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Iva Mae <I>Aldrich</I> Christiansen

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Iva Mae Aldrich Christiansen

Birth
Nebraska, USA
Death
22 Sep 1917 (aged 31)
Salem, Marion County, Oregon, USA
Burial
Salem, Marion County, Oregon, USA Add to Map
Plot
44
Memorial ID
View Source
Iva Mae Christiansen's cremated remains were not initially taken after her death for years were available at Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2020 her ashes were claimed by a relative.

She was born in Nebraska on 4/7/1886. Her parents were Sarah Jane "Sadie" Young (born in 1855 in Iowa) and Charles M. Aldrich (about 1856 in Ohio). Sadie & Charles were married on 12/25/1877 at the Presbyterian Church in Onslow County, Iowa. Their children included: Jessie Ruth (born in 1878), Orville Kenton (1880), Myrtle (1881), John Dennis (1884), Iva Mae (1886), and Marguay (1890). Jessie was born in Iowa, but the other children were born in Nebraska.

During the 1880 & 1885 censuses, before Iva was born, her parents and older siblings were living in Antelope, Harlan County, Nebraska where her father was farming. At some point between 1885 and 1890, Iva’s father died or left the family.

About 1896, Iva’s mother married Edward A. Shaw, an attorney who was born in Iowa in 1843. Iva’s half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage were Bessie (born in 1896) and Eleanor Augusta (1899). In all, Iva’s mother had 12 children, with 8 being alive in 1910. Not all the surviving children have yet been identified.

At the time of the 1900 census, Iva was 14, listed in Omaha, Nebraska with her mother, step-father, and 4 of her 7 living siblings (Myrtle, Marguay, Bessie and Eleanor). Iva’s sister Myrtle died in 1901 when she was about 20.

By 1900 Iva’s brothers, Orville and John had moved to the Pacific Northwest. During that census (1900), Orville was a farm laborer in Kiona, Yakima County, Washington where he was living with his wife Maude, and his son Frank, the first of his 6 children. The children who were born later were Walter, Chester, Velma, Jessie, & Lloyd.

At the same time (1900) Iva’s brother John Aldrich, a young teenager, was working as a farmhand in Lane County, Oregon. John moved to eastern Oregon before 1910, married Mae Lippe in 1923, and they had two children: Myrtle and Leslie.

Meanwhile in 1900 Iva’s sister Jessie (Aldrich) Letze was living in Iowa with her husband John Letze who she married on 3/9/1898 in Omaha. Their only child was Marietta was born in Iowa about 1899. Jessie died on 10/26/1905 and was buried at Scotch Grove Cemetery in Jones County, Iowa.

Iva was listed in the Omaha city directory in 1906 as a bookbinder and in 1907 as a domestic, but by March 1908 she was living in Lane County, Oregon where her brother John had been living there by 1900 and her brother Orville was living by 1905 at the age of 27.

On 9/7/1910, Iva married Hans Hjalmar (aka Elmer) Christiansen in Portland Oregon. He was born in Denmark in 1884 and immigrated to the US in 1906 and arrived in Oregon in December 1907. After they had been married a month Hjalmar struck her and shortly before Christmas he abandoned her. In February 1911 she was granted a divorced when she alleged cruel and inhuman treatment. On 3/28/1912 Iva married Hjalmar again in Oregon. Iva had 3 children (all born in Oregon): Lucile (born 9/5/1908), Harold (1/4/1914) and Louise (in 1915). Given her birthdate it is unclear whether Lucile was adopted or was born to Iva and/or Hjalmar before their first marriage.

Iva & Hjalmar were listed in the Portland city directory in 1913-1917. In February 1914 Hjalmar began the paperwork necessary to become a US citizen. At that time Iva & Hjalmar were living at 989 Glenn Avenue in Portland. His citizenship was granted in May 1914. In February 1917, they were listed in the newspaper as one of the families who were behind in paying their taxes. Hjalmar was a foreman/manager of a business called Expert Window Cleaning.

On 3/27/1917 at the age of 30, Iva was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem, Oregon for the treatment of people with mental illness. She lived at the institution for almost 6 months. On 9/22/1917 she died there of “apoplexy," bleeding within internal organs. Her death certificate says a contributing factor was "insanity."

