Upsala Cemetery, Sanford, Florida
Recorded by Vivian Alcott & Joanna Dannelly
While visiting Sanford Fla. on vacation, my mother relayed to me the story of the old Upsala Cemetery. It seems the land the cemetery was on was the future home of a new church, thus distroying the Cemetery to some extent. My mother, JoAnna Dannelly and I spent time recording the Cemetery in hopes that all is not lost.
Directions to the Cemetery from Jacksonville Fla.
Take Interstate 95 to Daytona, exit onto I-4 going toward Orlando. Take exit 51 which will be 46-A, turn left and go under the Interstate. Go 3 or 4 miles down 46-A until you come to Upsala Rd. Turn right on to Upsala, pass two curves in the road one going to the left, the second to the right. About a mile down the road on your right you will see a dirt drive way. On one side of the drive you will see a large sign stating that this site is the future home of the Lutheren Church. On the other side of the drive you will see a historical sign about the Cemetery. Turn between the two signs and you are there.
The Cemetery is very old with the earliest graves dating from 1831. It is over grown with weeds and vines, some of the graves still have the funeral markers instead of headstones. There were a few flowers on a few graves, some of the graves were found in the middle of the small patch of woods that surround the cemetery. It is apparent that this cemetery has been sorely neglected.
THE HISTORY OF UPASAL SWEDISH COMMUNITY
This was the center of the earliest and largest Swedish community in Florida. Located here were the Scandinavian Society Lutheran Church, it's Cemetery, and a meeting house, which also served as a school until 1904.
In May of 1871 thirty-three Swedish immigrants (twenty-six men and seven women) arrived under the sponsorship of Henery S. Sanford for the purpose of developing his citrus groves (St. Gertrude, which extended from what is now Central Florida Regional Hospital south to Third Street: and Belair, west of the railroad tracks on Old Lake Mary Road).
General Sanford's initial cost was $75.00 per person ($65.00 for transpertation and 10.00 to a recruiting agent). He also agreed to give each immigrant free rations and living quarters for one year, after which each would be given a parcel of land. In November 1871 twenty additional Swedes arrived and joined the original immigrants to form the Upsala community. Many descendants of these early immigrants still live in the Sanford area.
**From the historical marker placed at the Cemetery by the Seminole County Historical Commission.**
A marker placed by St. Paul's EV. Luthern Church of Orlando, Florida May 1951
Augustana Luthern Synod 1892-1946
ALMAZU, Martin H. 1-15-198 - 3-30-1983
ANDERSON, John 1866 - ?
ANDERSON, Sofia M. 1858 - 1939
ANGEL of JOY (beloved daughter of Joyce marker made of wood & over grown with weeds)
ANSORGE (double head stone on bottom of head stone - In Loving Memory)
Pearl M. (Wife)12-18-1913 - 9-28-1994
Werner (Husband)12-12-1914 -1-10-1999
BENGTSON, Christina 1839 - 1929
BENGTSON, Edward 1881 - 1887 (Edward's grave was not next to the other Bengson's)
BENGTSON, Elias 1844 - 1883 (along the back row with Chirstina & Eric)
BENGTSON, Eric 1836 - 1934
BORELL, Chirstine 3-10-? - 3-? 1961 (90 years ?mo. 89days grave is sunkin)
BORELL, John E. 10-3-1857 - 8-27-1943(together in woods with Chirstine but 2 stones)
DAYALE, MARTI?? 3-30-? (2 years ?mo. ?days)
ERICKSON, Frank 1848 - 1928
ENROTH (double head stone)
Carl G. 1839 - 1913
Charlotte C. 1842 - 1903 (love never fails - on bottom of stone)
FRY, Albert A. 1894 - 1954 (son of Noah & Augusta)
FRY (double head stone)
Noah A. (Father) 1870-1936
Augusta B. (Mother) 1871 - 1972
GREEN, Marr 4-6-1960 (no other information)
HALLOWAY, Jossie L. 1887 - 1980 (wife of Walter)
HALLOWAY, Walter Brown 10-19-1889 - 7-3-1954 (Tennesse GM2 US Navy Chaplin - Gone but not forgotten on bottom of stone)
HALLOWAY, Patsy Ann 10-5-1935 - 6-11-1937 (Close to Jossie and Walter)
LUNDQUIST, Mr. Alex T. 7-3-? - 1953 (72 years 5 mo. 12days)
LUNDQUIST, JoAnne 1933 - 1942 (buried next to Mr. Alex)
LUNDQUIST, John Harold 7-16-1931 - 12-2-1957 (PVT US Air Force)
LUNDQUIST, John Gardar 1885 - 1943
LUNDQUIST, John 1885 - 1934 (three headstones together as one Lundquist & Starnes)
LUNDQUIST TWINS (Double flat marker)
Joane 1933 - 1942
Gerald D. 1933 - 1933
MARRS (double headstone)
Clover ?-?-? - 12-20-?28
Paul ?-?-1895 - 6-27-1953
STARNES Anne M. (Lundquist) 1905 - 1986
STARNES, Harley E. 1915 - 1982 (buried under the Lundquist head stone with John & Anne)
STEDT (next to each other)
Carl J. 1842 - 1929
Emma C. 1871 - 1932
SODERBLOM, Fred Gustaf 5-10-1930 (no other information)
TYNER, Gussiee 1909 - 1910
TYNER, Leonard B. 1905 1906
TYNER, James D. 1897 - 1957 (James, Leonard & Gussiee are together along the back row)
TYNER, Thomas Olin 7-10-1917 - 11-27-1943 (Florida SGT. Army AirForce WW2 PH. In memory of - is at the top of the stone)
**The next two double stones are side by side**
TYNER (double head stone)
Thomas D. 1877 - 1961 (Father)
Mitilda B. 1875 - 1969 (Mother)
TYNER (double head stone)
Elmer J. 1903 - 1982 (Father)
Louetta W. 1922 - 1975 (Mother)
? Robert R. 1963 (No other information, grave is under bushes with a funeral marker)
