Dispatches From the Baltic 2013: 4 - Dispatch From the Ancestors

On a cold March day in 1876, a 43 year-old blacksmith in the then Prussian town of Hadersleven, Jutland, was kicked by a horse and died. He left a widow named Elsebeth, and 2 young daughters, Marie and Guna - and infant Helena was born just as her father died. His name was Dines Jensen.

Dines Jensen

Searching the old graveyard

From photos taken just after he was gone, we can assume that Dines had been a successful, if unlucky man. Armed with weeks of research, photos and maps, we go looking. His well-dressed family poised in a studio about 1878. The address on one photo is “300 Smedegade, Haderslav, Denmark.”*

Last night, while we were standing near that address, (which means Smithy Street) we met Peter and Kirsten. Peter’s great grandfather lived near here and his father before him. It is possible ol’ Dines knew Peter’s ancestors - and after a bottle of wine up in their centuries-old house, we were all sure of it.

Mayor, Mrs. Mayor, Queen (hat), Mr. Queen

Peter explained why the historical museum was closed and why the only place we could find a room was in a hostel converted from an old orphanage, and why there were flags lining the streets - the Queen was in town. (I should read the local papers instead of checking the Giants scores.) He showed us pictures of HRH Margrethe II in carriage with escort in front of his house, taken a few hours before.

We made new friends, but didn’t learn much more about ol’ Dines. We know he had a brother who was building houses in a newly booming American city - San Francisco. When he heard of his brother’s death, he sent for the two older daughters, who found work in the household of a prominent Jewish family. By 1893, they saved up enough to bring their mother and the youngest sister over.

Marie Jensen Gefkin

Young Maria soon wed a German immigrant named Henry Gefkin, and they had 4 girls, who all watched San Francisco burn in 1906. Their second daughter, Helena Beta married one William John Kitto, and named her son Charles - the father of my bride.

So Jean Marie Jensen Gefkin Kitto Stewart. “returns” to Haderslav to thank ol’ Dines and see where she came from. I came here to thank that horse.

- Relatives Rod

* Sweden/Prussia/Germany/Denmark all took area during the long history and many wars, and changed city, street, and even census name spellings at will - making research a brain-bender.