Peter Legind Christenson History Grandfather of Elroy Christenson

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Peder "Pete" Legind Christensen/Christenson
b. May 18, 1882 Søndbjerg, Thisted amt., Denmark
d. June 25, 1962 Grand Prairie, TX [Texas Death Index #35171]
buried: St Olaf's Church, Cranfills Gap, TX

1st m. Cora Rohne, Aug. 12,  1906 St. Olaf Church, Bosque Co. TX
b. Nov 8, 1886 Neil's Creek, Cranfills Gap, TX #
d. Oct 22, 1922 of child birth
buried: St Olaf's Church, Cranfills Gap, TX
her father : Evan Paulson Rohne (Nor.)
her mother: Marianne Olianne Egeberg (Nor.)

2nd m. Evelina Majeane Johnson, June, 1922
b. June 27, 1899 Bosque Co, TX (29th accord. to tombstone)
d. Jan 2, 1986 Dallas, TX. [Texas Death Index]
 buried: St Olaf's Church, Cranfills Gap, TX
her father: Bernt Fredrik Johansen Egeberg (Nor.)
her mother: Karen (Carrie) Nielsen (Den.)

his father - Paul Møller Christensen (Den.)
his mother- Anne Johanne Pedersen (Den.)

1882 - Peder Legind Christensen born in Søndbjerg, Denmark on May 18th as the sixth child of nine births with four surviving to Paul Møller Christensen and Anne Johanne Pedersen. His parents operate a bakery in this small farming community in the center of the Jutland peninsula in Hvidbjerg, Denmark.

1890's - He learns the trades of baker, bricklayer and blacksmithing but because of economic pressures of a large family and little possibility of prospering his oldest brother, Christian Anders, goes to the United States by 1891 [interview by EC  1966]

1901, Feb 18 - Peder Legind Christensen, age 18 is registered to emigrate from Copenhagen.  Destination is listed as Clifton.  Last residence in Sandbjerg,  Contract #39900 Occupation: Bager "Baker"   [Statens Arkiver Dansk Data Arkiv http://ddd.dda.dk/]

1901- Peder L. Christensen, at age 18 boards the ship SS Numidian of the Allan Line in Esberg, Denmark for the trip via Liverpool. It leaves Liverpool on Feb 23 and arrives at Portland, Maine on March 18th. He travels by himself from Portland with $10 and is scared by the stories and having to travel through Indian country.
[ March 18, 1901 SS Numidian manifest / immigration/naturalization documents]

According to the Danish emigration web site his contract #39900 lists that he was supposed to have emigrated on 18 Feb 1901.  His occupation was listed as "Bager" or baker with his destination listed as Clifton, Texas.  Last residence: Sandbjerg. Ship listed as "Indireckte"  ID #10001C1907 [http://www.emiarch.dk/home.php3?l=en]

S. S. Numidian of the Allan Line.  photo courtesy of Jerry Longstrom

He arrives in Meridian, Texas about 28th of March, 1901 by train. He is met by a black man who speaks perfect Danish. He introduces himself and tells him that he is there to pick him up and take him to meet his brother, Christian Anders Christensen. Pete looked a bit puzzled at a black man speaking perfect Danish. The black man said with a smile, "You seem confused about my color."  He says "don't worry, we all look like this after we've been here for a while."
                                         [story as told to Elroy Christenson by Pete Christenson]

1906, Aug. 12- Pete L. Christenson gets a marriage license 8 AUG 1906 in Bosque Co., TX. He marries Cora Rohne in St. Olaf Church, Cranfills Gap. She is the sister of Minnie Rohne, the wife of Pete's brother Anders. Cora's family had done very well. They were very successful farmers and Grandmother Marianne Rohne had urged the education of the children even hiring a live-in school teacher for the brood. All the kids were given the choice of a college education or land when they became adults. As a wedding present Pete and Cora are given 500 acres in Jonesboro, Bosque Co., TX to farm, the Heinchman Ranch. He does blacksmithing, bricklaying, and dry land farming of wheat, and grains.   [story as told by Violet Christenson]

1907, July 12 - Emroy Princeton, their first son is born in Possum Trot, Tx( I have no idea why, but that is what Clarice says).

