Life History

Notes

• Soren Peter Wilson
  Birth 4 Mar 1865 in Brønderslev, Nordjylland, Denmark
  Death 19 Feb 1944 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
  Parents Peder Peter Willadsen 1828-1906, Mette Catrine Myrtue b 1833
  --  Willadsen Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20805464/person/1022268185
  
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  Vocation and Romance
  Alan Kent Boucher, 18 Jan 2010
  
  Willads Pedersen lived out his life in Denmark.  Willads Willadsen and Soren Peter Wilson (brothers) came to America together.  Willads Willadson changed the "e" to "o" in his name when he came to America.  Willads Willadson was the middle child with Willads Pedersen being the oldest and Soren Peter being the youngest.
  --  Alan Kent Boucher, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14201731/person/157723457/comments?pg=32768&pgpl=pid
  ---------------------
  
  Alan adds details about Soren Peter Wilson and Family.
  
  Soren Peter Wilson, Birth 03/04/1865 in Bronderslev, Denmark
  Death 02/19/1944 in Council Bluffs, Iowa
  Parents Peder (Peter) Willadsen 1828-1906
  Mette Catrine Myrtue b 1833
  Wife Kristina Sorenson
  Birth 04/25/1869 in Sennels, Viborg, Denmark
  Death 10/18/1937 in Council Bluffs, Iowa
  Children:
  Amanda Katherine Wilson 1895-1968
  Viola Olivia Wilson 1896-1961
  Hazel Marion Wilson 1898-1989
  Jacob Peter Wilson 1903-1985
  One additional Living Child
  --  Alan Kent Boucher, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14201731/person/74952726
  
  Denmark Church Records, 1484-1941
  Soren Pedersen
  Confirmation 20 April 1879 (the Sunday after Easter) (Church name not reported) Ingstrup, Hjørring, Danmark
  Birth 04 Mar 1865 Alstrup, Hjørring [Nordjylland]
  Father's Name Peder Villadsen
  Mother's Name Mette Cathrine Sorensen
  Record Volume 13, 1859 - 1888, p 109
  
  The confirmation record reports residence and apparent birthplace as Alstrup, Hjørring.  Hjørring is a town in Nordjylland (North Jutland).  It may be that that was the name of the broader region at that time.  The Willadsen genealogy reports the place as Brønderslev, Nordjylland, Denmark.  Brondeslev today is a larger town to the south of Hjørring in Nordjylland.  Differences in reporting of place of birth seem to be related to changes in administrative divisions and names in Jylland, Denmark.  The records for the broader region including Hjørring  may be kept today in Brønderslev.
  
  Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992
  Soren Willadson, Age 29 (born abt 1865)
  Kirstine M Sorenson, Age 25 (b abt 1869)
  Marrriage 21 Nov 1894 Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa
  
  1910 Federal Census, Pottawatamie County, Iowa, 18 April, Council Bluffs Ward 4, District 140, page 5B, 1701 So 9th St, Hse #102, Fam #103
  Wilson, Sorne [sic, =Soren]  Head M W 45 Married 16 yrs Denmark Denmark Denmark immigrated 1887 Naturalized Coal Dealer Owns
  Wilson, Christina M Wife F W 40 Married 16 yrs 4 children/4 living Denmark Denmark Denmark
  Wilson, Amanda K Dau F W 15 Single Iowa Denmark Denmark
  Wilson, Viola Dau F W 13 Single Iowa Denmark Denmark
  Wilson, Hazel M Dau F W 13 Single Iowa Denmark Denmark
  Wilson, Jacob P  Son M W 12 Single Iowa Denmark Denmark
  Sorenson, Marius  Boarder M W 25 Single Denmark Denmark Denmark Immigrated in 1909 Not naturalized Carpenter
  
  The 1925 census provides a wealth of information about three generations of the family.
  
  1925 Iowa State Census, Pottawattamie County, Council Bluffs Ward 5, page 403,  919 6th Avenue
  Wilson, Soren Head M W 59 Owns Free $6000 value 43 yrs in US, 43 yrs in Iowa  naturalized 8th grade edu b Denmark;  Father Wilson Peter b Denmark [no age, deceased], mother Myrtue Mette K b Denmark [no age, deceased] married Denmark
  Wilson, Christiana Wife F W 55 35 yrs in US, 35 yrs in Iowa  naturalized 8th grade b Denmark;  Father Christanson [sic] Soren b Denmark [no age, deceased], mother Petersen Anna b Denmark [no age, deceased], married Denmark
  Wilson, Hazel  Dau F W 27  27 yrs in US, 27 yrs in Iowa  12th grade b Iowa b Iowa;  Father Wilson Soren b Denmark age 59 mother Sorenson Christiana b Denmark age 55 married Iowa
  Wilson, Jacob P  Son M W 21  21 yrs in US, 21 yrs in Iowa  3yrs college b Iowa b Iowa;  Father Wilson Soren b Denmark age 59 mother Sorenson Christiana b Denmark age 55 married Iowa
  Wilson, Emmett S  Son M W 12  12 yrs in US, 12 yrs in Iowa  7th grade b Iowa b Iowa;  Father Wilson Soren b Denmark age 59 mother Sorenson Christiana b Denmark age 55 married Iowa
  
  In 1925, Soren and Christiana's daughter Amanda is living next door to them.
  
