Charley Ekfelt (1860-1942) was nearly 28, unattached and prospering as a partner in the family furniture and undertaking business in Chariton when he set out on a four-month summer vacation on May 22, 1888, just two days before his birthday.
His destination was Sweden, the land of his birth, and he arrived in his hometown, Vimmerby --- located due east of Gothenburg and not far inland from the Baltic coast in the Southeast --- on June 20 after, as he put it, "an absence of 18 years and one week."
Charley's father, John Frederick (1829-1919), had left Vimmerby in 1868, arriving in Chariton several weeks later (by 1888, the trip across the Atlantic took only about 10 days; in 1868 it took longer). He was among the vanguard of Lucas County's Swedish settlers and a founding member of what now is First Lutheran Church. But unlike a majority of his contemporaries, John was not a farmer. Instead, he went into the furniture and undertaking business and prospered. That's the tombstone John shares in the Chariton Cemetery with his wife, Anna Maria, above. Charley is buried in Ottumwa, where he relocated after moving from Chariton in 1892.
John worked hard to establish himself in Chariton and during 1870, his wife and children joined him. Charley was 10 years old at the time and brought with him many memories of his birthplace.
Charley also was a very competent writer and kept the folks back home in Chariton apprised of his progress that summer 130 years ago, with lengthy letters to both The Democrat and The Herald. Here's his letter, dated July 3 and published in The Democrat on July 26, 1888.
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Ronneby, Sweden, July 3, 1888
Editor, Democrat:
After an absence of six weeks, I will now endeavor to fulfill my promise of letting your readers hear from me through your paper. I left Chariton on the 22d of May, and after brief stops at Chicago, Niagara Falls and Worcester, Mass., reached Boston the 25th. When I left Chariton I had intended to take the Cunard Steamer Umbria, which left New York the 26th, but owing to an unusual number of passengers having secured berths for this trip, all room was taken and I had to go by the Boston Steamer Cephalonia on the same line. It is a new vessel about 500 feet long and bearing of 6,000 tons burden. The Boston boats are 2 or 3 days slower than the New York, and cross in about 10 days, but this time, owing to head winds and storms for two days it took 11-1/2 days.
Before leaving Boston I made visits to the Bunker Hill monuments, Faneuil Hall and State House buildings. On the morning of the 26th I left Boston. Several hundred were down at the wharf bidding friends and dear ones farewell, and many touching scenes were noticed. As the vessel began to move there was much well wishing, waving of handkerchiefs, and bidding Godspeed on the journey.
Our voyage was rather uneventful with the exception of the 8th day when the stopped and supplied an English barque named Beatty, manned by 12 Norwegian sailors and sailing under their flag, with provisions. The men had been living on short rations for nearly three weeks and looked half starved.
We landed at Liverpool on June 7th, and after going through the Custom House there, we were distributed all over the city at different hotels, where we received good treatment from the Cunard folks. A brief visit was made to the Liverpool Museum and Art Hall, where many fine works of art are to be seen. I also visited the City Library and was surprised to find all the seats and standing room occupied by men from all grades of society, but apparently the most from the working classes, reading either the latest newspapers or books on various subjects. I asked for an American paper, but was told that owing to the poor paper found in them they only took the New York Herald, as it was the only one that had paper fit to have in a reading room and it had not arrived. I learned the following day of the nomination of Cleveland and Thurman.
The next day I left for Hull, situated on the east coast of England, near the outlet of the Humber River. Here I stopped 2 days waiting for the steamer to transport me to Copenhagen. As my trip has been lengthened by the long ocean voyage, I concluded not to go via Hamburg, but took the direct route to Copenhagen. Just as I left Hull we met a steamer from Gothenburg, Sweden, with over 800, and in the afternoon of the same day one with 900 emigrants, all bound for the glorious Republic in the West. On seeing them all on deck I could not help thinking when I saw their beaming countenances that many of them would be disappointed in their anticipations and would not find in America all they had expected. But for all that, emigration is on the increase and one can hardly meet a person in Sweden who has not a brother, sister, son or daughter in America. This spring's emigration has assumed the largest proportions of any previous one.
