SCHELIN FAMILY: Mauritz, or Mans as he was known in Sweden
By Donna Nix

We have information about the Schelin family that goes back to 1620 in Sweden on the Santesson side which is the family name of Julia Margaretha, who was born October 28, 1839, in Reslov, Krist, Sweden, and married Mans Schelin on May 15, 1859, in Reslov. His occupation is listed as watchmaker on the IDS genealogical sheets. Julia and Mans Schelin came to America in the year 1874 or 75. Their daughter Elna Dorothea Schelin was sixteen at the time, and they came in a sailing vessel.

Julia and Mans are the great grandparents (on our mothers' side) of Dorothy Hoster Pfusch, Don Hoster, Robert Brown, Vae Nelson Kruschwitz, Donna Nelson Nix, Gloria Nelson Hewitt, Charles Overmyer, Lauren Skow, Eileen Skow Bashaw, Betty Lou Skow Brown, Elaine DeKrey Luehr, Lillian DeKrey, Dr. John DeKrey, Florence DeKrey Schmidt, Iris DeKrey Luehr, Joyce DeKrey Hasle, Dorinne DeKrey Hardy, Charles DeKrey. **These are the living grandchildren of Elna Dorothea.**

On the 1880 census in Washington County, Village of Afton, MN, Julia and Mauritz (Mans) Schelin were listed with children at home at that time:

Daughter Augusta age 13 years
Son Martin age 1l
Son Grass age 9
Son Hilding (John Hilding Wilhelm) age 6
Son Harry age 2
Son Arthur age 4 months

Mauritz was listed as a mechanic and had a crippled leg. Harry and Arthur are the only ones born in Minnesota. Since the LDS sheets list older children (Elna Dorothea, Amanda Elizabeth, Gotha Oliva, Gothilda Augusta, and Bernt Julis Mauritz) no doubt Elna Dorothea, Amanda and Gotha were already married or gone from home, and Bernt Julius Mauritz was listed as Martin.

Mauritz, or Mans as he was known in Sweden, is probably the man who had the wooden leg. His knee joint didn't work and he had a peg leg that was strapped to his bent knee. It has been said that he sometimes took the peg leg off and threatened to hit someone with it. As far as we know Julia and Mans Schelin stayed in the Afton, MN, area the rest of their lives. Their children Elna Dorothea Schelin and Gotha Schelin married Chilberg brothers (Axel & Magnus respectively) and more is told about them in the Chilberg history.