Early History

Research concludes with relative certainty that the Nygard's are of Swedish descent with Finnish being their native language. Census
records are consistent for decades for verification of their ancestry.

The Nygard Family immigrated during the "Great Migration" period. Joseph Andrew Nygard and Johanna Hendrickson Nygard immigrated from the Swedish/Finnish border (during the 1800's there were many boundary disputes in Scandinavia). According to Census records, they were married sometime around 1892. They arrived through the port of Boston and settled in the town of Worcester, Mass. It appears that they arrived separately.

Children Born in the U.S.

Joseph and Johanna had seven children, Carl V Nygard, Harold Nygard, Hilda Nygard, Mildred Nygard, Vincent E. Nygard, Uno/Otto Nygard and Joseph B Nygard. One of his daughter's, perhaps Mildred, may have had a mental illness and she never married. Uno Nygard died in 1939 at sea but there are no other references found for him. Somewhere between the years of 1897-1910 the family moved from Worcester, Mass to Connecticut, then to Newark, New Jersey. They lived in an apartment at 58 Odermon Street with their seven children. They finally settled in Kearney, New Jersey where most of the family began to branch out.

Carl V. Nygard married Anne Frances Nygard and had three children with her, Carl Joseph Nygard, Marie Nygard and Jack Nygard. Sometime after 1920 Carl V. Nygard left the family with no trail. We do know that he worked in construction and was involved with the Ben Franklin Bridge Construction which began in 1922. In the meantime, sometime after 1930, Anne Fitzpatrick lived with a gentleman named Thoburn Rodgers whom she had one child with, Jimmy Rodgers.

                                    Possible Relatives

There were numerous Nygard families in the Worcester area in the late 1800's. One interesting possible connection is Charles Nygard, who lived at 264 Belmont Avenue in Worcester and named Hilda as the nearest relative. It seems as though these family members all lived in very close proximity of each other. There are six World War I veteran Nygard family members from the Worcester, MA area. 

Johan Edward Nygard
:: WWI Draft Card

Isak Richard Nygard
:: WWI Draft Card

Gustaf Emil Nygard
:: WWI Draft Card

Erick Andres Nygard
:: WWI Draft Card

Charles Nygard
born on June 15, 1878 and lived at 264 Belmont Ave in Worcester, MA.
 :: WWI Draft card

Matti Nygard
lived at 140 Belmont Street in Worcester, MA and was married to Kilma Nygard.
:: WWI Draft Card

                                            Family Tree

Original Immigrants

Joseph A. Nygard   
8.22.1873- unk
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Anna Hendrickson
1869- unk
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           Children

Carl V. Nygard
4.6.1895- 1955
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Joseph B. Nygard
11.8.1896- 12.1981
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Uno Nygard
1898- 3.21.1939
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Hilda Nygard
5.27.1900- unk
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Vincent Nygard
1904-1953
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Harold Nygard
12.22.1905- 4.8.1978
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Mildred Nygard
11.8.1914- 2.17.1997
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