Johan Israelson

  General Notes:

Swedes in Texas, page 327:
"JOHAN ISRAELSON. Few of our Swedish pioneers in Texas have as varied a life as Johan Israelson. He was born in Forserum parish, Småland, in 1833. His father, Israel Abrahamson, was a farmer. His father's property bordered on that of S. M. Swenson's parents in Lättarp. When S. M. Swenson went to America in 1836, he gave the three-year-old Johan Isruelson 24 "pennies". Israelson hid them until 1859 when he came to Round Rock, Texas. Then he bought a pair of gloves for himself. When he got here he first worked for Johannes Palm, then leased land from S. M. Swenson in Govalle for one year, and was then employed by Dyer to drive oxen to San Antonio. "And then the war broke out!" He became a cotton-driver for Dyer, and he had to drive it all the way to Mexico. In Mexico, Israelson bought the oxen from Dyer and returned to Brushy, where he arrived in December. Soon after coming from Mexico, a new caravan was loaded with nine carts full of cotton. The drivers were: Israelson, Newlin, Otto Swenson and Sven Larson, and the destination was Mexico this time as well. These Swedes avoided military service through the influence of S.M. Swenson. Israelson and Jonas Johnson then hired themselves out to an American, Fosette, as shepherds, and stayed in his service for two and a half years. Because of the war, he shipped his sheep through Mexico over the Rio Grande. 2000 sheep were shipped in wagons, fifty in each, the sheep were shorn. When the war was over, the sheep and the wool was transported to Corpus Christi, and the shepherds went to S. M. Swenson in Govalle. Here, Israelson and Otto Swenson leased land. He leased land in the county for four years, and in 1874 he bought his own land in Palm Valley, and in 1881 a second farm in the same community.

"In addition to farming, he had a contract with a couple of breweries in Austin to deliver their products to neighboring cities. For one year he lived in Austin, and for another year he was driving cattle to Kansas for the Palms. He rented land in Williamson County.

"He married Maria Helena Skoglund, who came to Palm Valley from Småland in 1871. Her father was P. J. Skoglund. They had the following children: Anna, now Mrs. Blomstedt; Gustaf; Nora, Mrs. C. Anderson; Esther, and Mrs. Alfred Telander. Three girls and a boy are dead.

"The old couple are charter members of the Lutheran Congregation in Palm Valley, and Israelson drove the first wagonload of building material for the old church."

Johan married Maria Helena Skoglund. (Maria Helena Skoglund was born on 3 Dec 1848 in Skörstad, Småland, Sweden, died on 27 Apr 1929 in Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas and was buried in Palm Valley Lutheran Church Cemetery, Round Rock, Williamson County, Texas.)