Catherine was born in Alfta Parish, Gävleborgs lan, Sweden on 5 Aug 1836, the daughter of Olof Jonsson Ström (Strum) and Margreta Persdotter. (In America, family tradition regarded her birthday as August 20.) Her parents were among the followers of Eric Jansson, leader of a pietist sect that dissented from the state Lutheran Church in Sweden. With Jansson facing jail in Sweden, the group emigrated to America in 1846 and formed the Bishop Hill colony in Henry County, Illinois. Ten-year-old Catherine and her family were part of the group that arrived in 1846.
Swedish patronymic naming customs created confusion. Catherine's last name was originally Olsdotter (Olsson in America), "daughter of Olof." Her father Olof, however, was Olof Jonsson (son of Jon). The relatively small number of common Swedish first names—and thus of patronyms—caused confusion once a person left their village. Swedish soldiers adopted a military last name to distinguish them. Catherine's father used the name Ström in the Swedish army and eventually adopted an Americanized version of that name: Strom or Strum. In later years, Catherine gave her maiden name as Strum.
Catherine married Frank Steinbaugh (Steinbach), a German immigrant, in Henry County, Illinois on 14 November 1855. The marriage record lists them as Frank Steinback and Caroline Olsson. They settled in Wethersfield Township (Henry County) where Frank worked in a plant nursery. (The location is now part of the city of Kewanee, Illinois.) Catherine gave birth to seven children in Wethersfield, two of whom died as children. Frank served three years in Company F, 124th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Following his return home, his health gradually deteriorated.
In 1872 the Steinbaugh family piled their goods in a covered wagon and joined the westward movement. They settled on a homestead in Monroe Township, Platte County, Nebraska. Due to Frank's declining health, Frank and Catherine's oldest son, William, did much of the work in building a cabin and breaking the sod. Based on the Homestead Act, Catherine obtained a patent for the land in 1877.
Frank died in 1875 and Catherine and her children remained on the farm. Catherine married Samuel Alexander in 1879. Samuel lived until 1898, but he was in poor health for many years before his death. Catherine and Samuel left the farm and moved to Columbus, Nebraska before he died.
Catherine's daughter Mary (Steinbaugh) Henrich Williams also lived in Columbus. After Samuel's death Catherine spent the final thirty years of her life living with her daughter. In 1902 Mary and Catherine moved to Palo Alto, California, with Mary's daughter Ethel Henrich. Ethel attended Stanford University for a year, with the three women living in a rented bungalow. At the end of the school year, the three returned to the mid-west, settling in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Catherine's sons William, Bennett and Olie lived. Catherine and Mary remained in Council Bluffs for the next fifteen years.
In 1918, Catherine, Mary and Mary's third husband, William Bloedorn, moved to southern California. After a couple of years in Santa Ana, they bought a house in Pasadena. Catherine died in Pasadena at the age of 92.
Swedish patronymic naming customs created confusion. Catherine's last name was originally Olsdotter (Olsson in America), "daughter of Olof." Her father Olof, however, was Olof Jonsson (son of Jon). The relatively small number of common Swedish first names—and thus of patronyms—caused confusion once a person left their village. Swedish soldiers adopted a military last name to distinguish them. Catherine's father used the name Ström in the Swedish army and eventually adopted an Americanized version of that name: Strom or Strum. In later years, Catherine gave her maiden name as Strum.
Catherine married Frank Steinbaugh (Steinbach), a German immigrant, in Henry County, Illinois on 14 November 1855. The marriage record lists them as Frank Steinback and Caroline Olsson. They settled in Wethersfield Township (Henry County) where Frank worked in a plant nursery. (The location is now part of the city of Kewanee, Illinois.) Catherine gave birth to seven children in Wethersfield, two of whom died as children. Frank served three years in Company F, 124th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Following his return home, his health gradually deteriorated.
In 1872 the Steinbaugh family piled their goods in a covered wagon and joined the westward movement. They settled on a homestead in Monroe Township, Platte County, Nebraska. Due to Frank's declining health, Frank and Catherine's oldest son, William, did much of the work in building a cabin and breaking the sod. Based on the Homestead Act, Catherine obtained a patent for the land in 1877.
Frank died in 1875 and Catherine and her children remained on the farm. Catherine married Samuel Alexander in 1879. Samuel lived until 1898, but he was in poor health for many years before his death. Catherine and Samuel left the farm and moved to Columbus, Nebraska before he died.
Catherine's daughter Mary (Steinbaugh) Henrich Williams also lived in Columbus. After Samuel's death Catherine spent the final thirty years of her life living with her daughter. In 1902 Mary and Catherine moved to Palo Alto, California, with Mary's daughter Ethel Henrich. Ethel attended Stanford University for a year, with the three women living in a rented bungalow. At the end of the school year, the three returned to the mid-west, settling in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Catherine's sons William, Bennett and Olie lived. Catherine and Mary remained in Council Bluffs for the next fifteen years.
In 1918, Catherine, Mary and Mary's third husband, William Bloedorn, moved to southern California. After a couple of years in Santa Ana, they bought a house in Pasadena. Catherine died in Pasadena at the age of 92.
