Individual Details
Nels Johan Jenson
(9 Sep 1886 - 2 Aug 1947)
BIOGRAPHICAL:
Born in Norway, he emigrated to America when he was four years old with his mother, brother Axel, sister Karine and uncle Hans Jenson. He attended local public schools and Teachers Institue after which he taught school for a number of years near Somerset, Turtle Lake, Cannon Falls in Minnesota and in Hudson. While teaching he learned the cheese making business during vacation periods. While living on a farm near Burkhardt he was a cheese maker for three years. In 1919 he was appointed a rural mail carrier at the Hudson Post Office and served continually in that capacity until his death in 1947. He continued to engage in farming as a hobby and operated a farm outside of North Hudson along with his work as a rural carrier. He was a great lover of flowers and make a speciality of growing gladiolli.
Hudson Star Times, 29Jun1906, pg5:
"Nels J. Jenson has lost Nels J. Jenson has lost all faith in children's promises. When his son, Nels J. Jr. went on his Elks excursion Monday, he promised to come home again that same night. But he isn't back yet. He got married to Miss Gurina Hallanger at Red Wing and slipped away to her folks' home down that way and hasn't been seen since.
HSO, 1 Mar 1918 via HSO, 4 Mar 1943, p6, "25 Years Ago"
Twin girls were born to Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson on February 24, 1918, weighing 7 and 8 pounds respectively.
HSO, 16 Aug 1918, p5, c4
Mr. and Mrs. Nels J. Jenson, Jr. and children of Hudson Prairie spent Tuesday in Hudson.
HSO, 23Aug1918, p5, c4
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and children of Hudson Prairie spent Tuesday in Hudson
HSO
6Sep1818, p5, c1
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr., and twins of Hudson Prairie were Hudson callers on Sunday en route to Minneapolis for a visit with his brother, A. S. Jenson and family.
HSO, 20Dec1918, p8
N. J. Jenson, Jr. of Hudson Prairie was called to St. Paul on Wednesday, December 11 on account of the death of a brother-in-law, Charles Olson, who died of influenza on tuesday, December 10, at St. Paul.
Mr. Olson and Miss Eda Hallenberger [sic] were married in this city on November 24 and had commenced housekeeping in St. Paul where Mr. Olson had employment. After the burial of Mr. Olson, Mr. Jenson brought his sister-in-law to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hallanger [sic] of Dennison [Minnesota].
Mr. Jenson contracted the influenza, probably enroute, and is now at the home of his parents on Seventh Street. Mrs. Olson also contracted the influenza and is ill at Dennison, Minnesota.
HSO, 17 Jan 1919, p1
(The following was written for the last issue of the Star-Observer)
Mrs. N. J. Jenson Jr., and twins returned to their home on Hudson Prairie Saturday after spending a few days at the N. J. Jenson, Sr., home where her husband has been ill the past three weeks with influenza. She was accompanied home by Mrs. J. H. Jenson who returned Sunday. Mr. Jenson is improving nicely after a hard tussle with pneumonia.
HSO, 17 Jan 1919, p5
Nels Jenson, Jr., went to his home on Hudson Prairie Tuesday after a five weeks' siege of the Flu which he contacted on the way to Denmark, Minn., where he went with his sister-in-law, Eda Hallanger Olson, to the home of her parents. Mrs. Olson died the day after Mr. Jenson left, just a week after the death of her husband, while Mr. Jenson was taken sick before reaching his home and has passed the last five weeks at the home of his parents in this city.
HSO, 5 Sep 1919, p5
Mr. and Mrs. Nels Hallanger and daughter, Miss Eide of Dennison, Minn., visited with N. J. Jenson and family on Saturday. motoring up.
HSO, 28 Nov 1919, p5
N. J. Jenson, carrier on R.R.1, had a smash-up one night last week. His horses became frightened at an auto and broke loose from the hitching post and badly smashing the buggy.
St. Croix County Forum, Hudson, 25Aug1927
Mr. and Mrs. N.J. Jenson, Jr. motored to St. Paul on Sunday and spent the day at the Westerheim home. They brought the twins back with them.
