| BOLINE REGINA ANDERSEN POULSEN KLEIN September 6, 1871 - Denmark October 4, 1977 - Oakland, CA |
| PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE INFORMATION ABOUT HER MOTHER WHICH DESCRIBES MORE OF THEIR LIFE IN DENMARK AND THE TRIP TO AMERICA The following is transcribed by me from an audio tape by Boline (Lena) Regina Andersen, my great-grandmother, with the help of the Mormon Church, of which she was a member. Listed as Regina Boline Andersen on the LDS site "familysearch.com". A truly remarkable woman, born in Vester Saaby, Denmark (26 miles from Copenhagen) on September 6, 1871 in the same home where her mother and grandmother were born, and her other 9 siblings. They had no facilities in the house but had a big water pool outside. She had a tutor her first year of school and then attended the local school, having the same man teacher for eight years. She learned, math, history, the Bible and sewing in school, which they attended every day except Sunday. She wanted to be a teacher because she loved school so. At age 5 she learned to knit and had to knit her own stockings or go barefoot. School was approximately 1/4 mile from the home which seemed very far in the snowy winter. The roads were "of white sand that glistened in the sun." She had a little sewing machine and they made thread from the flax they grew. They made their underwear, sheets and pillow cases. The flax was "the most beautiful blue". She learned to crochet and embroider very young and did so until she was in her 90's until her eye site began to fail because she had cataracts. After staying in Copenhagen for three days, Boline, her mother and the three youngest children boarded the ship for America. Aboard the ship she felt like she could see to heaven, but after they settled she describes how she was tired and sick at heart. (For more on their journey, see the "Notes" on her parents). Conditions were not satisfactory to what they left and she was too young to understand why they left and she missed her father terribly. "It made such a difference without him." The family was quarantined and she was sent to live with a family with a small baby she took care of, for 11 weeks, and to learn English. She also scrubbed floors, peeled apples, did dishes & knit stockings for the children until her arms ached. When she left, she was given 2 aprons and a pair of shoes. She returned to her mothers home, 2 rooms, but they had some furniture and all their linens and they were happy, and now her father was there (she met him at the station). She stayed with them the rest of the winter, then lived with the Merrill's who had 8 children (3 boys & 1 daughter still at home). She went to night school and did chores, took care of the children, made sure they took care of the cows and chickens, and churnedbutter which Mrs. Merrill rolled into 2 pound rolls for her son to sell for 50 cents each in his store. Boline made 50 pounds at a time and for all her work and chores she earned $1.00 per week for the 10 weeks she stayed there. Mrs. Merrill made a dress for Boline before she left, for which she was " very thankful". She was happy for anything anyone ever did for her because she did so much for others, and her money was scarce. A short time later her mother became ill and had contracted Typhoid, and she was ill for three weeks. Boline remembers the night her mother died as described: Her brother, Carl Wilbur, told Boline he didn't want dinner and only wanted to sleep. She told him he had to eat and then he could go to bed, but he only wanted to go to bed. He went to bed and within 4 hours, both her mother and brother were dead from Typhoid. Bolines sister also had Typhoid and so did Boline. She was so ill and so sad, she wanted to die. She saw her brother in his coffin and didn't want to go on. She had lost her hearing and eye sight and had partial paralysis from the medication given to her. But she thought of her Father, and all that he had been through and decided he didn't need to loose anymore family members, he had already lost 4 in 5 weeks, his wife and three youngest children. It took quite a few months before Boline was back on her feet. She had memories of a sleigh ride at Christmas when she was unable to climb into the Sleigh, falling in the snow. Her Father came around and picked her up, not speaking but understanding, and put her in the sleigh. It was a glorious ride for her and gave her the courage togo on. A short time later a shoemaker, Jacob, came to visit. He was from the "Old Country" and had been befriended by her mother because he had been here a short time, did not speak English well and had no family here. After a short courtship they were married, despite their age difference, she only 17 and he 32. On 10/01/2000 - I found the marriage record on-line - Western States Marriage Records Index Under the names of Jacob Poulsen and Rigino Boline Andersen Residence, Richmond, Utah Marriage - Logan, Cache County, Utah ID#169396 - Volumn B, Page 265 She recalled how three people close to her died in 1947 - Her sister Anna on June 4, her sister Sophie on September 1, and a niece who's name she doesn't give on June 7, but that she said she lived in L.A. Boline was a member of theMorman Church for 87 of her 106 years. At age 94, she made a tape of her life and it is a wonderful Remembrance of my Great-Grandmother. ..... Her life is very interesting and I hope future generations will appreciate all she did, all she was thankful for during her life. Hopefully we can learn from her life and have the some of the greathumor she had with life. She and I were both born in September, both Virgos. She had a beautiful sapphire ring she always said she wanted me to have "Her only September great-grand-child", however, while in the Rest Home, it was misplaced. It would have been nice to have this Heirloom, but I wouldn't trade it for the voice tape I have! She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, CA with her daughter Delta Trautner. The headstone does not mention Delta but they ARE together. It is a large headstone with the name KLEIN at the top on both front and back side. Then says BOLINE REGINA ANDERSEN POULSEN, Born Sept 6, 1871 Vest Saaby, Denmark, Died Oct. 4, 1977, Oakland, CA and In Loving Memory at the bottom. - She is in the Garden ofMeditation, Row 18, #119. It is just about 2 rows from the main road on the right side as you go in. Klein, Lena Age: 47 Year: 1920 Birthplace: Denmark Roll: T625_91 Race: White Page: 2B State: California ED: 136 County: Alameda Image: 283 Township: Oakland After the death of her husband, Theodore Klein, she moved in with her daughter, Mabel, and her family. Her daughter, Delta also moved in with them. They lived at 1010- 50th in Oakland. HOME ANDERSEN TREE INDEX JACOB-HUSBAND #1 THEODORE KLEIN - HUSBAND #2 |
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| Abt Age 18 |
| Age - 70 |