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Note: My Father and Mother and Their Family by Jorgen (John) Peter Nielsen
Father's name was Peter Nielsen, but changed to Peter Nelson when he took out his naturalization papers. He was born February 17, 1849 in a small village, called Vemmelose, (later named Dalmose) a short distance south of the larger town of Slagelse, on the island of Seeland. He learned to read and write and studied the Catechism and Bible history at the nearby school at Gimlinge, under the hard-fisted school mater of the place. He was confirmed in the sinlinge church at the usual age of fourteen. But even before this, had "worked out" herding sheep, cows, and geese. There were several children in the family, but I don't know how many. In 1909, on the way to Japan, I was at the old home where I met Father's oldest brother, then in his eighties, who lived in the old house where their parents had lived. His name was Ole. As far as I know, Father was the youngest in the family.
Father learned the carpenter trade and seemed to have been very proficient in the work. He once told that he had very carefully fitted the floor boards together for the house on which he was working, but when he came to put them down they were badly out of shape. This he couldn't understand, until they told him that they had a dance at the place and had used his flooring boards to dance on.
He had taken the regular universal military training and had risen to the rank of petty officer. While he was still wearing the uniform, he had his picture taken together with his bride-to-be, and the old photo is still in existence. Some years ago a number of copies were made of it, and each one of us is supposed to have a copy.
According to his own statement, he married in 1876, but the exact day, we children never knew. He married Caroline Petersen of the village of Sorbylille, who at that time was very slim, and as he later said, the only girl for him. Where they set up housekeeping, I do not know. On December 18, 1877 a boy ws born to the couple, who according to later reports, was the pride of his maternal grandfather. It happened that I was the one. Because Mother had a brother named Jorgen Petersen, who had at time recently migrated to America, the boy was named for him, receiving the name of Jorgen Peter. Mother had another brother who had gone to America, earlier than Jorgen. His name was Carl Petersen. He had settled on a farm some fifteen miles N.E. of Council Bluffs, Iowa, about 4 miles straight north of Weston.
Mother thus had two brothers in America, and for this reason and also because she had visions of better living conditions in America, she was quite determined to follow her brothers. Father does not seem to have been overly anxious to go, but in the early spring of 1879 the Atlantic was crossed, and from later reports, it must have been a rough voyage, and it took a long time. But, at any rate, we Council Bluffs, Iowa, on July 4, 1879. Of course, Dad didn't phone to Uncle Carl to meet us. So we had to stop at an old hotel until Dad got a chance to ride out to Uncle Carl's place, and Mother and I followed as soon as Uncle Carl could drive in to fetch us. How long we were with Uncle Carl and Aunt Marie, I do not know. But I remember hearing a good bit about the old, cold house where we spent the winter. It was about two miles west of Uncle Carl's place, near the home of Aunt Marie's parents. Dad got work of whatever kind he could, and it is evident that we got through that first winter somehow.
In the community where we settled, there were a few scattered Lutherans, living in among Seven Day Adventists and Latter Day Saints.
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From Jeneen Nelson, 12/2003
The emigration record I found was for a "Jorgen Pedersen" of "Sludstrup, Soro", 19 yrs old, 4/4/1874 (the registration date in Denmark), with a destination of St Joseph, Missouri. The name, home location, and age match. But I'm not sure about St Joseph, Missouri.
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From Jeneen Nelson, 12/2003
I may have found some information about our great-grandmother Caroline Pedersen. The Mormon site Familysearch.org/International Genealogical Index gave me a Caroline Pedersen--born on 14 Mar 1852 in Sorbyville, Sludstrup, Soro, Denmark. Her parents were Peder Thomsen and Magdalene Johansen.
Peder Thomsen and Magdalene Johansen were both born in 1816--and married on 2 June 1839.
I also found several children from the same parents, on the Mormon site. I'm trying to sort them out right now, as there are some duplicated records.
I also found Peder Thomsen and Magdalene Johansen on the Danish database--in 1845 and 1850 census. The census showed 2 or 4 of the same children's names, as the Mormon site gave me. Caroline was on neither record--but she wasn't born until 1852.
From the Mormon Internet site, I've got the following siblings:
Rasmus--b 1839 Hendrik--b 1842 (There is a Hans Hendrik born the same day--who is likely the same person.) Carl--b 1845 Jorgen--b & d 1847 Karen Marie--b 1849 (Rasmus, Hendrik, Carl and Karen Marie were on the 1850 Danish census.) Caroline--b 1852 Jorgen--1855 (I found an emigration record that may be his.)
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Carolina Petersen's death certificate indicates that her father was Peter Thompson, born in Denmark. In searching the Danish Demographic Database (1/2004), no "Thompson" or "Thompsen" could be found. It must be that Thompson was the English equivalent to "Thomsen". __________________________________________________________________________________
From the Danish Demographic Database, we find the following household in 1850. We assume that this Peder Thomsen and Lene (short for Magdalene?) Johansdatter (the Danish for Johan's daughter) were the parents of Carolina Petersen. We know from family historical accounts that Carolina had a brother named "Carl".
soroe, Slagelse, Sludstrup, Sørbylille, , et Huus, 6, FT-1850 Following fields are shown: Name, Age, Marital status, Position in household, Occupation , Birth place
Niels Jensen, 77, Gift, , Hallager,Sorø amt, Maren Hansdatter, 76, Gift, , Gimlinge,Sorø amt, Ane Marie Christiansen, 11, Ugift, , i sognet, Peder Thomsen, 34, Gift, , Kindertofte,Sorø amt, Lene Johansdatter, 34, Gift, , Lynge,Sorø amt, Rasmus Pedersen, 11, Ugift, , Kindertofte,Sorø amt, Hendrik Pedersen, 9, Ugift, , Kindertofte,Sorø amt, Carl Johannes Pedersen, 5, Ugift, , i sognet, Karen Marie Pedersen, 1, Ugift, , i sognet, __________________________________________________________________________________
The 1845 Danish Demographic Record contains the following household:
soroe, Slagelse, Sludstrup, sørbylille, , Huus, 6, FT-1845 Following fields are shown: Name, Age, Marital status, Position in household, Occupation , Birth place
Peder Thomsen, 29, Gift, , huusmand, Kindertofte sogn,sorø amt Lene Johansdatter, 29, Gift, , Hans kone, Lynge sogn,sorø amt Rasmus Pedersen, 6, Ugift, , deres børn, Kindertofte sogn,sorø amt Henrik Pedersen, 4, Ugift, , do, Do Niels Jensen, 72, Gift, , almisselem, Hallager,sorø amt Maren Hansdatter, 71, Gift, , Hans kone, Gimlinge sogn,holbæk amt __________________________________________________________________________________
Lübeck, Deutschland, Volkszählung, 1857 Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1857 about Caroline Petersen
Name: Caroline Petersen
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1852
Birth Place: Lübeck (Lubeck)
Enumeration District: Marien-Quartier
Enumeration Company: 3
Enumeration Place: Lübeck
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Iowa Cemetery Records about Caroline Petersen
Name: Caroline Petersen
Death Date: 1927
Page #: 148
Birth Date: 1852
Cemetery: Oak Hill
Town: Tama
Relative: 75
Level Info: Gravestone Records of Tama County, Ia.
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