Individual Notes
Note for: Johan Victor Ask Or Norquist, 22 MAR 1857 - 15 MAY 1914
Index
Emigration: Date: MAR 1880
Place: Gysinge, Sweden
Event: Type: Military
Place: Company F, 4Th Infantry Division, U.S. Army
Burial: Place: Mennonite Cemetery
Individual Note: ID number 57-2-1
BIRTH: Film# 203075 Nora, Västmanland, Births C:6 1857 #18
CLERICAL_SURVEY: Film# 130894 Österfärnebo AI:18A 1853-1857 p.204 Gysinge
CLERICAL_SURVEY: Film# 453367 Österfärnebo AI:22A 1876-1885 p.226 Gysinge
John V. Norquist was born in Nora, Västmanland, Sweden. March 22. 1857, and died May 15. 1914. aged 57 years, 1 month and 22 days.
In 1880 Mr. Norquist was united in marriage with Miss Anna Rodin. They came to this country in I88I. This union was blessed with four children, three sons and one daughter. His wife preceded him in death in the year of 1887.
Mr. Norguist enlisted in the United States Army in the year 1900, serving three enlistments, two of which were in the Philippine Islands. Since his retirement from government service he made his home here with his son Carl.
He leaves to mourn their loss three sons and one daughter, John N. of Abbyville, Kansas, Carl of Morton, Arthur of Ryne, Iowa, and Mrs. Alice Warn of St. Paul. There are also five grandchildren, two brothers, G. L. Norquist, Chicago, and William Norquist, Bishop Hill, Illinois.
The funeral was held from the house on Sunday, Rev Mr. Flickinger of Groveland officiating. Interment was at the Mennonite cemetery.
John V. (Ask) Norquist, son of Johan and Kristina L. (Wendelen) Ask, was born March 22, 1857 at Nora, Västmanland, Sweden, which was 15—20? miles from Gysinge, Sweden. John V. was the oldest of his two brothers, William and Ludwig. John V. married Anna Rodin, daughter of Olaf and Kristina Bergquist on May 8, 1880. Anna was born on April 14, 1858 at Ostra Pernabo (Parish) In Sweden. A son, John August was born to them on September 9, 1879.
John V. and wife, Anna, along with their son, John August, came to the U.S.A. in March of 1880. They located in Burlington, Iowa where Anna’s brother lived. Their address at that tine was 710 S. 12th. St., Burlington, Iowa. Later they moved to 401 S. Wood St. in Burlington. It was possibly near this time that John V. and his brothers William and Ludwig, had their name changed from Ask (by which they were known in Sweden), to Nordquist. Sometime later John V. removed the “d” frau, his name and used the name Norquist. The other brothers, William and Ludwig, retained the name Nordquist.
At the time John and Anna were living In Burlington, a young lady named Louise Berquist, and who was born in Sweden, came to visit and met John V.’s brother William. They later married and made their home in the area of Bishop Hill and Galva, Illinois. Later they made their home in Moline, Illinois. Brother Ludwig and his wife, Lizzie, lived in Chicago, Illinois. Arthur and his wife, Hilda, lived at Ryne, Iowa for a time and later at Moline, Illinois.
It was on August 12, 1887, that Jam V.’s wife, Anna, suffered a heat stroke and died, leaving the four children, John, Carl, Arthur, and Alice. Their ages were approximately three through nine. The children were put into the homes of relatives. John V.’s brother, William, and his wife, Louise, took Carl to live with them for a time. Brothers John and Arthur, and possibly Alice, were taken by the Hedlund cousins who lived in the Bishop Hill and Galva areas in Illinois. Carl was six years old at this time. When the boys were 12 and 14 years of ages they were placed in an orphanage, along with sister Alice. The orphanage was near Peoria, Illinois.
Sometime later, Dan Wagler, who lived on a farm near Pekin, Illinois, needed boys for help on the farm. He went to the orphanage and was able to arrange for Carl to leave the orphanage, and to live on the Wagler farm as a farmhand. The Waglers learned to like Carl so well, that they went back to the orphanage and got John to also come live with them as a farmhand. (It is uncertain if brother Arthur was taken to the orphanage, or if he stayed with the Hedlund cousins in Galva and Bishop Hill areas). Sister Alice was taken from the orphanage by a minister and his wife, who later adopted her. When John and Carl were older, they were determined to find their sister Alice, and they were successful in doing so. Alice’s foster parents were not too pleased at the time, however, things worked out that they were able to make occasional visits with Alice. Alice later married Mike Warn, who was a banker, and they made their home In St. Paul, Minn. They had no children.
In the year 1900 John V. enlisted in the U.S. army, serving three enlistments — two of which were in the Philippines. Following his retirement from government service, he made his home with his son, Carl and family, at Morton, Ill.
John V. usually helped with the farm chores. However, on May 15. 1914, he did not come to the barn as he usually did. He was later found dead in his bed — not a cover was moved. It is thought he suffered a stroke. His age was 57.
John had been faithful in his church attendance whenever possible. One of the remembrances the grandchildren have is how he would give each one a few corn candies to them before going to bed each evening.
John V. is buried in the cemetery beside the Groveland Evangelical Mennonite Church at Groveland, Illinois.