* Affectionately known as "GrosPapa" to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren

* With a team of horses and wagon Henry hauled wood from Columbus, Nebraska to Madison, Nebraska that was used in building the Trinity United Methodist Church in Madison that later burned in 1949.

* Henry also hauled bricks for use in building the St Leonard's Catholic Church in Madison, Nebraska. 

Interesting happenings on the Henry Petersen farm ~

A) - The first Madison County Fair was held there.

The first official County Fair began in 1882. The site of the first fairgrounds was the Pete Barnes land, which was later bought by Henry Petersen. The meadow on the farm is located one-fourth mile northeast of town which is currently across the road east of the Madison County Courthouse (2020). There were no buildings to shelter or protect the exhibits. Tents served that purpose. Ropes were used for fencing.

B) - Planes used a meadow as a landing strip in the 1930's and 40's. 

C) - The state corn picking contest was held there October 31, 1938.

State Cornhusker Contest Attracted 20,000.

The irrigated farm of Andrew Petersen, son of Henry Petersen, located at the north edge of Madison was the site for the State Cornhusking contest on Monday, October 31, 1938.

Radio station WJAG at Norfolk on a wave band of 1060 kilocycles broadcast the event for those who were unable to attend. Farmers in every section near Madison provided teams and wagons for the event. Corn in the field was of the Funk's hybrid variety furnished by the J.C. Robinson Seed Company of Waterloo, Nebraska. Corn was removed from the field to make lanes for the huskers. Eighty gleaners were needed for the cornhusking contest.

What is the job of a gleaner? The gleaner's job is to follow the husker with corresponding number and gather the ears missed by the husker. In addition the gleaner is to pick up the ears that failed to drop into the wagon as the husker hurled the ear of corn.

A crew of men painted the buildings on the Andrew Petersen farm. To care for the huge amount of cars using the roads leading into Madison, more than 200 deputized officers handled the traffic. The Madison committee was commended for conducting the best event of the kind ever held in Nebraska. An estimated 6,000 cars were parked without traffic trouble of any kind.

D) - Also, several tornadoes hit the farm, destroying barns, and a complete grove of trees which were replaced and are still there today (1992).

E) - One tornado carried Harold Seiler through the air, fortunately he landed unhurt. He was working there at the time.

F) - A tornado also destroyed an apple orchard. 

Information about Henry

Henry Petersen was born in Schleswig – Holstein, Denmark in 1860 and came to America in 1876. While aboard the ship he played the accordion for the dancers en-route to the United States. (Note Here ~ In 1866, Schleswig-Holstein, Demark annexation occurred and became a Prussian province. Annexation is a formal act whereby a state proclaims its sovereignty over territory hitherto outside its domain).

When Henry first came to Madison he worked for Peter Barnes on his farm north of Madison, Nebraska. Henry couldn't talk English and Pete couldn't talk German, but Henry said they got along just fine. Henry didn't have any money, but he told Pete that someday he was going to own that farm and he did buy it in 1911. In the current day of the year of 2020 the land is across the road from the Countryside Home Skilled Nursing & Assisted Living in Madison.

Henry and his wife, Catharine, sent money to Europe for Hans and Lena (Perry/Perri) Ketelsen to immigrate to the United States with destination of Madison, Nebraska. Hans Ketelsen was a brother to Catharine.

Henry and Catherine move to town (Madison, Nebraska) in 1937 and lived with their daughter, Tillie Dopson.

1876

Heinr [Henry] Petersen in the Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934

Gender ~ männlich (Male)

Departure Age ~ 16

Birth Date ~ abt 1860

Residence Place ~ Bohmstedt, Schleswig

Departure Date ~ 20 Sep 1876

Departure Place ~ Hamburg, Deutschland (Germany)

Arrival Place ~ New York

Relationship ~ Kind ( Child )

Ship Name ~ Wieland

Captain ~ Hebich

Shipping Clerk ~ Aug. Bolten Wm. Miller's Nachfolger

Shipping Line ~ Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft

Ship Type ~ Dampfschiff

Ship Flag ~ Deutschland

Accommodation~ Zwischendeck

Volume ~ 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 033 D

Petersen Household Members =

# 111 - Andreas Petersen ~ Head Male 58

# 112 - Dorothea Petersen ~ Daughter Female 19

# 113 - Heinr Petersen ~ Son Male 16

# 114 - Paul Martensen ~Grandson Male 9 ( Under, Age 10 )

Note ~ Paul Martensen mother is Anna Christina Petersen, first born daughter to Andreas and Dorathea {Henningsen} Petersen .

1876

Heinrich Petersen in the New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957

Arrival Date ~ 4 Oct 1876

Age ~ 16

Birth Date ~ abt 1860

Gender ~ Male

Ethnicity/ Nationality ~ German

Place of Origin ~ Germany

Port of Departure ~ Hamburg, Germany

Destination ~ USA

Port of Arrival ~ New York, New York, USA

Ship Name ~ Wieland

1880

Henry Peterson in the 1880 United States Federal Census as of June 1, 1880

Home in 1880 ~ Union Creek Precinct, Madison County, Nebraska

Enumeration Date ~ June 26, 1880

Race & Gender ~ White and Male

Age ~ 22

Birth Date ~ Abt 1858

Birthplace ~ Prussia

Parent's Birthplace ~ Both in Prussia

Occupation ~ Laborer

Barnes Household Members =

Peter Barnes ~ Head Male New York 45 NewYork NewYork / Farmer

Minetta [Monetta] Barnes ~ Wife Female Iowa 25 NewJersey NewYork

Welling Barnes ~ Son Male Nebraska 7 NewYork Iowa

Maria Barnes ~ Daughter Female Nebraska 6 NewYork Iowa

Margeret Barnes ~ Daughter Female Nebraska 1 NewYork Iowa

Henry Peterson ~ Boarder Male Prussia 22 Prussia Prussia / Laborer

1880

Peter Barnes and Henry Peterson in the U.S. Selected Federal Census Non-Population Agricultural Schedules Information for 1880