After a voyage of 2-1/2 days across the North Sea, which this time was very calm, we landed at Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, at 11:30 in the evening of June 13. Before reaching Copenhagen we passed through Ore Sound, only 2-1/2 miles wide and which separates Sweden from Denmark. The approach to this water is guarded on the Danish side by a large fort, but on the Swedish side there is none, as the water is there so shallow that no man of war could pass.
The Great Northern Exhibition, the greatest part of which contains exhibits from Sweden, Norway and Denmark, but which also has exhibits from England, France, Russia and Italy is now being held there, and we stopped a couple of days. I was surprised to notice the great advancement the Scandinavian people had med in the manufactures and art during the last few years. The exhibition was pronounced a success by all whom I had occasion to converse with. It was contained in 16 different apartments or buildings erected for the purpose. While there I had the pleasure of hearing the celebrated Upsalla University Student singers, from Upsalla, Sweden, who have taken the prizes for fine singing at the Paris and Vienna exhibitions. They were 30 in number, and sang mostly national songs. The concert was held in the Tivoli, but it did not hold one-tenth of those who heard them, the great majority being on the outside.
From Copenhagen I crossed the sound to Malmo, a seaport town on the southwest coast of Sweden, having about 50,000 inhabitants, and while there I had the good fortune to see King Oscar and his Queen as they returned from their trip to England, Germany and France. From Malmo, the journey was continued through many places of interest to me, but which perhaps are unknown and would very little interest you American readers, so I will not dwell on them.
On the 20th of June, just four weeks after leaving Chariton, and after an absence of 18 years and one week, I arrived at my native town of Vimmerby, a place nearly the size of Chariton, but which is over 300 years old. Instead of coming to my native town, my first feelings were that of a stranger coming among a strange people, and I could hardly believe it to be true that I had spent so many happy years of my childhood here. But soon I was recognized by several of my old schoolmates and friends and remembered by a great many others. After staying there a few days, it all seemed familiar enough, but as my time was limited I had to bid them farewell.
I took the route southward by the Baltic to the famous city of Ronneby, where are located the best mineral springs in Sweden. You will here find people from all parts of northern Europe and between 50 and 60 have come from America, the land of dyspeptics, to get cure for their ailments, for which this spring is especially noted. Over 1,200 are already here, and inside of two weeks they expect to have 2,000.
The charges are very reasonable. A person can get room and board as low as one crown, or 27 cents per day, and from that up to 3 or 4 crowns. The charges at the springs are 21 crowns ($5.67) for 1st class; 11 crowns (or $2.97) for second; and 5 crowns ($1.35) for third class, the season. This includes fee for water, doctor and music, but not the mineral baths for which a small amount extra is paid. A German band is hired and discourses music from early morning till late at night. There are society halls for those who "trip the light fantastic," croquet grounds, bowling alleys, reading rooms, and library in order to make it pleasant for all.
The scenery surrounding the springs is very romantic, hills covered with fine forests in which the Swedish cuckoo and nightingale warble their songs and in which are also small lakes with crystal clear water. I expect to remain here about a month, after which a visit will be made to the capital city, Stockholm, then I will turn my face once more to the glorious country of which I am glad to be a citizen. I expect, Mr. Editor, to be back as you say before election.
I have just learned through the Swedish press of the nomination of Harrison and Morton
But I fear I have already imposed on you and your readers' patience and will therefore close.
C J. Ekfelt.
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As noted earlier, Charlie moved from Chariton to Ottumwa during 1892, although he remained a partner in the Chariton business until 1902 when he sold out to a younger brother and became a partner in the Hall-Ekfelt Furniture Co. in his new hometown. He also married Elizabeth O'Neill during 1902, when he was 42.
He joined Ottumwa's First Lutheran Church, serving as a deacon for many years, served nearly 20 years as a director of the Ottumwa Hospital Association and also served on the boards of Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines and Augustana College.
Charlie also continued to travel, but didn't return to Europe until after his 1925 retirement. During the years that preceded World War II, he made four treks across the Atlantic.
Charlie was 82 when he died in Ottumwa on May 25, 1942, the day after his birthday. He and his wife, Elizabeth, are buried in the Ottumwa Cemetery. They had no children.
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