Received the following from Anonymous (#47284203):
Maja Marie Nielsen, was born on May 1, 1897, in San Francisco, as the first of seven children born to Albert Nielsen and Anne Marie Groth. “Maja” (pronounced MĪ-yuh) is the Danish word for May, the month in which she was born. Maja also shared her middle name of “Marie” with her mother.
Maja grew up in a Danish-speaking household. She told her grandson that she did not speak any English until she started school. In the 1900 Federal Census, Maja and her family lived at 339 or 341 Mississippi Street, in the Potrero Hill District of San Francisco, just a few blocks west of the Bay.
In 1906, Maja and her family experienced the great earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed San Francisco. Maja’s home must have been partially damaged as her family spent several weeks in one of the “tent cities” that were set-up in Golden Gate Park.
In the 1910 Federal Census, the family was living at 1029 Treat Avenue, a multi-family home in the Mission District, west of the Potrero Hill district. At age 14 or 15, after she completed the Eighth Grade and graduated from grammar school, Maja started working at the phone company. (Apparently, at this time, there was no educational requirement to continue on to high school.)
Maja met Henry Gilling when he was a lodger at the boarding house operated by Maja’s father and her stepmother. In 1919, when Maja was 22 years old, she married Henry in San Francisco.
Maja continued working at the phone company after her marriage until their first child, Eleanor, was born in 1920. Maja was a homemaker and raised three daughters. During World War II, perhaps in 1942 or 1943, when there was a shortage of workers, Maja returned to the phone company, where she worked as a long distance operator until she retired in 1962. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Danish Sisterhood.
Maja was very close to her brothers and sisters. The extended Nielsen families liked to party, especially when it was someone’s birthday. It was not uncommon for many family members to gather and celebrate at the home of the birthday person, singing, dancing, and drinking, until the early hours of the next morning! When toasting one another, they would use the word "skaal" which actually means "bowl" in Danish. (By the way, the Vikings may have first used “skaal” when they celebrated victory by drinking from the bowl-shaped skulls of their enemies!)
Having lived through the Great Depression, Maja was very thrifty and saved everything, even pieces of string, buttons, and gift-wrap. She enjoyed gardening and particularly growing African Violets in her home. She also loved hearing the wonderful chirping sounds of her canary. Maja also enjoyed eating Danish foods, including pickled herring, cheeses, pumpernickel bread, and æbleskivers, which she used to make on special occasions.
Later in life, she enjoyed knitting. She made the family laugh when she fell asleep in front of the TV and started snoring, and also when she lit up a cigarette and started to smoke it, which she did on very rare occasions! Maja always had a Kleenex rolled up under her sleeve to catch that errant sneeze. She also had a cute way of replacing the “a” suffix with an “er,” as in calling her sister “Anner” instead of “Anna.”
Maja was a very kind and gentle woman. She particularly had a kind heart for door-to-door solicitors, such as the Watkins or Fuller Brush Man. She never failed to buy something from each salesperson that knocked on her door, even when she did not really need anything. She was also very generous and thoughtful to her family, often loaning money without asking for repayment, or paying much more for services rendered than were deserved. She always had a supply of greeting cards on hand to send to friends and relatives on their birthdays, which she never missed! She was well liked by everyone who knew her.
Later in life, Maja developed colon cancer, and when she passed away on September 9, 1980, there was an overflow audience, who came to her funeral to pay last respects to her. Typical of Maja, who never wanted to be a burden to anyone, she prepaid her funeral expenses before she died. Maja Marie (Nielsen) Gilling is buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma, California.
Maja Marie Nielsen, was born on May 1, 1897, in San Francisco, as the first of seven children born to Albert Nielsen and Anne Marie Groth. “Maja” (pronounced MĪ-yuh) is the Danish word for May, the month in which she was born. Maja also shared her middle name of “Marie” with her mother.
Maja grew up in a Danish-speaking household. She told her grandson that she did not speak any English until she started school. In the 1900 Federal Census, Maja and her family lived at 339 or 341 Mississippi Street, in the Potrero Hill District of San Francisco, just a few blocks west of the Bay.
In 1906, Maja and her family experienced the great earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed San Francisco. Maja’s home must have been partially damaged as her family spent several weeks in one of the “tent cities” that were set-up in Golden Gate Park.
In the 1910 Federal Census, the family was living at 1029 Treat Avenue, a multi-family home in the Mission District, west of the Potrero Hill district. At age 14 or 15, after she completed the Eighth Grade and graduated from grammar school, Maja started working at the phone company. (Apparently, at this time, there was no educational requirement to continue on to high school.)
Maja met Henry Gilling when he was a lodger at the boarding house operated by Maja’s father and her stepmother. In 1919, when Maja was 22 years old, she married Henry in San Francisco.
