Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ) trip to Chicago, Illinois for Jensen family reunion from June 18, 2004 till June 21, 2004
My great-grandmother was Salmine Pedersen. She had two siblings that emigrated to the United States from Farsund, Norway with her. They were Otto Olson; and Lena Olson. Lena and Otto took as their family name "Olson" since they were the children of Ole Mathia Pedersen. Salmine took her father's name "Pedersen". In Norway there were no family names, you were the "son of Ole" or Olson; or the "son of Peder", a Pedersen. Some chose to spell son, "sen", others chose "sen". Otto and Lena left New York City and went on to Chicago, Illinois. Salmine stayed in New York City because her husband was a merchant seaman and he had to live by the ocean.
The last people from Salmine's side of the family to visit Chicago were: Otto Perry Winblad (1902-1977); his sister, Maria Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987); and Maria's two oldest children: Selma Louise Freudenberg (1921- ); and Naida Muriel Freudenberg. They drove to Chicago in Otto's car from New Jersey. Otto loved to drive, and he enjoyed visiting relatives living in other states. The year was 1929, just before the Great Depression. Naida wrote a fictionalized account of her trip and it was published in the Jersey Journal of Jersey City, New Jersey. Their host in Chicago was Leif Jensen. He was the son of Lena Olson. Lena had married Andrew Havig Jensen (1860-1930). Leif also took Otto and Maria to visit Osborne Titaman Olsen who decorated ceramics and trimmed them in gold leaf. Everyone was given a piece of ceramic to take home. Selma was given a salt and pepper shaker and a small animal covered in gold paint. She still has them. It is not known what happened to the other pieces given to the other family members. On the same trip they drove up to Williams Bay, Walworth County, Wisconsin where Lena and her husband had retired. All my mom had remembered was that they visited a guy named "Ossie" who gave her the salt and pepper shaker, and that they had visited a guy named "Leif Jensen".
I knew that Salmine had siblings because I had found her in the 1865 Census of Norway living in Farsund. My grandmother, Maria Winblad, had always told me that the family was from Farsund. The breakthrough in realizing that they had emigrated to the United States was a single postcard from 1908 archived by Maria Winblad in her photo album. The album was archived by her daughter, Naida and was passed down to Naida's daughter: Susan Penny Van Deusen. The album was decomposing, the black paper was brittle and crumbeled to the touch. I removed all the photos and wrote in pencil on the back who was in each photo with the help of my mother. I copied each photo onto 35mm film and then scanned each one and distributed copies to every interested family member. In 2004 I looked at the postcards again, and realized that one in Norwegian said: "Mr. John Winblad, 437 Wayne Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, We thank our God, that we're not homeless this Christmas, in snow and storm and slush. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your affectionate brother, Otto Olson". It was postmarked in Chicago on December 25, 1908. Roger F. Thauland who I found on the Internet did the translation. Then he did something amazing, he looked through the Illinois Death Index and the and found three potential matches for Otto. He then looked at the microfilmed certificates and found the one that matched the birthday I had for Otto. I was stunned that all the information had matched. He then asked somone else who worked at a library to find his obituary. I then worked the phones until I found a living descendent. They may have told me that there was a Lena in Chicago, or I may have asked Roger if their was a "Leif Jensen"
75 years later, I, Richard Arthur Norton went to the same family reunion. They have been having them almost every year since at least 1929. I stayed with the Pletchers near Hinsdale. The Pletchers both work for Encyclopedia Britannica. Saturday was the reunion picnic, Sunday was brunch with the Pletchers, and Monday I went to the Art Institute and saw a show on pointilism.
My first day in on friday I visited a descendent of Otto Olson, then took a train to Hinsdale.
My great-grandmother was Salmine Pedersen. She had two siblings that emigrated to the United States from Farsund, Norway with her. They were Otto Olson; and Lena Olson. Lena and Otto took as their family name "Olson" since they were the children of Ole Mathia Pedersen. Salmine took her father's name "Pedersen". In Norway there were no family names, you were the "son of Ole" or Olson; or the "son of Peder", a Pedersen. Some chose to spell son, "sen", others chose "sen". Otto and Lena left New York City and went on to Chicago, Illinois. Salmine stayed in New York City because her husband was a merchant seaman and he had to live by the ocean.
The last people from Salmine's side of the family to visit Chicago were: Otto Perry Winblad (1902-1977); his sister, Maria Elizabeth Winblad (1895-1987); and Maria's two oldest children: Selma Louise Freudenberg (1921- ); and Naida Muriel Freudenberg. They drove to Chicago in Otto's car from New Jersey. Otto loved to drive, and he enjoyed visiting relatives living in other states. The year was 1929, just before the Great Depression. Naida wrote a fictionalized account of her trip and it was published in the Jersey Journal of Jersey City, New Jersey. Their host in Chicago was Leif Jensen. He was the son of Lena Olson. Lena had married Andrew Havig Jensen (1860-1930). Leif also took Otto and Maria to visit Osborne Titaman Olsen who decorated ceramics and trimmed them in gold leaf. Everyone was given a piece of ceramic to take home. Selma was given a salt and pepper shaker and a small animal covered in gold paint. She still has them. It is not known what happened to the other pieces given to the other family members. On the same trip they drove up to Williams Bay, Walworth County, Wisconsin where Lena and her husband had retired. All my mom had remembered was that they visited a guy named "Ossie" who gave her the salt and pepper shaker, and that they had visited a guy named "Leif Jensen".
I knew that Salmine had siblings because I had found her in the 1865 Census of Norway living in Farsund. My grandmother, Maria Winblad, had always told me that the family was from Farsund. The breakthrough in realizing that they had emigrated to the United States was a single postcard from 1908 archived by Maria Winblad in her photo album. The album was archived by her daughter, Naida and was passed down to Naida's daughter: Susan Penny Van Deusen. The album was decomposing, the black paper was brittle and crumbeled to the touch. I removed all the photos and wrote in pencil on the back who was in each photo with the help of my mother. I copied each photo onto 35mm film and then scanned each one and distributed copies to every interested family member. In 2004 I looked at the postcards again, and realized that one in Norwegian said: "Mr. John Winblad, 437 Wayne Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, We thank our God, that we're not homeless this Christmas, in snow and storm and slush. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your affectionate brother, Otto Olson". It was postmarked in Chicago on December 25, 1908. Roger F. Thauland who I found on the Internet did the translation. Then he did something amazing, he looked through the Illinois Death Index and the and found three potential matches for Otto. He then looked at the microfilmed certificates and found the one that matched the birthday I had for Otto. I was stunned that all the information had matched. He then asked somone else who worked at a library to find his obituary. I then worked the phones until I found a living descendent. They may have told me that there was a Lena in Chicago, or I may have asked Roger if their was a "Leif Jensen"
75 years later, I, Richard Arthur Norton went to the same family reunion. They have been having them almost every year since at least 1929. I stayed with the Pletchers near Hinsdale. The Pletchers both work for Encyclopedia Britannica. Saturday was the reunion picnic, Sunday was brunch with the Pletchers, and Monday I went to the Art Institute and saw a show on pointilism.
My first day in on friday I visited a descendent of Otto Olson, then took a train to Hinsdale.