1909, May 4- Marie Johanna their first daughter is born. They are living on the Heinchman Ranch between Cranfills Gap and Jonesboro, Hamilton Co. TX. This ranch used to be part of a large Spanish land grant which was divided by a rock fence, supposedly built by Indian slave labor. When Pete and Cora first lived there they could still see the Indians periodically gambling on horse races held in the fields below the house. According to Clarice, the third child,

"Our 'ranch house' home was a historical place. The lumber was hauled from East Texas by ox wagon. It was a two-story with ten rooms, six fireplaces and a open air sleeping porch on the second floor. We children had many happy hours sliding down the mahogany bannister on the staircase. There was a storm cellar under a hinged trap door on the porch area; also a hand dug well as part of the "Ranch House". The kitchen was a separate rock house with root cellar and storage. Mr. Heinchman raised thoroughbred horses and had a race track west of the 'ranch House'. I'm sure many of the deaths attributed to the place was the caused by this fact. My father said he would stand on the porch and see the Comanche Indians race and wager on their horses as they passed by on their way to the Texas coast." (Bosque County: Land and People, p. 208) Violet Christenson says that this house was very large and drafty. It had a large front porch that was torn off in the photo left.  It had a fireplace in most rooms with a large open sleeping room on the 2nd floor.  With no insulation it became a full-time job to keep it warm with firewood in the winter.   They finally took off the whole upper floor to make it more efficient.   The house stood for many years in this remodeled state after the land and house was sold off so Pete could keep his family alive during the Depression. [interview by EC 2008]

US Census, Justice Prect. 3, Hamilton Co., Texas, Roll: 1558  Page: 187
"Jake"Jacob is listed here with his brother P.  L. Christenson, the different spelling in the census makes it tricky to track these individuals.  He indicates he arrived in 1908 and is a farmer at this time.  

His brother Christian Anders Christianson is on the previous page with his wife Minnie, (27), their children Ervin (m 7) , Jennie (f 5), Paul (m 2)
[US Census, Hamilton Co. TX.. roll 1558, ed 67, sheet 13 ]

1911, Nov. 24- Clarice Pernella is born on the Heinchman Ranch. [Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993]

1913, Sept. 2 - Christian Monroe is born on the Heinchman Ranch, Hamilton Co. The crops are prosperous but he is doing well mostly on blacksmithing. [#30124 Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993]

1914 - Pete is doing more work and making more money by doing blacksmithing, bricklaying and well drilling so they decide to move to  Cranfills Gap, TX nearer to work, where they build a house across the street from the cotton gin.

1915, Feb. 18 - Anne Tomina is born in the new house in the Gap, [Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993]

1918- Sept. 18 -  Pete Legin Christenson registers for the draft in Jonesboro, Hamilton Co., Texas.
He is 36 years old, born May 18, 1882.  His occupation is listed as Farmer, wife is Cora Christenson of Jonesboro, Hamilton Co, Tex.  He is described as "medium" height, "slender" build, "gray" eyes, "light" hair.   [draft card image on Ancestry.com]

1918, June 25 - Jacob Bernhart is born in the Gap.

1920- Jan 28 - US Census, Precinct #8, Bosque Co., Texas, enum. dist 49, sheet 58, Roll: 1781  Page: 225
Pete and family are living in the town of Cranfills Gap, Texas.  He lists himself as having immigrated to the USA in 1901 and year naturalized as 1912. His parents are Danish and hers are Norwegian. He is spelling his name with an "son".

1920, June 17-  Peder L. Christenson applies for a US passport.  stamped Certificate of Naturalization Seen.  (italicised words below were hand written)

I intend to leave the United States from the port of New York  sailing on board the American-Scandivian Line on July 20, 1920.

He signs an Oath of Allegiance. number 11262  [US Passport applications]

1922, Cora, who is pregnant again, goes into labor but this time something goes wrong. Pete and some others load her into a Model "T" car for the long fifty mile ride into Waco for the doctor. She hemorrhages and dies on the way. Pete has a tough time taking care of six young kids and doing his work to support the family. He falls apart and starts to drink heavily. Chris, Anne and Jacob, the youngest of the kids went to Grandma Rohne's for a couple of years, and the rest of the kids were kept much of the time by the Johnson brothers and sisters. Pete finally pulls himself together and moves everyone back the Heinchman ranch where Eva, the youngest Johnson sister, became the housekeeper for Pete.
[story told by Eddie Johnson]

Sept.13 - Burton Paul is born.

1928, May 1, - Leldon Dale is born.

1930, The Depression caused low prices on products and no one had money. He sold half the farm to pay the taxes and keep the family alive.

US Census, Texas, Hamilton County, Justice Precinct One. enum. dist. 97-4, sheet 10A.

1938-45 -The war brought prosperity back with good prices and steady gains.

1940 - US Census, Texas, Hamilton County, enum. dist. 97-4, sheet 4A.
              Christenson, Pete. L.           head   m    w   57 mar   H4      Denmark            farmer      farm
                "                 , Evalina          wife    f     w   40 mar    7        Texas
                "                 , Burton            son    m    w    13  s       5        Texas
                "                , Leldon            son    m    w     11 s        4        Texas

1942- Burton Christenson serves in the merchant marines during the war. He returns to meet and marry the widow Mozelle Chandler Neskorik.  Mozelle Chandler Neskorik, the wife of George Neskorik gives birth to a daughter who died shortly after birth in Seymour, Baylor County, Texas. George is apparently killed after being hit by a truck sometime afterwards.   After Burton and Mozelle marries he works for the oil companies in west Texas for the remainder of his life and makes periodic trips back to Cranfills Gap to see his parents. [Denise Neskorik 7/11/02]

