Maurice B. and Charlotte I. Jensen

JENSEN, NICKOLAISEN, PARR, GATES

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 10/30/2018 at 18:38:16

Castana, Iowa
1886 – 1986

Maurice B. and Charlotte I. Jensen

Jens B. Jensen, came from Harsens, Denmark, when he was 20 years old. He farmed on the Sioux River and at Moorhead, Iowa. He married Dagmar Nickolaisen at Moorhead. They had three children; Iva, Alice and Maurice B. They moved to Castana, Iowa in 1914 when Maurice was two years old to farm and raise their family. All graduated from Castana High School. Iva went to Ames to get her degree in teaching Home Economics. Alice stayed home to care for her mother who was paralyzed from her waist down for eleven years. Maurice farmed with his father.

Maurice married Charlotte I. Parr in 1936, a Home economics teacher at Castana. After his mother died in 1935, they moved in with Jens who continued to live with them for nineteen years. Charlotte I. Parr Jensen was born in Charles City, Iowa. Her parents were; Charles H. Parr, Wyoming, Wisconsin, born 1868; Gertrude Gates, Beloit, Wisconsin, born 1871. Charles Parr graduated from the University of Wisconsin and with his friend Charles Hart they invented the first gasoline engine and the Hart Parr tractor. They coined the word “Tractor.” They left Wisconsin to go to Charles City, Iowa to establish a Hart Parr tractor factory. Charles and Gertrude had nine children and raised six. Charlotte was the youngest.

Maurice and Charlotte had five children; Maurice J. (Sonny) born 1937, died in 1975 in a corn crib accident. He married Maxine Nutt. They had two girls, Marla and Melissa. They lived in Castana. Maxine re-married Gary Thies of Mapleton. We were happy to have him in the family. Karen Lou, born in 1939, lives in Nebraska. She married Robert A. Jones of Farnkanville, Iowa. They had three youngsters, Bradley, Barry and Brenda. Bradley married Kim Gustafuson of Wakefield, Nebraska. They have one girl, Brandy Elaine Jones. Rita Jean, born 1944, lives in Lohrville, Iowa. She married Merrill Hawthorne of Lohrville, Iowa. They had a girl and a boy, Nancy and Mark; twins- Janet and James. Janet Gertrude born 1948 and lives in New Virginia, Iowa. She married Michael Erwin of Connecticut. They had three boys, Michael, Richard Jens and Maurice Charles; James Wayland, born in 1948, lives at Castana and farms with his father. He married Wanda Gamet from Tekamaha, Nebraska. They had a girl and boy, Laura and David.

We were the Iowa T.B. Seal family in 1954. The Des Moines Register paper took pictures of the house and farm with the family around Christmas Time. They wrote a nice story about us. It was the last picture of Jens B. Jensen as he died in 1955.

Maurice’s grandparents were; Nels Nickolaisen, Denmark, 1873; Christina Skow Nickolaisen, Denmark, (Klering) 1859. Charlotte’s grandparents were: Frank E. Gates, Beloit, Wisconsin, 1848 died 1912; Jennie Gates, Beloit, Wisconsin, 1871 died 1934. Maurice and Charlotte have lived in Castana together forty-nine years, (1936-1985). He was nicknamed “Jenny” during his school years. Charlotte did not have a nickname. Maurice has been director of; The Federal Land Bank, Mapleton Nursing Home, Burgess Memorial Hospital at Onawa (charter member), Castana School Board, Monona County School Board, Charter member of the W.I.T. College Board in Sioux City. He belongs to the Masonic Lodge at Castana, Consistory and Shrine in Sioux City. Also a 50 year member of the Odd Fellows Lodge. He has belonged to the White House Patrol in Sioux City. He has helped with community projects in Mapleton, Castana and Onawa. He went with the White Horses to President Nixon’s inauguration and the Rose Parade in California.

Charlotte besides keeping house and caring for the family, has been active in the Castana Thursday Club, holding a number of offices, the Monona County Women’s Club as chairman and also Literary Chairman; Castana Ladies Aid as President and helping with projects; the Castana Church Board; taught school for two years before marriage at Castana; Queen Esther Chapter of O.E.S. at Onawa; Daughters of the Nile in Sioux City; President of the Stablemates of the White Horse Patrol; plus a lot of volunteer work.

The town of Castana will have its centennial in 1986 in July. Maurice and Charlotte hopefully will have their fiftieth wedding anniversary in June of 1986. We will be blessed we hope, with our second great-grandchild in September of 1985. We feel Castana has been good to all of us. Five children and twelve grandchildren and two great- grandchildren, plus many friends and other relatives.