The Ford Family

Born	July 28, 1906 Rockford, Il
Died	February 17, 1944 Rockford, IL
Father	Martin Kjellgren
Mother	Nellie Katherine Kjellgren
Siblings	Stanley Kjellgren

Spouse	Dorothy Frances Oakley
Children	Mary Shepherd

Bio
The history of the handsome Robert Romaine really begins back in Sweden in 1846 with the birth of his grandfather Andrew. When he was 26, Andrew immigrated to America along with many other talented Swedes. These craftsmen were attracted to Rockford Illinois for a number of reasons, most notably its natural resources.

The first industry of Rockford was furniture making. The dense forestry and the Rock River made the area ideal for milling. When the Chicago and NW Railroads came to Rockford in 1852, they brought with them increased numbers of the Swedish immigrants. Andrew arrived in 1872 and got work as a cabinet maker. He got married and had his first son Martin in 1878.

Martin became a true "self made man". He completed only one year of high school yet he became successful and well-to-do. He worked as a laborer early on, but started his financial career as a cashier in a bank. He soon married; his first child Lola was born 2 years later, and Robert was born the following year. Their final child, Stanley, was born 6 years later.

Robert attended Rockford high school where he was a member of the ROTC all four years and was active in the glee club and and student Council. He graduated in 1924 and was called a "modern day Lancelot" in his school yearbook. His father must have been doing very well, as he had the funds to travel to Europe (taking at least his mother with him) to visit several countries including Sweden in 1922. At this time, the furniture industry in Rockford is at its peak, with at least 30 such factories in the city by 1925. Martin decided to take a risk and along with three other partners they opened the National Chair Company on July 11 1927 with $100,000 of capital. He also moved into a new home built in 1925.

While his father is busy starting the company, Robert attends the University of Wisconsin and becomes a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. Stanley joins him a few years later and they are pictured together with this organization in Robert's graduation year (1928) yearbook! By 1930 Bob's father has become the VP of the bank and employs his oldest son as a Secretary in the Furniture business. Older sister Lola is a teacher and Stanley has just finished school.

On August 8th of 1933, Bob marries Dorothy Schrom. He continues to do well in the company and in 1940 he lives in a house on Loves Park worth $12,000. He owns it outright with no mortgage and is making $4,000/year - a large sum back in the day. It is likely the couple have a lot of fun, and they even set sail on a cruise out of New Orleans in February of 1941. Not long after that their daughter Mary is born.

By 1944, Bob and his wife and daughter Mary are living in the large two story apartment/home. Sadly, Bob found out he had liver cancer and died on a few months later at just 37 years of age.

Education
Rockford high schools and u of Wisconsin