Samuel A. M. Hansen

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43713624/samuel-a._m.-hansen

This stone provides a bit of a challenge, but we strongly believe it is for Samuel A M Hansen son of Godtfred Hansen and Ellen Marie (often would go by Marie or Mary) Olesen Hansen born in August of 1883. We think the stone is off by a year for the year of death. The obit attached suggests he died in January of 1885 while the stone is January of 1884. The article in the paper has a different day in the month, but seldom did news travel that fast in those times so I tend to think the day in January on the stone may be correct. Unfortunately given that death recordings were not required at that time, the newspapers often provided the only source for information on death especially for infants and young children. This child would have been roughly 18 months old in January of 1885 as stated in the obit.

It is possible our little guy on this stone went by his middle name or initials, as his grandfather was also Samuel, and in fact his own mother used her middle name as we frequently see not only with her but with many others. Also, significant is the fact that this stone is next to who would have been his grandmother, Godtfredsine M. Hansen. We are confident that the union of Godtfred and Ellen Marie (it is worth noting on both the children's birth records and her marriage record on the island she is listed as Ellen Marie while later in life she went by Marie or Mary) produced five children all born on Washington Island. We see on the 1900 Census five births three still living and an article on their 50th Wedding Anniversary again mentions five children born of this union and three living.

The following 5 birth records can be found for these children (I have left the transcription errors in place)

Freetjof Carl Marinus Hansen birth Oct 11, 1880 Washington, Door, Wisconsin

Samuel A.M. Haunsen birth Aug 6, 1883 Washington Island, Door, Wisconsin

Olivia Godfridsine Kristophine Hanson birth May 26, 1886 Washington Island, Door, Wisconsin

Henrietta Julianna Hanson birth Jan 14, 1889 Washington Harbor, Door, Wisconsin

Carolina Maria Hansen birth Jan 14, 1889 Washington Harbor, Door, Wisconsin

The three on the 1900 Census living would be Freetjof, Olivia and Henrietta. We can trace these three to adulthood and their burials in Racine Wisconsin. We know Samuel and Carolina would be the two that would have been lost and indicated as such on the 1900 Census. Since they passed before 1900 it is reasonable to surmise they would be buried in this cemetery given the family were residents during this time on Washington Island. The family relocated to Sheboygan and ultimately Racine sometime after 1900.

Information and research provided by Joan Young (49627605)