BIOGRAPHY From the June 26, 2004, Presentation by Christine Carlstrom-Trick Tamaru at the 76th Annual North Park Pioneer Association Reunion Edited 5-6-2011 |
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Good morning beloved family, friends, neighbors and all current and former North Parkers…..it is truly a pleasure and honor to be home
again for an Old Timer's Reunion, especially one that is recognizing the Carlstrom family. Before I go further, I would like to thank Rick Corneilson, Sherry Phillips, Pat Riley and other members of the North Park Pioneer Association and all those whose hard work goes in to perpetuating this annual and valuable event. I would especially like to thank all of you, too numerous to mention individually, who have stood by our family during both challenging times and in heartbreak. My role this morning is to speak about my Swedish family members who immigrated to North Park-------- my Great Aunt Fanny, Great Uncle Victor, and my grandfather, Carl Carlstrom. Pasted on the bleachers you will find a family tree that depicts the linkages between eight generations of Carlstroms…both ancestors and descendants. The parents of the Carlstrom's that came to North Park were Axel and Hedda Kristina (Gustafsdotter) Carlstrom, my great-Grandparents. All together they had nine children. Four died in infancy and a son Frans died at the age of 18 from tuberculosis. The rest, of course, came to America for a better life and opportunities and to join their family members, among them the Norells. Fanny was born October 6, 1883 in Holen, Gustafs, Sweden and her ambition was to go to America, specifically North Park, Colorado where her uncles Andrew and William Norell lived to make a home for her remaining brothers. She was sponsored to travel to America by Andrew Norell and would arrive in North Park in 1899 at the age of 16. After arriving in North Park she would meet again Vic Hanson, Sr., another Swedish immigrant pioneer from Gustafs, whom she knew in Sweden, and they were married in 1905. She was his second wife. Unfortunately, Fanny had contracted tuberculosis before she came to America and would die shortly after giving birth to a baby girl in 1908. The baby girl would also die shortly thereafter ending this branch of the Carlstrom tree. Victor Carlstrom was born in Sweden April 13, 1890 and arrived at Ellis Island in 1904 at the age of 14. He made his way to North Park, Colorado where he would work for his Uncles Andrew and William Norell at their ranches. By 1911, North Park had a railroad that ran from Walden to Laramie, Wyoming and Victor Carlstrom rode the first train to Laramie and then to Los Angeles to learn to fly. Victor learned to fly after only 10 days of instruction and postcards were received in North Park showing Victor Carlstrom giving rides at county fairs, dropping the first ball from an airplane at a baseball game and other daring feats. At the outbreak of WW I, Victor was one of the foremost aviators of his time, receiving a First Lieutenant commission signed by President Woodrow Wilson. He made many first flights and set many altitude and distance records. One of Victor's most treasured gifts was a sheepskin suit worn by Admiral Peary upon discovering the North Pole. Unfortunately on May 9, 1917, Victor Carlstrom and a student pilot would meet an untimely death when the wing of the aircraft he was piloting would fall off resulting in the downing of his plane. Victor was engaged to be married at the time of his accident and his death brought a close to this branch of the Carlstrom tree. Carl Carlstrom was born in December 17, 1894 in Boberg, Gustafs, Sweden and arrived in America via Ellis Island on April 13, 1911. He too made his way to North Park and worked as a cowhand under the supervision of his uncle's, the Norells. He spoke no English, which was later remedied by attending a year of school at Higho, but during the 3-day trip from Ellis Island to North Park, he ate nothing but bananas and to my knowledge, for the rest of his life, he never ate another one. Carl later rode the same train to Laramie that his brother Victor had to ridden, but instead went on to Denver to attend Barnes Business School. Victor would later teach Carl (whom I will refer to as Grandpa) how to fly in 1914 in Newport News, Virginia. Grandpa would soon become a civilian aviation instructor during WW I (1916-1919). Grandpa had a lot of patience and his students were reported to say "if Carl Carlstrom couldn't teach someone to fly, that person was not teachable." While a flight instructor he would meet Marion Virginia Sharp of Hampton, Virginia and marry her on September 12, 1918 in Virginia. After the war, Grandpa worked for the Standard Oil Refinery in Laramie, Wyoming. My Grandparents had a daughter, my mother, Marion Virginia Carlstrom who was born on May 20, 1919 in Higho, Jackson County, Colorado. Grandpa would later purchase the "old Harmon Place" 1 mile west of Cowdrey in 1928 and