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Claus Christensens hus i Voderup |
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Claus Christensen b. 1795 d. 16.12.1857 Claus Christensen vas born in Trappeskov or Trappendal as it was called then, in the farm closest to the main road to Marstal. The old farm buildings do not exist any more, but have been rebuilt. Before getting married, Claus worked on several farms in Rise Parish. On the 12.03.1822 Claus bought a house with a small parcel of land in the village of Voderup, Aero (Land register number 12). The previous owner had gone bankrupt. Only a few months later on June 2, 1822 Claus married Maren Christensdatter b. 1794 d. 31.03.1831. Bregninge Parish register notes: "Bachelor Claus Christensen born in Rise Parish, 26 years old and son of Christen Pedersen and Birthe Albertsdatter from Trappendal; and the girl Maren Christensdatter, 28 years old and daughter of Christen Jorgensen and Ane Smedsdatter (or Knudsdatter); married in Bregninge Church on June 2, 1822" Claus and Maren had one son: 1. Christen Clausen Christensen b. 1.08.1824. Christen became a salesman and travelled a lot. Not much is known about him, except that he was in Egernsund in 1856. According to a rumour in the family, he was found dead in front of a house in Sonderborg. In 1831 Maren died of tuberculosis. Claus, at this time, not only farmed his land, 8-10 acres in Voderup and a piece of land inherited from his father which was located in Ronaes, but he also butchered and traded. Obviously Claus needed a wife to take care of his house and son, and indeed it did not take long before he married again. On the 31.10.1831 he was married to Karen Jensdatter b. 17.04.1799 d. 7.01.1884 from Vesteraas in Voderup. Karen had been a close friend of Maren and had helped to take care of her during her illness. Karen was a hard working person, so finally Claus got himself a sharp wife who was not afraid to express her own opinion. She was not a gentle person, but she knew how to economize and always saved more than she spent. In the 1870´s when both Claus and Karen had retired, and the responsibility of taking care of the farm had been taken over by their son and daughter-in-law, it once happened that the daughter-in-law Agathe, had invited a neighbor for a cup of coffee. As the two women were sitting in the kitchen drinking their coffee, Karen Claus as she was called, happened to pass by, and noticed the two women sitting in the kirchen, through the open windows. To this she gave the following comment: "Mare Mi - never have I seen such a thing, to sit at the table with coffee at this hour of the day." "Mare Mi" is swearword dating back to the 16th. century, before the reformation. It actually means: "By the Virgin Mary". Claus and Karen had 4 children: 1. Jens Jensen Christensen b. 19.07.1832 d. 14.04.1893. My 2 x great-grand-father. 2. Peder Christensen b. 16.12.1833. He went to Australia and New Zealand. Read "The gold digger in New Zealand. 3. Maren Christensen b. 13.05.1835 d. 8.04.1928. She married late and had no children. 4. Christen Pedersen Jensen b. 20.09.1840 d. 1861. He died from tuberculosis. In 1857 at the age of 61, Claus died in Voderup. He had not been feeling well for the last couple of years, and had therefore sold his piece of land in Ronaes, which was too far away for him to farm. For many years he had brought the grain crops and hay all the way from Ronaes to Voderup, and stacked it in front of the house gable. For the threshing he hired young men from the neighborhood, who would do the work on a sunday morning. The only payment these young men would receive, was food and drinks after finishing the work. Probably not in small quantities. His belongings he divided himself between the children. The grandfather clock or "Bornholmer" as these types of clocks are called in Danish, was to remain in the house, which was given to the son Jens. The grandfather clock is still in the family. The other children received money, which Claus took from the bottom of the grandfather clock.
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