"The Other Swedes"
~ Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
~ Honoring Them and Remembering Them ~ The Smoky Valley Writers ~
Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
~ Chronicling the Lindsborg of her day, its early histories, its early citizens
[Remarks on Dr. Einar Jaderborg and Messiah Bass Soloist Thure Jaderborg]
Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg*
(1918-2016)
[Pen Name: Selma Lind]
Mrs. Elizabeth June Doe Jaderborg, of Scottish, Irish and English (Danish Viking) background, was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1918. In 1940, she graduated from Keene State Teachers College from Keene, New Hampshire. When she married Lindsborg Swede Einar Henning Jaderborg on September 19, 1943, in Boston, she was to leave her northeastern roots and Mayflower ancestors behind for the Great Plains of Kansas, with the exception of her summers in Maine. In Lindsborg, they had a family of three children: Lorilea, Elinar, and Eric. The family worshipped at the Bethany Lutheran Church founded in 1869 that belonged to the Swedish Lutheran Augustana Synod which was established in 1860.
Her husband, Einar Jaderborg, who had three brothers, Thure, Jr., Emrick, and Hilding, were sons of Swedes Hellen Justine Lindstrom (1886–1974) and Thure Olof Jaderborg, Sr. (1877-1954). They lived in a magnificent home built on a slight hill near Bethany College. The home was originally owned by Thure, Sr.'s father, Einar's grandfather, Lars Olafsson "Olof" Jaderborg (1829-1916) originally from Gävle Gästrikland, Sweden, who arrived in America in 1858. As a retired farmer from Enterprise, Kansas, he moved to Lindsborg and commissioned the Swedish Palmquist Brothers of Lindsborg to build the home which was finished in 1908.
Einar's father, Thure Jaderborg, was the Bethany College Professor of Voice and, in the early years, he was the well-known base soloist of the renown Handel's Messiah performances hosting international opera singers and stars. He was also greatly recognized for his 50 plus years distinguished career at Bethany College. He was good friend and colleague to renown internationally known Bethany College Messiah conductor professor Swede Dr. Hagbard Brase (1877-1953), to well-known Swede artist professor Sven Birger Sandzén (1871-1954) and to Swede professor and head of the departments of Biology and Geology Dr. Emil O. Deere (1877-1966), the first Bethany College Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Thus, this was the Swedish family and the Messiah Chorus and faculty Bethany College background of which Bostonian, Elizabeth June Doe had married into, as well as to that of the Swedish American rural community with its thriving Lutheran church life and Swedish cultural events, holidays and traditions, where Swedish was spoken daily by the older citizens and meals of delicious Swedish fare were enjoyed.
As a young woman in her mid-twenties arriving from the East having been brought up in New England, schooled there and living in regions affording the culturally rich cities of Boston and New York, full of their own founding histories of our country's religious Puritan Christian beginnings where related colleges and universities of great reputation were founded and the arts flourished, the new-to-Lindsborg Mrs. Jaderborg had to be taken aback when she discovered cultural similarities in this Swedish rural farming community founded by Lutheran Pietist Christians. She had to be intrigued.
Her husband, Einar Jaderborg, who had three brothers, Thure, Jr., Emrick, and Hilding, were sons of Swedes Hellen Justine Lindstrom (1886–1974) and Thure Olof Jaderborg, Sr. (1877-1954). They lived in a magnificent home built on a slight hill near Bethany College. The home was originally owned by Thure, Sr.'s father, Einar's grandfather, Lars Olafsson "Olof" Jaderborg (1829-1916) originally from Gävle Gästrikland, Sweden, who arrived in America in 1858. As a retired farmer from Enterprise, Kansas, he moved to Lindsborg and commissioned the Swedish Palmquist Brothers of Lindsborg to build the home which was finished in 1908.
Einar's father, Thure Jaderborg, was the Bethany College Professor of Voice and, in the early years, he was the well-known base soloist of the renown Handel's Messiah performances hosting international opera singers and stars. He was also greatly recognized for his 50 plus years distinguished career at Bethany College. He was good friend and colleague to renown internationally known Bethany College Messiah conductor professor Swede Dr. Hagbard Brase (1877-1953), to well-known Swede artist professor Sven Birger Sandzén (1871-1954) and to Swede professor and head of the departments of Biology and Geology Dr. Emil O. Deere (1877-1966), the first Bethany College Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Thus, this was the Swedish family and the Messiah Chorus and faculty Bethany College background of which Bostonian, Elizabeth June Doe had married into, as well as to that of the Swedish American rural community with its thriving Lutheran church life and Swedish cultural events, holidays and traditions, where Swedish was spoken daily by the older citizens and meals of delicious Swedish fare were enjoyed.
