ANDREW CHRISTENSEN
MARY (MAGNUSSEN) PETERSEN
ANDREW
b. 27 June 1859 Brasted, Hornum district, Ålborg Co. Denmark
d. 23 Jan 1944 Harlan, Shelby Co. IA
MARY
b. 5 Oct 1864 Ingstrup, near Løkken, Hjørring Co. Denmark
d. 21 May 1946 Harlan, Shelby Co. IA
m. 2 April 1884 Shelby Co. IA
ANDREW AND MARY CHRISTENSEN FAMILY
Written about 1968 by Wayne Christensen based on many conversations with Ezra, Anna and their brothers and sisters. Mary was born in the village of Ingstrup, about three miles south of the town of Løkken, Hjørring County, Denmark,
She came to the United States with her parents and sisters when she was about eight years old. The family lived on a farm in Shelby Co., Iowa, two miles south of the Cuppy's Grove Baptist Church, located about a mile and a half east and ten miles south of Harlan, Iowa. Mary attended the rural one room school about two miles west of Cuppy's Grove. Grandpa Petersen only had girls so his youngest daughter Mary did a lot of outside work to include the heavy farm work of using the horse drawn farm machinery, hoeing, pitching hay, hand binding the small grain behind the early day scythes and reapers and tending the livestock. This early training lasted all her life. Mary was at her best when outside tending livestock, chickens, garden, pulling weeds or otherwise helping with the farm work. It is said that she was outside whitewashing the milkhouse in the morning and her youngest daughter was born in the afternoon.
Andrew was also born in Denmark, on a farm near Braste and close to Ør Hornum near Ålborg, County of Ålborg. He often told the story about one of his first childhood recollections. He was just a small child when the Prussians were at war with Denmark. The German soldiers came into their yard one day. Andrew said he remembered he ran and hid in a small culvert. When he peeked out the German soldiers were going toward the well and springhouse with his mother. Andrew said he thought they had his mother and were going to kill her. All turned out well because the soldiers only wanted food and water. This was probably during the 1864 Schleswig War when Prussia helped the Holstein-Schleswig people revolt against Denmark. Andrew would have been about five or six years old at the time.
Andrew had very little formal education in Denmark. The children had to work at a very young age. Andrew stated that he herded geese and sheep when he was six or seven. His folks took him over to this neighboring farm when it was dark so he didn't know where he was; therefore, he couldn't run away and come home. He must have spent several summers as a herdboy. He often spoke of it and said that he was horribly homesick and lonesome. He said that some of the other children had trouble making the sheep mind but that he didn't because he wasn't afraid to throw stones at the sheep. He did say that a few ended up with broken legs but the sly smile on his face indicated he didn't have much regret. He indicated he despised sheep to his Last days. To keep the job as herdboy he had to show that he was also learning his school subjects. They took their books along and studied during the day when they herded. Andrew said he lost his books and had to study at night after the rest were finished with their books and he could borrow them.
Andrew was thrifty and had saved some money. When he was about eighteen an agent from Cuppy's Grove signed Andrew up to come to the United States in 1878. This agent represented a group of people in Shelby County that loaned money. Andrew said this money was paid back at about 24% interest. The first year Andrew was in the United States he worked for a Danish farm family near Walnut, Iowa. What he lacked in formal education he made up with his industry, drive, basic skill and intelligence. After one year with the Danish family he realized he would never learn English there, so he quit and got a job with an American family where he had to learn English. Between this and his attending one winter school session, he learned to read and write English, as well as how to figure. He became an avid reader of the Bible, history, geography and current events.
In about 1880 Andrew worked for the Chicago, St Paul, Minneapolis Railroad that was being built between Omaha and Emerson, Nebraska. He said they ate some meals and stayed at Fort Omaha. The government sponsored the building or the railroads and must have housed and fed the new crews on their way though. Andrew drove a team of mules on a dirt scraper used to haul the dirt out of the cuts to fill the valleys. Andrew next went to work for Chris Johnson as a farm hand. Chris was married to Mary's older sister. Andrew and Mary met and were later married in 1884. Prior to his marriage he had helped his six brothers and sisters, two of their spouses and his parents to come to America. They also settled in Shelby County, Iowa. In addition, Andrew had saved $480 when he was married. This was used to buy a team of horses named "Nick" and "Dan" for $280, farm machinery and supplies for their home. Andrew used to laugh when he said that he spent his last $3.00 to buy a new hat.