  1925 Iowa State Census, Pottawattamie County, Council Bluffs Ward 5, page 403,  927 6th Avenue
  Jensen, Olaf Head M W 39 Rents $25/mo 39 yrs in US, 20 yrs in Iowa  4th reader rural grade edu b Kansas;  Father Jensen Soren b Denmark age 71 mother Christensen Christiana b Denmark age 69 married Denmark
  Jensen, Amanda  Wife F W 30  30 yrs in US, 30 yrs in Iowa  8th grade edu b Iowa;  Father Wilson Soren b Denmark age 59 mother Sorenson Christiana b Denmark age 56 married Iowa
  Jensen, Fern F W 9  9 yrs in US, 9 yrs in Iowa  4th grade edu b Iowa;  Father Jensen Olaf b Kansas age 39 mother Jensen Amanda b Iowa age 30 married Iowa
  Jensen, Russell  M W 6  6 yrs in US, 6 yrs in Iowa  1st grade edu
  
  1930 Federal Census, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, 8 April, Council Bluffs, District 28, page 8A, 907 6th Ave, Hse #169, Fam #182
  Wilson, Soren P Head Owns, value $5500 M W 65 Married at age 29 Denmark Denmark Denmark Immigrated to US 1881, Naturalized Coal Dealer
  Wilson, Christina M Wife F W 60 Married at age 24 Denmark Denmark Denmark Immigrated to US 1889, Naturalized
  Wilson, Jacob Son M W 26 Single Iowa Denmark Denmark Driver, Coal Co
  Wilson, Emmett S Son M W 17 Single In School Iowa Denmark Denmark
  
  I expect that Emmet's middle name is Soren, like his father.
  
  Alan Boucher adds these notes.  Note that he refers to Soren as "my father" and "Dad."  But in another place, discussing Amanda Wilson's husband, Olaf Jensen, he refers to Olaf as "Uncle Olaf."  If Olaf was his uncle, Soren Wilson would be his grandfather.  The relationship is thus unclear to me.
  
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  Council Bluffs
  Alan Kent Boucher, 2 Jan 2010
  
  I bring this in because my father Soren Peter Wilson and his brother Willads Willadson took the contract to 'fill' the Rock Island Railroad yard. Dad told me of the equipment used -- contractor dump wagons -- scrapers, etc. The teams of horses, mules, etc. Not saying they owned it all. Dad told me of the number of men hired -- the number of teams -- I suppose some subcontracting. How I wish I had written it down or that we had recorders, etc. We have to be proud of Dad and Uncle Willis. They got money from owners and real estate developers to grade lots and open roads or streets or for taking the dirt out. They got money for the fill in the yards (R.I.R.R.). Dad and Uncle Willis got the R.I.R.R. yards to grade fill.
  
  They tried every which way to get the Civil Engineering Dept. of the R.I.R.R. to approve the project for final payment. However, the Civil Engineering Dept. knew what they were doing and waited a month before inspecting the project. Meanwhile the 'fill' settled and Dad and Uncle Willis had to put in another foot of 'fill'. Anyhow, Dad and Uncle Willis made a fist full of money out of the project in a time when a dollar was a dollar. My Dad was a coal dealer in Council Bluffs for over 50 years. For years he had a pair of mastodon bones dug from the hills in the project exhibited on his dock at the coal office. Dad finally donated the bones to the Council Bluffs Public Library.
  
  Soren ran the Western Fuel Company located on South Main Street in the 600 block.  The coal yard was on South 6th Street [Perhaps 6th Avenue?  The 1930 census has the home address in the 900 block of 6th Avenue] in the 1000 block.  Both sites are on the west side of the street.
  
  Coming to America
  
  According to family testimony, Soren came to America circa 1881 when he was 16 years old. Aalborg and Sennels may have been only small farming communities with Brondersjar/slev and Thisted being "county" seats or the names of the railroad station. When either Soren or Kristena was coming across the Atlantic Ocean, the rudder on the ship became disabled. The ship took longer to reach America than expected. Food and water supplies ran out, imperiling the health and wellbeing of those aboard. [Note:  According to the 1930 census above, Kristena (Christina) came to the US in 1889, while Soren had arrived in 1881.]
  --  Alan Kent Boucher, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/14201731/person/74952726/comments?pg=32768&pgpl=pid
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Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal Census, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
  • 8 April, Council Bluffs, District 28, page 8A, 907 6th Ave, Hse #169, Fam #182
• 2. 1925 Iowa State Census, Pottawattamie County
  • Council Bluffs Ward 5, page 403, 919 6th Avenue
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, Pottawattamie County, Iowa
  • 18 April, Council Bluffs Ward 4, District 140, page 5B, 1701 So 9th St, Hse #102, Fam #103
• 4. Ancestry Trees
  • Willadsen Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/20805464/person/1022268185
• 5. Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992
• 6. Ancestry Trees
• 7. Ancestry Stories
• 8. 1910 Federal Census, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
  • 18 April, Council Bluffs Ward 4, District 140, page 5B, 1701 So 9th St, Hse #102, Fam #103
• 9. Ancestry Trees
  • Julie Ann Ryan, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16486092/person/433720088
• 10. 1925 Iowa State Census, Pottawattamie County
  • Council Bluffs Ward 5, page 403, 927 6th Avenue
• 11. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 12. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 13. Iowa, Marriage Records, 1923-1937
• 14. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 15. Iowa, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1999
• 16. Carrigan Genealogy