Leif Emails

Letters from Leif Wammen

April 16, 2003
Min mor er datter af J.P.Wammen og bliver 94 år. Hun bor i Brædstrup og er barnebarn af Søren Olesen.
Jeg ved ikke om denne oplysning har interesse, men her er den.
Med venlig hilsen
Leif Wammen

I have just send you an e-mail in Danish
Because I am not sure that you understand this languages the e-mail is here in English.
My mother who is almost 94 years old is a daughter of J.P.Wammen the author of the book. She is a grandchild of Soeren Olesen from Mors. May bee you can use these informations and have it your interest I can give further informations.
Yours
Leif Wammen.

April 19, 2003

Dear Thaine.
I was very glad to receive your e-mail, which I have read with great interest.
I got your e-mail address through your web-site as a coincidence. I was searching after the name Wammen.
Soren Olesen had a pretty daughter Magrethe (my grandmother). When she was fifteen she went to New York to look after a very ill sister. However, she went back to Denmark and later on she got married to Jacob Peter Wammen (the author of the book). They got 8 children where two died as small kids and one as a young girl. There are still four alive of these brothers and sisters.
Concerning the book you are looking for - I have it in my hands just now. I don't think that it is translated into English. If you want a copy in Danish I can send it to you if I have your address. If I should translate it to English it will take a couple of months. There are 118 sides in the book.
We have today visited my mother and she was very happy to hear that I have found a member of the family in America. She can almost tell the story about Soren Rammelhoj by heart. My sister was there too. I have got the book from her.
My mother told me that Soren Olesen had other children among them two sisters to Magrethe. One of them died in New York but the other (named Cecilia Olesen) stayed in America. Perhaps it is through her family that the book about Soren Olesen has come to The States, but it is only a guess.
Soren Olesen got married to beauty woman Marie Eriksen.
My line is: Leif Wammen - Gudrun Dorthea Olesen Wammen (m.Petersen) my mother - Magrethe Olesen (m. Wammen) my grandmother - Soren Olesen -Ole Chr. Sorensen - Soren Rammelhoj (Olsen)- Ole Thomsen.Soren died the 27th July 1902 on a lecture tour in a town named Skanderborg. It was on his wedding day. By his side was his daughter Magrethe.
I hope that you have got an answer på some of your questions and I hope to hear from you again.
Yours sincerely
Leif Wammen.
If you are looking on my home site you can see my adress etc. http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc83149 you can click at Leif Wammen but it is in Danish so it may be difficult to you. Most of the site is referring to my work.

May 5, 2003

Dear Thaine.
Thank you for your letter of the 24th April. I have not been so much at home for the last days and therefore I send this email through my hotmail. I was very glad to se you and your family on your web site. I think that it could be a splendid idea if you and your family one day visit the land of your
forefathers and I and my family would be glad to meet you. Last week my mothers eldest sister died 97 years old and was buried Friday. As you know she was a grandchield of Soren Olesen and she knew a great deal of the past, but it is too late now to ask her. At the funeral many of members of the family were gathered and they were very interested in you and your family in America. My mother and other members of the family has seen your web site and the description of Soren Rammenhoj is almost correct. The history of Soren Rammelhoj come from the book of Soren Olesen. It is Soren Olesen who wrote down his history in small books and papers and J.P.Wammen has gathered all these papers and written them down by hand. For exampel I have a book in
my hand from 1907 where I can read much of the text in the book of Soren Olesen. So it must have taken a couple of years with work on the book before it could be published in 1924. It is only a little part of the book which is translated and the translation is about 90 procent correct.
If have not been able to get further informations or photos of Soren Rammelhoj. Whether the story about his time as soldier in Napoleons army is correct or not I have not been able to prove - some says that Soren Rammelhoj at times could like to boast a little. But in the future I will seach after more information if it is possible.
I have a little more information about Cecilie Olesen ( Soren Olesens daughter), who emigrated to America. She was born on the 22 Nov. 1877 16.30 in the afternoon. I have read it in Soren Olesen old bible (which my mothers youngest brother have at his home), where he has written his clildrens birthday and the hour on the day. He said that Cecilie had a daughter named Violet and her husband was named Henrik?. I don't know their last names. He had a letter from Henrik where he tells that he had met Rockefeller himself. My mother tells me that my grandmother Magrethe communicated by letter with
Cecilie and she also thought that she had seen at her home the picture from your web site of Peter, Seren and Erastus, but we can not be sure. May be the Photo appears in some way.
As regards to the book of Soren Olesen I will try to copy the Danish version to a CD-ROM and send it to you. I have attached the front of the book to this e-mail. I will try to finish the translation of the book because I think that I have the time now.
I am educated as engineer but have been out of work for the last years. In Denmark there are a high unemployment especially among people with a higher education.
I am 62 years old and my wife is 55. We have 4 grown-up children. One live in Copenhagen two in Herning and the last one is soldier at the time. At my next e-mail I will tell a little of where i live.
I did not knew the places in Canada you mention in your mail, but I am sure that it is wonderful areas. I hope you have got an answer at most of your
questions.
And the best regards from all my family.
Leif.

