Foghgine “Gine” Hansen
Foghgine was born in Randlev, Denmark in 22 Sept. 1865 according to her birth record,1 the 1870
census, and church records. When she was four, her older sister Barbara died in 1870. In 1883 her
brother Hans died as well.
By 1901 it is known that she was living in Chicago, according to Ina Belle’s personal journal from
the time, which mentions that she and Peter would visit Foghgine on occasion, and that Foghgine
also visited them. A letter from Lara Strandskov, dated 15 Dec. 1902 mentions, however, that they
had gotten a new housekeeper, and this was Foghgine Hansen. She had been a friend of Jens and
Elina Skov in Chicago. The Skov’s believe that she was a cook in Chicago, probably working at
the Danish Old Peoples Home on Michigan Ave. and she would visit Jens and Elina Skov on her
days off of work (Thursdays). In 1901, just prior to Ina Belle and Peter leaving for Denmark, she
gave them $10 (equivalent to $328 today). She came to the Skov’s in Minnesota and was there a
few years before she married Johannes A. Skov, a widower, in 1903.2 She had a child born in 1904,
named Ejnar. A year later, they traveled all in a boxcar, with their possessions and livestock to
Oklahoma, for unknown reasons.3
The family moved again one more time in 1911 to Denmark, Lincoln Co., Kansas where they
remained for the rest of their lives. Johannes Skov died in 1917 and left Foghgine and their 12-13
year old son Ejnar, along with the other children (though many were now adults getting jobs).
Foghgine would live on the farm the rest of her life, and Ejnar would eventually take it over.
She arrived in the United States in 1889 according to the 1930 census (at which time she was living
with Ejnar and Lottie Skov, her son and daughter-in-law and grandchild Virginia, in Denmark,
Kansas). They lived in a rented home and in 1930 she was not a naturalized citizen, but still
registered as an alien on the census record.
Foghgine died 15 May 1958.
1
In possession by the Skov family. Scan available from the Danish Museum, here:
https://danishmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/archive/40A86ADE-89A7-401D-BA1B-282560855666
2
Marriage license held by the Skov family. Scan available from the Danish Museum, here:
https://danishmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/archive/D2893D19-BE42-4BCC-90E8-487726393413
3
The general places she resided, and also the date for her immigration are also found in a newspaper obit. clipping a
scan
of
which
is
available
from
the
Danish
Museum,
here:
https://danishmuseum.pastperfectonline.com/archive/40A86ADE-89A7-401D-BA1B-282560855666