Andrew had been raised as a Lutheran. The Lutheran Church is the official Church of Denmark (about 90% of the people). Mary's family were Danish Baptist. The Cuppy's Grove Church is Danish Baptist. Andrew and Mary were not married in the Cuppy's Grove Church because they were not members then. They were married in Shelby County by a Justice of the Peace named Theodore Anstine. Andrew was baptised and joined the Cuppy's Grove church in about 1891. Mary did not join the Danish Baptist Church until they moved to Cedar Falls in 1918.
Magnus Petersen, Mary's father, was rather well to do for his time. He gave Mary 80 acres of Shelby County Iowa land when she married. Andrew bought another adjoining 40 acres from Magnus on time for $1,000. This farm is located two miles south of the present Cuppy's Grove Church (now called Altamont), west a half mile and back North in the field about a fourth mile. Andrew was a builder. He kept the building up and built well. Over 75 years later this Iowa farm house was in good repair as were the other buildings on this place.
Andrew's and Mary's marriage based on present standards would have been doomed to failure. They had three children in just a little over three years and had all four of their parents living with them during most of this time. Andrew stated in later life that there were some trying periods during these first few years.
When the family started to get larger Andrew needed more land to support them. He looked for land nearby but he considered this farm land had sold too high. In 1906, Andrew had a buyer for the 120 acre Iowa farm. He then took a trip to Allen, Nebraska to look at land that was for sale there. He bought 240 acres two and a half miles southwest of Allen. This land is the NE 1/4 of section 20/28/5 (Springbank township) Dixon County, Nebraska (also the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of section 16 and the NW 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of section 21). This was known as the lower forty. When Andrew returned he found that the buyer for his Iowa farm had backed out of their deal. He had some uneasy days but finally sold their Shelby County farm. They and the children living home at the time moved from Cuppy's Grove to Allen, Nebraska in the Spring of 1907. One child tells the story that they were all getting ready to leave the farm house when Cousin Jerry Christensen saw Mary was getting pretty sad so he said, "Take a big handkerchief, Mary." This caused Mary to laugh and helped her over the sorrow of leaving her friends of many years to go to Nebraska to their new farm.
When Andrew got to Allen he again started to build the place up. First a big double corn crib, chicken house, and sheds on the lower barn. Then a big new upper barn, new house and outhouse by the end of 1910. Mary's father had died in 1909 and left them some money. Mary decided that Andrew could just as well take this money and build her a new house. He did, but at the same time built the new upper barn.
Land prices went up during and at the end of World War I. Most of the children had left home except the youngest and a few that were teaching in the local area. They sold the Nebraska farm in the fall of 1918. The 240 acres brought $175.00 per acre. About $20,000 was paid in cash and $21,000 was held in a mortgage on the 160 acre home place.
Andrew and Mary retired and moved to Cedar Falls, Iowa in the late fall of 1918. This town was selected in part, because the children could attend college there and stay home. All went well in the 1920's. They and two of their daughters went on a trip back to visit Denmark which satisfied their life long desire. Then in 1929 very shortly after the stock market crash, the farm prices started to drop and the person who owed the money on the home place defaulted on the payments. In 1930 Andrew repossessed the home place. The lower forty and Ray's forty had been sold for cash. They were not a part of the foreclosure.
Andrew, Mary and their oldest son Raymond moved back to the home place in Allen in the spring of 1931. The farm buildings were in need of repair and Andrew started this work. In June 1931 he received a near fatal head injury when he fell off the roof of the porch onto the concrete slab north of the house. The children were all called home because the doctor didn't think that he would live. He was in a coma for over a week before he rallied. Andrew was a tough, hardy, "old Dane" and he recovered. It had done its damage though, because his vitality was sapped and he was left partially paralyzed on one side. It took over a year for him to be up and around. He used a walking cane the rest of his life and never was able to do much manual labor after this. He did help pick corn almost every fall. He liked to get out in the field when the crops were being gathered.