HSO, 26Oct1933, p5, c2
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and family of North Hudson entertained at a family reunion on Sunday in honor of Lieut. and Mrs. C. P. Erickson and family who motored up from Chickasaw, Ala. in September and have been visiting relatives at Elmwood and Hudson. Covers were laid for 31. Miss Gunvalsen and E. M. Erickson of Elmwood, also visited there, enroute from Minneapolis where they had spent the weekend.
HSO, undated, abt Jun 1930
Silver Anniversary for Mr., Mrs. Nels Jenson Held Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. Nels J. Jenson, Jr., were pleasantly surprised at the home last Sunday by 150 friends and relatives who came to assist them in celebration of their twenty-fifth, or silver, wedding anniversary. The afternoon was spent in reminiscing and social diversions in keeping with the occasion. A delectable luncheon was served. As a token of the esteem of their many friends, Mr. and Mrs. Jenson were presented with a beautiful chest of silver.
Mr. Jenson and Miss Gurina Hellanger were married at Red Wing on June 25, 1906. They have made their home in or near Hudson ever since. Mr. Jenson for some years has been one of the rural mail carriers out of Hudson.
HSO, 7Dec1933, p5, c3
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and Olaf Jenson and Eiline [sic] Fitzgerald, drove to Minneapolis on Saturday and visited with the formers' cousin, Mrs. Birger S. Anderson and family and her daughter who was home from the t. B. Sanitorium at Oak Terrace the first time for a year and a half, and were delighted to find her gaining wonderfully. Mrs. Anderson was a former Hudson girl, a niece of N. J. Jenson, Sr., and is quite well known here.
HSO, 5Jan1939, p3
Misses Ruth, Lila and Ann Jenson of St. Paul spent the weekend at the home of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson.
HSO, 20 Aug 1942
Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson entertained the post office crew at their annual chicken and roast corn dinner at the Jenson farm in North Hudson last Thursday evening. Needless to say the hungry lads at the post office were well fed and the check of food consumption revealed that the 14 guests consumed no less than 25 fried spring chickens, two bushels of corn in addition to vast quantities of potatoes, gravy, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, biscuits, cake and coffee.
HSO, 15Feb1944, p5, c2
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. were called to Dennison, Minnesota on Sunday to attend burial of their sister-in-law, Mrs. Theodore Hallanger, who had passed way very suddenly after only a few days illness with pneumonia. She is survived by her husband and one son, besides her parents. The Hallangers lived in Hudson for a short time after their marriage.
HSO, 15 Mar 1945, p4
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, grandson Michael and Mrs. Bethel drove to Colfax to visit their son Olaf, and bring Michael, who has visited here for about two weeks. Ole, who has been quite ill, has about recovered. [note: the Mrs. Bethel would be Nonie Rusch Bethel not Helen Bethel]
HSO, 7 Aug 1947
NELS J. JENSON DIES SATURDAY OF HEART ATTACK
Nels J. Jenson, Jr., 60, a rural mail carrier here for the past 28 years, and a resident of the community for nearly all his life, died at his home in North Hudson of a heart attack at 8:30 last Saturday evening, August 2. He had been ill since December 13 and had been unable to work since that time.
Mr. Jenson was born in Norway on Sept. 9, 1886. When he was four years old the family migrated to America coming to Hudson following a short stay in Baldwin. He attended the local public schools and Teachers Institute during summer vacations, after which he taught school for a number of yars near Somerset, Turtle Lake, Cannon Falls, Minn., and in Hudson. While teaching school, he learned the cheese-making business during vacation periods. He then moved to a farm near Burkhardt where he was the cheese maker for three years.
In 1919 he was appointed a rural mail carrier at the Hudson post office and he served continually in that capacity until he was taken ill with heart attack in December.
Mr. Jenson enjoyed farming and more or less as a hobby he operated a farm on the outskirts of North Hudson along with his work as a rural carrier. He was a great lover of flowers and made a speciality of growing gladioli, which he distributed to his friends and neighbors in large bouquets during the flowering season. He was a great reader and student of government and could discuss important topics of the day with fluency and understanding. Although he took no active part in politics, he was very much interested in governmental affairs. The community has lost a good man in his death.
