On 16 Sep 1881, Hanna Svennson embarked from Sweden, sailing as a single woman age 28, to New York via England on the ship Romeo.
Hanna Svenson in Gothenburg, Sweden, Passenger Lists, 1869-1951 on Ancestry.com, Göteborgs > 1881, image 705 of 909 : downloaded 6 Sep 2023.
1885: Marriage to Herman Liljestrand in Brooklyn, NY
Hanna Swenson (the “Americanization” of her Svennson surname) and Herman Liljestrand, the parents of Sven Liljestrand, were married on 21 Jun 1885 at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York. The record notes were both immigrants from Sweden, with Herman arriving in 1884 and Hannah in 1881. Note the correlation of the names listed for her parents Sven Erickson and Katrina Johnson with those on the 1850s Household book of Sven Eriksson and Catherine Jonsdr. See scans of their original marriage certificate below, held in the New York City Archives, with a transcription following.
NYC Municipal Archives Historical Vital Records, Marriage Certificate #2044, Kings, 21 Jun 1885, downloaded 4 Aug 2023 from
https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/digital-vital-records
Transcription
Front
Form C. Jan 1, 1880
Certificate of Marriage, Brooklyn - 2044
I hereby certify that Herman Liljestrand and Hanna Swenson were joined in marriage
by me, in accordance with the Laws of the State of New York, in the City of Brooklyn, this
(21st) Twenty-first day of June 1885. [Purple stamp: Department of Health, Office of Register, June 22 1885]
Attest, Official Station and Residence [all illegible]
Witnesses: G. Hedlund and Edla Hedlund
Back
All the following blanks are required to be filled.
OF THE GROOM
Name, Herman Liljestrand
Residence, 640 Atlantic Av.
Age, 31 Color, __
No. of Marriage, 1st
Occupation, Shoemaker
Place of Birth, Sweden
Father's Name, Herman Liljestrand (?)
Mother's Maiden Name, Maria H. Månson (?)
- Note that the parents' names on the marriage certificate differ from those in the Swedish records, which we believe to be correct.
OF THE BRIDE
Name, Hanna Swenson
Maiden Name if a Widow, __
Residence, 640 Atlantic Av.
Age, 32 Color, __
No. of Marriage, 1st
Place of Birth, Sweden
Father's Name, Sven Erickson
Mother's Maiden Name, Katrina Johnson
We the Groom and Bride named in the above certificate, hereby certify that the information given is correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.
[Signatures of Groom and Bride]
1891: A Return Trip to Sweden
Hanna traveled back to Sweden in 1891, likely to visit her Swedish relatives, and brought along her five year-old son Sven. This Swedish Emigration record shows their departure back to New York on the ship Aristo on 13 Nov 1891.
Hanna and Sven Liljestrand in Gothenburg, Sweden, Passenger Lists, 1869-1951 on Ancestry.com, Göteborgs > 1891, image 905 of 971 : downloaded 6 Sep 2023.
Hanna Swenson
(1853-1915)
1850s: Her Family in Sweden
The record below from the Swedish Household Examination Books 1851-55 on MyHeritage gives us the birth date and place of Hanna Swenson, as well as the names of her parents. It shows “Johanna” as the youngest child in the family of Sven Eriksson and Catherine Jonsdotter, transcribed as follows:
Sven Eriksson, father, b. 30 Jan 1811, birthplace Brunskog
Catherine Jonsdr., mother, b. 25 Dec 1809, Västra Ämtervik
Brita, daughter, b. 2 Jun 1835, Västra Ämtervik
Anders, son, b. 14 Mar 1841, Västra Ämtervik
Erick, son, b. 16 Feb 1848, Västra Ämtervik
Olof, son, b. 25 Dec 1848 and deceased, Västra Ämtervik
Johanna, daughter, b. 5 Feb 1853, Västra Ämtervik
Johanna in the household of Sven Eriksson, MyHeritage (image provided by ArkivDigital), Swedish Household Examination Books, Värmlands County, Västra Ämtervik AI9, 1851 - 1855, Folkesgården, p. 103. https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10180-139237811/johanna-in-sweden-household-examination-books: downloaded 24 Aug 2024.
1881: Emigration to America
1906: A Second Trip to Sweden
Hanna traveled back to Sweden again in 1906 and this time brought along her twelve year-old daughter Hulda. This passenger list documents their return trip to New York on the ship S.S. Caronia arriving 26 Nov 1906.
Ancestry.com, Hanna and Hulda Liljestrand in New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957 > Date > 1906 > November > 26 > Caronia, image 78 of 117 : downloaded 7 Dec 2025.
Transcription
Liljestrand, Hanna - age 53, married, occupation wife, Swedish, non-immigrant alien, residence Pawling NY, in possession of $10, 15 yrs in US, husband of Herman, not polygamous or anarchist, good health, 5'8", fair, brown hair blue eyes, born in Karlstad (biggest city in Varmland County; she was born in Västra Ämtervik of said county)
- Hulda - age 12, single, US born
Death in 1915
The only record of death that we have been able to locate for Hanna is this obituary in the local newspaper.
OldNews.com. Patterson Weekly News, Patterson, New York, Thursday, 15 Apr 1915, p. 1 : downloaded 17 Dec 2025.
Hanna is buried along with her husband Herman and son Sven Herman
in the Pawling Cemetery in Pawling, New York.
FindAGrave.com. Memorial ID, 109774038,
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109774038/hanna-liljestrand : accessed 12 Nov 2025.
1969: Information from Aunt Hulda
The following information was passed down to Jim through his father Robert during a visit from his Aunt Hulda in 1969. It lists the siblings of (Jo)hanna Svenson, which correspond with the 1850s household record at the top of the page, along with some information about their descendants.
