Thomas Smith 1844-1915

SMITH, SCHMIDT, CHRISTIANSEN, SOLOMONSEN, SOLOMON, SALOMON, MADSEN

Posted By: Elizabeth McFarling (email)
Date: 5/13/2010 at 01:26:52

On December 10, 1844, Thomas Jensen Schmidt was born in Denmark. Times were hard, so at 27 Thomas, a landman (or farmer), chose to leaave -Slesvig in April 1872. Thomas traveled to New York City on an indirekte passsage, meaning the ship sailed to other ports rather than directly from Copenhagen, Denmark, to New York City, New York. Still unmarried in June of 1880, Thomas Smith was a crew member of a steamer ship in New Orleans, LA.

Thomas married Maren Soffie Christiansen. Soffie was born February 14, 1853, in Ollerup, Svendborg on the island of Fyn. Soffie emigrated in 1880. The couple homesteaded about one mile north of Kimbalton, Iowa, and eventually they owned 200 acres.

Together Thomas and Soffie raised three children: Anna Margaretha born October 3, 1881, near Kimbalton, Iowa; Jens "Jim" Christen born September 26, 1883, near Kimbalton, Iowa; and Christian "Chris" Thomsen born June 21, 1888, near Kimbalton, Iowa. Maps indicate a school was located on the northwestern corner of the property. The three children must have attended that school. A hand written paper still in the family's possession displays Anna's beautiful, perfect cursive handwriting. In 1920 Jens (J.C. Smith) was the enumerator for the U.S. census in the Sharon township in Audubon County. Both Jim and Chris were farmers.

Anna married Danish immigrant Peder Andersen Salomonsen (Peter Solomon or Pete Salomon) in 1899. Later they moved to Ruby Valley, Virginia City, and finally settled permanently on a farm south of Polson in Montana. More details are recorded in "In The Shadows of the Missions".

Jim married Danish immigrnat Mary (Marie?) Madsen. They raised two children and cared for her aging parents, Carl and Marie Madsen. Their Highland Home and 80 acres were located near Thomas and Soffie Smith's homestead.

Chris became the head of the household when Thomas died on March 29, 1915. He had the honor of providing and caring for his mother, Soffie, which he did until her death on September 25, 1925.

Thomas and Soffie Smith had a Lutheran church affiliation and are buried in Bethany Lutheran Cemetery near their small grandson, Alfred Marian Solomon.