Name given as John A. Vaster; Said to have been changed when in military in Sweden;21
Name given as John A. Vestin;25
New Sweden Historical Museum has the following items donated by his grandsons Jack, Mark, and Paul Westin: buckskin hunting coat and pants, racoon coat, and tool chest with woodworking tools including saws and chisels; Also, guitar;
Maine Swedish Colony Capitol School has books and bibles belonging to Rev. Westin;
Rev. J. A. Westin arrived Jan. 1, 1895 and conducted successful revival meetings that included the Lutheran and Mission churches and featured his guitar playing and singing; In Oct. 1901 the former church was converted into a parsonage, about the time that Westin’s ministry peaked;33
Westin returned to the New Sweden church Sept. 1, 1928-Jan. 1, 1929 until Rev. Herman Litorin arrived;33

Heritage Remembered Through Museum Gifts
By Madge Nelson
Aroostook Republican and News, August 27, 1975
Photo: Everett Westin, left, presents his father's 12-string guitar and typewriter to Everett Larsson, first selectman and member of the New Sweden Historical Museum. Mr. Westin's father, sometimes known as the singing evangelist, migrated to this county from Sweden.
(Text:)
Swedish rural heritage is continuously being preserved by historical acquisitions to the New Sweden Museum, the latest being an antique guitar and typewriter presented by Everett Westin of Caribou as a memorial to his father, the late Rev. J. A. Westin.
After Rev. Westin, who was born in Sweden in 1863 and reputed to have been the best guitar player in Sweden, came to this country, he was known as the singing evangelist and served as pastor of the First Baptist Church from 1895 to 1901. The well-known Ellen Peterson, missionary to China for many years, was one of his outstanding converts.
An avid hunter and fisherman, Rev. Westin built a hunting camp in the Cary Brook area of Madawaska lake which is till maintained as a hunting camp by Clarence Anderson of Stockholm. Here, Rev. Westin built a dam to form a pool for his daily dips, which he took, regardless of temperature. His son, Everett, has many memories of paddling his dad's boat all day long while his father fished and sang, possibly one of the songs that he had written.
His 12-string guitar bears a July 16, 1895 patent and was made by the Almorantz manufacturing Company of Chicago. Due to several mishaps, the guitar, which sported a pearl inlay around the frame, was rebuilt by Rev. Westin on several occasions. No one today seems to be able to tune the complicated instrument, which is now housed in the museum.
The Blickensderier portable typewriter, which was made in Stamford, Conn., was patented in July of 1890. The keyboard looks much like the standard keyboard with the exception of symbols which, when place over certain letters, gives a different pronunciation and adds three letters to the Swedish alphabet. Instead of a typewriter ribbon, a small inked roll, no wider than half an inch, sets the type on paper. Three small cylinders of letters are used for typing the letters on the inked roll, a mechanism that must be seen to be understood.
Rev. Westin, whose death occurred in 1929 in the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, has one son, Everett of Caribou and a daughter, Mrs. Ernest Brown of Sarasota, FL; three grandsons, Jack, Paul and Mark Westin and two great grandchildren, all of Caribou.
As gifts are viewed at the New Sweden Historical Museum, many fond memories of Rev. Westin's singing and playing in church and homes will be revived by his many friends who remember the friendly and outgoing singing evangelist.283

Rev. J. A. Westin of New Haven, Conn. was called to succeed Rev. Liljagran. He came here in January, 1895 and continued the work here until October 1901 when he closed his work here and moved to upper Michigan as missionary for that conference. In 1895 at the beginning of the year a wonderful revival broke out in the community and great revival meetings were held throughout the winter and first part of the spring and first part of the summer. The Baptist, Lutheran and Mission churches were united in these services and a number of people surrendered their lives to the Lord. This was a time that long was remembered. Rev. Westin, who had just arrived in the field, was a great factor in this movement, masterly playing his guitar and singing. During Rev. Westin’s pastorate sixty-one new members were received into the church, thiry-five by baptism, eighteen by letter, and eight by confession. The total membership at this time was one hundred fifty-six. Rev. Westin remained in the field five years and eight months. (from a clipping)