May 25, 2003

Dear Thaine
Thank you for your e-mails which I was very glad to read them and it was a
good thing to know that you got my CD.
Thank you very much for your invitation to the Soren Olsen Reunion in
Canada. We hope that it will be possible for us to go "overseas" and look
forward to it. We don't know how many of the family who are interested at
the moment.
>From my wife and I you may congrulate your daughter and her husband on their
wedding.
I am glad to hear that you have grandchildren. We have two, but they live in
Holland (Amsterdam) and they cannot speak Danish and we we don't see them so
often.
Regrettably I have not further informations about Celcile Olesen at the
moment.
About Soren Olsen engagement in the French Army I have only this that
Denmark And France at that time had a agreement of a millitary corps. Corps
D'Arme`ou Corps D'auxiadaire? Perhaps he had joined in such a military
corps. In the Danish Rigsarkiv (The Land's Archive) they have some records
about this.
About Soren Olsens children I have no futher informations ( apart from the
attached sentences ). Last week I visited the Landsarkiv in Viborg (an
regional archive). You shall bee very lucky to get at desk at the library,
because there are so many people who use them, but they told me that in two
or three years the parish register before 1891 can be seen at the Net, and
at that time it will bee much easier to find informations about this.
However, as soon as and if I get further informations I will let you know.
About the attached sentences it had been difficult for me to read the text
because it is handwritten so the text is not complete.
I am working at the translation of the book, but there are rather many
old-fashioned words and sentences so it will take some time
Thank you for your e-mails - we have a very rainy wetter in Denmark at the
time and are hoping for a little more summer.
Leif.

June 15, 2003

Dear Thaine:
Thank you for your e-mail and the picture, you have attached. I was glad to receive it. I have had a lot to do in this month. Next week my wife and my daughter have birthdays.
Last week I was in Copenhagen to visit my daughter, who works at the Danish Radio, where she read the news at a music channel (P3).
In Copenhagen I visited the Lands Archive (Rigsarkivet), and here I found and old book from 1792, a conscription register - in Danish (laegsrulle). In this book all danish boys and young men at that time was entered in preparation for later to be soldiers.
Here was to read: Father Ole Sorig, the son Soren 1/2 year old from Nr.Bindslev. Old number 37, new number 29. Aastrup Amt ( At that time the region was not called Hjorring Amt) It came first about 1800.
These register was entered at intervals of years. I hope next time I visit Copenhagen I can find a later register.
I am working with the translation of the book Soren Olesen fra Mors but it will take some time to be finished. I have reached to page nr. 34.
We live in a part of the Land which is rather flat, and it is lucky to us because we have only bicycles to drive at. Denmark is a flat land thoug we have a point called The Mountain of Heaven (about 160 m high). we have not real mountains, but it is a beautiful land with long seacoast and lakes inside.
I have no work and I am rather poor - the only income I have comes from the State - therefore I have no car.
At the time I and my wife are reading a book of J.P.Wammen where he writes about his life in the beginning of the last century - he is a good writer, and it is exciting to read it.
Next time I hope to send a mail with some picture from here.
I hope you will have a good summer vacation.
Jonna & Leif Wammen.

