Rasmus Nielsen Family

Hvorslev parish register, page 43. Birth of Rasmus to Birgitha Kirstine of Hvorslev. Our family records indicate he was born on June 13, 1790. The only date I see within the paragraph is August 23, 1790. Birgitte was not married and would not be until 1799. It is not clear to me what the rest of the paragraph says. Later on in life Rasmus as well as Birgitte take the last name of Nielsen. In the 1787 census I find that Birgitte and her mother Inger Rasmusdatter are living in the home of a Niels Joensen who is married and has five children. I think that Birgitte gave her child the last name of Nielsen because that was the first name of the man whose home she was living in (Patronymics) even though I don't think there is any blood relationship there.
Hvorslev parish register, page 90. Marriage of Rasmus Nielsen, aged 29 of Hvorslev to Ane Johansdatter, 27 years of Hvorslev on April 24, 1819. Johan Clausen, the father of Ane is listed. I do not recognized the other name in that column.

Vester Velling parish census 1834, Household #67, Liltorup Bye, Middelsom district, Viborg county. Rasmus is 44, Ane is 42. Laurs their oldest is 19, Niels is 13, Jens is 12, and Ane Elisabeth is 10. A great find is that Birgitte Kirstine Nielsdatter aged 77, Rasmus's mother is living with them. She is listed as a widow.

Vester Velling parish census, 1840. Household #62, Liltorup Bye, Middelsom district, Viborg county. Rasmus is 50, Ane is 48. They have two children living with them, Ane Elisabeth aged 10, and Laurs aged 25 whose occupation is "weaver." Birgitte Kirstine Nielsdatter is 82. Interestingly, a Gjodske Sorensdatter (this is Gedska) is 25, unmarried and living with the family. She is listed as Laurs's apprentice in weaving. They go on to get married this same year November 29th, two weeks before the death of their 7 month old child.

Vester Velling parish census 1845, page 18. Household #9, Lille Thorup bye, Middelsom district, Viborg county. Rasmus is 54, Ane is 52 and Birgitte Kirstine is 89, with all three being listed as being born in Hvorslev. They are living with their daughter Ane Elisabeth, aged 20, who is now married to Niels Jensen Langvad, aged 29. Niels occupation is "Boelsmand" and he is listed as being born in Albek sogn in Aalborg county (Hjorring-Randers county). Niels and Ane Elisabeth have a one year old daughter Jensine Claudiane Nielsdatter, born in Hvorslev. Laurs and Gedska have moved away by now.

Vester Velling parish register, page 208. Deaths of Birgitte Kirstine Nielsdatter and Ane Johansdatter. From the census documents Birgitte lived with Rasmus and Ane. Birgitte Kirstine dies on November 22, 1846 and is buried November 29, 1846 at the age of 88. Amazingly, just above her name is Ane Johansdatter who passed away on May 4, 1846 and buried May 13, 1846. Rasmus Nielsen of Liltorup is listed in the right column.

Oster Velling parish register, page 110. Marriage of Rasmus Nielsen, aged 52 of Liltorup to Maren Sorensdatter, aged 30 of Vester Velling on May 31, 1846, several weeks after the death of his first wife. I believe that the name of Maren's father is Soren ? Christensen of Oster Velling. Grandfather is Christen Sorensen of Oster Velling. This was not listed in our family history sheets.

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Vester Velling parish register, page 201. Death of Rasmus Nielsen of Liltorup, November 12, 1857 at the age of 68.

Laurs and Gedskas seventh child

Vester Velling Parish registry, page 64. Lucine Laursdatter, born June 30, 1855 to Laurs and Gedska and the 7th child born that year in the parish. What's great about this record is that Laurs has a sister named (Ane) Elisabeth Rasmusdatter of Vinkel parish and a brother in law, Niels Jensen (Langvad) who are listed in the right hand column. Soren Lysgaard and Frederik Nielsen are also listed again as they were with Carl Frederick's birth and are from Liltorup.

Laurs and Gedskas sixth child (whew!)

