I am a descendant of Danish immigrants on both my father and mother’s side. I know little about the history of my dad’s great grandparents other than that they emigrated in 1867 and settled in Wisconsin. Tracking down my mom’s great-grandparents was much easier. I actually found them in the Danish Emigration Database. They were listed as coming from Sparresholm in 1869 with a destination of Nevada, Iowa. My grandma said she had been told her grandfather was a cooper and the Danish census records indicate her grandfather (my great-great grandfather) was a master cooper as was his father and grandfather. Her grandmother’s family were blacksmiths. They purchased a farm outside of Story City, Iowa shortly after they arrived. My great-grandmother as well as my mother was born on that farm which remained in the family until 1940. My great-grandmother did not learn English until she went to school. She married a “non-Dane” but as they went through a period of separation for about two years when my grandma was a toddler, my grandma’s first language was actually Danish! I remember her speaking Danish more frequently near the end of her life (she lived to be 96). Unfortunately my knowledge of the language is only a nursery rhyme my Grandma would tell all of her grandchildren about “Tommeltut”.
My great-great parents Olsen left Denmark May 1881 with 2 children under 2. They ended up in Racine, WI. My great-great father suddenly died in 1894. My great-great grandmother with her 9 children the youngest was 6 months old all had to go back to Denmark.
Very interesting. My grandfather came in 1907 and grandmother in 1916; they came from Mors and Skive; my mother's family came earlier and from Langeland; my husband's family came in 1928, from near Ebeltoft, Mols. We still make a lot of the Danish food and are hopefully passing those traditions down to the next generation.
My paternal grandfather left Odense in 1914 at age 17. His father had travelled the world on a danish freighter and advised my grandfather to go to America or Australia. He chose America and his brother chose Australia. Once here, he travelled by transcontinental railroad from Ellis Island to San Francisco wearing wooden shoes and carrying $20 of gold in his pockets. He walked around San Francisco for about 24 hours running into a group of young Germans fresh off the boast as well. Together they migrated over the Diablo Range and all began working for Karl Wente, of Wente Bros. Winery as ag laborers and cowboys since Wente was not only producing wine grapes but also beef. My grandfather worked there for about six years and ended up partnering up with a Wente son on a ranch in the California Central Valley back in 1923 where he eventually bought out his German partner and became a sole proprietor raising beef and producing hay. The ranch began as 250 acres with a purchase price of $2 per acre! Over the following decades, he bought up every parcel bordering his original holding. By 1960, he’d amassed 1200 acres. On his final settlement, he carried on for 60 years marrying and raising three sons until his death in 1984. He and my grandmother used to take a month long trip back to Denmark about once every 10 years. He told me that adjusting to the US was very easy for the typical Dane since all kids were taught English as a second language around the turn of the century. Also, I remember his monthly subscription to Bien 😊
My great-grandmother immigrated to the US from Denmark with her family in the late 1890’s. Beck is her family’s name…they settled in Minnesota from what I’ve been told. I met her once at a nursing home when I was a young child and I still remember her big smile and twinkling eyes, even though she was well into her 80’s.
Almost all my mother's side came from Denmark, from Bornholm, Falster, northern Jutland, and Sjalland, but became Mormons and went to Utah and southern Idaho in the late 1800s. They joined towns of Scandinavian Mormons in the deserts and mountains. Some of them dug out homes into the sides of hills (like hobbits) for the first couple years because wood was scarce in some areas and the weather was very cold. Native American attacks and theft of livestock were common. If you walk in a cemetery in Sanpete Valley, Utah, almost every stone bears a name like Larsen, Jensen, Madsen, Rasmussen, etc. Many of the businesses on the main streets are Jorgensen This or Christensen That.
My mothers sister and her husband emigrated to Montreal in I think 1955. He was a butcher by trade and started a succesful shop in Montreal. I remember they send pictures og their nice home -with two! cars. Not many in Denmark had two cars then. I was around 10 years then and very impressed. Remember the thin "Air Mail" letters my mother recieved and also sent to her sister.
