Jeppesen Family

THE JEPSEN FAMILY -DENMARK USA CANADA

OUR GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS JEP and JOHANNA JEPSEN

Jepsen History: Jeppe Jeppesen (1838-1908) and wife Johanna Cristine(1833-ca.1909) left the southern part of Denmark to immigrate to Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin, U.S.
Jeppe and Johanna Jepsen(click to enlarge)

3 Danish letters, 2 over 100 years old, exchanged between family members are extant. An extensive Jeppesen family history is being researched and written.
The Family Name The surname Jeppeson shows up several ways in census, map and family information: Jeppason, Jepperson, Jeppson, Jepson and Jepsen. Denmark Jeppe Jeppeson was born January 11, 1838 in Guderup parish, Sonderborg Co., on the isalnd of Als, Denmark and was baptized on January 21.
His parents were Jep Frederiksen and his wife Mette Marie Jorgensen. Jep Frederiksen was a Boelsmand (a small farmer but a larger lot than a husmand). His godparents were his older brother bachelor Jacob Jepsen in Guderup, Jorgen Jensen and wife Kirsten in Elstrup, Bachelor Christen Pedersen and Anna Marie Pedersen in Elstrup.
He served in the Royal Danish Navy in the War of 1864 against Germany and was a musician in the military band.
An 1864 Medal like Jep recieved (click to enlarge)

Jeppe of Braendelydinge was married on October 6, 1863 at age 25 1/2 to Johanne Kirstine Pedersen also of Braendelydinge, Fyn, Denmark at age 30. The best men were Farmer Christen Knudsen of Haagerup and Weaver Peder Rasmussen of Braendelydinge. Johanna was born September 1833.
According to oral tradition, Johanna (who went by the name Hanna) was a butter maker for royalty. (There was a castle at Brahetrolleborg near Braendelydinge where she might have worked for royalty). Apparently for this reason the Jeppesons were given a coat of arms. Part of the reason Jep and Johanna immigrated was that Johanna was going to be forced into “the service”, possibly for the Germans, and Jeppe refused to allow this.
Braendelydinge is located 10 miles from the southern coast of the island of Fyn.
Until approximately 1870 Jeppe was a mill owner near Braendelydinge. Jeppe and Johanna were quite well off financially since they are show in a census as having had servants living with then.
By 1884 the family relocated to Torsboll near Gravenstein, Denmark (now Grasta) and Jeppe was employed as miller, apparently having suffered financial setbacks since their children have had to begin working away from home.
Together they immigrated to America in 1892. Oral tradition suggests that Jeppe and Johanna immigrated with son-in-law Broder Christian Friedrickson. The Fredricksons came on the ship Dresden arriving in Baltimore, MD from Bremen, Germany on April 7, 1892.
The Ship The "Dresden" of 1888 was the first of two ships with this name owned by Norddeutscher Lloyd (North German Lloyd). She was built in 1888. Passenger accommodation for 38-1st, 20-2nd and 1,759-3rd class. Launched on 1/12/1888, she sailed from Bremen on her maiden voyage to Baltimore on 10/4/1889.
The Jeppeson’s settled in Diamond Bluff, Pierce County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. The name of the village is derived from the many particles of diamond-shaped stones on the huge bluff that rises above the town facing the Mississippi.
When Jeppe and Johanna arrived there was a Methodist Episcopal Church, a district school and many unexcavated Indian mounds. On the 1895 Plat Map, J. Jepperson is shown as owning 80 acres on the NE 1/4 of section 17. The homestead was located near the southwest corner of that property. In 1908 he still retains the title to that land.
According to oral tradition Jeppe was a miller in Diamond Bluff WI. They shared six children of whom only five were living in 1900. Most if not all were married. At that time Jeppe and Johanna owned a mortgaged farm and neither of them could read, write or speak English. In 1905 the census shows them having two grandchildren living with them, Peter J. Peterson who was 15 at the time - born in Denmark and Maria Erickson, a grandaughter born in Wisconsin (probably means Friederickson). November 18, 1908 the doctor called on Jeppe Jepsen at his home. On Dec. 06, 1908 Jep passed away in Diamond Bluff - grave unknown. February 1, 1909 the doctor was called to attend on Hanna Jepsen at her home. Speculatively this is when she died. By 1910 both Jeppe and Johanna have disappeared off of the census lists and have passed away according to their wills.

