Karin Svensdotter was born 30 November 1841 at a place called Vattlång in Harmånger parish, Gävleborgs Län, (Hälsingland) Sweden. She was the third daughter of Sven Hansson and his wife Marget Andersdotter. Her father died when she was 7 years old. On the 8 August 1868 she was married in the church at Harmånger to Hans Engberg. Hans was a shoemaker at Vattlång. They were blessed with five children born at Vattlång: Margreta Karolina (1868-1883), Brita Stina "Betsy" (1871-1963), Andreas "Andrew" (1874-1931), Sven Olof "Swan" (1877-1962), Gustaf (1883-1937). Also born were twins who died in infancy. Their daughter Betsy left for America in 1885 and on May 29, 1886, Hans, Karin and their sons were granted their moving permit to leave Sweden. The left Göteborg on June 11 and went to Liverpool where they sailed to Boston, arriving on June 26. From here they went to Minnesota settling in Harrison Township, Kandiyohi County. Tragedy struck when Hans died just a few months later on January 14, 1887 leaving the new immigrant Karin to support the family. Her children began to "leave the nest" and Andrew to the west coast, Swan and Betsy had located on homesteads in Roseland Township and eventually Gustaf took flight to North Dakota. Karin followed them in 1908 and would make her home in Roseland Township with her son Gustaf and his wife. She filed on a relinquished homestead in section 35 of Roseland Township and received the land patent on 4 February 1914. Later Karin made her home with her daughter Betsy (John Christianson) in Roseland Township on their homestead.
Karin died in Roseland Township, Burke County, ND at the home of her daughter, Betsy on January 9, 1929 Funeral services were held in the Elmdale Swedish Lutheran Church in Niobe and interment was in the Elmdale Swedish Lutheran Cemetery.