Elmer Skonning SORENSON

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Farmer
• Social Security Number: 503-42-9736 issued in SD in 1955

Notes:

Elmer’s parents were born in Denmark.

Elmer was a veteran of the first World War. He showed his birthyear as 1896 on his draft registration form. He registered on June 5, 1917 in Colman Township, Moody County, S.D. He as shown as of medium height and build with light brown hair and light blue eyes. He is married and offers as a reason to be exempt from the draft that he has a wife to support.

The family was living in Fremont Twp, Moody County, in the 1920 census. The family consisted of Elmer, 24, Agnes, 20, Daniel, 3 months, Eric Johnson, 82, father-in-law, and Herman Niederist, 24, hired man.

In the 1940 census, the family lived in Lynn Twp in the same house in which they had lived in 1935. Elmer had a seventh-grade education, Agnes an eighth-grade education, Donald had one year of college, and Lorell had finished high school.

In the 1945 state census, he lived in Lynn Twp, Moody County. He had an eighth-grade education, owned his farm, and married Agnes Holm in 1916.

Elmer married Agnes HOLM on 2 Dec 1916 in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. Agnes (daughter of John E HOLM and Ane Bergitta PEDERSEN) was born on 10 Aug 1899 in South Dakota; died on 26 Mar 1994 in Colman, Moody County, South Dakota; was buried in Colman Cemetery, Colman Twp, Moody County, South Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
married by a county judge in Sioux Falls

1. Donald L SORENSEN was born on 11 Oct 1919 in Lynn, Moody County, South Dakota; died on 17 Nov 1993.
2. Lorell L SORENSEN was born on 19 Jul 1921 in Lynn, Moody County, South Dakota; died on 14 Feb 2005 in Brookings, Brookings County, South Dakota; was buried in Colman Cemetery, Colman Twp, Moody County, South Dakota.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: farmer

Notes:

His obit claimed that he had lived in Moody County for 60 years, meaning that he would have come to the U.S. in 1887.

In the 1905 state census, he was a 47 year-old farmer in Lynn Twp, Moody County. He had been in the state for 18 years.

Soren married a woman from Denmark with many children of her own in late 1909. The family was living on a farm in Lynn, Moody County, South Dakota at the time of the 1910 census in May.

In the 1915 state census, he was a 57 year-old farmer in Lynn Twp, Moody County. His wife was Sine Nels- and he had been in the U.S. and the state for 28 years.

In the 1935 state census, he was a 77 year-old retired farmer in Lynn Twp. He claims no church affiliation. The maiden name of his wife was Sina Nelsen.

In the 1940 census, he lived alone on his farm in Lynn Twp. He was an 82 year-old widower.

In the 1945 South Dakota census, he was S K Sorenson, b. 1858 in Denmark, and living in Lynn Twp, Moody County. He had been in the U.S. for 58 years and he owned his farm. He listed his wife’s maiden name as Neilson. (His wives were sisters.)

From Denmark Baptisms:

Soren Christian Sorensen, b. 18 Sep 1857 in Hjorring to Thomas Christian Sorensen and Maren Kirstine Andersen.

Soren Sorensen, b. 14 Sep 1857 in Gosmer, Aarhus to Soren Knudsen and Ane Sophoe Rasmusdatter.

Soren Sorensen, b. 20 Sep 1857 in Domsognet, Aarhus to Anders Sorensen and Anne Marie Christensdatter.

Soren Sorensen, b. 20 Sep 1857 in Solrod, Kobenhavn to Soren Andersen and Ane Olsdatter.

None of these four match the information provided in his obit.

His obit claimed he lived in his own house until he died and was the oldest living pioneer of his community at his death.

Soren married Maren Katrina BOHL about 1880. Maren was born in Nov 1862 in Denmark; died on 24 Nov 1907 in Moody County, South Dakota; was buried in Colman Cemetery, Colman Twp, Moody County, South Dakota. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Last name shown as Nielsen in Clara’s birth record, Bohl in Elmer’s birth record. Neilson in Soren K’s 1945 census card.

According to her husband’s obit, she and he had five sons and seven daughters. The two oldest were born in Denmark.