PEDERSEN # 2 (Denmark)

Oops. With everything going on, I totally forgot to post this Saturday, but here it is now.

Meaning/Pronunciation: Pronunciation: Pe-der-sen Meaning: Child of Peder/Peter

Origin: Danish

Variations: Petersen, Peterson, Pederson, Petersson, Pedersson, as well as –datter versions of both versions of the name.

Relation to me: This is my father's mother's father's father's mother's father's father's mother's maiden name.

Ancestors:
i: Pedersdatter, Mette, abt 1718 – 1792, Viborg, Denmark; Chresten Jepsen Storgaard, 3 daughters, 4 sons

Looking for:
As the 8th generation back on my tree, this one, despite being miniscule, is not something I feel the need to follow up on until everything else is better-documented.

TORRESEN (Norway)

Meaning/Pronunciation: Pronunciation: Tor-res-sen Meaning: Child of Torre (A form of Thor, I believe)

Origin: Norwegian

Variations: In this case, Torresdatter, but as the name is a form of Thor, there are many many variations of the surname as well, from slight to major. Thorsen, Thorirsen, etc.

Relation to me: This is my mother's father's father's mother's father's mother's mother's maiden name.

Ancestors:
i: Torresdatter, Marit, abt 1739 – 1801, Trondheim, Norway; Jon Olsen Tiller, 4 daughters, 2 sons

Looking for:
I'd love to know Marit's parents, but along with the others at this level, I'm okay with putting this branch of the family a little longer.

Merry Christmas: Around the Christmas Tree

For Christmas this year, I present shots of my family near the family Christmas tree. Enjoy!

Early Bordewick family Christmas tree. This is my uncle.


All four Hillinger kids in front of the Christmas Tree.


The Hillinger family minus one (who is taking the picture), Christmas 1964.


Me and Dad at Nana and Grumpy's Christmas Day, early to mid-70s.


Christmas Eve at the Bordewick household—Grandpa always read the tags to let me know who to give it to. This would probably be 74 or 75. Dad and the older of his two younger sisters are behind Grandpa.


Another Christmas Eve at the Bordewicks. The boy behind me is a second cousin, I believe. (and yes, there is a tree in that shot—it's the thing peeking out behind grandpa on the tv—it's just very small) I think this is 1976, because I believe Nain came down this year to spend it with us because my sister was born.


Me in front of our Christmas tree, probably Christmas morning, possibly 77 or 78. The dollhouse on my left was made for me by my father.


Me and sis with Dad's youngest sister, probably Christmas Day, at the Hillinger family home, late 70s.


The Hillinger family, Christmas day, 1981.


Nana, Christmas Day, mid to late 80s.


Christmas (Eve?) at mom and dad's 1994.


Hillinger family Christmas at the Lavinthals, late 90s.


Hillinger sibs and spouses, Christmas eve, 2003.


Grandma at the Adairs, Christmas Eve.


And my niece at home on Christmas morning last year.

Advent Calendar: Merle Jones

Merle Tydful Bordewick nee Jones

Born 1915, 95 as of this year
Lived in: Vancouver, BC, Canada; Bellevue, Washington
Married: George Bordewick
Children:
DE Bordewick
KE Bordewick
RA Bordewick
RH Bordewick

Merle Jones was the third child of Daniel and Bessie Jones, Welsh immigrants who had settled in Vancouver BC. Her father named her for the town in Wales he was born in, Merthyr Tydful. While still quite young, Merle met a young man by the name of George. The two fell in love, and in 1939, before George was sent to the East Coast to finish his training for the RCAF, the two were married at her parents' home in Vancouver. The two spent some time in Truro, where George finished his training, then Merle returned home to Vancouver once he had shipped off to England. She stayed with her parents, who helped her through her first pregnancy, and once George had returned from the war, the small family settled into their own home together, soon adding a second and then a third child. Their final child was born in 1957, and soon after, the family moved South to settle in Bellevue, Washington, where the two continued to raise their family together, and where they lived until George's death in 1991. Merle remained in their home even after George's death until her health began to fail, her children frequently stopping by to help her with things and to visit with her. Even now, the family continues to gather around her, and is looking forward to celebrating her 95th birthday with her on December 29.

Advent Calendar: George Bordewick

George Robert Bordewick

Born 1918, Died 1991, Aged 73
Lived in: Vancouver, BC; Bellevue, Washington
Married: Merle Jones
Children:
DE Bordewick
KE Bordewick
RA Bordewick
RH Bordewick

George Bordewick was the fist-born son of Bjarne and May Bordewick, born in 1918 in Vancouver BC. He and his younger brother grew up in Vancouver, and as a teenager, George became involved in a youth group where he met a girl named Merle. The two fell in love and spent many idyllic days together. When England entered World War II, George joined up, but before he left for Europe, in 1939, he and Merle married at her parent's home. He finished his training in Truro, Nova Scotia, Merle joining him there until he left for England. Their first child was born back in Vancouver while George was away at war. When George returned home, two more children followed. George took a job in accounting, and after the birth of their forth child, things began to be difficult for them in Canada, and so George set out to find a better job, eventually finding a job for the Brower Company in Washington, and the whole family moved across the border to settle in Bellevue, Washington in the early 1960s. After his retirement in the 70s, George spent more time fishing, a life-long hobby, and also working on marquetry pictures to pass the time. He also became more heavily involved in the Masonic Temple, eventually becoming Grandmaster, and leading the ceremony to set the cornerstone for the Tacoma Dome. Many Masonic programs still exist today in his honour. George and Merle traveled quite a bit until George fell ill with Cancer in the early 90s and died.

Advent Calendar: Margaret Hansen

Margaret "Maggie" Hansen Hillinger aka Nana

Born 1919, Died 2010, aged 90
Lived in: Cleveland, Illinois; various locations in the US and Germany during and just after the war; Frankfurt, Germany; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Wa
Married: Sam Hillinger
Children:
ED Hillinger
HD Hillinger
BJ Hillinger
CJ Hillinger