Maja continued working at the phone company after her marriage until their first child, Eleanor, was born in 1920. Maja was a homemaker and raised three daughters. During World War II, perhaps in 1942 or 1943, when there was a shortage of workers, Maja returned to the phone company, where she worked as a long distance operator until she retired in 1962. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Danish Sisterhood.
Maja was very close to her brothers and sisters. The extended Nielsen families liked to party, especially when it was someone’s birthday. It was not uncommon for many family members to gather and celebrate at the home of the birthday person, singing, dancing, and drinking, until the early hours of the next morning! When toasting one another, they would use the word "skaal" which actually means "bowl" in Danish. (By the way, the Vikings may have first used “skaal” when they celebrated victory by drinking from the bowl-shaped skulls of their enemies!)
Having lived through the Great Depression, Maja was very thrifty and saved everything, even pieces of string, buttons, and gift-wrap. She enjoyed gardening and particularly growing African Violets in her home. She also loved hearing the wonderful chirping sounds of her canary. Maja also enjoyed eating Danish foods, including pickled herring, cheeses, pumpernickel bread, and æbleskivers, which she used to make on special occasions.
Later in life, she enjoyed knitting. She made the family laugh when she fell asleep in front of the TV and started snoring, and also when she lit up a cigarette and started to smoke it, which she did on very rare occasions! Maja always had a Kleenex rolled up under her sleeve to catch that errant sneeze. She also had a cute way of replacing the “a” suffix with an “er,” as in calling her sister “Anner” instead of “Anna.”
Maja was a very kind and gentle woman. She particularly had a kind heart for door-to-door solicitors, such as the Watkins or Fuller Brush Man. She never failed to buy something from each salesperson that knocked on her door, even when she did not really need anything. She was also very generous and thoughtful to her family, often loaning money without asking for repayment, or paying much more for services rendered than were deserved. She always had a supply of greeting cards on hand to send to friends and relatives on their birthdays, which she never missed! She was well liked by everyone who knew her.
Later in life, Maja developed colon cancer, and when she passed away on September 9, 1980, there was an overflow audience, who came to her funeral to pay last respects to her. Typical of Maja, who never wanted to be a burden to anyone, she prepaid her funeral expenses before she died. Maja Marie (Nielsen) Gilling is buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma, California.
Received the following from Anonymous (#47284203):
Maja Marie Nielsen, was born on May 1, 1897, in San Francisco, as the first of seven children born to Albert Nielsen and Anne Marie Groth. “Maja” (pronounced MĪ-yuh) is the Danish word for May, the month in which she was born. Maja also shared her middle name of “Marie” with her mother.
Maja grew up in a Danish-speaking household. She told her grandson that she did not speak any English until she started school. In the 1900 Federal Census, Maja and her family lived at 339 or 341 Mississippi Street, in the Potrero Hill District of San Francisco, just a few blocks west of the Bay.
In 1906, Maja and her family experienced the great earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed San Francisco. Maja’s home must have been partially damaged as her family spent several weeks in one of the “tent cities” that were set-up in Golden Gate Park.
In the 1910 Federal Census, the family was living at 1029 Treat Avenue, a multi-family home in the Mission District, west of the Potrero Hill district. At age 14 or 15, after she completed the Eighth Grade and graduated from grammar school, Maja started working at the phone company. (Apparently, at this time, there was no educational requirement to continue on to high school.)
Maja met Henry Gilling when he was a lodger at the boarding house operated by Maja’s father and her stepmother. In 1919, when Maja was 22 years old, she married Henry in San Francisco.
Maja continued working at the phone company after her marriage until their first child, Eleanor, was born in 1920. Maja was a homemaker and raised three daughters. During World War II, perhaps in 1942 or 1943, when there was a shortage of workers, Maja returned to the phone company, where she worked as a long distance operator until she retired in 1962. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Danish Sisterhood.
Maja was very close to her brothers and sisters. The extended Nielsen families liked to party, especially when it was someone’s birthday. It was not uncommon for many family members to gather and celebrate at the home of the birthday person, singing, dancing, and drinking, until the early hours of the next morning! When toasting one another, they would use the word "skaal" which actually means "bowl" in Danish. (By the way, the Vikings may have first used “skaal” when they celebrated victory by drinking from the bowl-shaped skulls of their enemies!)
Having lived through the Great Depression, Maja was very thrifty and saved everything, even pieces of string, buttons, and gift-wrap. She enjoyed gardening and particularly growing African Violets in her home. She also loved hearing the wonderful chirping sounds of her canary. Maja also enjoyed eating Danish foods, including pickled herring, cheeses, pumpernickel bread, and æbleskivers, which she used to make on special occasions.
