Frida (Elfrida) was the daughter of Gustaf Larsson Frohm and Charlotta Andersdotter
Lind. Gustaf was a  foreman at Gubbagården in  Ryggebol.

After Frida and Albin had married on July 15, 1892 they leased  Bortre Maden
that belonged to Nääs. Charlotta and Gustaf moved in with their daughter; left 
everything  they had to her and their son-in-law, with the understanding that they
could stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Since Albin worked at construction sites most of the time, it was Gustaf who took
care of the farming. Maden had obligations for day's work at Nääs but Albin rather
paid that off in money, which came to 152 kronor a year. In 1910 Nääs got a new 
farm bailiff who demanded day's work. Folke was the one to do them. Valfrid
worked at Nääs too, but  was paid for his work so that didn't count as day's work.
 

There was no lack of inventiveness

When Albin and Frida first came to Maden they were pretty poor, so they decided
to do something about that. Since there was nothing but moss- and marshland around 
they had to work hard to make fields and grazing land out of it, but it was done... After
they had blasted away a small hill and drenched the moss- and grazing land, cleared
away and burnt off, they had more than doubled their land! After a few years they had
so much harvest that they had to build another barn to lodge it all. This was around 
1897 and Albin and Frida now had two children.

Even though the harvesting was good, the family had no income so they had to "cut thin
slices of the meat", Frida used to say. Maybe this was the time when someone gave 
Albin the idea to start a slaughter house business at Maden - "well, it was supposed to
give a good income" - and so it started. Every Wednesday Albin went to the market in 
Alingsås where he bought his cart full of calves. On Thursdays the calves were slaughtered 
at  Maden under very primitive conditions. There was no public health board around, 
and no special  equipment - the calves were slaughtered with a sledge hammer. Then on
Friday nights Albin went with horse and carriage into Göteborg so that he could be at
the market early Saturday morning to sell his meat. As the railway opened in 1902 the
horse and carriage  were traded for the train. When compulsory meat inspections were
introduced in Göteborg the market trade was banned. Albin then rented part of a store
in Bazaren, which was situated close to what is now Saluhallarna. Since there was no
cold storage room Albin brought home whatever meat he hadn't sold and Frida then
pickled it in salt in a big tub. Valfrid has told that the meat business was profitable
enough, but that the best thing with the whole business was that the family always had
a good supply of meat  According to Valfrid Albin had stopped the slaughter business
before 1912.
 

Building contractor, just on the side

During most of the "slaughter years" Albin also worked at different construction sites,
on the side so to say. He laid foundations, did carpentry, cemented, well - practically
everything. His knowledge came in handy when after Gustaf's death in 1906 it was
decided that the old Maden had to come down and a new one would be built. The
old Maden had no proper foundation, the beams were laid directly on the ground and
on top of  the beams the wooden floor was nailed. It must have been cold and draughty.
The walls were built with logs and sealed with moss. Inside the house was plastered with 
clay. In order for Albin and Frida to rebuild their crofter's holding they had to ask 
permission from the bailiff at Nääs. He gave the permission granted they did all the
building  themselves,  which they did. They were also given 1000 kronor and permission
 to take lumber from the woods. The new Maden was built at approximately the same
place where the old one had been.

Valfrid has told about the old Maden that there was a kitchen with a huge fireplace. 
Next to the kitchen was a small room where Gustaf, Charlotta and some of the younger 
children slept. The other ones slept in the kitchen. In the kitchen was also an iron range
that Albin had put in as soon as they came to Maden. Before that there was only the 
huge fireplace  with a baker's oven. It was considered very unusual for a common 
crofter's kitchen to have an iron range.

The new Maden was improved in size. On the first floor there were three rooms, of 
which one was a drawing room, and a kitchen. In the attic there was a "summer room" 
where the family stayed when they rented the first floor to the "coursers" at Nääs.  People 
who participated in summer courses at Nääs Handicraft Teachers Training College, 
which was close to Maden, were called "coursers". The family continued to rent to 
coursers even after they moved to Åstebo. Albin and Frida's youngest son Arnold has
told that the coursers then paid less than 40 kronor for the summer!
 

