Christian Anders Christensen Family
Brother of Pete Christenson


Christian "Chris Andrew" Anders Christensen
b. 20 Dec 1874 Nørre Nissum søgn, Skodborg hd., Ringøbing amt.,
private baptism: 28 Dec 1874 Nr. Nissum søgn, Ringkjøbing amt.
church baptism: 21 Feb 1875
d. 13 Sept 1912 Cranfills Gap, TX
buried: St. Olaf's, (Rock Church), Cranfills Gap, TX

m. Minnie Rohne 16 July 1902 Bosque Co., TX
b. 16 Sept 1882 Løten, Norway
d. 19 Oct 1941 buried St Olaf's, Cranfills Gap, Bosque Co., TX [findagrave.com]
her father: Evan Rohne
her mother: Marianne Egeberg

her 2m/his 2m. Chris C. Hansen c1917 (one child)
b. 13 Aug 1873 USA [US WWI Draft Registration]
d. 11 May 1923 Cranfills Gap, TX
his 1m. Mollie (unknown) b. 7 Apr 1878 d. 22 Jun 1912 TX

her 3m. Martin Julius Mickelson  by 1930
b. 26 Nov 1880
d. 5 Mar 1942 Texas (no issue)
his father: Paul Møller Christensen
his mother: Ane Johanne Pedersen

Children of Christian Anders Christenson and Minnie Rohne
Ervin Pernell Christensen b. 17 Apr 1903 Live Oak, Hamilton Co., TX d. 5 Nov 1964 Kilgore, Gregg Co., TX of carcinoma of the pancreas [Tex. Death Cert. 70312]
buried: Kilgore Cem.
m. Bonnie Mae Williams of Tyler, TX*
Johanna "Jennie" Marguretta Christensen b. 4 May 1905 d. 6 Jan 1968 m. William Bertrand Bertelsen 1932 St. Olaf's, Cranfills Gap, TX (b. 1905 - d. 1975)*
Paul Møller Christensen b. 21 Oct 1907 d. 30 Jun 1983 m. Amy Hazel Larsen 24 Sep 1933 Meridian, Bosque Co., TX
Marie Olena "Marianne" Christensen b. 1 Dec 1910 d. 26 Sep 1998 Cranfills Gap, Bosque Co., TX [SS Death Index]
m. Ralph Fredrick Dillon before 1946 in Atlanta, GA* (b. 14 Nov 1912  d. 31 Dec 2006 Cranfills Gap, TX)
*dates according to Bosque Co., Land and People

Children of Chris Hansen and Minnie Rohne Christensen
Chris Morris Rohne Hansen b. 4 May 1921 d. 22 Oct 2004 at age 83     

m. Dorothy "Dottie" Louise Brock from W. Texas

1874, 20 December - The birth record for Anders, the first son, is interesting because the church record states that he was born to a woman (apparently meaning  a single woman) of Kalboer.  The "alleged father" being Poul Møller Christensen of Pine Moderen age 26.  Mother is age 26.  Poul Møller C. eventually seems to adopt Anders but we are still looking for the records.  He is named after his mother's family here. Anders Christian Pedersen.  Anders was very accepted with the witnesses being two of Ane's brothers, Daniel and Anders. 
[Nr. Nissum kb(church book). 1864-78, opslag 25, side 25.]

Anders Christensen is bapt 1874
http://www.danishfamilysearch.com/sogn1319/churchbook/source17033/opslag3421603


He was one of the oldest in the family and thus the first to immigrate to the United States.

1892, Feb 27 - Anders C. Christensen immigrates to Groesbeck, Texas from Søndbjerg, Thisted, Denmark.  His occupation is listed as "Tyende" meaning farm hand or servant.   His contract number is 73500.  The ship is listed as "Indreckte" which indicated that he shipped out of a different port.  Birth place is unlisted.  [http://ddd.dda.dk]

1 Apr 1892 - 25 Apr 1892  Hamburg Passenger Lists, on the ship "S. S. Columbia", capt. is Vogelgesang,  of the Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaf,  he is in steerage or "Zwischendeck" at New York City,  had to have gone through Ellis Island since it opened in January of 1892.
        Anders Christensen
is listed as 18 years old from Thisted, Denmark      occupation is "creamier" but listed as a "clerk"
       
on another manifest.   no country of origin or destination. He is listed in compartment "C" in steerage page 5 and passenger 245.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Rapido_at_Port_Said_1898.jpg/300px-Rapido_at_Port_Said_1898.jpg
The "Columbia", or the renamed "Rapido" Hamburg-American line in Port Said 1898, renamed when it was sold to Spain in 1898 and was used in the Spanish-American war.  After the war it was returned to the Hamburg Line the sold again to Russia and renamed "Terek"
                photo http://www.history.navy.mil/photos


ellis island
          interior
                                                                      Ellis Island interior in 1904
                                                                                            photo Ellis Island Historical Archive.   

