Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthAugust 6, 1890
Place of BirthTimrГҐ, Västernorrland
CountrySweden
Marital StatusMarried
Next of KinCarl Carlson, father, Kenora Ontario
Trade / CallingLocomotive Fireman
ReligionLutheran
Service Details
Regimental Number4070334
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedConscripted
Address at EnlistmentKenora, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentNovember 11, 1917
Age at Enlistment27
Theatre of ServiceCanada
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathOctober 1976
Buried AtReading, Pennsylvania

Carlson, Carl Ragner (Roy)

Back row: Roy, father Carl holding Edith, Amanda’s sister Hilda
Front row: Gus, Angus, mother Amanda holding Ture

Carl Ragner (Roy) Carlson was born on 6 August 1890 in TimrГҐ, Västernorrland, Sweden. His father Carl Carlson was from NordingrГҐ in Västernorrland while his mother Sofia Amanda Westmark was from Pitea in Norbotton. The couple had married in Brunno in GudmundrГҐ, Västernorrland in 1888. Over the years Carl’s occupation in Sweden was given as arbetare (labourer). Their first child, Eleonara Anna, only lived for a couple of months, and their second born child died at time of birth. By 1890 Carl and Amanda had moved to TimrГҐ where they gave birth to Roy. The next year they moved to Sundsvall where two more children were added to the family, Einar Axel Reinhold (Angus) in 1891 and Gustave Edwin Antonius (Gus) in 1893. In April of 1897 the family left Sundsvall to go back to GudmundrГҐ, in time for son’s Ture’s birth that September. Another child, Judit Marie (Edith) was born in 1899.

Carl was the first to immigrate to Canada, leaving the parish in mid August of 1903. He was found on the passenger list of the Mount Temple that arrived in Montreal on the 6th of September, destination given as Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora). Amanda and the children followed in September of 1904, arriving in Montreal aboard the Ionion on the 21st on their way to join Carl in Rat Portage. The family bought property in the nearby rural area of Jaffray Melick where they farmed. Carl also worked as a carpenter.

On 22 September 1917, in Winnipeg, Roy married Catherine Rose Bickel. Born in Reading, Berks, Pennsylvania in 1900, Catherine was the daughter of Jacob and Rosie Bickel.

Roy signed his recruitment papers in Winnipeg on 11 November 1917, name on his service record given as Carl Roger Carlson. With occupation listed as locomotive fireman and his father Carl in Kenora as next of kin, Roy had been living in Kenora. He completed his medical examination the next month at Minto St Barracks in Winnipeg, with classification of C3. Roy’s service with the 1st Depot Battalion Manitoba Regiment was to be cut short as he was discharged on 9 July 1918, reason given as ‘struck off strength on return to Registrar’s Records’. He had previously been on a conditional leave.

Roy and Catherine were next found on a border crossing record of January 1919 and by 1920 they were listed on the Federal census for Reading in Pennsylvania. They were living with Catherine’s parents and Roy was working in a knitting mill. They gave birth to two children in Reading, Carl and Renghold. Sadly, Renghold died in 1920. By 1921 Roy, Catherine and Carl were back in Kenora and had given birth to another child, Klas. In 1923 the family permanently relocated to Pennsylvania and by the 1930 census Roy was working in a hosiery mill in Lower Alsace. In 1942 Roy signed his US WW2 Draft Registration Card. At the time he was working for Wyomissing Industries in Reading.

Predeceased by his father Carl in 1923, mother Amanda in 1937, brother Ture in 1951, brother Gus in 1964, and brother Angus in 1965, all in Kenora, Roy died in October of 1976 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Roy’s brothers Ture and Gus signed recruitment papers in Winnipeg in late 1917 with the  1st Depot Battalion Manitoba Regiment, serving in Canada.

by Judy Stockham

family photo: courtesy of scarlsongirl Carlson public family tree on ancestry.ca


« Back To Soldier Biographies