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"I find three hundred and sixty five as many days as there are in a year. On counting the number of cards in a pack I find fifty two the number of weeks in a year - and I find four suits the number of weeks in a month. I find there is twelve picture cards representing the number of months in a year - and in counting the number of tricks I find thirteen the number of weeks in a quarter."

"So you see sir a pack of Cards serves for a Bible, an Almanac and prayer book."

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A: I've heard that you got married.

B: Yes I did.

A: Well, that's great.

B: Actually it wasn't all that great, my wife did pass away.

A: Oh, that's terrible.

B: Well, it wasn't all bad since I found another one.

A: How wonderful.

B: Not that wonderful, she was a bit of a nag.

A: How awful. 

B: Not that awful, because she had a great big house. 

A: That's great!

B: It was, except it burned to the ground.

A: That was bad luck!

B: Not really. because we had it insured.

A: Very good!

B: Not that good, because it was discovered that I was the one who set the fire. 

A: That's unfortunate.

B: It wasn't all bad, because I was sentenced to servitude and now I receive free room and board.

A: How delightful.

B: Really not that wonderful, since now I can't get back home to the wife.

A: Oh no!

B: It's not all bad, because she ran of with another.

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"And I will satisfy your worship of purity of my intention." And spreading the cards before the mayor he begins with the ace. "When I see the ace it reminds me there is but one God. When I see the deuce it reminds me of Father and Son. When I see the trey it reminds me of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. When I see the four spot it reminds me of the four Evangelists that preached, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When I meet the five it reminds me of the five wise virgins that trimmed their lamps. There were ten, but five were wise and five were foolish and were cast out. When I see the six it reminds me of the six days God made Heaven and Earth. When I see the seven it reminds me on the seventh day he rested from the great work he had created and hallowed it. The eight reminds me of the eight righteous Persons that were saved when God destroyed the World. Noah and his wife with three sons and three wives. When I see the nine it reminds me of the nine lepers that were cleansed by our Savior. There were nine out of ten who never returned thanks. When I see the ten it reminds" 

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"me of the Ten Commandments that were handed down to Moses on tablets of stone. When I see the King I am reminded of the King of Heaven which is God Almighty. When I see the Queen I am reminded of the Queen of Sheba for she was so wise a woman as Solomon was a man."

"She brought with her fifty Boys and fifty Girls all dressed in Boys apparel. For King Solomon to tell which were boys and which were girls - King Solomon sent for water for them to wash. The Girls washed to their Elbows and the Boys washed to the wrist so King Solomon told by that."

"Well;" said the mayor; "You have given a good Description of all the cards except one."

"What is that?"

"The knave;" said the Mayor.

"I will give you a description of that too if you will not be angry."

"I will not; said the Mayor; "if you do not term me to be the knave."

"Well;" said the soldier; "the greatest knave that I know is the Constable that brought me here."

"I do not know;" said the Mayor; "that he is the greatest knave but I know he is the greatest fool."

"When I point how many spots there are in a pack of Cards."   

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October 1906

17th - Ellen Carstens died.

17th - Johanne Christen Rasmus died.

20th - Sofie Spillemands died.

25th - Sofie Spillemands was buried.

26th - Lars Olsen traveled to West Denmark.

28th - Charley Rasmusen received Sine's clothes.

November 1906

22nd - The Frenchman's sister-in-law died.

26th - Lars Eiby passed away.

December 1906

1st - Lars Olsen returned home from West Denmark.

4th - Albert returned home from Iowa.

October 1908

5th - A. T. Johnsen and Agnes's Silver wedding anniversary.

6th - T. Christensen and Anna (Mose) Silver wedding anniversary.

7th - Larsen wedding.

8th - Tilli Larsen wedding.

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(this page is in English)

Pack of cards - Prayer Book - and Bible

A private soldier named Richard Lee was taken before a Magistrate for playing cards during service. It appears a sergeant commanded the Soldier at church, and when the parson had read the prayers he took the text. Those who had a bible took it out but this soldier had neither bible nor common prayer book but pulling out a pack of cards he spread them before him.

He just looked at one card and then at another. The sergeant of the company sees this and tells him; "Richard, put up the cards, this is no place for them."

"Never mind that;" said Richard.

When the service was over the constable took Richard before the mayor.

"Well;" says the mayor. "What have you brought the soldier here for?"

"For playing cards in church."

"Well soldier, what have you to say for yourself?"

"Much sir I hope."

"Very good, if not I will punish you more than man was ever punished."

"I have been;" said the soldier, "about six weeks on the march. I have neither bible nor common prayer book. I have nothing but a pack of cards." 

