Johan Christian Jensen (1863-1922)



Johan Christian Jensen (1863-1921) migrated from Norway to Chicago in 1881. Around 1901, after the death of his wife, he moved with his children to Park County, Colorado and owned a ranch at Elk Falls Park, overlooking Lion's Head. Like his siblings, he was a musician.

Name variations

 * Johan Christian Jensen, in his Norway baptism
 * Johan K. Jensen, in the 1865 Norway Census
 * John C. Jensen, in the 1920 United States Census

Parents

 * Jens Jacob Hansen (1823-1865)
 * Anna Marie Gabrielsdatter (1819-1888)

Birth
He was born on August 4, 1863 and was baptized on September 13, 1863.

Siblings
Sigried Brigida Jensen (1895-1990) wrote that there were eight children: "The children were Marie (Jennie's and Ozzie's mother), Katrine -- Lillie -- Hans -- John -- Andreas -- Harvey -- and my father Jens." A family photo shows eight and has them labeled as "Henry, John, and Tillie". The 1865 Norway Census lists nine including a half sibling:
 * Hans Kristian Jensen (1844-?) aka Hans Christian Anthon Marius Hansen, who was born from her first marriage to Hans Christian Andreasen (1815-1844). Hans was born on 08 September 8, 1844 and was baptized on October 13, 1844. He was a sailor by 1865.
 * Hans Gabriel Jensen (1846-?) who was born on May 12, 1846 and was baptized on May 21, 1846. He was a sailor by 1865. One of the two Hans was known as Henry.
 * Anton Severin Jensen (1848-1906) who was born on December 19, 1848.
 * Juliane Amalie Jensen (1852-?) who was born on November 20, 1852. She may be the one called Lillie or Tillie.
 * Anne Marie Jensen (1854-1896) who married Peter Olsen (1844-1892) and migrated to Chicago and gave birth to Osborne Theomun Olsen (1883-1971) the china decorator. Peter was the brother of Lena Elaine Olson (1860-1938).
 * Johanna Katrine Jensen (1857-1912) aka Catharine Jensen, who was born November 14, 1856 and emigrated to Chicago and married Steffen Barca (c1855-c1895).
 * Jens Julius Jensen (1859-1902) who married Anna Olsen (1859-1912) and emigrated to Chicago.
 * Andrew Havig Jensen (1861-1930) who emigrated to Chicago and married Lena Elaine Olson (1860-1938).

Migration
He migrated from Farsund, Norway in 1881 and he was naturalized in 1888 in Chicago, Illinois. By 1900 he was living in Park County, Colorado.

Marriage
He married Hilda Larsen (1869-1901) on April 17, 1889 in Chicago, Illinois

Children

 * Pearl M. Jensen (1890-1970) was born on August 25, 1889 in Chicago, Illinois.
 * Stella S. Jensen (1892-?) was born on May 23, 1892 in Chicago, Illinois.
 * Norman L. Jensen (1895-?).
 * Alice E. Jensen (1901-?) was born in Park County, Colorado and married Elmer Berg.

Death
He died in 1921 in Park County, Colorado.

Memories about Johan Christian Jensen (1863-1921)
"Lower Lake Ranch was originally founded by John Jensen in 1878 [sic], after acquiring the Homestead from Samuel Cunningham. The first of 20 homesteads acquired by John Jensen and his wife would become a pioneers dream of 3500+ acres. The Jensens arrived in America from Norway as honeymooners with that great American Pioneer attitude of "Can Do." In the late 1860's, they settled in the Pine Grove area as Ranch Managers at Lionshead Ranch. Lionshead Ranch was founded by Anton Glasmann in 1862, after selling his cabin and land, located in downtown Denver, to Mr. & Mrs. Brown. The Brown’s had a dream to build an Elegant Hotel in Denver Colorado, and Anton Glasmann had a dream to develop a Guest Ranch with hiking and fishing in the mountains west of Denver. Both families, the Glasmann’s and the Brown’s built very different dreams for guests coming to Colorado to enjoy. Anton built a Guest Ranch with amazing outdoor recreation and the Brown's built the Brown Palace in downtown Denver. Imagine over 150 years later, visitors are still enjoying those homesteaders’ dreams. By 1878, the Jensens had been managing Lionshead Guest Ranch for years and had an opportunity to acquire the Cunningham homestead next door. The Jensens could begin their dream, homestead their own land and incorporate it into the guest ranch next door. In 1878, the Jensens did not know that someday they would also own Lionshead Ranch, the Miles Ranch, the LuLu Corbin Ranch and many others. The Jensen/Cunningham Ranch would be the beginning of the Jensen empire of over 3500 acres. Between 1878 and 1921, John Jensen purchased over 20 homesteads, the last homestead being the LuLu Corbin ranch. LuLu's ranch was on top of Cathedral Peaks and included Elk Falls, a beautiful, vertical waterfall. One month after acquiring the LuLu Corbin ranch April 1921, John Jensen passed away. His four children would continue his dream the best they could until 1934, when they sold the ranch to Elmer Berg. In 1924, Alice Jensen, the youngest of the Jensen family, married a tall handsome Swede, named Elmer Berg. Alice met Elmer at the ranch during a Denver Athletic Club outing that Elmer was a member of. Alice was never called Alice after marrying Elmer because he gave her a new name 'Sally'. Naming people with other names was a game with Elmer that he carried through his entire life. Even Elmer's and Sally's nieces and nephews did not know Aunt Sally was really Aunt Alice until her death and an Alice E. Berg 'Will' was read not a Sally Berg 'Will.' Alice was quite the woman, especially since she was raised by her father after her mother’s death. Her mother had died shortly after she was born in 1901. Family stories about her mother’s death range from her death was caused by child birth to her mother was ill and just did not survive. Alice was adventurous and outgoing, a horsewoman and a wildlife lover. Other family stories of how deer would just come to Aunt Sally and eat corn right out of her hand, or the family sing-a-longs on Aunt Sally's porch at the Big House on the ranch that over looked a pristine valley. Early 1900 newspaper articles wrote about the Jensen children were attending a County Fair competing in singing contest. Publishers wrote, if the Jensens’ show up to sing, just pack your bags and go home. The Jensen family never looses a singing contest; their voices echo like an angel choir, hearing harmony forever."

Research

 * Richard Arthur Norton (1958) writes on January 24, 2014: Today I made the connection of who Johan Christian Jensen (1863-1921) was. I knew his name from the Norway baptismal records. Today I was looking at the image of Elk Falls Park from the collection of Leif Jensen (1886-1955) that was posted today on Facebook by Sara Patterson. The image was of a sign for Elk Falls Park and the sign also said "Jensen ranch". I looked up a website for the ranch and the current owners say that John Jensen owned it and the the family was musical. That got me thinking that they might be related to the Jensens that married my Olsons/Olsens. I wrote the current owners of the ranch an email and the woman in Colorado phoned me back. She said that John Jensen died in 1921 and his wife died in 1901 and that their children were Pearl, Norman, Stella, and Alice. I found him in the census and his children were listed as born in Chicago. The names were Pearl, Norman, Stella, and Alice in the census which matched my notes from 2005 when I visited Hinsdale, Illinois for the Jensen/Olsen family reunion. Arthur Bruce Jensen II (1939) mentioned that he was looking for the parents of Pearl, Norman, Stella, and Alice and he thought the might be the children of a Tillie Jensen and a John Jensen."