Grandpa and family moved permanently to North Park in 1930. Grandpa Carlstrom is credited for being the first rancher in North Park to raise the Black Angus breed of cattle. Grandma Carlstrom passed away in June of 1974 and Grandpa Carlstrom, the sole remaining Swedish immigrant to North Park, passed away January 17, 1989. At the time of his death, he had two Grandchildren and four Great-grandchildren. Carl's daughter, and my mother, Marion, grew up knowing she also wanted to fly airplanes, but instruction was expensive. After graduating high school at the early age of 16, she attended the University of Denver and also Bennington College in Vermont. She became friends with Katherine Hepburn's sister, Peg Hepburn, and was acquainted with Carol Channing, both alumni of Bennington College. During her senior year at Bennington College, she decided to take a leave and study archeology and South American literature in Lima, Peru. The Peruvian pilots gave free instruction with the students paying for gasoline. She earned her "gas money" by working at the American Embassy. Marion was the second woman to receive a pilot's license in Peru. When the Women's Air Force Service became a part of our Armed Forces in WW II, she applied, was accepted and served as a ferry pilot for a variety of warplanes until the program was ended in December of 1944. Mother met and married Major Carl Trick (my Father) of Lodi, California at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. He began his military career in E Troop, 11th Calvary and later was transferred to the Army Air Force as a flight instructor and "HUMP" pilot, flying supplies over the Himalayas into China from India during World War II. Many of you would be surprised to know that he played the role of horse-handler and cavalryman in Ronald Reagan's first movie entitled Sergeant Murphy. In 1946, my Mother and Father decided to leave their flying careers, Father being honorably discharged after 14 years in the service at the rank of Major, to make North Park their home and begin ranching with Grandpa Carlstrom at his ranch, later named North Park Angus Ranch. They have two children, Carl Trick II, who now manages the ranch near Cowdrey. Carl II served his country in the US Army having been stationed in Panama and later married Stacie Curran of Oklahoma. Two children were born of this marriage, Casey and Curran. Curran graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa and currently works and lives in Ft. Colllins. Casey, as most of you know, passed away tragically in 1998. The second child of Carl and Marion, is yours truly - Christine. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. My children from a previous marriage are April and Nathan Seibert. Twenty-five years ago, I moved to the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i and have lived and worked there since. My husband is Dr. Clyde Tamaru, an Aquaculture Specialist at the Sea Grant College Program at the University of Hawai`i and for the State of Hawai`i. My stepson is Ty Tamaru, who currently lives and works in Greeley, Colorado. An interesting side note is that just about the same time my Grandparents were emigrating from Sweden to America at the turn of the century, Clyde's Grandparents were emigrating from southern Japan to Hawaii, also to seek a better life. My mother Marion passed away 13 January 2010, and my Dad, Major Carl Trick, passed away just this year, 2011, on 17 April.....on his 96th birthday. I work as a consultant in aquaculture, curricula researcher-writer, and as editor of scientific papers. My husband Clyde and I collaborate on many projects and this has allowed us to travel the world and work in many foreign countries. April graduated from Colorado State University and is an Interior Designer at the firm of Architects Hawai`i, Inc. She has designed many gift shops in the Las Vegas, Nevada Airport and several casinos in Las Vegas, spas in Spain, and hotels and other commercial buildings in Thailand and Hawai'i. Her husband, Brook Nottage, works for his family's construction firm, Construction Associates. April and Brook have a daughter named Hunter Christine, my Grand-daughter, and she will be one year old on July 6, 2004. Nathan also lives in Hawai'i and works for the Chevron Oil Refinery, having attended college and after fulfilling his military service with the US Marine Corps - four years of active duty and two years of active reserve. The early Carlstroms were an adventuresome family and their descendants continue that trait. They have made many contributions to society both in North Park and abroad. They have held public and elected offices, have been and are members of community associations and boards, and served their country in the military. Sincere thanks to those friends and family who have helped contribute information for the family tree and to all of you present today or this very special honor. |
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