Later in life, she enjoyed knitting. She made the family laugh when she fell asleep in front of the TV and started snoring, and also when she lit up a cigarette and started to smoke it, which she did on very rare occasions! Maja always had a Kleenex rolled up under her sleeve to catch that errant sneeze. She also had a cute way of replacing the “a” suffix with an “er,” as in calling her sister “Anner” instead of “Anna.”
Maja was a very kind and gentle woman. She particularly had a kind heart for door-to-door solicitors, such as the Watkins or Fuller Brush Man. She never failed to buy something from each salesperson that knocked on her door, even when she did not really need anything. She was also very generous and thoughtful to her family, often loaning money without asking for repayment, or paying much more for services rendered than were deserved. She always had a supply of greeting cards on hand to send to friends and relatives on their birthdays, which she never missed! She was well liked by everyone who knew her.
Later in life, Maja developed colon cancer, and when she passed away on September 9, 1980, there was an overflow audience, who came to her funeral to pay last respects to her. Typical of Maja, who never wanted to be a burden to anyone, she prepaid her funeral expenses before she died. Maja Marie (Nielsen) Gilling is buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma, California.
Maja Marie Nielsen, was born on May 1, 1897, in San Francisco, as the first of seven children born to Albert Nielsen and Anne Marie Groth. “Maja” (pronounced MĪ-yuh) is the Danish word for May, the month in which she was born. Maja also shared her middle name of “Marie” with her mother.
Maja grew up in a Danish-speaking household. She told her grandson that she did not speak any English until she started school. In the 1900 Federal Census, Maja and her family lived at 339 or 341 Mississippi Street, in the Potrero Hill District of San Francisco, just a few blocks west of the Bay.
In 1906, Maja and her family experienced the great earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed San Francisco. Maja’s home must have been partially damaged as her family spent several weeks in one of the “tent cities” that were set-up in Golden Gate Park.
In the 1910 Federal Census, the family was living at 1029 Treat Avenue, a multi-family home in the Mission District, west of the Potrero Hill district. At age 14 or 15, after she completed the Eighth Grade and graduated from grammar school, Maja started working at the phone company. (Apparently, at this time, there was no educational requirement to continue on to high school.)
Maja met Henry Gilling when he was a lodger at the boarding house operated by Maja’s father and her stepmother. In 1919, when Maja was 22 years old, she married Henry in San Francisco.
Maja continued working at the phone company after her marriage until their first child, Eleanor, was born in 1920. Maja was a homemaker and raised three daughters. During World War II, perhaps in 1942 or 1943, when there was a shortage of workers, Maja returned to the phone company, where she worked as a long distance operator until she retired in 1962. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers and the Danish Sisterhood.
Maja was very close to her brothers and sisters. The extended Nielsen families liked to party, especially when it was someone’s birthday. It was not uncommon for many family members to gather and celebrate at the home of the birthday person, singing, dancing, and drinking, until the early hours of the next morning! When toasting one another, they would use the word "skaal" which actually means "bowl" in Danish. (By the way, the Vikings may have first used “skaal” when they celebrated victory by drinking from the bowl-shaped skulls of their enemies!)
Having lived through the Great Depression, Maja was very thrifty and saved everything, even pieces of string, buttons, and gift-wrap. She enjoyed gardening and particularly growing African Violets in her home. She also loved hearing the wonderful chirping sounds of her canary. Maja also enjoyed eating Danish foods, including pickled herring, cheeses, pumpernickel bread, and æbleskivers, which she used to make on special occasions.
Later in life, she enjoyed knitting. She made the family laugh when she fell asleep in front of the TV and started snoring, and also when she lit up a cigarette and started to smoke it, which she did on very rare occasions! Maja always had a Kleenex rolled up under her sleeve to catch that errant sneeze. She also had a cute way of replacing the “a” suffix with an “er,” as in calling her sister “Anner” instead of “Anna.”
Maja was a very kind and gentle woman. She particularly had a kind heart for door-to-door solicitors, such as the Watkins or Fuller Brush Man. She never failed to buy something from each salesperson that knocked on her door, even when she did not really need anything. She was also very generous and thoughtful to her family, often loaning money without asking for repayment, or paying much more for services rendered than were deserved. She always had a supply of greeting cards on hand to send to friends and relatives on their birthdays, which she never missed! She was well liked by everyone who knew her.
Later in life, Maja developed colon cancer, and when she passed away on September 9, 1980, there was an overflow audience, who came to her funeral to pay last respects to her. Typical of Maja, who never wanted to be a burden to anyone, she prepaid her funeral expenses before she died. Maja Marie (Nielsen) Gilling is buried in Cypress Lawn Cemetery, Colma, California.
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