My Great Aunt Katarina Olivia (Olofsdotter) Backlund shown in the first photograph below in 1935 with her dog near her home in Manitoba, Canada. Katarina was born on April 15th, 1870, in Stöde, Västernorrland, Sweden, to Karin Goransdotter and Olaf Petter Andersson.

The province of Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territories of Nunavut to the north, and Northwest Territories to the northwest. The U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota are to the south.

Katarina is the younger sister of my Great Grandmother Christine Brita Kristina (Olofsdotter) Erickson, who had emigrated with her family from Sweden to North Dakota in 1903. Christine lived her entire life after immigrating to the States in North Dakota and California.

Katarina has one other sister, Sigrid Elisabet Olofsdotter who born on January 16th, 1874, in Stöde, Västernorrland, Sweden and two brothers, Anders Petter Sundin born on April 28th, 1863 and Erik Olof Sundin born on July 25th, 1872, both in Stöde Västernorrlands län, Medelpad, Sweden

Katarina married Isak Olof (Johan) Backlund in Tuna, Sweden, on February 23rd, 1901. Tuna Parish is in Västernorrland County in northern Sweden. It is bordered by the counties of Gävleborg, Jämtland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name Västernorrland means 'Western Norrland,' as it is in the western part of the original Norrland (Northern Sweden and Northern Finland).

Katarina and Isak have eight children, Thelma was born in 1899, Sadie (Sara) was born in 1902, John (Yokam) was born in 1906, Oliver (Agda) was born in 1906, Nels (Olof) and Isak were born in 1906, Karl was born in 1908. Eric was born in 1911 in Saskatchewan, Canada.

On October 13th, 1910 Katarina and Isak and seven of their eight children departed from Västernorrland for Liverpool, England. From there they immigrated to Quebec, Canada, where they arrived on November 11th, 1910.

Katarina and Isak lived in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada, in 1916 and in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada in 1921. Her husband Isak passed away in Teuton, Manitoba in 1946 at the age of 76. They had been married 45 years.

Below you will also find a photograph of the Olofsdotter Backlund Family standing in front of their home in Manitoba, Canada. The families ship registry from their 1911 journey from Liverpool to Canada is at the bottom. Katarina and Isak's and their seven of eight children are listed and highlighted in blue.