#52 Ancestors 52 Weeks – Challenge Week 40, Gertrude Rambo

#52 Ancestors 52 Weeks – Challenge Week 40
Prompt: Ten

Gertrude Rambo and Anders Bengtsson
Swedish Lutheran Colonists

By The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Forde-Beatty

Yetrude  (Gertrude) Rambo, born 19 October 1650, was my 10^thgreat grandmother; she was one of nine children born to Peter Gunnarson Rambo and his wife, Brita Mattsdotter, in Kingessing, New Sweden, Pennsylvania. Her father, Peter, arrived in New Sweden in 1640 on the ship the Kalmar Nyckel. The Swedish colonists were Christians, and a pastor came with them, as did decorations (the carved cherubim holding the open bible) and a church bell. The Swedish colonists founded six congregations. The colonial Swedes first worshiped at Tinicum in the church Pastor Campanius built after 1646.  They used the Uppsala Hymnbook and the Church of Sweden rite.

Gertrude’s father, Peter Gunnarson, was one of the founding fathers of that first Lutheran congregation in the colonies on Tinicum Island. Thanks to the late Dr. Peter Craig, F.A.S.G., the Swedish Colonial Society historian, The Rev. Dr. Kim-Eric Williams, and Ron Beatty for the historical facts.

The following story is updated from my book, The Spirit in the South.  I take artistic license by imagining a story that doesn’t necessarily fit the facts: the early Swedes did not have the Rite of Confirmation, which arrived a few years later. My children have no interest in facts but readily tune into stories of their ancestors.  As a Lutheran pastor very familiar with Catechesis, an image of a young Gertrude on the day of her confirmation comes quickly to mind.  In addition, I know first-hand the fear and apprehension of a young girl as she approaches her First Communion. The story starts to take shape.

Gertrude and the Rite of Confirmation

By the Very Rev. Church Mouse

Now is the hour. After three years of Catechesis, Gertrude, fair head bowed, brow damps with beads of perspiration, heart pounding wildly, solemnly confesses her sins. Upon receiving the absolution promised in the ancient Swedish liturgy, a soft sigh escapes her trembling lips. The long, white dress does not conceal the relief shown in the shrug of her shoulders. Gertrude's sweet soprano voice joins those gathered on this Festival Sunday intoning the responses to the Introitus, Kyrie, and Gloria. The warm glow of candlelight dances across her peach complexion, revealing faint shadows under her eyes.

Gertrude had not slept well last night. Lack of proper rest, along with deep anxiety about this important day, makes it increasingly difficult to stay focused. The service continues, the Collect, Epistle, followed by the Graduale, while she notices her brother, Gunnar, making faces at her. Gunnar, who cannot sit still for a moment, delights in teasing his younger sister despite the occasion's solemnity. Gertrude disapproves of Gunnar, who flashes his famous Gunnar Grin: a smile that simply does not stop. Gertrude returns the smile helplessly, realizing that he is the only one who gets away with smiling in church.

Gertrude closes her eyes to avoid laughing at Gunnar; she tries again to pray and pay attention while reading the Gospel and the following sermon. For Gertrude, the sermon is too long - almost unbearable. She struggles to keep her thoughts on the message. “The pastor does ramble on!” The thought bursts into her silence so clearly she glances at her parents to see if they might have heard it, too. But her parents are completely absorbed in the booming voice coming down from the pulpit. Gertrude stares at the angel over the baptismal font. Will this ever end? As if in answer to prayer comes the Amen. And Gunnar is laughing at her.

Gertrude's anticipation increases as she rises from her chair to affirm her faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed. Kneeling at the altar, the pastor places his hands on her head and beseeches God with thanksgiving:

Pour your Holy Ghost upon Gertrude, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence. Gertrude, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Ghost and marked with the cross of Christ forever.

“Children of the Heavenly Father, safely to His bosom gather,” sings the small congregation with great gusto. Gertrude returns to her place, quite radiant and flushed with happiness, as the Swedish Mass moves forward through the remainder of the liturgy: the Offertory, Prefatio, Sanctus, Prayer of Consecration, Verba Institutionis, Paternoster, Secreta, Pax, and Agnus Dei and on to the high liturgical point: the Eucharist. 

And now the crescendo; now comes the moment of Gertrude's First Communion. Once again, with fear and trepidation, she rises, moves forward to the altar, and kneels; the priest places the morsel of bread onto her tongue with the words, “The body of Christ, given for you!” Softly she whispers, “Amen.” The priest returns with the pewter chalice and tips it to her lips, saying, “The blood of Christ shed for you!” “Amen,” she replies as the wine spreads its warmth into her being. “Amen, and Amen!,” she whispers under her breath. As she returns to her place, the congregation sings the Postcommunio. “The music is so joyful; it sings me!” She feels considerably taller, rising to receive the blessing that concludes the Swedish Mass. 

"When we get home, Gunnar," she threatens as they recess, "I am going to pinch you." He laughs, "You will have to catch me first."And joyfully, Gertrude and her family return home to a feast: a smorgasbord with pepparkakor (gingersnaps) for dessert. The Very Reverend Church Mouse was not invited.+++

                                                       Gertrude and Anders

Eighteen-year-old Gertrude, child of God, was married in the “new church” at Wicaco (Gloria Dei), a low, square, log-timber structure with a short steeple. "She was given in marriage 22 November 1688 to Anders Bengtsson, known to the English as Andrew Bankson. The newlyweds embarked on their life together on their farm at Mayamensing along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. Anders served for many years as a justice on the court and as a churchwarden and lay reader for the Swedish church at Wicaco.

Gertrude and Anders had nine children, generally known by the surname of Bengtson in church records but usually as Bankson and Bankston in English. After the Tinicum site was sold by Armegard Printz, with the leadership of Lars Lock after they became an English colony, they erected two blockhouse churches- one at Crane Hook in DE and one at Wicaco.  Services at Wicaco were conducted by Jacob Fabritius until he died one year before the coming of Rudman in 1697.  When there was no priest, laymen did a service of hymns, Scripture, prayers, and a sermon from a Postil. 

At Wicaco the service was led by Anders Bengtsson and at Crane Hook by Carl Springer. It is unclear where they worshipped during the Dutch timeframe, although Lock’s salary was covered by the Dutch government.

Pastor Andreas Sandel, a successor to Andreas Rudman at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes Church), relied heavily on the advice of Anders Bengtsson. On 14 September 1705, Sandel presented the final word covering his friend’s life: “I buried Anders Bengtsson, born in Sweden near Gothenburg in the parish of Fåxarn (Fuxerna) and Hanstrom farm. He drowned in the Delaware River, sixty-five years old.”

They gradually forgot their Swedish hymns and had to relearn them with Rudman and Björck.  The Rev. Dr. Kim-Eric Williams has just published a long article on the Hymns of Andreas Rudman and the two small hymnals he wrote in 1700, the first Swedish books in America and the very first hymnal in any language printed here. You can order a copy of the” Swedish-American Historical Quarterly,” Vol. 69, No. 3, for $2 plus postage from Chicago.