Wow. Thank you! My ancestors were some of those Mormon immigrants. I found your site by searching historic Danish Weaving. Apparently my great great great grandmother married a Mormon and immigrated to America. She came from a family of “weavers” as in a guild. Her family disinherited her initially, but just before I was born, 1946, my grandmother received a letter of inheritance. She could not read Danish, so gave it to a man who could. Lofgran, he took the letter and disappeared. My grandmother was a weaver of amazing rugs. Myself and my cousin are also weavers. It would be fun to find our family. My cousin and I will try again. Thank you so much.
Oh wow, what an amazing story (except for that awful Lofgran fellow!). Thanks so much for sharing, Alynne. Amazing that weaving passed down throughout all those generations in your family to you and your cousin, all thanks to your Danish ancestor 😊 All the best with your search!
I’ve been digging into my husband’s family lineage and this video is helpful in understanding why so many people went to Wisconsin as a whole family in the mid 1800s. Some of his ancestors lived in Denmark, Wisconsin. They named a town after their country. It’s been interesting.
Yes, my grandparents left Copenhagen after WWI and settled in Minnesota. My grandmother had a hard time adjusting and learned to speak English because her 3 children were born in Minnesota and her 1st child was born in Denmark but had to learn English for school. My grandfather was from Fyn, Svendborg. In Denmark he had many jobs and one was to learn buttermaking. In the Minnesota he learned to work with flowers and eventually had his own greenhouse in a small town in Minnesota. Through my grandparents we did learn some Danish traditions and still love some of the foods. I have been to Denmark but want to return after having worked on my Danish genealogy, Thank you for doing this video. TAKK
Some ancestors came to Minnesota from Vejle. Danish Hearts(card game) & Applekievers. I recognized one of the last names on the bricks. Checking my family tree books asap. Great video
I have four danish migration stories although two were considered German at the time of migration. My adopted side came from Slesvig. Great grandma was from Süderlügum and came bearing the name Maren Christensen at the age of 30 after her widowed father had married a young woman about her age. She had first traveled to Haderslev where we think a brother already lived. She came to Clinton Iowa where many immigrants from Slesvig/Holstein (both ethnically German and Danish) lived. She met her future husband there. He was from Halk and had joined his brothers there in about 1889. His name was Niels Christian Ytzen. Their family had at one time been minor nobility in Halk but had lost their money, estate, and titles in the money crisis of 1826 following the Napoleonic wars. He came also to Clinton but also spent time in the Rockwell, Thornton, Swaledale area of Iowa where three of his brothers settled. They had come to America to avoid servicing in the Prussian military. My bio family came from Fyn and Aalborg. They first came to Ombro Wisconsin and later homesteaded near Viborg, SD.
My fourth great grandfather christian Sorensen and my fourth great grandmother Karen Eschildsdatter and their two daughters Mary maren , my third great grandmother, and her sister Ane Kristine, went from Copenhagen to Liverpool and got on the ship Benjamin Adams in 1854. From there they went to New Orleans, got on a river boat went up the Mississippi and Missouri River to the Mormon trail. Unfortunately the father and two daughters survived the trip Karen the mother died of cholera and was buried on the banks of the Missouri River.
I also have a third great grandfather and third great grandmother from Denmark came from Copenhagen to Liverpool got on board the Jesse Munn made it to New Orleans, Mormon trail and settled in cedar city Utah. My second great grandfather was born in Iowa on the way there.(Jens Andersen,Helvig Nicholine Jensdatter Overlade, and the son born Jens Overlade Anderson last name changed from Andersen to Anderson.)
We should also mention Elk Horn, IA, which imported a Danish windmill from the town Noerre Snede in Jutland... They apparently have an annual festival where they crown a "King and Queen". Of course, they eat boat loads of aebleskiver and medisterpoelse....
My grandmother on my father's side, had two or three brothers, who immigrated to the US in around 1916-18. There was really not a lot of contact between the Danish and new American family, until maybe 40 years ago, where phone calls etc. got more reasonable in price. Several of my uncles have good contact with cousins over there. And there have been several reunions since that, mainly in Denmark, as the family from over there is quite interested in the country they came from; Denmark. I really don't have any involvement in it, as the American family are quite Christian. Several priests & (former) missionaries.
Oh wow what an interesting time they chose to emigrate (during WWI)! That must have been an adventure, to say the least. Yeah I can see how religious differences can deepen the Danish/American cultural divide even more; it's rare to see that level of overt religious devotion here in Denmark, I think.
