NARRATOR
This is an imagined scene from our family history. It is in English out of respect for those of you who don’t speak 19th Century Swedish. It’s also in English because my Swedish is limited. Or, as they’d say,”mycket dalig” (mew-ket doe-lig), which means “very bad.” Our story begins in Sweden. The year is 1878. Andrew Spong is about to propose to Augusta Jonasdotter (yew nahs doe ter). He is 21 and she is 20. I am sure that he wanted to “wow” her with an eloquent, emotion-filled, heartfelt pledge of his undying love and devotion, hoping against hope that his passionate display of overwhelming love could somehow persuade her to say “ja.” Unfortunately, he was Swedish.
ANDREW
I think we should marry.
NARRATOR
Augusta, so overcome with joy that she was almost able to raise her head from her knitting, said . . .
AUGUSTA
Okay.
NARRATOR
Three days later, Augusta asked . . .
AUGUSTA
Where should we live after we marry? On your family farm in Bredaryd (Bred uh rewd)? Stockholm?
ANDREW
I was thinking... Hutto.
AUGUSTA
Hutto?
ANDREW
Hutto.
AUGUSTA
Where's Hutto?
ANDREW
Texas
NARRATOR
At this point in the conversation, Augusta put down her knitting.
AUGUSTA
Where is Texas?
ANDREW
In the United States
NARRATOR
At this point, Augusta returned to her knitting. Three days later, in, what was for her an emotional outburst, she said . . .
AUGUSTA (Emotionless)
Okay, I’ll go to Hutto. But there is a compromise I must ask of you. It is important. As important as my knitting.
NARRATOR
Andrew sat down, never having heard Augusta say four consecutive sentences before. Also, he’d never realized that Augusta knitted.
ANDREW
Yes?
AUGUSTA
After we are married, I will go with you to your Hutto, but it will be a hard life. We will have trouble feeding ourselves. I don’t think we should have children. Maybe one. Or, two.
ANDREW
I will need help in the fields.
AUGUSTA
What am I, an employment agency?
NARRATOR
Andrew said no more about children--which is odd, since their first child was born in August 1878, and they didn’t marry until Dec. 28 of that year.
They left for the United States in 1883. They first lived for a short while in Connecticut, before moving to Texas. Their first three children--Alma, Axel, and Victor--were born in Sweden. John was the first to be born in Texas. One day, Augusta told Andrew the words that no husband wants to hear, no matter what language it’s spoken in.
AUGUSTA
Andrew, we need to talk.
ANDREW
We have talked before.
AUGUSTA
Remember when you swept me off of my feet with your eloquent proposal?
ANDREW
Yes.
AUGUSTA
You said we were going to live in Hutto--remember that?
ANDREW
Yes.
AUGUSTA
Well, here it is 1899 and we aren’t in Hutto yet. Decker isn’t Hutto. Austin is certainly not Hutto. Walnut is a tree, but it isn’t Hutto. New Sweden isn’t Hutto. And Jonah . . . don’t get me started on Jonah. Jonah is only barely Jonah.
ANDREW
I’ve been looking at a farm just north of Hutto.
AUGUSTA
That doesn’t surprise me that you’ve been looking at a farm. What would surprise me is if you’ve talked to someone about it, much less made an offer.
ANDREW
I made an offer.
AUGUSTA
Well, I hope the land is fertile, because we certainly are!
NARRATOR
The Spongs moved to that farm in 1900, taking with them their 11 children--Alma, Axel, Victor, John, Mary, Minnie, Freda, Emma, Willie, Ellen, and Walter. They had three more children after they moved--Ruben, Florence and Hildur. And, obviously, Andrew and Augusta Spong’s presence is still felt to this day.
THE END
Hutto, TEXAS
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