My grandmother Kristine Rasmussen nicknamed Minna

Later when she spelled her name she wrote Christine.

Born 16 July 1883 Snesere, Snesere, Bårse, Præstø, Denmark

My grandmother’s parents were Hans Peter Rasmussen 1837-1903

and Ane Katrine Jacobsdatter 1839-1884

Her parents:

Hans Peter Rasmussen was born  21 Juni 1837 i Smidstrup – and died  24 Mar 1903 in Snesere, Prœstø, Denmark. His  parents were Rasmus Andersen 1811-1890  og Ane Hansdatter 1802-1852

Hans Peter married Ane Katrine Jacobsdatter from Allerslev. Their first child  Jacob Peder Rasmussen was born in Lillemark, Allerslev Parish before they were married (1. August 1867) and I assume that since at that time it was a great shame to have a child before marriage, it was the reason they moved to Snesere. Ane Katrine Jacobsdatter was born  2 February 1839 in Allerslev. She died 1884. She was daughter of  Jacob Pedersen 1811-1881 and Kirsten Pedersdatter 1807-1883.

Hans Peter Rasmussen was a wealthy blacksmith.  As a matter of fact the rumours went that he was the richest man in Snesere, but we must remember Snesere was a very samll town, but in the Census of 1880 Hans Peter had two apprentices living with them: Rasmus Torkilsen age 17, from Hasner Sogn and Jens Pedersen age 20 from Snesere Sogn

UPDATE 2017: Some of Hans Peter Rasmussen’s blacksmith tools are still sitting in his old business in Snesere.

Hans Peter Rasmussen og Ane Katrine Jacobsdatter had 11 children

1.Jacob Peder Rasmussen  foedt 7 Maj 1867 I Allerslev,

Jacob Peder was not officially registrered before 26 Nov. 1868. Jacob immigrated  1883 to Minden, Nebraska where one of his mothers sitster (who?) lived.  He got married to an Irish woman and they had at least one child Carolyn whom my aunt Elly and her Ernok Nielsen visited in Minden, Nebraska. I don’t know much further about this, but did connect with some family in Nebraska.

2 Ane Kirstine Rasmussen born  11. October 1868 died when she was three years old.

3 Elise Margrethe Rasmussen ( My mother is named after her)

She was born 16.May1870. Elise Margrete was only 14 years old when her mother ( my gg. Mother Katrine) died so Elise became like a mother to my grandmother who was the youngest of all the siblings. Kristine was only one year old when her mother died. Elise was the one that my grandmother Minna knew the best and I am sure that is why she named my mother after her. Elise did not have an easy life.  She got married to Jens Kristiansen from Bredeshave, but she died at the age of 21 years old, three days after she had given birth to a little girl who was stillborn. Jens Kristian went to Jutland and nobody knows anything about his whereabout.

4 Jens Christian Rasmussen was born 28 July 1871. He immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska i 1888 at the age of 17. He died unmarried in 1956 i Grant, (eller Grand Island?) Nebraska. U.S.A.

Alle the living siblings inherited a great amount of money from Jens Kristian. Since my grandmother Minna passed away the year before my mother inherited a large sum of money from Jens Christian.

In 1947 Jens Christian moved home to live in Denmark, but within three months he changed his mind and went back to Minden, Nebraska where he passed away.

Since everybody knew that they properly would never see him again they arranged a family reunion (my mother was the only one that was not there:

5 Anne Rasmussen. Was born  1872 and passed away 1916.  I don’t know anything about her.

6 Sidse Marie Rasmussen. Born  27 April 1874. Died  13. October 1885 at the age of 11.

7 Kirsten Sofie Rasmussen, born  23. October 1875. Died  28 Marts 1884. at the age of 9

8. Anders Rasmussen was born 31 Jan 1877.  Died in Copenhagen 23 January 1963.

Anders married Thora Karoline Henriksen. Thora had a child 1907 before she met Anders.

