NORDESTGAARD-BACKGROUND
Nordestgaard has been in the family's possession for
generations, interrupted only by a short period at the end of the 17th
century, when the farm workers of that time could not be traced back to
the family.
Jesper Knudsen Nordestgaard was a tenant farmer at Nordestgaard in
the late 17th century and early 18th century, after which his son, Mads,
took his place.
Mads' son, Jens, died in 1779, also as a tenant
farmer at Nordestgaard, after which other people seem to have joined.
Jens Nordestgaard's son, Jep Jensen, became farmer Bakgaarden and
thus one of the ancestors of Gravers Jens Bak.
At some point, Nordestgaard was divided into an east-west farm, and around 1789, the eastern farm was acquired by Niels Nielsen Siig as freehold. Niels Nielsen Siig's eldest son, Niels Nielsen Nordestgaard, becomes the farmer of Vester Nordestgaard, and the ancestor of another large family branch that also bears the family name Nordestgaard. This farm disappears from the family's ownership in 1865, when Niels Nielsen Nordestgaard's son, Niels Nielsen, deeded it to Andreas Mouritsen.
Another of Niels
Nielsen Siig's sons, Gravers Nielsen, takes over Øster Nordestgaard by
deed of 20 May 1818 for 434 rigsdaler silver value.
Gravers married Kirsten Pedersdatter on 19 April 1824, and together they became the
ancestors of the family branch that this website encompasses.
The farm has been rebuilt and modernized several times. In about 1875 a farm was built, which on June 10, 1914 was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. The family lost all their possessions in this fire.
When Gravers Nielsen took over the farm in 1818, the property was assessed at a taxable value of 2 tønder, 7 skæpper and ½ album of hartkorn — roughly equivalent to about 7 hectares (around 17 acres) of average-quality farmland. Today the farm comprises approximately 90 tønder land, which equals about 50 hectares (approximately 122 acres).
The pictures show the farm in 1902, 1915 and 1950
JENS CHRISTIAN and ELSE KIRSTINE GRAVERSEN
During their marriage, Else Kirstine and Jens Christian had 8
children:
1 Gravers Graversen
2 Christen Nordestgaard
3 Kirsten Graversen
4 Peder Lind Graversen
5 Kirstine Graversen
6 Magdalene Graversen
7 Jeppe Christian Graversen
8 Laurids Graversen
After almost 17 years of marriage, Jens Christian died on July 25, 1882. He was buried in the cemetery in Tim on July 30, 1882.
Else Kirstine was suddenly left alone with the farm and 8 minor children, the youngest of whom was not yet 2 years old. It is characteristic of the time that families were close to each other when misfortune struck. It was therefore natural that the nephew, Jens Christensen, stepped in to help the widow with the farm in difficult times. Born May 11, 1855, he was the nephew of Jens Christian and son of Ane Kirstine Graversdatter and Christian Jensen of Bak in Tim.
On
October 24, 1883, Else Kirstine and Jens Christensen were married in Tim
Church. Together they had 3 children:
9 Jens Christian Nordestgaard Christensen
10 Jens Christian Nordestgaard Christensen
11 Ane Kirstine Nordestgaard Christensen
The first child, Jens Christian, died as a child and Ane Kirstine as a grown girl.
The 11 children of Else Kirstine and their descendants are the subjects of these web pages.
On February 22, 1918, Else Kirstine died aged 73 years. She was buried in the cemetery in Tim on February 28, 1918.
Else Kirstine experienced being left alone with a farm and 8 minor children after her husband's death, and that of a son and an adult daughter, and shortly before the farm was given up, saw it reduced to ashes after a fire caused by lightning.
She also experienced seeing a group of children get on well and many grandchildren grow up. Jens lived 16 more years in Tim before he died on October 30, 1934 in Tim. He was buried in the churchyard in Tim on November 6, 1934.
Pictures show Else Kirstine og Jens Christian Graversen at their marriage in 1865.Below is the family in 1889. Back: Gravers, Christen og Peder Lind.
Middle: Kirstine, Magdalene, Kirsten og Jeppe.
Front: Jens Nordestgaard, Jens Christian, Else Kirstine og Laurids
This page on the descendants of Else Kirstine and Jens Christian Graversen, was made 1-3-2026, almost entirely from the former Danish family webpages created by Lars Henrik Nordestgaard Andersen which were in turn based on the family history book created by Holger Nordestgaard, Der Har Jeg Rod, Derfra Min Verden Går published 1983. Many thanks for the original research and effort by Lars, Holger and Dorte. I am happy to add, delete or correct and intend to put up all branches of the family assisted by Chat GPT to help with translation. Email me please.