He was married to Gurina Hallenger in Red Wing on June 25, 1906.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Olaf of Lake Benton, Minn., and John of Hudson; six daughters, Mrs. Ann Lester of Hudson, Mrs. Helen Williams of Baton Rouge, La., Ruth of Haywood, Wis., Mrs. Laura Burdick of Minneapolis, and Leila and Jane of St. Paul; and one grandchild, Michael Jenson. One daughter, Janet, died at the age of two years.
Funeral services were held at 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the trieb-Poulton Funeral Home, Dr. Ernest Wright officiating. Charles Clapp accompanied by Mrs. Harold Walbrandt, sang. Interment was in Willow River Cemetery. The active and honorary pall-bearers were his co-workers at the Hudson post office. Active pall bearers were Postmaster J. J. Hanley, Eric Peterson, Herbert Walby, G.S. McDowell,Miner Egbert and Wm. Ruesink. Honorary pall bearers were C. E. Christenson, H. Jenson, Elmer Olson, Al Luebke, Ray Bowman and Ray Miller.
From handwritten notes of Thelma (Stayberg) Gartmann
8/3 - 8:30 p.m., Uncle Nels Jenson died
8/5 - We went down to wake
8/6 - Uncle Nels buried from Poulton's
Born in Norway, he emigrated to America when he was four years old with his mother, brother Axel, sister Karine and uncle Hans Jenson. He attended local public schools and Teachers Institue after which he taught school for a number of years near Somerset, Turtle Lake, Cannon Falls in Minnesota and in Hudson. While teaching he learned the cheese making business during vacation periods. While living on a farm near Burkhardt he was a cheese maker for three years. In 1919 he was appointed a rural mail carrier at the Hudson Post Office and served continually in that capacity until his death in 1947. He continued to engage in farming as a hobby and operated a farm outside of North Hudson along with his work as a rural carrier. He was a great lover of flowers and make a speciality of growing gladiolli.
Hudson Star Times, 29Jun1906, pg5:
"Nels J. Jenson has lost Nels J. Jenson has lost all faith in children's promises. When his son, Nels J. Jr. went on his Elks excursion Monday, he promised to come home again that same night. But he isn't back yet. He got married to Miss Gurina Hallanger at Red Wing and slipped away to her folks' home down that way and hasn't been seen since.
HSO, 1 Mar 1918 via HSO, 4 Mar 1943, p6, "25 Years Ago"
Twin girls were born to Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson on February 24, 1918, weighing 7 and 8 pounds respectively.
HSO, 16 Aug 1918, p5, c4
Mr. and Mrs. Nels J. Jenson, Jr. and children of Hudson Prairie spent Tuesday in Hudson.
HSO, 23Aug1918, p5, c4
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and children of Hudson Prairie spent Tuesday in Hudson
HSO
6Sep1818, p5, c1
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr., and twins of Hudson Prairie were Hudson callers on Sunday en route to Minneapolis for a visit with his brother, A. S. Jenson and family.
HSO, 20Dec1918, p8
N. J. Jenson, Jr. of Hudson Prairie was called to St. Paul on Wednesday, December 11 on account of the death of a brother-in-law, Charles Olson, who died of influenza on tuesday, December 10, at St. Paul.
Mr. Olson and Miss Eda Hallenberger [sic] were married in this city on November 24 and had commenced housekeeping in St. Paul where Mr. Olson had employment. After the burial of Mr. Olson, Mr. Jenson brought his sister-in-law to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hallanger [sic] of Dennison [Minnesota].
Mr. Jenson contracted the influenza, probably enroute, and is now at the home of his parents on Seventh Street. Mrs. Olson also contracted the influenza and is ill at Dennison, Minnesota.
HSO, 17 Jan 1919, p1
(The following was written for the last issue of the Star-Observer)
Mrs. N. J. Jenson Jr., and twins returned to their home on Hudson Prairie Saturday after spending a few days at the N. J. Jenson, Sr., home where her husband has been ill the past three weeks with influenza. She was accompanied home by Mrs. J. H. Jenson who returned Sunday. Mr. Jenson is improving nicely after a hard tussle with pneumonia.
HSO, 17 Jan 1919, p5
Nels Jenson, Jr., went to his home on Hudson Prairie Tuesday after a five weeks' siege of the Flu which he contacted on the way to Denmark, Minn., where he went with his sister-in-law, Eda Hallanger Olson, to the home of her parents. Mrs. Olson died the day after Mr. Jenson left, just a week after the death of her husband, while Mr. Jenson was taken sick before reaching his home and has passed the last five weeks at the home of his parents in this city.