In 1919, Margaret Hansen was the first child born to Holger and Oline (pronounced Oh-lee-nah) Hansen, two first-generation immigrants from Denmark. The family lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where Holger worked as a contractor building houses. The family was happy, and Margaret soon had a younger sister, and then a brother. But in 1929, her mother fell ill, and soon died of pneumonia. Holger was devastated. He moved all three children in with his younger brother Alfred while he built a new home for them all to live in. Shortly after moving into the new home, he married again, a woman by the name of Rose, who had two young daughters as well. Maggie didn't get along too well with her new stepmother, and when the chance to go off to boarding school was offered, she took it eagerly. She attended the Andrews School in a nearby town, and received a first-class education there. By the time she finished her schooling, the Depression was beginning to ease, and one of the school board members found her a job as a clerk in an insurance company. When the War started, Maggie was eager to do something, and as soon as the opportunity to become a WAC was offered, she signed up along with her younger sister, Marilyn. Maggie spent the war moving from base to base, and eventually earning a rank of first Lieutenant. After the war ended, she and Marilyn volunteered to go to Europe to help with the post-war efforts. While on a well-earned break to St Maritz, Switzerland, she met Sam Hillinger, an enlisted man who was on the trip as well with a group of friends. The two were inseparable during the trip, and after both had returned to their bases in Germany, the two continued to see one another. In June of 1948, the two were married. They settled in Frankfurt, and a year later, their first child was born. As soon as they could, the new family returned home to the United States, and Sam got a place at Ohio state, earning a degree in Accounting before the family moved to what would become their home: Seattle, Washington. Sam went to work while Maggie set up their home, now raising two boys, and the couple soon had two more children, this time two girls. The settled eventually in a large home in North Seattle, raising their children there, and Sam eventually set up his own CPA practice. The two were comfortable, and continued the love of both skiing and traveling that had begun with that first trip to Switzerland. They both remained quite active until Sam's death in 2000. Maggie remained independent even after Sam's death, though she began to slow down. She died in 2010, shortly after meeting her second great-grandchild, surrounded by her family.

Advent Calendar: Sam Hillinger

Sam (Sammi) Hillinger (Hilinger) aka Grumpy
(The family surname of Hilinger was given a double-L to anglicize it when the family moved to America. Sam's birth name was actually Sammi, but he always went by Sam, and when he received his citizenship, that is the name he used, so that is the name I will use here. Grumpy came about when I was very young. Some say he named himself, others say that it was my trying to say "grandpa" and mangling it that suggested the name. Either way, he's been Grumpy ever since I was very small.)

Born 1922, Died 2000
Lived in: Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; Memphis, Tennessee; Hot Springs, Arkansas; ElDorado, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; several locations in the US and Europe during WWII; Frankfurt, Germany; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Wa
Married: Margaret Hansen
Children:
ED Hillinger
HD Hillinger
BJ Hillinger
CJ Hillinger

Sam Hillinger and his twin sister Mina were born in 1922 to Alex and Dora Hillinger in Frankfurt Au Main. They were the second and third of six children born to the couple. The family was Jewish, and though their early life was peaceful, when the Nazi party came to power, things began to grow sour for their father. In 1933, when the last of his businesses began to fail, Alex decided to move the family to America. They settled in Paris for a year, where Sam took a job as a newspaper boy, hawking papers on the streets. When they arrived in the US, the whole family struggled to learn English, but Sam did well, graduating in 1940 from the school where President Clinton would later graduate as well. After school, he worked for a time for a Texas oil company before moving with his family to Chicago, where he worked for a railroad company until he was drafted into the army in 1943. After being given citizenship, he was trained and then sent overseas, where he spent most of his time as a clerk and interpreter due to his knowledge of both French and German. After the war, he stayed in Europe to help with the clean up, and ended up in Frankfurt once more. On a trip to St Maritz, Switzerland with some friends, he met a Lieutenant by the name of Margaret Hansen. The two hit it off and spent much of their vacation together, learning how to ski together. After returning to Frankfurt, the two continued to visit, and in 1948, the two were married. Their first child followed a year later, and soon after the new family returned to the US, where Sam went to Ohio State University, receiving a degree in accounting magna cum laude. A second child on the way, Sam and Maggie made their way to the Pacific Northwest, settling in Seattle, where the two stayed, raising four children together, and welcoming six grandchildren into the world as well. They lived there for many years, happy, until Sam's death on a trip to Barcelona, Spain, in 2000.

Advent Calendar: Eliza Howells

Eliza "Bessie" Anne Jones nee Howells aka Nain
(Eliza never particularly liked her name, and always went by the preferred Bessie. Nain is pronounced "nine," and is the Northern Welsh word for grandmother.)

Born 1885, Died 1980, aged 94
Lived in: Penrhiwceiber, Wales; Winnapeg, Manatoba; Vancouver, BC
Married: Daniel Thomas Jones
Children:
Marjorie Grace Jones
Edwina Hannah Jones
Merle Tydfil Jones
Ivor Howell Jones

Bessie Howells was born to Gabriel and Selina Howells, a Northern Welsh couple, in Penrhiwceiber, Wales, a small mining town, where she lived for the first eight years of her life. Her father was a stone-mason who made a living building stone work for the mines. The work was nearly as unhealthy as mining itself, and Gabriel decided to take one of his brother's offers and move their family to Canada where his brother was living at the time. The Howells immigrated there in 1893, and settled on the farm with Gabriel's brother, but Gabriel found that farming wasn't for him, and the family moved again, this time to the nearby city of Winnapeg, where Gabriel put his stone-masonry skills to work. After a time, the family moved towards the west coast. Vancouver was a boom-town at the time, and the family settled there. Bessie met a young man there by the name of Daniel Jones, and in 1911, the two were married. The two lived happily together in Vancouver, where they raised four children together. After Daniel's death in 1964, Bessie began to slow down, though she did quite well for many years before settling into a nursing home in BC, where she lived until her death in 1980.

Advent Calendar: Daniel Jones

Daniel Thomas Jones

Born 1882, Died 1964, aged 82
Lived in: Merthyr Tydfil, Wales; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Eliza Anne Howells
Children:
Marjorie Grace Jones
Edwina Hannah Jones
Merle Tydfil Jones
Ivor Howell Jones

Daniel Jones was born to Benjamin and Hannah Jones in the town of Merthyr Tydfil in South Eastern Wales. He grew up on their farm, and when he came of age, he decided to spend some time abroad, so he and a small group of friends took a boat and went to Canada. They got about to the halfway mark between the East and West coasts, and realized if they continued going, they would have to stay for another year, so the friends flipped a coin. The West coast won out over returning home, and so they continued on. In Vancouver, BC, Daniel met a young woman known as Bessie, and in 1911, the two married, settling down in the area. Four children followed, and the two lived a long, happy life together, even returning to Wales a number of times before Daniel's death in 1964.

