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“Photo Courtesy, The Danish Immigrant Museum, Elk Horn, Iowa.”

 

 

Elim Lutheran Children’s Home

 

The Elim Lutheran children’s home was established in 1890 on a 40 acre farm purchased by the Elk Horn Lutheran Church. The two story house was built and four orphans were placed in the care of August L. Boysen and his wife.  Additional rooms were added, as the number of orphan care increased.

The Elim Children’s home closed its doors in 1961, when the state decided that there should be no more private orphan homes and that homeless children must be assigned to foster homes.

 

Listed here are some of the children who lived at the home.

Transcription by Michele McNabb.

 

    

Name

Age

Birth Place

Year

Notes

Aarons, Charles*

1

Minnesota

1930

Resident

Aarons, Mary A. (Ellen?)*

4

Minnesota

1930

Resident

Aarons, Paula*

10

Denmark

1930

Resident

Aarons, Sigrid*

8

Minnesota

1930

Resident

Aarons, Warren

 

 

 

WWII

Aarons, Werner*

6

Minnesota

1930

Resident

Andersen, Anna

22

Scott Co. IA

1895

Servant

Andersen, Axel C. M.

4

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Andersen, John

6

Iowa

1920

Resident

Andersen, Mary

33

Denmark

1895

nurse

Bagger, John

13

Denmark

1895

 

Barker, Connie

 

 

 

 

Barker, Jackie [Andersen]

 

 

 

 

Barker, Janet [Berger]

 

 

 

 

Bertelsen, Ella [Jorgensen]

 

 

 

 

Bertelsen, Evelyn [Ternquist]

 

 

 

 

Bertelsen, Johan

13

Iowa

1910

Resident

Bertelsen, Johan E.

3

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Bertelsen, Laurits

5

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Bertelsen, Laurits ?

13

Iowa

1910

Resident

Boe, Anna C.

8

Germany

1910

Daughter

Boe, Hans C. N.

41

Germany

1905-13, 1914-18

Head

Boe, Helene

34

Germany

1910

Wife of Head

Boe, Karen K.

6

Germany

1910

Daughter

Bondesen, Kristine E.

22

Germany

1910

Servant

Booth, Charlene [Christensen]

 

 

 

 

Booth, DeWitt

 

 

 

 

Booth, Marilyn E. [Juhl]

 

 

1942-49

EH historian

Boysen, August L.

51

Denmark

1890-1898

Manager; EH Hist.; 1895

Boysen, Beate

49

Denmark

1890-1898

wife of head; 1895

Brumbaugh, Logie

4

Iowa

1930

Resident

Brumbaugh, Loyce* [Besant]

 

 

 

 

Brumbaugh, Valda [Rose]

7

Iowa

1930-1942

Resident

Burd, George*

11

Iowa

1930

Resident

Burd, Max*

13

Iowa

1930

Resident; WWII

Burd, Rex*

14

Iowa

1930

Resident

Burd, Ross*

9

Iowa

1930

Resident; d. WWII

Carlson, Axel E.

 

near Atlantic

1890s

see sketch in EH history

Christensen, Jens

10

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Christensen, Lizzie

5

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Christensen, Sorena [West]

 

 

 

 

Christiansen, Anna

13

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Christiansen, Henrietta

40

Denmark

1900

Matron

Christiansen, Lester

 

 

1922

 

Christiansen, Lise

11

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Christiansen, Niels Chris

41

Denmark

1900; 1898-1902

Manager; EH Hist.

Cofoed, Alva* (see also Kofoed)

13

Minnesota

1930

Resident

Danielsen, Peter C. L.

13

Iowa

1910

Resident

Dirgo, Earl

 

 

 

WWII

Dirgo, George

 

 

 

 

Dirgo, Harry

 

 

 

 

Dirgo, Helen C. [Andersen; (Dennis' sil)]

 

 

1935-1952

 

Dirgo, Kathryn [Woodring]

 

 

 

 

Dirgo, Raymond

 

 

 

WWII

Dirgo, Ruth [Juel]

 

 

 

 

Dirgo, Vern

 

 

 

 

Flint,

 

 

 

 

Flint,

 

 

 

 

Flint,

 

 

 

 

Freeman, Darlene (?)