1948- The war over, the military started to tear down structures that they had used. Pete built a new house out of Ft Hood barracks and put in electricity because Leldon was working for the Tennessee Valley Authority at the time. [story told by Violet Christenson]

1948-58 Pete and Eva lived and worked the farm raising sheep, about 100 chickens and, about six head of cattle. Eva would milk the cows by hand and churns the cream into butter as well as feed the chickens and all the relatives when they come. She was renowned for her homemade bread and four inch high sweet rolls with butter icing. Pete has an Allis-Chalmer three point tractor which his grandson's learn to plow with during the summers. Harvesting of the wheat and oats is done with a Trashing Bee of about 25 males from the nearby farms and 6 or seven women who would do the cooking for the hands. Two or three hays stacks 20 feet high would be created each year by moving the thrashing machine to various locations on the property. Picking up the shucks of wheat out of the field had to be done with some alertness because of the great number of diamond back rattlesnakes in the region. A worker could accidentally pitch one onto the wagon where another man was stacking.
[Elroy's personal experiences]

1958- He leases out the farm land to neighbors but lives on the property raising a few animals. Eva continues to milk the cow and feed the chickens although he is basically retired from farming. Various grand kids come and spend a few weeks during the summer doing chores such as plowing or helping with the harvest. He goes fishing periodically with relatives.  On one occasion he allowed me, his 14 year old grandson, who can hardly reach the pedals of the '39 Chevy to chauffeur he and Eddie Johnson, his brother-in-law, to a nearby river. Ed gave remedial instructions on the cluch, brakes and gas pedal. They both climbed into the backseat and I drove scared to death down the dirt road to the river.  [Elroy's personal experiences]

1960 - He starts to lose his memory so that Eva can't keep track of him. He is put into a nursing home in Grand Prairie and Eva moves in with Leldon. Chris, Marie, Leldon, Jacob are nearby with their families. Most of the relatives of the area are working for Temco Vought Aircraft company. They visit him frequently but he recognizes them seldom. [Elroy's personal experiences]

1962, June 25 - Pete dies in a nursing home in Grand Prairie, TX. He is buried in the Rock Church Cemetery, outside of Cranfills Gap, Tx.

(l to r) Violet and Chris Christenson, Anne Christenson Wrenn(back), Clarice Christenson Witte, and Marie Christenson and Herman Ressing.  I think the photo was taken in Merdian right after Herman had a cataract operation about 1980-85.

2005, Oct 31 - Burton Paul Christenson, 79, died in Seymour, Baylor Co., Texas.   According to the obituary Burton had owned and operated Eastland Auto Service for 30 years.   His only surviving relative was his sister Ann Wrenn of Orlando, Fla.  He is buried in Riverview Cemetery.  [obituary Nov 1, 2005, Wichita Falls, TX]

2012 - A plaque listing the names of Scandinavian immigrants is engraved with Peder Legind Christensen's name on a "runic" or picture stone which is placed in the Leif Erikson Memorial at Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle, Washington subscribed to by Elroy Christenson. This memorial is sponsored by the Leif Erikson International Foundation which "Symbolizes the courage to venture to a new land" and so far contains 1767 names.

    

Leif Erikson Memorial, Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle, Washington and the new "runic stone"
Photo Elroy Christenson, 2012

Sources:

• Bosque County: Land and People, Bosque Co. Historical Society, 1985,
  
• Danish Emigration database. - http://www.emiarch.dk/
  
• Denise Neskorik 7/11/02- email - dneskorik8@netscape.net
  
• SS Numidian manifest March 18, 1901, immigration documents, National Archives, Wash. D. C.
• SS Numindian photo courtesy of Jerry Langstrom  - jelaz@cox.net
• story told by Clarice Christenson to Elroy Christenson, c July 1986
  
• story told by Eddie Johnson to Elroy Christenson, c July 1986
  
• story told by Violet Christenson to Elroy Christenson, c July 1986-92
• Texas Death Index.
  
• US Census , 1910 Hamilton Co. TX.. roll 1558, ed 67, sheet 13
  1920 - Texas, Bosque Co, enum. dist 49, sheet 58
• US Passport application, 1920
  
• US Naturalization Documents, 1901-8, Meridian Co. Courthouse, Meridian, TX
  

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Christenson Image Map | Pete Christenson | Pete's Children

Cranfills Gap, TX || Trashing Bee
Ancestoral Chart #1 || Egeberg lineage chart

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All information and photos included within these pages was developed by the help of hundreds of researchers. The information here is for the express purpose of personal genealogical research and is freely offered as long as this site is listed as a source. It may not be included or used for any commercial purpose or included in any commercial site without the express permission of Elroy Christenson. Copyright Elroy Christenson 1998-2010.

web pages created by Elroy Christenson- elroy@next1000.com - last updated 05/12/12