Advent Calendar: Bjarne Bordewick and Mary Park

Bjarne Bordewick

Born 1888, Died 1950, aged 62
Lived in: Lafoten Islands, Norway; Antwerp, Belgium; Grimsby, England; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Mary Dunlop Park
Children:
George Robert Bordewick
Henry Norman Bordewick

Bjarne was the eldest son of Henrick and Leonharde Bordewick, born in Norway north of the Arctic circle. When he was young, the fishing industry in their area took a turn for the worse, so his father and one of his father's brothers set out to try to set up business in Europe, hoping to improve their business. Unfortunately, the people in Belgium did not approve of them. Their name had been anglicized, and the Flemish, who were sympathetic to the Dutch during the Boer War, assumed them English and often treated them badly. They didn't stay in Antwerp for long. The family moved to England for a time, I believe, where Bjarne and his brothers received much of the rest of their education, and Bjarne even managed to pass the entrance exams for Cambridge University. Before he could attend, however, the family moved again, this time to Vancouver, where another of Bjarne's uncles had settled. It was in Vancouver where Bjarne would meet his wife Mary, known as May. The two married in 1917, and had two sons, George and Henry, and lived there together until Bjarne was hit by a car and died in 1950.

Mary "May" Dunlop Bordewick nee Park aka Granny

Born 1891, Died 1983, aged 92
Lived in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US; Ireland (Belfast, I believe); Vancouver, BC, Canada; Washington, US
Married: Bjarne Bordewick
Children:
George Robert Bordewick
Henry Norman Bordewick

May Bordewick was the fifth child born to Robert and Elizabeth Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she lived for the first ten years or so of her life. In the early 1900s, things became difficult for her family, and her parents moved them all back to Ireland. One of her sisters, moved to Vancouver, BC, Canada a few years later, and most of the family soon followed her there, May included. There she met a young man by the name of Bjarne Bordewick, and in 1917, the two were married. Their son George followed a year later, and a second son, Henry, in 1923. They were active in the community in their church, and were quite happy in Vancouver. When the war came, first George and then Henry signed up in the RCAF. Unfortunately, before Henry could even make it out of America, the plane he was in crashed, and he and his pilot were killed. May focused instead on her new daughter-in-law, George's wife Merle, and her first grandchild, who had been born in February of that year. George returned from the war, and more grandchildren followed. When Bjarne was hit by a car and died, May's sister Marge came to live with her, and the two lived together until the late seventies, when May's health began to decline, so George moved her down to a nursing home Washington, where the family had moved in the sixties, so he could be closer to her if she needed his help. She died there in 1983.

BRUNN (Norway)

Meaning/Pronunciation: Pronunciation: Br-oon Meaning: Brown

Origin: Norwegian

Variations: Braun, Brown.

Relation to me: This is my mother's father's father's father's mother's mother's maiden name

Ancestors:
i: Brunn, Henrikke, 1789 – 1861, Norway; Ditlev Linkhausen, 3 daughters, 3 sons

ii: Brunn, Anna, 1757 – 1813, Bergen, Norway, Anders Olsen Brue, 2 daughters, 1 son

iii: Brunn, Anders, ? - ?, Norway?, Henriche Sebech, 1 known daughter

Looking for:
This line has yet to be confirmed, but given the dates and name I had for Henrikke and Ditlev and their daughter, I believe this line to be correct. At the moment, I'm mostly just surprised to see more German in this line, though I suppose I shouldn't be. The information I found here, though I received no response to my email. Not sure how much further back I'll take this one, at least for a bit, but it's cool to see more. Anyone with this line, I'd love to talk to you.

Advent Calendar: Oline Hansen

Julie Oline Hansen
(Went by Oline, pronounced Oh-lee-nah.)

Born 1886, Died 1929, aged 42
Lived in: Fjenneslev/Alsted-Flinterup, Denmark; Copenhagen, Denmark, Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio
Married: Holger Skov Hansen
Children:
Margaret Hansen
Marilyn Hansen
Torben Skov Hansen

Oline Hansen was born to Rasmus and Maren Hansen in a small farming community in the centre of Sealand, Denmark. When she was about nine years of age, her father died of a respiratory ailment, and her mother was left to raise herself and five other children, all under the age of 13. Oline and her two elder siblings took on a good deal of work after that. Her older brother and sister doing much of the farming work, and Oline helping out those households around them that were willing to hire her on. She did cleaning and cooking and sewing among other things, and it was these talents that would eventually lead her to Copenhagen where she worked for Agriculture Minister. When her younger brother Hans moved to the states and sent back letters talking of how well he was doing there, Oline followed, eventually settling in Chicago, sometimes working for families as a cook, sometimes working as a seamstress. She returned to Denmark a few years later to visit her family, and along the way she met Holger Hansen, who was also returning to Denmark to visit family. The two ended up having to stay in Denmark for a few months because of World War I, so Holger took his time to court her there, and when the two returned to the US, the courtship continued until their marriage in 1918. The two settled in Cleveland together where Holger built homes for a living. Three children followed, and Oline stayed active, even driving in a time when it was incredibly uncommon for women to do so. In 1929, Oline grew ill, and soon died of pneumonia. She was 42.

Hillinger Family History

After I posted my first Brick Wall post, my father sent this letter on to me. I do vaguely recall something about it. We got an email from someone from Belgium whose family surname was also Hillinger, and they wanted to know if we might somehow be related, given the fact that the surname is fairly uncommon outside of Austria.

Grumpy wrote this in response, and I don't remember reading this then, but it's truly a wealth of information, particularly the information about a WWI detention camp called Camp Douglas. I'm uncertain how much of this he knew for fact and how much he simply assumed, given how little information we actually have on his family.

At any rate, I share this with you today, so you can see one of my two main sources of knowledge about this branch of my family tree.

March 19, 2000

Dear Sharon,

My son, E, forwarded your e-mail to me and asked that I respond and pass on what I remember of family history.

I cannot tap a vast storehouse of family lore. My father was no chatterbox. His preoccupation with earning a living kept him from being close to his children. He was a good father, but we only saw him on weekends. His brothers and sisters lived far from where we made our home – they in London and the United States and we in Germany, at least until mid-1933. They were simply not available to add to our knowledge of the family's origin.

Here is what I do remember… My grandfather on my father's side was Leon Seneft. My father's mother was Mindel Hilinger. Both died before I was born. My father's name at birth and until 1919 was "Alec (or Alex) Seneft." My father's parents and siblings migrated to London from Poland sometime in the 1890's, probably at the beginning of the pogroms in Russia and/or Poland. I do not know the name of the Stetl they came from. My father was born in 1883 and would have been 7 years old, or older, when he arrived in London. He remained in England until 1919. He, and thousands of other immigrants from Eastern Europe who had not obtained British citizenship by the time the Great War commenced, were treated as enemy aliens because they came from countries that were in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, England's enemy. They were fated to be confined as prisoners of war throughout World War I, in Douglas, or Camp Douglas, on the Isle of Man, not far from Belfast, Ireland. Not too many years ago, at Whistler-Blackcomb, a ski area in Canada, I sat next to a skier who was visiting from the Isle of Man. He confirmed that Camp Douglas was put to the same use during World War II to house Britain's so called "enemy aliens."