This was a very interesting video! I know you posted a year ago, but I just found it as I'm looking into my Danish-American ancestors and their Danish predecessors. It is a PAIN! haha. There are very few generations (maybe two) that were in America. The rest came from Denmark and finding them has been head-spinning and challenging. But I can't wait to get a crack in the case! And it's really interesting to see the sort of things that were happening at the time and the potential reasonings people had to migrate...Thanks for putting this together and sharing!
Every dane knows what Solvang is. We're very proud that a piece of Denmark exists so far from here :D I've seen a couple of programs in tv from Solvang.
@@thiia94denmark I live in California and recently visited this beautiful city and made a short video for now about it on my second channel: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-39UOrkXljZ4.html
Really cool. My dad is Danish from both sides of his Family. I thought my grandma was english cause her last name was Johnson but it turns out the family surname was changed from Johannson when they arrived in the US. Whether that was a choice or it was forced i do not know. But i thought it was weird my dad had Danish from both sides (100% on his dad's 50% on his mom's side) cause i only knew one friend growing up who had Danish ancestry but it makes sense now cause they're from Utah (I was born and raised in Denver). Thanks for the history lesson!
I loved this video! A ton of members of my family emigrated to America in the 1800s and most of them were (sadly) never heard from again. We know of one member who had a successful farm and went on to be a prominent member of the Danish community in Minnesota. We're trying to see if there are any ancestors left somewhere that are descendants of that part of the family, but it's hard to work out. All the best
Thank you Peter! I wonder if any of those DNA test kits could help match you with potential US family members - have you considered or tried one of those? How heartbreaking for your Danish side to never hear from them again 😢
@@ErininCopenhagen I have tried to find people through MyHeritage and Ancestry tests, but it gets hazy and inconclusive. It does say that I have a ton of "sort of" relatives in America, though, haha. Yeah, it's sad, and according to people I've spoken to, most Danish emigrants were not heard from once they left for America. Like your video said, a lot died on the way, or would perish on their long journeys to Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, or even California. It must have been horrific for their families to say goodbye to people and never hear from them after they left. Do you know how your family moved to Canada and what their nationalities were?
@@PeterBondeVillain Oh really? That's a shame. I've always been curious about those tests but I guess it's not like they can give you relative's addresses or anything 🤭 Yeah! My family went over much later in the 1950s. They're all British - 3 Scots and 1 English. So still certainly a big move where they mostly never saw friends/family ever again but nothing like the perilous journey yours would have taken!
Yes, I am of Danish ancestry. Both of my paternal grandparents immigrated here about 1904. They met on the boat coming over and eventually married in Kansas City. MO. My grandfather was a builder and made his money building homes, apartment buildings, etc. After 3 children they moved to Miami, FL to take advantage of the building boom in Florida. We grew up on aebleskiver, and other typical Danish foods. This has been passed on to the next generation. We"re all proud of our Danish heritage. I just wish I could find someone who could translate dozens of letters I have from many years ago all written in Danish . I live in Cleveland, TN.
This was a really interesting video. I've always been fascinated with this topic, especially after meeting some of our American family who made it back to our town and the old family farm almost a 100 years after their ancestors originally left Denmark. I visited Ellis Island a few years ago, and I was kind of sad I didn't get the opportunity while I was there, to have a look at the arrival records to see if I could find them. It's still an interesting place I would recommend seeing for anyone going to New York. Anyway, thank you for making this!
Oh wow, that must have been a fun meeting!! I know it's not the same as actually seeing it in person but Ellis Island have now digitised all their records, which you can search at heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger. You can see the original handwritten scanned in documents (you just need to register but it's all free). Maybe you can find them that way? 😊 Thanks so much for your wonderful comment, I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and share your story!
Nielsen Jorgensen was my great great grandpa's name. When he came to America,we were given last name Nielsen. He was an endentured servant for corningware
A really good video! I love stuff like this. History, language and boat rides + tears. What's not to love?! I got a feeling that I have someone in my extended family who's emigrated to the US. Before my grandmother died I have a memory of her saying that her late husband, my grandfather, had a brother who emigrated to the US. I'd love to believe that, but I have no way of asking my grandmother anymore. And sometimes those conversations came up out of the blue when she would speak of his family - I ought to have been more attentive to those stories. Attention isn't one of my strong suit. Squirrel!!!
