Bio: Christ H. Nissen (1865  - ?)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org on Thu, 15 Feb 2001

Surnames: NISSEN, CHRISTENSON, KOFOD, SONNE

----Source: 1918 History of Clark Co., WI, by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge

CHRIST H. NISSEN, a prosperous farmer of section 30, Hoard Township, was born in Denmark, Nov. 22, 1865, son of Soren and Mary (Christenson) Nissen. The parents passed their lives in their native land of Denmark, where the mother is still living. The father, Soren Nissen, died in 1906, at the age of 70 years.

Christ H. Nissen came to America in 1886, locating in Black Hawk County, Iowa. He had learned the trade of miller, which he followed at Cedar Falls, that state, working for others there until 1899, when he came to Clark County, Wis. On arriving here, or soon after, he purchased his present farm of eighty acres, the land then being raw and uncultivated. On it he built a small frame house, which in later years he improved into a very nice and convenient residence. He has enlarged and also has two large barns, with other out-buildings, and in 1913 built a concrete silo of 100 tons capacity. Fifty-eight acres of his land are now under the plow. He keeps graded Guernsey cattle, milking nineteen cows, and also raised graded Percheron horses and Duroe-Jersey hogs. On twenty-five acres of his farm he raises hay, has eleven acres planted for silage, and on the remainder raises oats, potatoes, etc. Mr. Nissen is also district agent of the Lynn Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Clark County.

He was appointed road supervisor in 1908 and 1911, and in 1909 was elected assessor of Hoard Township. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery of Withee and in the Clark County Telephone Company. His fraternal society affiliations are with Owen Lodge and Popple River Camp, No. 4179, M. W. A., while religiously he is a member of the Danish Lutheran Church at Withee.

Mr. Nissen was first married in 1887 to Maria Lind, who was born in Denmark, March 9, 1867. She died June 7, 1897, leaving five children, who were born as follows: Robert,
in 1888; Anna, 1889; Catherine, 1890; Martha, 1892, and Martin, 1894. On Oct. 29, 1899, Mr. Nissen married for his second wife, Marie Sonne, also a native of Denmark, born Mar. 28, 1867, daughter of Anton and Marie (Kofod) Sonne. Her father is still living in Denmark, and is a widower, his wife having died in 1912, at the age of 72 years. Of Mr. Nissen's second marriage three children have been born: Elsie, 1901; Karen, 1904, and Anton in 1906. Only two are now living, Karen having died in 1907.