Dutch family honors Libby native
Technical Sergeant Magnus Ludvikson was born in Libby in 1913. He died when his bomber was shot down over the Netherlands, Sept. 21, 1944. Ludvikson was buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Magreten, along with roughly 8,000 other heroes of the second world war.
Like the other men who fell on the fields of northern Europe, Ludvikson is remembered by those for whom he gave his life, not just in this country, but also across Europe. The graves in the cemetery at Magreten are tended by volunteers who have adopted the graves of fallen American soldiers. Ludvikson’s grave was adopted by the family of Marijke Poos, who lives in Amsterdam. She took over the tending of the grave in 1987, after the death of her father Theo Poos, who had adopted the grave after World War II.
Poos, a genealogy enthusiast, has recently turned the grave over to another adopted family for maintenance, but decided before closing the book on this chapter of her life she would try to connect with the living family of a man she and her family have spent decades honoring.
Earlier this fall, Marijke looked up the U.S. Census from 1940 on the Internet and discovered Ludvikson’s family, still living in Libby. Although Ludvikson never married nor fathered any children, she found his sister, Johanna “June” Ludvikson, once married to Victor Racicot and then to James Stephenson.
Armed with that information, Poos sent an email to Susan Feeback at KVRZ radio in hopes of locating June’s children. Feeback forwarded the email to the Libby ski club mailing list and, as June’s son Dave Stephenson said, “the rest is history.”
Several members of the ski club received the email and notified Stephenson and his sister, Linda Stephenson Braley, of Poos’ desire to reach Ludvikson’s family. Braley began corresponding with Poos via email. Braley and her husband Gene sent to Poos a number of photographs and letters from her father to their family, letters Poos never knew existed.
“From Linda Stephenson Braley and her husband Gene I received a lot of photographs of Magnus and his family,” Poos said. “But what made me also very happy is the fact that the family had still letters which my father sent between 1946 and 1957 to the family. I feel emotional to read the letters of my father, which he wrote as a young man.”
The emotions were also felt on this side of the pond.
“We thought is was amazing,” said Gene Braley. “Linda’s mom had written back and with Marijke’s father. I scanned the letters and sent them to her.”
“I was really astonished,” said Dave Stephenson. “It was interesting and exciting to get that email. It’s really amazing to have someone reach out like that and make such a connection.”
Ludvikson’s family has maintained a connection to their uncle’s grave through other means, but this was a personal connection they could feel not only for themselves but through their parents.
Barbara Hoeltzel, a niece of Ludvikson, traveled to Magreten about five years ago to visit the grave of her uncle. Stephenson said Hoeltzel, who was unavailable for comment due to illness, has been instrumental in helping the family provide for the memorial of a fallen Libby hero. She helped arrange, through the American Battle Monuments Commission, annual care for the grave. A wreath is placed by the commission each year on Memorial Day, funded by donations made from the families of fallen soldiers.
Poos, now 67 years old and living more than 130 miles from the grave, has turned Ludvikson’s grave over to another caretaker, to whom she also intends to pass the information she has received from Ludvikson’s family. For her, it is a personal mission to put a face on the history and continue to honor the legacy of American soldiers who died fighting for freedom in Europe so long ago.
“I like to give Magnus Ludvikson ‘a face,’” Poos said. “His story should be told and kept alive. So many young soldiers have given their lives for our freedom. They should not be forgotten. He is not just ‘a’ solider for me, he is connected with my family. Out of respect and gratitude, my father has named my brother, who was born in 1954, after this American soldier. Se we have a Magnus in the family. There are about 8,000 graves of American soldiers in Magreten and still all the graves are adopted. The grave of Magnus is now looked after by somebody else whom I will pass the information I received from his American relatives.
“I am back at the cemetery after a long time and I put flowers like my father did for so many years. The rain has stopped now and then a beautiful colored autumn leaf comes down from the trees to kiss a grave tenderly. The names of so many resting on this beautiful Dutch hill will not be forgotten.”
Obituary of Magnus Ludvikson, from the Dec. 7, 1944 edition of The Western News
Technical Sergeant Magnus Raymond Ludvikson was born in Libby Nov. 29, 1913. He was killed in action somewhere over Holland on Sept. 21, 1944. No details have been received as yet. However a Citation of Honor has been received by his father, Gabriel Ludvikson. It reads as follows:
Technical Sergeant Magnus R. Ludvikson who gave his life in the performance of his duty Sept. 21, 1944.
He lived to bear his country’s arms. He died to save its honor. He was a soldier… and he knew a soldier’s duty. His sacrifice will help to keep aglow the flaming torch that lights our lives… that millions yet unborn may know the priceless joy of liberty. And we who pay him homage, and revere his memory, in solemn pride rededicate ourselves to a complete fulfillment of the task for which he so gallantly has placed his life upon the altar of man’s freedom. (Signed) H.H. Arnold, General, U.S. Army, Commanding General Army Air Forces.
Magnus was preceded in death by his mother, a brother and a sister. Surviving are his father, Gabriel Ludvikson, one brother, Steffen, who is with the Army Air Corps now on the Aleutian Islands, and two sisters, Mrs. James Stephenson and Mrs. Stanley E. Person of Libby.
Magnus spent most of life here and in California previous to entering the Army Jan. 27, 1937. Until his honorable discharge May 5, 1939, he spent this time in the heavy artillery at Schofield Barracks, in Hawaii. He reenlisted in the Army Air Corps, Sept. 9, 1940, at Sacramento, Calif. After two years of training in the United States, he was sent overseas with a Troop Carrier Squadron and participated in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy before being sent to England, from where he participated on D-Day in the Normandy invasion. Magnus was flying over Holland when the fatal accident occurred.