The Jepson Will is extant and shows 30 pages of legal documentation, 1 page of the handwritten will. The request for probate was filed by daughter Mary Fredrickson. There were only two claims against estate: Doctor fees for two visits in the amount of $20.00 and one by Mary Fredrickson, granddaughter in amount of 30.00. The inventoried goods credits and land are difficult to read. Game? valued at $120.00, 7 cords of cut firewood at $15.00, a horse? or house at $28.00. Farm rental of $100.00 to and from Peter Peterson (their grandson).

Children: Children

1.Anna Maria Jepsen born Feb 4, baptized Apr. 17, 1864 b.Feb 18, 1864 d.June 26, 1916 Broder Christian Friederickson (DB) b.March 4, 1862 d. Godparents in Denmark were Weaver Jens Pedersen’s wife of Braendelydinge, Farmer Hans Albrecht Christianson of Haagerup, Farmer Jorgen Madsen Nielsen and weaver Carl Christian Pedersen, both of Braendalydige. *Anna Maria immigrated in 1892 with her husband. Their marriage date is unknown.

1. Petra Elisa Jepsen b.Sept. 2, 1865 baptized Oct. 15 married 1885 alive in 1934 m.Soren Petersen Sahl b. July 31, 1860 still alive in 1934 Lived in Denmark and never immigrated. 3 children emigrated to U.S. At the time of Jeppe’s will 1909, she is living in Elsborg, Denmark. In 1934 Petra and Soren were living in Elsborg, Radkasbro, Jylland Danmark. 1 extant letter from Petra to Elizabeth. We have made contact with her grand-daughter Petra in Denmark recently!

1.Ellen Margrethe Jepsen b. Sept. 29, 1869 baptized Dec. 1, 1869 spec. Hermann Zastrow 2. Hedwig Zastrow b.circa 1894 Family oral tradition says Margrethe (Grace?) married a German army officer. Hermann ? Did she have daughter Hedwig Zastrow. Mentioned in Jep’s will as living in Flensburg? We have 1 extant letter from Margrethe to Elizabeth. Godparents were Karen Kristine Krog of Haagerup, Farmer Hans Krog of Haagerup,Weaver Jens Pedersen and Bachelor and weaver Carl Pedersen, both of Braendelydinge.

1. Maren Elizabeth Jepsen b. May 23, 1870 baptized July 10, 1870 m. Julius Asmus Scharfenberg born in Haagerup Godparents: Ane Kirstine Jorgensen of Haagerup, Farmer Hans Krog of Haagerup, Weaver Jens Pedersen and Husmand Carl Pedersen of Braendelydinge. *see Scharf info.

1.Jep Jepsen b.May 29, 1871 d.Aug 14, 1958 m.Amelia Johanna Christianson b.Sep 28, 1873 d.Aug 19, 1967 Jep worked as a potter (kiln setter) for North Star Stoneware Co and resided at 828 Main (1894). In 1903 He worked at the Minnesota Stoneware Co. and resided 413 Bluff St. Apparently he also worked at the famous Red Wing Pottery for 36 years. He and his wife met when he was working on the farm and delivering potatoes in Red Wing. She was a meticulous housekeeper and told him to get his dirty shoes out of her clean kitchen. He had been in a marching band and played the flute in Denmark. Married May 20, 1896. In 1934 Jep was told he had only six months to live because of black lung (due to the pottery dust) so they moved to Seattle where he worked in the oil treatment department of the West Coast Wood Preserving Co. Buried at Washelli Cemetery. All Jep’s children now deceased.

1. Annie Cristine Jepsen Faaborg, Denmark b. Aug. 21, 1875 SSDI 568-01-0013 d.Jan. 1974 m.William C. Drake (florist in Minneapolis *9 sons, 1 daughter Ethel (California), William was the administrator of Jep’s will. In November of 1909, he resided at 3009-4th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN. In 1936 Anne Cristine Drake resided at 1801 South Flower St. LA California. She was employed by Argyle Keating Co. 939 SO. Broadway Tucker 2882 LA, California. She has a great grandaughter named Dina who is Kenneth Drake’s daughter. Age 1-2 in 1952. Theodore (Ted) would be almost 93 now and LaVerne last known in Santa Clara CA, Kenneth and Lucille Drake Santa Clara CA, Richard (Dick) and Millie in St. Paul, Robert (Bob) in St. Paul. Other possible children's names include Roy, Fred, William and Frank. The couple’s last place of residence was California, where Annie is rumored to have had small parts in the movies. Annie lived til age 99 and was a feisty woman. When she moved into her last apartment she commented that she was disappointed that a kitchen was included because she had no interest in cooking anymore- she’d done enough of that in her lifetime. Lived in LA California . Have no contact with this family but would like to!

Contact Lorilee Scharfenberg