July 22. 2003

Dear Thaine.
Thank you for your letter of the 18th July. I am working with the translation and I have reached to page 50 of the 118 pages. When I am finished I will send the translation by e-mail. My idea is that you or another you know can read it through and correct the mistakes and word combinations so it can be a more correct English. If many people want the book I have thought about that the book might be printed by a publisher. I have found out that Kirkeligt Samfund af 1898, which have published the first book, still exist, but I have not taken any decision about that.
I can se that you has moved to another town - have you got a new work?
It is rather hot in Denmark for the moment but I do not think that it is so hot as in Canada. We have not a continental climate and the winters is neither so cold.
Yesterday I cycled in 30 degrees (Celsius) - it was hard (about 100 km.)
I have found a picture of Erastus Snow - the man whom Soren Olsen youngest sun is named after, but I think that you already have the picture. I will try to attach it.
Yesterday we visited my old mother on her 94 years birthday (the 19th July). She is strong and healthy and she had several guests. She had given herself a DVD-player so she can now see and hear the music on her TV.
Yours
Leif wammen.

July 29, 2003

Dear Thain.

Thank you for your e-mail.

I can tell you that I have found the picture of Erastus Snow in a book about the first Mormons in Denmark in the 19th century. I can see that especially from the northern part of Denmark many people went to America to the state Utah.
Perhaps you know what the ship was called, which Soren Rammelhoj went on board from the British Isles.

We congratulate you and your wife on your wedding anniversary. We have soon been married for 33 years (The 3rd of October).
Soren Olesen was married the 27th of July.

It is my birthday on the 14th of August. I am born in 1941 in Hormested Parish only a few km. from Rammelhoj - where Soren Olsen lived some years and from which he got the name Rammelhoj.

We live about 15 km from Herning. Here is a Mormon Church. It is situated at Viborgvej and I have often passed it on my cycle.

To-morrow we have decided, if the weather is fine, to cycle to a Jazz- and Gospel festival at Middelfart . A small town with an old harbour. The distance is about 100 km. We enjoy very much to be on the road and you know it's a very small country so it is possible to reach every part of it.

Leif

Sept 18, 2003

Conc. Ole Kristian Sorensen and his family.

Dear Thaine
Thank you for your e-mail. It was good to hear from you again. I have had so much to look after this summer so I have not send many e-mails. I hope your keyboard soon will be o.k.

The information I have about Ole Kristian Sorensen and his family is essentially based upon Soren Olesen's own notes

Here they are:
Ole Kristian Sorensen born on 13 August, 1819, Vester Faelled, Ugilt Parish - dead 1907 at Poulstrup Vrejlev Parish.

Married to (1839)

Anne Marie Fransdatter born on 28 June, 1815 Torslev Parish - dead on 6 august, 1854 at Molgaard Mark, Ugilt Parish.

After the death of Anne Marie Ole Kr. Sørensen was married again and reached to celebrate silver wedding with her: I don't know her name and if they had any children.

Ole and Anne Marie had the below mentioned children:

Magrethe born on 11 December, 1840 - dead 1872 in Borglum Parish *
Soren Olesen born on 18 July, 1842 - dead on 27 July 1902 Oster Jolby on Mors.
Fransine Marie born on 20 June, 1844 - dead on 22 October, 1859
Ida Oline Kristiane born on 21 August, 1850 - dead on 29 January, 1851**
Karl Kristian Olesen born on 9 Marts, 1846 - dead ?
Anton Kristian Olesen born on 14 August, 1847 - dead ?
Julius Olesen born on 24 December, 1851 - dead ?

* Magrethe was born in Soren Olsen's home. As a young girl she was very beautiful and had many wooers. She got married 1864 to a farmer named J. Marigaard. She had a very unhappy marriage. At her funeral his husband was drunken. He raged and swore especially about so much time had been wasted during her illness.( Soren Olesen was attached to his big sister so it was very hard to him.)

** Her father was soldier in the war at that time. He neither saw her birth nor her death.

They are all born in Ugilt Parish. The family lived in a little house at Molgaard Mark

Conc. Soren Olesen's family

His wife was Marie Eriksen born on 27 December, 1842 in Oster Bronderslev - dead on 7 December, 1907 in Oster Jolby on Mors.
They were married on 28 July, 1869
They got six children but I know not very much about them, but if I get further information I will let you know it.

Their names were:
Anne: ( She went to America to study medicine but got sick and died over there (Chicago). My grandmother (Magrethe) went to America at an age of fifteen to be at her during her illness. After her death she returned to Denmark.