Female chores

In the olden days the women used to take care of the cows, but Frida was an exception.
She had rheumatism in her hands, probably because she had rinsed a lot of clothes in 
very  cold water, so she never worked in the cow shed or the barn. It was instead
her only daughter Valborg, called Bojan, who went up early every morning to  milk
the cows. From around 1920 there was also two maids in the house, Olga and Lilly.
When the sons George, Gillis and Folke had all emigrated to America, Bojan was
studying, Valfrid had married and only Arnold was still at home Olga and Lilly was
living in what had been Folke's chamber. Before that they had stayed in the kitchen.
 
 

The humor was flowing

Even though the family never lived in abundance, they  were mostly better off than 
many other people in the parish. They had for instance two vehicles, one four wheel 
so called hunting carriage and one two wheeler. They were mostly used when one 
went to listen to a minister at some of the neighbors' or in the mission hall.

Thriftiness was a virtue and Arnold has told that Frida had a real hard time throwing
things away. This is why they often drank their coffee out of chipped cups. Then
without Frida knowing it Albin one day went out to buy new cups to surprise her
with. When it was time for coffee Bojan and Arnold set the table and knowing
about the new cups they sat the table with the most chipped cups they could find.
They all sat down and Albin said: " These old chipped cups are horrible!" and he
threw his cup on the floor! "Well, I think so too!" said Arnold and threw his cup too!
Bojan didn't want to be inferior so she threw her cup with real vivid realization! 
Frida was shocked of course, but soon collected her wits  when Albin brought out
his big surprise.

Arnold has told about a plated silver spoon he once got as a Christmas present from
his parents. He remembered it well  because on the package was a verse that ended
like this "...but it has Arnold in the end." He couldn't remember the beginning of the 
verse, but the end of it made an impression. The spoon had his name engraved at the
handle. Arnold's aunts in Borås always sent something for Christmas too. His brother
Gillis worked at Gumpert's  book store in Göteborg for a while, and when he came
home on Saturdays he often brought something for his little brother Arnold. Once when
Arnold had bought himself a present everyone was wondering where he had gotten the
money for that. "All autumn I've saved all of my collection money!" he replied.
 

Åstebo - a time of raspberries and a whole lot of music

To make some extra money the children often picked berries that Charlotta and Frida
went in to Göteborg with to sell. When Albin was retired at Åstebo he grew raspberries
that he sent with a gardener to sell in Göteborg. Evidently the raspberries like it at 
Åstebo because Arnold too  has grown them there, if only on a small basis. It was in
1925 that Albin, Frida and Arnold moved to Åstebo. It used to be a small cottage with
two little old ladies in it. After having been empty for many years, the cottage was torn
down and Albin built a new house and kept the name Åstebo. Since Albin did not 
understand farming, Gustaf and Charlotta were dead, and his sons who used to do the 
farming after Gustaf's death had gone to America, Albin just grew some "'tatoes for
household use. Well, and some raspberries of course.

Albin and Frida loved to sing and Albin could play both the guitar, the violin and the
organ they had in the house. When they moved to Åstebo they exchanged the organ 
for a piano. Valfrid has told that "Albin played quite excellent with his big workman's
hands". Also the neighbors at Hitre Maden loved to sing and play. Sometimes in
the summer evenings  both families went up on a hill, sat down to sing and play and
enjoy the beautiful view of Nääs and lake Sävelången long into the bright night. 
Albin and Frida had a lot of visitors at Maden, above all pietists, and the aunts Hilda
and Nathalia.

Albin was a member of the Liberal association, which was about the same as the
Liberal party. The largest difference between the two was that the Liberal association,
to which Albin belonged, above all consisted of temperance- and nonconformists. 
Albin was a member of both the local government committee and in what was called
the pension committee. He was also an active member of the Mission Covenant 
Church and took part in starting a youth association.

.Albin is said to have been an initiative, energetic and kind person with a good mood
and lots of humor. "Light and easy is the way to go!", he said.  Arnold has told that he 
used to say " There should be happiness and enthusiasm in God's church!" Well, as
one of Albin's workers said: " Albin was certainly funny!" Frida was very kind and
"calmer than Albin in some way". This is most probably why August Flodén, Frida's
brother in law and Albin's brother, wrote a poem to her on her 50th birthday:
"...she has a home of which she herself wants to be the sun...", and you cannot but 
admire her.