Anders og Thora had four children: Anna Hansine Katrine 1910.  Hans Peter Rasmussen 1913, Halfdan Rasmussen 1914 and  Elly in 1920. Elly married Ernok Nielsen and they immigrated to Alberta, Canada. It is through Elly that I have found a lot of my genealogy (see my story about how I found Elly and Ernok)

9. Karen Rasmussen was born  23 Marts 1879 inI Snesere. She married Hans Christopher Hemmingsen.

They had  6 children:  Hans Evald, Erik, Ragnhild, Ane Margrethe, Betty og Lilli.

 10. Dorthea Rasmussen was born 8. September 1881 in I Snesere.

Dorthea married  Frederik Frederiksen. They lived in Frederikssund where they owned a restaurant.

They had three children: Lilly Christine Katrine, Ane Emilie (nicknamed Mille) and  Svend Holger Frederiksen (who later took the name Braess from an orchestra that he owned).

My mother worked for awhile for Dortheas and Frederik in their restaurant.in Frederikssund.

 Kristine (Minna) Here is Minna at the age of 14. The date on the photo is wrong. This photo must have been taken 1897.

11.Kristine Rasmussen (nicknamed Minna)   was born 16. Juli 1883.  Her mother died when she was one year old. Her sister Elise Margrethe raised her.  She married Carl Valdemar Christensen 25 May 1925. They lived Sjoltevejen 25, where I first met my grandmother when I was 10 years old

The five sibling that were alive 1947

Jens Christian immigrated to Nebraska. Remained single

Anders Rasmussen married to Thora Dorthea Henriksen.

Dorthea who married Frederik Kristian Frederiksen and moved to Frederikssund where they had a restaurant

 Karen married Hans Christopher Hemmingsen who owned a Restaurant for several years, but was also a bricklayer.

 

This photo was taken 1947 when Jens Christian came home from Minden, Nebraska.

from left Jens Christian and Anders

Dorthea, Karen and my grandmother Kristine.

Carl (Karl) Valdemar Christensen – Minna’s husband

Minna married Carl Valdemar Christensen 21 May 1925 – At the age of 42.  Minna and Carl lived on Sjolteveje I Tappernøje, on a small farm that used to belong to Carls’ parents Lars and Sofie Christensen. They had 8 cows, a horse, a dog and chickens, but no children together.

When I was 9 years old I met my grandmother Minna. I had no clue that she existed, but that summer my Mom said to be.  “You are going to visit your grandmother MORMOR MINNA. 

Mormor means grandmother on the mother’s side. (Unfortunately I don’t have ANY photos from me visiting my grandmother)

Of course, I was excited and at that time did now know the whole story which was that my mother did not tell Minna that I was coming before she had placed me on the bus from Copenhagen to Tappernøje (which is a part of Snesere).

When I arrived on the bus Carl came to pick me up together with their little dog. I did not have a dog of my own, living on Vesterbro in Copenhagen, so it was exciting for me to see a dog.

Minna was NOT pleased at all to see me.  That made me sad, but after a couple of days it changed.  She liked me and after my first holiday there Minna – herself – invited me to come back the next year and I ended up going to see Minna every summer until she passed away in 1955.

That first year I was there I remember sleeping in the attic. The blanket – which was a huge heavy feather down was so heavy that I felt I had a ton of bricks on top of me.

I liked it there.  I liked when the rooster in the morning woke me up with its cockadoodeloo.

Carl passed away 1952, and Minna moved to Prœstø where she lived in a little townhouse.

As I got to know my grandmother, I really liked her.  In the evening, we would take our pajamas on and dance around in the living room (just like my Mom would do).  I guess you can disown your children, but the genes.  My grandmother liked dancing.  My mother liked dancing and I like dancing.

One time when I was 13 years old I drove my bike all the way from Copenhagen to Prœstø to see Minna.  83 kilometers.  I had to drive home the next, because I had to go to school that Monday.

The last couple of years Minna invited my sister Birgit and my Mom and Minna finally also united the last couple of years before Minna passed away.  As a matter of fact my mom and Minna ended up as good friends.

Minna died 7 August 1955 Prœstø, Baarse, Prœstø, Denmark. She was buried 10 August 1955 Snesere, Snesere, Bårse, Prœstø, Denmark. I grew to love my grandmother and it was really hard on me when she passed away.  I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know my grandmother Minna.