As a young woman in her mid-twenties arriving from the East having been brought up in New England, schooled there and living in regions affording the culturally rich cities of Boston and New York, full of their own founding histories of our country's religious Puritan Christian beginnings where related colleges and universities of great reputation were founded and the arts flourished, the new-to-Lindsborg Mrs. Jaderborg had to be taken aback when she discovered cultural similarities in this Swedish rural farming community founded by Lutheran Pietist Christians. She had to be intrigued.
Mrs. Jaderborg's husband, like herself, studied to become an educator. His life was devoted to the education of Lindsborg's youth. Dr. Jaderborg was a Lindsborg High School graduate of 1937, then attended Bethany College until he served his country from 1941 to 1946 in Civilian Public Service at Arkansas, after which he graduated in 1946 from Bethany with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, and later he would receive a Master of Arts Degree and a Doctor of Education Degree at Columbia University in New York City. He first was a teacher of English for 17 years at Lindsborg Rural High School (LRHS) and, for 9 of those years, he was also the principal, and he was my principal in 1963 when I finished my junior year there. Covering a period of 16 years, he became the Superintendent of the Lindsborg Public Schools that, under his leadership, transitioned to the Smoky Valley Unified School District #400. Dr. Jaderborg's behind-the-scenes contributions to Lindsborg and Bethany College were many, including his serving on the Bethany Lutheran Church as a Board member for 14 years, and for 9 years he served on the Bethany College Board. Most significant was his Messiah Chorus membership for over 50 years, singing in the bass section, just like his father, Thure Olof Jaderborg, Sr. Decades later, he was interviewed about his father by the Lindsborg News-Record regarding his participation in the Messiah Chorus. The article, "Messiah Festival, Jaderborg Years Profiled" appeared in this April 1, 1993, edition. Go HERE, to learn more.
Dr. Einar Jaderborg
1918-2004
The superintendent under whose leadership transitioned
the Lindsborg Public Schools to the Smoky Valley Unified School District #400
1918-2004
The superintendent under whose leadership transitioned
the Lindsborg Public Schools to the Smoky Valley Unified School District #400
Source: LRHS 1963 Yearbook
Ten years into Mrs. Jaderborg's marriage, in 1953 former Bethany College President Dr. Emory K. Lindquist published his classic, Smoky Valley People, The History of Lindsborg, Kansas. Reading this book, if she did, which I believe she did, would have had to make some kind of an impact on her, as she began her writing career on the Smoky Valley people of Lindsborg when she first submitted an article to the Lindsborg News-Record in 1962.
Thus, besides being a homemaker, it seemed that her other "calling" was to research and gather local history to write about, especially when, from a teacher's perspective like that of Dr. Lindquist who majored in history and was a professor at Bethany, she saw the need for educating the children on their history. Therefore, she set off to capture and share all that she could about Lindsborg as it was so important for the children of "Little Sweden" to have a collection of stories covering the earliest Swedes and events as well as those current events and the Swedish Americans of those times, which would become tomorrow's histories.
Between December 12, 1962, and August 22, 1969, she submitted more than 350 articles to the Lindsborg News-Record. Through the years, these articles would become vignettes compiled into "five little books"-- that is how Mrs. Jaderborg described her books. These "5 little books" of soft binding are irreplaceable, all important and historical. They contain incredible pieces of information that must be preserved for posterity, they are just too important to Lindsborg to be forgotten. Swedish American scholars would certainly see the need to protect them and to read them in order to get an up close and personal history on Mrs. Jaderborg's Lindsborg's history. I have named the collection of her little books
"The Elizabeth Jaderborg Lindsborg Kansas Smoky Valley Anthology."
Little did she realize, then, that in later years while editing the 1975 book, Anna Olsson * A Child of the Prairie in the "Appendix" that she would be describing herself as "an experienced writer, editor, poet, and historian, as well as an authority on local culture, especially after having worked with a dozen local publications, eight of them about Lindsborg.
Mrs. Jaderborg's research was so extensive that she had plans to donate all of it to the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka, Kansas, so she told me while we were driving to a farmer's land, not far from Lindsborg, to view what remained of ruins of an Indian village that she had researched. Much of her research was done personally with face-to-face visits with last-living-links to Lindsborg's and Bethany College's history. Mrs. Jaderborg may have continued her research and gathering of this history far after her last book was published in 1990, maybe even to the time she was packing up to leave Lindsborg for Chicago to live with her daughter Elinar.
