FINDING AUNT ELLY
Was Nothing Less Than a
Miracle
Me and Elly
Through my
years old genealogical research, I have had many interesting experiences, but of
all of them, the best experience was to find my aunt Elly Nielsen – nee
Rasmussen.
I never knew
who my grandfather on my mother’s side was.
I tried for 40 years to research with no luck. My mother Else Margrethe Gunhild Emmely Rasmussen
was born 17 October 1907 – out of wedlock - on “Den Kongelige Fødselsstiftelse”
which was a hospital for “unwed mothers”.
My Mom Else Margrethe Gunhild Emmely Rasmussen.
When you
look in the church records at that time, such a child was called “uœgte barn” –
which directly is translated “unreal child”.
In USA they called such a child “a bastard” in the records.
My
grandmother Kristine Rasmussen, that we
all called Minna, NEVER told anybody who the Father was. Maybe she told her husband Karl Kristensen, that she
married later - in 1925, but if so, he
never told anybody. My grandmother went
in her grave with that secret.
My grandmother Kristine Rasmussen
I researched
in the Danish records from 1960 - and got nowhere. Finally - in year 2000 I decided to make a
“last attempt” and made a four-page newsletter with all the information I had on
my mother and my grandmother.
I received a
letter from Anne-Lise Pallesen – a professional genealogist from the Fladsaa
Archives in Denmark, that she was willing to try to find my grandfather.
She tried
for six months and found nothing, but in November 2000 she sent me a letter
that somebody living in Devon, Alberta, Canada – just two hours drive from
where I lived at that time - were paying
for my grandmothers’ brother Anders Rasmussen’s
burial ground in Snesere.
I wash
shocked and it was a puzzle for me,
because I knew that my grandmother’s brother Anders Rasmussen had passed away
1963 and in Denmark you normally only keep the burial grounds for 20 years.
Anne-Lise
gave me the name Ernoch Nielsen - who paid for the burial ground. I did not
know any Ernoch Nielsen and knew I had no Nielsens in my genealogy, so I was
wondering who it was, I found the
phone number on Ernoch Nielsen
and it was a woman taking the phone. I asked her if she was Ernoch Nielsens’
wife and she said she was.
I told her
that I was looking for somebody who was paying for Anders Rasmussen’s burial ground in Snesere. She responded:
“Anders Rasmussen is my Dad
and we are paying for the burial ground”.
She then
asked me “Are you Else”? I said “No I am not Else. I am Else’s daughter Vibeke. Elly then
pursued to tell me that she knew about my mother and that she wished I had
phoned last week then I could have attended her 80 birthday.
I went a
couple of weeks later to visit my aunt for the first time. I was shocked when she opened the door. It was like looking at my Mom. A short little 5’2” woman. I have to admit I got tears in my eyes.
I had
brought an old photo that I had inherited from my grandmother Minna, where
there were five of the 11 siblings, incl. my grandmother Minna and her Elly’’s Dad Anders.
from left Jens Christian Rasmussen, who immigrated to Nebraska, USA when he was 17 years old. Anders Rasmussen (Elly's Dad)
Dorthea Rasmussen, Karen Rasmussen and my grandmother Kristine Rasmussen (Minna)
I showed her
the photo. She said: “Just a
minute”. She went in to her bedroom and
came out with a photo where the whole Rasmussen family were on, incl. Elly. She pursued to tell me the the only that was
missing in the photo was my Mom.
My grandmother Kristine is in back row - in the middle with the glasses on. Her husband Karl Christensen to the right of her. Elly was telling me that the only one missing in this photo was my Mom.
Finding my
aunt Elly has blessed my life. I drove
up from Utah this year to visit her in the Senior home in Stoney Planes,
Alberta. Elly is now 96 years old and
still going strong.
This photo was taken in Stoney Planes, Alberta, Canada of Elly and I in May 2017. My aunt Elly is now 97 years old.
Vibeke
Lindhardt
10 January
2018
vibekesonja.blogspot.com