**Note, although every effort was made during the recording of this information, no guarantee is made of 100% accuracy.
Extra Information on the families buried in the cemetery
Elias Bengtson is listed in the 1880 Orange County, Florida Federal Census as an orange farmer, 37, wife Christina 39, daughters Augusta 9, Charlotte 7, Matilda 5, Hilda 3, sons Elaf 5 and Rueben 1.
In the 1920 Orange County, Florida Federal Census, Christina Bengston listed as a widow is living with her daughter Gussie and son in law Noah A. Fry along with nine boarders
John Borell is listed in the 1900 Orange County, Florida Federal Census born Oct 1857 in Swedenm married in 1893 to Christine born in Norway on April 1870. For John his year of immigration was 1883, Christines was 1871.
John and Christine are listed in the Seminole County, Florida Census. John is listed as a farm laborer for a orange grove. Living with John and Christine is Woodard Bertson age 11, nephew to John.
In the 1930 census Woodard is listed as Woodard Borell, nephew to John.
Both John and Christine are listed in the Florida Death Index
Werner and Pearl (Tyner) Ansorge are listed in the Duval County, Florida Marriage Collection. Married 1936, Volume 320 Certificate 447. Both are listed in the Florida Death Index.
In 1920 Frank Erickson was living in Lake Mary, Seminole County, Florida as a boarder in the home of Albert and Edith Rantoul. Frank is from Sweden.
In 1910 Noah Alexander, Gussie (Augusta) and son Albert Fry are living in Sanford, Orange County (now Seminole County) Florida. Also living in the household are Christopher Beudon and Jackarish Fry.
In the 1920 Gotha, Orange County, Florida census Noah is listed as .as a farm oversear and Gussie is the manager of the boarding house they are living in. Gussies mother is living with Noah and Gussie.
In 1930 Noah and Gussie are living in Sanford, Seminole County, Florida.
Noah is listed in the Florida death index
Joanne Lundquist is listed in the Seminole County, Florida death index
Paul Wampler Marrs is listed in the Seminole County, Florida death index
Anne Mae Starnes is listed in the Seminole County, Florida death index. Birth date is listed as 31 March 1905 death is 21 May 1986.
Harley E Starnes is listed in the Seminole County death index. Birth 11 March 1915 death 20 Mar 1982. Harley and Anne are both listed in the Social Security Death Index.
Carl and Emma and daughter Ebba Stedt are listed in the 1910 Orange County, Florida Federal Census. Carl is a fruit grower from Sweden he and Emma were married in 1894. Ebba was born in 1901
In 1920 Paola, Seminole County, Florida Carl is listed as a farm laborer for the local orange grove. Ebba is not listed as living with her parents in 1920.
The Thomas Tyner family is listed in the 1920 West Sanford, Seminole Clounty, Florida census. Wife Matilda 44, son's James D 22, Elmer 16, Thomas 2, daughters Florence 12, Eleanor 8, and Pearl 6. Thomas is from Georgia and a pipe fitter for a car shop. Matilda is from Florida as is all her children. Matildas parents are from Sweden.
The family is listed in the 1930 census as living in the same area as in 1920. Thomas is a pipe fitter for a gas company. Son James is listed as 32 still living at home with no job. Son Elmer is not listed with the family.
Elmer Tyner and Louetta W. Collins were married in Seminole County, Florida in Feb. of 1967. Elmer is listed in the Social Security Death Index, birth date is 13 April 1903 death date is November 1982. Louetta is also listed in the death index. Birth is 7 Oct 1920 and death is 26 Nov. 1975.
