Dear Ann, I am also researching Tychsen/Tuchsen in Illinois. My husband's great grandmother was Margaret Catherine Carstensen Tychsen/Tuchsen, born 1850 in Tondern, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany which is also Denmark and married Tychsen/Tuchsen who was also from Tonder. Here is what I have on her:
1860 U.S. Census: not found, assume Maragaret is still in Denmark.
Checked Emigration lists from Ancestry.com for Margaret, various spelling of surnames: no results
Tugson/Tuckson/Tucksen/Tuchsen/Tychsen/Tuxson
1870 U.S. Census: Checked for Margaret Tugson, Margaret Tuckson, Margaret Thompson, Margaret Karstensen and Carstensen--not found. Also checked for Tugson/Tuckson/Tucksen/Tuchsen/Tychsen/Tuxson (no results)
1880 Census for Wyanet, Bureau, Illinois lists Margaret Tugson (actual spelling in census), widow, age 30, born Denmark, living in the home of Christopher Rabe, age 56, a farmer and divorcee. She had 3 children living with her:
Henrietta Tugson, age 5, John Tugson, age 2 and Dorothea Tugson, age 5 months, all born in Illinois. (Tugson could have been misinterpreted for Tuckson, as in doing further research, Tugson pertains to very few records of any kind.)
It is also believed that Mr. Tuchsen died before 1879, leaving Margaret a widow with two children. She then married Johann Lawson, had a daughter by him, Dora Anna (my husband's grandmother) or Dorthea, but the marriage ended in divorce.
This researcher believes that Margaret gave her little girl, Dora, the same surname as her two other children...Tugson. She then went to work in the home of Christopher Rabe as his housekeeper. In September of 1880 she married Christopher Rabe (also known as Roberts and Robe), who was 28 years older than her. After 1880, when she married Christopher Rabe (Roberts), this researcher also believes that she changed Henrietta, John, and Dora's surname to Rabe (Roberts), or perhaps Christopher Rabe adopted them.
She had 8 more children by Christopher, (all of them with the surname of Roberts) making a total of 11 children that she birthed. She was only 46 years old when she died.
I'm trying to find the first name of Mr. Tuchsen/Tychsen and his birthdate and marriage date. He would probably have been born about 1850/55.
If you have any info, I would be very grateful.
Donna