HSO, 5 Sep 1919, p5
Mr. and Mrs. Nels Hallanger and daughter, Miss Eide of Dennison, Minn., visited with N. J. Jenson and family on Saturday. motoring up.
HSO, 28 Nov 1919, p5
N. J. Jenson, carrier on R.R.1, had a smash-up one night last week. His horses became frightened at an auto and broke loose from the hitching post and badly smashing the buggy.
St. Croix County Forum, Hudson, 25Aug1927
Mr. and Mrs. N.J. Jenson, Jr. motored to St. Paul on Sunday and spent the day at the Westerheim home. They brought the twins back with them.
HSO, 26Oct1933, p5, c2
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and family of North Hudson entertained at a family reunion on Sunday in honor of Lieut. and Mrs. C. P. Erickson and family who motored up from Chickasaw, Ala. in September and have been visiting relatives at Elmwood and Hudson. Covers were laid for 31. Miss Gunvalsen and E. M. Erickson of Elmwood, also visited there, enroute from Minneapolis where they had spent the weekend.
HSO, undated, abt Jun 1930
Silver Anniversary for Mr., Mrs. Nels Jenson Held Sunday
Mr. and Mrs. Nels J. Jenson, Jr., were pleasantly surprised at the home last Sunday by 150 friends and relatives who came to assist them in celebration of their twenty-fifth, or silver, wedding anniversary. The afternoon was spent in reminiscing and social diversions in keeping with the occasion. A delectable luncheon was served. As a token of the esteem of their many friends, Mr. and Mrs. Jenson were presented with a beautiful chest of silver.
Mr. Jenson and Miss Gurina Hellanger were married at Red Wing on June 25, 1906. They have made their home in or near Hudson ever since. Mr. Jenson for some years has been one of the rural mail carriers out of Hudson.
HSO, 7Dec1933, p5, c3
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. and Olaf Jenson and Eiline [sic] Fitzgerald, drove to Minneapolis on Saturday and visited with the formers' cousin, Mrs. Birger S. Anderson and family and her daughter who was home from the t. B. Sanitorium at Oak Terrace the first time for a year and a half, and were delighted to find her gaining wonderfully. Mrs. Anderson was a former Hudson girl, a niece of N. J. Jenson, Sr., and is quite well known here.
HSO, 5Jan1939, p3
Misses Ruth, Lila and Ann Jenson of St. Paul spent the weekend at the home of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson.
HSO, 20 Aug 1942
Mr. and Mrs. Nels Jenson entertained the post office crew at their annual chicken and roast corn dinner at the Jenson farm in North Hudson last Thursday evening. Needless to say the hungry lads at the post office were well fed and the check of food consumption revealed that the 14 guests consumed no less than 25 fried spring chickens, two bushels of corn in addition to vast quantities of potatoes, gravy, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, beets, biscuits, cake and coffee.
HSO, 15Feb1944, p5, c2
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, Jr. were called to Dennison, Minnesota on Sunday to attend burial of their sister-in-law, Mrs. Theodore Hallanger, who had passed way very suddenly after only a few days illness with pneumonia. She is survived by her husband and one son, besides her parents. The Hallangers lived in Hudson for a short time after their marriage.
HSO, 15 Mar 1945, p4
Mr. and Mrs. N. J. Jenson, grandson Michael and Mrs. Bethel drove to Colfax to visit their son Olaf, and bring Michael, who has visited here for about two weeks. Ole, who has been quite ill, has about recovered. [note: the Mrs. Bethel would be Nonie Rusch Bethel not Helen Bethel]
HSO, 7 Aug 1947
NELS J. JENSON DIES SATURDAY OF HEART ATTACK
Nels J. Jenson, Jr., 60, a rural mail carrier here for the past 28 years, and a resident of the community for nearly all his life, died at his home in North Hudson of a heart attack at 8:30 last Saturday evening, August 2. He had been ill since December 13 and had been unable to work since that time.
