|
Peter Legind Christenson History Grandfather of Elroy Christenson |
Peder "Pete" Legind Christenson
b. May 18, 1882 Søndbjerg, Thisted amt., Denmark
d. June 25, 1965 Grand Prairie, TX
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
d. Jan 2, 1986 Dallas, TX. - 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.)
| Children with Cora Rohne | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emroy Princeton Christenson | b. 12 July 1907 Possum Trot, TX | d. 17 Jan 1996, Kermit, Winkler Co.,TX at home, buried Kermit, Winkler Co.,TX cem. had Alzheimer's disease | m. Lois Lorraine Fellers 1 Sep 1940 Cranfills Gap, TX |
| Marie Johanna Christenson | b. 4 May 1909 Heinchman Ranch, Jonesboro, Hamilton Co., TX |
d. 29 August, 1999 Clifton Lutheran Sunset Home, Clifton, TX, Alzheimer's disease | m. Herman Reesing |
| Clarice Pernella Christenson | b. 24 Nov 1911 Heinchman ranch, Jonesboro, Hamilton Co., TX[Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993] | d. 7 Apr 1999 Christus St. Hospital, Dallas, TX of Alzheimer's buried: St Olaf's Lutheran Rock Church, Norse, Bosque Co., TX |
m. Alton Bradley Witte - div. |
| Christian Monroe Christenson | b. 2 Sept 1913 Heinchman Ranch, Jonesboro, Hamilton Co., TX[Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993] | d. 26 July 1989 Grand Prairie, TX of Alzheimer's buried Boggy Cem. Cranfills Gap., TX |
m. Violet May Kirkland |
| Anne Tomina Christenson | b. 18 Feb. 1915 Cranfills Gap, TX [Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993] | alive in 2008 at age 93 |
m. Dr. Wrenn - div. |
| Jacob Bernhart Christenson | b. 25 June 1918 | d. c May, 2002 Clifton, Texas after prostrate cancer and Alzheimer's | m. Margie Lou Harrison (div.) |
| Children with Evelina "Eva" Johnson | |||
| Burton Paul Christenson | b. 13 Sept. 1926 Hamilton Co, TX | d. 31 Oct 2005 Seymour, Baylor Co., TX |
m. Mosel Chandler Neskorik, 3 Nov., 1948 (b. 24 Aug 1920 Baylor Co., TX d. 18 Mar 2001 Seymour, TX) widow of George Neskorik, killed by a truck in 1940's, no issue with Burton, one daughter, Beth Ellen Neskorik, died 17 Dec 1942* |
| Leldon Dale Christenson | b. 1 May 1928 Hamilton Co,TX [Texas Birth and Death Index, 1903-1993] |
d. | m. Bette Lou Wimberly in Cranfills Gap, TX (her 2m. N. D. Hopkins) |
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- 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,
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"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 Commanche 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
He lists himself as having immigrated to the USA in 1901 and year
naturalized
as 1912. His parents are Danish and hers are Norwegian.
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.
1938-45 -The war brought prosperity back with good prices and steady gains.
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 work 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. He goes fishing
periodically
with relatives, sometimes allowing his 14 year old grandson, Elroy, who
can
hardly reach the pedals of the '39 Chevy to chauffeur he and Eddie
Johnson,
his brother-in-law, to a nearby 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.
2005, Oct 31 - Burton Paul Christenson, 79, died in Seymour, Baylor
Co., Texas. According to the obituary Burton had owne and
operated Eastland Aulto 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]
Sources:
Cranfills Gap, TX || Trashing Bee
Ancestoral Chart #1 || Egeberg lineage chart




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