Donna Irene HACKETT

Ralph married Sadie Irene SODERBLOM Sadie (daughter of Karl Gustaf SODERBLOM and Jessie Irene PRIESTER) was born on 23 Apr 1933 in Lake Monroe, Florida; died on 2 Dec 2017 in Ocala, FL; was buried on 6 Dec 2017 in Crum Cemetery, Summerfield, FL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sadie Irene Soderblom Hackett, age 84, of Summerfield passed away on Saturday, December 2, 2017. She was born in Sanford, Florida on April 23, 1933 to Karl and Jessie Soderblom. She attended Lake Monroe Elementary School and graduated from Seminole High School. She married Ralph Dillon Hackett of Orlando, Florida, and they settled in Sanford where they raised two children. They moved to Summerfield in 1979, where they built a house on 50 acres that Ralph inherited from his grandfather, James Dillon Proctor. Sadie worked at the credit bureau in Sanford when she met and married Ralph. She was a stay-at-home mom until the children entered grade school. She worked for Chelsea Title and Abstract company in Sanford and Inverness until she retired in 1995 as the Branch Manager. She loved to play tennis, and she was a avid bird watcher. Her favorite passtime was tending to her many flower gardens and pulling weeds. Ralph and Sadie attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Summerfield.

Buried:
Mom's grave coordinates
28.991365, -82.069086
28.99138184, -82.0690807

Notes:

Member of Worldwide Association of Electrical Inspectors

Ralph managed to keep all of his family together after the death of Alma, eventually marrying again.

Known Addresses:
1615 Tulane Street, Orlando, FL
818 Montana Street, Orlando, FL
1907 Weber Street, Orlando, FL

Ralph married Alma Gertrude PROCTOR on 16 Oct 1929. Alma (daughter of James Dillon PROCTOR and Emma Jane CARUTHERS) was born on 16 Mar 1908 in Summerfield, Florida; died on 6 Dec 1940 in Orlando, Florida; was buried in Pine Level Cemetary, Oxford, Florida. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Alma and Ralph fell in love when he came to Florida with his parents because of his mothers's health. After his mother died, Ralph moved away with his family. Alma and Ralph corresponded, and Alma eventually convinced Ralph to return to Florida. Donna Hackett has copies of some of Alma's love letters to Ralph.

Alma died ten days after giving birth to their fifth child. After Linda's birth, doctors performed a hysterectomy and an appendectomy. Neither surgery was required for medical reasons. The surgeon apparently perforated her intestine during the operation, and Alma developed peritonitis, an inflammation of the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and the abdominal organs. Alma died a very painful death. Penicillin, an antibiotic that could have saved Alma's life, did not become widely available until a few years after her death.

Notes:

Karl ran away from home at a very young age, when Finland was under the Russian Rule. He then stowed away on a ship bound for North America. It is unknown where his first home was after coming to America. He served in the Merchant Marines and later the U. S. Navy.

He served in the U. S. Navy aboard the following ships (Columbia, Puritan, Newark, Franklin, MacDonough, Hancock, Lancaster and Monaghan). He farmed in Camden, Missouri before moving to Florida to work for the power company. He was a 32nd degree member of the Masonic Temple and Shrine Club, and was a
member of the American Legion. He naturalized on 29 Sep 1911.

While in the service he served as a PETTY OFFICER and transferred from active duty on June 10, l9l8 to Fleet Naval Reserve with rate of CHIEF WATER TENDER.

On September 29, l9ll Karl Gustaf Soderblom became a citizen of the United States while serving on the USS LANSEN in Norfolk, Virginia.

He met JESSIE IRENE PRIESTER in Fairfax, SC while stationed on the Monaghan at Charleston SC, and they were married December 22, 1915. Carl Almers Soderblom,Jr. was born in South Carolina. When he retired from the Navy they moved to Camden, Mo., where he farmed. While there Reginald Everett Lionel Soderblom and Courtney Uranus Soderblom were born. They moved to Sanford in the l920's., where he got a job with the Florida Power and Light Company, retiring on July 30, l947. Sadie Irene Soderblom and infant son were born in Sanford. Karl Gustaf Soderblom died January l5, l96l, and was buried on the 22nd (his birthday).

Karl was never able to contact his Finnish family in later years. He tried several times. Either they were killed, or they left Finland. He was extremely proud to be an American, and he flew his flag every day. In fact, he made a special flag pole on which to fly it. The flagpole that we have at the end of our driveway in Summerfield is from his original flagpole in Sanford. He was active in the American Legion, and was also a Member of the Masonic Temple and the Shrine Club holding the office of the 32nd Degree. He was a very quiet person who always ready to help someone in need. One of the local schools in Sanford adopted a pen pal in Finland, and Dad translated the letters for them.
He could speak and write fluently Russian, German and Finnish as well as Swedish.

