Today is Family History Day

What better way to start a blog then with a picture.  These are my great grandparents, Martinus Jensen (1868-1943) and Laura Francis Toombs (1870-1921).  Martin was born on April 26, 1868 in Vrensted, Børglum, Hjørring, Denmark.  He immigrated to the USA in 1874 when he was six years old with his older brother Soren, and parents Niels (Nils) and Maren.  Martin was one of seven children, three who died within days of each other five months before he was born.  Neils homesteaded in northern Minesota in 1890.  The certificate reads:

 

 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:

Homestead Certificate 5752      

Application 8196              Whereas There has been deposited in the General Land Office of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Crookston Minnesota, whereby it appears that, pursuant to the Act of Congress approved 20th May, 1862, "To secure Homesteads to actual Settlers on the Public Domain," and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of Nils Jensen has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the West half of the North West quarter of Section twenty six in Township  one hundred and fifty eight North of Range forty eight West of  the Fifth Principal Meridian on Minnesota containing eighty acres according to the Official Plat of the survey of the said Land, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General:

       Now know ye, That there is, therefore granted by the United States unto the said Nils Jensen the tract of Land above described: TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the said tract of Land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Nils Jensen and to his heirs and assigns forever.

      In testimony whereof, I Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States of America, have caused these letters to be made Patent, the Seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.

Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and fourteenth.

BY THE PRESIDENT: Benjamin Harrison

Recorded, Vol. 11, Page 435

Where Martin, who had immigrated from Denmark met Laura Toombs, who was born in New York, I do not yet know, but I will continue to chip away at the story in the years to come.  They were married in 1889 and settled in Stephen, MN, where they had 8 children, the youngest being Hazel, my grandmother.  After Laura died, Martin remarried two more times, eventually ending up a widower living with Hazel and Omer Brossoit in South St. Paul, MN.