Her two most significant books were published around the time of major events occurring in Lindsborg. In the fall of 1969, when the Centennial Celebration of the founding of Lindsborg was occurring, Mrs. Jaderborg published the historical novel for children, "Marmeluke Rambo Ericksson," "A Centennial Story for the Children of the Smoky Valley." In 1976, the year that the American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration was occurring coupled with His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, touring Swedish American cities including Lindsborg, she published "Why Lindsborg?"
Before the King's visit, in 1975, it was Mrs. Jaderborg who personally delivered the "Lindsborg Invitation" for His Majesty to the Stockholm Royal Palace, on behalf of Lindsborg Mayor Hugo Lindahl (1912-2006) and Irva Brandt (1924-1988), co-chairs preparing for his visit. During the King's Easter Eve visit, among other events and duties, he was to experience a special performance of Handel's Messiah by the Bethany College Oratorio Society, he was to confer three Swedish royal orders upon three Lindsborg citizens: Dr. Arthur W. Lindquist, Dr. Emory K. Lindquist, and Dr. Arvin W. Hahn, and he was also to receive Mrs. Jaderborg's book, "Why Lindsborg?"
As noted above, Mrs. Jaderborg also used her editorial skills. These were for the "first" Lindsborg books that were being translated from Swedish to English. These included Rev. Dr. Alfred Bergin's (1866-1944) two tomes of his Swedish 1909 book, "Lindsborg, Bidrag Till Svenskarnas och Den Lutherska Kyrkans Historia i Smoky Hill River Dalen," that was translated by his daughter Ruth Bergin Billdt (1897-1976) to the 1965, "Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas," and his Swedish 1919 book, "Lindsborg Efter Femtio Ӓr," that was also translated by Mrs. Billdt to the 1969, "The Smoky Valley in The After Years." Part Two of that book, Mrs. Jaderborg authored.
The next book published in 1971 of which Mrs. Billdt was the translator and Mrs. Jaderborg was the editor was that of The Valley of Tears, Memoirs of Johan Saleen.
Then, she and Mrs. Billdt began working on the 1917 book titled En Prarieunges Funderingar, Anna Olsson * A Child of the Prairie, by a Miss Anna Olsson, the daughter of the founder of Lindsborg and of the Bethany Lutheran Church, Rev. Olof Olsson. This book had already been translated into a Swedish-American dialect in 1927 under the title "I'm Scairt" by the Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, Illinois. However, Mrs. Billdt desired to have it translated into pure English when she asked Mrs. Jaderborg to join her in the project. With the sudden death of Mrs. Billdt, Mrs. Jaderborg continued the work when she found a new translator. That person was a Mrs. Martha Winblad (1908-1981), a school teacher of Lindsborg, whose birthplace was Småland, Sweden. Since Mrs. Winblad's background was of a Swedish 3-year-old child emigrating and living in Kansas which was very similar to that of Anna's childhood, she must have been all too happy to translate the work. This endeavor had to have been a very exciting and productive period of work for these ladies, along with the accomplishments of copyrighting and publishing this book in 1978.
The next book published in 1971 of which Mrs. Billdt was the translator and Mrs. Jaderborg was the editor was that of The Valley of Tears, Memoirs of Johan Saleen.
Then, she and Mrs. Billdt began working on the 1917 book titled En Prarieunges Funderingar, Anna Olsson * A Child of the Prairie, by a Miss Anna Olsson, the daughter of the founder of Lindsborg and of the Bethany Lutheran Church, Rev. Olof Olsson. This book had already been translated into a Swedish-American dialect in 1927 under the title "I'm Scairt" by the Augustana Book Concern, Rock Island, Illinois. However, Mrs. Billdt desired to have it translated into pure English when she asked Mrs. Jaderborg to join her in the project. With the sudden death of Mrs. Billdt, Mrs. Jaderborg continued the work when she found a new translator. That person was a Mrs. Martha Winblad (1908-1981), a school teacher of Lindsborg, whose birthplace was Småland, Sweden. Since Mrs. Winblad's background was of a Swedish 3-year-old child emigrating and living in Kansas which was very similar to that of Anna's childhood, she must have been all too happy to translate the work. This endeavor had to have been a very exciting and productive period of work for these ladies, along with the accomplishments of copyrighting and publishing this book in 1978.