 

 

 

 

Granteer, Lila [Wells]

 

 

 

mentioned in obit

Granteer, Lois [John Jessen]

 

 

 

 

Granteer, Marvin

 

 

 

 

Granteer, Pauline [Olesen]

 

 

 

 

Granteer, Shirley [Petersen]

 

 

 

 

Gwinneer/Gwinner, Paul*

13

Iowa

1930

Resident

Hansen, Frederick

13

Illinois

1920

Resident

Hansen, Jerry

 

 

 

 

Hansen, LaVerne

 

 

 

WWII

Hansen, Marius

 

 

1931-1932

Manager; EH Hist.

Hansen, Viola [Sander]

 

 

1950-1961

EH Hist.

Hemmingsen, ?

11

?

1910

Resident

Hemmingsen, Carl E.

10

Oregon

1910

Resident

Jensen, Anna

5

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Jensen, Anna

11

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jensen, Anna C.

9

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jensen, Christian

9

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Jensen, Christian

11

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jensen, Hanna

3

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Jensen, Hanna

9

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jensen, Helga ?

16

Iowa

1910

Resident

Jensen, Hilda

6

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jensen, Jennie ?

3

Iowa

1910

Resident

Jensen, Jens P.

6

Wisconsin

1895

 

Jensen, Lars Peter

52

Denmark

1920

Head

Jensen, Lucy ?

11 mos.

Nebraska

1910

Resident

Jensen, Margaret*

 

 

1931-1950

EH Hist.

Jensen, Marie C.

25

Iowa

1920

Daughter

Jensen, Metta C.

50

Denmark

1920

Wife of Head

Jensen, Peter

11

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Jensen, Reinhard

4

Iowa

1910

Resident

Jensen, Sorena

7

Pottawattamie Co.

1895

 

Jensen, Sorine

12

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Jespersen, Hanna M. ?

6

Minnesota

1910

Resident

Johansen, Marie

28

Colorado

1920

Servant

Jorgensen, Christian

54

Germany

1920

Hired Man

Jorgensen, Frederick*

15

Nebraska

1930

Resident

Kehler, Robert

8

Denmark

1895

 

Kehler, Wilhelm

11

Denmark

1895

 

Klyver, F. D.

 

 

1902-1905

Manager; EH Hist.

Knudsen, Christian

7

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Kofoed, Alva  (see also Cofoed)

3

Minnesota

1920

Resident

Larsen, Albert

8

Nebraska

1920

Resident; WWII

Larsen, Arnold

 

 

 

 

Larsen, Karl Otto

 

 

1913-1914

Manager; EH Hist.

Larsen, Lars

38

Denmark

1895

mason

Larsen, Marie Kristine

 

 

1913-1914

wife of manager

Larsen, Metta

9

Illinois

1920

Resident

Larsen, Violet [Sleater]

 

 

 

 

Mardisen, Alma

20

Iowa

1930

Resident

Mardisen, Ima

22

Iowa

1930

Resident

Mathiesen,  Marie

38

Germany

1920

Wife of Head

Mathiesen, Charitas ?

11

Alabama

1920

Daughter

Mathiesen, Elizabeth

9

New York

1920

Daughter

Mathiesen, Louisa

6

Wisconsin

1920

Daughter

Mathiesen, Max (Rev.)

38

Germany

1918-1921

Head

McCoy, Donna [Nauss]

 

 

 

 

McCoy, Marlene [King]

 

 

 

 

Nelson, Anna

7

Black Hawk Co.

1895

 

Nelson, Christina*

18

Iowa

1930

Resident

Nelson, Donald

 

 

 

WWII

Nelson, Howard

 

 

<WWII

 

Nelson, Katrena

10

Black Hawk Co.

