[2] His father, Gustaf Ersson worked at a mill, and his mother, Christina Ulrika Wallin, was a maid at the vicarage.

[5] Karl's studies were paid for by a sister of his grandmother, Sofia Eriksson, who married the restaurateur Carl Frederick Laman of Västerås who had inherited a small fortune.

In 1912, these evangelists assisted Laman with his survey questionnaires in Kikongo, developed to map out the languages and cultures of Kongo groups.

[7] While in the Congo, Laman collected everyday objects, insects, bird eggs and animal skins.

[7] Laman received the Linn Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University.