Alma Persson was born on 22 June 1881 in the home of her parents on their farm on the southwest coast of the Kulla Peninsula in northwest Skåne. She was the fourth child of Otto and Charlotta Persson. Otto Persson was the son of Pehr Svensson, a tailor in the village of Bårslöv about 30 kilometers south of Otto and Lotta's farm. As was the custom in Sweden at the time he took his father's first name with the suffix of "son" to form his surname of Persson. The surname has passed down to present day descendants in Sweden.

Alma immigrated to the United States in 1898 a year after her mother died of tuberculosis. Alma's oldest brother had immigrated earlier to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. His name was Oscar Persson, but when he came to America, he changed his name to John Peterson. Alma had two other brothers Axel and Varter who immigrated to America, but both died soon after arriving from tuberculosis.

Alma married George Cromwell Griffin in 1903 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Alma gave birth to a daughter Thelma on 21 June 1906 at their home in New York City. They moved to Dallas, Texas where Alma died from tuberculosis on 21 March 1922. Thelma married Thomas Harrington Cole on 15 June 1924 in Dallas. On 22 August 1926 in the small village of Plano, Texas, Thelma gave birth to a son, Kenneth Harrington Cole. Kenneth married first Evelyn Wilson in 1945. There were three children of the union Cathy, Kenneth, Jr., and Carol. I am Kenneth, Jr.

After Alma left Sweden it was not long until contact with her Swedish Family was lost. In August of 1991 nearly one hundred years after Alma left Sweden, my father, his second wife Mona, and I headed to Sweden to find our Swedish roots. We had Alma's Swedish Bible with inscription of the date and place of her confirmation. The place was Brunnby Church. We knew that it was near Höganäs, Sweden. So we set out to find Brunnby Church. One day, my father and I found Brunnby Church and walked for the first time upon the Swedish soil of our ancestors. Upon returning home, I wrote to Brunnby Church and with the research of Gunnel Paulsson of the Church office soon I was corresponding with Alma's nephew Erik Persson of Perstorp, Sweden. Erik is the son of Alma's youngest brother Karl.

In August of 1992, I returned to Sweden. This time with my sister, Cathy Cole Bixby, I visited with Erik and Sollan Persson. We met all of the Swedish Family and had a wonderful time. We have visited back and forth with our Swedish relatives over the last four years and hope to continue to visit back and forth for generations to come.

The farm of Otto and Charlotta Persson was passed down to Karl Persson. The farm stayed in the family until Cathy and I visited in 1992 and once more during my subsequent return in1993. Therefore, I visited the place of birth in Sweden of my great-grandmother Alma Persson. Karl's son John Persson lived on the farm until his death in January of 1994. During my last visit John gave to me apples off of the tree which Otto had planted himself. Below is a photograph of the road leading to the birthplace of Alma, the home of Otto and Charlotta Persson.

On my last visit to Sweden in 1993, I met Magnus Rämeback. great-grandson of Alma's brother Nils. Erik had a photograph of Nils, Alma, and Karl taken about 1893. One hundred years later, descendant of these three siblings are photographed together for the first time. See more about this 100 year reunion at Persson Family Reunion Page.

My sister Cathy Cole Bixby and my father Kenneth Harrington Cole, Sr. August 1996

Otto and Charlotta Persson circa 1893

Otto Persson 1844 - 1916 b in Bårslöv, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden

+Charlotta Andersdotter 1844 - 1897 b in Strövelstorp, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden Mother: Johanna Andersdotter Father: Anders Nilsson

Oskar Gottfrid Persson 1865 - Abt 1950 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Perth Amboy, New Jersey

+Emma Andersdotter Abt 1870 - Abt 1950 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Perth Amboy, New Jersey Mother: Father:

David Peterson 1895 - Bef 1940 b in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (The Swedish Family has some information that David died at work in an explosion leaving a wife and young daughters behind. Need more information on this branch of the family)

Edwin Peterson 1897 - b in New Jersey (Need more information on this family)

Werner Peterson Abt 1902 - b in New Jersey (Need more information on this family)

Axel Albert Persson 1874 - Abt 1910 b in Brunnby, Sweden

Otto Varter Persson 1877 - Abt 1910 b in Brunnby, Sweden

Alma Paulina Persson 1881 - 1922 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Dallas, Texas

