Peter Hagglund
c. 1815 - p. 1889

Peter Hagglund was known as Peter Jonsson in Sweden. He was born 7 March 1814 in Jönköpings län, Sweden, and was married there to Anna Larsdotter, born 18 June 1812. Peter and Anna, and their children, resided at Häggarp, Karlstorp Parish, in Jönköpings län. When the family immigrated to the United States in 1865, Peter adopted the surname “Hagglund”, derived from “Hägglund”, the name of the village where they had lived. The Hagglund children were Johan (“John”) August, born 27 April 1839; Anna Justina (Johnson), born 15 June 1842; Maria (“Mary”) Sophia (Malnburg), born 16 July 1853); and Otto Antimus, born 27 April 1853 (married Sophia Bargstrom). Peter and Anna adopted another child, Caroline (“Carrie”) (Johnson), born about 1859.

In the United States, the Hagglund family lived first in Oxford Township, Henry County, Illinois. In 1870, Peter purchased farmland in Fremont Township, Page County, Iowa, in the vicinity of the Nyman Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Peter Hagglund had some knowledge of law and insurance. In 1870, he proposed that a mutual fire insurance be organized by the Swedish settlers in southwest Iowa. The association was formed in 1870 and Peter was elected its first president. He held this position for nineteen years, until 1889. He also was the general manager, secretary, fieldman, inspector and adjuster of the association. In the beginning, no written policies were issued and only those of Swedish descent were accepted as insureds. No premiums were collected. Rather, when a fire occurred, an assessment was made to cover the loss. The association exists today as the Pioneer Mutual Insurance Association, with home offices in Red Oak, Iowa.

Anna Hagglund died 13 March 1894. Peter Hagglund died 20 August 1896. Both are buried, together with their son Otto, in the Mount Hope Cemetery, Nyman, Fremont Twp., Page Co., Iowa.