The HANSEN/THYSON Family

 

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MUELLER THYSON
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C. L. HANSEN (1833 - 1892) m.
KATHERINE JORGINA HANSEN (1833 - 1912)
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FRANTSINA HANSEN (abt 1864 - 1914) m. Lars Larsen

Generation 1

MUELLER THYSON

Parents: Unknown

Mueller Thyson was a blacksmith. He served in the Prussian army. He advised his son to go to Denmark to avoid being drafted.

Children of Muller Thyson:

  1. C. L. Hansen was born on 7 Nov 1833. He died on 17 Jan 1892. He married Katherine Jorgina Hansen.

photo: Mueller Thyson and his wife

another photo

 

KATHERINE JORGINA HANSEN'S PARENTS

All I have of them is this photo.

 

Generation 2

C. L. HANSEN (1833 - 1892) and KATHERINE JORGINA HANSEN (1833-1912)

Parents: Mueller Thyson

C. L. Hansen was born on 7 Nov 1833. [Ref, gravestone] He died on 17 Jan 1892. [Ref][Ref gives only the year][Ref, gravestone] He married Katherine Jorgina Hansen on 7 Nov 1860. [Ref] C.L. and Katherine are buried in the Arndahl cemetery in Grove City, Meeker, Minnesota. [Ref][Ref][letter from granddaughter Ruby, dated 17 Mar 1976] Click here to see a photo of his gravestone.

C. L. took his wife's last name.

Katherine Jorgina (Gina) was born on 15 Dec 1833 in Denmark. [Ref][Ref, gravestone] She died on 23 Jun 1912 [Ref, gravestone] and is buried next to her husband in the Arndahl cemetery. [Ref, 1912][Ref, 1912] In 1910 Gena was widowed and living with her daughter Frantsina's family in Seattle. [Ref] After her husband died in 1892, she lived with her daughter Tillie and later with her daughter Frantsina's family in Kalispell and Seattle. While with them, she tripped on her foot stool when her long skirt got caught and broke her hip. The injury resulted in her death. [Ref][Ref]

The Hansens emigrated to America in 1866 or 1867 [Ref] with three children. Cholera broke out on the ship and two of them died. When they arrived, their possessions were stolen. [Ref][Ref]

A search of the New York passenger lists turns up a C. L. Hansen, born about 1834, who arrived on 22 May 1866 from Liverpool on the Virginia. An examination of the image of the passenger list reveals that he was travelling with a woman whose name is hard to read, but it could well be Gina. She was also born about 1834. They were travelling with a single daughter whose name looks like "Math." Could this be Mathilda? This one-year-old child died in quarantine. The master of the ship was supposed to provide the country that the passengers belonged to, but he [clearly erroneously] listed everyone as either from England, Ireland or America. [Ref]

The Virginia sailed from Liverpool to New York, via Queenstown on 4 April 1866 with 14 cabin and 1029 steerage passengers. On board were 220 Germans, Dutch, Danes and Swedes. Cholera broke out and the the first passenger died on 12 April. Betwen then and when the ship arrived in New York on 18 April, 36 steerage passengers and two crew had died. Upon arrival in port, 46 sick passengers were transferred to the hospital ship Falcon. Four days later, the remaining steerage passengers were transferred to the hospital ship Falcon. Four days later, the remaining steerage passengers were transferred to the steamship Illinois; the Virginia was cleaned and chlorinated; all of the passengers clothing, bedding and personal effects were fumigated and steamed. Between landing and the transfer on 22 April, there had been 14 deaths and 99 passengers had been sent to the Falcon. From then until 8 May, when overcrowding on the Illionois led to the return of 230 passengers to the Virginia, six more people died and 97 more passengers were transferred to the Falcon. From then until 30 May, when passengers were released from quarentine, no further cases of cholera occured. [Ref, pp. 271-2]

The Virginia belonged to the National Steam Co. Thirty two people died on board the voyage the Hansens were on. Upon arrival, 171 were transferred to hospitals in New York and, of these, 57 died. [Ref] Click here for a description of conditions on board the steamship.

The Hansens homesteaded in Danielson, Minnesota on 6 Jul 1866. [Ref][Ref]

In 1880 C. L. Hansen, age 46 and a farmer, and his wife Jennie, age 46, lived in Danielson, Meeker, Minnesota. With them lived their children Theodora, age 17, Arnold, age 11, Matilda, age 8, William M., age 7, and Leaverett, age 5. C.L., Jennie and Theodora were said to be born in Denmark; the others in Minnesota. [Ref]

Photo: C. L. and Gina Hansen. According to their granddaughter Ruby, Frantsina is the girl in front. Arnold Hansen is on his father's lap and Will Hansen is on his mother's lap.

