Christian Alfred Fredson (aka Chris) was one of my relatives on my Danish side, related to me through my maternal grandmother’s father.  In fact, my great-grandpa Charlie Holst was a first cousin of Chris.

In this photo, on the front porch of their home in Geyserville, Sonoma County, California — I do not know if the house is still standing — Chris is the young man on the left.  He was born in 1891, a few years after my great-grandfather, and is probably in his late 20’s in this photo.

His mother, Sophie (Thomsen) Fredson is to Chris’ left.  Sophie was my great-grandfather Charlie’s maternal aunt, a younger sister of Caroline (Thomsen) Holst.  Sophie was born in 1860 in the Danish duchy of Slesvig, just a few years before Bismarck invaded, and that land became part of what is now Germany.  (Sophie died in 1924; therefore this photo was taken no later than that year.)

Seated on the steps is Chris’ wife Geneva (Eagle)Fredson (1891-1973).  Next to Geneva is their first-born son, Leonard, who was born in 1914, and looks to be about 2 years old (so the photo was likely taken around 1916.)

Behind Geneva and Leonard are 3 older adults.  I am presuming that the man with white whiskers and the woman are Geneva’s parents, but cannot confirm that.  The man wearing suspenders and seated in what might be a rocking chair is Israel Fredson.  He was Chris’s dad, born in Sweden (somewhere!) in 1850.

Chris Fredson had an older sister, Hilda, who never married, and an older brother Charles, who had one daughter.  Chris and Geneva had 3 children: the aforementioned Leonard, a daughter Anna (1918-1925), and a son Donald (1919-2007).