He never purchased anything unless he could pay cash for it. He was very strong in his Lutheran beliefs, and was very active in the church until his later years. He never talked very much about his family or home life. I guess there were too many heartaches involved.

Information from letters written by his daughter Sadie.

Karl married Jessie Irene PRIESTER on 22 Dec 1915. Jessie (daughter of Fred Lucious PRIESTER and Laura Permelia BLACK) was born on 12 Sep 1894 in Fairfax, South Carolina; died on 29 Apr 1969; was buried in Evergreen Cemetary, Sanford, Florida. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Ralph married Bessie Jane MATHER on 4 Sep 1900. Bessie (daughter of Asa Thaddeus MATHER and Kathryn L. PAULUS) was born on 6 Jul 1879; died on 27 Nov 1924 in Summerfield, FL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The Hackett family moved to Florida because doctors believed the warmer climate would help Bessie's ailments. She died three days after they arrived. She had made a lemon pie for Thanksgiving, and then died on Thanksgiving day. Because of the strong memories associated with her death, Bessie's son Ralph would not eat lemon pies.

Notes:

Mr. Proctor (Jim) married Emma Jane Caruthers of Oxford in 1897 and moved to Summerfield. Their first home located on Highway 42 was up on a hill (Buck Mountain) To the northwest of where the home pictured is located.

Construction of this home was started in late 1800's, probably during the year of 1898. It was completed and occupied in or around 1902.

Grandpa cut the large pine trees from his property and hauled them to his father's sawmill in Pedro. They were cut in to lumber and he built this home. This home is located the corner of highway 42 and 470 Avenue in Summerfield.

Information from Ralph Dillon Hackett, their Grandson

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TRIBUTE TO MOTHER AND DAD, by Louise Proctor Livingston
My Mother and Dad were exceptional people, I think. When they were first married my Dad worked away from home long hours, for $1 a day. After the first year he built a house, doing most of the work himself, even splitting the shingles for the roof and cutting the logs and carrying [them] to his Dads mill for sawing. Dad worked at a mill near the house some. One day, when he was there, the mill blew up and injured many. He felt very fortunate to have missed the disaster. He and Mother -Lived together in this house for the next, 67 years. My Mother was ninety-two in Aug 1971 and still lives in this house. They had one child before building (born at another place) then 7 in this house and numerous grandchildren. There has been only 1 death in this house; the third child, Carl, age four.

Back in early times farmers let their hogs and cows graze on open range identifying by marks and brands. Land was cleared partly by slave labor before the Civil War.

I remember Dad going out at daybreak and working until sundown, just taking time to eat at noon and a short rest. He grew corn and always took some to the mill for our own use. That was the BEST meal and grits. He made syrup grinding his own cane and again using the mule at the mill. We had sweet potatoes and all vegetables. He grew tomatoes and melons, also cantalopes [sic] for trucks. He never owned a tractor. He did most of his cattle tending on horseback but did own a jeep the last few years. He was active up until 77 years old.

Mother was always busy about the house and garden. She cooked big meals daily and of course canned fruits and vegetables. We had our own hogs and worked our own meats, sausage, etc. She taught me to cook, can, and sew and we made all of our clothes. Aside from raising her own children, she has helped with grandchildren and we had company continually. It seemed she never tired. I've heard her tell of the times when she had many small children, about rocking the cradle with one foot, while ironing, sewing or cooking.

My deepest love and appreciation to them for their faithfulness and devotion.

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From the "History of the First Baptist Church, Summerfield, FL,":

When J.D., called Mr. Jim by his friends, and Emma married they first lived near Pedro. Early in 1900 they built a house on Cemetery Road near the corner of what is now 47th Ave. and Hwy 42. The house continues to be in the family. Like so many of his kin and friends, J.D. was primarily a farmer and cattleman.

According to records the church letters of J.D. and Emma and daughters Alma and Edith were received by our church from Pedro on Christmas Day, 1924. They had been in their home on Cemetery Road nearly a quarter of a century. The Pedro and Summerfield churches are about the same distance from this house. No reason is known as to why they changed churches. But thank the Lord for it because of the contributions in service made not only by J.D. and Emma but their descendants as well.

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James Proctor bid on the job of taking children from Summerfield to the schoolhouse, and was hired in 1920. He purchased an open air Ford bus with canvas awnings. His daughter Edith drove the first year, and his daughter Ruth drove for the next three years.

James married Emma Jane CARUTHERS on 20 Oct 1898. Emma (daughter of Preston CARUTHERS and Marion Tibitha PERRY) was born on 19 Aug 1879; died on 14 Apr 1972 in Summerfield, FL. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gustaf married Maria Hennika SUNDSTROM. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Fred married Laura Permelia BLACK on 12 Apr 1891 in Harmony Baptist Church, SC. Laura (daughter of James Robert BLACK and Laura Ann ALLEN) was born in 1874; died in 1962; was buried in Evergreen Municipal Cemetary, Sanford, Florida. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]