How I (and the rest of my family) Came to be in America
Many years before any of us were born, immigrants came like crazy to the United States. Some came alone, and some came with family. Some came to search for work, and some came because they already knew of work. Here is a blog on my relatives that did just that.
Peter Mathaisen Niklasen (Nicolaisen in Denmark), my great-great grandfather, was one of my relatives on my mom’s side (specifically my grandma’s side) that made the trip. He was born on December 22, 1885. Peter came to the United States in 1909 from Oreo (pronounced “Arrow”), Denmark. About 1,600 to 2,000 people left the island between 1850 and 1920. They were assigned letters, or groups they left in, and Peter was group C, the third group to leave. He had 2 sisters and 3 brothers, but was the only of the family that traveled over on the ship. His intentions were to see the world and also go to California because he heard there was work there. Peter was a very brave and strong man, and began working at age 12. His boss in Denmark had a brother in Kimballton, Iowa, and wanted Peter to go to Kimballton and visit him. Peter took 2 big trunks on the ship with him, but the one that had all his personal belongings (knitted scarves from his mother, pocket watch, pictures, etc.) was lost and never returned. Once Peter landed in New York, through Ellis Island, he took a train to Atlantic, Iowa, and then to Kimballton. He liked Kimballton so much he decided to stay.
Back in Denmark Peter trained horses. He was called a “horse whisperer”. When he settled in Kimballton he trained horses for neighbors. He then met his wife, Minnie Christensen. She did the gardening and babysitting for Peter’s neighbor. Minnie was born on October 16, 1887 in Clinton County, Iowa. Her family had moved to Kimballton and her grandmother came with. Peter attended college in Elk Horn, Iowa, to learn how to read, write, and speak English. Minnie attended the same college to learn how to sew and ended up being a beautiful seamstress. Peter and Minnie married in 1913 and moved to Anita, Iowa, where they farmed 240 acres. They had two children, Emma and Bert. When Bert got married (my great-grandpa) in Kimballton, Peter and Minnie moved back to Kimballton. Minnie passed away in April of 1960 and Peter passed away in 1976.
I learned a few interesting stories about my great-great grandpa. Peter’s youngest brother contacted him and wanted help getting to America so he could start a new life. When their mother found out, she wrote Peter a letter with tear stains on it and told him she didn’t want to ‘lose’ another son. She told Peter not to help his brother get to America. When Peter told his brother that he couldn’t help him, his brother got mad and never spoke to him again. This next story is sad, but it’s my favorite. When Peter was on the train from New York to Atlantic they made a stop in Chicago. They stopped at a deli, and he wanted a cheese sandwich very badly. Peter could only speak Danish, and the people at the deli couldn’t understand him. There was also no cheese in sight for him to point at to tell them what he wanted. One last story I learned was that when Minnie was passing away she knew my mom was on the way (my mom was born in September 1960). Minnie told Peter to take good care of their first-born great-grandchild. That’s why Peter spoiled my mom.
My grandma’s mother’s side was the Turners. I didn’t have any information on them, but I do know there would have been some Irish and Norwegian on that side. I’m not sure if there was any German or Danish, though.
My grandma Doris, my great-great grandma Turner, my mom,
and my great-grandma Helen. "Four Generations" Taken January 1, 1961.
I also came across some information on other relatives on my mom’s side, specifically my grandpa’s side. The only thing I learned about my great-great grandpa, Benjamin Schuning, was that he was born in Minden, Iowa. My great-great grandma, Anna Schuning, was born in Lost Nation, Iowa. Schuning in Germany is spelled Schunning. I’m not sure where their relatives came from, although I know it was somewhere in Germany. My other set of great-great grandparents, Henry and Anna Neve, both came from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Henry came over sometime before World War 1 with his whole family. The ship he came over on was the SS Lincoln. He came through Ellis Island. The reason he came to the United States is because at that time you had to serve in the Germany army, and he didn’t want to, so he fled. Anna came over sometime before World War 1 by herself. She also came through Ellis Island. The reason she came to the United States was because she was going to be a maid and housekeeper. Both Henry and Anna settled in Shelby, Iowa, because that’s where many Germans were settling. I’m not sure when Anna passed away, but Henry passed away in 1951. Some interesting tidbits that I learned was that Henry would always sit outside all summer long cutting wood so they could stay warm all winter. When they were angry they would speak in German so you couldn’t understand what they were saying, and at Christmas time they only spoke German.