Ellis Island exterior
Ellis Island exterior
                                   photo Elroy Christenson 2010                                      

Going through Ellis Island was not an easy or automatic process.  Health inspection may send any immigrant home.  Often individuals were given other more pronounceable names.  All steerage class passengers had to go through Ellis Island.  If you had a cabin on the ship you were automatically sent off-loaded without question at the main dock.  Steerage passengers were loaded onto another ferry or barge that took them to the island for processing.  "If the immigrant's papers were in order and they were in reasonably good health, the Ellis Island inspection process would last approximately three to five hours. The inspections took place in the Registry Room (or Great Hall), where doctors would briefly scan every immigrant for obvious physical ailments. .....Only two percent of the arriving immigrants were excluded from entry. The two main reasons why an immigrant would be excluded were if a doctor diagnosed that the immigrant had a contagious disease that would endanger the public health or if a legal inspector thought the immigrant was likely to become a public charge or an illegal contract laborer. "
[Ellis Island web site,   ellisisland.org]

Rohne daughters
(back left - rt front) Pauline, Emma, Cora and Minnie Rohne

CA and Minnie Christenson
                  marriage Paul.Ervin.Chris.Minnie
Christian Anders  and Minnie (Rohne) Christensen
married July 22, 1902
Paul, Ervin, Johanna and Marianne about 1910-11


until 1907 - "Chris Andrew" and his family lived in Hamilton County, where several of his children were born. About this time he sells his share of the farm to his brother, Pete, and his wife. It is probably at this time he moves his family to Cranfills Gap. He buys the house and farm of Dr. Monroe Coston sets up a machine shop and flour mill. It said that during this time he "bumped his shin of his leg on a farm implement and later developed cancer, having to have part of his leg amputated. It is said that he could run faster on two crutches than most could run on two good legs." This event probably brought about his early death. [Bosque Co; Land and People p. 207]

1907, January 30,
Oscar Rohne, as Guardian, made Application to the Bosque County Court to sell the minors' interest in the 312 acres in Hamilton County. The sale was authorized on March 5, 1907. P. L. Christenson, the husband of Cora, bought the deed from Oscar as Guardian to P. L. Christenson dated 23 March, 1907, is recorded in Volume 33, page 600 of the Deed Records of Hamilton County, Texas. By deed dated 23 march 1907 recorded in Volume 33, page 603, Marianne Rohne, a widow, Minnie Christenson and husband, C. A. Christenson and Oscar Rohne conveyed their interest to P. L. Christenson and wife Cora Christenson. Thus Pete and Cora became the owners of what was called the Heinchman Ranch. [Volume 33, page 603, Land Records of Bosque Co. TX]


This is what I believe to be the
Heinchman Ranch house, Jonesboro, Hamilton
Co., TX

1910- US Census, Hamilton Co., Justin Precinct, TX, roll 1558, page 187.
       Christianson, C. A.   head    M W 35   Married 8 years                                 Denmark  Denmark  Denmark 1892 Nationalized English Farmer
                 "       Minnie      wife    F  W 27   Married 8years 3 born and 3 alive        Texas       Norway   Norway
                 "       Ervin         son     M W  7   single                                             Texas      Denmark  Texas
                 "       Jennie        dau.    F  W  5   single                                             Texas      Denmark  Texas
                 "       Paul            son    M W  2   single                                             Texas      Denmark  Texas
                 "       Andrew  boarder  M W 21  single                                            Denmark  Denmark  Denmark

cranfills gap 1910
Cranfills Gap, Texas in 1910
unknown photographer, reprinted in the Clifton Record, 1978

In the above photo, Cranfills Gap is barely more than a few buildings.  In the caption below "Christ Christenson, on extreme left and G. O. Bronstad with vest, over on right with boys in center being Ervin Christenson and Clyde Bronstad."  The Chris Christenson in this picture is actually my dad's uncle with Ervin being his son.  Two years later Chris dies and three years later my dad, Chris M. Christenson, is born.

