Sara Pettersdotter, Inga Kristina´s mother, was born 1828-12-19 and died 1915-11-20.
The following is from a little book about some of the crofter´s holdings in the area: Morkevik. This place was from the beginning a crofter´s holding was situated on a very nice bay of a lake and there was no reason that it should be called Morkevik (Dark bay in Swedish). Sara´s father was farmer and he gave Morkevik as a heritage to Sara. Her father arranged this marriage to Johannes Johanesson. His legs were paralyzed from a disease in the childhood. As he moved through crawling on his knees he was called The Crawler, It is told that Sara who was big and strong used to carry her husband when they were going to church. Summertime she used to row him over the lake to the church. She carried him to the altar place when there was communion service. Some years later he died and Sara remarried Johannes Hallgren. Sara gave birth to 7 children whereof two in the first marriage and 5 in the latter (we are not all too sure about that and continue researching). The oldest girl Inga Kristina married (Nils Peter) and stayed in Sweden and all the others emigrated to the States. During some years in the 1880-ies Johan Petter, Johannes Vilhelm, Johanna, Markus August, Salomon and Augusta travelled with the big stream of people from the parish to the country of big possibilities. None of them returned to their native country (but for a short visit).
When the children had left the home Sara and Johannes sold the house but stayed there as tenants. They moved to Valdshult (that name is on the Sweden map I brought and is the main place in the parish). And since then nobody has lived at Morkevik. (Now the house is moved to another place and nothing is to be seen).
Johannes Hallgren was a lay-preacher and used to preach in the meetings which were held in homes. Sara was a self-taught midwife and always served willingly.
Fridhem ( House of Peace).Some time just before 1900 an elderly couple moved from a faraway crofter´s holding to the church village Valdshult after all their children had left home. They were Johannes Hallgren and his wife Sara and settled down in Fridhem, near the church. Johannes died shortly after they had moved to Fridhem the year 1900. Sara survived her husband with 15 years. In happiness and sorrow this strong woman was asked for in the homes. When somebody died and when somebody was going to be born. Sara, this prompt and somewhat harsh woman, always was a willing helper. Sara lived at Fridhem until year 1914, taken care of by her granddaughter Ada Nilsson. When Ada married Sara followed her but died the following year, 87 years old.
About emigration: Almost 30% of the population emigrated the last 20 years of 19th century - 67 persons. Of them 14 returned to the home parish.