Hans Peer Petersen

PETERSEN ANDERSEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 19:16:13

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Hans Peter Petersen
By Mrs. Wesley Christensen

Hans Petersen was born in Jutland, Denmark, in 1871. His mother died when he was ten years old. His father remarried, whereupon Hans was hired out to milk cows and do chores. Thus, he lived away from home. He was so lonely for his mother and his home, that he cried himself to sleep many nights. He had to rise at 4:00 each morning.

His father was a schoolmaster. Because the state religion in Denmark is Lutheran, he also taught the Lutheran faith in school.

At the age of 19, Hans came to America. He had only forty-nine cents in his pocket when he arrived at the home of a great uncle at Moorhead, Iowa. He worked for the uncle on the farm.

A year later, his younger brother, Nels Christian, came to America, followed by a step brother, Thorvald, who settled in Fargo, North Dakota, and two step sisters, Thora, after several years here, returned to Denmark. Hanna married William Petersen of Little Sioux, Iowa. They had five sons. Hans died February 11, 1958. The others are all deceased.

Kathrine Andrea Andersen was born in 1876, also in Langeland, Denmark. She went to school to Han’s father. She set sail for America at age 16. The voyage took three weeks. She did housework in Onawa, Iowa, while attending school. She slept in a cold room where the snow at times would make a little drift across her bed. She was so anxious to learn the language of her new country, that most mornings the oil would be burned out of her lamp and her book would have fallen to the floor. She quickly learned the language, spoke without a brogue and became the top student of her class.

In October of 1894, Hans and Kathrine were married. They had two sons, Verne Roland and Dale, and one daughter, Erma. Dale died at age four of a summer sickness.

They farmed at Moorhead, Iowa. They were active in the Danish Lutheran Church, a country church. Hans’ forte was raising Poland Chinas.

Vern attended Midland College, Blair, Nebraska, a Danish Lutheran Synodical College. He taught the local country school, attended by his sister, Erma.

In March of 1920, the family moved to Sioux City, the north side. Hans worked for Anderson Furniture Company. Vern worked for the Livestock National Bank and the Toy National Bank. He married Anna Staugaard, January 13, 1923. On February 8, four days before his 30th birthday, in 1925, Vern suffered a heart attack and died. In 1927, his wife died of spinal meningitis. There were no children.

Erma went through the Sioux City school system, graduating from Central High School and in 9132 from Morningside College, where she was inducted into Kappa Zeta Chi sorority and Eta Sigma Phi, Latin-Greek fraternity.

In May of 1938 she married Wesley Christensen and with him moved to a farm at Sergeant Bluff. Her parents moved to the farm also, with each family having a separate home. Her father died in 1958. Her move died in 1963. Wesley and Erma moved to Sergeant Bluff in 1965.

Erma served as president of the Sergeant Bluff Women’s Club, two terms; was Woodbury County’s chairman of the Iowa Federation of Women’s Clubs, as well as 8th District Director and later became State Chairman of Library Services. She is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Sioux City, serving in all offices of its women’s group, including the presidency. She was president of Western Conference of United Lutheran Church Women; served on the Lutheran Welfare Board for five years and on the executive board of the Sioux City Council of churches for five years.

She has authored dramatizations pertaining to Leadership, Christmas, Lent and Biblical portrayals. She was a member of the advisory board of Christian Women’s Club for seven years, served as president of Church Women United of Sioux City and a member of the state board of same. She has been president of the Women’s Auxiliary for fourteen years; member of International Union of Gospel Missions and recording secretary of the Plains and Mountains District (six states) of the IUGM.

In 1964 she was presented an award to outstanding Christian Service by United Church Women. In 1977 she was the recipient of the Sioux City Rotary Club Service Above Self Award. Also in 1977 she was given the Morningside Alumni Award for Distinguished Service. She has been co-chairman of the Woodbury County Republican Club since 1952 and has served three terms as president of the West Woodbury Republican Women’s Club. She attended the Inauguration of Ronald Reagan at Washington, D.C. She is a member of the American Security Council, Concerned Women of America, the American Conservative Union and Founder’s Club of Morningside College.

Her interests are reading, writing, good government and Christian work. Her recreation consists mainly of hand crafts and outdoor care of lawn and roses. She resides at 201 First Street, Sergeant Bluff.