In 1932 Andrew obtained the east 1/2 of the NW 1/4, Section 21/28/5, and Ray's forty on a deficiency judgement suit on the home place loan. The $4,000.00 Federal Land Bank debt acquired with the east 80 was assumed by Andrew's son Ezra. Andrew deeded him this land a week after Ezra had moved to Allen in the fall of 1933. The title says with "Love and Affection."
At the height of the depression this and the note to the Federal Land Bank was about what the land was worth on the Market. Both sons helped farm the home place until the winter of 1940-41. Andrew and Mary's general ill health forced them to again leave the farm. In early March 1941 they moved to Harlan, Iowa. They were under the direct care of the oldest daughter, Anna, and son Raymond, until Lydia could return from her missionary duties in India late that year. Lydia and Raymond assisted at times by Anna, cared for Andrew and Mary until his death in 1944 and hers in 1946. The family is forever indebted to these people for their devotion in caring for Andrew and Mary and helping to make their last years on earth more comfortable.
Andrew and Mary are buried in Cuppy's Grove cemetery beside their four sons that died in infancy. This cemetery is located near the site of the old Church that burned in 1946 and is 1/4 mile south and 1/4 mile west of the present Altamont church. (I believe it is actually 1/4 mile east not west-rjb)
FAMILY REMEMBRANCES
from Esther Christensen Crow recorded by Ruth Kenney-Randolph 4/87
I remember my childhood as a happy time spent with my family. Hide and seek was a favorite game with many participants and places to hide. Pom, pom pullaway was another favorite. Playing in the creek was the most fun of all--a stream ran through the pasture on the farm. We went barefoot in the summer and waded in the creek (it was clear in those days). We made a dam out of bluegrass tufts and swam in the nude, which Mother allowed. We borrowed Papa's tools and took his boards to build a house--he didn't like anyone to use his tools, but when he saw what we had done, he let us keep the house. We pulled out twine from the strawstack, made braids, hung them from the rafters of the driveway between the corn cribs, and had a big swing. We took the sideboard from the corn husking wagon, and made two long swings. We played train, bobbing back and forth with passengers and conductors who disembarked at the stations. We climbed huge trees to see who could climb the highest and shouted at each other from the tops of the trees. These trees also made excellent places for hide and seek, along with the strawstack. We played that we were runaways, and the cattle were the wild animals. We rode the gentle horses and made the horse jump the creek. When we ran out of ideas, we would dramatize stories. Our favorite was "Putnam and the Wolf." I didn't feel unhappy or deprived-we made our own fun and had a whee of a time!
We had a few neighbors to play with, but the family was large enough to play our own games. I do remember staying overnight with a family that had feather beds, and this was during the winter and they were really warm.
When aunts and uncles came, they always stayed overnight because they came with horses. Andrew's sisters lived about twenty miles away (a whole day's journey) and that was really a "big deal" because they talked about Denmark as children, their farming and trading horses.
We were never scolded very severely, and just accepted our parents as Mama and Papa and never thought much about them as children. We felt their love and concern, and they made sure we had good shoes, clothes, took care of us and saw to our safety. Mother loved each one of us and grieved over the four little ones she lost.
There was no music in the home until the early 1900's and the older sisters learned to play a pump organ that Andrew brought home. I can remember only one occasion when Mother sang to us as we sat grouped around her. Agnes and Magnus were good singers, and most of the music consisted of hymns at church. At first these were sung in Danish.
Anna, Petra and Lydia spoke Danish in the home along with parents, until they started to school, and learned English after that time.