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(still written in his English)

Agreement

made and concluded this 14th day of September AD 1901 by and between Niels Hemmingsen of New Denmark in Brown County Wisconsin and Maria Hemmingsen of the same place, Witnessed that the said parties being Mand and Vife and each owning separate Personal Property for and in consideration of one Dollar paid by the one to the other in relation to said undevided Personal Property and all of such as thei may acomulate and own together herein only exepting Money of inheiretanse which any of the parties may receive that at the time of the Death of one of said parties the surviving party shal own and have for his or her share the one half of same and the Lawfull heirs of the deceised party the other half of all such Personal Properties as aforesaid to be devided as the respective parties in interest may agree and if they cant agree such property shal be devided of three disinterested men

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(still written in his English)

of which each partys representation select one and the two thus shal then be accepted and final.

It is to be observed in deviding said property that fifty Dollars is to be set of and allowed to each one party for Funeral Expenses and that the wearing apparel of each one of the parties hereto shal belong to such partys heirs.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hand and seals the day and year first above written in presense of Niels Hemmingsen, Peter Christensen, Maria Hemmingsen, John Hemmingsen, Caroline Johansen. State of Wisconsin, County of Brown. Be it known that on the 14th day of September 1901 personally same before me the above N. Hemmingsen and M. Hemmingsen to me known to be the persons who executed the within instrument and acknowledged the same.

Peter Christensen

Justice of the Peace

Brown Co. Wis.

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Much like the world goes around and around so to do rumors travel far and wide across land and sea. Even though it might create strife between my husband and myself I've decided to put pen to paper and quell what rumors there might be and tell you with an open heart and in all honesty that I am happily facing my future. I can assure you that I've done very well since I got married. My life turned out so well and it is so interesting and good that I truly lack the words to describe it properly. Others can experience this degree of happiness as well and all they have to do is say yes. Dear friend, I would therefore advise you that you never ought to refuse a marriage proposal but instead get married as quickly as possible, that is if you desire to be happy. After all, what is more pleasant than finding a man that is able to make you laugh. I can ensure you from my own experience that you'll be so happy in your new position in life that you'll never lament the day when you entered into matrimony. You're more likely to feel indebted to me for my good advice. If your man is like mine then you'll feel pleased and happy in ways you can't even imagine. You'll feel loved and respected by all family and friends alike, you'll become a mother and enjoy the greatest things that life has to offer.

We, for our part, always lived together, two friends and somehow we always had cash on hand, which kept us from dreading tomorrow. You see my husband earns money with ease so no one can say that we are a byrden to anyone or that we live off of the toil of others, even though you hear about so many making it through life that way.   

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My husband is also renowned for being on of the best businessmen around and on of the more shrewd politicians on the surface of the earth. He has a sound judgment and a wealth of useful abilities. Every time I look at him I'm reminded of Solomon's wisdom, the compassionate Samaritan and other such outstanding men. He never enjoys strong alcohol and revels in the joy of happiness. There is probably nothing in the world that he holds more dear than me. He also never hits the bottle. Ever since our wedding day he has been nothing short of an upstanding citizen and has never kept the company of drunken fools. Trouble at home? Nothing could be further from the truth! More peace and quite which always made me happy and content. Basically, for all intended purposes , I've got myself a very normal, charitable, reasonable, aspiring, honorable and morally balanced man. Our only little son is also nothing but a little innocent and much to the joy of his parents he is a very polite and decent boy. Which is also why we call him Christian ??????? which is a nickname that can't be unduly earned. So, live well, write soon and address  it to ?????? and let me know that you are one of those lucky ones who have gotten engaged. Give my best to my friends and tell them that I have become very round and happy and that I feel luckier than you could ever imagine.  

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(141 cont.)

But in case that my said Grandchild Hazel shal Die before that time it is my will that my said property or the Money the sale of same will bring shal be devided in two Equal shares of which my Brothers and Sisters or their heirs take one share. And the Brothers and Sisters of my former Husband Peter J. Hylsenberg(Deceased) or their heirs take one share, with the exception that my Sisters Son Peter Nielsen shal have no part or share of my Estate or property.

Further it is my will that my current Husband Niels Hemmingsen if he shal survive me and if he so desires shal have and I hereby grant to him a life lease (not however to exceed fifteen years) no payment for same to be made on the Dwelling house Garden and Orchard on my aforesaid premises and as now fenced in, the above provitions are subject to this Condition.

And I hereby constitue and appoint Peter C. Petersen of New Denmark in Brown County Wisconsin (residing in Sextion 16) the Executor of this my last Will and Testament.

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(141 cont.)

In witness whereof I have hereinto set my hand and seal this 30th day of April in 1906.   (seal)

Maria Hemmingsen

the foregoing instrument was signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Maria Hemmingsen as and for her last Will and Testament in presense of us who at her request in her presence and in the presense of each other have hereinto subscribed our names as attesting witneses and the said Testatrix was then of sound mind and memory.

