Finding Oline Correspondance Part .5

So I know I said last week that I would do the responses to Marilyn's letters from Omaha and Denmark, but then I went through the letters I had and found one that pre-dated my first entry here. So we'll call this entry Finding Oline Correspondance .5, then.

This is how Marilyn got the information that she sent to the Ringsted Archives.

April 6, 1986

Dear Maggie,

Here are copies of papers Marilyn asked that I look up for her effort to find where our mother came from. The death certificate seemed to be the source of the use of the name OLIVE. I think it is also on her gravestone. Then when I found the marriage license I saw Olive again. Followed by Finland and Asmus instead of Rasmus.

Under Oline, in 1929, her will was probated. It was written Oct 2, 1925 but gave no clues to her Danish heritage.

Found Holger's naturalization papers listing "Aline"s birthdate as 1889, born at Ringsted.

I thought you might be curious about these. Couldn't find Oline's naturalization papers.

Marilyn & Lu are taking a big swing thru the East and we expect to see them next month. They also plan to see T & L later – after Lu's 50th reunion.

The end of May we're going to visit N & see the home he bought last fall.

Hope you both are well as ever.

Love,
Torben

An exciting letter for me, because I didn't realize Oline had a will, so I'll have to look into that and see if I can get a copy. Could make for some interesting reading.

As for Oline's naturalizations, I have been told that wives didn't need to be naturalized so long as their husbands were, or were already citizens.

And some scans of the mentioned documents:
Holger's Naturalization information:
Their Marriage Documentation:

And Oline's Death Certificate:

Sorry they're a bit blurry, but any family members who would like a copy, I'm definitely willing to send the versions I have on my computer, which are much better.

Next week: The promised responses from Omaha and Denmark.

Finding Oline Correspondance Part 2

Last week, I posted my aunt Marilyn's letter to Denmark to find out more about her mother's family, and their response. This week, I'm sharing the letters she wrote to her cousins and her Uncle who was still alive in the US.

(Again, I've taken out all the personal addresses below, even though most are likely no longer where my family lives, just for my own personal comfort)

[address redacted]

Mrs. Poul Hansen
[address redacted]
DENMARK

Dear Cousins Frede, Ulla, Ingrid and Katrine:

Today I received a letter from Mr. Niels-Jorgen Hansen of the Midtsjaellands Lokalhistoriske Arkiv in Ringsted telling me that I have 4 more cousins in Denmark. My family are as thrilled as I am to learn about you.

In adition, the news that Uncle Hans is still alive and is in the United States comes as a wonderful, great surprise. My brother and sister and I have fond childhood memories of him. I have written to him immediately to ask if I may visit him in Omaha, perhaps late in April.

I shall be traveling to Denmark late in May or early in June with two cousins from my father's family. We will rent a car and drive throughout Denmark fro about 2 weeks visiting family. Although the date of our flight into Copenhagen is not yet firm, I expect that we will be able to visit you the first week in June. Please let me know a day that is convenient for all of you for this historic visit, and we'll make our plans accordingly. I plan to stay in Denmark about a week after our tour.

I am sorry to say that I do not speak Danish, but one fo the cousins I shall be traveling with does speak Danish very well and will be our interpreter. Her name is Karen Margrethe. The other cousin's name is Elsa.

There are many questions I want to ask about your family, but I will leave them for our meeting. I am sending you a photograph of myself taken 4 years ago at my 60th birthday. I resemble my mother Oline very much. I will bring other family pictures with me, including some of my sister Margaret and brother Torben and their families.

When you write to me, please send a telephon number so I may call one of you from Copenhagen. Although I am mailing this letter to Ingrid, it is meant for all of you.

I will close with many greetings to you and your families and my great anticipation for our meeting in June.

Your cousin,
Marilyn Hansen Weare

March 21, 1987

[address redacted]
March 22, 1987

Mr. Hans C Hansen
[address redacted]

Dear Uncle Hans:

I am your sister Oline's daughter Marilyn.

I have recently been able to locate cousins Frede, Ulla, Ingrid and Katrine through correspondence with the Midtsjaellands Lokalhistoriske Arkiv in Ringsted, Denmark. The Arkivleder gave me your address.

I am so happy to find you after so many, many years, and I want to go to Omaha to visit you in late April. Please telephone me COLLECT at so we can talk about it.

