Jordan "John" Korp b. 1 Oct 1854 Nore Bruk - Eda, ____, V?rmlands L?n, Sweden d. 1909 McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA: Lisle Family History

1854 - 1909 (54 years)

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Name	Jordan "John" Korp
Nickname	John
Born	1 Oct 1854	Nore Bruk - Eda, ____, V?rmlands L?n, Sweden
Gender	Male
Religion	Swedish Methodist Episcopal
Occupation	Steelworker
Emigration	25 Feb 1880
	from V?rmland, Sweden
Immigration	Bef 8 Jun 1880
1880 Census	8 Jun 1880
	Worcester, Worcester Co., MA, ED 895, p. 25
Naturalization	28 Oct 1887	Central District Court - Worcester, Worcester Co., MA
1900 Census	9 Jun 1900
	Ward 11 - McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA, ED 437, sheet 13B
Died	1909	McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA
Buried	Aft 1909	Versailles Cemetery - McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA
Person ID	I17	Korp Family
Last Modified	2 Nov 2005

Father	Olof Korp, b. 2 Feb 1826, K?la, _____, V?rmland, Sweden , d. Aft 1867 (Age 41 years)
Mother	Karin Persdotter, b. 1826, Eda, ____, V?rmlands L?n, Sweden , d. Aft 1890 (Age 65 years)
Married	Bef 1854	____, ____, ____, Sweden
Family ID	F6	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Charlotta Marie Nilsdotter, b. 1 Oct 1858, Stubb?ngen Munkfors, Rans?ter, ____, V?rmlands L?n, Sweden , d. 1938, McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA (Age 79 years)

Married 24 Dec 1880 Worcester, Worcester Co., MA

Children

	1. Charles Edward Korp, b. 6 Sep 1881, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 1882, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA (Age 0 years)
	2. Hilma Louisa Korp, b. 21 Aug 1882, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 27 Nov 1973, Stamford, Fairfield Co., CT (Age 91 years)
	3. Edith Korp, b. Dec 1882, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 7 Nov 1884, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA (Age ~ 1 years)
	4. Edith C. Korp, b. 14 Mar 1885, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 1955, Poland, Mahoning Co., OH (Age 69 years)
	5. Agnes Constance Korp, b. 19 Dec 1886, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 1953, Poland, Mahoning Co., OH (Age 66 years)
	6. Arthur Korp, b. 14 Aug 1888, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. Aft 14 Aug 1888, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA (Age 0 years)
	7. John Victor Korp, b. 24 Nov 1889, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 1890, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA (Age 0 years)
	8. Ruth Estelle Korp, b. 19 Nov 1890, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 10 Oct 1978, Indio, Riverside Co., CA (Age 87 years)
	9. Beda "Bertha" N. Korp, b. 25 Nov 1892, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. 25 Nov 1977, McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA (Age 85 years)
	10. Albin W. Korp, b. 29 Jul 1893, Worcester, Worcester Co., MA , d. Jun 1968, Fort Thomas, Campbell Co., KY (Age 74 years)
	11. Mabel Korp, b. 7 Aug 1897, McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA , d. 8 Nov 1996, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co., PA (Age 99 years)
	12. John Edward Korp, b. 21 Nov 1899, Christy Park, Allegheny Co., PA , d. 19 Dec 1986, McKeesport, Allegheny Co., PA (Age 87 years)

Documents

Marriage record for John Korp and Charlotta Nilsson as recorded in Worcester, Massachusetts

Last Modified 12 Nov 2005

Family ID F7 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Documents
Marriage record for John Korp and Charlotta Nilsson as recorded in Worcester, Massachusetts

Notes

Biography:

Jordan (or John) KORP was born in October 1854 in the mining community of Nore Bruk, near Eda, in the part of Sweden known as V?rmland. V?rmland is in the west central part of Sweden, and Karlstad is the principal city. Eda is in the mountains near the Norwegian border. Jordan was the first son of Olof and Karin (PERSDOTTER) KORP.