Peter Christensen Langes T.O. Brown Co. Vis

Niels Hansen Fontenog Brown Co. Vis

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gotten tougher there as well and they weren't able to make much more than what they needed to survive. After having stayed there for a few years they journeyed back to New Denmark, settled there and lived on the same piece of land until they both died. It was during the spring of 1874 when they really started their farming enterprise. However, on the 24th of July 1883 her husband passed away and she remained a widow until I arrived on the scene. So she had her second wedding on the 5th of September 1885. She had two daughters, whom I've mentioned already. Even though it wasn't a lot of kids, I can't help but wonder if it was her constant worry and grief for those kids that hastened her death, because there was always something going on with them. My wife fell ill immediately following Sine's passing. So she went to the hospital and had an operation after which she seemed to get better. However, it was short lived and she fell ill again and she continued to get worse until she died on the 16th of August 1906. A short while before she died she gave me Hanne's ring to keep and give to Artey. I gave it to George Rockwell. At the same time she also had her last will and testament drawn up as well as a written agreement regarding personal property.

    

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(this entry was written in his English and will therefore remain that way)

Copy of Maria Hemmingsen's last will

I Maria Hemmingsen of New Denmark in the County of Brown in the State of Wisconsin being of sound Mind and Memory do make, publish and declare this my last Will and Testamentr hereby revoking all former Wills bequests and devises by me made.

After the payment of my just Debt and Funeral Expenses I fgive devise and bequest to my Daughters. Daughter Hazel Caroline Kirstrine Rasmusen (a child now about 10 months old) all my right title and interests wichs I have in and to certain real Estate in Brown County Wisconsin, Namely in the South West quarter of the North West quarter of Sextion 15 Town 22 Range 22 being one undivided half thereof under a Deed of date March 1901 recorded September 5th 1901. Provided that my said Grandchild skal leve to become of the age of twenty one 21 years and the income from my said Estate skal each year be invested for her benefit and the amount or amounts thereof be paid to her when she arrives at the age of 21 years(turn page)

   

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she should go to Green Bay and check in to the St. Vincente Hospital. She thought she could surely get better there. So in spite of the fact that her husband could see that she was on deaths door, in order to please her he left with her in tow from Amasa on the 7th of August and arrived at the hospital that same evening. She did however die that night and the next day we had Ch. Rasmusen bring her body to our house. We were joined by mother and Charley, sister and their little daughter all of them came to our house. That same evening we called on Pastor Lund to join us at our house and he came and baptized the child and gave her the name Hazel Caroline Christine Rasmusen. The baptism was on the 8th of August and Sine was laid to rest on the 11th of that same month. Charley, his sister and Hazel were with us for ten weeks after which he bought himself a house of his own where they moved into. A short while before Sine passed away she had given mother the ring that she was holding for Artey so that she could take care of it.  

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My second wife's given name was Ane Marie Nielsen and she was born on the 8th of April 1846. She was the daughter of a crofter who went by the name Niels Petersen who hailed from Bruserup which was in Væggeløse County which was on the island of Falster. When she was about 20 years of age she left Denmark with ten or so acquaintances from back home and ended up in Marquette Michigan sometime between 1868 and 1869. They stayed there for one night. The next day they went with the mail carrier on foot along the railroad tracks up through Negaunee and in to Hell Town, which is now called Ishpeming. This was their final destination because they had a slew of friends who lived there and could supply them with places to stay. The following day a man stopped by who was looking for a girl to come work for him and mother jumped at the opportunity. He was a German who ran a saloon and boarding house and had a multitude of children. She worked there for about a year, then she got married to Peter Johansen Hylsenberg and together they moved to New Denmark where they bought land together. They didnøt have enough money to start farming so they agreed that they would travel back to Hell Town. However, times had

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Caroline was born on the 31st of August 1880. She was never really that well physically but she was quick on the uptake when learning new things. This rang true for both school and around the home where she was never afraid to get her hands dirty and get things done. She was confirmed on the 21st of April 1895 by Pastor TJ Ostergaard in New Denmark. From that point on she did leave for a while in order to go earn some money but she did spend most of her time at home. When she turned 21 years of age, she and her mother told me that I could have the farm if I wanted it. Naturally I had to officially buy it and pay for it. (Through this action my wife fulfilled the promise she made to me when I first moved in. However, I didn't inquire as to what exactly what costs were involved and they weren't forthcoming with what they were looking for either. As a matter of fact I ended up telling them that I didn't want it. I felt that I was to old to put myself in that kind of debt and it didn't look like any of my sons were thinking about sticking around to work the land. It also didn't feel right that Sine should be driven from her ancestral home when she in fact was the only heir. So I suggested to them that everything should remain the way it was for as long as we lived together. Upon hearing this, Sine said that she would

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look at me as if I were her father and that for as long as I lived there I could consider the house and land to be my property. It was during the winter of 1901-02 that mother and I offered Albert and Sine the opportunity to rent the farm as partners. However, she quickly quickly declined, stating that she had no interest in doing that, neither by herself or with a partner. Albert was far more forthcoming and took the deal that we offered. He took over everything and was also to pay all expenses, including $36.00 which went to mother and me. He also hired Sine for one year and he paid her $1.00 a week. He was also supposed to receive all earnings from the farm between the 1st of April 1902 and the 1st of April 1903 but after that period he wanted to be done. After that the farm was rented by Peter Olsen for the period of one year which ran from the 8th of April 1903 to the 8th of April 1904. Peter rented it for the amount of $160.00 which was to be paid over four quarters. Sine moved in with him and worked there for a while but that fall she got married and left with her husband Rasmus to move to Amasa where he was from. However, that winter she came down with influenza and was unable to shake it. On the 18th of June 1905 she had a daughter, but she continued to feel ill, so she got the idea that 

