Joann Patras

Family of Miracles Joann Patras

Peter Saispair was born in Dalarna, a province of Sweden, in 1828. In 1862, he immigrated to Chicago, and in 1864 he transferred to the territory of Nebraska, to this spot on which we stand. Peter was a man of independent thought and broad education, made so by the study of books as well as extensive travel. He was generous and hospitable to all. Characterized by inflexible determination, he did what he believed to be right. As a man he was truthful and honest; as a neighbor helpful and kind. Tried by all standards, he was the noblest work of God so read a portion of the eulogy of Peter Saispair, referred to as the 'Swedish King' by folks living near the town of Swaburg in eastern Nebraska. It was an apt summation of a remarkable man who, lured by free land and a desire for religious freedom, had, along with his pregnant wife and young daughter, left Sweden to brave raging blizzards, locust plagues, deadly illnesses, and a treacherous human foe on the American frontier. Written by the great-granddaughter of Peter Saispair, Family of Miracles is a novelization of her family's history in America, and is a tribute to the thousands of hardy souls who endured sometimes unspeakable hardships to pursue their beliefs and dreams.