1912- Chris dies at the age of 37. His plot in the Rock Church Cemetery is marked for "Chris" Christensen. The couple had four children .

"When Marianne was just a baby, the doctor came and operated on her on the kitchen bench and removed a small tumor from her side.

Talk about accidents! Our family had more than their share. Johannah was riding with Uncle Jacob Christensen on the double disc plow when she fell off and almost cut off her hand and foot. Marianne drank a can of kerosene and Paul jumped from the second floor to the first floor out in the Mill House and cut a big gash on the back of his leg with an ax. Marianne crawled under the house and got a fish hook in her lip." [Bosque Co; Land and People p. 518]

1920 - US Census, Precinct #8, Bosque Co., Texas.  Series:  T625   Roll:  1781   Page: 222 on the Clifton and Cranfills Gap Road.

Bertelson, William       head        m   w   32   mar         Texas      Denmark      Norway
       "         ,   Ina           wife         f    w   28  mar          Texas      Norway       Texas
       '"         , Cameron   son         m   w     4   s              Texas       Texas           Texas
next door
Hanson,       Chris      head            m   w   46   mar.         Texas      Denmark     Denmar    farming   gen. farming

       "    ,       Minnie   wife            f   w    37   mar.         Texas      Norway       Norway
        ".  ,       Millie Mae  dau         f   w   17   s               Texas      Texas           Texas
       "    ,       Walter      son            m  w   11  s                Texas      Texas           Texas
       "    ,       Dagmer    dau             f   w    9   s               Texas      Texas           Texas
Christianson, Irving   step child     m  w  17  s                 Texas      Denmark     Texas
       "           , Jennie   step child      f  w   15  s                 Texas      Denmark     Texas
       "           ,  Paul     step child     m  w  11  s                 Texas       Denmark     Texas
       "           , Marian  step child      f   w    9 s                 Texas       Denmark     Texas

Ervin Pernell Christenson graduated from Cranfills Gap High School then went on to Lincoln University in Nebraska. He majored in Latin minored in Hebrew and Greek and spoke nine different languages.

He taught at the Allen Military Academy and later received a position with the newly formed Kilgore Junior College. He headed the Liberal Art Department. During WW2 he made several trips to Denmark and worked in some capacity as a spy according to my father. Ervin was a strong supporter of the college and education in general. He retired from that that position after a long and successful career.

1930 - US Census, Iredell, Bosque Co., Texas  enum. dist. 18-6, sheet 4a
Johanna Christensen is a boarder with J. A Fouts and his wife. Grace and two children and another teacher.  Johanna is teaching in the public school.

Christensen, Johanah        boarder       f w  23  s       Texas   Denmark     Texas      teacher   public school
French ,          Mae               boarder       f w  37  s       Texas   Mississippi   Texas     teacher   public school

1930 - US Census, Bosque Co., Texas. Series  T626 Roll:  2289 page 277

Michelson ,    Martin J.           head         m  w   49  mar    Texas   Norway    Norway
"                   ,  Minnie            wife           f   w   47  mar   Texas   Norway     Norway
Christenson,  Paul                stepson      m  w   22   s       Texas   Denmark    Texas
"                   ,  Mary Ann      stepdau.      f   w  19    s       Texas   Denmark     Texas
page 277
Hanson,  Chris  M.                  stepson      m  w   9    s       Texas    Texas   Texas

in 1932- Johanna "Jennie" Marguarette Christensen married to William Bertrand Bertelsen in St Olaf's Church by Rev. Allen Nelson. He was a student of Clifton College from 1921-23. William started working in the First Security Bank in Cranfills Gap when he was 17 as a bookkeeper where he worked his way up the ladder to cashier, vice-president, president and finally chairman of the board. He held this position until the bank was sold in 1972. He also owned and operated an insurance agency down the street from the bank that he started from the age of 18. He left his hand print on many of the activities of the area through his connections as chairman of the board of Farmers State Bank at Iredell; member and president of Cranfills Gap Chamber of Commerce; member of the Cranfills Gap Housing Development Inc., president and member of the Administrative Council of the Texas Bankers Assn. among many other institutions.