Mrs. Jaderborg's work as the Secretary of the Smoky Valley Historical Association had to be extraordinary. Her research and writings especially are of great value to the piecing together of the very beginnings of this most important historical organization in the Smoky Valley region. She was the "first" woman to become Secretary of the SVHA, a position in of her era that required many responsibilities. One of them was that of historical preservation significance that required the clearing out of the late Dr. Emil O. Deere's 5th floor Old Main office at Bethany College before it was demolished in 1968. He had occupied that office for perhaps as long as 60 years or more. She had truckloads of papers and artifacts driven to the McPherson County Old Mill Museum for safe storage.
When Mrs. Jaderborg decided to join her daughter Elinar in Chicago several years after her husband's death of 2004, a very large auction occurred at the Jaderborg home for the numerous pieces of valuable historical items that should have gone to the Musuem had there been space enough and been equipped academically and professionally with a director who possessed a historical knowledge on the College especially to preserve, to restore and to promote these artifacts while sharing their Smoky Valley stories with the public. This may have been one of the last most significant auctions of its kind linking the present to Lindsborg's and Bethany College's past.
For us last-living-links to that past, it was disheartening to see some of the most important items go to persons who had no clue of their historical significance to this Swedish American community -- thus, with no foreseeable sustainable solutions to such auction-ritual dilemmas, continued the eating away of the Swedish cultural history and heritage of Lindsborg and Bethany College as to "the way they were."
Had the public known the impressive local history, had they read the Smoky Valley Writers works, had they read Mrs. Jaderborg's works that she poured her heart out to write about Lindsborg, the outcome may have been far different. Most of Mrs. Jaderborg's works and those of the other Smoky Valley Writers can still be found at the Lindsborg and Bethany College libraries and other libraries. Click the Download File below.
| the_legacy_smoky_valley_writers_collection_count_--_update_2_27_23.docx |
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Below are the images of Mrs. Jaderborg's Anthology, her "five little books," with the 5 HERE links to their "Contents & Illustrations." under the pictured books. Following these are the 10 HERE links to her selected writings. In all there are 15 HERE links and 1 Download File.
* * *
- The Elizabeth Jaderborg Lindsborg Kansas Smoky Valley Anthology -
- 1965, 1967, 1973, 1976, 1990 -
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Why Lindsborg?
- Created for the Lindsborg, Kansas, American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration -
- A copy given to HM Carl XVI Gustaf's, King of Sweden, during his Lindsborg visit on April 17, 1976
Published 1976, 84 pages
Cover: "Lindsborg and Coronado Heights from the Quarry Bluff" by Photographer Jane Rosalie Brunsell, 1945-2022
go HERE to
Contents & Illustrations
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go HERE to
Contents & Illustrations
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Living in Lindsborg And Other Possibilities
Published 1967, 48 pages
Lindsborg on Record Talk About Lindsborg Two Reprints
Published 1965, 48 pages Published 1973, 52 pages Published 1990, 26 pages
Published 1965, 48 pages Published 1973, 52 pages Published 1990, 26 pages
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Mrs. Jaderborg's permission to use her work was found in:
1965
Lindsborg on Record
Permission is granted for use of material appearing in this volume providing credit is given.
(Elizabeth Jaderborg) Selma Lind
Page 48
1976
Why Lindsborg?
Permission granted to use material if credit is included.
Copyright 1976 Elizabeth Jaderborg
(Inside front cover)
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Mrs. Jaderborg's permission to use her work was found in:
1965
Lindsborg on Record
Permission is granted for use of material appearing in this volume providing credit is given.
(Elizabeth Jaderborg) Selma Lind
Page 48
1976
Why Lindsborg?
Permission granted to use material if credit is included.
Copyright 1976 Elizabeth Jaderborg
(Inside front cover)
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SWEDES
did not use this cherished book nor own it,
but it definitely needs to be recognized,
as it's title is central to the desire of Mrs. Jaderborg's heart
of educating the Smoky Valley children on their local history.
Published 1969, 2nd edition 1993, 71 pages
Illustrations by Norman Malm
SWEDES
did not use this cherished book nor own it,
but it definitely needs to be recognized,
as it's title is central to the desire of Mrs. Jaderborg's heart
of educating the Smoky Valley children on their local history.
Published 1969, 2nd edition 1993, 71 pages
Illustrations by Norman Malm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recognizing
Elizabeth Jaderborg's
editorial contribution
to
Pioneer Swedish-American Culture in Central Kansas
and
The Smoky Valley in The After Years
and
Mrs. Jaderborg's
authorship in the second volume
Published 1965, 163 pages Published 1969, 220 pages
Mrs. Jaderborg was the editor of Anna Olsson "A Child of the Prairie"
(Anna was the daughter of Pastor Olof Olsson, Swedish founder of Bethany Church and Lindsborg)
Published 1978, 121 pages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Valley of Tears" "Memoirs of Johan Saleen"
Published 1971, 119 Pages
SWEDES did not use this book or own it,
but Mrs. Billdt's translation work and Mrs. Jaderborg's editorial work
certainly need to be recognized here.