Children of C. L. Hansen and Gena Hansen

  1. Frantsina Hansen [Theodora?] was born about 1864 in Denmark. She died on 12 Apr 1914. She married Lars Larsen.
  2. Unknown child Hansen died of cholera in Apr or May 1866.
  3. Matilda Hansen was born about 1865. She died in of cholera between 18 Apr and 8 May 1866, age one.
  4. Arnt P. H. Hansen was born on 13 Nov 1866. [Ref, gravestone] He died on 16 Jun 1868 [Ref, gravestone] in Danielson, Minnesota. [Ref] "The church is first out of Grove City and we visited it. It is named after Grandma's first child born in America and the minister of the church, the baby died." (letter from Frantsina's daughter Ruby, dated 17 Mar 1976)
  5. Arnold Litchfield was born in Dec 1869 in Minnesota. [Ref] He died in Apr 1938 in Spokane, Spokane, Washington. [Ref] He married Lina Unknown [Ref] about 1900. Lina was born about 1876 in Kentucky.
    Arnold and his brother William went to Alaska during the Klondike gold strike. They opened fur trading stations in the Cooke Inlet territory, selling groceries and hardware. [Ref] They took the last name "Litchfield".
    In 1900 Arnold and his brother William were miners living in Ladds Station, Southern Supervisors District, Alaska. They were both single and gave their birthplace as Minnesota, their father's birthplace as Minnesota [!] and their mother's birthplace as Denmark. Arnold gave his occupation at home as a hotelkeeper; William said that he was a showman. [Ref]
    In 1920 Arnold, age 51, born in Minnesota and with parents born in Denmark, lived in Macleay, Marion, Oregon. [Ref] With him lived his wife Nina K. [Lina K.], age 44, born in Kentucky and with parents born in Norway. [Ref] Arnold was a farmer. [Ref]
    In 1930 Arnold, age 61, born in Minnesota and with parents born in Denmark, lived in Spokane, Spokane, Washington. [Ref] He was a manager in the mining industry. [Ref] With him lived Lena K. Litchfield, age 65 [!], born in Kentucky and with parents born in Norway. [Ref] Arnold was a manager in the mining industry. [Ref] Arnold and Lena gave their ages at their first marriage as 31 and 24, respectively. [Ref]
    Between 1935 and 1938 Arnold H. Litchfield of Spokane was the president and general manager of the Giant Sunrise Mining Company on Grouse Mountain near Troy, Montana. [Ref][Ref][Ref] It produced lead-silver-zinc-gold ore. [Ref][Ref][Ref][Ref] Arnold's nephew Clarence F. Larsen of Seattle was the secretary-treasurer. [Ref]
    The managers of the Giant Sunrise Mine employed a crew of about 15 men during 1935-1936. The mine had five adits ranging from 255 feet to 6,000 feet in length, a 100-ton mill built in 1934, a blacksmith shop, and other structures.
    Arnold had a sister in law Mrs. George H. Trimble. [Ref]
  6. Matilda ("Tillie") Hansen was born about 1872. She died on 3 Feb 1949 in Seattle, age about 76. [Ref] She married Nels Bergerson about 1900/3. [Ref] Tillie and her mother moved to a house in Litchfield about 1898. [Ref]
    In 1910 Nels, age 37 and born in Illinois with a father born in Norway and mother born in Sweden, lived in Seattle with his wife Tillie, age 33 and born in Minnesota with a father born in Germany and a mother born in Denmark. They had been married for nine years and had a three-year-old daughter Silvia, who was born in Minnesota, a two-year-old son Kenneth who was born in Washington and a two-months old son Reuben [!] who was born in Washington. Nels was a retail grocery merchant. [Ref]
    In 1920 Nels, age 47, and Tillie, age 39, lived in Seattle with their daughter Sylvia, age 12, and their sons Kenneth, age 11, Clifford, age 20, and Francis age five. All of the children but Sylvia were born in Washington. Nels drove a laundry truck. [Ref]
    In 1930 Nels, age 58, and Tillie, age 48, lived in Seattle with their children Sylvia, age 23, Kenneth, age 21, Clifford, age 20, and Francis, age 15. Nels sold life insurance. [Ref]
    Children of Tillie and Nels:
    1. Sylvia Bergerson was born about 1907 in Minnesota. [Ref]
    2. Kenneth Eugene Bergerson was born on 1 Sep 1908 in Seattle. [Ref] He died in Nov 1964. [Ref]
    3. Clifford Ernest Bergerson was born on 7 Mar 1910 in Seattle. [Ref] He died on 22 May 1991 [Ref] in Seattle. [Ref]
    4. Francis Bergerson was born on 25 Apr 1914 in Seattle. [Ref, no first name]
  7. William Hansen Litchfield was born on 24 May 1873 in Minnesota. [Ref][Ref says May 1874] He married Mabel Elfson [Ref] about 1802. [Ref] He took the last name "Litchfield".
    In 1910 William was living in Seattle, King, Washington with his wife Mabel, born about age 28, his daughter Eloise, age six, and his son Wallace, age two. William and Mabel had been married for eight years and William was a building contractor. [Ref]
    In 1918 William was described as of medium height and build, bald and with blue eyes. [Ref]
    In 1920 William was living with his wife and two children in Oakland, Alameda, California, where he was a manufacturer of syrup extract. [Ref] In 1930 William was living in Seattle with his wife and son. He was a manufacturer of compressed oxygen. [Ref]
    Children of William and Mabel:
    1. Eloise Litchfield was born about 1904 in Washington. [Ref]
    2. Wallace Litchfield was born on 4 Apr 1906 [Ref] in Seattle. [Ref] Wallace H. Litchfield of Seattle died on 15 Feb 1996 [Ref] in Renton, King, Washington. [Ref]
      Wallace was associated with the Giant Sunrise Mine from 1931 and was in charge of the work there in 1938. [Ref]
  8. Leaverett ("Levi") Hansen was born about 1875. He married Sarah Wilcox. Levi moved to Ramsey, SD and opened a hardware store. [Ref]
    In 1910 Levi B. Hansen, age 36, born in Minnesota with parents born in Denmark, and his wife Sarah, age 35 and born in Minnesota with a father born in Ohio and a mother born in Sweden, lived in Green, Ranson, North Dakota. They had had four children and three daughters were living: Marvel, age ten, and Nettie and Nellie, age three. Levi had a general store. [Ref]
    Children of Levi and Sarah:
    1. Marvel Hansen was born about 1900 in North Dakota. [Ref]
    2. Nettie Hansen was born about 1907 in North Dakota. [Ref]
    3. Nellie Hansen was born about 1907 in North Dakota. [Ref]