Karen: she lived in Nykobing Mors and was chiropodist.

Magrethe: (my grandmother) she was born on 17 November, 1875 and died 29 November, 1949 in Aars.

Cecilie: After her mothers death she went to America (Chicago?). She was married and they had a gas station. Their first child (Henriette)died as a little baby). We know that she had two children more, Violet and Henrik, but at the moment I have no further information.

Ole: I know nothing about him.

Petrus: He lived in Randers. One of his child Gudrun is dead not so long ago.

All the children are born at Oster Jolby, on Mors.
I hope you can use some of the information. Concerning the translation I have reached to page 90 of the 118 pages.

Yours
Leif Wammen

October 4, 2003

Dear Thaine.

I have some more information about Soren Olesen's children. From my uncle Haakon I have got a kopi from the first page in Soren Olesens bible.
At this page he has written down the births day of his children.
Here is a translation of the page:

Soren Olesen, Free School teacher at
Dragstrup
And
Marie Eriksen Findinge
(she was always called Findinge because her father came from a little town at Funen called Findinge, her father (Erik Hendriksen) and her sisters and brothers was only called Findinge)*
Married in Dragstrup church on the 27th of July, 1869.

1. Anna Marie Olesen, born on 26th of January, 1871 three o'clock in the afternoon.
(she died as a young woman in Chicago 18??)*
2. Karen Marie Olesen, born on the 13th of November, 1872 - 15 min. past three o'clock in the afternoon.
3. Ole Christian Olesen
Born on the 6th of April 1874 - 50 min. past 10 in the morning.
4. Magrethe Olesen
Born on the 17 november, 1875 - half past twelve (noon)
5. Erik Olesen, born on the 1st of January 1877 five o`clock in the afternoon dead on the 27th the same time in the morning.
6. Sesilie Olesen ( I have corrected her name to begin with S)
Born on the 24 of November 1877 - half past four un the afternoon.
7. Johannes Olesen born on the 24th of September, 1878 half past 11 in the morning. Dead on the 29th the same month - half past 11
8. Olof Ry Olesen
Born on the 6th of July 1880 in the morning at seven o`clock. Dead on the 11. of August the same year.
9. Julius Olesen, born on the 13 October 1881 eleven o`clock in the evening.
(he became an old man and my mother has visited him as child)

Petrus Olesen ?
(I can't find something about him - perhaps he was not there own child.)*something I have remarked.
It is quite sure that Sesilie lived in Chicago: I have a letter from America written last in the twentieths.
I will try to translate it into English:

Violet has got this writing paper from a German lady to here 11 years birthday on the 20th of January. Henrik is 10 years on the 2nd of May. She? had a fine Mama doll for Violet and a beautiful pearl covered purse for Violet. I took Sesilie and the children to the home of Erik's wife and they then took them to the train at nine o'clock, while I was to a fine dinner at one of the finest hotels in Chicago Hotel Drake - there were 1100 ladies and gentlemen to the banquet - now my fountain pen is saying stop. Mrs Rockefeller Mc.Cormark a daughter of the richest man in America John D. Rockefeller. She called me from her balcony - I drove in a fine auto just to my street - 45 to 55 miles an hour and was to bed before 3 o'clock in the morning. Now I have to put of the light so the children and Sesilie can fell asleep. Because of the cold they are sleeping in my room, while I am sleeping in the dining room - good bye
Anton.
The letter is written about Christmas time.
Violet and Henrik must have been born between 1915 and 1920, perhaps they are still alive.
I know that Sesilie got the book Soren Olesen from Mors so it seems likely that it is through her that you have got knowledge of the book.
You ask me if I know when suns got their fathers first name. It have not a clear explanation and it is varying from area to area in the country like it is different when it became common. It begins to be popular in the beginning of the 1800th and continuous to the end of this century where the children often got their fathers last name.
The nobility began to use it in the 1600th but still in the end of the 1800th there was some people who maintained the old custom.
Source: biography journal 2001:1

I hope you can use some of the information
I try to send you copy and a picture of Soren Olesen's old bible.(page 3 and 4)

Leif Wammen.

