Jens Christen Christensen (John K. Hammer) ¹²

   Another name for Jens was John K. Hammer.

  General Notes:

When Jens Christen Christensen came to the United States, he took the name of John K. Hammer.

A DESCRIPTION OF JOHN K. HAMMER BY HIS SON, FRED

Of average height and slender, John resembled and inherited many of the traits of his father, Peter. Although he had only the equivalent of a fourth grade education, his penmanship and grasp of arithmetic were remarkable. He was like the proverbial Jack-of-all-trades - able to perform well at almost anything he undertook but excelled at "finish" carpentry.

One carpentry job he had was to make a wooden x-ray table for a doctor's office. It had to be really solid, made of hardwood, with no metal in it. That meant no nails or screws. It was a beautiful piece of work. John loved tools. He didn't have just one hammer - he had six of them. He would contract with the small country schools to reroof the buildings and paint them in the summertime. John's son, Fred, spent a lot of time working with his father and learning the trade. Twice, John had bad falls off a roof - once in Nebraska and once in Michigan. In Michigan, he was working on scaffolding putting edge row of shingles on. The scaffolding broke and he fell two and a half stories. He was badly injured.

John's ingenuity was exemplified by the time he made him a baseball bat for his son, Fred. He took the wheel off the old model-T Ford. He pounded a nail into the barn wall and cut the head off. He fastened a stick of hardwood between this and the car axle, making a crude lathe. Then, with the wood turning, he used his chisels to fashion the bat. Fred said he was pretty little, and the bat was so heavy he could hardly swing it! John wanted Fred to be a pitcher, so he would catch for him and let him practice his pitching. John coached a baseball team in Elba, Nebraska. Although not by nature a warm, loving man, John demonstrated his love for his children through playing games and music with them and by teaching them the skills and crafts he had developed.

John enjoyed hunting, fishing, playing cards and pool. John was an excellent marksman. He had gotten Fred a .410 and they were out pheasant hunting. They had been walking for quite awhile, and the birds must have been moving in front of them. Suddenly, a whole flock burst into the air. John had a five-shot shotgun, and he shot four birds with the five shots.

He loved music and, having taught himself to read music, played several instruments in the town band and for dances. He passed along his love for music to his children and insisted Curtis and Dorothy take piano lessons and play instruments in school.

He had become very interested in the Independent Order of Odd Fellow (IOOF) in Nebraska, attaining a high order, and continued that interest in Michigan.
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Later in life, his father had very bad varicose veins in his legs. He had several strokes which left him pretty much an invalid. He had weeping sores on his legs which had to have the dressings on them changed regularly. His wife cared for him night and day the last couple of years. Fred said his father wasn't a very good patient. He was very frustrated at being dependent on others and having to be cared for.

Jan 3, 1920 Census, shows John employed as a machinists at an automotive garage

  Noted events in his life were:

• immigrated to U.S.: Denmark To Nebraska, 1883. ¹³ Peder, his wife and two children, Jens and Anna Christina, came to the US in 1883. The ship they were on was carrying a cargo of matches, an export Denmark was well known for, and the ship caught fire and burned at sea. The passengers were transferred to another ship. On arriving in the United States, they travelled to Riverton, Nebraska, where Pedar's older brother, Christen, met them and drove them to a 40-acre homestead five miles southwest of the village of Upland, Franklin county, Nebraska, which adjoined the homestead Christen had purchased a few years earlier. Christen had built a dugout home and Pedar and his family lived with him in the dugout during their first winter in the U. S. All they had to burn that first winter was corn silk and sunflowers. Someone had to sit by the stove and feed it continuously in order to keep the fire going. In the spring of 1884, Pedar built a dugout home on his own land and moved his family into it. While Pedar farmed, Dorthe boarded workers building the first railroad through Upland from Blue Hill to Holdrege, Nebraska. This was a difficult period for the family and the children worked with their parents to make ends meet but nonetheless were able to attain some education at a nearby country school.

• Bought poolhall, bowling alley, Abt 1900, Elba, Howard, Nebraska, USA. ¹³ John, although raised on the family farm, had never liked farming and left for city life as soon as he could. With his parents' help, he purchased a bowling alley and pool hall in Elba, Nebraska, and operated them for several years.

