Herman, Mom's little nephew, was the first child of her eldest brother. My grandfather, John Carlson, came to America to make a new life for his wife and son (Herman's father, Frithjof). He worked for twelve years and then returned to Sweden to bring his wife and son to the United States. My mother, Violet, was the youngest of four children born to Anna and John Carlson in the United States. Herman was only three years younger than my mother and over six feet tall; Violet, my mother, loved calling him her "little nephew".

It was always an exciting and fun time when Herman came to visit. He loved to entertain us with ghost stories. He would tell tales of the ghosts he met in the castles in Europe when he was in the Army. Then there was the milkmaid that walked down the lane by his house in the country and stories that occurred when he worked in a funeral home and on the railroad. He found ghosts everywhere and it never occurred to us to wonder why we did not see them. When we were totally engrossed in the story, he would suddenly jump up or fall off his chair and let out a whoop that scared us to death. My mother and my cousin Caroline and all the kids loved to listen to his ghost stories. We would request the same stories over and over and get just as scared each time. With each generation, he had a new audience.

Herman was a wonderful dancer. I remember stories told by Ruth and Shirley Kostbade (also first cousins) of Herman coming to dances when he was in the Army. They loved to dance with him. Many times he was still wearing his Army boots. Herman became involved in folk dancing. My girlfriends remember him trying to teach us to dance when we were children. The furniture was moved to the side in the kitchen; my mother loved to watch as Herman taught me to dance the tango and some of his folk dances. My sister Barbara says he chased her and girlfriends around the block. They would run and he would run after them. She doesn't remember how or why this started, but they would do it every time he visited. Sometimes he would bring ice cream. This was a big treat for us. Ice cream came in square or oblong boxes, depending on the amount, and my mother would slice it. His visits were always a surprise. I do not remember him staying for dinner very many times, although he was always welcome. I do remember him always drinking a big glass of milk and eating cake.

Herman was extremely well read and self educated. Anything we wanted to know we could ask Herman. He always wore a necktie. An amazing thing to me was Herman shopped at the Salvation Army stores where he found a variety of his ties.

When he was young he bought land on Drury Lane in the Chesterton area and built his own house. It was a work of love as Herman was an intellectual not a hands-on person. He would ask my father for advice and he did help him, but basically Herman did the work himself. It was his hobby. He added on a huge room for folk dancing in later years. Herman and Helen hosted our family reunions for the last twenty or more years until they physically could not handle it. Although Herman became confined to a wheelchair and extremely hard of hearing, he still read voraciously and carried on intelligent one-way conversations.

Through the years Herman kept in touch with all branches of the Carlson (his father's) family. Periodically he would visit Aunt Esther, Caroline, and our family, and I am sure Uncle Ed as well. He was also our connection to our Swedish relatives. He visited not only the Carlson relatives but my father's as well on his trips to Sweden. Herman spoke fluent Swedish and translated all Swedish communications we received.

Herman always told us he would marry one day and he did at age 70. He married Helen Pomerance, a retired Chicago schoolteacher and a folk dancer. Helen was a wonderful partner for Herman and an excellent caregiver in his later years. We have enjoyed Helen as part of our family.

When I think of Herman, I think of an interesting character-eccentric, educated, entertaining, and a family member whom I loved as an uncle, not a cousin figure.

Linnea Hokanson (a first cousin)
Porter, Indiana
(219)-926-3490
kalin22@msn.com

Herman was my cousin but actually more like an uncle. He was a huge influence on my early years and a part of our lives always. I had written these memories for the family to have some closure. If you would like to add this to your website or use of it, please do. Debbie Kerwin, my niece who made the calendars, asked me to send this to you.