From some photos I have my of father and fellow prisoners they do not appear to have been ill-treated. One picture shows them dressed in fashionable, smart-looking suits. In another snapshot they appear in clean work clothing.

When the Great War ended Britain's enemies were transported to the Continent. My father came to Frankfurt/Main in the year 1919.

My father met my mother in Frankfurt in the year he arrived. She and a sister decided there was more to life than living in a Polish Stetl and in 1919 also came to Frankfurt/Main.

Frankfurt appears to have been a magnet and destination for a large number of Jews even before 1914. I do not have a clue how large the community was. I do know by 1933 it had grown to over 31,000. There were some magnificent synagogues, a Yeshiva and a combination grade and high school that accommodated over 1,000 students, founded in 1809, and called Die Philantropin, which my brother, sisters and I attended until we left in mid-1933.

Sometime in 1919 a blockheaded German concluded because my grandparents had not obtained a valid marriage license issued by a city or state, the marriage was invalid and the children of that union were illegitimate. The marriage was valid under Jewish but not German law. My father was forced to assume his mother's maiden name of Hilinger or Hillinger, and never again used his former surname, Seneft, after 1919.

My father, like many who came from Poland, tried his hand at a number of different business ventures. At one time or another he had an interest in a motion picture theatre, a jewelry store and a Kosher restaurant – all in Frankfurt. The restaurant was the last venture and it was not profitable. By mid-1933 he had nothing left to show for his efforts. He had also made some enemies among our Nazi neighbors and wisely decided the time had come to get out of Germany. He preceded my mother, brother and sisters to Paris. France, too, was not kind from an economic standpoint. I am sure we would have gone hungry if not for the Jewish welfare agencies. We remained in France about 14 months, in Fontenay-sous-Bois, not far from the Charles de Gaulle Aeroport. In August, 1934, the Hillingers sailed for the United States, where they reside to this day… Of six children my mother gave birth to in the years 1920 through 1931, two have died. The three sisters who are still alive live in Chicago and/or suburbs of Chicago – their names are Minna, Peppi and Selma. Selma, the youngest, divides her time between Chicago and Israel. She is the keeper of the family archives and the only one who has a handle on names, birthdates, etc. of my grandparents. She is currently in Israel but will be back in mid-May to begin planning the wedding of the last of her 4 daughters.

I returned to Europe (England, France and Germany) during the "Good" war, in 1944 with the US Army. Ironically, I ended up in Frankfurt/Main and remained there from 1945 to 1950. I married a lovely US born Dane in 1947 [ed: actually 1948], and we were married in the same city office where my parents got married. Before coming to Frankfurt I was stationed in Verdun – from September, 1944, until May, 1945. I occasionally wandered into Belgium. I was not in combat. My work was administrative, as an interpreter stenographer. I switched to civilian status in December, 1945, but remained with the same organization in Frankfurt, in the north end of the city, in the IG Farben Complex.

E, whose Web page you are familiar with, was born in Frankfurt, in 1949, in a US Army Hospital. He had dual nationality – US and German – and renounced his German nationality when he went to work fro Boeing.

Except for a couple of years in Columbus, Ohio, where I completed work on a college degree, we have lived in Seattle since 1952. My wife of 51 ½ years came from Cleveland, Ohio, which at one time was a grimy smoke-belching industrial city. I had lived a short time in Chicago and my loathing for that city equaled my wife's dislike of Cleveland. We wanted to get away from smoke stacks and find some lovely scenery and good weather.

The scenery, climate and ambience of Seattle are everything one could wish for. Just last week one of the lifestyle magazines named Seattle the third most livable city in the US, only Washington, DC, and Salt Lake City, Utah, ranked higher.

To get back to the Seneft-Hillingers in London, my father had two sisters and two brothers that I know of. The two sisters came to the United States, quite early in (the) last century. Annie (Seneft) married a man named Moshe Wolf nd lived and died in Memphis, Tennessee. The second, named Jennie, married Moshe Hirsch, lived in Little Rock, Arkanasas, most of her life, but returned to London a few years before death. Both Annie and Jennie died childless.

One of the brothers, named Jack, came to New York. I have no idea when. He never married, and died in New York. I met him once, when I arrived from France, in 1934.

The second brother remained in London and became the parent of several sons and one daughter. Possibly as many as three of his sons died in war or as a result of wounds sustained in World War I. Only one of his sons was still alive in 1948 when I honeymooned in London. This son had no children. The daughter, named Kitty, married a man named Solomon (surname), had two children, a son and a daughter. I met them in 1948. The son, named Ivan, moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, about 160 miles north of here. I have visited him several times. He is now about 56 years of age. His sister who lives in London I believe is a couple younger.

The family names in your message, other than Hillinger, do not ring a bell. I do not remember hearing those names and if I did, I have forgotten them. It is easy to be forgetful when reaching 78 years of age.

My own father died in 1947, and my mother in 1967. None of the original Senefts survives.

As you pointed out, there are skads of Hillingers in Austria but few elsewhere. Some time ago, E heard from a doctor in either New York or Chicago with the name Hillinger who had found E's web page and looked into a family connection. E found a Café Hillinger in Vienna on the internet. The name also came up in a recently published movie with reference to an Austrian farmer. It certainly is not a very common name elsewhere.

It would be of interest to me if you discover that your family and mine were related in the dim distant past.

Sam Hillinger

Advent Calendar: Holger Hansen

Holger Skov Hansen

Born 1891, Died 1977, aged 86
Lived in: Vejle, Denmark; New York, New York, Cleveland, Ohio
Married: Julie Oline Hansen (died 1929), Rose Basch
Children:
Margaret Hansen
Marilyn Hansen
Torben Skov Hansen

Holger Hansen was born in Vejle, Denmark to Jens and Else Hansen. He grew up poor, and his parents often never had money for shoes, even in the winter. Because their farm made so little money, Holger's father taught him stonemasonry, and the two made extra money in their area using those talents. When a train station was scheduled to be built in Thyregod, the two bid for the chance to do the brickwork, and won the contract. The station still stands to this day. Holger used his part of the funds to buy himself a ticket to America, and in 1914, he took a boat to the US and settled in New York with his Tante Margrethe and Uncle Jack. He immediately found work, and did well enough to buy himself another ticket home in the next few years. While on the boat home, he met Oline Hansen, who was returning to Denmark to visit her family as well. When the two found themselves stuck in Denmark due to the outbreak of World War I, he took the opportunity to go court her, and when they returned to the US, the two married and settled in Cleveland. The two settled into a small community of Danes in the area. The two had three children together. Holger made a living by building and then selling houses. The family was quite happy until Oline took ill in early 1929, and died of pneumonia. After, Holger moved his children in with his brother's family while he built a new home for them, and soon after remarried. The Depression took its toll on Holger's business, and new policies made it difficult to continue, so Holger stopped building houses sometime during the Depression, but some of his houses still stand in Cleveland today.