From "georg lundblad" on the origin of the Korp name:

I have got one more for you on the Rotter web site. It follows here in translation:

By Dag Bremberg

"Korp is not a quite unusual name. I have ancestors from Vireda in the province of Smaland by that name and a Danish clergyman ancestor who calls himself Corvinus, which they say means Korp in Latin (his name was probably "Ravn" earlier/comment by George) which is an Old Norse word for korp (=Raven in English/comment by George). Korp has also been found in Bollnas, Nederkalix, Osby, Slingetorp, Qvilla, Ostra Ryd and Kisa. The Kisa line has probably taken the name from Korpklev or Korpebo. How the other Korps found their names would be interesting to know. It could be a soldier-name of course. Among Finnish soldiers Korpi and other bird-names can be found.

"In Varmland was obviously one more Korp (a brother?), a clipping from Rotter: Jordan Korp, Born Oct 1, 1854, Nore Bruk, Eda, Varmland, Sweden. Emigrated on Febr 25, 1880 to USA from Munkfors in Ransater, Varmland.

He worked in iron work in Munkfors married with Charlotta Nilsdotter, born Oct 1, 1858 in Stubb?ngen Munkfors in Rans?ter, V?rmland.

"This information in Swedish you can find on ."

James Korp had this story: "The name, Korp, is a Swedish gamla soldat namn (Old Soldier's Name). As you might know, somewhere in my father's ancestry was a high-ranking military officer who had a fairly common name (Johnson, Anderson, Peterson, etc. etc.) and he was privileged to change it. He selected the name "Korp", which means "Raven". "

I have no information on his baptism; however, at least whilst he lived in the United States, he was a devout follower of the Methodist religion.

As a young man in V?rmland, he worked as a blacksmith's helper.

In February of 1880 he left Sweden and emigrated to Worcester, Massachusetts.

My first probable reference to him in the United States is in the 1880 census. He is listed as Judan KURP, a 23 year old white male boarding at a house on Whipple St. in Worcester. He is listed as working in the wire mill and having been born in Sweden of Swedish parents. I have not proved that this is Jordan KORP, but except for the age it seems correct.

By December 24, 1880, when he married Charlotta NILSSON, he had taken the name John as the name he would be known as in America. Charlotta NILSSON (or NILSDOTTER) had emigrated from Sweden in October of 1880. I believe that they probably knew each other in Sweden and that he came over, found a job, then sent for her to come over, and then they married.

I have not yet found any indication that either of them traveled to the United States with any family or that they were meeting family or friends (other than each other) when they arrived. However, it is likely that Jordan did meet with at least some friends who helped him find a place to stay and work. We do know that a younger brother and sister of Jordan - Peter and Beda - came to Worcester sometime about 1887 or 1888. We have no information of other members of Charlotta's family coming to the U.S.

They were married in December 1880 in Worcester by Albert ERICSON. He listed his age correctly as 26. It was the first marriage for both of them. He listed his occupation as wireworker.

Over the next several years, while he continued to work in the wire mill, they had several children.

Their first child Charles E. KORP was born on September 6, 1881. Charles died the following year.

Their second child, my grandmother Hilma Louisa KORP, was born on August 21, 1882. Charlotta had a sister in Sweden named Louisa, and I believe that my grandmother was named after her. My grandmother always went by the name Louise, and I had not known of the name Hilma until I found her birth record. Since then, I did find that my mother on her marriage license had entered her mother's name as Hilma Louise KORP.

Their third child was Edith KORP who died in 1884 of brain fever.

Their next child was another daughter born 20 March 1885. She was also named Edith. Her mother told the family (as related to me by Eleanor BLAIR) that she wanted to have a daughter named Edith. I do not know why.

Their fifth child was another daughter, Agnes Constance KORP, born 19 December 1886.

The next two children were boys who died as infants. Arthur KORP was born and died in 1888. John Victor KORP was born in 1889 and died in 1890.

In November 1890 Ruth KORP was born. According to the official records, she was born on the 5th of November; however, she celebrated her birthday on the 19th.

On November 25th 1891, Beda KORP was born. She was named after her father's sister Beda who had also immigrated and was living in Worcester. Later in life, Beda took the name Bertha.

The next child was Albin. I believe that his name at birth in July 1893 was Charles Albin KORP; however, he went by the name Albin W. KORP.

This is the last birth which I have discovered for their Worcester years. I believe that they may have had one more child who died. I have not yet found a confirmed record of that birth.

John KORP appears in the Worcester city directory up to the time he and his family moved to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, about 1895 or 1896.