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A few days later she arrived at our house. However, she was very weak, and I immediately left to fetch Dr. Vasburg from Cooperstown. We sent for Rockwell and Artey as well. After a few days we began to realize that her condition wasn't going to be improving. So one day mother and I told Rockwell that if he wanted us to we would take care of Hanne the best we could. That way he's be able to continue tending to his affair and maybe be able to make a bit of money. As long as he made sure to come by and see Hanne from time to time, and maybe even help out a bit around the house. We also didn't want him to leave Artey with us since we already had enough to see to without having to watch him as well. Rockwell was very keen at these suggestions and he and Artey swiftly took off. He did come back quite often to see Hanne and on several occasions stayed for several days. Hanne remained ill until the 21st of March 1902 which is when she passed away. A few days before she died she had sent for Sine and given her a ring which she was to take care of it and give it to Artey some day. It was the only inheritance that she had to leave for him. Sine took the ring into her care, and even though Rockwell wasn't present at the moment of her passing, Jørgen did fetch him that very same day. 

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We asked him if he had the money needed to pay for her funeral, which he of course didn't. So I of course had to figure out something else. The day after her funeral I suggested that we sit down together and look at where we were at financially. 

We had previously lent them $75.00 as well as $50.00 that went towards the land that they had purchased. $30.00 for Hanne's operation and $62.00 that went to Dr. Vasburg. On top of that there was the funeral and a bunch of other expenses that we had procured while she was sick. We combined it all and came up with a figure of $300. So we asked him if he'd be willing to wash that against Hanne's inheritance which was an offer he found very agreeable. So we had a judge draw up papers and Rockwell gave us a receipt for $300. With this action he declined all further rights to an inheritance that Hanne might have had coming her way. 

Meanwhile, in order to cover all of the bills at hand, mother had to mortgage the farm for the amount of $300. The property had been previously mortgaged in the amount of $200 by mother herself from when she bought the land together with her first husband, Peter Johansen Hylsenberg.

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They lived in Mason which was on the South side but I seem to have forgotten their house number. The house that they lived in was owned by an old bachelor who lived in the front part of the house while they occupied the back. Each had their own entryway. They took in a young boy from the orphanage, but he was quite ill when they got him and he died soon after. Back then Jørgen worked in Green Bay and I think that it was him who paid for the funeral. The boy was buried in Preble in Aldrich's cemetery. A short while later they took in another boy from the orphanage and since they were unable to figure out if he had been baptized or not, so they did it again and gave him the name Artey Rockwell. They then left there and moved further East, to the North side of Mason Street. During their time there is when Sofie Peter Andersen stayed with them while she underwent an operation on her chest. Later on they moved to Van Buren street where they lived for about a year. Then Rockwell journeyed to Iowa to a place where he had been before and after a while Fred Rockwell and I drove all of their belongings down to the train depot. Hanne left to join him but they soon returned and stayed in Preble for a short while.

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They then traveled to Galesburg in Shawano County where they bought 40 acres of land. They built a house on the property and lived there for a year. It so happened that they managed to have a son of their own, but he only survived a few days past his birth. Hanne didn't seem to be able to recover and as a matter of fact she grew worse. In July it was decided that she should be brought to Green Bay and on her way there she stopped by Frank Barne's place who lived on the West side. One day, Rockwell stopped by and told us that Hanne required an operation but that he lacked the $30 that it was going to cost. I went and saw Ferdinand Vittig and borrowed the money which went straight to Rockwell. The operation didn't help and after she had lain there for a while she was moved to the St. Vincent's Hospital. She had been there for a while before mother and I made it to go see her. She suffered much but remained convinced that she would be able to return home soon. So I asked her if perhaps it wouldn't be a better idea if she came and stayed with us until she felt a little stronger. Truth be told that was exactly what she wanted to do and that was the "home" she was referring to.

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right next door to them. She was therefore home alone a lot but often came to our house to complain and we in turn did our best to calm her down. Also almost every time I ended up having to bring her back home as well as having to procure everything she needed on a daily basis. This went on for eight months until she moved back in with us. 

When they got married he was in possession of a 40 acre farm but when they got divorced he no longer had the farm. So what ever little in possessions she had when she went in was exactly what she had with her when she left again. We gave her a cow and then immediately turned around an bought it from her again for $35.00. I then borrowed $75.00 from Stefen C. Petersen based on liquidating her belongings because she needed to sell most of her things to put some money in her pocket. This is also how Petersen ended up getting his money back. She was faced with having to find a job again and for some time she was in Oconto, Crystal Falls and Green Bay. For a couple of years she was also a member of the Salvation Army. During her time there she became friendly with another member, a George L. Rockwell, and they eventually got married. However, they needed to leave the Salvation Army, because the organization's religious roots forebad a divorcee to remarry.  