Catherine was born in Alfta Parish, Gävleborgs lan, Sweden on 5 Aug 1836, the daughter of Olof Jonsson Ström (Strum) and Margreta Persdotter. (In America, family tradition regarded her birthday as August 20.) Her parents were among the followers of Eric Jansson, leader of a pietist sect that dissented from the state Lutheran Church in Sweden. With Jansson facing jail in Sweden, the group emigrated to America in 1846 and formed the Bishop Hill colony in Henry County, Illinois. Ten-year-old Catherine and her family were part of the group that arrived in 1846.
Swedish patronymic naming customs created confusion. Catherine's last name was originally Olsdotter (Olsson in America), "daughter of Olof." Her father Olof, however, was Olof Jonsson (son of Jon). The relatively small number of common Swedish first names—and thus of patronyms—caused confusion once a person left their village. Swedish soldiers adopted a military last name to distinguish them. Catherine's father used the name Ström in the Swedish army and eventually adopted an Americanized version of that name: Strom or Strum. In later years, Catherine gave her maiden name as Strum.
Catherine married Frank Steinbaugh (Steinbach), a German immigrant, in Henry County, Illinois on 14 November 1855. The marriage record lists them as Frank Steinback and Caroline Olsson. They settled in Wethersfield Township (Henry County) where Frank worked in a plant nursery. (The location is now part of the city of Kewanee, Illinois.) Catherine gave birth to seven children in Wethersfield, two of whom died as children. Frank served three years in Company F, 124th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Following his return home, his health gradually deteriorated.
In 1872 the Steinbaugh family piled their goods in a covered wagon and joined the westward movement. They settled on a homestead in Monroe Township, Platte County, Nebraska. Due to Frank's declining health, Frank and Catherine's oldest son, William, did much of the work in building a cabin and breaking the sod. Based on the Homestead Act, Catherine obtained a patent for the land in 1877.
Frank died in 1875 and Catherine and her children remained on the farm. Catherine married Samuel Alexander in 1879. Samuel lived until 1898, but he was in poor health for many years before his death. Catherine and Samuel left the farm and moved to Columbus, Nebraska before he died.
Catherine's daughter Mary (Steinbaugh) Henrich Williams also lived in Columbus. After Samuel's death Catherine spent the final thirty years of her life living with her daughter. In 1902 Mary and Catherine moved to Palo Alto, California, with Mary's daughter Ethel Henrich. Ethel attended Stanford University for a year, with the three women living in a rented bungalow. At the end of the school year, the three returned to the mid-west, settling in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Catherine's sons William, Bennett and Olie lived. Catherine and Mary remained in Council Bluffs for the next fifteen years.
In 1918, Catherine, Mary and Mary's third husband, William Bloedorn, moved to southern California. After a couple of years in Santa Ana, they bought a house in Pasadena. Catherine died in Pasadena at the age of 92.
Swedish patronymic naming customs created confusion. Catherine's last name was originally Olsdotter (Olsson in America), "daughter of Olof." Her father Olof, however, was Olof Jonsson (son of Jon). The relatively small number of common Swedish first names—and thus of patronyms—caused confusion once a person left their village. Swedish soldiers adopted a military last name to distinguish them. Catherine's father used the name Ström in the Swedish army and eventually adopted an Americanized version of that name: Strom or Strum. In later years, Catherine gave her maiden name as Strum.
Catherine married Frank Steinbaugh (Steinbach), a German immigrant, in Henry County, Illinois on 14 November 1855. The marriage record lists them as Frank Steinback and Caroline Olsson. They settled in Wethersfield Township (Henry County) where Frank worked in a plant nursery. (The location is now part of the city of Kewanee, Illinois.) Catherine gave birth to seven children in Wethersfield, two of whom died as children. Frank served three years in Company F, 124th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Following his return home, his health gradually deteriorated.
In 1872 the Steinbaugh family piled their goods in a covered wagon and joined the westward movement. They settled on a homestead in Monroe Township, Platte County, Nebraska. Due to Frank's declining health, Frank and Catherine's oldest son, William, did much of the work in building a cabin and breaking the sod. Based on the Homestead Act, Catherine obtained a patent for the land in 1877.
Frank died in 1875 and Catherine and her children remained on the farm. Catherine married Samuel Alexander in 1879. Samuel lived until 1898, but he was in poor health for many years before his death. Catherine and Samuel left the farm and moved to Columbus, Nebraska before he died.
Catherine's daughter Mary (Steinbaugh) Henrich Williams also lived in Columbus. After Samuel's death Catherine spent the final thirty years of her life living with her daughter. In 1902 Mary and Catherine moved to Palo Alto, California, with Mary's daughter Ethel Henrich. Ethel attended Stanford University for a year, with the three women living in a rented bungalow. At the end of the school year, the three returned to the mid-west, settling in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Catherine's sons William, Bennett and Olie lived. Catherine and Mary remained in Council Bluffs for the next fifteen years.
In 1918, Catherine, Mary and Mary's third husband, William Bloedorn, moved to southern California. After a couple of years in Santa Ana, they bought a house in Pasadena. Catherine died in Pasadena at the age of 92.
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