Cherry Street

Christmas Album

In the family files, among the photos and momentos, was an album of Danish Christmas Church music. I Julestemning (Christmas Mood) med N.F.S. Grundtvig (with N.F.S. Grundtvig) Den Danske Kirke i Los Angeles (The Danish Church in Los Angeles) Featuring Concert Soprano Ruth Fisher assisted by the choir “Luren”. It is Now Chiming for the …

Andy & Betty’s Wedding Book

Andy and Betty Christensen were married in a small service in Ovid Center on October 24, 1931. It looks like most of the guests were from the Christensen side of the family. See their guest book below…  

Bob Johnson’s Tribute to Andy Christensen

(from Bob Johnson)

Read at Andy Christensen’s funeral on January 7, 1994 I first met Andy almost l4 years ago while making my first rounds of the Hospital. I sensed that as he looked me over he surmised that I wasn’t too conversant with the difference between a monkey wrench and a crescent wrench. He was right. However, …

Interview with Andy Christensen

In the Spring of 1981, Karen Christensen recorded an interview with her father Andrew (Andy) Christensen (download), as part of a paper on successful aging for a psychology course. Andy was born and raised in Denmark, before emigrating to the United States in the early 1900s. This is a copy of the surviving portion of that …

Houses

Ann and Emily Bardeen were discussing their father’s house on the corner of Lafayette and Cherry Streets. They seemed to be saying that they were not fond of the structure and pointed out that the Christensen house was a “perfect layout” of rooms. Emily said she kept that in her mind when thinking about a …

Coming Over

(from Joan Strauss)

In Denmark, a name could be spelled in more than one.…the important thing was how it was pronounced. Theodor spelled his name Kristensen most of the time but sometimes Christensen.…either way it was pronounced the same way. Most of the children used Christensen but the people filling out the “papers” could spell it anyway they …

Romance at the Hotel Seneca

I believe Dad used to tell the story that he was working at Hotel Seneca, saw Mom go by and called out to her and that’s how we all came about. Does that sound familiar to anyone??? – Nancy I thought that the story was: At the time in his life when he was working …

Medal

The source of the Danish medal that dad had has always intrigued me. I was able to identify it on the web today. In 1864 Denmark fought a brief losing war with Prussia and Austria over Schleswig and Holstein. The medal was presented to those who participated. I know from the date that dad’s father …

Patent Cereals

When Patent Cereal burned, I was not very old…maybe 10? Half of Geneva went down to watch. I was at Mary Martha’s house and her mother took us down to the lake. We were so close that a cinder burned a hole in my fake fur coat (handed down from one of Grace’s daughters). Mom …

Nina and Don Courting

I keep thinking about David Elias and I serenading Nina and Don when they were sitting on the back porch at Mom’s. “Nina and Don sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Don with a baby carriage.” I even have a memory of Don chasing us once or twice—even …

Where Ma’s From

Ma was born on August 9, 1913 in Skanderborg, Denmark. She entered the USA in New York in March 1914 and became a naturalized citizen on February 4, 1924 under her father’s name, Jens Jacob Andersen.

Origins

In response to Kirsten’s question: “What year to Papa come to America? Or how old was he? Does anyone know??” Dad was born on June 27, 1903 in Mejlby, Denmark. He entered the USA in New York in December 1925 and became a naturalized citizen on May 25, 1931. The citizenship certificate has his name …

Utility Space

I woke up from a dream last week and remembered that the dream had taken place in the cellar way of the Cherry St. house. It made me start remembering all kinds of little trivia about what was stored there and how we used it. Since I remember things like Dad always hanging his hat …

Garbage

(from Chris D)

I, too, have vivid memories of maggots in the garbage and hating to have to be the one to put out the garbage after supper.

Basement

(from Karen and Kitty)

When I was a young pre-teen I had visions of creating some sort of “clubhouse” in the cellar. I’m not quite sure what I had in mind. Possibly just some privacy, since the only time in my living in that house that I had a “room of my own,” was one summer when I got …

House and the TV

(from E. Bardeen)

I was googling ME and this site was in the results – I love these phonto! Good old Humphrey dog!! I still your house was perfect. Your house has been the setting of so many books I have read. The kitchen – so perfectly big, and warm and inviting. For years I thought everyone’s house …

Books

(from Reta)

Nana was the one who got me hooked on Stephen King novels at about the age of 12. She used to tell Mom not to let me read them before bedtime but what did I always see when I spent the night was Nana sound asleep in bed with one of his novels on her …