David Boldt, my great-great grandpa on my dad’s side (specifically my grandma’s side), was born in 1860 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. His wife, Dorothea Luchau-Boldt, was born in 1860 in Hanover Germany. David came to the United States as a stowaway. David and Dorothea settled in Vail, Iowa for 6 months, then moved to Halbur, Iowa. David and Dorothea passed away a month apart in 1936. Also on my dad’s side, specifically my grandma’s side, were Fredrick Rose and his wife Dorothea Lehmberg-Rose. Fredrick was born on July 11, 1875 in Hanover, Germany. Dorothea was born on March 7, 1880 in Mengenbrussel, Germany. Fredrick and Dorothea settled in Arcadia, Iowa. All of them came to the United States through Ellis Island in the 1880s for a better life. They came to Iowa immediately after arriving to America from Germany to buy farm ground.
Johann Nickclaus Musfeldt, my great-great grandpa on my dad’s side (specifically on my grandpa’s side), was born on July 27, 1850 in Burg, Ditmars, Holstein, Germany. His wife, Anna Nuttleman-Musfeldt, was born in 1852 in Eggstedt, Holstein, Germany. Johann was a seaman and merchant marine, shipwright and beacon tower guard. He aspired to a new life away from the sea. Johann came to Iowa because he was a carpenter and farmer. Also on my dad’s side, specifically my grandpa’s side, were John Asmus and his wife Martha Wenzel-Asmus. John was born in 1870 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Martha was born in 1877 in Germany. John came to Iowa because he was a farmer. All of them came to America through Ellis Island in 1882-1889 for a better life. They came to Iowa immediately after arriving in America from Germany because other relatives were located here and they were farmers. They settled in the areas of Westside, Aspinwall, and Manning, Iowa.
This was by far my favorite blog to do. Although it required a lot of time, it was worth it. Some people I talked to really wished they had more time to find papers with information on them. I know somewhere in my Grandpa Schuning’s house my grandma had many papers full of this kind of information. This blog was also very stressful to do, which was a downside. I wish I could have found someone who knew more about the Schuning side of my family or the Turner side. The blog was also challenging since the relatives that knew the most (my grandpa, Tom Musfeldt, and my grandma, Doris Schuning) have passed away. It’s very interesting to learn some stories, not just because they’re family stories, but because they reflect the lives of many at the time. I wish I would have been lucky enough to actually ask my ancestors these questions. My great-great-aunt Emma even called me back a few hours after she gave me information to tell me she was thinking about things and that I was the 7th generation of the Christensen family. If you think about it, that’s not very many. Not to me, anyway. I also learned that on my mom’s side I’m related to Jesse James and Captain John Smith. On my dad’s side I’m related to Richard Nixon. I wish I would have had just a little more time to pull this blog together so I could tear my grandpa’s house apart looking for all the information I needed. I’m just happy I had the opportunity to do this, though, because I got to learn a lot more than I ever knew. I always knew I was German, Danish, Irish and Norwegian, but I just never knew how all of that got here.
My great-great grandpa Peter with his great-grandchildren. The second one from the left is my uncle Craig, and the one in the middle is my mom.
Another picture of Peter with great-grandchildren. My mom and uncle are sort of hidden in the photo.
Peter, my mom, and two other great-grandchildren. Taken at Christmas 1961.
My great-grandpa Bert, my grandma Doris, my great-great grandpa Peter, and my mom.
"Four Generations" taken December 25,1960.
Sources:
Emma Larson, great-great aunt, age 95
Milo "Mike" Neve, great-great uncle, age 82
LeeAnn Musfeldt, grandma, age 73
La Verne "John" Schuning, grandpa, age 75
Janelle Musfeldt, mother, age 50
Kurt Musfeldt, father, age 44
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