take the sur-name of Palm. Rudolfs name was Sandström and there were very many with that name. We dont know why they picked Palm.

They left on a boat over to England Sept 19. On the way Rudolf got measles and was put in quarantine. They had to stay there until Oct 21 to cure the disease. Meanwhile Judith went to visit Rudolf at the hospital by going to the garden outside and they could talk through the hospital window. Judith and Maria spent their time waiting by drawing and strolling around. They also got aquainted with one of the nurses at the hospital and  Judith embroidered a pyjamascase and threw it up to the window to Rudolf. They seems to have stayed in touch with the nurse and got her picture.

They went from Liverpool to NewYork on the ship Mauretania and arrived there the 26th of Octobre 1911. She tells how they were going through health checkups by doctors looking them in their eyes for diseases. They are shipped on steamboats out to Ellis island and are questioned there. They then left by train for Hastings in Michigan where they arrived Oct 29 where they left  Maria to work in the home of their cousin Emil Tyden who had paid her ticket. Oct 30 they reach Chicago and travel on to Lincoln, Nebraska, arriving there the 2nd of Nov. Their luggage is not found and they have to wait quite a long time until they get it and then they have to pay 10 dollars, which for them was quite a lot, but they are happy the get it.

Rudolf and Maria settled in Collegeview, Lincoln, Nebraska and worked with the tailor Nelson.

Judith writes in a letter to her brother John and his wife Anna, back home, that they make jackets. The pants were made somewhere else. They are 4 people employed in the shop. She reasons about her little brothers coming over and recommends this so they may be dismissed from the Military service. But, she says, they have to use false certificates as they travel, due to this, but she thinks this is not a problem because many do, for example Rudolfs brothers who did that. The little brothers Isak and Ruben will not come here during this time. She also tells how there are quite cheap fruits like prunes, dates and grapes. Then, she says, there are fruits there which doesnt taste so good for a Swede.

She writes about how she enjoys getting a letter from home and hear about the old places.

Their first son Holger is born 24th of Febr 1913 and Maria meets Arvid Bjurström and comes and visits.

 

Nov 23 1914 Lillian is born. She grows to be 2,5 years old. 1917 one day in the summer, she gets a cold. After a few days Maria puts her on the terrace to sleep in the fresh air. A day or two after this she gets pneumonia and dies. Judith and Rudolf are devastated and Judith starts longing for home.

Hugo has been born in July 1916.

The same summer 1917 Holger breaks his arm. It is in the middle of WorldWar I in Europe and this hinders them to go back. They decide to move up to where Maria and her daughter Arvida lives in Canada in  August 4, 1917. Here they live in a simple house in a farm and Rudolf tries to make living as a farmer which is not very successful. One day in the winter there is one of the terrible blizzards suddenly coming. The house they’re staying in is not insolated. They cannot go over to their neighbours because of the storm. They put themselves into the bed with all the bedspreads on and keep each other warm. They hear the hens cackle for a while but one after the other is quitened and freezes to death. After a couple of days the blizzard has subsided and they can contact their neighbours who has feared the worst. Willis is born in Oct 1918.

In Oct 1919 the WorldWar has stopped and they move home to Sweden. They settle in Västergötland in Skånings-Åsaka- a little house out on the fields by a little village. Vivian was born in this house the same date as Lillian was born 23rd of Nov 1920.

In Varnhem Rudolf finds a good place to open up his tailoring shop. In 1925 they move there and they build a house called Palmhyddan- their little red house opposite of the old magnificent church. They both live there until they die.

Judith was known to be a very kind, loving and patient person. When her husband Rudolf was frustrated with some of his tailoringbusiness he would become a little careless and not so neat as wished with his sowing. She would then go up early around 4 o clock in the morning and unpick it and re-do it very properly for the customer to come.

She was also very creative, doing crafts in different materials. For example she would carve out beautiful cranes which is so typical for the region close by- Hornborgasjön.

Here a little painting made by her on a pre-printed card.

 

Judith survives Rudolf by 3 years. He died as he was out bicycling in Varnhem in Oct 1961 and was found on the side of the road. He got a heart attack. Hugo is in Etiopia and Willow in Eritrea. This telegram is sent to Willow from Hugo about it.

 

Judith had friends around. Here a neighbour Mrs Lantz living close by.

 

This letter is Judiths last letter to some friends written a few days before she passes away.  It tells about how weak she is and how her heart is growing and not working properly leaving a lot of oedema in the body and that she gets a shot of medication every twelvth day. She tells she sleeps well and has no pain and that she is going to get somebody to stay with her over the winter. She also tells how she is looking forward to heaven where there will be no diseases and only healthy strenght.

She was deeply devoted to her faith and died sitting by the table with her psalmbook in front of her.