12 Dec 1874- "Chris Andrew" Christensen is born in Nissum, Denmark into a baker's family. 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]

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.

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 in 1904

                                                                                            photo Ellis Island Historical Archive.   

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 pronouncable 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]

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, 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.

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.

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

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]

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]

Source:

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

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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 8/10/10