The first reference I have found is in the 1882 directory where he is listed as a laborer living at a house at 68 Ward St. From 1883 to 1885, he is a laborer at the wire works in Quinsigimond and living at a house at 3 Thenius St. In 1886 he is back to 68 Ward St.; in 1887, he is at 4 Thenius St.; and in 1888 he is at 3 Thenius St. where his brother Peter KORP has arrived and is boarding with him.

On the 23rd of October 1882 he filed his Declaration of Intent to become a naturalized citizen of the United States with the Superior Court in Worcester. On 28 October 1887 at age 33 whilst living at 3 Thenius St., he went to the Central District Court of Worcester (see 423 - Vol. 3 - Year 1887), and he made his final declaration and was granted U.S. citizenship. His witnesses were John A. LINDBERG of Perry St. in Worcester and Carl P. JOHNSON of 7 Perry St. in Worcester.

In 1889 he is reported to have moved to a house on Greenwood St. near the city line. His brother is still boarding with him. It appears that his sister Beda (as Hedda) was in Worcester in the 1889 Directory; however, she is missing from the subsequent years and may have returned to Sweden only to return again several years later.

In 1890 he has moved again to a house at 20 Tatman St. (near Greenwood St.) where they have an apartment on the first floor. His brother had removed to Cleveland, Ohio. He is now reported to be working as a heater. He seems to have remained there and working as a heater through 1893. His brother seems to have returned in 1891 and is again living with him.

The fact that his brother went to Cleveland is interesting in that other family members may have gone there. I have been told that Axel LANDSTROM's (Charlotte married Axel after John died) children settled in Cleveland also.

From 1894 to 1895 John Korp is listed as working as a sinker and has moved to an apartment on the second floor of a house at 4 Raymond St. His brother is still living with him. In the 1896 directory it is reported that John KORP has removed to McKeesport, Pennsylvania. His brother Peter has stayed behind and is working at a laborer at 152 Union St while boarding at 76 Houghton St.

If you look at this area on a map today, you see that all of these addresses are within about a circle of about a mile in diameter. Many of them seem to be in an area which was probably a Swedish section of town with street names like Stockholm, Carlstad (!), Lundberg, Warmland(!), etc. It is even likely that many of the Swedes in Worcester came from V?rmland and that they did have a community which John and Charlotte moved into.

About 1896, John and Charlotte decided to move their family to McKeesport, Pennsylvania. I was told that they moved there because the steel mills in McKeesport were offering very lucrative jobs. The area in McKeesport they moved to was full of Swedes so it is possible that they were part of a migration from Worcester. However, his brother Peter does not seem to have gone to McKeesport as he is in Worcester for the 1900 census.

After they arrived in McKeesport, their last two children were born. Mabel Korp was born on August 12th 1897, and John KORP in November of 1899. The 1900 census John CORP as a mill laborer renting a house at 315 Houghton St. in the 11th ward of McKeesport (Port View area?) and all of his 8 surviving children as being born in Pennsylvania(!). Work seems to have been rather steady that past year as he was only unemployed for 2 months.

John Korp was a tall somewhat slender man with a full head of auburn hair and a full moustache. He was a very religious man who entertained his family by reading from the family bible and singing. Neither he nor his wife drank. He did not approve of playing cards; they were not allowed in his house.

Not only was he known as a good man, but he was also a very multi-talented man. Once he built a violin. Eleanor BLAIR told me that, as a child she took lessons on that instrument, but she did not like it. When she gave it up, her mother gave it to her uncle John Korp's family.

I do not know how his life went in McKeesport, but we know that he fell onto hard times. Through an injury at work one of his legs became infected with gangrene and had to be amputated. He was sick for a long time in the hospital. His teenage daughter Ruth nursed him through this illness and after his death went on and studied and became a nurse.

He died about 1908 at age 54 (young for a KORP!) in the McKeesport hospital and was buried in Versailles Cemetery in McKeesport leaving a wife and eight children.

John B. Lisle, Summer 2001

Sources:

1. Kinship Center, Karlstad, Sweden: Skillingsfors, Skillingmark film GV 222.

2. Worcester City Directories.

3. Mass. Vital Records, Vol. 318, p. 369.

4. US Federal Census - 1880: Worcester.

5. US Federal Census - 1900: McKessport, PA.

6. Interviews with Eleanor Blair and Mabel Wivagg, 1990.