Vester Velling Parish registry, page 22. Carl Frederik Laursen born December 2, 1852. He is the 7th child born that year in Vester Velling. Interestingly in all of our family records as well as his death certificate his birth year is listed as 1853. As dad would say....WRONG! Other names in the right hand columns include Elle Laursdatter of Vinge parish, Soren Lysgaard and Frederik Nielsen of Liltorup. Carl, in the United States, takes the name of Charles Nelson. The last name Nielsen was given to Laurs's family when they emigrated to the US because that was the last name of his father Rasmus. The name Nielsen was "Americanized" to Nelson by Laurs several years after emigrating. Imagine that though, we could have been Larsens or Rasmusens. Interestingly the last name of Nielsen was likely not even a family name as I'll show you later.

Laurs and Gedskas fifth child

Vester Velling Parish registry, page 54. Maren Laursen (spelled Laursdatter in beautiful, dark cursive) is the 8th child born in the parish in 1850, born July 1 to Laurs and Gedska. Laurs and Gedska have moved back to Viborg county and live in the part of the parish known as Liltorup. What is amazing about this register is that it shows, unbeknownst to our current records, that Rasmus Nielsen has married again after the death of his first wife in 1846 to a Maren Sorensdatter. In the far right column, Laurs's brother Jens Rasmusen from Hjorthede parish is mentioned.

Laurs and Gedskas fourth child

Harlev Parish register, page 25. Soren Herman(d) Laursen is the #1 child in this parish, born January 17, 1848 to Laurs and Gedska. This time the family has moved to Harlev parish but this is still within Aarhus county.

Laurs and Gedskas third child

Galten Sonder Parish registry, page 25. Rosamine Soraline Laursen, the third child of Laurs and Gesdka born February 10, 1845, and the third child born in the parish that year. Other names in the right hand columns include Soren Rasmusen, and I think Maren ? Hansen.

Laurs and Gedskas second child

Galten Sonder Parish register, page 48. Birth #8 on April 3, 1842 was Ane Marie Kirstine Laursen, the second child to Laurs and Gedska. Her parents are listed as being from Galten at the time. Some names I can make out in the right hand columns include: Soren Rasmussen, Maren? Hansen, Niels Nielsen and Kirstine Nielsdatter of Galten Parish. Friends or family I'm not sure. Laurs did not have a brother named Soren that we know of. Galten parish was in Arhus county while Laurs was born in Viborg county. This is the first time I've noted the family moving oustide of Viborg. That may change as we continue looking.

Laurs and Gedskas first child

Vester Velling Parish registry Stillborn section, page 99, December 12, 1840. This details the death of Laurs and Gedska's first child. This is reported in the "stillborn" section. The child is not named and was born two months premature. His gestation period is listed as 7 months. There was not a complaint against the midwife who reported that the baby was alive both prior and after delivery. In spite of attempted resuscitation efforts with warm water and blankets the baby died the same day it was born. The register states that Gedske was sick and went into pre-term labor. Another interesting note is that Laurs and Gedska had been married only a few weeks before on November 29, 1840.

Laurs Rasmusen Family

Birth record for Laurs Rasmussen (spelled Laus Rasmusen) in the Hvorslev parish register. He is child #1 in 1816. His birthdate is January 9, 1816. His mother is listed as Ane Johansdatter of Hvorslev. No father is listed as Ane and Rasmus did not get married until 1819. Uncle Jerry has told me that he has found record of Rasmus being conscripted into the army during that time and that Ane and Rasmus married when he returned. The columns on the right are unreadable to me but list other family members.

The marriage of Laurs Rasmusen, 24 years, of Liltorup, Hvorlsev, Denmark to Gjedske Sorensdatter, 26 years, also currently living in Liltorup (Hvorslev Parish Register, page 145). Laurs's father is listed as Rasmus Nielsen. The date is November 29th, 1840.

1845 Census, Family #1, Galten Bye, Galten (Sonder) Parish, Framlev District, Aarus county. Laurs, aged 29, Weaver, born in Hvorslev and Gedske Sorensdatter aged 30, born in Faarup parish (Actually, Vindum parish in Viborg County). They have a 3 year old daughter Ane Marie Kirstine Laursen who was born in Galten parish. Also living with them is Jens Nielsen, a 23 year old unmarried man who is a weaver’s Apprentice from Storring Parish in Aarhus County.

