Mankell Family History
FOUR BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Located in Lake Andrew Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, the Lake Florida Mission Covenant Church was founded in 1870 by Swedish immigrants. The congregation closed in 1955. This book was prepared in 2020 in connection with the congregation’s 150th anniversary, commemorated by descendants of former members. The cemetery has 186 burials, with 76 Swedish immigrants and three Norwegian immigrants. This book identifies each person buried in the cemetery, with a focus on the immigrants. Contents include an alphabetical list of burials, and diagrams of the graves. Information includes basic genealogical information: dates and locations of birth, marriage, and death; immigration dates; descendants buried in the cemetery. Also identified are veterans, victims of the 1918-1920 flu pandemic, and victims of the 1878-1880 diphtheria epidemic. Four generations of the author’s Mankell ancestors are buried in this cemetery.
This book is available at amazon.com.
Grasshoppers, blizzards, creameries, drought, country schools, and churches are a few of the subjects covered in a new book written by Carolyn Mankell Sowinski, a Kandiyohi County native. Four Farms: Life in Lake Andrew Township, 1864-1964 explores the lives of the families living at four farms along one mile in Lake Andrew Township, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. While this book captures the lives of the families (owners and renters) on these farms, this mile was one of many, so this becomes a story about a vibrant Scandinavian farming community. During these 100 years, the families and their neighbors encountered hardships, worked to better their lives, interacted with families at other farms, cared for their spiritual growth and educational needs, experienced the joy and sadness of life, and found themselves impacted by inventions and events outside the Township.
The Four Farms book is available at amazon.com, Lakeside Press and the Kandiyohi County Historical Society .
"Almost Saved, But Lost: The January 1873 Blizzard in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota" tells the stories of the 12 people who died in my home county: who they were, their immigrant experiences, where they lived, their journeys and deaths in the storm, and the families who mourned. Here is the first chapter which provides an overview of the 3 day event and the victims. This book is available at amazon.com.
A second edition of the book "Niederasphe to Norway Lake", based on information from this website, is now in available at amazon.com. Here is the four-page TABLE OF CONTENTS.