Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Anna Marie (Olsen) Jorgensen

I'm trying to keep up with my 12 Ancestors this year, one per month. So this month of February I am focusing on my 2nd great-grandmother, Anna Marie (Olsen) Jorgensen.

Information I have: Anna Marie Olsen was born in Fyn, Denmark 7 Feb 1842. I don't think I have any official record to prove this but this is what I have. She married Lars Jorgensen in Denmark 23 Feb 1871, and again I don't have a marriage record. Shortly after they were married, they immigrated to the United States from Denmark. I need to find an immigration record, but according to the 1880 census they immigrated about 1871. I'm not sure where they immigrated to, but in 1873 they had twin boys in Omaha, Nebraska. By 1878 they had moved to Kearney county, Nebraska becoming early settlers in the state. Anna became the mother of 6 boys, two of whom preceded her in death. Andre/Andrew Jorgensen died at about the age of 15, and Rasmus Jorgensen died at the age of 3. Not to be confused, shortly after the first little toddler Rasmus died, then they had another son and named him Rasmus. Rasmus K. Jorgensen lived to be an adult, married and had a few kids. So their 6 sons are Andre/Andrew Jorgensen, Jorgen Christian "Chris" Jorgensen, Rasmus Jorgensen, Ole P. Jorgensen, Rasmus K. Jorgensen, and Hans Samuel Jorgensen. I descend from their son "Chris".
Anna passed away in 1906 at about the age of 64 in Kearney county, Nebraska. She is buried in Fredricksburg Cemetery in Kearney county, Nebraska. The state of Nebraska did not locate a death certificate for her when I requested one, but she does have a gravestone.

So for sources, I have found her in the 1880 census and have a gravestone photo from the cemetery.
Sources I need to look for include the 1900 census, an obituary, and possible records in Denmark (birth or baptism and marriage). I would like to find a more definite date of death for her than just the year.
Anna Jorgensen's gravestone, 1842-1906 is very small under her name

Would like to know more about 2nd great-grandma Anna and her early life. I'm sure being a homesteader in Nebraska was not an easy life. Her husband farmed and was a pastor; he went on to marry 2 more women after she passed. I don't know who Anna's parents were either, as Danish records are not easy for me. 

Please contact me if you have additional information on this family. This is my dad's ancestor; my maiden name is Jorgensen. Thanks for reading.