On a Sunday night 1942 Albin died unexpectedly at home at Åstebo. Frida and Albin
had gone to bed when he suddenly said "It's really hot in here!". He got up to open up
the vent on the tiled stove. He then sat down on the bed, took Frida's hand in his and 
just collapsed. He had previously had some trouble with his heart so that's probably
what happened again, although this time fatally. Albin was the first to be buried at
Floda Mission Covenant Church, which he had helped to build. Frida died 82 years 
old at a private convalescent home close to Liseberg in Göteborg. At the time of her 
death she had been ill for many years. She lived with her son Arnold and his family
at Åstebo almost till the day she died, on Christmas Eve in 1951.

Albin and Frida's children

 George  Valfrid  Valborg Gillis  Folke  Arnold
 

   Empress of Ireland

George, the oldest son, went  to Canada around 1914 on the Empress of Ireland.
In Canada he worked as a minister and pastor. He has written many revival hymns,
and some of them has become quite well known, e.g. "Blissful Morning" and "Noah
The Boat Builder".

He later came to the US where he via Minnesota ended up in California.  He took
his doctorate degree in chiropractic medicine and naturopathy. Together with some
colleagues he started a health- and educational institute, Sierra States University, in 
Los Angeles. The institute had education in the fields of chiropractic, naturopathy,
physical therapy, massage, psychology and nutrition.

George traveled within the country and abroad being a much appreciated lecturer.
He was also a frequent writer for some papers and periodicals in the US. His
pen name was "Rex".

He married three times and had five daughters and one son. George changed his last
name from Andersson to Flodén before he left Sweden. He died in Santa Monica,
California in 1975.
 

Valfrid also took the surname Flodén. He married Svea Ljungkvist and they had 
four children, three boys and one girl. Valfrid and Svea lived in Lerum where Valfrid
was a building contractor. He died in 1988.
 

Bojan (Valborg), Albin and Frida's only daughter was very intelligent but education
was considered wasted on a farm girl. She was  needed at home and in the barn.
Thanks to her aunts she got an opportunity to study when she was around 20 years
old. She first studied to be an infant teacher, and later an elementary school teacher.
She got a job in Kuddby and stayed there for 19 years.

She was particularly interested in children with disabilities. She worked as a speech
therapist at Bräcke Östergård; a school for children with CP, and was later assigned
to start Göteborg's first integrated classes for vision impaired students.

She was active within Betlehemskyrkan (church), and was also a juror in Göteborg's
district court. Bojan died in Floda in 1984.
 
 

  M/S Gripsholm

Gillis and Folke, Albin's and Frida's other two sons, both went to America in 1923; 
Gillis in January and Folke in October. The first couple of years over there were hard
but they didn't have any money to go back home. Eventually they married two Swedish
girls and  had one child each. 

They both moved to Modesto in  northern California where they had the company
"Campbell's Soups" for some time. After that they started a business called "Flodén
Brother's, Poultry & Eggs",  which "sold turkey food, for turkeys that they then bought,
slaughtered and sold". Gillis died in 1959 and Folke in 1997.
 

Arnold was born at Bortre Maden, the youngest of six siblings. Frida was then 44
and Albin 50 years old. Arnold went to a so called continuation school directed at
textile, having the Nääs Factories' textile industry so close to home. In 1925 the
family moved to Åstebo.

Arnold was a member of the Mission Covenant Church's junior- and  youth
association and maybe this was where he met his wife to be, Sonja. In 1942 he
changed his last name to Björnerås, after the crofter's holding where his father was
born - Lilla Björnås. Unfortunately the name Björnås was already taken, so he then
settled for Björnerås. Arnold married Sonja in 1944 and they have four children.

Throughout  the years Arnold had many local assignments in, e.g. the library 
board, the local housing committee and the local government administration- and
committee. He took part in founding a society for local history and geography, and
a concert society in Skallsjö. For a while he was a juror at Alingsås district court.
He was chairman of  the cultural board and received the 1987 " Lerum Cultural
Award". He also founded Floda Mission Covenant Church's scout troop, and was
a chairman  of the youth association.

Arnold first worked for his brother Valfrid and later took some courses in building
construction at Karlskoga folk high school. He took the "long route"  in his 
profession. During the years 1955-1978 he worked at the construction division of
social services in Göteborg, the later years as a section supervisor. When  he retired
a civil engineer was hired for his old position. Arnold probably belonged to the last
generation who might  lack economical prerequisites for studying, but who at the same
time had the ability to work their way to a good position. Arnold died October 23,
1999.
 

Source:
      "200 år av min historia..." , unpublished paper 1993, Åsa Broman