My great great great great great great great grandfather is Peter Sorenson Vig. He helped the Lutherian church and was a historian and a few other things but played a part in the migration
I was in Elk Horn, Iowa 2 times this week. Elk Horn has the only Danish wind mill that left Denmark. Also thr National Danish Immigrant Museum is in Elk Horn.
My great grand father Henrik Dahmcke went to the US in 1911 to find a place to settle, ahead of his wife Magda and their daughter Lizzie (my grandmother). My aunt has saved a lot of their correspondence and in one of the letters he writes "I haven't recieved any letters from you in a long time, I suspect they have been lost with the Titatanic". June 17th. 1912 Magda and Lizzie boarded the ship "Hellig Olav" heading for New York. When they arrived they went to Cleveland, Ohio, then to Chicago Illinois and finally the came to Henrik in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the opened a small hotel. In 1914 Henrik got tuberculosis and went to Denver, Colorado for treatment, while Magda and Lizzie stayed in Milwaukee. Magda's family kept writing her that she should come home and they even sent her tickets for the ship. She caved in and took the ship back with Lizzie, leaving her husband. In a letter Henrik pleaded her to stay or even leave Lizzie so he would have something there to love. Juli 11th. 1914 Magda and Lizzie were back in Denmark. He never saw them again and he passed away in 1918 in Denver. My family failed to immigrate :)
Oh wow, that could be the plot of a movie! I wonder why Henrik never thought to return to Denmark if he wanted to be with Lizzie again? 🤔 And so, are you in Denmark now because of Lizzie's choice? Thanks for sharing this story, I love hearing them 😊🙏
@@ErininCopenhagen We simply don't know why Henrik never returned, but our best guess is that he might not have felt well enough for the journey back home. And yes, i am here in Denmark because of the choices that were made back then :)
About late 1800 - my grandfather and his 2 brothers on my mothers side went to US to work - my grandfather went back home and got married, 1 brother settled over there and the last brother my family had to buy a ticket to get him home. At my fathers side some aunts and uncles ended up in US , Brasília and sadly one from US went to Australia - he hanged himself in the end. Last story is interesting because in some archives I found out that my poor aunt was noted to have told “ one day he left us ( her and kids ) I don’t know where he is , we haven’t heard from or seen him. Many relatives in my search for ancestors are like - no Info - you only know they got born here in Denmark but then all trace get cold and they are never noted at deceased . Via DNA I now know I got almost 1300 relatives in US - and I got contact to my Grandfathers brothers children ( my moms cousins ) - Had my Grandfather moved to Us , I’d never been born…. ;)
My mom came here from Denmark in the 80s. We only have 1 Danish-American relative and I havent been able to form any connection with my Danish family, they do not speak English. One of my only memories from Denmark was being in a room with a bunch of relatives that didn't speak English. The language barrier makes it incredibly hard...I was never really raised to be proud of Danish ancestry. I'm really just an American with Danish blood, but nevertheless I'm trying to learn Danish to connect with my family
Wow Danes that don't speak English, hard to comprehend. I think that if you contact them again there should be someone there that understand you if they are under 70 years old.
Amazing video! Interestingly enough, in the case for Iceland (A territory of Denmark with special rights at the time of the 19th century), 1/5th of the population of the entire island migrated to North America. Pretty insane to think about it, even if the total population at the time was rather small.
Can you imagine the Danish getting off the boat on the Atlantic coast? They had no idea how big America is. They might have got a ride to the Mississippi . Then they were given a hand cart, told to keep going west. Across the plains, across the Rocky Mountains Mountains. Then find their Mormon friends friends there
Can u please look into the CHRISTOFFERSON HERITAGE from Mon Island 🏝 🙏 ..I was told my ancestor came in the 1700s, or early 1800s..still trying to figure it out..I think his name was PETER?? according to what I was told, he was 17?? and came alone...
My great great grandmother had to wait for my great great grand father to send for her. Her obituary said she was put on a small island where she had to feed her 2 small children off what the fishermen would spare and a little garden of her own....any idea where or why this might be?
Our Great Grand father Hans Clausen, is from Birket Lolland township. The family as I was told had the name Claussen. He left to America in 1907 to Ellis Island NY but we cant find any info on his parents, or ancestry in Denmark. Any way to find? He had married an American woman in Erie Pennsylvania. So that is where the family settled.
