Memoirs by Hans E. Hanson

Swedish-born John and Anna Brita Hanson came to the United States in 1868, looking for better economic opportunities for their two children, Hans and Sarah. Settling in West Michigan, father and son experienced the difficult life of railroad and sawmill laborers. The family also encountered a new religion: Seventh-day Adventists. In his later years, Hans E. Hanson recounted his family's hardscrabble life in rural Sweden, their journey across three countries and the Atlantic Ocean to reach West Michigan, the challenges of becoming established in a new country, and the profound effect of religious freedom for their family. The Hansons came to America in search of financial stability; they discovered a new faith.