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Before she got married to Rockwell she was legally divorced from her first husband. It so happened that three years after that they had gotten separated and while she had kept to herself that there was a widow whom Peter Nielsen had gotten acquainted with who was eager to get remarried. So he approached Hanne and asked if she might be interested in divorcing him to which she of course said yes. Peter even offered to pay for any and all expenses connected to the process. A few days later he returned and asked if she wouldn't please be the one to file for the divorce because he simply couldn't to which she agreed as well. At the time she was unaware that he had another woman lined up, otherwise she probably wouldn't have said yes, let alone offered to help him with the proceedings. yet she did, and a few days after that he remarried. Not long after that she got married to Rockwell. Even though I believe that they had a decent life together we were still the ones that ended up having to feed and clothe them afterwards. I also ended up driving several loads of firewood down to them while they lived in Green Bay. He worked in Enock's broom factory and even though he made a few dollars a day it simply never seemed like it was enough.

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There were three members from the Ansgar lodge and three from the Foresters who carried him to his grave. I put a tombstone on his grave which cost me $32.50. I also placed a marble border around the grave on the 24th of November 1903 which cost me $32.00. On the same day we put a similar border around Hanne's grave, even though the previous year another border had been placed around her grave costing me $15.00. Back when Jørgen had died and was buried and I had settled his affairs I gave $25.00 to Sine out of Jørgen's money. I did so because she had been so good to Jørgen during his sickness. So when the time came to put a tombstone on his grave I asked Sine if she wanted to kick in the $25.00 to help put a tombstone on Hanne's grave as well, to which she agreed. So one day, mother, Albert and myself  went to green Bay and ordered two tombstones that were to our liking. The cost for Hanne's tombstone came out of Jørgen's money which was the same as saying that I was paying for it.

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Hanne was weak from birth, both in body and soul. and had a very difficult time learning and comprehending things. She did see the priest for two years and did manage to get confirmed. She was large and stocky and appeared a lot stronger than she was. She also suffered from catarrh and asthma and was therefore unable to do much of anything. Furthermore, every time she attempted something she would approach the problem in a backwards round about sort of way.

Then when she had gotten confirmed she was forced to head out and earn a living because we were such a large family with many mouths to feed. She acquired a position as a servant with Hans Nielsen in the town of Eaton where she remained for one summer. After that she went to Green Bay as well as a number of other places, but she remained unable to remain anywhere for very long. When she was twenty years old she married her nephew Peter Nielsen. She had mentioned that the first morning together she had made breakfast and he reamed her out because it wasn't good enough. It even got so bad that he hit her, sometimes so hard that it brought her to her knees. She later testified to that in court when they were getting a divorce. 

He only stayed with her for a short while before he left her and stayed with his parents who lived 

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and I sent him $15.00 to cover his return trip home. During the summer of 1900 he fell ill, which got him $65.00 in payout from his medical insurance through the Ansgur Lodge and was brought to him by Jørgen Larsen. It then happened that in the fall of 1900 that Carl Marcusen, who was a fire insurance agent, journeyed on to the next life. Time kept speeding towards the 1st of January and towards a meeting where they were to elect someone to replace him. So I asked Jørgen if he thought he was able to fulfill the responsibilities of an insurance agent. 

What good does it do to think about that, he says. I'm sick and I'm not in any shape to walk anywhere. I don't have a horse to get me where I need to go so why bother wasting another thought on it. I told him to consider the job since they already had the horses and that he would be able to take one of them whenever he wanted to. When there were only a few days left I implored him to get out there and campaign for the job. He simply brushed me aside saying that campaigns cost money which was another thing that he didn't have any of. I tell him that we can fix that. I hand him $2.00 and tell him to go and put the horses in front of the wagon. Then he should head to town and visit the saloons where he'd be able to find people with whom he could speak about his desire to become a fire insurance agent. 

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He had to face facts. He wasn't well and couldn't engage in any sort of hard labor. However, if he went out there and bought people a few drinks I was certain that it would all turn out alright. So forth he went and everything worked out. So in the beginning of January 1901 he officially became an agent and even won a reelection in January of 1902. However, at the end of 1902 he gave up and couldn't do it anymore. The pay that resulted from him taking this job was not enough to cover his expenses and I constantly had to help him financially. I will say though that it seemed to be benefiting him since it gave him something to do and acted as a distraction from his ailments. I ensured that his associations and insurances remained in good standing for several years. If I hadn't done that they would have lost all of their value and I was earning pretty good interest off of my investment. It was towards the summer of 1903 that he asked if his medical insurance money was all gone. He was referring to the $65.00 he had gotten some time ago but I ignored him because I couldn't stomach telling him that it had run out some time ago. Then one day he tells me that it would be best if he gets the land he he owns signed out of his name before he dies. So on the 18th of July 1903 Albert got the deed for the land and Jørgen died a few months later on the 29th of September 1903.

