Axel's birth is recorded in the Swedish church records of Säby, Jonkopings, Sweden as May 27th 1852. He is the son of Carl Mangus Appel and Eva Sara Swensen (Samueldattr). Säby is located on the western shore of Lake Sabysjon, south, southwest of Tranas Sweden at the intersection of Route 32 and 133. It is a crossroad with a church. We know that he departed from Göteborg aboard the ship Orlando December 6 1872 for Marinette in Michigan. After staying in Michigan for approximately a year, the relocated to Liberty Grove, Door County in Wisconsin as there was a great need for lumberman there. He was with his father Charles and brothers Charles and Sanders.

While in Liberty Grove he originally was lumberman as time went on he put down roots. On July 13, 1878, he is noted as a charter member of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church now called the Zion Lutheran Church of Sister Bay. On December 31 1879, the eve of a new year he was married to Lourine Christine Kofoed at Fish Creek by John J. Groenfeldt, the minister of the Moravian Church in Ephraim. He became a naturalized citizen in 1880. In 1883 after petitioning the state government he built a dock and store at the end of the present Appleport road. The pier is mentioned in an article from the Milwaukee Sentinel on April 25, 1883. It says the dock will be 1000 feet long. From here he shipped cordwood to Chicago. Later he sold the dock and store to Captain HA Porth in September 1884. Axel then did some faming on the present Sunstrom farm on County road 22 in Liberty Grove. In 1895 he sold the farm to the Sumstoms and moved to Chicago. This move was in hope that the doctors in Chicago would be able to help Laura with a sickness that she had. However on July 17 1895 she passed away despite the doctors efforts.

In 1895, Axel is living at 847 East Chicago and is listed as a driver. The area was where many Swedes were settled. On April 24, 1899 he married Emily Gustafsen Appel in Kenosha Wisconsin. She was the wife of his deceased brother John. He also took on the responsibility of raising two additional children Cora and Harry. He was working as a motorman on the street railroad through the 1930 census. They lived in many rental houses prior to buying a house at 630 South Cuyler Street in Oak Park, Ill. in 1930 he is listed as owning a radio.


Axel dies on May 28, 1934 and is buried in Rosehill Cemetery, section 188, lot 212 in Chicago. He was a member of I Will Lodge No 141, I.O.O.F. (Oddfellows) Local Union 241 and Humboldt Tent No. 26 K.O.T.M. (Knights of Maccabees Fraternal Humboldt Tent)