You've got your cousin's face

How's this for a family resemblance? Sven Fält was the brother of Johanna "Jennie" (Fält) Borgreen. Carl Borgreen was the son of Johanna. Sadly, these folks never met and I'm not sure they even knew of each other. But the family resemblance is undeniable. 

Carl Borgreen Documents



Carl Borgreen Confirmation

Had a chance to photograph these beautiful documents when Mom came to visit a while back. They have been rolled up in stored in a bookcase for years. They felt a bit brittle and had to be gently held flat to photograph. I think some time in a steam bath would help to relax the paper. Hopefully some day I'll have a chance to do that and put them in a protective sleeve and container for proper storage. The good news is, they've been kept away from sunlight and the colors are vibrant.



Carl Borgreen Baptism

New Acquisitions

Gust Borgreen letter 19 Nov 1929

 Nathanial Baldwin Incorporated
Radio Head-sets, Loud Speakers, Sensitive Telephone Receivers
502 Deseret Bank Building
Salt Lake City, Utah
November 19, 1929

Mr. Gust Borgreen,
709 Second Avenue South
Great Falls, Montana

Dear Sir:

We acknowledge receipt of your application for 100 shares of the stock of the Nathaniel Baldwin Incorporated, at $4.00 per share, and your remittance in connection there-with of Check $200.00 and Note $200.00.

The Columbia Trust Company of this City, will forward to you, upon payment of the above note at our offices, 502 Deseret Bank Building, Salt Lake City, Trustee Certification covering the number of shares for which you subscribed.

You will be interested to know that Mr. Nathaniel Baldwin, President of the Company, is advising his friends to hold on to their stock as he confidently believes this stock will become very valuable.

Thank you for your interest and your subscription, we are
Very truly yours,
FOR OMEGA INVESTMENT COMPANY



Carl Borgreen High School diploma 31 Jul 1925

Friday Funny....Great Gams!

Nell and Carl Borgreen
circa 1940

There are two funnies here. First is this uber attractive pose of Grandma Nell's. Goodness knows what she was thinking here. The second funny is the quality of this photograph. I asked Uncle Jimmy for some copies of photos he has of the family at the cabin. He was very quick to oblige, but sent me B&W photocopies, instead of nice, clear color copies. Note to self, the next time I go to visit, I need to remember my scanning wand, so I can get good quality scans of all the really neat photos in his collection.

Carl Borgreen obit

Great Falls Tribune Nov. 1959

Today we mark the passing of Carl T. Borgreen who passed away, suddenly, on 22 Nov 1959, while on a hunting trip.

I never had the chance to meet Grandpa Borgreen, but everything I've ever heard about him tells me that he was a wonderful man who was much loved by all who knew him. We love you Grandpa. 

You can read more about Carl Borgreen Here 

Mystery Monday.....Can you identify this uniform?

original post in August:

This is grandpa, Carl Borgreen, circa 1925. Can anyone help me identify this uniform?

He graduated H.S. in 1925 and would have been about 18. Thank you in advance.

Update! 4 Aug 2011
 The mystery may be solved. I sent an email to an uncle (son of this grandpa) and received this reply:

Hey Bum, Thanks, these are great. I have never seen these actual photo's  before, but  the one on the right is in the 1925 GFHS yearbook. I have 2 copies. What I remember Dad saying was that he graduated early and joined the army, so I am sure these are when he was in boot camp. He went in as an enlisted man and came out an officer, 1st. Lt. , your Mom has one of his silver officers bars. For a time he was in the cavalry on the border chasing bandit's into Mexico. He loved that country, spoke the language well, loved bull fights and Mexican food. He was a smart, tough, cocky, daredevil in his younger years. Was a barn stormer biplane  pilot, rode motorcycles, was a great athlete and outdoorsman. Not to mention a great husband and father. SOOO, there is a little info for you sweetie. 

Thanks for doing all this, it means a great deal to me as well as the rest of the family.

Love you, and looking forward to seeing all of you soon.

Uncle J

So more research on this new development. Things to search out; HS grad info, 1925 HS yearbook, military enlistment records, service records, those officer's bars that my Mom may have, etc. 

To Be Continued....

Update: 14 Nov 2011

Nothing is panning out. Mom says she doesn't have any officer's bars. There are not records, that I can find, that indicate military service. There is no mention in any written material re; Carl Borgreen, to support this claim either. I'm stumped, and I'm not convinced that the uniform is military at all. It could be a boy scout uniform, for all we know. Beating my head against this brick wall.

Workday Wednesday...Meet Carl Borgreen, Safety Engineer at the Anaconda Company

Carl Borgreen (right) inside the smoke stack
at the Anaconda Company smelter
Great Falls MT circa 1956

The Anaconda Company
Great Falls MT

click to enlarge

Workday Wednesday – a way to document your ancestors’ occupations (they weren’t all farmers), transcripts of SS-5s, photos and stories of ancestors at work, announcements of retirements, etc. This prompt has been suggested by Denise Spurlock of the Denise’s Life in the Past Laneand Reflecting on Genealogy blogs.