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and a few days later they both journeyed up there. Jens was only there for the duration of the winter but Jørgen stayed there for several years, until 1892 I believe. Later on he went to Iron Mountain and stayed there for several years. While he was in Marinette he joined a lodge that belonged to the Coalition of Danish Organizations from which he received 2 payments of $65 while he was sick and meant to help offset medical expenses. From the same place he also received $50 to assist with funeral expenses. He was also a member of Foresters where he was insured for $1000 which was made payable to me following his death.

On the 1st of May 1895 mother and I sold the 40 acres of land to Jørgen. We had the papers drawn up at home and I then traveled to Iron Mountain where I had him sign them. At the same time I got a lease on  the land for the duration of my life or fifteen years. I took the papers back home with me and brought them to the court house so that they would be officially on record. Back then Jørgen was boarding with Peter Andersen and Sofie. One time when he was in Iron Mountain he wrote to me asking me if I could find him som land for $2-300. I did find him something and he took a mortgage in Julius Mathisen's farm in the amount of $200.

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In the meantime he had gotten tired of working on the railroad which is why he returned home for a while. He got a job working in Kemvitz's Furniture Factory in Gren Bay. However, he wasn't a well man and was forced sell his mortgage to Goldsmit's daughter after which he traveled to Chicago to stay at a hospital. On the 6th of April 1898 he paid $100 to Doctor Demer along with another $100 on other expenses. He returned back home for a short while and later got a job with Eearnelius Conley in Green Bay where he was building vehicles. This Conley had a brother who was the secretary for the Forester's lodge in Green Bay. He, along with Doctor Tippedo whom Jørgen had sought out for help, both pulled strings to assist Jørgen in becoming a member of the Forester's lodge and he was consequently insured for $1000. All of this took place in the summer of 1899. Immediately after getting accepted into the Foresters he got the idea in his head that he would travel to Canada to see Maria and Rasmus. However, he got sick in route and required medical care which used up the rest of his money and he consequently abandoned his travels. He sent a telegram to Hans Christian asking for money for his journey home, but only got enough to make it to Iowa to Jørgen Andersen's place where he wrote a letter to me 

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I told him that I had no right to pursue such an avenue and that it was up to Lars's brother and my children. He tells me that once I have spoken with them we can talk further. I then wrote a letter to Jørgen Andersen who in turn gave me power of attorney to act in his place and I was of course acting on my children's behalf. So when I was ready to talk to Britton again, I headed back to town and met with him at his office. However, as soon as we started talking I realized that he now was singing a different tune. He told me that he had paid for all of the funeral expenses and that this ought to be sufficient. As for he bridge, he admitted building it, but he did so according to the guidelines set forth by the city council and they bore some responsibility as well. So if I wanted to sue someone I would have to sue the city. He also chose to share a few words regarding Lars's character and I didn't want to hear any of it. I considered saying something but chose instead to bite my tongue. During this conversation I also learned that Lars once had found

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a rope that had a cow tied to it at the other end. However, Black was back then a member of the city council in Fort Howard and he had been a friend to Lars. Black spoke with Johan Hylsenberg who in turn wrote to me about sending money to pay for a ticket for Lars. I did so immediately and that was how we got Lars away from the city. This is the same time I had discussed earlier, when Lars came to Negaunee, but at the time I was unaware as to why he was there. Britton was also a member of the city council, as was Hans Hansen from New Denmark  was also in attendance at Lars's funeral and the priest doing the service spoke and sang in German.

In the winter of 1887-88 Jørgen was in Negaunee and was confirmed in the spring of 1888, to be precise I think it was on the 15th of May.

On the 19th of September 1888 mother and I went to Negaunee for a short trip and it also happened to be the same time as John Larsen's birthday, so there was a lot going on. We were there for about a week and since we both had many old acquaintances in the area we ended up having a great time there. On our way home we ran into Niels Christensen at the train depot in Marinette and he in turn told us that he needed both Jørgen and Jens to come work on the railroad. 

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On the 9th of September 1887 Lars Andersen died in Green Bay in an accident that involved a walking bridge which crossed the street by Britton's Cooper Shops. He was driving a bus for Andrew Reise and had been on the North side of town with passengers that he had picked up at the train depot. He had driven the route plenty of times and just as he was passing the bridge he made the decision to stand up from his seat. The bridge was so low that he got his head stuck between the bridge and the top of the cart. He very likely died on the spot. I had been in Green Bay with a load of barley and had just returned home when John Bartolene approached me and shared this story with me. He wanted me to return to the city because they were looking to bury him that same night. I declined but told him that I would go there first thing in the morning instead. So, at 2:00 AM, in the middle of the night Jens and I drove back to town and arrived there around breakfast time. Lars Andersen was then burried before noon on the 10th of September 1887 in the cemetery South of Green Bay. I believe Monroe Avenue could take you straight there. The grave has the number 127 (127) on it and it is just inside the gate on the right hand sight, right up against the fence 

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on the northern side of the cemetery. We were back at Reis's hotel around noon and had lunch there. After we had finished the dining room filled up with people and I bought them all two rounds of drinks and thanked them all on Lars's behalf. Reis sent a a bottle of booze for me and Jens and Britton payed for the funeral.