Oh wow, did he make the trip over alone initially? And then met your American great great grandmother? 😊 You can try these resources: www.sa.dk/en/services/online-services. They're searchable parish records for here in Denmark. Best of luck!
@@ErininCopenhagen We are not sure but records on Ancestry tree to My heritage.com stated that he arrived alone at Ellis Island 1907 at age 20. I'm trying to get connections over in Denmark. And I might be related to the Danfoss founder Madds Clausen. My grandmother had mention his name before she died. There also could have been some family from Denmark who arrived before my Great grandfather before the American Civil war and served on the Union Army in Pennsylvania in the 1860s.
@@ErininCopenhagen I tried the site I cant read danish I wish I could it did translate for a awhile, but I did find his name. I'll try again. Thanks or in danish, Tak! If I got that right.
@@davidclausen4271 Try some Facebook groups, like this one: facebook.com/groups/5412932426 It's specifically for Danish Americans and there'll be someone on there who can help you read old documents 😊
Look for: Maribo Amt, Lollands Nørre herred, Birket Sogn. The Church records are not online on the first link Erin gave. The Census, Folketælling(FT), are. Try Avanceret Søgning Områdevalg. If you go through the FT from 1880 to 1906 it must be possible to find him, with the year of birth. Just look for Clausen in Maribo Amt, for say 1890, and then search for Hans in the results.
Its a good video. But you should have mentioned the 1st and 2nd war of schleswig-holstein 1848-1851 and feb - july 1864. This is today remembered as one the worst times in danish history. Denmark fought over the now bundes state in germany, Schleswig-Holstein, northern germany. The problem was that Schleswig was mixed dane and german, whilst almost 100% of Holstein was german. Denmark tried to pass a constitution which include the territory of Schleswig, thereby dividing the old Duchy into two. The problem was just, the danish kings were also the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein and that caused some confusion going into the modern period. Because Schleswig-Holstein was also a member of the German Confederation which included Prussia and the Austrian Empire. Denmark actually won the first war, (with some help from the british and Russians) on the condition denmark withdrew that new constitution. In 1864 a National liberal government tried to pass the constitution again including Schleswig, and Austria and Prussia steamrolled Jutland. Today “the battle of dybbøl” and the other battles connected to those conflicts during those decades provided danes with no choice but to move to the US for better oppurtunities and a better life. Much of danish youth died in those wars and many migrated, which was devastating for my home country. Those first big waves of danish migrants in the US came exactly around the times of the wars and i thought it deserved a mention in your video.
@@ErininCopenhagen During Prussian/German rule from 1864 to 1920 many Danes emigrated from Slesvig (Schleswig) - mostly via Hamburg. They may officially have been counted as Germans. They should, however, be counted as Danes - because being Danes under that regime was their reason for emigrating.
Indeed, my great grandfather was in the schleswig-holstein war, and family lore states that he worked on the ships from the age of 14, then worked on the railroads to Oregon in the US. Census records lists his official immigration in 1874. Its hard to know if he was working on the railroads in Denmark or the US or both. His whereabouts from the war till then are a mystery.
My Morfar emigrated after WW1 from Skerjn, Jutland…and married a Jensen from Nebraska. They spoke the Mother tongue. I have made several trips to Danmark to experience my Viking roots. It was necessary and imperative. Danke for your historically thorough post reminding me of the challenges my predecessors overcame!🇩🇰🇺🇸
I found my 2nd great grandfather Soren Møller, and his family (7 members) on a passenger list today from June 1881. Reading the comments here was a nice hint. At Ellis Island they were listed as coming from Germany although they were Danes from the Northern Slesvig region where all were born. His obituary says he also served in the Danish military and had some sort of pension from his service. I haven't yet verified the military service. Other Danes in my family tree also list areas in Slesvig an arriving in America in the 1880's. From my amateur research, the Prussian control must have been a huge influence to leave their homeland.
My great-great-grandfather was born in Vissenbjerg, and immigrated to America in 1889 dude was 18 when he did it! and then he had like 11 kids in California Edit: I'm honestly still learning about my ancestry, but this was some amazing insight by the way! Thank you so much!!! I learned from Ellis Island records that he immigrated from Helsingborg, Sweden, and I'm not sure why that would be, because I believe he lived in Odense at the time