To see an image, go HERE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Valley of Tears" "Memoirs of Johan Saleen"
Published 1971, 119 Pages
SWEDES did not use this book or own it,
but Mrs. Billdt's translation work and Mrs. Jaderborg's editorial work
certainly need to be recognized here.
To see an image, go HERE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * *
- Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg -
Founder of the Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers
-- Lindsborg's Ambassadors --
Source: Gift photograph from Lindsborg
Quite possibly, though, in 1963, Mrs. Jaderborg's most favorite endeavor may have been the founding of the Lindsborg Rural High School's "Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers," who would dance their way around our Nation annually visiting other Swedish American communities and Lutheran churches, with a "dancing" trip to Sweden every four years.
| swedishfolkdancershistory2013.pdf |
Click above LEFT for Chris Abercrombie's story about Mrs. Jaderborg's dancers and others.
For Mrs. Jaderborg's "Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers" founded in 1963, go HERE.
For Mrs. Jaderborg's "Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers" founded in 1963, go HERE.
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Mrs. Jaderborg's writings can be found in the following sections of SWEDES.
Go HERE for The Notables, Messiah Week, et cetera
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for Lindsborg Historical Society and Coronado Heights History
~ Three (3) accounts by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg, former SVHA secretary
Go HERE for Their 1941 "Svensk Hyllningsfest" and Dr. Holwerda's Role
~ Accounts by Dr. Lungstrom, Mrs. Jaderborg, Dr. Holwerda & Mr. Lundstrom
Go HERE for B.G. Gröndal
~ Accounts by Mr. Abercrombie and Mrs. Jaderborg
Go HERE for Miss Alma Luise Olson
~ Remembering her as "First Honored American Woman by Sweden"
~ The 1976 account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for G. N. Malm and all he did for the Lindsborg community
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for G. N. Malm and his Lindsborg's national interior decorating company
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for William Holwerda, M.D.
~ Remembering him as "Doc Bill," a city father and loving citizen
~ Accounts by Dr. Leon Lungstrom and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for 1976 "Why Lindsborg?"
~ An introduction: H. M. Carl XVI Gustaf of the Kingdom of Sweden
Go HERE for The Notables, Messiah Week, et cetera
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for Lindsborg Historical Society and Coronado Heights History
~ Three (3) accounts by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg, former SVHA secretary
Go HERE for Their 1941 "Svensk Hyllningsfest" and Dr. Holwerda's Role
~ Accounts by Dr. Lungstrom, Mrs. Jaderborg, Dr. Holwerda & Mr. Lundstrom
Go HERE for B.G. Gröndal
~ Accounts by Mr. Abercrombie and Mrs. Jaderborg
Go HERE for Miss Alma Luise Olson
~ Remembering her as "First Honored American Woman by Sweden"
~ The 1976 account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for G. N. Malm and all he did for the Lindsborg community
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for G. N. Malm and his Lindsborg's national interior decorating company
~ An account by Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for William Holwerda, M.D.
~ Remembering him as "Doc Bill," a city father and loving citizen
~ Accounts by Dr. Leon Lungstrom and Mrs. Elizabeth Jaderborg
Go HERE for 1976 "Why Lindsborg?"
~ An introduction: H. M. Carl XVI Gustaf of the Kingdom of Sweden
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*Salina Journal 3/21/2016
Sources: Her 5 Little Books, Anna Olsson "A Child of the Prairie," her correspondence to me and our visits through the years.
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*Salina Journal 3/21/2016
Sources: Her 5 Little Books, Anna Olsson "A Child of the Prairie," her correspondence to me and our visits through the years.
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* These shared selections of the late Mrs. Jaderborg's writings noted by the mentioned book have been shown to her family for approval as of 11-25-22.
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* These shared selections of the late Mrs. Jaderborg's writings noted by the mentioned book have been shown to her family for approval as of 11-25-22.
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* * *
"Let Us Remember Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
"Let Us Remember Them"
* * *
Swedes: TheWayTheyWere
~ restoring lost local histories ~
reconnecting past to present
* * *
All color photography throughout Swedes: The Way They Were is by Fran Cochran unless otherwise indicated.
Copyright © since October 8, 2015 to Current Year
as indicated on main menu sections of
www.swedesthewaytheywere.org. All rights reserved.
