CHRIS HENRIKSEN.
It is a well authenticated fact that success comes as a result of legitimate and well applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action when once decided upon. Success was never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer and she never courts the loafer. Only those men who have diligently sought her favor, are crowned with her blessing. In tracing the history of Chris Henriksen, a retired merchant of Audubon, Iowa, and a well-known citizen of Audubon county, it is plainly seen that the success which he enjoys has been won by those commendable qualities heretofore mentioned. And it is also his personal worth that has gained for him the high esteem of the people of Audubon and Audubon county.
Chris Henriksen was born on August 23, 1855, in Denmark. He is the son of Henry Iverson and Anna (Daita) Henriksen. They were laboring people who lived and died in the land of their birth. Four of the family, however, came to America. Iver came first in 1872. He lives in Audubon and is retired. Mary, the wife of Martin Rasmussen, lives in California. Christina, deceased, was the wife of Chris Berg.
Chris Henriksen attended school in Denmark and came to America in 1876. He worked for Captain Stuart in Stark county, Illinois, in the town of Osceola for three years and in 1879 came to Audubon county in the employ of Stuart. He worked for Stuart for one year and then worked on the railroad for two years. Finally he moved to a farm. After his marriage, he farmed for seven years in Sharon. He owned a farm of one hundred and forty acres, and in 1889 came to Audubon and was employed by a hardware firm for three years. In 1893 Mr. Henriksen purchased the general store of Fisher Brothers & Company and for twenty years was one of the leading merchants of the town. He sold out his stock in 1912 and retired. In 1901 Mr. Henriksen erected a fine brick building in Audubon, and in 1904 he erected a beautiful residence in the western part of Audubon. It is situated on a hillside with terraced grounds and excellent surroundings. Mr. Henriksen is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Cass county, three hundred and twenty acres in Day county, South Dakota, and ten acres in his home place. He also owns a fine store building. Chris Henriksen is a self-made man. He began life as a poor Danish boy and has managed to acquire and accumulate a substantial competence for his old age.
Chris Henriksen was married in 1883 to Alene Berg. She died in 1898, leaving five children, namely: Henry, who lives at Fresno, California; Theodore, of Audubon; Berg and Segivall, who are at home; and William, who is a clerk in the postoffice. Theodore is married and has one child, Leo. In 1899 Mr. Henriksen was married, secondly, to Anna Elizabeth (Jensen) Bornesen, the widow of Hans B. Bornesen. By her first marriage, she had four children as follow: Hans, who lives on a farm ; Mrs. Jensena Jacobsen, of Audubon county; George, a farmer in Leroy township; and Mrs. Margaret Hughes, who also lives in Audubon county.
Mr. Henriksen has been more or less active in the councils of the Democratic party and has served as city councilman in Audubon. He and his wife and family are members of the Danish Lutheran church. Mr. Henriksen is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Danish Brotherhood.
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Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, September, 2019 from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 862-863.
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