Oct 17, 2003

Dear Thaine.
I hereby send you an e-mail, which I have send before. Perhaps the receiving of his has failed, as two pictures filled rather much.
I send it now without the pictures.
I am soon finished with the translation of Soren Olesen from Mors, and I hope I can send it to you by e-mail in one or two weeks.
Best wished
Leif Wammen

Oct 21, 2003

Dear Thaine.
As promised I hereby send you the translation of the book "Soren Olesen from Mors.
It is not a real genealogy but a description of Soren Olesen as that man he was. The only description of his forefathers you already know.
It is a description of his life as a child, as a young man, and how he lived until his death. There is not much about his family.
The book is, as you know, based upon Soren Olesen's own notes and his diary. The book describes his Christian and his political life. His Grundtvigian view of life and as member of the Danish Liberals.
Through the book you also can get information of the religious and political movements at that time and the conflicts between the different view of the matters.
I have tried to translate as exact as possible, but there are many strange and old-fashioned words and phrases and may be that some passages could be translated in a different way. A good deal of mistakes will occur too, I think, as I am not an expert in English.
The book is filled with many names and local places, which you not have a chance to know something about - but such is the book.
I hope that you may have an experience by reading the book anyway.
I have added a few word explanations last in the book.
Concerning your last e-mail:
I thank you very much for the invitation to the reunion in July next year. But I can already now see some difficulties, which we have.
On the 19th of July my mother is 95 years and may be it is her last birthday which has a round figure.
I can not look into the future, but also the economic may give some problems, though I do not know the costs.
May be a miracle can occur, otherwise I hope to see you and your family some day, either here in Denmark or at your place.
I don't think that some of my nearest relatives are interesting in genealogy. I know that my grandfather has been interested in it, and may be that I someday get more information about my forefathers through his notes. If I get something I will send them to you.
Best wishes from
Leif.

October 27, 2003

Dear Thaine
Thank you for your e-mails. I read it with great pleasure. I had also a great experience by translating the book, and I am very glad that you are correcting the text and hope you will send a copy to me when you are finished.
The work with book has taken a good deal of time and brainworking, but it was it worth - and after finishing the book I feel a sort of relief - and just a few days after we got the first snow in Denmark and I and my wife Jonna went out with our camera together with our two cats and talked about sending a little video to you and your wife so you can see how we live in the country. (I hope you have a media player at your computer)
I am not quite healthy (Diabetes), so it is good for me to live in the country, where I can grow my own biological vegetables. We have no car, so we must cycle, if we want to get away from home.
We live about 150 km from the places, where Soren Rammelhoj lived in Vendsyssel. I am born in Vendsyssel, too, only 3-4 km from Rammelhoj in Hormested Sogn.
Leif

Feb 1, 2004

Dear Thaine
Thank you fir your e-mail and the edited translation of the book Soren Olesen from Mors, which I was very glad to receive. I have not yet been through the whole translation, but at page 63 K.EFTERSKRIFT is to be edited as POSTSCRIPT.
I have been in contact with Kirkeligt Samfund af 1898 (which still exist). They tell that they can't see any problems in copying the translation, but they would like to have copy of the translation - I send them a copy and tell them that some small corrections will take place.
If you have an interest in Kirkeligt Samfunds homepage it is www.vartov.dk
I have just to-day found out that one of my cousins Hans-Chr. Fleng (he is a grandchild of Jacob Wammen, too) is working with genealogy.
Obviously my grandfather has written some family books and Hans Chr. is making a fair copy to his the homepage and he has almost finished his grandfather's family.
If you look at his homepage www.fleng.dk and tape at the bottom "slaegten", you will find that number ten is the Sorig Family, but he has still not started to work with this family, but I think he will soon begin with it. At this page you will find a picture of my grandfather.
I have read about the families at the homepage - it is really exciting reading but unfortunately only in Danish.
If I get more informations of the family I will let you know it.
Best wishes from
Leif.
PS. I do not hope that the winter too hard for you in Canada. The other day I saw in the TV som pictures from Canada and Rocky Mountains - it was very beautiful pictures. It was a transmission about skiing.

Feb 1, 2004

Dear Thaine.
A last little information:
Hans-Chr. Fleng has just written to me that
the book about my grandmother's (Magrethe's) family is a "bulky" book on 800 handwritten pages with small letters and it will take more than a year before he has finished the work.
Leif

Feb 2, 2004