I was going to post memories of each of the people that I actually knew, but I think instead, I will post a photo of myself with each, especially since I only have one very vague memory of Holger--waiting at the airport with Nana for him.I think I'm about six months or so in this shot.

Open Thread Thursday: WDYTYA Season 2 Celebrities

The NBC show announced it's lineup for this coming season, which will start in January.

Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Rosie O'Donnell, Steve Buscemi, Kim Cattrall, Lionel Richie, Vanessa Williams, and Ashley Judd.

So this week,the Geneablogger's Open Thread Thursday focuses on that:

* Given the celebrity lineup just announced for WDYTYA, in your opinion are there any surprises? Any disappointments?

* How do you feel about the use of celebrities on WDYTYA instead of ordinary, everyday people?

* Does it seem that WDYTYA has a “formula” that is uses in selecting celebrities for each season? Such as at least one “polarizing” personality? Specific ethnicities? Specific ages (again, there is not one person under 40 this season)?

* Do you find it possible to watch a segment with a celebrity you dislike, setting aside your feelings, just to see the genealogical research aspect and family history stories?

* If you could select seven celebrities for a season of WDYTYA, who would you select? And if possible, tell us why you would select each person.

Surprises? Well, I'm rather surprised to see Kim on there, given that she did one for the UK version. I can't help wondering if it will be the same, just re-dubbed, or if we'll get more on a different side of her family, as that episode was very focused.

Disappointments definitely. The mix of sexes and ethnicities is almost exactly the same, and there are no "other" races this time, just like last time. I'd like to see someone with native heritage. Or Asian-American. I'm beginning to feel like their focus is on finding people who have big stories that lead to some huge American historical event, which bugs me, because that shouldn't be what this show is about. I'd rather see it show that we're ALL not from here, rather than prove we all are--because we aren't.

I think the use of celebrities is just fine. I mean, they have lives, too. If there's one thing the UK version showed me its that celebrities have every bit as much of varied lives as "everyday" people. And at least this way it draws in people who might otherwise see genealogy as a boring pursuit. Might even get them interested in looking into their own.

Formula--still a bit too soon, aside from the fact that the mix of sexes and ethnicitie sseems almost exactly the same as last years. And my comment above about the focus on American history.

After watching 5 or so seasons of the UK one, which included many people I didn't know at all, and several who grated on me during watching, plus one specifically from the US last year who I didn't like herself, I can definitely say that who it is doesn't matter to me as much as the story. I'm always most interested in those that reflect one aspect or another of my own family history, though I will say that so far of all the episodes I've watched, Stephen Fry's from the UK series is still my favorite.

My Top 20:

1. John Stamos
2. Bill Cosby
3. Stephen Spielberg
4. Leonard Nemoy
5. Robert Downey Jr
6. Lee Pace
7. Mark Dacascos
8. George Takei
9. Levar Burton
10. Tim Gunn
11. Harrison Ford
12. Lou Diamond Phillips
13. Emily and/or Zooey Deschanel
14. Mariska Hargitay
15. Kristin Chenowith
16. Jodie Foster
17. Drew Barrymore
18. Whoopi Goldberg
19. Carrie Fisher
20. Cher

Big names probably either wouldn't want to do it, or wouldn't have time, so that leaves out Spielberg (as much I as I'd love to see his for the Jewish aspects), RDJ, Harrison Ford, and Drew Barrymore (though hers would be huge fun to watch).. Jodie Foster's awfully private, so that leaves her out as I doubt she'd agree, busy or not. Bill Cosby, Whoopi, and Cher are iffy, I don't know if they'd be willing/up to it/have time, but they'd be fun to watch.

So that leaves

1. John Stamos
2. Leonard Nemoy
3. Lee Pace
4. Mark Dacascos
5. George Takei
6. Levar Burton
7. Tim Gunn
8. Lou Diamond Phillips
9. Emily and/or Zooey Deschanel
10. Mariska Hargitay
11. Kristin Chenowith
12. Carrie Fisher

Tim, Emily, and Mariska are all pretty busy with their shows, and Zooey's pretty busy these days too, so if I leave them off, that makes nine. I think George would be more likely to agree than Leonard, and better to only have one original Trek star anyway, so that's eight. Carrie swings between too busy and not busy enough, and Kristin's always busy these days, but that leaves me with no girls, so let me backtrack. My dream would probably be this:

1. John Stamos
2. Mark Dacascos
3. George Takei
4. Lou Diamond Phillips
5. Emily Deschanel
6. Kristin Chenowith
7. Carrie Fisher

Of course, that's the actor edition...I just realized I have no authors or news people or musicians on there at all... And of course, I would easily change any of them for Whoopi instead. Hers would be a hoot.

Advent Calendar: Dora Kresch

Dora Hillinger nee Kresch aka Bubbie

Born 1892, Died 1969, aged 77
Lived in: Galicia; Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; Memphis, Tennessee; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Chicago, Illinois
Married: Alex Hillinger
Children:
Ben Hillinger
Sam Hillinger (Sammi)
Mina Hillinger
Helena Sarah Hillinger
Hilda Pesel Hillinger (Peppi)
Selma Betty Hillinger

Like her husband, Dora was born in a small Jewish area in Eastern Europe which is now located in Poland. She was born to Benzion and Fiege Golda Kresch, but unlike her husband, she lived in Galicia through her childhood and into her early adulthood. It was only when she was older that she and her sister Minna decided to move to Frankfurt to find their way. Living in Frankfurt she met Alex Hillinger, and they were married in 1919. The two lived happily in the city for a decade with their growing family. When the Nazis came to power, and things grew difficult, the two decided to leave Germany. The family moved to France while they waited for permission to immigrate to the United States. When Alex suffered a stroke shortly after the family's arrival in the United States, Dora found work in a hospital as a cook to support the family while their children finished their schooling. Shortly before World War II, the family finally settled in Chicago, and it was there that the next generation began, their first grandchild born around 1947. Dora lived in Chicago until her death in 1969.