Wordless Wednesday.....Little Carl Borgreen tolerates a photo session

Wordless Wednesday – a great way to share your old family photos! Create a post with the main focus being a photograph or image. Some posters also include attribute information as to the source of the image (date, location, owner, etc.). Wordless Wednesday is one of the longest running “memes” in the blogosphere and is an ongoing series atGeneaBloggers.

Carl T. Borgreen
1906-1959
photos circa 1909

Wedding Wednesday....Happy Anniversary Nell and Carl Borgreen

Nell and Carl Borgreen circa 1935

Nell and Carl Borgreen were married on this day, June 29, 1935, in Great Falls MT. I blogged about their Wedding a few months ago. I don't have any photos from their wedding day, but this one was taken around that time and is a favorite of mine, so I'll use it to illustrate this post. They were married until Carl's untimely death at the age of 59, in 1959 and had 4 children. Grandma passed away in 2000. Happy Anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa.

Talented Tuesday...A True Renaissance Man

Talented Tuesday – Got ancestors who had a special talent? Be it musical, comical, or any manner of skill, post at your genealogy blog through words and pictures. This series has been suggested by Terri atSouthwest Arkie.

 

Carl Borgreen
Circa 1930

This is my grandpa, Carl Borgreen. The stories I've heard of him lead me to believe that there was nothing he couldn't do. According to mom, he was a gymnast, he flew a biplane, he wrote poetry, and he had wanted to be a doctor. He worked at the Anaconda Copper Mining Company in Great Falls Montana and was eventually promoted to safety welfare engineer. In his obituary, his interests are listed as "flying, hunting, fishing, camping, woodworking, and biology." Truly a man of many talents.

Motivation Monday...Back in the Saddle Again

It seems like a year ago that I posted about my computer woes. I think it was only March or early April, but I'm feeling dramatic. I've been borrowing my daughter's computer since then. It's been uninspiring, to say the least. I was living off of thumb drives and temporary files. I didn't have my favorite links at my fingertips. If I really want to be dramatic I'll liken it to having to chop wood and haul water from the river. But all silliness aside, my computer is back on and back online and I'm thrilled to bits about it. I dare say I might actually dive into some research soon. Right now I'm just reacquainting myself with all the resources available to me again.
Just for fun, I'll go to my pictures file and click on Borgreen and select a summer photo to commemorate this special day. Would you look at that! Three clicks and Bob's Your Uncle. In the olden days (April and May) I would have had to walk downstairs, barefoot uphill both ways, get the EHD, hook it up to the borrowed laptop and import the photos. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Hug your computer today!

Nell and Carl Borgreen
Young and in love circa 1935

Wordless Wednesday...The Grand Canyon Tour

Johanna "Jennie" Borgreen, her daughter and son Carl Borgreen
Grand Canyon circa 1930

Of course they're visiting the Grand Canyon, look how they're dressed!

Happy New Year!

The Johnstone Clan w/spouses

Now I don't know if this photo was taken on NYE or not. It probably wasn't as Aunt Katie and Auntie Pete are sleeveless. But its the most festive photo in my collection and I think it works. This is the Johnstone clan, the children of William H. and Mary A. Johnstone, and their spouses. This photo was taken at Grandpa and Grandma Borgreen's house on Smelter Hill in Great Falls MT, sometime in the 40's. There are only two people in this group who I did not have the pleasure of knowing, Grandpa Carl Borgreen and Aunt RoseMary. They both passed away too early.

The others I knew and loved and miss terribly. Auntie Pete and Aunt Francis are still living and I would love a chance to visit with them about their memories.

Back row from L to R.

Carl Borgreen, Audrey "Pete" Johnstone, Jack Johnstone, Steve Johnstone, Bertha "Bert" Johnstone, Jim Johnstone

Front row L to R

Bill Johnstone, Francis Johnstone, Nell (Johnstone) Borgreen, George Tracy, Kathleen (Johnstone) Tracy, Rose Mary Johnstone. Not pictured are Don Johnstone and Gert Johnstone.

A Poem for Judy

Judy Ellen Borgreen

This poem was written by my grandfather, Carl Borgreen, for his daughter, Judy. Judy is my mom. Grandpa was a deep soul and left many of these little treasures behind. He died suddenly, when Mom was only 17 and left a vast hole in her heart, and in the hearts of everyone who knew him.

Mom has a bulging packet of photos and poems, cards and newspaper clippings and I'm slowly making my way through it all. I'm scanning everything so that it can be assembled in a meaningful way and shared with the family. I never knew Grandpa personally, but through these snippets and the stories of him, I feel a very powerful connection to him.