So I have been putting off posting about this because I had a book I am trying to get published, but now that it's been edited and sent on its way, I wanted to write this up for everyone.
When I first got Nana's mom's family tree, it only went as far back as Oline's parents, so I have been spending a great deal of time trying to piece together the generations before them. Census records, birth records, anything that would give me the information I needed. Oline's mother was one of the first I found a record for—a birth record in the place of birth I had recorded for her.
Maren Sofie Olsen was born in 1855 in Slots-Bjergby, Denmark to Ole Larsen and Birthe Marie Schrøder. As I learned about her story, I got bits and pieces as I continued to research her. It seems her father left for America, and never sent for her and her mother. I also learned that her mother had been married before and had two daughters, only marrying again after her first husband died. Which meant that he'd left all four of them behind.
Well, a few weeks ago, I discovered a new record for a child for Ole and Birthe Marie—a son by the name of Lars Christian Olsen. A son who was three years older than Maren Sofie. I researched him more, and discovered another record for him—in America. So apparently Ole hadn't completely left his family behind. Though apparently Lars hadn't come over until after his confirmation. He was fifteen when he came to the US. Eventually, I also found a marriage record for him. And then a census record with his family.
I'm going to digress here a bit to put things in context now. The reason we had the family tree for Oline's side of the family was because my grandmother and her siblings had gone looking for information about their mother's family because of her death when my grandmother was only nine. In learning the information about their family, they discovered that their mother's younger brother was still alive, and went to visit him. Their uncle Hans told them many things about his life and their early lives. One of the things he told them was that he had come and worked for his uncle Oscar on his farm in Minnesota. So I have always had Oscar listed as a brother of Ole in my family tree, with a child also named Oscar, and a daughter named Tina.
When I looked at the census record, I was shocked because I recognized the names there. Lars and his wife, but also Oscar and Tina. Apparently, Hans hadn't fully understood the connections between himself and the people he worked with when he first came to America. So now I have the family properly mapped out.
> Ole and Birthe Marie had two children: Lars Christian and Maren Sofie.
> Lars Christian married Anna Elisabeth Johnsen and they had two children: Oscar Martin and Tena Marie Bergithe.
According to family story, neither had children, so that was the end of that line.
I also learned something else as I did research. Apparently Birthe Marie died in 1858, when Maren Sofie was only three. So this is likely why Ole never sent for them—by the time he was able, Birthe was probably dead, and he probably had no way to find out where the children were. Of course, there is also a story about a vase that was sent to Maren by her father, and that after, she never heard from him again. But whatever happened, Maren made her way in the world, and had a lovely family, and I will never forget what she and her mother went through; that without them, we wouldn't be here at all.
New Family Discovery
Four Generation Photos
I've done this one before, too, but I love how many photos we have that show four generations of our family.
L-R: Else Hansen (Generation 2); Florence Hansen; Florence & Hans Jorgen's daughter (Generation 4); Hans Jorgen (Generation 3); Ivare (Generation 1).
Back: Bjarne Bordewick (Generation 2), Merle Bordewick (Generation 3), Mary Bordewick (Generation 2)
Front: Harde Bordewick (Generation 1), mom's eldest brother (Generation 4), Lizzie Park (Generation 1)
L-R: Mary Bordewick (Generation 1), Mom (Generation 3), Me (on her lap) (Generation 4), George Bordewick (Generation 2)
Me (Generation 4), Dad (Generation 3), Holger (Generation 1), Nana (Generation 2)
L-R: Mom (Generation 3), Sis (on mom's lap) (Generation 4), Merle (Generation 2), Eliza (Generation 1), Me (Generation 4)
Sis (Generation 3), Dad (Generation 2), Niece (Generation 4), Nana (Generation 1)
L-R: Me (Generation 3), Mom (Generation 2), Niece (Generation 4), Sis (Generation 3), Merle (Generation 1), Aunt (Generation 2)
Visual Family Tree IV - The Jones & Howells family
Here is the Welsh branch of my family tree.
Daniel & Eliza's 50th with their three daughters, Marjorie, Merle, & Edwina, 1961
Nain with her three eldest grandchildren, ca 1943
Merle Jones ca 1939
Merle, Eliza, Marjorie, Edwina, ca 1930s
Eliza Jones ca 1930s
Jones kids, ca 1925
Edwina, Marjorie, Merle
Ivor
Gabriel & Selina's 50th Anniversary, ca 1924
Daniel & Eliza with their eldest two daughters, Marjorie & Edwina, ca 1914
Daniel Jones, date unknown
Eliza Howells, ca 1900?