• married to Nora M. Welsh, 24 Jan 1907, St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska. ¹⁴ "Miss Nora Welsh and John Hammer went to St. Paul Thursday morning on important business, taking Rev. William Tooley with them. They tarried in town for a short time to give Mr. Hammer time to visit his honor, Judge Smith, and then the party drove out to the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Hoganson, east of town, the latter being a sister of Mr. Hammer. Everything being in readiness, Miss Welsh and Mr. Hammer were joined in wedlock, Rev. Tooley pronouncing the words that made them man and wife. The newly wedded couple visited friends and relatives in St. Paul and vicinity until Saturday afternoon, when they returned to Elba, where they will make their home in future. They will reside with the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Welsh, until spring, when they will move into the house now occupied by John Clark. The bride is well and favorably known, having lived here all her life, and the groom is one of our businessmen, running the bowling alley and pool hall, and is well liked by all his associates. We extend our heartiest congratulations, and wish them a full measure of joy, happiness and prosperity." ( newspaper clipping with the handwritten note of Jan. 24, 1907 in Nora Hammer's scrapbook).

• lived in Elba, 1907-1912, Elba, Howard, Nebraska, USA.

• Sold business, 1908, Elba, Howard, Nebraska, USA. "Elba: Another of our business houses changed hands this week. John Hammer sold his pool hall business Monday, C. E. Beliel of North Loup being the purchaser."

• moved to Upland, Nebraska, 1912, Upland, Franklin Co., Nebraska. ¹³ When his father, Peter, died in 1912, John, with his family returned to the family homestead near Upland to help his mother operate it.

• moved to Michigan, 1913, Tuscola Co., Michigan. ¹³ When his father, Peter, died in 1912, John, with his family, returned to the family homestead near Upland to help his mother operate it. Set in her old country ways, Dorthe made living there intolerable for Nora and the children so, in 1913, John and his family left to join her relatives in Michigan. They first resided in a Millington apartment and later on the Fred Welsh farm southeast of Vassar while John worked at carpentry with his brothers-in-law, Fred and Glenn Wlesh.

• returned to Nebraska, 1914, Franklin Co., Nebraska. ¹³ Late in 1914, Dorthe became critically ill and John and his family returned to the farm near Upland to take care of her. When Dorthe died in November, 1915, John and family stayed on the farm for two years; then sold it and moved to Upland. There, John worked at carpentry, painting and paper-hanging for several years. His youngest son, Frederick Cleon, was born there 18 May 1919 and the two older children attended school, graduating from Upland High School in 1927 and 1928 respectively.

• moved into Upland, 1917, Upland, Franklin Co., Nebraska. After they sold the farm they moved into town.

• moved to Michigan, 1928, Tuscola Co., Michigan. ¹³ Nora and her youngest son returned to Michigan early in 1928 because of her mother's illness. John and the two older children followed in October, 1928, and the reunited family lived in the Crampton house near the Welsh farm for several years. John worked at carpentry and painting during the warm months and at the Vassar Pool hall winters.

• Resided at: Tuscola Co., Michigan in Vassar Twp., 14 Apr 1930. The family lived next door to Nora's brother, Fred V. Welsh and family and also her parents.

• moved into Vassar, 1933, Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan. He and his family moved into the town of Vassar around 1933 and he resided there the rest of his life.

• Citizenship, 8 May 1939, Tuscola Co., Michigan. ¹⁵ "Fifteen Given Citizenship as May Term Opens"
Of the 22 naturalization petitions heard by the Tuscola county circuit court and Examiner Joseph A. Cushman Monday, the opening day of the May term, only seven failed to be granted. The names of the 15 residents granted citizenship papers are as follows: .....John K. Hammer, Vassar.

• Stroke, partial paralysis, 1939, Tuscola Co., Michigan. In 1939 he suffered a stroke and partial paralysis and was cared for by his wife and family in Vassar until his death.

• Visited friends and relatives, 1942, Upland, Franklin Co., Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Petrie (Dorothy Hammer) of Flint, Mich., and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Hammer of Vassar, Mich., came last week for a visit with relatives and friends. The family left here fourteen years ago. Mr. Hammer is quite poorly. Mrs. Petrie is Superintendent of nurses at the Hurley hospital in Flint, and Mr. Petrie is emplyed at the Chevrolet plant. They report that their sons, Curtis and Cleon Hammer are fine and working every day. Mr. and Mrs. Petrie are spending a few days this week in Denver and Mr. and Mrs. Hammer are with Chas. Bjorklun and Edith Bjorklun. Mr. and Mrs. John Hammer were dinner guests in the J. H.Petersen home Tuesday.

Jens married Nora Magdalene Welsh, daughter of Fredrick Welsh and Mary Magdalene Svoboda, on 24 Jan 1907 in St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska.¹¹ (Nora Magdalene Welsh was born on 27 Feb 1887 in Cotesfield, Howard, Nebraska, USA,³ died on 17 Jun 1969 in Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan ⁸ and was buried on 20 Jun 1969 in Riverside Cem., Vassar, Tuscola Co., Michigan.)