The following is taken from a booklet that was written for Albert and Elsie’s 65th Wedding Anniversary celebrated August 14, 1983.  Their actual 65th anniversary was January 15, 1984.  The booklet was written by Vi Johnson and Kristin Peterson from information supplied by relatives.  Susan Flatau provided much of the information from the great records that she keeps.  The majority of the information from the booklet has not been modified, but more photos (and some text) has been added. 

Johann & Anna Husen -  Elsie's maternal grandparents

Johann F.W. Husen was born on February 23, 1828.  He died December 11, 1893, age 65.  Anna (Sass) Husen was born May 30, 1829, and died August 18, 1912, age 83.  They were both born in Germany and came to the United States in the spring of 1882 when they were 53 and 54 years old.  (August & Marie came with and were married aboard ship).

They stayed with Johann's brother, William Husen and his wife, Friederike (Luders) and also friends for a short time.

Johann was a shipbuilder and was offered a very good job in Hawaii to set up a shipbuilding plant, but Anna wanted to go to the United States to see their ailing son, John Husen, who was already in the U.S.  Their son John passed away in 1885.

Accounts and stories told to Grandma Elsie by her Grandmother:  

Anna's mother died shortly after she was born and her father remarried.  He was a fisherman and was away from home a lot.  Her stepmother was mean to her.  Her father died before her teens and her step-mother remarried.  Her step-parents made her work on farms and she was whipped many times.  

One farm had mean bulls and she was forced to go into the pens to feed them.  She took a darning needle and stuck it in the bull's nose if he got too close.  ​She ran away from home.  It was dark and she could hear them coming after her on horseback.  She hid in a cemetery.  She would travel by night and once heard someone coming when crossing a bridge and she jumped off.  The canal had no water in it.  

Her sister, Hannah, had also left home and Anna finally found her.  The two found work near the shipyards, possibly a cafe and this is where Anna met Johann who worked at the shipyards.  

Johann died in Perham (possibly pneumonia).  Anna lived with her daughter, Marie, and died 19 years later on the Beckman farm.

See below to continue with the BECKMAN FAMILY photos and stories.

Beckman Family (home)  -  Kinstories (home)  -  Johnson Family  -  Susag Family  -  Flatau Family   
Granquist Family  -  Anderson Family  -  Stout Family  -  Walker Family  - Peterson Family  -  Morris Family  - Cauble Family