An embarrassment of riches

It's odd that Larry and I come to dry spots in our research, and I think, ok, maybe that's all there is to discover about Jansons.  Then all of a sudden people like Steve and Carrie show up and bring possibilities to the table that we didn't know about, or that didn't make sense when we did see em.  

Today, I'm thinking "Woohoo! Where do I start??!"

Steve Janson (great grandson of the 1889 immigrant to Michigan Stefan Janson) sent vintage pictures of his family.  I haven't posted most cuz I'm not sure which generation I'm looking at.

This one he labeled "Great Grandma and Grandpa Stephen Janson".  Well, the immigrant Stefen was born in 1857, and came here about 1889.  If he's 60 years old in the photo, then it's 1917 and perfectly possible, both re the car and how they look, ya know?

Now this  photo was labeled Joseph Janson. Was this Stephan's brother?  If so, he was born in 1848, so no, this Joe had to be Stefan's son.  Maybe he owned that cool car? Probably the white clapboard house in the background was the same one too.

And IF this man was Stefan's son, then the next pic was earlier when he and sibs made their first communion (usually about 12 years old).

Wow, this photo really shows the "dark Janson" look, tho it might be an illusion against white clothes.  Steve labeled this one "Valentine, Joe and Marie Janson".  They were Stefan and Anna's oldest three kids. (Valentine b 1896, Marie b 1898 and Joseph b 1900).  I'm guessing this pic was taken about 1913, so Marie would have been 15, Val was 17, and Joe was 13.

  
If this was first communion, how come Joe had no prayer book to hold?  Cuz a kid didn't need his own book--they shared. 





Aww, a boy and his dog.  It's labeled "Grandpa Janson"--the fourth kid in the family, Stephan Anthony Janson.  He was born in 1902, and I assume he was our Steve's grandpa? Just imagine a beard and mustache on the pic below and you have Johannes, huh? 


BTW, I'm using the spelling STEFAN for the immigrant here, STEPHAN for his son, with STEVE for our contemporary Janson.   
We're missing a generation, I think!

"Stephan A Janson II",  b 1902.

Brothers?

This was a Johannes Janson family gathering in 1925.  (I posted it a few days ago, too).  It was in honor of John and Mary's 50th wedding anniversary so a group photo was taken.  You can see them in front of Sr Mamerta, right?  But look at the other end of the crowd--a man with white hair and beard...was that John's brother Stephan?  It would have been the perfect occasion for a visit from the Michigan relatives, after all.  

I suppose we'll find out once Steve sends pics.  

Oh, man, waiting is so DIFFICULT!

Musta been SOME tires...

"Look out! There's a huge tire about to squash ya..."

"The truck pictured below is owned by Mr. John Janson of Grand Rapids, Mich.  It is shown at the bottom of a gravel pit forty feet deep.  The road out of this pit is very steep and, of course, is soft and sandy.  To pull out with a 2 1/2 yard load this truck needs all the traction it can get; and it gets all the traction it needs with Caterpillars.
The broad surfaces of Caterpillars have a snow-shoe effect.  They pack the loose sand down, thus building a more solid footing for themselves.  At the same time, the notches in the sides act as a lock, getting a firmer grip on the road than ordinary tires could get even with chains.
Many truck operators have been under the impression that pneumatics were the only tires that would give them the traction needed for this kind of work.  As a matter of fact (and Mr Janson's experience proves it), Caterpillars not only give plenty of traction but they also give far greater mileage than pneumatics without the danger of punctures and blowouts..."


 It's amazing that relatively obscure trade magazines are online these days.  Even for those of us who were around and reading by 1922, the chances of seeing Highway Engineer and Contractor Magazine would have been nil.  But, look--a web search found John Janson from Grand Rapids, Michigan, endorsing the tires he used on his trucks.  Isn't that COOL?

( No fair--Larry finds all the GOOD stuff! ☺)

NEW COUSINS--The Michigan Jansons

Dielheim

Our folks came from a few small towns south of Mannheim--Baiertal, Balzfeld, Dielheim, Horrenburg--all in a string within 5-10 miles of each other.  They left for Amerika in the 1880s, particularly JOHANNES, DANIEL, JOSEF...and STEPHAN. 

We know Johannes, Daniel and Josef settled in Minnesota in 1883, and our just-revealed Stephan arrived in Michigan 1889 or so.  How did these men connect to each other?


Well, the ancestor-couple we have in common was Georg Valentin Janson (b 1773) and his wife Eva Katherina Reissfelder (b 1781).  They had a son, Johannes (1803), who married Maria Juliana Bayer (1801), and their youngest son was Josef (1844), our great grandfather, who settled in Buckman, Mn.


Ok so far?


Now, Georg Valentin and Eva Katherina Janson had another son, Daniel, (1816), who was married twice and so had two families. The first wife was Regina Schweigert (1820), and their firstborn was Johannes (b 1845) who came here with his cousin, GG Josef.


When Regina died in 1847, Daniel married Maria Anna Helfinger (1822).  THEIR son Daniel (1850) was the Janson who settled in Rice, Minnesota, and, their son STEPHAN (1857) was the Janson who settled in Michigan, and whose great grandson contacted Kenny and me this week.  


Now, I hope I got that all straight, and that YOU understood even half of it.  Remember, the test at the end will constitute 75% of your grade.

YAY! Welcome (back) to Stephan's descendants--we've been waiting for you! ☺