Johanna "Jennie" (Christenson) graduated from Clifton College Academy in 1925 and went onto other education at Clifton Junior College, John Tarleton Agricultural College, North Texas State College and Howard Payne College. "Jennie" taught at Mt. Zion in Iredell and at Cranfills Gap. "She was a lifelong advocate for the conservation of natural resources and the preservation of wildlife and was a member of the Texas Ornithological Society. She was active in all aspects of St. Olaf's church life. Together they raised two children, Christabel who married David Jorgensen, and Wm. Bellamy Bertelsen who married Janice Lindberg. [Bosque County; Land and People p. 153-154]

1936, Mar 31 -   Paula Rochelle Christensen(f) is born to Paul Mueller Christensen and Amy Hazel Larsen in Bosque Co., Texas.  [Texas, Birth Index, 1903-1997]

John.Christ.clan.dutne.334.jpg

This is a gathering of the Johnson brothers and sisters with Pete Christenson and Rohne
family relatives near Cranfills Gap, Texas about 1936.


(standing L to R.) Johanna Bertelson, Marie Christenson, Bill Bertelson (Johanna's husband), Mary Ann Christenson(sister of Johanna), Ane Christenson(Pete's dau.), Jacob Christenson, Clara Johnson, Emory Christenson , Violet Christenson, Cora Johnson, ? , Sadie Kirkland, Chris Morris Hanson(Johanna and Mary Ann's half brother), Eva(Johnson) Christenson, Chris M. Christenson, Chris Johnson, Martin Michelson, Minnie (Rohne/Christenson/Hanson)Michelson, Bill Johnson, Collett Johnson, (kids & seated L to R) Burton Christenson, Johanna Christenson, Pete Christenson, Leldon Christenson(Pete's youngest), Vernell Johnson(Cora's dau.)


1939, about -  Gyn Christensen is born to Paul Mueller Christensen and Amy Hazel Larsen in Bosque Co., TX
     [ 1940 US Census, Texas, Bosque Co., Hamilton.]

1940 - US Census,  Texas, Bosque County, enum. dist. 18-20, sheet 1A
         Bertelson, Wm. B.     head     m  w   34   mar    Texas                          banker      1st State Bank
         "              , Johanna     wife      f   w   34  mar     Texas
         "              , Christabel   dau      f   w     4  s          Texas

        sheet 2B
        Mickelson, Minnie         head      f   w   58  mar    Texas  
        Mickelson, Martin     husband     m  w  57  mar    Texas                       Farmer    Farming
        Hansen, Chris Morris      son       m  w  18  s         Texas                      ?Jarnto   College  N. Y. A. 

before 1946 - Marianne Christensen married Ralph Dillon who was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. During the war, Ralph had enlisted in the Army and was in the 49th AAA Brigade while in Europe from 1944 - 1945. The couple moved to Cranfills Gap where Ralph owned and operated the Clover Farm Grocery for seven years. He later work for his brother-in-law, William B. Bertelsen, in the Gap insurance office. [Bosque Co; Land and People p. 256]

1946, 24 Dec -  Alma Marilyn Dillon is born to Ralph Fred. Dillon and Marianne Olen Christensen in Bosque Co., TX. [ Texas, Birth Index 1903-1997]

2014 - A plaque of the names of Scandinavian immigrants is engraved with Christian Andrews Christensen's name on the main monument stone of the Leif Erikson Memorial at Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle, Washington. This memorial is sponsored by the Leif Erikson International Foundation which "Symbolizes the courage to venture to a new land" and so far contains 2,276 names.  His name was included by the paid sponsorship of Miniette Christensen Shipley, the grand daughter of Christian, daughter of Ervin Christensen. 

Leif Erikson Mem. 2014

Erikson Mem. - Christenson/Rohne
Leif Erikson Memorial, Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle, Washington and the new "runic stone"
Christian Anders "Andrews" Christensen is listed with his brothers Jacob Moller and Peder Legind Christenson
Photo Elroy Christenson, Oct 2014

Source:

Danish Demographics Archives,  Dansk Data Arkiv - http://ddd.dda.dk
Lars Balleby, researcher in Denmark who provided the christening record.  email - balleby@post7.tele.dk
Land Records of Bosque Co., TX
Bosque County: Land and People, Bosque Co. Historical Society, 1985, Bosque County Historical Commission.Cemetery markers , Rock Church, Bosque Co., TX
US Census records.
US Census,  Bosque County, Texas.

Elroy's Family Index || Cranfills Gap, Texas || Trashing Bee || Ancestor Chart #1
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