Food consisted for the most part of salt pork, potatoes, and gravy with vegetables from the garden. Often we had corn mush for supper -- particularly in the summers. We sometimes had fried chicken in the summer, which was a real treat. I was sometimes called on to catch the chicken first. Breakfast consisted of cornbread and salt pork gravy, and Mother made good cornbread. I got so sick of salt pork, potatoes and gravy every day that I complained, and my Father was very indignant and told me how lucky I was to have food to eat, for he remembered being very hungry as a child. When we took our lunch to school, we had home-made bread (which was another specialty of my Mother). Sometimes there was a limited amount of sugar on the bread, but sugar was expensive, so we didn't have much.
Anna was Mother's helper, and a very organized person. When we got ready for bed, she had each of us wrap up our underwear, hose and shoes in a bundle and placed it down by the fire. Since we had only one everyday outfit, it was then ready for the next day. The upstairs was unheated, and so cold that we heaped blankets and quilts to keep warm. When we got up in the morning, we dashed downstairs by the fire, grabbed our bundle and dressed ourselves.
Each one of the family had only one good outfit. Mine was one made over from one of Lydia's dresses, and it had ribbons on the sleeves. All the girls wore white dresses in the summer, and I wanted something different--a red dress. Anna made me one and it was beautiful. However, when I appeared with the other girls, I realized how different I was. I was to "speak a piece" at church that day, and I ran off and hid in the kitchen! We wore sleeve aprons over the dresses, and the same one all week. I remember them as being very colorful. Mother and Anna sewed all the outfits for the family.
The 4th of July was the most exciting holiday. Men quit work and the whole family went to a picnic. The children thought it was wonderful--free lemonade for everyone, and families brought goodies and sometimes they were shared. It was too expensive to make many baked goods, but they went "all out" for this day. I had never been farther away than Harlan or Walnut, and one 4th of July, several of the family planned to go to Council Bluffs by train. My uncle met us at the station, and took us to Omaha; we saw boats on the lake; rode the streetcar; and visited a home that had all the conveniences town folks were accustomed to!
Christmas was rather bleak, for my parents were poor, and there weren't any presents. The main event was to go to the church, which was the focal point of the community for worship, social activities and special events. There was a beautiful tree, lit with candles and gifts hanging on it. I would speculate as to whether one of these beautiful dolls would be mine, but when they were passed out, I never received one. It was the custom in those days to give the gifts out at the church rather than at home. However, we each received a bag of candy. One year when Anna was older, and had a job with a family, she took the pittance that she earned and bought gifts for the children. I was thrilled that for once there was something on the tree for me! I remember only once when I was growing up that we had a family Christmas tree, and Anna took cotton and decorated it, and hung candles on the plum tree.
The first job I remember having was to bring the cows up from the pasture with Magnus, and herd them into the pen where they were milked. Later each had a cow or two to milk, depending on our age. When we finished, we strained the milk in a can, took the can to the well to be cooled, and the next morning skimmed the cream off the top and took it to the house to churn into butter. I also helped churn the butter. I remember when my Grandmother broke her hip, Mother left to help her, and Anna was in charge of the household. She made me help scrub floors, and each Saturday I had to wash the windows until she thought they were clean enough.
Trips to town were infrequent and a real privilege, particularly for the children. I remember going once with my father all by myself. I was fascinated by all the things in the store, and got a new dress. This was very exciting, for all of my dresses up to that time were made-over ones. Buggies didn't get along very well in the snow, and sometimes in the winter we would take a heated brick wrapped in papers to keep our feet warm. We had a driving team--Smiley and Beauty (Percheron) to pull the buggy, and Andrew was proud of his horses. The farmers had to clear their own roads in the winter so that restricted travel. Roads weren't too bad in the summer unless there was a lot of rain.
Papa purchased his first car in Nebraska several years after we moved there. It was a red Jackson and was a wonderful car! You could go 20 miles an hour. We still used the horses to go to town, but used the car for church. I didn't learn to drive because there were too many others to grab the wheel.
