Christen and Eva Marie (Jensen) Jensen

JENSEN, CLAUSEN, MADSEN, THYGESEN, JAMES, KAUFFMAN, WILLIAMS, KELLY

Posted By: Jennifer J. Jensen (email)
Date: 5/9/2004 at 12:31:19

Christen and Eva Marie (Jensen) Jensen

Christen Jensen, a long-time resident of Audubon County, was born April 16, 1864, the son of Jens and Karen Christiansen. Christen was born in the tiny village of Herrestrup on the island of Sjelland. He was baptized June 4, 1864, in the nearby town of Grevinge, Denmark, and was later confirmed in the Lutheran faith.

Christen’s father, Jens (or Christian) Christensen, owned a small farm of twenty-seven acres. He served in the war of 1864 between Germany and Denmark as a private soldier. The Christiansens were the parents of four children, Mary, Christen, Jens and Sophia. Christen was the only one of the children who left his native Denmark to settle in the United States. After making his home in America, he made many trips back to Denmark to see his family.

Christen attended school in Denmark until he was 14, and then began working. In 1884, he immigrated to America, landing in New York City. He traveled to Independence, Iowa, where he worked on a farm and in the timber for two years. In 1888, he moved to the Elk Horn area and purchased eighty acres of land at $28 per acre.

On January 11, 1890, Christen married Eva Marie Jensen. Reverend Kristian Anker of Elk Horn officiated at the ceremony.

The couple farmed for two years a mile west of Jackonsville, then spent nearly three years in Oakfield Township, Audubon County. In 1894, Christen bought a farm in Section 15 of Douglas Township. The Jensens lived on this farm for the next 40 years.

Eva Marie Jensen was born in Henry County, Illinois, on April 30, 1871. In 1874, she traveled in a covered wagon with her parents, Louis (or Lars M.) and Bodil Jensen, to live in Elk Horn. Both Louis and Bodil were Danish immigrants. The Jensens had six daughters, Eva, Signe, Anna, Christine, Ida and Laura. Louis Jensen was a brother to George James (formerly Jørgen Jensen) of Elk Horn.

Seven children were born to Christen and Eva, John on December 28, 1890 (Pearl Kauffman), Lydia on May 30, 1893 (Peter Clausen), Simon L. on February 25, 1896 (Anna Thygesen), Joseph on September 18, 1898 (Ethel Williams), Alex on April 7, 1901 (Lydia Kelly), Alvin on May 6, 1906 and Ella on December 24, 1910 (Lauritz Madsen).

The Jensens became members of Ebenezer Danish Lutheran Church on December 16, 1894. They were active members and the Jensen children attended Sunday School, Bible School and were confirmed there. Christen served as church secretary or church deacon at Ebenezer for almost 40 years.

The Jensens celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home in 1940.
They retired in 1946 at which time they lived with their daughter, Ella Madsen.

Eva Jensen died at 79 years of age on September 25, 1950, after suffering with a blood disease, probably leukemia, for two years. Christen Jensen, died on March 6, 1952, at the home of his daughter, Lydia Clausen in Gerber, California, where had been living for five months. He was 87 years old. His body was shipped back to Iowa by train for services and burial.

The Jensens are buried in the cemetery at Ebenezer Lutheran Church.