From The Memoirs of Ruby Wolfe, daughter of Louis Larsen and Frantsina Hansen

Grandma and Grandpa Hansen came to America from Denmark in 1866 with three children. Cholera broke out on the boat and two children died; mother (Frantsina Hansen) survived. Their household things and furniture were stolen. When they reached America, they homesteaded in Minnesota, July 6, 1866. They raised five children. My mother, Francina, Arnold, Will, Tillie and Levi. Grandpa died in 1892 and Grandma moved to the small city of Litchfield, Minnesota. They had lived on their farm.

Dad was born in Denmark February 19, 1860 and came to America in 1878. He also settled on a homestead in Minnesota. Dad and mother were married in 1888. They had eight children, seven were born in Minnesota and Violet, the youngest, was born in Seattle, Washington in 1904. Lily, next to the oldest was playing with matches when she was four years old, and was badly burned before they found her and she died. This was in Litchfield Minnesota. I was about two years old. Dad sold his homestead and moved to Litchfield. He had a farm machinery shop and mother had a millinery store and wore hats always.

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In about 1900, Dad, I guess, was not doing too good in the farm machinery business, so went to Kalispel, Montana and worked on railroad bridges. In April of 1900, my brother George was born, after which we moved to Kalispel, Montana to be with Dad. Mother took in boarders, mostly railroad workers.

One railroad man and his wife stayed with us, room and board. They had I think, five children and had put them in an orphan home, boarding them, so she could travel with her husband. She talked Mother into putting us in this home. It was a Catholic home in Spokane, run by what they call Sisters, nuns. So Clarence, I, Christian and Lilac were taken to this home in Spokane, by Mother. Lilac was about four and very cute and soon became a pet of the Sisters. She was in Mother Superior's room much of the time. There was an orphan girl there about my age and we became friends. She was completely bald-headed and wore a funny wig. Whenever Mother came to visit us, she got to come with us to the parlor. We were not Catholic, so could not go to church with those that were Catholic. We had a prayer service though, early every morning. Boys and girls had separate quarters. We marched down the back stairs, boys coming one way, the girls the other. I would always watch for Clarence and Chris as it was the only way to see them; they were not there, then they were sick, etc. We could only get together when mother came to visit, which was not often. We were there about five months when mother came to get Clarence. She and Dad thought he was too old to be there. He was probably about 12 and I was about 8 years old, Chris 6, and Lilac, 4. We all wanted to go home also; so we did, but we had to beg to go home.

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[Tillie] married a neighbor from across the street from us in Kalispel, a Nels Bergerson. Tillie lived across the street from us then with Grandma. We lived in Kalispel about two years I think and then Uncle Arnold talked Dad and Mother into moving to Seattle, where he was. So we did, in 1902 or 1903

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A family of four children moved in the house across the street from us. Marian, the oldest, Howland, Donald and Ruth Johnson. The mother was not very well, in bed most of the time, and the father was gone most of the time. He did come home and pay the bills I guess. ... My mother had a little home bakery shop in our front hallway, which was quite large. Mrs. Johnson, Marian's mother, used to come over and buy bakery things. ... But we all became very good friends; Marian and I especially. Marian's mother was sick and passed away. The children were left to take care of themselves. The father did show up to pay the bills, but did not leave them much.

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Marian and I were always very close friends and later she and my brother Clarence were married.

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Grandma Hansen, Mother's mother, lived with us, when our house was built on Weller Street. She tripped on a foot stool when her long skirt got caught and broke her hip. The young doctor had never put on a hip support, did not use casts, and put it on backwards. Grandma Hansen died from it in 1912. She was taken to Minnesota to be buried beside Grandpa.

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Dad, of course, was up in Canada working in the mine for Uncle Arnold. Mother wanted to go to the mine also. ... So, she went up to be with Dad and also help in the kitchen in the mine. Clarence and I raised money so she could go. George was about 12 years old and was selling newspapers downtown by the depot. Several times he went to sleep on benches at the depot. The police would call Dad and he would go and get him. He had to walk both ways as the street cars closed down at night. With Dad and Mother gone to mine, Uncle Levi thought it best to take George home to Minnesota with him. He did this and put him on a farm with a cousin of ours on Dad's side, Alma Phile [?] He stayed on the farm and helped until we went to war in 1918. He ran away and joined the navy.

When Mother was at the mine, walking between buildings, she fell in a hole and broke her leg. It was a hundred miles to a doctor over terrible roads and no cars there; so she never got it set. Uncle Arnold sold the mine and Mother and Dad came home for Christmas 1913. Mother was on crutches.

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In April 1914, Mother got very sick and died. We did not have doctors and hospitals like we have now.

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So we [Roy and Ruby] were married in September of 1914, in St. Clements Episcopal church.

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Mother was a wonderful cook. She used to make a Danish soup with special bread dumplings in it. Uncle Arnold and Aunt Lina came quite often when we had this. It was a special Danish dish.

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[George] ran away and joined the Navy; he wasn't really old enough but he was a big husky boy and had no trouble joining. Chris and Clarence were in the Army. Chris was sent overseas and was in action; Clarence was in uniform, but home.

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Marian and Clarence were married in 1916. They lived in a tent on a piece of property on Mercer Island that Marian had bought with her inheritance. Clarence, with Dad's help, gradually built a house.