Mr. Jenson was born in Norway on Sept. 9, 1886. When he was four years old the family migrated to America coming to Hudson following a short stay in Baldwin. He attended the local public schools and Teachers Institute during summer vacations, after which he taught school for a number of yars near Somerset, Turtle Lake, Cannon Falls, Minn., and in Hudson. While teaching school, he learned the cheese-making business during vacation periods. He then moved to a farm near Burkhardt where he was the cheese maker for three years.
In 1919 he was appointed a rural mail carrier at the Hudson post office and he served continually in that capacity until he was taken ill with heart attack in December.
Mr. Jenson enjoyed farming and more or less as a hobby he operated a farm on the outskirts of North Hudson along with his work as a rural carrier. He was a great lover of flowers and made a speciality of growing gladioli, which he distributed to his friends and neighbors in large bouquets during the flowering season. He was a great reader and student of government and could discuss important topics of the day with fluency and understanding. Although he took no active part in politics, he was very much interested in governmental affairs. The community has lost a good man in his death.
He was married to Gurina Hallenger in Red Wing on June 25, 1906.
Besides his wife, he is survived by two sons, Olaf of Lake Benton, Minn., and John of Hudson; six daughters, Mrs. Ann Lester of Hudson, Mrs. Helen Williams of Baton Rouge, La., Ruth of Haywood, Wis., Mrs. Laura Burdick of Minneapolis, and Leila and Jane of St. Paul; and one grandchild, Michael Jenson. One daughter, Janet, died at the age of two years.
Funeral services were held at 3 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the trieb-Poulton Funeral Home, Dr. Ernest Wright officiating. Charles Clapp accompanied by Mrs. Harold Walbrandt, sang. Interment was in Willow River Cemetery. The active and honorary pall-bearers were his co-workers at the Hudson post office. Active pall bearers were Postmaster J. J. Hanley, Eric Peterson, Herbert Walby, G.S. McDowell,Miner Egbert and Wm. Ruesink. Honorary pall bearers were C. E. Christenson, H. Jenson, Elmer Olson, Al Luebke, Ray Bowman and Ray Miller.
From handwritten notes of Thelma (Stayberg) Gartmann
8/3 - 8:30 p.m., Uncle Nels Jenson died
8/5 - We went down to wake
8/6 - Uncle Nels buried from Poulton's
Events
| Birth | 9 Sep 1886 | Mo i Rana, Helgeland, Norway |  | ||
| Emigration | 5 Jun 1891 | British Princess - Port of Philadelphia | |||
| Graduation | 1904 | Hudson High School - Hudson High School, Hudson, St. Croix, Wis | | ||
| Marriage | 25 Jun 1906 | Red Wing, Goodhue Co., Minnesota - Gurina Hallanger | | ||
| Death | 2 Aug 1947 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin | |||
| Burial | 5 Aug 1947 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin, Willow River Cemetery |
Families
| Spouse | Gurina Hallanger (1883 - 1968) |
| Child | Olaf John "Ole" Jenson (1907 - 1974) |
| Child | Anna Katherine Jenson (1909 - ) |
| Child | Helen Margaret Jenson (1913 - ) |
| Child | Ruth Hallanger Jenson (1915 - 1989) |
| Child | Leila Jensina Jenson (1918 - 1999) |
| Child | Laura Jenson (1918 - 1998) |
| Child | Jane Mary Jenson (1924 - 2007) |
| Child | Janet Ida Jenson (1924 - ) |
| Child | John Robert Jenson (1924 - 1980) |
| Father | Nils Johan Jenson (1858 - 1934) |
| Mother | Jensine Cathrine Petrusdatter (1848 - ) |
| Sibling | Jens Herman Jenson (1879 - ) |
| Sibling | Olaf Peter Jenson (1882 - 1964) |
| Sibling | Karine Marie Jenson (1883 - 1973) |
| Sibling | Axel Zahl Jenson (1885 - 1945) |
Endnotes
1. Den Norske kirke. Nord-Rana prestegjeld (Nordland) (Main Author) , Kirkebøker Genealogical Society of Utah, 0,125,209.
2. Miller, Willis H. and Benoy, Marian Thorson, Hudson High School Alumni Directory Star-Observer Publishing Co., Hudson, Wis., 1973, p5, Jenson, Nels.
3. MOMS (Minnesota Official Marriage System) www.moms.mn.gov, Cert. M17-563.