Marie/Mary Sophie Jorgensen was born 24 May 1865 in Vorbasse, Ribe, Denmark. This area has been re-named Billund Municipality in the region of Syddanmark, but the town is still called Vorbasse. She was the oldest of 4 children born to Jorgen Hansen and Johanna Marie Hansen, younger siblings were Hans, Karen, and Niels Christian. Her mother died when she was 13 yrs old. Her father married a second time (to Karen Jorgensen) and two more half-sblings were born (Jorgen Nielsen and Johanna Marie).
As was typical in 19th century rural Denmark, Marie left her family at age 14 to work as a farm laborer/servant in an adjacent county. Tragedy struck the family in 1883. Most family members became critically ill with "black diptheria" and 2 younger siblilngs (Hans and Karen) died. Because of quarantine restrictions, Marie was unable to attend the funerals for these 2 siblings, which bothered her the rest of her life.
In 1885 at age 20 Marie emigrated to the US, as a single woman, accompanied by her best friend, Amalie. They first went to Kansas where Amalie had extended family. There in Kansas, Marie met another Danish immigrant, Niels Peter Jorgensen (later changed his surname to Johnsen). They struck-up a friendship and later a romance and both eventually migrated to Denver, Colorado, where they were married in 1893. Their first child (an unnamed daughter) died a few hours after birth in 1897. They had 2 more daughters, Johanna born in 1899 and Laura born in 1902. They bought a small house in West Denver where Marie and Niels lived until their deaths in 1936 (Niels) and 1947 (Marie). Niels worked as an inspector for a local railroad company. (She was my great-grandmother and often my babysitter. I was extremely fond of her. She died when I was age 6.)
As was typical in 19th century rural Denmark, Marie left her family at age 14 to work as a farm laborer/servant in an adjacent county. Tragedy struck the family in 1883. Most family members became critically ill with "black diptheria" and 2 younger siblilngs (Hans and Karen) died. Because of quarantine restrictions, Marie was unable to attend the funerals for these 2 siblings, which bothered her the rest of her life.
In 1885 at age 20 Marie emigrated to the US, as a single woman, accompanied by her best friend, Amalie. They first went to Kansas where Amalie had extended family. There in Kansas, Marie met another Danish immigrant, Niels Peter Jorgensen (later changed his surname to Johnsen). They struck-up a friendship and later a romance and both eventually migrated to Denver, Colorado, where they were married in 1893. Their first child (an unnamed daughter) died a few hours after birth in 1897. They had 2 more daughters, Johanna born in 1899 and Laura born in 1902. They bought a small house in West Denver where Marie and Niels lived until their deaths in 1936 (Niels) and 1947 (Marie). Niels worked as an inspector for a local railroad company. (She was my great-grandmother and often my babysitter. I was extremely fond of her. She died when I was age 6.)
Marie/Mary Sophie Jorgensen was born 24 May 1865 in Vorbasse, Ribe, Denmark. This area has been re-named Billund Municipality in the region of Syddanmark, but the town is still called Vorbasse. She was the oldest of 4 children born to Jorgen Hansen and Johanna Marie Hansen, younger siblings were Hans, Karen, and Niels Christian. Her mother died when she was 13 yrs old. Her father married a second time (to Karen Jorgensen) and two more half-sblings were born (Jorgen Nielsen and Johanna Marie).
As was typical in 19th century rural Denmark, Marie left her family at age 14 to work as a farm laborer/servant in an adjacent county. Tragedy struck the family in 1883. Most family members became critically ill with "black diptheria" and 2 younger siblilngs (Hans and Karen) died. Because of quarantine restrictions, Marie was unable to attend the funerals for these 2 siblings, which bothered her the rest of her life.
In 1885 at age 20 Marie emigrated to the US, as a single woman, accompanied by her best friend, Amalie. They first went to Kansas where Amalie had extended family. There in Kansas, Marie met another Danish immigrant, Niels Peter Jorgensen (later changed his surname to Johnsen). They struck-up a friendship and later a romance and both eventually migrated to Denver, Colorado, where they were married in 1893. Their first child (an unnamed daughter) died a few hours after birth in 1897. They had 2 more daughters, Johanna born in 1899 and Laura born in 1902. They bought a small house in West Denver where Marie and Niels lived until their deaths in 1936 (Niels) and 1947 (Marie). Niels worked as an inspector for a local railroad company. (She was my great-grandmother and often my babysitter. I was extremely fond of her. She died when I was age 6.)
As was typical in 19th century rural Denmark, Marie left her family at age 14 to work as a farm laborer/servant in an adjacent county. Tragedy struck the family in 1883. Most family members became critically ill with "black diptheria" and 2 younger siblilngs (Hans and Karen) died. Because of quarantine restrictions, Marie was unable to attend the funerals for these 2 siblings, which bothered her the rest of her life.
In 1885 at age 20 Marie emigrated to the US, as a single woman, accompanied by her best friend, Amalie. They first went to Kansas where Amalie had extended family. There in Kansas, Marie met another Danish immigrant, Niels Peter Jorgensen (later changed his surname to Johnsen). They struck-up a friendship and later a romance and both eventually migrated to Denver, Colorado, where they were married in 1893. Their first child (an unnamed daughter) died a few hours after birth in 1897. They had 2 more daughters, Johanna born in 1899 and Laura born in 1902. They bought a small house in West Denver where Marie and Niels lived until their deaths in 1936 (Niels) and 1947 (Marie). Niels worked as an inspector for a local railroad company. (She was my great-grandmother and often my babysitter. I was extremely fond of her. She died when I was age 6.)
