My mother's maiden name is Hjertstedt, and I have many relatives who have this surname. Yes, it is Swedish. My maternal grandfather was named Hugo Hjertstedt (born Oct. 10, 1918; died in Nov. '99) who was the second oldest of fourteen children. His father was Knut Otto Hjertstedt. It was either Knut or his father who actually migrated here from Sweden. I know that my great grandfather, though I never actually met him myself (he died well before I was born, though my mother knew him and his wife very, very well), spoke with a Swedish accent, but his children didn't pick that up. Some of my great aunts and uncles (children of Knut who, incidentally, was known by all as "Pop" or "The Chief") are/were Clara, Phil, Danny, Gus, Eva, and Ingrid. Some are yet living. My grandfather, Hugo, grew up in the Seattle WA. area, where his widow, my grandmother Miriam Moor Hjertstedt, my mother, and other Hjertstedt relatives (including myself) still reside. He was a minister, as was his father before him. Both had churches of their own. Both were healed of fatal health conditions earlier in their lives. At present, the Hugo Hjertstedt family runs "Lynnwood Nursery" in the Seattle area, which was established at its present location by Hugo in the 1960's. Visit
www.lynnwoodnursery.com for more information on the family business.
I have access to more specific information about the Hjertstedt line, and would be thrilled to share it with anyone who wants to know more about the family.
And yes, it is pronounced "Yert-stead". Try and figure that one out :)
Regards,
Sarah Crist