School was often dull, for there was such a wide variety of students--from those who couldn't read to those who were high school age and just went to school in the winter for something to do. Often they bullied the younger ones. Papa was determined that we should get an education, and made sure we got to school, even taking us in a sled in winter to get there. We often had inexperienced teachers who couldn't tell stories. I remember once when I had had an accident and was home from school that I got my second reader. It was full of good stories like "Grimm's Fairy Tales," etc. I read the whole book through, and knew all the words except one or two, yet had to read in that same reader the rest of the year. One year the County Superintendent came and brought 30 excellent books. They were good books like "The Last of the Mohicans" and writings by Shakespeare. I would put the book inside my arithmetic book or whatever I was supposed to be studying and read until the teacher looked my way, and then got to work on what I was supposed to be doing. I particularly remember a big geography book that would hardly fit inside the desk, and thinking how I would someday see those wonderful places.
One of Papa's dreams was to go back to Denmark. He had memories of his childhood there, but Mother was too young to remember anything but the waves on the beach when she left there. I made the arrangements and after one of my teaching terms ended at Rock Falls, Ethel (who was still at home), my parents, and I took the train to New York. We went by ship to Southampton, England, toured London for 4 days, and then took the ship to Esbjerg. Papa was wildly excited when we landed, and anxious to get to Ålborg, which had been his home. There he was in his element, for he talked daily with the people passing the time in front of the bus station. We got a car and went to the area where he used to live, and there were people living in the house where he had lived as a child. The people offered us ale. Ethel and I were celebrities in the area because we were Americans. From there we went to Løkken, which was Mother's home. We were fascinated by the sea and after looking around for a while, I asked a grizzled man if he had known Magnus Pedersen. He said, "I kicked the slats in the cradle when he went to America." He directed us to the home of some of Mother's relatives and we knocked on the door. They welcomed us in and gave us coffee. There were lovely pictures and portraits on the walls, which were painted by one of the young men of the house, Chr. Valentinusen, who was later nationally recognized as an artist. Today some of the family have some of his paintings. We also visited Copenhagen, a lovely city. Everyone was so gracious, obeyed the law, and everything was so clean. Life moved at a slower pace in Denmark. We had neighbors growing up who looked down on us because we were immigrants. When I saw the order, neatness, efficiency, and beauty of Denmark, I was angry that I ever felt apologetic for being a Dane! When we left Denmark and the shore line receded, Papa kept watching from the deck of the ship and turned to me and said, "It's not my country."
ODDS AND ENDS OF INTERESTING ITEMS
from Ethel Christensen Shutts Swain 4/87
While courting, Father came to see Mother and found another more prosperous suitor whose horse was tied up. Father loosed the horse which promptly took its leave. The other suitor was an uncle of either Roland Petersen or James Sorensen --I have forgotten which.
Andrew Christensen's parents paid a fine so that he could avoid compulsory education. The family was too poor to support the children, so he was placed with a family to herd sheep for his "keep". However, he had a longing for learning so studied his books while tending the sheep. When his books were stolen, he borrowed some. Mother taught him to read English after they were married. Esther tells that when the family was in Sioux City, he was often found in the Sioux City library. In this day, I believe he would have been a lawyer.
When I was a child, my father always read the Bible before breakfast. I waited eagerly for the Joseph and David stories, a love for the Old Testament I keep to this day. When someone had misbehaved badly, he regularly read, "Children, obey your parents". As I grew older I realized he never read the rest, "Parents, provoke not your children to wrath." He was an exceptionally good Bible scholar. Part of this went back to his confirmation lessons in Denmark. He used to love to tease a Lutheran neighbor in Cedar Falls who did not know her catechism. He used to tie her logic in knots. Father knew how to tease!
Grandma is quoted as saying sadly about mother: "Sä mange bårn" (So many children).
Certain things were taboo on Sunday. Once in Nebraska the boys went swimming in a pond on Synder's farm. Father found out, walked over, and he marched them back single file past all the neighbors! Andrew was such a bright aggressive man. By the way he was a handsome man and very verbal.
50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Letter from Ethel to her brothers and sisters describing celebration.