Hannah & Benjamin Jones and their two daughters, May & Sophia, ca 1915
Howells family ca 1885
Back - Selina, Selina, Gabriel
Front - Eliza, Gwen, Hugh
Hugh & Ellen Roberts with Eliza Howells, ca 1886
And that's the lot! If you have any photos you think should be added, feel free to send them my way, or post them below. :)
Visual Family Tree III - The Bordewicks, Parks, and ancestors
Here's the Norwegian-Irish parts of my family tree.
George and Merle, late 1980s
The remaining Park siblings at their nephew's wedding, 1967
Margie, George, Rhoda, & Mary
Mom's elder brother and sister with Bjarne, Mary, & George ca 1948
George and Merle's wedding 1939, with Harde (left) and Lizzie (right)
George and Henry (aka Harry) Bordewick, ca 1930s
Bjarne & Mary ca 1930s
Robert Park ca 1920s
Park siblings, ca 1921-22
George, Rhoda, Mary, Elizabeth (their mother), ?, Margie
Young George at front holding mom's hand
Bjarne & Mary with Baby George ca 1918
Mary, Margie, Elizabeth, Bessie, ca 1917
Robert and Elizbeth & friend 1917 at their daughter's wedding
Hans, Margie, Mary, & Bjarne on Mary & Bjarne's wedding day, 1917
Young Mary Park ca 1910s
The Bordewick Brothers & Cousin ca 1897:
Margit Olsen, Bjarne, Hans, & Harald
Harde Bordewich ca 1900
Henrick Bergithon Bordewick ca 1890s
Johan Petter Bordewich ca mid 1800s
The things missing here make me a little sad, but I'm still pleased we get as far back as we do, thanks to the Bordewick family photos. If you have any photos you think should be added, feel free to send them my way, or post them below. :)
Visual Family Tree II - Hansens and ancestors
Here's the second half of my family tree, the Danish branches.
Maggie and Marilyn with their Uncle Hans ca 1987
Hansens during wartime (or just postwar): Hansine, Karen, Maggie, Hans Jorgen, Florence, and Marilyn
Hansen kids with aunt Helga and her daughter Else, ca 1929
The Hansen kids ca 1927-28: Marilyn, Maggie, & Torben
Holger & Oline's wedding portrait
Oline Hansen with her siblings ca early 1900s:
Back - Oline, Herman, Maren
Front - Ole, Johanne, Hans
Holger Hansen and most of his siblings ca early 1900s:
Back - Aage, Hans Jorgen, Holger
Front - Hansine, Alfred, Adolph, Ida
(Missing - Hans Knudsen)
Jens & Else Hansen ca 1900s
Rasmus & Maren Sofie Hansen with Hans ca 1890
Jorgen & Ivare Larsen ca 1900s
Ivare and her sister Katrine (I believe), ca 1900s
Hans Knudsen & Christine Jensdatter, ca 1860s
Several of these are my best guess, as I don't have any actual dates for them, just the dates I already have for the people in the photos.
I really am glad we have as many as we do, though, thanks to our Danish family who have found or given us several of these. If you have any photos you think should be added, feel free to send them my way, or post them below. :)
Visual Family Tree I – The Hillingers and ancestors
I did this way back when I first started posting to this blog, but the pictures no longer exist where I linked to them, so time to try again.
My sister and I ca 1981 or so in Ashland, Oregon.
The Hillinger Family at Christmas ca 1971 or so
The Hillingers skiing ca 1960 (my dad is taking the photo)
Dora and Alex with their first grandchild, ca 1948
The Hillinger family ca 1933:
Back row - Sam, Dora, Ben, Alex, Minna
Front Row - Helena, Selma, Peppi
Feige Golda Kresch (nee Reich) ca 1929
The Kresch sisters in 1919, Dora & Minna
Alex Seneft ca 1916-1918
Leon (aka Lewis) Seneft, unknown period
And that is as far as I am able to go back on this side, tree or photo. If you have any photos you think should be added, feel free to send them my way, or post them below. :)