Advent Calendar: Alex Hillinger

Alex Hillinger
(variously Elias and Alec for his first name and Seneft and Hilinger for his surname as well. I believe Alec to be an Anglicanization of his name. Seneft was his father's surname, but he was unable to use the name after the first world war, so he ended up using his mother's surname, which eventually Americanized to Hillinger with two ls)

Born around 1883, Died 1947 (or possibly 48), aged 65
Lived in: Sedziszow, Galicia; London, England; Camp Douglas, Isle of Man; Frankfurt, Germany; Paris, France; Memphis, Tennessee; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Chicago, Illinois
Married: Dora Kresch
Children:
Ben Hillinger
Sam Hillinger (Sammi)
Mina Hillinger
Helena Sarah Hillinger
Hilda Pesel Hillinger (Peppi)
Selma Betty Hillinger

Alex was born to Leon and Mindel Seneft in a small town in Eastern Europe in an area now located in Poland. It was an area with many small Jewish towns (called Shtetls) scattered through. When Alex was still young, his parents moved their family away from the poverty and worries of Eastern Europe and settled in England. They were there when the Great War started. Alex, at least, was sent to live in an enemy aliens camp on the Isle of Man, Camp Douglas. He stayed there through the war, then left and returned to Germany (he grew up in was in Galicia, which was a German state at the time), settling in Frankfurt, where many young men and women were gathering. He was told by the German officials that since his parents had only married in a religious and not a civil ceremony, that their marriage was considered invalid. From that moment on, he went by the surname Hillinger, and never used the name Seneft again. In Frankfurt, he met the woman who was to become his bride, Dora Kresch, and in 1919, the two married. Over the next ten years, they had six children, and Alex worked to grow his businesses, which included a movie house or two. When the Nazis came to power in the late twenties, and sentiment turned against Jews in Germany, Alex's businesses began to fail. By 1933, he decided they should leave. They moved temporarily to France while he worked to get permission to settle in the United States, where his family eventually settled in Chicago shortly before World War II. Alex suffered a stroke shortly after their arrival in the United States, and by the late forties, his health failed him. He died in Chicago, shortly before his second grandchild was born.

Advent Calendar: Selina Roberts

Selina Howells nee Roberts

Born 1846, Died 1933, aged 87
Lived in: Barmouth, Wales; Penrhiwceiber, Wales; Winnapeg, Canada; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Gabriel Howells
Children:
Ellen Catherine Howells
Howell Gabriel Howells
Selina Jane Howells
Gwen Mary Howells
Hugh Cadvan Howells
Eliza Anne Howells
Catherine Howells
Edward Gabriel Howells

Selina Roberts was born in 1846 in North Wales to Hugh and Ellen Roberts. At the age of twenty-seven, she married a young man by the name of Gabriel Howells, and the two settled down to raise a family together in Northern Wales. After the loss of their first children to whooping cough, the young family moved to Southern Wales, where Gabriel could find work as a stone-mason. Soon, though, the family moved again, going to live with Gabriel's brother in Manitoba, Canada, settling on his farm for a while before moving to their own home in Winnapeg. After their children had all grown, the couple moved to Vancouver, BC, where the climate was warmer, and to be close to several of their children who had moved to the area. The couple lived there until their deaths in the early thirties, living long enough to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary in 1932.

Advent Calendar: Gabriel Howells

Gabriel Howells (Gabriel)
(the Welsh naming system is patronymic for the first son in particular, so at birth Gabriel's name was Gabriel Gabriel. I'm uncertain of when his name became Gabriel Howells as of yet.)

Born 1849, Died 1934, aged 84
Lived in: Towyn, Wales; Celynin, Wales; Barmouth, Wales; Penrhiwceiber, Wales; Manatoba, Canada; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Selina Roberts
Children:
Ellen Catherine Howells
Howell Gabriel Howells
Selina Jane Howells
Gwen Mary Howells
Hugh Cadvan Howells
Eliza Anne Howells
Catherine Howells
Edward Gabriel Howells

Gabriel Howells was born in Northern Wales to Hywel Gabriel and his wife Catherine Jones, their first-born son. Hywel was a weaver and farmer, and his quilts were much sought after. As a young man, Gabriel was apprenticed to a stone-mason, and made a fairly good living at the trade throughout his life. In 1874, he married Selina Roberts, and the two started a family together. After their first two children died of whooping cough, the family moved away from the area, and came to settle in Southern Wales where the rest of their children were born. He worked in the mines there, building supporting arches until he decided to move to Manatoba, Canada at the urging of his brother Lewis. The families lived together there for some time, two large families in one small house. After a time, Gabriel decided to move his family to Winnapeg, preferring to live by his trade rather than by farming, and the family settled there, the children moving away as each married. In 1906, he and his wife made one final move, settling near several of their children who had settled in Vancouver, where the climate was much milder. The two lived there until their deaths.

Advent Calendar: Benjamin Jones and Hannah Griffith

Benjamin Jones

Born 1865, Died before 1915
Lived in: Caio, Wales; Merthyr Tydil, Wales
Married: Hannah Griffiths
Children:
Daniel Jones
David Jones
Joseph Jones
Jack Jones
William Jones
May Jones
Sophia Jones

Benjamin Jones was born in the small town of Caio, Wales, which is situated near the Dolaucothi Gold Mines, an old Roman mine over 2000 years old. He married Hannah Griffiths, and the two eventually settled on a farm in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, where they raised their children. Aside from their eldest son, the entire family stayed in the area well into adulthood, and Benjamin and Hannah lived in Merthyr Tydful until their deaths.

Hannah Jones nee Griffiths, aka Gu (pronounced Gee)
(Gu is the Southern Welsh word for "Grandma")

Born 1863, died 1933, aged 69
Lived in: Newcastle Emlyn, Wales; Merthyr Tydful, Wales
Married: Benjamin Jones
Children:
Daniel Jones
David Jones
Joseph Jones
Jack Jones
William Jones
May Jones
Sophia Jones

Hannah was born near the West coast of Wales in a small town called Newcastle Emlyn. After marrying Benjamin Jones, the two settled on a farm in the town of Merthyr Tydfil, where they raised seven children together. Aside from their eldest son Daniel, the entire family stayed in the area well into adulthood. Hannah did get to meet Daniel's children when his family came to Wales to visit in the twenties.

CHRISTENSEN (Denmark) – Part II

Meaning/Pronunciation: Pronunciation: Chris-ten-SEN Meaning: descendant of Christen

Origin: Danish

Variations: Another patronymic, so there are both –sen and –datter versions.

Relation to me: This is my father's mother's father's mother's father's mother's mother.

Ancestors:
i: Christensen, Mette, abt 1773 – ?, Vejle, Denmark; Soren Sorensen, 4 sons, 6 daughters

Looking for:
This is a recent find in my tree, so the information may or may not be accurate, but I believe it to be. As it is so new, I'd love to get more information on this side and find out more about this family. A lot of the above children didn't live past childhood, and indeed, many look as though they didn't even live to be a year old, given the recorded names I found.