Generation 3

FRANTSINA HANSEN (abt 1864 - 1914)

Parents: C. L. Hansen [Ref] and Katherine Gena Hansen

Frantsina Hansen was born about 1864 in Denmark. [Ref] She died on 12 Apr 1914. [Ref][Ref] She married Lars Larsen [Ref] on 21 Sep 1888. [The date is according to her daughter Ruby.]

According to her daughter Ruby (letter dated 17 Mar 1976), she was born in Langeland, Denmark.

In signing a letter, she spelled her name "Frantsina". [Ref]

The Larsens settled on a homestead in Minnesota. [Ref] They later moved to Litchfield, where Frantsina had a millinery store. [Ref][Ref] Later they moved to Kalispel, Montanta and Frantsina took in boarders. [Ref] About two years later they moved to Seattle, where Frantsina had a bakery shop. [Ref]

Louis went to Canada to work in a mine owned by Frantsina's brother Arnold. [Ref] Frantsina was unhappy without him and her children paid her train fare for her to go to Canada as well. [Ref] She broke her leg in Oct 1913, or according to her, her ankle, [Ref] in the remote location and it was never set [Ref]; she died shortly thereafter.

Frantsina's letters are sent from the "Second Relief". The Second Relief mine is located in a mountain valley 20 kilometres northwest of Salmo, British Columbia.

Back row: Will, Arnold and Levi; Second row: Gena and C.L. Hansen; First row: Tillie, Frantsina

Photo: Second Relief Mine (used with permission)

References

Assembly of the State of New York, Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, V. 19, 19th Session - 1867, Albany, C. Van Benthuysen & Sons, 1867.

Bureau of the Census, Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930, Washington, DC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls. Online database: Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, USA, The Generations Network, Inc., 2002.

Bureau of the Census. Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920, Washington, DC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1920. T625, 2,076 rolls. Online: Ancestry.com.

Bureau of the Census, Tenth Census of the United States, 1880, Washington, DC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1880. T9, 1,454 rolls. Online: Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.

Bureau of the Census, Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910, Washington, DC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1910.

Bureau of the Census, Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900, Washington, DC, National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls. Online: Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.

Hansen, Frantsina, letters, 1913.

No author, Emigrant Ships and the Cholera: Observations, Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, 27 July, 1866, Volume 184, Third Series, Columns 1618 - 1625, CMSIED 9306013.

No author, Spokesman Review, Spokane, 10 Mar 1936, Washington State University library digital collections, various dates.

Larsen, Clarence, memoir

Wolfe, Ruby, memoir