Sigried Birgita Jensen (1895-1990) aka Sigried Bjergytta Jensen (b. September 10, 1895, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA - d. December 03, 1990, Fontana, Walworth County, Wisconsin, 53125, USA) Social Security Number 330346926.
Parents[]
Siblings[]
- Jens Jacob Jensen (1885-1885) who died as a ten month old infant on December 29, 1885.
- Jens Arthur Jensen (1888-1975) aka Arthur Bruce Jensen I, who married Ruth Cameron (1907-?).
- John Sydney Jensen (1890-1894) who died as a four year old child on August 18, 1894.
- Myrtle R. Jensen (1899-c1990) who married Robert Hayden.
Marriage[]
She married Donald Fredrick Abel (1898-1956) on June 19, 1920 in Chicago, Illinois.
Children[]
- Donald Arthur Abel I (1922-1945) Lieutenant Junior Grade, who was Killed in Action and lost at sea. He was in the United States Naval Reserve and was aboard the Submarine USS Bonefish (SS-223) when it sank off the coast of Japan in World War II.
- Robert Bruce Abel I (1930-2008)
Riverside, Chicago[]
The family appears in the 1930 United States Census living in Riverside, Cook County, Illinois and Donald Sr. was working as a physiologist in a laboratory. Sigrid's obituary appeared in the Chicago Tribune on December 06, 1990.
Letters[]
She wrote the following in October 23, 1968:
Dear Jennie's Great Granddaughter,
First I must introduce myself. I am Sigried Jensen Abel. I am Uncle Ossie and Grandmother Jennie's cousin an it was said, I look more like Jennie than her sister Harriet. I loved them all so very much.
Sunday, I went to see Uncle Ossie & Aunt Gussie (I am just now in Park Ridge). My dauther in law and her husband are in Spain and Portugal and I am with the beloved 16 year twins. Marjorie & my eldest son were married. He was a submarine officer and he did not come back to us. After 5 years or so Marjorie remarried, the twins being of that marriage. They are my grandchildren, I their grandmother. A son, [Donald], was born to them, 2 months after the ship was lost, a fine young man, 23 years old with four children. I have a house in Lake Geneva Williams Bay. My husband Donald died 12 years ago. Bob's wife is Marybeth.
Uncle Ossie gave me your letter to read and I said, would you like me to answer it. He was ever so relieved. Family has all ways meant much to me. And as a little girl I would ask Tanta Katrina (your great-great grand aunt) ...
Your great-great great grandfather's name was Jens Hansen -- the custom at that time in Norway. The sons were the son of Jens, so their names became Jensen.
Your great-great great grandmother married four times, one, out lived her, a Mr. Brecking (sp?) of Chicago. The first one I know nothing of. My grandfather Ossie & Jennies, I do not know for sure -- but believe was her third husband who edited a small paper and believe it was in Farsund, where my father was born. Her other husband owned an inn, two sons born to that marriage. One died in the English Channel, captain of his boat. The other a captain, on the ____. His boat was lost in Lake Michigan.
The family moved from Farsund to Stavanger and lived there until they came to America around 1870. The children were Marie (Jennie's and Ozzie's mother), Katrine -- Tillie -- Hans -- John -- Andreas -- Harvey -- and my father Jens.[1] They all sang beautifully. It was a warm loving family and I loved my Tanta Katrina and your uncle Ossie so very much. I was six when my father died and 16 when Tanta died -- or I would have more to tell.
My sister Myrtle and her husband were in Norway two years ago and went to Farsund to see if they could find out any thing about our father -- but could not find out anything -- there was a fire some time ago and much was lost.
I don't have your name I just wrote Mrs. John Harper and address -- but dear one, it is a good family. and though I was only six, I have kept my father in my heart, all these years and will miss him to the end of my days. Ossie & Gussie -- Oh! They are marvelous, but they do get things mixed up and forget. But I am sure you must be Paul's daughter --Jennie & Paul's grand daughter, not their great granddaughter, right?
From Aunt Sis or Sigried as the family call me.
Mrs. Donald F. Abel Box 37, Williams Bay, Wis 53191
Notes and references[]
- ^ Eight children are mentioned in the letter and all eight appear in the baptism registry in Farsund. There are nine children listed in the 1865 Norway Census with the addition of the half-sibling from the mother's previous marriage. Eight children appear in a photograph from about 1880. One of the children went by the name Harvey and may have been one of the two people named Hans. Juliane Amalie Jensen (1851-?) must have went by the name Tillie, since she is the only woman who has not been found in the records yet.
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