I'd definitely love to know more about her, and to find her parents, though as with the immediately previous entries, this is pretty far back in my tree, so this one's on the back burner.

Advent Calendar: Elizabeth Curran

Elizabeth Park nee Curren

Born August 12, 1862, Died April 27, 1954, aged 91
Lived in: Belfast, Antrim, North Ireland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US; Ireland (uncertain, but Belfast most likely); Vancouver, Canada
Married: Robert James Park
Children:
(two unnamed children who died in early childhood)
Robert Park
Elizabeth Park
Mary Dunlop Park
Rhoda Park
Margaret Park
George Park
Florence Park

Like her husband, Elizabeth was born in a bad time in Irish history, though we know a bit more about her than about her husband. She was born to Thomas and Jennie (Blair) Curran in Belfast, Ireland, one of at least three, possibly as many as seven or more children born to the couple. She likely married before leaving Ireland due to the Potato Famine there, and she and her husband Robert settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where all their children were born. When life became difficult in the early 1900s, the couple and their children all moved back to Ireland. When one of their daughters moved to Canada, she sent back such glowing reports of the country that the rest of the family soon followed, and Elizabeth and Robert settled in Vancouver, BC, where she lived long enough to meet three of her great-grandchildren before dying in 1954.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: d'Aboville Numbers

From Genea-Musings last week:

1) Do you know what a d'Aboville numbering system is? A clear description of it is in the Encyclopedia of Genealogy here, and on Wikipedia here. Pretty neat numbering system, isn't it?

2) What are your own d'Aboville numbers for your four lines of your grandparents (starting with the first known person in the paternal line)? Your genealogy software program may be able to help you with this [Family tree Maker 2011, RootsMagic 4 and Legacy Family Tree 7 can, but Family Tree Maker 16 and earlier cannot].

3) Tell us your own d'Aboville numbers for your four grandparent paternal lines in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a status line, note or comment on Facebook.

4) for extra credit, tell us how you figured out your d'Aboville numbers - which program, and the process.

For me, as far as I know (a lot of gaps in my knowledge):
From my paternal line - Leon Seneft (mid 1800s) - 1.1.2.1.1 (I'm not entirely certain of the first two, and my grandfather was a twin, so I'm not sure if he was second or third-born.)
From my paternal grandmother's paternal line - Knud Madsen (mid 1700s) - 1.1.1.1.3.1.1.1 (again, not sure of the first three, but the rest all have dates)
From my mom's paternal line - Hans Henrich Bordvick (mid 1700s) - 1.2.4.1.1.1.3.1 (the first in this is the only one I'm not certain of)
From my maternal grandmother's paternal line - Benjamin Jones (mid 1800s) - 1.1.3.3.1 (again, not sure about the first, but I'm pretty sure the rest are correct)

Luckily I don't have many generations in my tree, so it was pretty easy to figure out by hand.

However--I want to do my maternal lines, too. So...

From my maternal line - Ellen (Pugh or Griffiths) Roberts (early 1800s) - 1.1.6.3.3.1 (and again, uncertain with the first two)
From my maternal grandfather's maternal line - Jennie (Jane) (Blair) Curran (early 1800s) - 1.1.3.1.3.1 (uncertain about the first, possibly iffy on the second)
From my paternal grandmother's maternal line - Birthe Marie (Schroder) Larsen (early 1800s) - 1.1.3.1.1.1 (only uncertain on the first)
From my dad's father's maternal line - Fiege Golda (Reich) Kresch (mid 1800s) - 1.1.2.1.1 (uncertain on the first two, and again, not certain if my grandfather is second or third born)


Oh, that's fun. I like numbering systems... :D

A Genealogist's Dictionary:

This list is in no way complete, and most people will have different needs and interests as far as subjects go. One person might be most interested by Scandinavian terms or traditions, while another might need to know Latin and Legal terms. Don’t assume that simply because it is not on this list, I felt it unimportant, these are merely the terms I’ve run across in my own Genealogical Pursuits.

I will be infrequently adding more, so if you have words you think I should add to this list, feel free to let me know.

Updated February 25, 2011

Ab - Aunt

Bachelor - Brit Milah

Cajun - Cymru

d’Aboville Numbers - DAR

Eire - Extract

Foster - Foundling

Galicia - Gregorian Calendar

Hebrew Calendar - Husband

Illegitimate - Issue

Julian Calendar

Kindred

Late - Luddite

Mac - Migration

Namesake - Nickname

Obituary - Orphan

Parent - Prussia

Quaker - Quitclaim

Scots-Irish - Surname

Toponym - Troubles, The

Uncle

Widow/Widower - Will

Advent Calendar: Robert James Park

Robert James Park

Born 1852, died 1930, aged 78
Lived in: Ireland (uncertain of location or locations); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Ireland (again, Belfast most likely); Vancouver, Canada
Married: Elizabeth Curran
Children:
(two unnamed children who died in early childhood)
Robert Park
Elizabeth Park
Mary Dunlop Park
Rhoda Park
Margaret Park
George Park
Florence Park

Robert was born in a turbulent time in Irish history. Because of this, we know almost nothing about his life before he came to the United States. We do know he was born to a man named John Park and his wife, whose surname was Dunlop. Robert and his wife married before coming to the states, I believe, possibly sometime around 1883. The couple moved to the US because of the Irish Potato Famine, and settled in Philadelphia, where all their children were born. Of their nine children, seven survived childhood, and six to adulthood, though only two went on to have families of their own. When Teddy Roosevelt came to power, the Republicans did everything in their power to make life difficult, and so the family chose to return to Ireland. Eventually, one of their daughters made her way to Vancouver BC, and sent back such glowing reports of the city and country that the rest of the family soon followed, most of them settling in and around the Vancouver BC area, where Robert died in 1930.

Advent Calendar: Leonharde Marie Bordewick

Leonharde "Harda" Marie Bordewick
(Maiden name alternatively Johan Petersen, Bordeviksen, Bordevich and Bordewich due to changing naming traditions at the time in Norway, and to Anglicization of the surname. Her nickname can be spelled with an a on the end, but the traditional Scandinavian spelling would be Harde, pronounced the same way.)

