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My oldest brother was born on the 13th of July in 1833 and his name was Hans Jørgen Hemmingsen. He was about one inch or so shorter than me, with a heavier build and black hair. Following his confirmation he left home for two years to go and find some work. When he was 21 years of age he went through conscription and joined the light cavalry. The following Spring he was called into active duty. He had no interest in being in the army so mother paid $575 to release him from said active duty. That was also the same year that mother decided to pass on the farm to him. He was married to a 17 year old girl named Trine who was the daughter of farmer Lars Jensen from Ebbeskov and they had nine children together.

He died....

She died on the 22nd of February 1916.

Address: Farmer Hans Jørgen Hemmingsen's widow, Vallebo via Faxe Loading dock, Denmark, Europe.

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My youngest brother was born in 1839 and his name was Lars Hemmingsen. He was both taller and had a more heavier build than myself or my older brother. He remained living at home even after Hans Jørgen took over the farm. When he was 21 years of age he was found to be fit for military service but he drew such a high number during the lottery that he'd never be called into active service. Prior to 1864, when Frederick the 7th had died, the Germans had declared war with Denmark due to their desire to occupy parts of Sønderjylland. Consequently he was forced to suit up for active service with the infantry and he was on the ramparts when the Germans overran them. He returned home with all of his limbs and he even had a bit of money with him since there was no food to spend it on. One year later he was married to a widow who had ten acres of land and two small daughters. She also happened to be the neighbor of his sister Maria, but their properties were on opposite sides of the county line. He had no children himself and died on the 11th of July in 1915. His widow died on the 18th of February in 1915.

Address: Lars Hemmingsen, Taagerup via Faxe, Denmark Europe    

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My sister Sofie

My oldest sister was born on the 4th of October 1827 and her name was Ane Sophie Hemmingsdatter. She wasn't very tall but she did have a very mature appearance. She was heavier set but of good health. She did leave the home for a few year in order to work. In the year 1851, when she was 24 years old she was married to our neighbor, a farmer named Ole Gabrielsen and became stepmother to eight children of whom two were older than her. They had another four children together of which the first three died in infancy. However, the fourth, a son whose name was Niels Jørgen Olsen, survived and prospered. He got married, got himself a farm in Vallebo, had several children and died on the 24th of March in 1905. Sofie's first husband died in 1859. After having been a widow for about a year she got remarried to a 36 year old bachelor. His name was Hans Petersen and hailed from Baarup in Stevns Township. They had three children together and all of them survived. Hans Petersen died in the year 1875.

Address: Farmer Hans Petersen's widow Vallebo via Faxe loading docks Denmark Europe.

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My sister Maria

My second oldest sister was born on the 6th of August in 1830 and her name was Ane Maria Hemmingsdatter. She was of average size, had a portly build and while she wasn't sickly she certainly wasn't in the best health either. This may also have been the reason why she was so quiet and kept to herself and didn't care much for any leisure activities. However, that could also have had something to do with the fact that she was a bit hard of hearing. She never went to work for anyone. When she was 35 years of age she married a widower, a farmer named Frederick Hansen. Thereby becoming stepmother to five children that all had come of age and had left their ancestral home. Her husband died in 1865 and after she had been a widow for a little over a year she married her nephew Hans Jensen who was from Tårøje. They had no children together and she died in 1901. Hans Jensen died on the 12 of October 1915.

Address: Hans Jensen Vibede Overdrev via Faxe Denmark Europe

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A homemade green robe that was referred to as a coat, with sleeves that went all the way down to the hands. It was loose around the waist and was tied together with a thick woolen rope with large tassels at the ends. Their everyday footwear was a pair of clogs with brass edgings and when they went to town they would wear a pair exactly like my everyday slippers.

When going to town, they would also wear a bonnet. It would take entirely too much paper to properly describe it but it should be mentioned that it was kept in a box that was two by two feet and was referred to as the bonnet box. Whether or not she had more than one set of the above mentioned pieces of clothing I simply couldn't say. However, I don't recall ever seeing her with anything other than her green, strawberry colored skirt in the 17-18 years that I knew her.

