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| Later
Life Lauritz, who was employed in 1883 by what became the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, continued there for 46 years, retiring about 1929. He worked seven days a week (half days on Sundays). Because of this Sunday work, he did not attend church on a regular basis. He was Lutheran (as was almost everyone from Denmark) and his family in Omaha was affiliated with the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in Omaha. (The church has since been renamed Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, and is now in the Omaha suburbs.) After retiring, Lauritz attended the Park Forest Presbyterian Church, which was within walking distance of his home. In 1914, Lauritz returned to his family home in Denmark to visit his elderly mother who was going blind. It is not known how long he visited, but he returned on the S.S. Oceanic, passing through Ellis Island on June 10, 1914. (See a copy of the record made at Ellis Island when he returned to America here.) Lauritz was able to travel in the United States, using the privileges available to employees and retirees of the railroad. In one trip to the west, he visited his son Chris and his wife Vinnie, when Chris was proprietor of the Wyola Merchantile Company, located on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. On that trip, Lauritz also visited the nearby Custer Battlefield (today’s Little Bighorn National Battlefield). |
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Lauritz at Little Big Horn, Montana |
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| Lauritz lived at
home with his wife Anine until just before his death. He died in St. Joseph’s
Hospital in Omaha on 19 August 1938. He was aged 85 years, 7 months, and
9 days. The cause of his death was given as a “coronary occlusion.” He was
buried four days later in Omaha’s West Lawn Cemetery. An obituary was printed in the Omaha Evening World-Herald on 20 August 1938. It said:
Lauritz left a will that he had written in 1930. It included: “I desire my body shall not be cremated. I desire that no more than $250 be taken from my personal property for my burial expenses and I further desire that all my just debts be paid.” According to the terms of his will, he left his home and bank account to his widow Anine and the remainder of his estate was to be divided among his widow and his three surviving children, listed in the probate documents as: “Chris Christensen, a son, Carrie Christensen O'Brien, a daughter, and Anna S Christensen, now married and known as Anna S Christensen DeWitt, a daughter.” |
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Lauritz’s remains were buried in Omaha’s
West Lawn-Hillcrest Cemetery (Section 3, Lot 87, Graves 5/6) on 22 August
1938. A larger image can be viewed here. |
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| Following Lauritz’s
death, his widow Anine remained in Omaha, but in 1944, she went to live
with the family of her only child, Anne Christensen DeWitt, who was then
living in Rushville, Nebraska. In the year of her death, she moved with
the DeWitts to Hay Springs, Nebraska. On 11 December 1959 Anine passed away. She was 79 years old. Her remains were taken to Omaha, where she was laid to rest beside her husband Lauritz in West Lawn-Hillcrest Cemetery. Go to next section: Children of Lauritz |
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Last updated August 2007. Patricia O'Brien Hellmers To contact with comments or suggestions, send email
to: |
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