By 1918 and during the census of 1920, the children were living with their maternal grandmother Sarah Shaw and aunts Bessie & Eleanor in Omaha, Nebraska. In September 1918, Hjalmar was a seaman based in Boston, Massachusetts, working in the shipping industry “up and down the Atlantic coast.” He named his daughter Lucile in Omaha as his emergency contact person. That was an unusual choice since Lucile was just 10 years old. It is not known what became of Lucile after 1920. In 1942 Hjalmar was living in Baltimore, Maryland and working as a seaman for a shipping company. He died in New York in December 1962.

Iva’s sister Eleanor married Walton Meyer in Iowa in 1924. They had two children: Marsha and David. Eleanor died in February 1984 in Nebraska. Although Eleanor (Shaw) Meyer and her family stayed in Omaha, by 1930 Iva’s mother and sister Bessie moved from Omaha to Seattle, Washington with at least two of Iva’s children, Harold and Louise.

In 1930 Harold was living with his maternal grandmother in Seattle. He died on 4/2/1938 at Fort Steilacoom, Washington, the site of Western State (Psychiatric) Hospital. It is assumed Harold was a patient when he died there at the age of 24. No indication has been found that he ever married or had children. Iva's mother died in Seattle in 1952.

During the 1930 census, Iva's daughter Louise was living in Seattle with her aunt Bessie who had married Arthur W. Boulton. Bessie & Arthur had at least two children: John G. & Eleanor J Boulton. Iva’s sister Bessie (Shaw) Boulton died in Seattle on 10/20/1967.

On 8/24/1933 Iva’s daughter Louise married John Emmett Austin in Seattle. They were living together in Seattle during the 1940 census. They never had children. They divorced before 1942 and she married Paul E. Hansen. Louise died in California in 1995. It is believed Louise & Paul never had children. In fact no records have been found that indicate Iva had any grandchildren. Her only living relatives appear to be descendants of her siblings.

Iva’s brothers, Orville and John Aldrich who seem to have been the inspirations for many in the family to move to the Pacific Northwest spent all their adult lives in Oregon. Orville died in McMinnville, Oregon in 1964 and John died in Portland in 1967. Both were survived by children and grandchildren.

More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.
Iva Mae Christiansen's cremated remains were not initially taken after her death for years were available at Oregon State Hospital to be claimed by anyone who is related. In 2020 her ashes were claimed by a relative.

She was born in Nebraska on 4/7/1886. Her parents were Sarah Jane "Sadie" Young (born in 1855 in Iowa) and Charles M. Aldrich (about 1856 in Ohio). Sadie & Charles were married on 12/25/1877 at the Presbyterian Church in Onslow County, Iowa. Their children included: Jessie Ruth (born in 1878), Orville Kenton (1880), Myrtle (1881), John Dennis (1884), Iva Mae (1886), and Marguay (1890). Jessie was born in Iowa, but the other children were born in Nebraska.

During the 1880 & 1885 censuses, before Iva was born, her parents and older siblings were living in Antelope, Harlan County, Nebraska where her father was farming. At some point between 1885 and 1890, Iva’s father died or left the family.

About 1896, Iva’s mother married Edward A. Shaw, an attorney who was born in Iowa in 1843. Iva’s half-siblings from her mother’s second marriage were Bessie (born in 1896) and Eleanor Augusta (1899). In all, Iva’s mother had 12 children, with 8 being alive in 1910. Not all the surviving children have yet been identified.

At the time of the 1900 census, Iva was 14, listed in Omaha, Nebraska with her mother, step-father, and 4 of her 7 living siblings (Myrtle, Marguay, Bessie and Eleanor). Iva’s sister Myrtle died in 1901 when she was about 20.

By 1900 Iva’s brothers, Orville and John had moved to the Pacific Northwest. During that census (1900), Orville was a farm laborer in Kiona, Yakima County, Washington where he was living with his wife Maude, and his son Frank, the first of his 6 children. The children who were born later were Walter, Chester, Velma, Jessie, & Lloyd.

At the same time (1900) Iva’s brother John Aldrich, a young teenager, was working as a farmhand in Lane County, Oregon. John moved to eastern Oregon before 1910, married Mae Lippe in 1923, and they had two children: Myrtle and Leslie.

