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Christopher Valdemar Mortenson

Photo reportedly taken in Sheboygan, WI;  Christopher at work cutting trees on son Folmer’s property. Would be circa late 1870’s or 1880’s

  

Born: About 1825, Denmark

 

Parents: unknown

 

Siblings: unknown

 

Marriage: Jensine Oline Ronne, in Denmark

 

Children: Folmer Sr., Hans Harold, Karen Hertha (Bertha)

 

Death: unknown

It does not appear that Christopher went by the name of Christopher Moretensen while in the US, or possibly arrived after one census was taken and died before the next.

All of the information on this family was found in a Marthenze family folder 8/1998 at the Sheboygan County Historical Reseach Center in Sheboygan Falls, WI. It was in the form of a 7 page typewritten letter, later discovered to be written by Roger Lohrman, gr-gr-grandson of Christopher.

“It has been said that Christoffer was somehow related to the Royal family of Denmark (but then again nearly every family makes this claim). After marriage, the family owned a mill called Bredvadsmolle (Bredvad Molle), to which farmers in the area would bring their grain to be ground. It was probably located in or near a tiny village called Nodebo on the island of Sjaelland, the same island on which Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) is located. In January of 1871, when the children were teenagers, the family immigrated to America, finding their home in Chicago, Ill. Somehow the name of Mortensen became Marthenze in America. This probably occured when members of the family pronounced the name in the Danish fashion, and it was misinterpreted by Americans. Supposedly Christopher and Jensine came to Sheboygan from time to time to visit Folmer. I have not been able to locate them in any census, but it is hard to say how their last name was spelled or if it was changed in any manner like Folmer’s was. Daughter Karen moved to Chicago and has been found in the census there; according to the family letter, son Hans Harold was lost track of.

 

Danish Emmigration Archives Online: 

Name:  Mortensen, Christoffer Occupation:  Landmand
Age:  46 Destination:  N. York
Contract no.:  160600 Registration date:  5/16/1871
Birth place:  ?
Last res. parish:  Roskilde Last res. county:  København
Last residence:  Roskilde Destination country:  USA
Destination city:  New York City Destination state:  New York State
Name of ship: 

Ship name Eugenie, departed Hamburg, Germany, arrived July 26, 1871 in NY.

On the ship manifest 7/26/1871, Port of New York

Christ V. Mortensen, age 21, farmer, from Denmark to NY

Christopher Mortensen, age 46, farmer, from Denmark to NY

Hans, age 16, farmer, from Denmark to NY

 

A Danish researcher, Jorgen Seide Petersen, was able to find the baptismal certificate for the youngest brother, Hans Harold. The certificate lists his full name as Hans Harald Mortensen Vigersdahl. There is river in Denmark named Vigersdahl, and it may be just an affectation since surnames were not important until later in the century.

At the time of Hans’ birth, the family lived in Thorkilstrup, a little village near Kirke Saby. Christopher was a clogmaker at the time and was listed as the earlier owner of the mill mentioned above. Hans was baptised in Roskilde Dom a year later. He was confirmed on 4/16/1871, just a month before they left for America at age 16. Christopher Sr. was listed as living in Copenhagen  and Jensine was living with Mads Ronne in Thorkildstrup, who was probably her father.

There is a town called Ringsted, small river nearby called Vigersdal. V=W in pronunciation, vise-versa.

 

Census

I have been unable to locate Christopher and Jensine in the 1880 census; even searching every person from Denmark born around 1825 did not yield any names similar in any state. In all probability, their surname and/or first names were altered to a degree in which they cannot be identified.

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