1895

 

Nelson, Lawrence

 

 

 

WIII

Nelson, Owen

16

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Nielsen, Christina

8

Iowa

1920

Resident

Nielsen, Clarence E.

8

Iowa

1910

Resident

Nielsen, Donald

10 mos.

Iowa

1920

Resident

Nielsen, Howard

11

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Nielsen, Laurits

12

Iowa

1920

Resident

Nielsen, Richard

8

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Olesen, Christine

12

Nebraska

1900

Inmate

Olesen, Marea

10

Nebraska

1900

Inmate

Olesen, Niels P.

9

Denmark

1900

Inmate

Olsen, Agnes

3

Black Hawk Co.

1895

 

Olson, Nels P.

3

Black Hawk Co.

1895

 

Ottesen, Peder ?

14

Iowa

1910

Resident

Paulsen, Emma

6

Wisconsin

1895

 

Paulsen, Mary

12

Wisconsin

1895

 

Paulsen, Vigo

3

Wisconsin

1895

 

Paulsen, Willie

7

Wisconsin

1895

 

Paup, Peggy [Page]

 

 

 

 

Pedersen, Axel

7

Nebraska

1910

Resident

Pedersen, Carrie

28

Iowa

1920

Servant

Pedersen, William

12

?

1910

Resident

Petersen, Bertha*

14

Iowa

1930

Resident

Petersen, Chris

 

 

 

WWII

Petersen, Daniel

18

Nebraska

1930

Son

Petersen, Dolores* [Engstrom]

7

Iowa

1930

Resident

Petersen, Eva  E.

10

Minnesota

1900

Inmate

Petersen, Evelyn* [Belt]

9

Iowa

1930

Resident

Petersen, Herbert*

8

Iowa

1930

Resident; WWII

Petersen, Nina M.* [Jensen]

10

Iowa

1930

Resident

Petersen, Palma

 

 

1931-1961

Manager

Petersen, Palma*

34

Iowa

1930

Resident

Petersen, Rebecka*

48

Denmark

1930

Wife of Head

Petersen, Walter

17

Nebraska

1930

Son

Petersen, Wilbur*

54

Illinois

1921-1931

Head

Peterson, Eva

5

Minnesota

1895

 

Ramey, Bonnie [Schutt]

 

 

 

 

Ramey, Darlene [Carr]

 

 

 

 

Smith, Waunetta

6

Oklahoma

1920

Resident

Sorensen, Anton

6

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Sorensen, Chris

32

Colorado

1920

Boarder

Sorensen, Lavonne*

6

Nebraska

1930

Resident

Sorensen, Margaret*

11

Nebraska

1930

Resident

Sorensen, Marius

9

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Sorensen, Soren

14

Nebraska

1920

Resident

Sorrensen, Carrie

22

Denmark

1900

Servant

Sorrensen, Christian

13

Denmark

1900

Inmate

Steffersen, Laust

9

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Steffersen, Peter

5

Iowa

1900

Inmate

Terkelsen, Bodel S.

14

Shelby Co.

1895

 

Terkelsen, Karen

8

Shelby Co.

1895

 

Terkelson, Ole

12

Shelby Co.

1895

 

Vokt/Vogt, Henry*

6

Iowa

1930

Resident

Vokt/Vogt, Mary Ellen*

7

Iowa

1930

Resident

Waddell, Lucille*

6

Iowa

1930

Resident

Waddell, Ruth*

4

Iowa

1930

Resident

Westergaard, Christian

12

Denmark

1920

Resident; WWII

Westergaard, Herman

9

Denmark

1920

Resident; d. WWII

Westergaard, Inger

11

Denmark

1920

Resident

Westergaard, Oswell

 

 

<WWII

 

Westergaard, Walter

10

Denmark

1920

Resident

Wilkins, Clifford*

3

Iowa

1930

Resident

Wilkins, Guy*

7

Iowa

1930

Resident; WWII

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contributed by Phyllis A. Heller, copyright 2007, All Rights Reserved


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