Peter Barnes ~ Owner 105 (Tilled) 5 (Woodland/Forest) 210 (Other UnImproved Of Farm including Land, Fence and Buildings) $4,000 (Of Farm, Including Land, Fences, & Buildings) $320 (Of farming implements and machinery) $2,135 (Of Live Stock)

$30 (Cost of Building and Repairs in 1879) $260 (Amount paid for wages for farm labor in 1879) 48 ( Number of weeks for Hired Labor in 1879) $1,450 (Estimated value of all farm productions Sold, Consumed or On Hand in 1879) 65 (Acres Mown) 150 (Tons of Hay) 6 (Horses) 1 (Mule)

Henry Peterson ~ Owner 12 (Tilled) None (Woodland/Forest) 148 (Other UnImproved Of Farm including Land, Fence and Buildings) $500 (Of Farm, Including Land, Fences, & Buildings) $26 (Of farming implements and machinery) $36 (Of Live Stock)

1883

Henry Peterson in the U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776-2015

Issue Date ~ 5 Apr 1883

Place ~ Madison, Nebraska

Meridian ~ 6th PM

Township ~ 022n

Range ~ 002W

Aliquots ~ SW¼

Section ~ 3

Accession Number ~ NE1870__.246

Document Number ~ 4353

1885

Henry Peterson in the 1885 Nebraska State Census as of June 1, 1885

Residence in 1885 ~ Union Creek Precinct, Madison County, Nebraska

Enumeration Date ~ June 23, 1885

Race & Gender ~ White & Male

Age ~ 25

Birth Year ~ abt 1860

Birth Place ~ Schleswig Holstein, Germany

Henry Peterson ~ Head Male Schleswig 25 Schleswig Schleswig / Farmer

1920

On January 1, 1920 the United States Census has Henry and Catharine living in Union Precinct of Madison County, Nebraska. Both state that they were born in Germany with Henry's year of immigration as 1876 while Catharine states she immigrated in 1889. Henry is 59 years of age with Catharine disclosing her age as 57. Their son, Andrew, is living with them. Andrew is 26 years old and is the manager of the home farm while Henry is the operator for the General Farm.

1941

© Madison Star-Mail; Madison, Nebraska; Thursday, March 6, 1941, page 4

Henry Petersens Observe 50 Anniversary Wedding at Their Home in Madison

Friends Gather at Open House Wednesday to Honor Couple

At a table which they used at the start of their marriage 50 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Petersen welcomed 46 friends and relatives to dinner Wednesday evening in commemoration of their golden wedding anniversary.

The table was made by Mr. Petersen with the assistance of the late Jens Jensen, # 140720782.

A three-tiered wedding cake decorated in white and gold and topped with miniature bride and groom was the center piece, the gift of their son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Petersen.

Tables were banded with gold paper and bouquets of yellow jonquils and yellow rosebuds. Open house was held during the afternoon.

Married March 5, 1891

It was at a church only a few miles from their present home, the Green Garden Lutheran church, that Henry Petersen and Catherine Ketelsen were married on March 5, 1891, by the late Rev. E. Denninger.

On their way to the ceremony, the sled in which they were riding turned over but no one was hurt. The mules pulling the wagon did not run away.

Following the ceremony they lived at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Petersen until their own farm was available. In May the young couple entertained 100 relatives and friends at their home.

First Home

Their first home was located 3 miles west of Madison, later known as the William Wendt farm, where Mr. and Mrs. Petersen lived for 11 years.

After selling this place they purchased and moved to the Dick Every farm where they resided 5 years and then moved to the Homer Wilberger property on the west edge of Madison where they lived 3 years. The property is now occupied by their daughter, Mrs. Stuart Huddle, and family.

Peter Barnes Farm

In the spring of 1910 they bought the Peter Barnes farm, now occupied by their son, Andrew, just north of Madison, where they made their home for 27 years, before moving to their present home in North Madison March 3, 1937.

3 of their 5 children lived to adulthood. They are Andrew Petersen, Mrs. Dora Huddle and Mrs. Tillie Dopson. A daughter, their eldest child, Anna, and their youngest son, Edward Henry, both died in infancy. There are 6 grandchildren, Mrs. Marie Huddle Chittenden, Mildred Huddle, Lawrence Huddle, Donald and Doris Huddle, all of Madison, and Virgil Dopson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and one great-granddaughter, Audrey Marie Chittenden.

Mr. and Mrs. Petersen were both born in Schleswig-Holstein, the former on January 24, 81 years ago, and his wife on March 16, 1862. Mr. Petersen coming to America and to Madison in 1876. Later he bought a farm in Scotts Bluff county near Gering, Nebraka. Mrs. Petersen, who came to this country in 1889, spent a year in Wichita, Kansas before coming here.

While they had requested no gifts at the anniversary, they received several among which was a chime clock from their daughters and grandchildren.

Out of town guests here for the anniversary observance included Mrs. Dora Martens and Mrs. Dorothea Hoare, both of Platte Center, Nebraska; Miss Emma Petersen of Norfolk; Virgil Dopson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Miss Phyllis Sjolseth of Hills, Minnesota; Miss Emma Schade of Omaha; Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ketelsen, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Renter and Mrs. LaVerle Noris and her daughter, Marilyn, all of Plainview, Nebraska; and Mrs. Otto W. Wolf of Edgar, Nebraska.