Letters from America

32 Pages·2011·0.546 MB·English

by  Brændstrup, Bodil

Letters from America
Written by the 3 Ulstedlund-Brothers,
Emigrated from Denmark to Minnesota
in 1878, 1882 and 1886.
By Bodil Braendstrup © 2011
ISBN 978-87-92485-17-5
BB-CULTURE Publishing, Copenhagen
www.bb-culture.com
1 - Letters from America - © Bodil Braendstrup – ISBN 978-87-92485-17-5
Ulstedlund
Ulstedlund had been the home of Soren Chr. Sorensen's family for generations,
when in 1855 he married the 18 year younger Jensine Christine Franzen.
Jensine Christine gave birth to 7 children and died 46 years old in 1878. Shortly
after her death her oldest son, Jens Sorensen emigrated to the United States. His
brothers Anders and Johannes, called John, followed in 1882 and 1886.
Their daughters Ane, Helene and Hedevig Cathrine were married to farmers in the
neighborhood, and in 1893 the youngest son, Niels, took over Ulstedlund from his
father, who lived till 1907, when he died 93 years old.
The old buildings above are now abandoned and lying as a ruin in Lunden, the
small wood around it, and a new farm has been built close by.
Ulstedlund is after Niels Sorensen no longer owned by the family.
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Preface:
“Letters from America” is a small supplement to “Slægten fra Ulstedlund (Kær
Herred)”, Family-book of the Ulstedlund Family, and to The Franzen-Trilogy,
telling the story of Jensine Christine Franzen's family. Other notes and data are
found in the Appendix.
The letters have been kept by Niels Sorensen's family and his niece, Thyra Sloth
Jensen of Geraa, who has often visited Ulstedlund as a child. She has been kind
enough to let me copy the letters, which are here presented in chronological order.
The letters are now in the archive of Hals Museum, not far from Ulstedlund.
Of course, the original letters are written in Danish, and the brothers write
surprisingly good Danish even after many years in the United States, although
some English words and expressions slip into the late letters.
Although they do not tell very much about what is happening in their daily lives,
the letters present a very clear picture of their nature, temperament and different
approach to life, and also of their relationship to each other and the family at
home.
It has been a privilege for me – as great-granddaughter of Jensine Franzen's
brother, Hans Peter Franzen – to be able to read these letters and make them
available to the American descendants of Jens and John Sorensen.
Bodil Braendstrup
Copenhagen, September 2011
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Letter from Anders:
Montana, December 28th, 1888
Dear sister Trine ! (probably Hedevig Cathrine)
Thank you so much for your letter, which I received some time ago.
You write, that I have not answered your last letter, but I have not heard from you,
since I was in Wheaton, and I wrote to you just before I left.
I wrote to Niels last winter, while I was up in the forests, but that boor has not
answered. I am now far out in the Wild West, and I am about 1200 miles further
West than Jens and Johannes. I am fine. Just now I am a cow-hand. It is a tough
and fun life and I like it. Those cowboys, they have in this country, are really some
tough fellows, and we are on horseback from morning till night.
I thank you very much for your picture. It is fine, and I will be sure to send you
one of myself, as soon as I get to town and have some made, but I have 25 miles to
town, and I have not been there since last July. Maybe I will soon get the time to
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take a small trip to town. I had a letter from Hans Anderson just before he left for
home, so maybe you have seen or spoken to him before you get my letter. I hope
that all the girls at home will fall in love with him, for Hans is a nice guy. He is a
bit shy and also a bit sly, he loves money and goes for it, but he jokes about it
himself.
Now I don't know what more to write this time. I wish everyone at home a Happy
New Year. Give my greetings to Father and all my sisters and brother.
Anders
When you write, then put my letter inside your letter to Johannes, since I am not
sure how long I will stay here:
Jens Sorensen Lund
Albert Lea (587) Minnesota
North America
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Letter from Jens:
Written on stationary from: Albert Lea Mill Co., Manufacturers of “Sunrise” and “Albert Lea”
Brands of Flour.
Albert Lea, Minn., April 4th, 1890
Dear Brother Niels!
I remember today, that you wrote a letter to me, which I have not answered, for
which I am sorry. I will not ask you to excuse my not answering a letter, I was so
glad to receive, for that would be indulging in my own laziness and indifference.
But there is one thing I cannot stop thinking about, namely all of you at home,
and I am very pleased to hear that you are a faithful church-goer. And dear Niels
keep it up, since there is a great promise for you in what St. Paul says: Blessed are
those who hear the Word of God and keep it. And do not forget old David's words
when he says: How will a young man keep pure except by keeping my word,
sayeth the Almighty God.
Dear Niels, I ask you to give loving greetings to our old Father, if he is still living,
from me and my family – big and small. I would like to see him again, but I am
not coming home. But greet him from me and say to him, that the Lord says that
there is a sabbath-rest in store for the people of the Lord, if they are in accordance
