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.