That afternoon much talk circulated around Lars's funeral. There were those who thought that his body might not be allowed to remain in the grave. They thought so because everyone was asked to mount their wagons and leave as soon as he had been lowered into the ground. This assertion was based on the idea that a couple of doctors might have bought the rights to his body from him while he was still alive. Other were discussing how easy it would be to get Britton to pay damages since his bridge was obviously way to low. So I decided to head out to the cemetery to see if the grave still stood open, but it had been filled in to I quickly returned. I then headed over to speak with Britton and ask him if he didn't think he might end up paying damages because of his bridge being too low. He told me very politely that if it was decided that this was his duty then he'd be more than happy to do so. He then tells me that I was more than welcome to try and sue him.  

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During the summer of 1886 we got an insurance agency that dealt entirely with horses and cattle but that only operated in New Denmark and Eaton. I was the chairman for said company from its conception to it eventual end, which was only a matter of a few years to to lack of customers. 

During the winter of 1886-87 Jørgen worked for Peter Jørgensen in Eaton and received $18 for six months where they threshed the entire harvest using flails.

Johan Hylsenberg died in the Spring of 1887 and upon his death we received the five acres of land that he had kept from when he sold the land to Peter Johansen. The contract was for fifteen years and it was running out just as he passed away. In the summer of 1887 we hired Hans Hansen to cut our wheat with his reaper but the wheat was so short that the machine couldn't cut it. So afterwards I grabbed my scythe and went over it again. That year we threshed bushels of wheat and an equal amount of other crops and it took 2-3 days to flail the entire harvest. So by the time we were done threshing both horses and men had pretty much consumed enough food in equivalent to what the harvest had brought in. 

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On the 9th of October Maria married Rasmus Larsen. She was born on the 11th of February in 1865 and was therefore twenty years and eight months of age when she got married. Rasmus was born on the 27th of February. Their son Johney was born on the 19th of September in 1887. I was in Negaunee during the Spring of 1887 with a load of milking cows that Hans Christian and Ferdinand Vittig had bought together. It was bad deal for me because I arrived too early. The winter was still going strong which meant an abundance of snow and it also meant that people weren't yet interested in buying livestock. It was election day in April and as I left home and passed by Lars's seed store, I observed Lindhart chewing out Jens Hansen because he had been over at Sofie Lindhart's place. On the 23rd of August 1888 Hans Christian got married, but I wasn't in attendance so I couldn't tell you how it went. Raymond was born on the 5th of February 1889. Florenze was born on the 11th of October 1893.

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On the 24th of October 1885 we saw Johan Hylsenberg and his wife celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. I was a guest for this event, and during the celebration we also figured out that I was also present 50 years ago when they were first married. I wasn't actually born until the 3rd of June 1836, but their wedding was held at my parent's house, so I'm all but certain that I was there. 

During the winter of 1885-86 Jørgen left to go and see Hans Johansen's widow in order to help her take care of her animals, while Johan and Hartvig were in the forest. However, he hadn't been there long before he got hurt using the grinder. After he had rested at her house for a while, Carl Marcusen brought him back home to our house where it took him the rest of the winter in order to recuperate. 

During the winter of 1885-86 Hanne went regularly to see the priest. She had also gone the previous winter but mother thought she would benefit from going for one more year. So that's the way it went. As we neared Spring, and her confirmation and her confirmation loomed, mother and I went to Green Bay with a small load of barley that we were going to sell in order

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to get some cash that would be used to buy clothes for Hanne. Mother also had a few pairs of stockings that she had woven herself and the sale of these was also supposed to aid in us being able to acquire Hanne's confirmation gown. The brewers were unwilling in buying our barley and as we were getting tired of driving around trying to sell said grain we decided instead to head over to Andrew Reise's hotel. Once there, we unbridled our horses, stayed for dinner and in the end we decided we'd just bring the barley back home with us when we returned. 

I lamented to Reise about my inability to sell my barley and upon hearing this he immediately telephoned someone named Van Dyke who was more than happy to take the barley off of our hands. I received 25 cent per bushel and that meant that we could go shopping at Jørgensen's. While we were trying to be thrifty the shopkeeper still ended up with all of the money we had made selling the barley and the stockings. In spite of that we still didn't end up getting everything that we needed. However, a few days later we were able to scrape together a bit of butter, eggs and some seed. The morning that Hanne had to see the priest again, I went along and on the way there we stopped at Benneke's where she got herself a new hat. She was officially all decked out and ready to go. Hanne was born on the 4th of September 1870 and was therefore fifteen and a half years old when she got confirmed. 

