The Vanguard of a New Identity: Ole (Lauritsen) Lorensen
Tradition often suggests staying put—carrying on the customs, names, and lands of those who came before. But for my great-granduncle, Ole Lorensen, "tradition" was something he both carried with him and consciously reshaped. Born in Norway at a time when resources were scarce and farms were small, he became the catalyst for a generational shift that would eventually bring six of seven siblings to American shores.
Ole was born on March 19, 1876, at Eidbostranda in Dypvåg, Norway. He was baptized on April 30, 1876. He was the second of seven children born to Laurits Olsen and Amalie Lovise Jensdatter. I had a previous blog post about Eidbostranda.
|
| Line 56, Baptismal Register (1876): This record confirms the birth of Ole on March 19, 1876, with his baptism following on April 30, 1876. He is listed as "ægte" (legitimate), the son of Laurits Olsen (35) and Amalie Lovise Jensdatter (25). The family is noted as residing at the Eidbostranda farm. |
While his family had deep roots in the seafaring communities of Aust-Agder, the late 19th century was a difficult time in Norway. On April 26, 1900, Ole likely became the second of his siblings to immigrate to New York. The December 1900 Norway Census captures this transition perfectly: Ole is still listed with his family at the Eidbostranda farm, but his name is crossed out. A small note in the margin—"f. t. i New York"—marks the exact moment a new family tradition began.
| Name | Birth Year | Status/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Olsen, Laurits | 1840 | Head, Widower, Ship's Carpenter |
| Olsen, Ole | 1876 | Crossed out; presumed place of residence: New York |
| Olsen, Maren Gunhilde | 1881 | Crossed out; presumed place of residence: New York |
| Olsen, August | 1883 | Worker at sawmill |
| Olsen, Ludvig Amandus | 1887 | Worker at sawmill |
| Olsen, Marta Petra | 1891 | Domestic servant |
| Andersen, Aron | 1860 | Son-in-law; Crossed out; presumed place of residence: Borgendal |
| Andersen, Johanna Marie | 1873 | Daughter, Married to Aron |
| Andersen, Adolf Leonhard | 1897 | Grandson |
| Andersen, Amalie Lovise | 1898 | Granddaughter |
Today marks exactly 126 years since Ole stepped off a ship and onto American soil. When he arrived on April 26, 1900, he likely carried little more than trade of a ship’s carpenter. He couldn't have known then that he was the vanguard for nearly his entire family, or that 126 years later, we would be looking back at his departure not as an end, but as the beginning of a new branch of the family tree.
 |
| I believe I found Ole's emmigration record. Here his name is Ole Lauritsen, which would be the traditional Norwegian patronymic name . Ole's journey began at the port of Kristiansand on April 5, 1900. After 21 days across the North Atlantic aboard the S/S Thingvalla, he arrived in New York on April 26—a date that now marks the 126th anniversary. |
 |
| Ole's Application and Naturalization Papers which shows his immigration date of April 26, 1900. July 26, 1906. |
Once in America, Ole established himself in the heart of the Norwegian community in Brooklyn. He didn’t just move to a new country; he adapted his very identity to fit his new home:
-
The Name: He was born Ole Olsen. But he later changed his name following the Norwegian patronymic tradition to Ole Lauritsen. Upon arriving in America, he kept the phonetic root but transitioned to the surname Lorensen, a change officially cemented in the 1920 Census.
-
The Craft: He didn’t abandon the skills learned from his father, Laurits. While his emigration manifest listed him as a Sagarbeider (sawmill worker), by the time of his 1906 naturalization, he was established as a Ship Carpenter. He continued this trade for decades, later appearing in records as a shipwright.
-
The Anchor: Ole arrived in New York on April 26, 1900, after departing Kristiansand aboard the S/S Thingvalla. His success acted as an anchor for the rest of the family.
Family Life in Brooklyn By the mid-1900s, Ole had established himself in the Norwegian enclave of South Brooklyn. He married Marie Elizabeth Hansen (born in Norway circa 1886) and together they began their family with two sons and a daughter:
-
Leonard Lorensen: Born Oct. 8, 1908 in New York.
-
Alice Lorensen: Born Oct. 11, 1910 in New York.
-
Hans Lorensen: Born Dec. 10, 1916 in New York.
The family resided at 74 4th Place during his naturalization in 1906, and by the time of his World War I draft registration in 1918, they had moved to 747 53rd Street. Throughout his life in Brooklyn, Ole remained dedicated to his trade, working as a shipwright and ship carpenter in the local shipyards.
While Ole’s early years and his role as the family's "anchor" in America are well-documented, his later years remained shrouded in mystery for a long time. The 1920 U.S. Census provided a poignant glimpse into a family in transition; at that time, Ole was living with his brother Jens and sister-in-law Gyda It appears the family had rallied around him following the death of his wife, Marie, just over a year earlier. However, the tragedy of Marie's death in 1918 fractured the household: while Ole and his two young sons found refuge with Jens, his daughter Alice appeared in records as a "boarder" in a separate household—a separation that continued for years.
For a long while, the trail went cold after 1920. However, a compelling lead emerged in Hempstead, Nassau County, where records appeared for an Ole Lorensen whose age and trade as a ship carpenter matched perfectly. I located a 1940 and 1950 Census for this Ole and his second wife, Frances, as well as a death index entry for February 24, 1951. While the details were a near-perfect match, the "smoking gun" connecting the Hempstead carpenter to the Brooklyn widower was still missing—until now.
Marie Lorensen’s death certificate indicated she was buried at Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn. On April 20, the cemetery office confirmed that Marie is interred in Grave #6287, Nazareth Section. Most significantly, their records show that three others share that grave—including Ole Lorensen, who was buried on February 28, 1951. This burial date, just four days after the death recorded in Hempstead, provides the definitive link. After decades of separate paths and a second life on Long Island, Ole returned to Brooklyn to be laid to rest alongside Marie.
This discovery finally accounts for the "lost" years of his life and confirms that the pioneer of the family remained in the New York area until his death at age 74.
No comments:
Post a Comment