Looking for relatives of Gunnar Ulrik Abildgaard Nielsen

[Ingrid Nielsen]

I am an Australian daughter of Gunnar Ulrik Abildgaard Nielsen, born 25 May 1908; died 11 September 1981 in Australia. I have no information on my father beyond these details and would welcome any help or leads.

[John Wrenholt]

If this is the same person, this link may save some time:

http://www.dis-danmark.dk/forum/read.php?1,466730,665079

[Ingrid Nielsen]

If this is the same person, this link may save some time:

http://www.dis-danmark.dk/forum/read.php?1,466730,665079

Thankyou John, yes it is the same person. I was hoping to get the attention of Karen, one of the people who replied to that blog. If not, maybe I'll be lucky and find someone else who knows something...

[Kirsten Tatt]

Facebook has a person by the name Karen van Dijk Nielsen

vh Kirsten

[Lissa Pedersen]

Hi,

I found the email address of Karen in the old posting and have sent it to Ingrid. Could be that Karen still has this email.

Lissa

[Ingrid Nielsen]

Hi,

I found the email address of Karen in the old posting and have sent it to Ingrid. Could be that Karen still has this email.

Lissa

You guys are all so helpful! Thanks so much 

[John Wrenholt]

I'm not sure how  much of this information you have already. If you find it useful, the family ancestry can probably be traced back at least 2 generations more.

Gunnar's birth was registered in Sandby sogn in Maribo amt. His parents are listed as Peter Vilhelm Nielsen and Mary Alma Klinke Hansen. Their marriage is also recorded in the Sandby sogn churchbook. It shows that Peter Vilhelm was born March 9, 1878 in Nakskov. His parents are listed as Hans Christian Nielsen and Sine Hansen.  Mary Alma's birth is listed as April 24, 1881 in the village of Harpelund in Sandby sogn.  Her parents are Peter Ludwig Hansen and Kirstine Larsen Klinke. I have listed census records below which show both families.

The 1911 census hasn't been transcribed yet, but it shows Vilhelm Nielsen and his wife Mary having 4 sons: Visdy, Emanuel, Knud Ernst and Gunnar.

Birth Records:
Gunnar     1901-1918 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 27
Visdy         1901-1918 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 7
Emanuel    1901-1918 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 10
Knud Ernst   1901-1918 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 16
Mary Alma   1872-1891 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 86
Peter Vilhelm 1870-1882 Nakskov Skt Nikolaj, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 54

Marriage Records:
Peter Vilhelm Nielsen & Mary Alma Klinke Hansen  1892-1900 Sandby, Lolland Nørre, Maribo ops 177

Census Records:
1911 (Yet to be transcribed)  ops 33

Maribo, Lollands Nørre, Nakskov Købstad, Nakskov Købstad, Lolland nørre herred, , Oxebæksvej 613, 1, FT-1880
Hans Christian Nielsen 30  Gift avlsbruger, husfader  Branderslev Sogn, Maribo Amt
Sine Nielsen født Hansen 21  Gift husmoder, hans hustru  Vestenskov Sogn, Maribo Amt
Peter Vilhelm Nielsen 1  Ugift deres barn  Her i Sognet
Dagmar Marie Hansen 6  Ugift datter af husmand Hans Iversen, Sandby  Her i Sognet

Maribo, Lollands Nørre, Sandby, Harpelunde by, Sandby sogn, , , 7, FT-1890
1. Peter Ludvig Hansen 69  Gift Husfader Skræder Harpelunde, Maribo amt
2. Kirstine Klinke 52  Gift Husmoder Skræder Nordlunde, Maribo amt
3. Karoline Amalie Bertelsen 17  Ugift Datter - Nordlunde, Maribo amt
4. Mary Alma Klinka Hansen 8  Ugift Datter - Harpelunde, Maribo amt

[Jane C]

What wonderful research, John.

Inger, was he a seaman? Maybe you don't know....Here's a Gunner Nielsen (manifest attached), age 17, a seaman aboard a ship named Bolivia departing Melbourne, Australia, arriving San Francisco, USA 23 July 1926. In my quick search I don't see any other immigration record that can be your father.

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[Lissa Pedersen]

As I think that Ingrid will be sleeping now, I can add a bit of information that she gave me in an email:

"My understanding is that my father travelled by boat to the US around 1920, working as a cook on a ship".

Lissa

[Jane C]

I can't read this Gunner's job title, but the person above him on this list of ship's crew is  a cook.

[Homer Ficken]

I can't read this Gunner's job title, but the person above him on this list of ship's crew is  a cook.

Jane, it says DO [ditto] so he was also a cook, and I believe you found his trip to USA.

[Jane C]

A Gunner Nielsen age 17 departs Copenhagen and arrives New York 09 FEB 1926.
Working as a galley boy (cook's helper). Ship's name: United States.

Record attached.