Meanwhile in 1900 Iva’s sister Jessie (Aldrich) Letze was living in Iowa with her husband John Letze who she married on 3/9/1898 in Omaha. Their only child was Marietta was born in Iowa about 1899. Jessie died on 10/26/1905 and was buried at Scotch Grove Cemetery in Jones County, Iowa.

Iva was listed in the Omaha city directory in 1906 as a bookbinder and in 1907 as a domestic, but by March 1908 she was living in Lane County, Oregon where her brother John had been living there by 1900 and her brother Orville was living by 1905 at the age of 27.

On 9/7/1910, Iva married Hans Hjalmar (aka Elmer) Christiansen in Portland Oregon. He was born in Denmark in 1884 and immigrated to the US in 1906 and arrived in Oregon in December 1907. After they had been married a month Hjalmar struck her and shortly before Christmas he abandoned her. In February 1911 she was granted a divorced when she alleged cruel and inhuman treatment. On 3/28/1912 Iva married Hjalmar again in Oregon. Iva had 3 children (all born in Oregon): Lucile (born 9/5/1908), Harold (1/4/1914) and Louise (in 1915). Given her birthdate it is unclear whether Lucile was adopted or was born to Iva and/or Hjalmar before their first marriage.

Iva & Hjalmar were listed in the Portland city directory in 1913-1917. In February 1914 Hjalmar began the paperwork necessary to become a US citizen. At that time Iva & Hjalmar were living at 989 Glenn Avenue in Portland. His citizenship was granted in May 1914. In February 1917, they were listed in the newspaper as one of the families who were behind in paying their taxes. Hjalmar was a foreman/manager of a business called Expert Window Cleaning.

On 3/27/1917 at the age of 30, Iva was admitted to the Oregon State Hospital, a residential facility in Salem, Oregon for the treatment of people with mental illness. She lived at the institution for almost 6 months. On 9/22/1917 she died there of “apoplexy," bleeding within internal organs. Her death certificate says a contributing factor was "insanity."

By 1918 and during the census of 1920, the children were living with their maternal grandmother Sarah Shaw and aunts Bessie & Eleanor in Omaha, Nebraska. In September 1918, Hjalmar was a seaman based in Boston, Massachusetts, working in the shipping industry “up and down the Atlantic coast.” He named his daughter Lucile in Omaha as his emergency contact person. That was an unusual choice since Lucile was just 10 years old. It is not known what became of Lucile after 1920. In 1942 Hjalmar was living in Baltimore, Maryland and working as a seaman for a shipping company. He died in New York in December 1962.

Iva’s sister Eleanor married Walton Meyer in Iowa in 1924. They had two children: Marsha and David. Eleanor died in February 1984 in Nebraska. Although Eleanor (Shaw) Meyer and her family stayed in Omaha, by 1930 Iva’s mother and sister Bessie moved from Omaha to Seattle, Washington with at least two of Iva’s children, Harold and Louise.

In 1930 Harold was living with his maternal grandmother in Seattle. He died on 4/2/1938 at Fort Steilacoom, Washington, the site of Western State (Psychiatric) Hospital. It is assumed Harold was a patient when he died there at the age of 24. No indication has been found that he ever married or had children. Iva's mother died in Seattle in 1952.

During the 1930 census, Iva's daughter Louise was living in Seattle with her aunt Bessie who had married Arthur W. Boulton. Bessie & Arthur had at least two children: John G. & Eleanor J Boulton. Iva’s sister Bessie (Shaw) Boulton died in Seattle on 10/20/1967.

On 8/24/1933 Iva’s daughter Louise married John Emmett Austin in Seattle. They were living together in Seattle during the 1940 census. They never had children. They divorced before 1942 and she married Paul E. Hansen. Louise died in California in 1995. It is believed Louise & Paul never had children. In fact no records have been found that indicate Iva had any grandchildren. Her only living relatives appear to be descendants of her siblings.

Iva’s brothers, Orville and John Aldrich who seem to have been the inspirations for many in the family to move to the Pacific Northwest spent all their adult lives in Oregon. Orville died in McMinnville, Oregon in 1964 and John died in Portland in 1967. Both were survived by children and grandchildren.

More information about the 3500 unclaimed cremains at OSH is available at http://www.oregon.gov/oha/amh/osh/pages/cremains.aspx A book by David Maisel and a documentary by Ondi Timoner & Robert James, both entitled "Library of Dust" also provide more information.

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