On several occasions she spoke about her youth and about how the Swedes lay siege to the city of Copenhagen in 1807. She also spoke about being on Låland as well as a number of other places. For further reference you could read up on Danish history and the Swedes on Låland. She spoke of how one day, when she was still a child in Orup, the Swedish army came through town pulling

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a canon behind 20 horses. However, when they reached the outside of town it sank so deep into the mud that they were forced to unhitch the horses and leaving the canon right there, where it remained for many years.   

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of witchcraft or plain superstition I couldn't say. From what I can figure out, my parents were married in 1825. My mother was of average height and while she wasn't fat she was of a rather heavy build. She had long black hair which she always parted down the middle and tucked behind her ears. Since she always wore a cap it aided in keeping her hair to the back and out of her face. The cap always had a long bow made of silk on it with strands that reached all the way down to her hips. This bow was referred to as a neck bow. In the front she had a bow tied under her chin which had strands reaching down across her chest and it was referred to as the chin bow. However, her night cap had no such bows on it and along with her shirts they were always made from homespun yarn. (there was no such thing as dresses). She, as well as all women of her time, spun and dyed the yarn themselves and had someone else weave it. There were many women who knew how to weave, but most weavers were still men. She also had a home sewn dress made entirely from home spun yarn.(from wool). However, for it to be labeled a dress it needed to be sent to a fabric dyer in the capitol to be sheared. this process entailed dragging the fabric through specialized machinery


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several times where it was scraped and scratched so that at the end it was only half as thick as when it was woven. Then it was officially called cloth. Usually when a young girl was to marry she'd receive such a dress which was referred to as a wedding dress. The dress was never to be worn unless the girl was at the altar which happened about twice a year or if she was having a child baptized. Such a dress would last her for her entire lifetime and when she died she would wear it to the her grave. Along with a white apron which was big enough to be draped all the way around her and was made of fine linen. It was exclusively worn at the same events as the dress. Their shirts had sleeves that never went past the elbows. For everyday use, or for if they went to town they would wear sleeve garters that resembled what bartenders and  the such wore at that time. They were made of wool, came in a variety of colors and were fastened above the elbow with a small white strap or something like that. However, when they wore their black dresses then they also wore gloves made of yellow hide. They were as soft as velvet and so long that they also would be tied off above the elbow.  

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that night I experienced a sharp pain in the left side of my chest. It was so bad that I couldn't remain seated next to my mother, but instead I had to lay down in the bed of the wagon. I've continued to suffer much throughout my life from that stinging, especially when I catch a cold. The only project that I remember father undertaking or having done was the excavation and building of a well in the middle of the courtyard. A carpenter built the roof over the well and on one of the corner posts he carved the year 1844 in Roman numerals

DVIIIXXXXIIII

Father only lay ill for a few days. One day he stood up and wearing nothing but his nightshirt and his clogs he ventured out into the courtyard. My two sisters grabbed him by the arms and tried to guide him back inside. However, he lead them out of the courtyard and down the road towards town, my sisters by his side the entire time. After he seemingly had walked as far as he desired to he turned around and walked back home. He died a few days later and I remember the funeral well. A wooden cross was placed as a marker on his grave. It was painted white with black lettering.

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My mother's name was Ane Elisabeth Hansdatter. She was born in 1799 and died on the morning of Pentecost in 1860 at the age of 61. She was the daughter of the former Hans Hartvig and his wife Ane Johanne Johansdatter who both hailed from the city of Orup in Roholte County. I don't recall much about my mother's father, but her mother I remember quite well. My aunt Kristine Johans had several times spoken about that my mother was supposed to have married someone else before she married my father. She was supposed to have married a man whom I knew, whose name was Niels Mathiasen and he lived in Houby. Her marriage was arranged and she moved in with him. Then it happened that there was a feast where they were both in attendance and for which his sister was in charge of the food preparation. Once everyone was seated his sister replaced two of the porridge bowls and I don't recall if she switched his or my mother's. However, immediately following the meal he pulled my mother aside and told her that he wasn't sure what had come over him but he could no longer stand the sight of her. Shortly thereafter their engagement was dissolved. Whether it was because