1850 census, Household #19, Harlev Bye, Harlev parish, Framlev district, Aarhus county. Laurs is 34 while Gedske Sørensdatter is 35 and is listed as his wife. His birthplace is Hvorslev parish, Gedske's birthplace is Porenstrup Parish (incorrect again). They have three children listed (age): Ane Marie Kirstine Laursen (8), Rasmine Sørenine (5), Søren Hermand (2). Also living with them is Ane Andreasdatter who is 22 and is "an impregnated woman who stays here." Ane has a daughter Maren Rasmussen (1). There is also another 1 year old boy Jens Sorenson "An illegitimate child dependent on the father’s house." Both 1 year olds were born in Harlev parish. I do not see these three people again associated with the family.

1860 census, Lille Thorup, Household 48(6), Vester Velling Parish, Middelsom district, Viborg county. Laurs is 45 and Gedska is 46. (Gedska's name was butchered in every census, in this one her name is Gjertrud). Gedska’s birthplace is listed as Vindum parish, which is finally the correct parish. Living with the family are all the children except one that was a stillborn and who is listed in our records as Niels James. Listed (with age) are Ane Marie Kirstine Laursen (18), Rasmine Sorensine Laursen (15), Soren Herman Laursen (13), Maren Laursen (10), Karl Frederik Laursen (8) (who is our descendant Charles Nelson), and Lucina Laursen (5). One year after this they emigrated to the United States aboard the ship "Monarch of the Sea," settling in Brigham City and the rest is history.

Instructions for doing research

The church has a great website http://new.familysearch.org/ that you can ulitize to see our family tree. If you have not registered you should do so. It requires your church ID number found on your temple recommend so that then you can create a user name and password. From there you can easily see our family tree.

Matt and I have been working on only one line and there are many to choose from. We have focused on the Nelson line, starting with Jay's descendants. Most of the Nelson and Price line though came from Denmark. When they joined the church most of the Danes were sent to Brigham City Utah and married each other. It is interesting that we can trace a majority of the lines back to certain counties in Denmark on either side. The Price line also comes heavily from England and Wales, and may be Drew would want to tackle that side of the family. Our goal is to clean up the new family search site. When you begin browsing through you will notice that each individual will have sometimes as many as 10 or 20 birth dates, death dates, marriage dates, or will be listed as being born in one place or another. We hope to find documentation that will allow us to state and prove where our ancestory came from and copy those documents and post them here, and maybe ultimately on a website, though Matt is to cheap to fund it, so that we can have any proof that exisits where our ancestors came from. Most of the temple work for what we already know is done, however, in the short few months that we have been doing this we have discovered wives and children from brothers or sisters of our direct descendants that have been heretofor unknown and need their work done.
I is very much like a treasure hunt and very exciting to find links that prove that some name on a parish registery is related to use somehow and enter that into our family. What I find most interesting is that our lines have been worked on for about one hundred years, and yet in a matter of weeks, we have been able to find correct dates, places, and new people that no one knew before, and all because we have access to records that ten years ago you would have never seen.
Denmark is ahead of most countries in that that have scanned and archived all of their countries records and made them available for search for free on the Internet. They also have computerized their census records and have made them searchable. It is really so easy that even Devin could do it.

The links for the parish records for the entire country can be found at:
http://www.sa.dk/ao/SoegeSider/Kirkeboeger.aspx
You need to know the county and parish and also speak a little old dutch but even Matt the Cardiologist has gotten the hang of it.

The Census Records are located here:
http://www.ddd.dda.dk/dddform_uk.asp
Again you need to know the county and parish in order to search for people. We will post later about the families we have found along with their records.

So good luck. There are a lot of people to be found.

Welcome to Nelson Roots

This blog will be dedicated to the collection and dispersment of information relating to the geneology of the Jay L and Afton May Nelson Family. All contributors are welcome. Our mission is to find and publish accurate information relating to our ancestory. We hope that we can collect here pictures, records of births, deaths, marriages, and confirmations, as well as other verifiable evidence of our forebearers.

Sincerely,
R. Scott Nelson
Matthew R. Nelson (mrn411@gmail.com)