The church record books in Norra Rorum, Sweden, say that Maria left the parish on October 30, 1906, to work in nearby Malmö, but she seems not to have stayed there long. Her nephew Lloyd Person, who visited her several times in Sweden, says she never mentioned it.

She lived many years with her parents on their farm and cared for them in their old age. Gladys Windh once wrote that she believed Maria was once ready to marry but decided to stay with her parents and care for them instead. One unconfirmed family story says that her parents built the little red house beside their house/barn for themselves in the 1920s so Maria would have her own house with which to attract a husband. After her father passed away (1934) and her mother (1937), Maria's brothers all signed over their share of the farm to her because she had looked after their parents. Another account says they gave up their claims to the farm much earlier, shortly after they began to leave for North America, so she would have something of value to bring to a marriage. In about 1938 she sold the farm to the Thomasson family who owned the adjoining Ågerup farm with the condition that she could stay there as long as she lived. Maria may have died of throat cancer (see below).

Lloyd Person wrote in 1976 that Maria, in her last months, had mentioned how pleased she was to have met Clayton Person, his wife and two children (Jan and Joan) in about 1955. She said it was "just like a fairy tale" to meet a grandchild and great-grandchildren of her parents. Lloyd, who attended Maria’s funeral and heard the reading of her will, said Maria was "a wonderful person, alert, a devoted daughter and sister, with a fine sense of humor and a great feeling for family." He said she was a "character" in a way, and that it had been an experience to know her."


ANOTHER VERY INTERESTING SOURCE:
After Marion Bowman (with her sisters Ruth and Jewell and their aunt Anna Oswood Luebben) visited the Windh farm in Norra Rörum in 1979, she received the following letter from a man named Henrik Svärd whom she had met at the Norra Rorum church. It is dated Jan. 20, 1980:

“Thank you very much for your kind letter. I have never got a so far away Christmas greeting.

I understand it vas touching and moving to you a rainy and cold day stay by the ruins of your fathers native home. I shall be delighted to tell you about the Wind family. However I vas not their nearest neighbour since I live in the norther part in Norra Rörum.

I do not have memory of your father but Maria I often saw. I keep in mind about 1930 Maria and the ladyfriends Olga Thomasson and Rut Martinsson frequently come by bicycle to the church. Every now and then I saw Maria in the shop. She vas a woman vith a lively manner.

In 1950 my brother-in-law purchased a farm close to Agerup. Now and then Maria bought milk of my sister. Since Marias health gradually became bad and she had no more strength to heavy work, she has been forced to sell the farm. Ture had been very little help. Maria vas grieved about his dullness and clumsiness to farmwork. Ture was rather troublesome to deal vith and ungratefull to Maria. He had to and fro work as woodcutter but Maria have to help him vith the subsistence. She was far from seeing his fault and did not like anyone to blame him.

Marias illness grow worse. It was cancer in the throat and she must go to the hospital in Lund. It was incurable and in a short time she was died. My sister call on Maria a few days before the end.

Alone in the house Ture had a hard time. His dinner was not on the table, cleaning was neglected. He lamented, he must have a woman in the house to tend on him. Look about for he make acquaintance vith a “lady.” She wheedled out of him all the valuable things in the house. Copper vessels, the wall clock, antique furniture.

When young, Maria was engaged with a man from Hallaröd. Like girl at the time, Maria had made a dowry with all the textiles to a home. The engagement was broken but Maria keep it in a chest, it was never used. She was neathanded and was very proud over the nice things. Sometimes she displayed to friends. Even the chest vas gone away.

With no more to capture in the house, Ture was alone once more. Now went it quickly backward with him. He borrowed money everywhere, to heat up the house he cut down equipment in the farmhouse, even furniture gone in the furnace. However to the end the social assistance took over and Ture went to Höör.

Maria had sold the farm to Tage Thomasson, owner of the big farm next to. She had a right to stay in the dwelling house. It was a nice house. Maria tended the garden, in room was frugal but pleasant, in the window flowers. Ture let it go to ruin. Thomasson was also annoyed of the quarrel he and his tenant farmer had had with him. Now with Ture departed [he went to a home in Höör on July 1, 1968], Thomasson let the fire brigade set fire on the house. A excavator planed the ground. The Wind farm was gone.

I have told you a sad story and now I will close up for this time. In few weeks I shall help Rut Martinsson and her brother with the tax declaration. Rut and Erik is about 80 years old and can tell me about your family so you can looking forward to hearing from me.

I hope you can understand english in the way I am writing.”
With kindest regards
Yours sincerely,
Henrik Svärd
Holma 3301
243 00 Höör
Sweden

* * * * *

Maria made a will shortly before she died. It is dated May 29, 1957, and witnessed by Henrik Nilsson and Karl Jönsson.

“Testament

I, Selma Maria Windh, hereby declare my last will and testament that, with my remnant, it will be dealt with in an orderly way:

1. To the grave fund for the maintenance of my parents' graveyard at Norra Rörum Cemetery, the church council of Norra Rörum is handed over an amount of five hundred kronor.
2. All my remaining property will be due to Ture Valfrid Karlsson, Âgerup, who has been in my service for months.

Âgerup by Norra Rörum on May 29, 1957
[signature]


Witnesses:
That former homeowner Selma Maria Windh, whom we personally know, on this day in her residence at Ågerup in Norra Rörum's parish with full and complete understanding and free will, declared this forthcoming ordinance to be her last will and testament, with her actual signature, before these witnesses.

Henrik Nilsson Karl Jönsson

Registration
registered (in Eslōv?) on September 25 by Ulf Nohre

* * * * *

Here iss a rough translation through Google Translate of the settlement of Maria’s estate.

A final reckoning

In 1957, 18 September, this accounting was executed by the signed men, in consideration of former home owner Selma Maria Windh, Ågerup, Norra Rörum, North Frosta jurisdiction. She was born on June 21, 1888, died on August 7, 1957, and left the following survivors:

A. Siblings:

1. Brother: Sven E. Windh, Box 146, Groton, S.Dak. USA
2. Deceased brother Carl Windh in USA. children:
a total of 11 persons, their names and location unknown. Living in America
3. Deceased brother Oskar Persson in USA. children:
a total of 6 persons, their names and location unknown. Living in America.
4. Deceased brother Per Windh in USA. children
total family unknown. Living in America.
[Not mentioned here are her brothers Nils, who in died 1956 in Stockholm,
and Otto, who died in 1947 in Montana. Neither of them had children.]

B. [Her beneficiary] as noted in the testament by the deceased May 29, 1957

Ture Valfrid Karlsson, Ågerup, Norra Rörum.

At the time of this reckoning, Ture Valfrid Karlsson took part personally and for those in the United States. Also involved was farmer Gunnar Johansson in Norra Rörum, who at the time of the proposal was suggested to be good in the field of inheritance investigation.

The assets and liabilities stated by Ture Valfrid Karlsson were recorded and valued in the following order:

…….. total value of the estate is reckoned to be 10,790.85 kronor

Then a legal disclaimer, followed by signatures.