+George Cromwell Griffin Abt 1864 - 1926 b in London, England d in Dallas, Texas Mother: Father:

Thelma Charlotte Griffin 1906 - 1988 b in New York, New York d in Plano, Texas

+Thomas Harrington Cole 1899 - 1986 b in Dublin, Erath, Texas d in Plano, Texas Mother: Matilda Burnett Father: William Cole

Kenneth Harrington Cole, Sr. 1926 - b in Plano, Collin, Texas

+Evelyn Wilson 1927 - b in McKinney, Collin, Texas Mother: Pearl Waters Father: Addison Wilson

Cathy Jane Cole 1948 - b in McKinney, Collin, Texas

+Jack Taylor Mother: Father:

*2nd Husband of Cathy Jane Cole:

+Thomas Edward Bixby 1949 - b in Iowa Mother: Doris Emdia Father: James Bixby

Kenneth Harrington Cole, Jr. 1951 - b in McKinney, Collin, Texas

+Judy Murphree Foster Mother: Father:

*2nd Wife of Kenneth Harrington Cole, Jr.:

+Paulia A'Lan Patrick 1954 - b in Gainesville, Cooke, Texas Mother: Ruth Burrow Father: Walter Patrick

Carol Ann Cole 1953 - b in McKinney, Texas

+Charles Lynn Sullivan 1944 - b in Arkansas Mother: Father:

*2nd Husband of Carol Ann Cole:

+Syed Abbas Mother: Father:

*2nd Wife of Kenneth Harrington Cole, Sr.:

+Mona Shy b in West Virginia Mother: Father:

Georgia Cora Griffin 1907 - 1907 b in New York City, New York d in New York City, New York

Nils Sigfrid Persson 1883 - 1917 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Sweden

+(?) Bengtsson Mother: Father:

Malte Bengtsson 1912 - 1982

+Dagny Maria (Maia) Bengtsson 1912 - 1987 Mother: Father:

Majvor Birgitta Bengtsson 1948 -

+Gunnar Roland Wahlfrid 1945 - Mother: Father:

*1st Wife of Nils Sigfrid Persson:

+Gerda Persson Abt 1890 - Unknown b in Sweden Mother: Father:

Gunnar Persson 1917 - 1992

+Ruth Persson Mother: Father:

Gunnel Persson 1937 -

+Bo Ramebäck 1937 - Mother: Father:

Magnus Ramebäck 1962 -

+Eva Ramebäck Mother: Father:

Henrik Ramebäck 1967 -

Anna Sofia Persson 1885 - 1899 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden

Karl Johan Persson 1887 - 1966 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden

+Nanny Augusta Eriksson 1880 - 1948 d in Brunnby, Sweden Mother: Father:

Anna Linneå Persson 1912 - 1913 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden

John Malte Persson 1916 - 1994 b in Brunnby, Sweden d in Brunnby, Sweden

+Ruth Elvira Nilsson 1915 - b in Sweden Mother: Father:

Ingrid Viola Persson 1950 - b in Brunnby, Sweden

+Karl-Erik Ingvar Henrysson 1943 - Mother: Father:

Anders Henrysson 1976 -

Maria Henrysson 1981 -

Alma Eva Charlotta Persson 1920 - b in Brunnby, Sweden

+Allan Verner Lindkvist 1914 - 1985 b in Sweden d in Sweden Mother: Father:

Christer Lindqvist 1947 -

Roland Lindqvist 1949 -

Erik William Persson 1924 - b in Brunnby, Sweden

+Solvie Arenbo 1929 - b in Perstorp, Sweden Mother: Father:

Ann-Margret Persson 1951 - b in Perstorp, Sweden

+Torbjörn Brorson 1951 - b in Örkelljunga, Sweden Mother: Olga Nordh Father: Bertil Brorson

Johan Persson 1974 - b in Lund, Sweden

Filip Persson 1987 - b in Ängelholm, Sweden

Viveca Persson 1953 - b in Perstorp, Sweden

+Lennart Rubin 1952 - Mother: Lilian Rubin Father: Börje Rubin

Carl-Johan Rubin 1978 -

Jonna Rubin 1982 -