Posted on: Skagit Co. Wa Queries Board URL: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Wa/Skagit?read=83 Surname: GUSTAFSON, SEMELL, WISTBACKA, LARSON, SKOOG ------------------------- Ida GUSTAFSON, my grandmother, was born in Terjervi, Finland, 15 May 1869 with the name Ida Sophia Carlsdotter Wistbacka, and as Ida SEMELL died in Mount Vernon in Skagit County, Washington, 22 August 1937. My 93 year old mother, Neva LARSON Semell, remembers that sometime, some place, Ida's surname became Gustafson and she married Matt SEMELL from Nedervetil, Finland. They had a picture taken by a photographer in Mendencino, California, and ran a boarding house in Eureka, Utah, before buying a farm near Mt Vernon at the turn of the century. Their children were Ted, Hilda, Stan, Elf, and Ellen SEMELL. They attended the Swede Finn church before Salem Lutheran Church was built, and had Swede Finn friends in the area. Ida had brothers nearby, one of whom had a mine. There were also some SKOOG relatives nearby. Ida's father was Carl GUSTAFSON. I would like to find my Gustafson relatives. I'm also very interested in stories of these early Swedes in Skagit County.