1044-12 Street
Marion, Iowa
April 4, 1934
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I promised myself and some of you on black and white that I would write you a detailed account of the wedding anniversary since you could not be there with us. It was held on April first so Hervey and I could come during Easter vacation.
There were 43 guests. Those outside our immediate family were Uncle Lars, Aunt Stena, Percy Richards (Rowenna's sweetie- the family doctor's son), Manly Burgess and family, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Neilson, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Neilson, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hanson of Lime Grove. Uncle Lars gave them a lovely plant with a multitude of purple blooms on it. Aunt Stena gave them a chromium plated meat platter and a bread plate. Other things they received were a gold salt and pepper shaker, a silver bread plate, and fancy dishes. From us children they got an Aladdin table lamp with a green vase bottom and a parchment shade with green swans on it. It gives a light that would defy an electric light to do better. We also had a motto drawn and printed with the following inscription on it:
"May the joys of the fifty years you have traveled side by side come back to your hearts today many times multiplied. This is the loving wish of your children for whom you have sacrificed to give the best life holds."
For dinner we had mashed potatoes, chicken, veal, jelly, pickles, cabbage and pineapple salad, baked beans, creamed peas, jello, mince pie, angel food cake, chocolate cake, white cake, fruit cake, home made parkerhouse rolls, coffee. I made ten mince pies. That will give you an idea of the amount of food. We had a clothes basket full of rolls and eight cakes. The wedding cake Alta decorated by making marshmallows and gum drops into tulips. The cake was one with a big base, a medium sized middle layer and small top. It was a real work of art. There was another cake with a golden bell on the top. We had a program where Hervey sang "I love you truly" and some hymns. Esther read the poem Magnus sent and interspersed it with bits of humorous events from our childhoods to keep us from crying. I am sending a copy of the poem to each member of the family. After much scurrying around to collect everyone, we had our pictures taken. You will receive copies of them. In the family picture pose Harvey kept knocking Ez and me over with his hefty arm, but he refrained as the picture was snapped.
The fun of the afternoon was a mock wedding in which Marinus was the bride and Anna the groom. Rowenna was the preacher and Ez the bridesmaid. You'd have died laughing at them. They dug up old lace curtains, etc. for Marinus. Ez wore that old black brilliantine dress of mothers and a wide brimmed hat. They used the rubber ring on the separator for a wedding ring.
We all had a good time, and best of all we found mother and father well and happy, taxes and interest paid until next fall.
Love,
Ethel.
Poem from Magnus D. Christensen
50th Wedding Anniversary of Andrew and Mary Christensen
It is fifty years ago today,
Since two young lovers bright and gay
Took upon themselves the marriage vow,
And to that yoke did fondly bow.They settled down upon the farm,
To enjoy the fruits of wedded charm.
For them there was no palace fair,
But a humble home their love to share.These were the pioneering days,
Blessedly free from modern craze,
With one hand they turned the soil,
And with the other for God did toil.With Nick and Dan did father plow,
And how mother worked, we wonder now,
With spirits brave, their hopes rose high,
For better days in the bye and bye.One by one we children came,
For each of us they found a name,
Not only a name, but also a place
Where we might nobly life's battles face.The church on Sunday became our home,
That we from God might never roam.
There God's word we learned to fear
As He through it, to us drew near.Money itself was never their goal,
But a means to help along the soul.
The poor and needy they never forgot,
And to God's cause they gave a lot.They might if they wished amassed great wealth,
To the expense of character and maybe health,
But to help their children they rather chose.
That they might be the devil's foes.Sometimes we wonder how you feel,
As before your Christ you daily kneel.
Has the sacrifice been well worth while
For on this day we see you smile.We rise to bless you, ten in all
With grandchildren many, big and small.
Your memory golden shall never die,
For it has pointed to Him on high.For every tear we made you shed,
We wish it were a smile instead,
We pledge you now our parents dear,
That we will walk with godly fear.And then when all on earth is o'er,
We all shall meet to part no more.
We'll praise our Savior for His grace,
Which saved so many of the Christensen race.
--Magnus D. Christensen, Swaziland, South Africa