Person:Hans Rasmussen (27)

From book entitled " 75th Anniversary History of Leigh 1887 - 1962 Leigh, Nebraska" Page 39

The Danish Settlement

During the seventies and eighties, a number of Danish and Swedish families formed a settlement four miles west of Leigh. The first of these were Neils Olson and his wife, Martha, and her brother Andrew Iverson. They came from Illinois, looking for homesteads, driving into the middle west with two teams of horses. They arrived here Noverber 7, 1871. The story is told that they stipped in a ravine, southwest of Leight to spend the night. A heavy snow, however, detained them for two weeks. The first morning after their arrival, they heard a dog barking and after investigation, found the Gerd Asche Sr. dugout one-half mile south. The Asches had already spent two years here. The olsons and Mr. Iverson established their homesteads in that neighborhood and were later joined by other Danes, the Matt Iverson, T>K> Matzen, Soren Anderson, Lou Anderson, Andres Carstensen, Henry Johnson, Chris Larsen, Soren Rasmussen, Peter Rasmussen, Hans Rasmussen, Peter Iverson, and Ole Jensen families. Swedish families settling in the area were those of Peter Nelson, John Nelson, Andrey Youngberd, Chris Youngberd and Ole Johnson. The Danish settlers were of the Lutheran faith and they held their first religious services in their homes and later, in the school-house on the Olson farm. A Sundy School preceded the organization of a church in 1878.

Book entitled "History of Liegh 1887 -1937" Page 92

Since it is the natural procedure for people of the same mationality to colonize together, the Olson and Iverson families formed the nucleus around which a settlement of Danish and Swedish families grew. During the seventies and the eighties the Danish families became a part of the settlement were those of Matt Iverson, Peter Iverson, T>K> Matzen, Soren Anderson, Lou Anderson, Anderes Carstensen, Henry Johnson, Chris Larsen, Soren Rasmussen, Peter Rasmussen, Hans Rasmussen and Ole Jensen. Swedish farmers who located in the settlement were Peter Nelson, John Nelson, Andrew Youngberg, Chris Youngberg and Ole Johnson.

The parents of Hans Rasmussen were Rasmus Andersen and Karen Hansdatter. Rasmus Andersen was born in 1805 in Lundby Sogn. He was married in about 1833 to Karen Hansdatter. Karen was born in Hammersogn and was two years older than Rasmus. In 1845 Rasmus and Karen Andersen lived in Lov, Hammersogn, Hammer Herred, Praesto Amt. He was a day worker and she was a housewife. Their three sons were all born in Hammer Sogn. Their names were Anders, Hans and Peder. Hans Rasmussen was born on October 17, 1840. He was baptized at the Hammer Church on November 22, 1840. Hans would grow up and marry Kirsten Mortensen. At the age of 52, He would leave Denmark and come to the United States in 1892. Traveling with him would be his wife Kirsten, her 1/2 brother and their two babies, Carl and Anna. In 1891 Peder Rasmussen lived in Egeholmshus. He was Godfather to Anna Rasmusse, Hans Rasmussen's daughter. According to the 1890 census, Hans Rasmussen was a small - holder, which meant he was the owner of some land. Hans Rasmussen was said to have been killed in a wagon accident. He died October 1894 and is buried in Leigh, Nebraska. He is in grave # 108 in the Creston Pioneer Cemetery (Wheeler Cemetery) which is four miles west and one mile south of Leigh, Nebraska. Grave # 109 is P. Rasmussen and graves # 107 and 110 are owned by S. Rasmussen. There is a marker Anna Sophia Rasmussen 1865 - 1894, but no one knows if she is a relation to Hans Rasmussen or not. Grave # 108 H. Rasmussen was paid for by Mrs. H. Rasmussen on February 12, 1900. Walter Hellen is now in charge of the Creston Cemetery.