Person:William Mortensen (4)

William Soren Mortensen

William Soren Mortensen was born in Westfield, Marquette County, Wisconsin, on Oct. 1, 1879.  He had two brothers, Martin Alvin (b. Nov. 23, 1872), Andrew Magnus (b. May 7, 1876) and a sister, Anna Matilda (b. Oct. 21, 1882).  His parents both immigrated to the U.S. from Denmark and were farmers, first in Wisconsin, and later moving to Milton-Freewater, Oregon in 1895 where they grew fruit trees, strawberries and vegetables.  The family belonged to the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

William attended Walla Walla College, a Seventh Day Adventist school in Washington  In 1899 he entered American Medical Missionary College in Battle Creek, Michigan where he met his future wife, Florence Nightingale Crisler, a fellow medical student.  He transferred to Rush Medical School in Chicago where he hoped to get a broader education.  He graduated in 1903, got married on July 18,1904, and began practice in Duluth, Minnesota.  He practiced for several years in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, and later moved his practice to Los Angeles, CA. 

Mortensen and his wife Florence had four children, Elmer Soren, William Leigh, Margaret Andrea, and Florence Jeanette.  His wife died of breast cancer in 1928.  He married Jean Doescher in November of 1929, and she died in 1951.

In 1926, Dr. Mortensen and his medical partner, Dr. August Hromadka founded the Santa Monica Hospital with 60 hospital beds.  Then in 1929, he helped start First Federal Savings and Loan of Santa Monica.

In the early 1940’s Dr. Mortensen was affected by a progressive loss of motor function in the lower extremities which was to render him a paraplegic.  He had to give up his medical practice, but continued to be involved with the Santa Monica Hospital’s expansion, and the First Federal Savings and Loan for many more years.  He died in 1955.

by Margaret Anne Lewis

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 San Francisco Passenger Lists.

   Ancestry.com. San Francisco Passenger Lists [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2004. Original data: San Francisco, California. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at San Francisco, 1893-1953. Micropublication M1410. Rolls # 1-429. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 New York Passenger Lists.
   Ancestry.com. New York Passenger Lists [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005. Original data:
   
   
3. New York. Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Micropublication M237. Rolls # 95-580. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
   
   
4. New York. Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. Micropublication T715. Rolls # 5592-6267. National Archives, Washington, D.C.
5. ↑ United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T9).

   Harris, Marquette, Wisconsin, ED 220, roll T9_1435, page 540.2000, image .

6. ↑ United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624).

   Ballona Twp, Los Angeles, California, ED 5, roll 79, part 2, page 71A.

7. ↑ United States. 1920 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625).

   1920 Federal Population Census. T625, 2,076 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.
   For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: <a href="http://www.archives.gov/publications/microfilm-catalogs/census/1920/part-07.html">NARA</a>.
   Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 on roll 323 (Chicago City, Cook County, Illinois) are missing, even though the NARA catalog lists them as being there. The Family History Library catalog also lists them as missing.
   Los Angeles Assembly District 62, Los Angeles, California, ED , roll , page , image 982.