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with God. And the Lord says, that he is very generous to forgive, and he will not
let any sinner die, but all will see the light and live.
Give my love to my sisters. The Lord says: Think upon your Creator in your youth
etc.
Your Brother Jens Sorensen
Farewell in the Name of Jesus!
Letter from John (Johannes):
Stationary: HALL HOUSE, Tryon's Hotel, Austin – Arnold House, Owatonna.
C. Tryon, Proprietor.
Albert Lea, Minn. Feb. 23rd, 1891
Dear Sister!
Thank you so much for your letter, which I have received and from which I learn
that all of you at home are well, and that is grand. I am also well and rather
content. I work at a hotel and earn 20 Dollars a month, and that is better than
nothing. After all it is not so much, but there is not so much to earn here, because
– like in the old country - there are many takers. But next summer I am thinking
about going further West, where there is more to earn. It may not be the best of
places to work, but I am getting tired of working for nothing.
I can give you greetings from Anders. I had a letter from him some time ago. He is
well and quite satisfied. He is almost as wild as the Indians. He lives in the
mountains by himself, where there are no other people than the Indians.
Ulstedlund-Johannes
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Letter from Jens:
Stationary:
Albert Lea Mill & Elevator Co. Manufacturers of HIGH GRADE ROLLER PROCESS FLOUR.
“Todd's High Toned, “Sunrise”, Albert Lea Fancy”, “Minnesota Straight”, “XXXX”.
Albert Lea, Minn. July 16th, 1892
Dear Brother!
May the Grace and Peace of God be with you!
I thank you so much for the small letter that I have received, and it pleases me to
hear a word about you all at home. You ask me how it went with the spurrey seeds
you sent me. I sowed it in the garden, and then we had such lovely weather with
sun and rain that it came up within a week, high enough to cut, and then it fell
over and rotted before the seeds were ready. So, as you see, it did not work out
well. I believe that the soil is too rich for that kind of grass.
We have no major news to tell, besides the fact, which is in itself good news, that
we are all well and according to circumstances quite alright.
I spoke to Johannes last Sunday. He is thinking of maybe going home when winter
comes.
Greetings to all from me.
Is J.H. the tailor still alive? I have not heard one word from him in many years.
Do bring the best greetings to our old Father from me, my wife and our children.
Finally, all the best to you, my dear Brother, from
J. Sorensen
Farewell in the Name of the Lord!
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Letter from Hans Andersen,
a friend of Niels Sorensen's
Stationary:
GULBRANDSON BROS. Heavy and Shelf Hardware and Charter Oak Stoves and
Range, Household Sewing Machines, Farming Implements, Etc.
Albert Lea, Minn. 21st September 1892
My dear friend, Niels Sorensen!
May the Mercy and the Peace of Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer be with
you!
Thank you for the greetings you sent to me through your letter to your brother
Jens.
I presume that I may be allowed to hope that you have entered through “the
narrow gate”, before these lines reach you. Yes, that is my hope, my dear Niels.
You will then experience that it is good to belong to Jesus and be assured in your
heart that all your sins have been forgiven. Our lasting place is not on this Earth.
The Lord has reminded us of this very often these last times by taking many of our
Danish people away from the Surface of the Earth. On the 2nd of July, Marie
Pedersen, the daughter of the black-smith in Ulsted died, four English miles away
from this town, and she was buried on the 3rd of July in the afternoon in this town,
where I was present. If her father is in Ulsted and does not know about this,
please tell him. Marie's small girl, Line, is staying with a Danish family near
Albert Lea.
Some days ago, Hans Andreas Jensen (known as “Master Andreas”) was almost run
over by a train. He is in a very bad state, for the time being death-threatening.
Maybe he can still get to survive. His son, Jorgen Peter Hansen, died of typhoid
feaver almost a month ago. Besides these two from Ulsted, several others have
died here within a rather short period of time. It is good to have your matters
settled with the Lord, so that we can say with St. Paul: “Whether we live or die, we
belong to the Lord”. Let us pray with David: “Lord, teach me to count my days
and become wise at heart”. Then we could also say with St. Paul: “After all,
brothers, the crown of righteousness is kept for me eternally in Heaven”. Let us
meet there.
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Now I will ask you to give my best regards to your old Father and all your sisters
and relatives.
This also brings greetings from your brother Jens.
We are all well and healthy.
Your brother Johannes is also living in this town, but he never comes to our group
or visits us privately. I am afraid, he is wandering in the worldly and empty
satisfaction and joy, which will come to such a rapid end.
If there are any of God's children that I know, then give them my greetings.
And you, yourself, is so heartily greeted with my wish and prayer for God's peace,
from your humble friend,
Hans Anderson
My address is: Care of Gulbrandson Bros., Albert Lea, Minn. USA.
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