His father, Jöns Petter Ahlberg from Raskarum in St Olof's parish in Scania, was an equine veterinarian and farrier for the Småland hussars.

The mission school had a total of 328 students during that time and many future priests in the American Augustana Synod were educated there.

Ahlberg is known as one of the founders of the Östra Smålands Missionsförening and as the publisher of the book of reflections Biblisk Skattkammare (Biblical Treasury) with many quotations from the Church Fathers.

[7] He has been referred to as "the foremost standard bearer of the readers in East Småland" and the revival's leader in the area.

[1] In his first marriage he had eleven children, of whom the four youngest lived to adulthood: Josef, Hulda, Frideborg and David Ahlberg [sv].