Born 1861, Died 1943, aged 82
Lived in: Gimsoy, Norway; Lofoten Islands, Norway; Antwerp, Belgium; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Henrick Bergthon Bordewick
Children:
Bjarne Bordewick
Harald Bordewick
Hans Henrik Bordewick

Leonharde was the second child born to Johan Petter Bordevick and his second wife Henrikke Roness. She married Henrick Bergthon Bordewick in 1887 in Trondheim, Norway, and the two settled in the Lofoten Islands to raise their three sons. However, in the late 1800s, fishing grew scarce, so the family moved to Belgium in hopes of making a better life there. After some difficulties, they chose to move again, settling in the boom town of Vancouver, BC in Canada, where their sons all settled and raised families of their own. Harda lived long enough to see her grandson George marry in 1939, and to meet her first great-grandson, who was born in 1942.

Advent Calendar: Henrick Bergthon Bordewick

Henrick Bergthon Bordewick
(surname alternately Hans Henricksen, Bordevik, Bordevich, Bordewich due to changing naming traditions at the time in Norway, and to Anglicization of the surname)

Born 1862, Died 1930, Aged 67
Lived in: Vagan, Nordland, Norway; Lofoten Islands, Norway, Antwerp, Belgium; Vancouver, BC, Canada
Married: Leonharde Marie Bordewich
Children:
Bjarne Bordewick
Harald Bordewick
Hans Henrik Bordewick

Henrick Bergthon Bordewick was the first-born son of Hans Henrik Bordevick and his wife Karen "Kaja" Dorthea Angell, born in 1862 In Northern Norway. His family had been fishermen and sailors since his great-grandfather came to Norway from Germany, where the family name originated. Henrick married Leonharde in 1887 in Trondheim, Norway, and together the two made a home in the Lofoten Islands North of the Arctic Circle. Towards the end of the 1800s, fishing in the Lofoten Islands became difficult, so Henrick and his brother Eivind decided to leave their home and try to find a better place to make money in fishing. For a time, Henrick and his family settled in Antwerp, but their name and their business with the English made it difficult to live in Belgium, who had sympathies with the Dutch in South Africa, and thought the family English. They moved again, this time to Canada, and there they made their home with their three boys, remaining there until the day they died.

Advent Calendar: Maren Sofie Olsen

Maren Sofie Hansen nee Olsen

Born 1855, died 1923, aged 67
Lived in: Slots-Bjergby, Denmark; Fjenneslev, Denmark; Alsted-Flinterup, Denmark
Married: Rasmus Hansen
Children:
Herman Hansen
Marin Hansine Marie Hansen
Julie Oline Hansen
Hans Kristian Hansen
Johanne Kristen Hansen
Ole Hansen

Maren Sofie Olsen was the only child born to Ole Larsen and Birthe Marie Schrøder. When the rush to America came in the mid 1800s, her father made his way to America. He never sent for his wife and her child, so Maren was farmed out to earn her own keep as a child, which was a common practice in those days. In 1881, she married widower Rasmus Hansen, and together they settled down on his farm Stubbegaarden which was located in the center of the island of Zeland in Denmark. In 1895, Rasmus fell ill and died, leaving her with six young children to raise on a small farm. The children did their best to help out, with the two eldest taking the heaviest load, and her third child, Oline, helping out with better off families who lived in the area. Soon Oline and Hans made their way to America, following in their grandfather's footsteps, though they did return a few times to see their mother before her death in 1923.

Advent Calendar: Rasmus Hansen

Rasmus Hansen

Born 1845, died 1895, aged 49
Lived in: Knudstrup Denmark; Fjenneslev, Denmark; Alstead-Flinterup, Denmark
Married: Maren Nielsen (died 1879), Maren Sofie Olsen
Children:
Herman Hansen
Marin Hansine Marie Hansen
Julie Oline Hansen
Hans Kristian Hansen
Johanne Kristen Hansen
Ole Hansen

Rasmus Hansen was born in the farming town of Knudstrup, Denmark, on the Island of Seland. It appears he lived all his life as a farmer. His farm was called Stubbegaarden, located in Alsted-Flinterup. He married not once, but twice, marrying again two years after his first wife died. He and his second wife, Maren Sofie had six children together, the eldest of which was born the year after they were married. In early 1895, when their youngest child was only three years of age, Rasmus took ill and died, leaving Maren on their farm to raise their children the best she could. Their eldest was only twelve years old.

Advent Calendar: Jens Kristian Hansen & Else Katrine Hansen

Note: To fit in everyone I wanted, I had to double up a few days, so Sundays you will be getting two entries in one.

Jens Kristian Hansen

No Known Photo

Born 1858, Died 1919, aged 60
Lived in: Vejle, Denmark
Married: Else Katrine Larsen
Children:
Hansine Kristine Hansen
Hans Jorgen Hansen
Holger Skov Hansen
Aage Hansen
Alfred Hansen
Ida Kristine Hansen
Hans Knudsen Hansen
Adolf Hansen

Jens Kristian Hansen was born in Vejle, Denmark, located in Jutland, born to Hans Knudsen and Christine Jensdatter. He married Else Katrine Larsen in 1885, and the two had a farm where they raised their 8 children. The farm did not provide very well, so Jens made extra money using his masonry skills. He taught his skill to at least one of his sons, and in the early 1900s, he and his son Holger got the contract to build their local train station when the tracks were finally laid in town. Holger left soon after, setting off for America, and another of his brothers for England, where the two settled and raised families. Jens lived in Vejle with his wife Else until the day he died.

Else Katrine Hansen nee Larsen

Born 1865, Died 1934, aged 68
Lived in: Ringive, Denmark; Vejle, Denmark
Married: Jens Kristian Hansen
Children:
Hansine Kristine Hansen
Hans Jorgen Hansen
Holger Skov Hansen
Aage Hansen
Alfred Hansen
Ida Kristine Hansen
Hans Knudsen Hansen
Adolf Hansen

Else Katrine Larsen was born in Vejle, Denmark to Jorgen Larsen and Ivare Kristen Christensen. She was the eldest of their nine children. In 1885, she married Jens Kristian Hansen, and settled down on a farm with him where they raised 8 children together. After her children grew up, many left Denmark to seek their fortunes, settling in both England and the United States. Else lived in Vejle until her death.

Advent Calendar: Fiege Golda Kresch

Fiege Golda Kresch nee Reich
(I am uncertain at this time whether she went by Fiege or Golda)

Born abt 1870, died abt 1929
Lived in: Galicia, Eastern Europe; Frankfurt, Germany
Married: Benzion Kresch
Children:
Dora Kresch
Minna Kresch
Possibly a son
May be more children

Feige was likely born in Galicia, as that was where her daughter Dora was born. She married Benzion Kresch, a teacher and Rabbi for the communities in their area of Galicia. She and Benzion had at least two children, both of whom went to Frankfurt to make better lives for themselves after World War I. I believe she may have moved to Frankfurt to stay with or near them after her husband's death, and lived there until her death.