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[Jane C]

A Gunnar Nielsen, 18, working as a messman (cook's helper) aboard the ship Nordamerika.
Port of Departure: Santa Lucia, Cuba
Port of Arrival: New York.
27 Mar 1927

All these records describe Gunner as "Scandinavian."

There are many records for him aboard ships.

[Lissa Pedersen]

I'm sure that Ingrid will be happy, when she sees this.

Lissa

[Jane C]

Yeah!   

We can guess he had a spirit of adventure.

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[Jane C]

Gunnar Nielsen age 18 depart Copenhagen, arrives New York on the ship United States
10 FEB 1927
New York card

Now I found the actual ship's manifest listing crew: he is a cabin boy.

A small man in all the records, in this record he is under 5 feet.

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[Jane C]

24 MARCH 1926 arrive New York
Port of Departure: Copenhagen (12 March)
Gunnar Nielsen, 17, galley boy (works in kitchen)
aboard the ship United States

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[Jane C]

04 AUG 1926 arrive New York
Port of departure: Copenhagen (July 23)
Gunnar Nielsen age 17
Cabin boy
aboard the ship United States

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[Jane C]

Gunnar's Death Record

Name: Gunnar Ulrie Abi Nielsen
Death Place: Ballarat, Victoria
Age: 73
Father's Name: Willia Peter
Mother's name: MA Hansen
Registration Year: 1981
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 21246
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1908

I hope the connection can be made with Gunnar's other children. And that seems likely. 

[Jane C]

The earliest record yet - from West Coast of USA to Hawaii

Gunnar Nielsen age 17, Danish
Depart Tacoma, Washington, USA
aboard the ship Bolivia
Arrive Honolulu, Hawaii
26 DECEMBER 1925
working as a pantry boy
5 feet 8 inches, 135 pounds

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[Ingrid Nielsen]

The earliest record yet - from West Coast of USA to Hawaii

Gunnar Nielsen age 17, Danish
Depart Tacoma, Washington, USA
aboard the ship Bolivia
Arrive Honolulu, Hawaii
26 DECEMBER 1925
working as a pantry boy
5 feet 8 inches, 135 pounds

Well I am just totally blown away by all this help and all this information. Everything here matches the snippets of information I had about him, and pieces it all together. I can't thank you all enough for your help 

[Jane C]

Hurrah!  

Here are two maps that show where Sandby sogn is, in Lolland Nørre herred, in Maribo amt, Denmark. It is on the northwest coast of the island of Lolland.

A link with a photo of the church where your father was baptised:

http://www.lfstift.dk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174&Itemid=161

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[Lissa Pedersen]

Hi Ingrid,

I'm just curious - did your father ever have any contact back to Denmark with parents, siblings etc. after having settled in Australia?

Lissa

[Jane C]

From the discussion in the link John posted, it seems Gunnar had at least one brother who had some news of him.

14/06-10
Karen  Van Dijk Nielsen's far Gunnar Ulrik Abildgaard Nielsen er født 25 maj 1908 i Sandby sogn på Lolland opslag 27.
Jeg har talt med denne Gunnars bror på 88 år, som nævner, at hans bror var konditor og sejlede som hovmester.
Ellie født 1957 har beskrevet sin far som bager.
Karen født 1959 kender ikke Ellie.
Men de kan være halvsøstre.
Jeg afventer at få kontakt med Ellies danske bekendt.
Ellies danske bekendt har nu været en måned nede hos Ellie i Australien. Og det gav en lidt anden historie. Ellie er kun steddatter af Gunnar, men har 3 yngre søskende, som Gunnar er far til. Disse børn ved Karen godt eksisterer, men har ikke mødt dem.
Hilsen
Hanne Bjørn

Did anyone write to Hanne?

[Lissa Pedersen]

No, haven't contacted Hanne, but I have her phone number and have left a message.

Lissa

[Jane C]

Yeah!

Ingrid, do you have a photo of your father? If not, then maybe one of these relatives will have photos. In my own family history, a photo always makes the person more real and close, it seems. Maybe it's not so important to others. It would be to me. So that would be something to ask this brother, and hoping he is still well and reachable.

[Lissa Pedersen]

Hi,

I have just talked to a daughter of one of Gunnar's brothers - one who is not mentioned above, Raymond Abildgaard Nielsen, born 1913. I will send her email address to Ingrid. She told me a bit about Gunnar  and his wife and 2 daughters' (June and Barbara) stay in Denmark around 1948-1949, where they lived in Bandholm, and she has been/is a bit in contact with June. Moreover I have also talked to a son of Knud Ernst Abildgaard Nielsen mentioned above.

Lissa

[Hanne Bjørn]

Sorry I have not been in here for some dayes so I have not seen Ingrid´s posting.
But she has found Karen and me.
Her father´s last brother died last year.
It look like her halvsister did not tell about what we sent for her earlier.
regards
Hanne

[Jane C]

I am happy to hear the connection is made and so glad for Ingrid.

Hanne and Lissa - You guys are amazing.

[Ingrid Nielsen]

Loving that link to the church website! Thanks