STEWART "STEWIE" J FAHNSTROM was born June 22, 1895 in Victoria, Illinois.
He was the only child and son of Benjamin Aaron and Hattie (Stewart) Fahnstrom. After his birth, the family moved to Galva, Ill. Stewart's mother died in a house fire in Galva in 1899 when Stewart was only four years old. He was raised by his father and his step-mother, Mammie (Turner) Fahnstrom.
At the age of 15 years old Stewart was accepted for an apprenticeship with the Hayes Company in Galva.
He enlisted in the miliatry on May 17, 1917, and served honorably during World War I. While serving overseas, one of his jobs was to shoe horses. After the War he worked at the John Clark Company of Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed in a blacksmith shop and he received his state Blacksmith License while working there.
Stewart worked at the Colony Blacksmith Shop in Bishops Hill, the Old Swedish Settlement near Galva, and later became the owner/operator of his own blacksmith shop. The Fahnstrom Blacksmith Shop was located on NE First Street and Market Street in Galva. He made many items, but is often remember for the Chandeliers and other iron work structures he created in the Old Church at Bishops Hill. He also did demonstrations for the tourists who visited the area.
Stewart married Mary Franz on January 12th, 1921. Together they raised a daughter, Pearl, who was the daughter of Mary's sister who had passed away.
Stewart lived in Rock Island most of his life. He was a member of the Masonics, the American Legion, the Low 12 Club, the Bugle Corps, the Galva Lodge 243 AF, and was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Stewart had a published article in the 1975 National Geographic, which was a hard back book at the time, called the Craftmens of America. It was a two pages long and spoke about craftsmen from all parts of America as well as his blacksmith work at Bishops Hill. There was also an article about him in the Galvaland Magazine and a picture of him meeting the King of Sweden when he visited Galva, several years ago.
Stewart and his wife Mary celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1971. He died at the age of 84 years old and he is buried in the Galva Cemetery.
He was the only child and son of Benjamin Aaron and Hattie (Stewart) Fahnstrom. After his birth, the family moved to Galva, Ill. Stewart's mother died in a house fire in Galva in 1899 when Stewart was only four years old. He was raised by his father and his step-mother, Mammie (Turner) Fahnstrom.
At the age of 15 years old Stewart was accepted for an apprenticeship with the Hayes Company in Galva.
He enlisted in the miliatry on May 17, 1917, and served honorably during World War I. While serving overseas, one of his jobs was to shoe horses. After the War he worked at the John Clark Company of Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed in a blacksmith shop and he received his state Blacksmith License while working there.
Stewart worked at the Colony Blacksmith Shop in Bishops Hill, the Old Swedish Settlement near Galva, and later became the owner/operator of his own blacksmith shop. The Fahnstrom Blacksmith Shop was located on NE First Street and Market Street in Galva. He made many items, but is often remember for the Chandeliers and other iron work structures he created in the Old Church at Bishops Hill. He also did demonstrations for the tourists who visited the area.
Stewart married Mary Franz on January 12th, 1921. Together they raised a daughter, Pearl, who was the daughter of Mary's sister who had passed away.
Stewart lived in Rock Island most of his life. He was a member of the Masonics, the American Legion, the Low 12 Club, the Bugle Corps, the Galva Lodge 243 AF, and was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Stewart had a published article in the 1975 National Geographic, which was a hard back book at the time, called the Craftmens of America. It was a two pages long and spoke about craftsmen from all parts of America as well as his blacksmith work at Bishops Hill. There was also an article about him in the Galvaland Magazine and a picture of him meeting the King of Sweden when he visited Galva, several years ago.
Stewart and his wife Mary celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1971. He died at the age of 84 years old and he is buried in the Galva Cemetery.
STEWART "STEWIE" J FAHNSTROM was born June 22, 1895 in Victoria, Illinois.
He was the only child and son of Benjamin Aaron and Hattie (Stewart) Fahnstrom. After his birth, the family moved to Galva, Ill. Stewart's mother died in a house fire in Galva in 1899 when Stewart was only four years old. He was raised by his father and his step-mother, Mammie (Turner) Fahnstrom.
At the age of 15 years old Stewart was accepted for an apprenticeship with the Hayes Company in Galva.
He enlisted in the miliatry on May 17, 1917, and served honorably during World War I. While serving overseas, one of his jobs was to shoe horses. After the War he worked at the John Clark Company of Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed in a blacksmith shop and he received his state Blacksmith License while working there.
Stewart worked at the Colony Blacksmith Shop in Bishops Hill, the Old Swedish Settlement near Galva, and later became the owner/operator of his own blacksmith shop. The Fahnstrom Blacksmith Shop was located on NE First Street and Market Street in Galva. He made many items, but is often remember for the Chandeliers and other iron work structures he created in the Old Church at Bishops Hill. He also did demonstrations for the tourists who visited the area.
Stewart married Mary Franz on January 12th, 1921. Together they raised a daughter, Pearl, who was the daughter of Mary's sister who had passed away.
Stewart lived in Rock Island most of his life. He was a member of the Masonics, the American Legion, the Low 12 Club, the Bugle Corps, the Galva Lodge 243 AF, and was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Stewart had a published article in the 1975 National Geographic, which was a hard back book at the time, called the Craftmens of America. It was a two pages long and spoke about craftsmen from all parts of America as well as his blacksmith work at Bishops Hill. There was also an article about him in the Galvaland Magazine and a picture of him meeting the King of Sweden when he visited Galva, several years ago.
Stewart and his wife Mary celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1971. He died at the age of 84 years old and he is buried in the Galva Cemetery.
He was the only child and son of Benjamin Aaron and Hattie (Stewart) Fahnstrom. After his birth, the family moved to Galva, Ill. Stewart's mother died in a house fire in Galva in 1899 when Stewart was only four years old. He was raised by his father and his step-mother, Mammie (Turner) Fahnstrom.
At the age of 15 years old Stewart was accepted for an apprenticeship with the Hayes Company in Galva.
He enlisted in the miliatry on May 17, 1917, and served honorably during World War I. While serving overseas, one of his jobs was to shoe horses. After the War he worked at the John Clark Company of Peoria, Illinois, where he was employed in a blacksmith shop and he received his state Blacksmith License while working there.
Stewart worked at the Colony Blacksmith Shop in Bishops Hill, the Old Swedish Settlement near Galva, and later became the owner/operator of his own blacksmith shop. The Fahnstrom Blacksmith Shop was located on NE First Street and Market Street in Galva. He made many items, but is often remember for the Chandeliers and other iron work structures he created in the Old Church at Bishops Hill. He also did demonstrations for the tourists who visited the area.
Stewart married Mary Franz on January 12th, 1921. Together they raised a daughter, Pearl, who was the daughter of Mary's sister who had passed away.
Stewart lived in Rock Island most of his life. He was a member of the Masonics, the American Legion, the Low 12 Club, the Bugle Corps, the Galva Lodge 243 AF, and was a member of the First Baptist Church.
Stewart had a published article in the 1975 National Geographic, which was a hard back book at the time, called the Craftmens of America. It was a two pages long and spoke about craftsmen from all parts of America as well as his blacksmith work at Bishops Hill. There was also an article about him in the Galvaland Magazine and a picture of him meeting the King of Sweden when he visited Galva, several years ago.
Stewart and his wife Mary celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1971. He died at the age of 84 years old and he is buried in the Galva Cemetery.
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