Gomme Brandt Frederick Nielsen HJORTHOLM was born in Humble, Langeland, Svendborg, Denmark, and lived a time in Maribo, Den. where he married a widow Kirsten before emigrating to the USA. The couple lived in Kellogg, Jasper County, Iowa, until Kirsten died in Aug. 1880. In 1883, Fred (as he was generally known) married Sena Marie FREDRICKSON [Americanized spelling]. They had three daughters: Fredreka Christen Hjortholm, Hannah Bolletta Tora Hjortholm, and finally Gertrude Josephine Hjortholm--my grandmother!
Fredreka married John Henry Lewis Ohlsen and had five children: Frances, Henry, Harlan, Ethel, and Reba. Fredreka (called Reka) died during the great flu epidemic in 1918.
Tora became a popular caterer in Des Moines, Iowa. She married Samuel Morrison but became a widow before the couple had children. But Tora was more than just an aunt to the children of her sisters; she helped support them through the Depression.
Gertrude married three times having one child with each husband: Frederick BECK, Walter F. WILSON, Frank GRUVER. Daughter Constance BECK was born in 1918, second daughter Merclene Phylis WILSON (my mother) was born in 1923, and son Corluiss GRUVER was born in 1926.
Connie married Alvin "Curly" Brown and had five children: Donald, Sherilyn, Robert, James, and William and raised them in Des Moines, Iowa.
Merclene "Mickey" married Clyde Jenkins and had five children: Dianne, Clyde, Brian, Wayne, and Linda; they were raised in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan.
Corluiss married Dorothy Bennett and raised three children: Frank, Beverly, and Barbara in the Des Moines area.
I'd love to exchange information with anyone interested in our family and it's history.
Dianne Jenkins Spitzer --
famdigger@aol.com