1954: Nana Romeril meets her Swedish family

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Josephine Annie Romeril (nee Brudus) - 1896 to 1966

Josephine, who we knew as Nana Rom, was born in South Melbourne, Victoria to Ada Jane Nixon (1862 to 1923) and Johan Magnus Brudus (1852 to 1906).   She was the youngest of 4 daughters and apparently was very close to her Dad.  

Ada Jane Nixon and Johan Magnus Brudus  
with Josephine Annie in 1896

Johan was a mariner and had sailed from Lilla Horn on the island of Oland, Sweden in 1871.  He arrived in Sydney as a Able Seaman on the SS Barcoo in 1872.  He sailed the east coast of Australia until 1892 when the family settled in Melbourne and he became a labourer.  Nana Rom remembers that her parents were unhappy together and her father was homesick for his Swedish family.  In 1905, he disappeared and we discovered many years later that he threw himself in the Swan River in Perth, in despair, whilst on his way back to Sweden.  

However, his story is for another post.  This story is about Nana Rom's yearning for contact with her Swedish relatives.

In mid 1920s, Nana Rom's first cousin, Sven Gustav Stromgren, became interested in finding his Australian family.  Sven lived in Kalmar, Sweden.  His mother, Selma, was Johan's sister.
Sven put advertisements in the Salvation Army newspaper and eventually, in 1928, he received a reply.  His Australian cousins had been found!

Nana Rom and Sven corresponded for many years, swapping stories and photographs. In 1954, Sven invited her to visit Sweden.  She sailed on the M.V. Neptunia  crossing the equator on 16 June 1954. Finally the connection between Nan Rom and her Swedish family was a reality

Sven Gustav Stromgren (1897-1981)

Nana Rom spent many months in Sweden meeting uncles, aunts, and cousins. Several of the families, who had migrated to the States, returned to Sweden to meet their Aussie cousin. On Nana Rom's return to Melbourne, relationships were cemented and letters and photos flowed back and forth between Sweden, the States and Australia.  We felt that we knew these "rellies" as well.  When I was about 10, my grandmother encouraged me to write to Sven's children and we began a 'pen pal' relationship for a couple of years.  I met Peter in 2016 when I travelled to Sweden.  See my blog about this trip here.

On the 12 August 1954, Nana Rom became a celebrity in Kalmar with a newspaper article written about her visit.

"Barometern" Kalmar, 12 Aug 1954 

Here's a translation of the article

I have Nana Rom's photograph album from her visit .  It is still in great condition.  However, the pages have come loose. I am searching for a book binder who may be able to repair it.  

The cover is leather-bound and in great condition

Unfortunately the pages have come loose

Nana Rom's inscription to Uncle Ted

It warms my heart to look through the album and see photographs of my grandmother with her cousins. She was 58 at the time. How must she have felt to finally be amongst her Swedish family?  

Below are a few photos of Nana Rom and her cousins.

Sigrid Widerstrom (b1881), Josephine and Greta Frost (b1901)

Josephine, Sigrid and unknown

Greta (b1901), Thyra Widerstom (b1878), American cousin

During Nana Romeril's 1954 visit to Sweden, a conversation was recorded between Nana and her cousin, Sven Stromgren.  This remarkable recording has survived for more than seventy years.  Thanks to Sven's son, Peter.




This recording was added to post with the help of ChatGPT.

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