It is possible that they traveled to this country separately, Rasmus’ ship
may have been the “Teutonia” as we have a ship’s manifest and and arrival
date of April 26 1966.
In the 1880 Ane is listed as “Maggie” in the census, then “Anne” in the 1900 and “Margaret” in 1910 Rasmus and Ane were Baptist, joining the Baptist Church in Waushara in 1874. Rasmus was instrumental in the founding in the Danish Baptist Church in Waupaca in 1878. He was a deacon of the church as well as a lay preacher (filling in when there was no ordained minister). This position within the Danish community is what possibly led to several alliances of business and marriage between the Johnson brothers (Albert and John) and Hans Ebbe and the Petersen brothers. (although Albert married Emma Clausen - a neighbor, and Hans Ebbe was married to Emma's 1st cousin.) Little is know about Ane, or the families of Rasmus and Ane, however family stories exist about Rasmus. One story is that Rasmus was taking a break in the field and talking to a salesman. Rasmus suffered from rheumatism and took some patent medicine. The salesman allowed how this was unusual as medicines often contained alcohol. Rasmus smashed the bottle on the fence post and went home where he and Ane cleared out all their supply of patent medicine for fear that they might contain alcohol - now that was a Baptist! In scanning the Waupaca Post for Rasmus's obituary, a great grandson came across on article in the September 21, 1911 Waupaca Post listing all those in Waupaca County who were to be sworn as American Citizens in November. Rasmus's name was amongst the group, however he died in October, never having been sworn as a citizen of his adopted homeland It is of some interest to the family that records we have of the Johnson's in Waupaca list every one as Jorgensen, yet when older brothers William and Theodore set up their business in Neenah and when Albert and John come to Marshfield, they are all Johnsons. The family story is that when "Uncle Willie" first went to school, his surname was recorded as "Johnson" and the name was passed to the other children and by the time it was noticed it was easier to change the children's names than correct the error. Rasmus’ Obituary Rasmus Jorgenson departed Denmark on March 2, 1866 and married Ane Magrethe Hansen in New York on April 27, 1866. The 1870 United States census of the Town of Waupaca, Waupaca County, Wisconsin documents that Rasmus Jorgenson was farming with his wife and family in Waupaca in 1870. The 1900 census of Waupaca documents that Rasmus Jorgenson was still living in Waupaca; however the only child remaining at home was Albert. The 1900 census also reports that Rasmus had 9 children, but only six were living. Albert Johnson married Emma Clausen and moved to Marshfield in 1903 and began working for the H. Ebbe Company. His brother John E. Johnson first attended Lawrence University, but after marrying Eva Knickerbacher moved to Marshfield in 1907. He joined Albert in the H. Ebbe Company in 1908. Rasmus died at his home of acute intestinal strangulation. It was also reported in THE WAUPACA RECORD, in the September issue that Rasmus Jorgensen was among a group who were to be sworn as U.S. Citizens in November 1911, but died before that date In 1888, Rasmus was the night watch for the 3rd Ward of Waupaca |
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