Sister Margaret lives in Seattle, Washington now. She has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. She and I have each visited Denmark several times.

Brother Torben Skow lives in Cleveland and has 2sons, no grandchildren.

And I live in southern California. Luther and I have 2 married daughters and no grandchildren as yet.

Father Holger died on Christmas Day in 1977 in Cleveland.

I plan to go to Denmark in June of this year to visit cousins in Holger's family. Now I can also visit the cousins from Oline's side of my family. They know I am coming. What a thrill to have found them and you!

I am enclosing a picture of me taken in 1983, on my 60th birthday. I believe I resemble Oline very much.

It would be wonderful to see you again. Margaret, Torben and I have fond memories of you. I hope you will telephone me right away.

With love from your niece,
Marilyn Hansen Weare


Next: Letters from the cousins, from Omaha, and from the Ringstead Archives.

Finding Oline Correspondance - Part 1

So I'm starting on a book about my grandmother and her sister's search to find information about their mother. I've written about Oline before. She died when my grandmother was nine, and their father lost touch with the only sibling she had in the US, so they lost touch with that side of the family.

In the mid-eighties, my great-aunt took it upon herself to track down what little information they could find about their mother, tracking down her death and marriage certificates, and used the information she found to write a letter to her home town in hopes of finding more family.

The letters below are the letter she wrote, and what followed.

(I've taken out all the personal addresses below, even though most are likely no longer where my family lives, just for my own personal comfort)

MARILYN HANSEN WEARE
[address redacted]
24 February 1987

Direktor
Midtsjaellands Lokalhistoriske Arkiv
Skolegade 9
4100 Ringstead, DENMARK

Mr. Direktor:

I plan to visit Denmark in June 1987 to visit my father's family. I also wish to find any members of my mother's family, and ask for your help in locating them from your records.

My mother, Oline Hansen, was born in Fjenneslev, Denmark, December 25, 1888. Her father was Rasmus (or Asmus) Hansen; her mother's name was Sophie Olsen. She had one younger brother, Hans Hansen, so far as I know.

Oline emigrated to the United States about 1914/15 and worked a while in Chicago. After a visit home to Fjenneslev about 1916, she returned to the United States and lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where she married Holger Skow Hansen (of Thyregod, Denmark) September 14, 1918. I was the second of their 3 children (born 1919, 1923 and 1925). Mother died in Cleveland, Ohio, March 26, 1929.

We have lost all trace of Oline's brother Hans. He lived in Cleveland and visited us when Mother was alive. He was not married at the time, but he vanished a few years after Mother died. We have never known of Mother's family in Fjenneslev.

The above information was obtained from public records in Cleveland, Ohio. I did not find Oline's name listed in the 1911 census for Fjenneslev.

Enclosed is a check for US $10.00 towards any fee you charge for this service. I will be glad to pay whatever charge is required.

It would be a wonderful experience to visit any cousins, aunts or uncles from my mother's family (if there are any), or to see the records, when I visit Denmark in June. I am very grateful for your help and hope to have an early reply.

Very truly yours,
Marilyn Hansen Weare
(Mrs. Luther S. Weare)

The response from Ringsted:

MIDTSJÆLLANDS LOKALHISTORISKE ARKIV * RINGSTED
Skolegad 9 * 4100 Ringsted * Giro 9061533
Telefon 03*616859

Mrs Marilyn Hansen Weare
[address redacted]

Concern your letter February 24, 1987,

I wish to give you preliminary answer about your Mothers family here in Denmark, later I can send more information.

You have 4 cousins namely:
Frede Hansen, [address redacted]
Ulla Hansen, [address redacted], married with farmer Poul Jensen
Ingrid Hansen, [address redacted], married with painter Poul Hansen
Katrine Hansen , [address redacted], married with farmer Jørgen Jensen.

I send a Xero with the addres of Hans Hansen he had send a Christmas-card 1986, to Ingrid Hansen.

Your cousins are looking forward to see you.

We have informations-name and dates-about your family, perhaps these can have interest.

Ringsted March 11.1987
Kind Regards
(signature illegible L Something Hansen)
Midtsællands Lokalhistoriske Arkiv


I have more, but I figure I'll spread this out a little since I don't have much to post about these days, and there are a lot of letters I can add. :)

And a note: I didn't even realize until I started typing this up just how appropriate it was to do this this week. It was Holger and Oline's Anniversary Wednesday.