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I was also a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Negaunee. I also had to discontinue my membership there due to my inability to get more money. It so happened that my neighbor, Niels Christoffersen wanted to sell his farm and I bought 40 acres off of him for $500. However, I only paid $100 in cash and owed the other $400 as a loan at a 6% interest rate. The deal was sealed on the 24th of April 1886 and I took immediate ownership of the property, with the stipulation that payments wouldn't start until the 1st of October 1886. That way I'd havesix months worth of income from the land which came in the shape of grassing grounds, firewood and 32 bushels of rye. All together probably worth about $50 so I would really only end up paying $450 for everything.

When I bought this land I started feeling better because now I finally had something I could call my own. However, it wasn't long before I realized that I had made yet another foolish move. I say that because now my wife would receive her dowry part off of my property while I still didn't receive any ownership in hers.

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However, after much pondering she one day tells me that I have no need to worry too much about it because she was more than willing to relinquish all rights to said land. So one day we walked together to see Peter Christensen who was a justice and we demanded that he write up a document that would fit our particular needs. He then tells us that he can't help us in this matter since a woman's rights don't go into effect until her husbands death. So she actually had no case to relinquish said land. He proceeds to tell us that we could just sell the land and pocket the money. At least that way she can't get at it. However, I didn't want to sell that land since that way I'd be back to having nothing that I could call my own.

He then suggested that I sell it to one of my sons and that's exactly what I did. I sold it to Jørgen for $25.00, at least that's what the paperwork said, truth be told no money changed hands. To ensure that he wouldn't turn around and sell it, I got him to lease it to me for the remainder of my life, which in return made me feel a lot better about the entire affair. 

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and I was beginning to realize that all of it had been wasted. I paid out $100 to Niels Olsen to cover back pay. I bought a team of horses off of Andreas Reis out of Green Bay. I paid $200 for it and he included harnesses in the deal as well. 

I also paid a debt to Stefen Petersen in the amount of $25. A store bill of $6.00. A bill to the blacksmith for $4.00. I hauled lumber that I was going to use to finish the house, as well as all of the materials to fix a room with a loft. I also had all of the things I needed to finish the kitchen section as well as building a stove and a number of other things we needed. It didn't take long before my wife and I began to realize that something was amiss. The problem was that I had spent all my money on her property, and did so in good faith without having any ownership in the finished product. So we decided to include each other in our respective last will and testaments. Mostly to ensure that if she died I'd get something for my investment and we once more sought out the advice of the very wise Anders Peter. He told us that it seemed to be the best for all parties involved

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and that he would be more than capable to draw up the paperwork that was necessary. I was grateful for that, because while I was able to draw up the papers myself, I also understood that such documents were best prepared by a justice of the peace. He agreed and invited us to return in order to discuss the matter further. 

It so happened that Ms. Maria Hemmingsen and Mr. Lauritzen came to visit one Sunday and we all went to church together. While we were there, we met with Anders Peter and we agreed to follow him to his house where he drew up our last will and testament, with the two Marias as witnesses. Later on we learned that Anders Peter wasn't a justice at all and that he had deliberately deceived us. He merely wanted the money that was involved. Furthermore, we also learned that a married woman wasn't allowed to draw up such papers. Back then I was a member of the Danish Brotherhood and for each timea member died I was obligated to pay out$1.90. Most of my money was gone and no new money was coming in so I had to cancel my membership.

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with me to the courthouse. My wife and I brought them because we thought that in this country they had the same procedures as in Denmark. Meaning that if a widow wanted to get remarried she needed to come to terms with the children, but here the customs were different. When we had stated our case to the judge he asked us if we were married to which we both replied no. So he in turn told us that we had no business here. He told us to go get married and then we could talk again, until then you have no business being here. It is the responsibility of the children, the heirs, who have to come here and tell us that their mother has remarried and that they now seek their inheritance from their father's estate. So we let him know that this is why we're here. We wanted to know whether or not my wife was able to sell me her house and transfer the deed to me. He tells us that we can certainly do that but we need to appoint someone who could advocate for the children. Lars Larsen, Peter Marcusen and Peter Christensen were selected for this purpose, and they decided on a value of $1100 for the property, which had a $200 mortgage. So it amounted to $300 for each of the girls and $300

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for my wife as a dowry. 

So we had our wedding on the 5th of September in 1885. We were wed in the so-called New Church in New Denmark, by the honorable reverend Rasmus Nielsen, while Johan Hylsenberg and Jørgen Nielsen were our witnesses. One day we hired Anders Peter to drive us to the courthouse. He was an old justice and he was going to help us getting it all done. However, after talking to the judge for a while he tells me that even if I had a million dollars I'd never be able to become the owner of that house because the youngest child in question was 21 years of age. All that is left for you now is to go home and help each other the best you can to raise your children.

So we went and spoke with another old justice named Fritz Rasmusen. We presented our case to him, to which he said that he could get it done quickly but we might have to bend the law a bit. We told him to stop right there. If our goal couldn't be achieved in a honest manner then we didn't want anything done about it, and just like that it was all over and we left for home. 

A couple of months had passed and I had paid out about $500 of my own money I had brought with me from Negaunee,