The tale of two sisters named Karen in Denmark
How odd is it that there are sisters with the same exact name? I know families often named a child after an older deceased one, but that isn’t the case here.
The sisters:
- Karen Marie Jensen/Jensdatter
b. July 21, 1829 in Andst Sogn, Ribe, Denmark
d. July 2, 1904 in Michigan.
Married Hans Olsen Dec 29, 1852.
She apparently came to the U.S. around 1886. - Karen Marie Jensen b. March 26, 1851 in Andst Sogn, Ribe, Denmark
The second is my ggg-grandmother. She arrived in the U.S. around 1875 and married Jorgen Johnson in Minnesota soon after. She died in the St. Peter’s Asylum Sep 30, 1909 in Minnesota.
There’s more to it, but I’m first curious whether this is completely odd or nothing to be suspicious about.
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Back story:
Okay, I’ve tried to write this out a few time as clear as I can. Here we go.
A cousin worked on our genealogy starting in the 1980s. Unfortunately, she is now deceased. I have a couple of letters and part of her research notes, though. She gives the following information regarding my ggg-grandmother:
Karen Marie Jensen, b. Mar 26, 1851 in Store Audel, Denmark. She stated she isn’t sure of that spelling, and I can’t find anywhere with that name.
The thing is, I can’t find where she got some of this information. What I can verify is:
Marie was born March 1951 in Denmark and married Jorgen Johnson around 1875 in Minnesota. She apparently arrived in the U.S. around the same time. My gg-grandfather’s SS application gives her surname as Jensen. She died in the St. Peter’s Asylum Sep 30, 1909 in Minnesota.
No mention of the name Karen, the birth day, or a place in Denmark in any records I have. That includes the remaing asylum documents.
Then I searched other trees on MyHeritage and found one who has all of the information that my cousin put for Marie, full name, date. Except the place is St. Andst, Andst sogn, Denmark. I reached out to the owner of the tree, but he didn’t know anything except what was on there. He made the tree for a cousin who died years ago.
I became confused when I saw that she apparently had an older sister by the same name. I do have DNA matches to the first Karen here in the U.S. and matches to their other siblings in Denmark.
There are records of her, as well, linked to the family:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG85-RKCP
I could use some input on this.
Thanks,
(name removed)
Commentaires
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Hi, thanks for the question!
Your first Karen Jensdatter's (b. 21 July 1829) birth record is here (entry 23): https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/billedviser?bsid=401725#401725,74526268. She is not Karen Marie, simply Karen. That is also reflected in the censuses that she is in: here (1834) https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid2342112 ; here (1840) https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid3574091 ; and here (1845) https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid3574091 .
The 1850 census doesn't include a Karen in the family. Karen (b. 1829) has probably moved away and Karen Marie (b. 1851) is not born yet. See here: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid6927055 .
Karen Marie's (b. 26 March 1851) birth record is here: https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/billedviser?bsid=401736#401736,74526557 .
The censuses Karen Marie is in with here family are: here (1855) https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid8093229 ; and here (1860) https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid8657453 . I found a Karen Marie Jensen in the 1870 and 1880 censuses, but I can't be sure she is the same one as she is not with her parents.
If you compare the censuses above, you will see that the parents are the same in each census. The children change, but you can fairly easily follow when they come into the family and when they leave.
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Thank you for replying. Okay, glad you caught that about the name. I was going purely on what was in other trees, and I should have known better. I probably still would have questioned it, though.
I did find this 1870 Census I suspect is her, and it looks like maybe her sister is one line above her?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL8B-BY8K
And then is this her birth record? I’m not sure what it all says.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG85-RKCP
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Yes, that is the same birth record in my link above.
The birth record says that Karen Marie Jensen was born 26 March 1851. She was christened in the church on 30 March 1851. Under that date is another date, 11 May, indicating the date the mother was introduced back into the church. See this article in the FamilySearch Wiki about "Mother's Introductions":
Her parents are farmer Jens Lauritsen and (his) wife Ane Catrine Jensdatter at Andst M(ar)k? The godparents'/witnesses' names are listed in the 6th column. The 7th column is the page and line in the "Jævnførelses register" (comparing index) where the birth record is recorded. However, that Jævenførelses register doesn't appear to be available in the online records.
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As far as the Karen Marie Jensen and Maren Jensen in the 1870 census you referred to, I think they are not the same as your Karen Marie Jensen and her sister, Maren Jensen. They are both listed as having been born in Vorbasse parish in Ribe county rather than in Anst (Andst) parish.
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Interesting. Coincidentally Maren does make her home and dies in Vorbasse. I think I did notice there was a different Karen Marie Jensen in the area. My Karen went to the U.S. around 1875 & is on the 1880 U.S. Census, but I’d really like to find her on the 1870 Denmark Census. Do you know where the other one you found was located?
This leads to my next conundrum now that I know that is my Karen.
Can I ask something else on this thread regarding a different issue? Or maybe I should make a different post.
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In searching DanishFamilySearch, this Karen Marie Jensen is the only one in the 1870 census who was born in Andst parish, Ribe county around 1851-1852. I can't be certain of it, but she is a strong possibility to be your Karen Marie: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid9531194.
I did search only in Ribe county and Anst herred (district) and it is possible that she wasn't in that area in 1870.
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As far as your other question, it would probably be best to post it in the Community so that everyone can have a chance to answer. Thank you for participating in the Community!
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I did a little more digging in the move-in records for Skanderup parish and found this Karen Marie Jensen moving into Harboe, Skanderup from Andst in 1869 - Harboe is the surname of the family where she is serving in the 1870 census. She is entry 429: https://arkivalieronline.rigsarkivet.dk/da/billedviser?bsid=401829#401829,74529982. It also records that she is 18 3/4 years old when she moves in on 26 November which would put her birth about February 1851 - pretty close to March 1851. So, I think there is now a very good chance that the 1870 census is your Karen Marie Jensen.
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Thank you Norm, I’d be totally lost without this community. That first link you said is a strong possibility doesn’t work. Is it the 1870 census from earlier you mentioned? That’s really interesting and helpful. Thanks again.
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Sorry about that link. I created it while Arkivalieronline was backing up their website - apparently the link didn't work because of that.
Try this link, it should work: https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid9531194.
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Thanks for the updated link. That does seem to all line up and make the most sense.
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