Jens J. Ravn

RAVN, HANSDATTER, GAARDE

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/10/2011 at 18:55:10

The population of Denmark township consists chiefly of farmers and among them is numbered Jens J. Ravn, whose progressiveness and hard work have gained him a substantial competence. He was born in Denmark on the 29th of November, 1867, and is a son of Hans Jensen and Signe (Hansdatter) Ravn. The father was during his active days a maker of wooden shoes and was also know as a violinist. He is still living at the age of seventy-seven but the mother died when sixty-seven years old.

Jens J. Ravn, who is one of a family of four children, attended the common schools until he was fourteen years old, when he was confirmed. For the next three years he worked as a bricklayer, but when only seventeen years old, came alone to the United States and settled in Armstrong Grove township, Emmet county, Iowa. After working as a farm hand for several years he cultivated rented land in Denmark township for six years, during that time carefully saving his money, as it was his ambition to become a landowner. At length he bought the north half of the northwest quarter of section 15 and has since operated that place. He has made a number of improvements thereon, carefully conserves the fertility of the soil and keeps everything in excellent condition.

On the 22d of March, 1892, Mr. Ravn was married to Miss Helena Marie Gaarde, a daughter of A. N. and Anna Marie Gaarde, who were among the early settlers of Denmark township, living for a number of years upon the farm that is now the home of Mr. Ravn. They are both deceased and are buried in St. Paul's cemetery. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Ravn are nine in number, namely: Hans Martin, Myrtie Jensina, Ralph Peter, Adella Marie, Esther Martina, Arna Sievert, Lehmann Christian, Velinda Andrea and Brady Gordon.

Mr. Ravn does not consider himself bound by party ties but casts his ballot independently. He is identified with the Danish Brotherhood, thus keeping in touch with others of his race, and in religious faith is a Danish Lutheran, holding membership in St. John's church. His has been a life of hard work intelligently directed and the prosperity which is now his is well deserved.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.