Archive Record
Images
Additional Images [1]
Metadata
Object Identification Number |
2009.031.004 |
Object Name |
Scrapbook |
Donor |
Hansen, Estate of Rita Neergaard |
Scope / Description |
Scrapbook of Rita Hansen's time in Bermuda. The scrapbook is rectangular, vertically oriented. The covers are black and textured to resemble leather. The covers and pages are tied together at the spine end with a black string. On the front cover, at the center, is a raised scrolled design with an oval in the center and more design inside. In the lower right is embossed "Scrap / Book". Inside are beige pages. Handwritten on the inside of the front cover is "To Bermuda / with the K__gsholm / Oct 1938". On the first page is a newspaper clipping, and the next 13 pages have various flower or plant samples taped under plastic. Following those pages are photographs and postcards. 8 3/8" W x 11 1/2" L x 3/4" D Family Info: Peder (b. March 5, 1847, d. Apr. 4, 1923 in Kenosha) and Kirsten (Simonsen) Neergaard were farmers from Nødager (the Grenaa-Æbeltoft area of Jutland) with their three sons, Christian, Achton, and Sophus. They came to the U.S. on the ship Thingvalla in 1888 (Christian was 17, Achton 15, and Sophus 13), and docked in Canada. Peder and the boys worked with maintanence of the Canadian railroad, living in a boxcar with Kirsten as housekeeper. They ended up on the West Coat, came across the border into Washington state, lived in Kent for awhile, and then worked their way east to Wisconsin. They stayed in Neenah for a time, and then settled in Kenosha. Kirsten died in 1905. Peder wrote to Kirsten's sister Maren and asked her to come to America to help keep house. Maren came with a friend, Olivia Poulsen. and Olivia and Christian married in 1907. In 1908, the donor's sister Kirsten was born, and Rita followed in 1912. Olivia died in 1930. In 1937, Kirsten and Rita took Civil Serice exams and were called to work for the government in Washington, D.C. Their widower father, Christian, went with them. In 1940, when the Nazis invaded Denmark, the U.S. government established a Consulate in Reykjavik, Iceland (at that time part of Denmark), and Rita was chosen to go there for two years. During her service, the Consulate in Iceland was elevated to a Legation. After her assignment in Iceland, Rita was transferred to the Legation in Stockholm, Sweden and was there for a year before returning to Washington, D.C. In 1944, Rita's father Christian died. When the war ended in 1945, Rita and Kirsten were asked to go to Copenhagen, Denmark on separate assignments. Rita had known Roy Hansen through the Danish church in Kenosha, Wisconsin for many years, but Roy's service in the Army and Rita's service in the Foreign Service had precluded their relationship. Rita and Roy married in December of 1950. Kirsten, Rita's sister, died in July of 1987. Rita died in the summer of 2009. |
Language of Material |
English |
Title |
Scrap Book |
Creator |
Hansen, Rita |
Date |
October 1938 |
Dates of Creation |
October 1938 |
Associated People |
Hansen, Rita |
Search Terms |
Scrapbook Hansen, Rita Bermuda flowers plants postcards photographs |
Date Received by Museum |
07/16/2009 |
Images |
145\2009031004.JPG |
Accession number |
2009.031 |