This Swedish prayer book belonged to my maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Anna Sophia (Anderson) Abrahamson. This prayer book is an 8”x5” leather book. The front cover is decorated the intricate designs and has a large cross in the middle with a word or phrase written above it. The binding has gold writing along the spine. The prayer book is 500 pages long, and the verses are written in Swedish. 

Originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, Anna arrived in the United States in 1896/1897 with her children. Her husband, Charles Abrahamson, also from Halland County, Sweden, immigrated to the United States in 1889/1890 and settled in New Britain, Connecticut. 

In Sweden, Anna was a member of the Church of Sweden, an Evangelical Lutheran national church. After immigrating, the family joined the First Lutheran Church of the Reformation in New Britain, CT, and Anna attended regular Bible meetings. Religion played a significant role in the Abrahamson family as they settled in the United States, and it served as a connection to their past and a way to preserve their culture in this new place. This artifact is important to me because it is clear that this prayer book was important to Anna as she brought it with her on her journey to the United States. It is incredible that this artifact traveled with Anna and her children from Sweden 125+ years ago and is still present in my family today. Today, this book does not have a religious function. Instead, it is treasured as an artifact to remember our family, the journey they took, and the life they established here in the United States. 

– Maryjane Johnson

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more