Backman Family papers

Carl August Backman was born 24 May 1853, in Safsnas, Dalarne, Sweden. He came to the United States in 1868 and began to study at Augustana College in 1875. Backman received a BA in 1881 and graduated from Augustana Theological Seminary in 1883. In October of 1883 he married Helena Hoogner. After two years as a pastor in Ishpeming, Michigan, he accepted a position at the Swedish Lutheran congregation in Galesburg, Illinois, in the summer of 1885. He was well known in the area for his sermons and published essays. After her husband’s death 6 March 1888, Helena Backman went on to participate in her own civic and church activities until her death 30 June 1950. She was a member and served as president of the Augustana Women’s Missionary Society, for which she developed the successful “My Missionary for a Day” program. She was also a member of the Red Cross and Galesburg Cottage Hospital. Carl and Helena had three children: Lillian, Carl, and Olga. Olga, the youngest child, born in 1888, was an art student at Augustana College and died in 1973. Her postcards are included in this collection.