ANNE ELIZABETH CHRISTENSEN NELSEN (93) was born Oct. 16, 1890 in Hurley, Turner County, South Dakota. Her birth is registered in Parker, SD. She was the second born of seven children ( Christian August Ludvig, Anne Elizabeth, Augusta Margrethe, Christian August, Walter Carl, Mildred Louise, Alfred Wilhelm) of Lars Christian Christensen and Louise (Loise) Lizette Dorthea Augusta Walther.

Lars emigrated from Aalborg, DK and Louise emigrated from Randers, DK. Anna was christened July 19, 1891 at the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Turner County, SD.

She could read Danish before going to school, and was bilingual in Danish and English before entering the first grade. Anna attended Baden Township Country School near Kenmare, ND to the 8th grade, which was common in those days. She attended Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Her family moved from Turner county, SD to Ward County, ND in 1905 where her father, Lars, filed a Homestead Claim for $3.72 outside of Kenmare, ND. "Anne" graduated from Kenmare High School. She met her future husband, Christ Nelsen, while she worked at Ed Hammericksen's Bakery in Kenmare. Christen "Christ" used to come in for a cup of coffee and a Danish pastry.

In Minot, ND on November 20, 1912 Anne married Christian "Christ" Nelsen, son of Nels Nelsen and Mary Sophia Eiby. Both of Christ's parents emigrated from Viborg, Denmark to America and settled first in Belgrade, MN, then South Dakota. Christ's father, Nels, moved to Kenmare, ND after his wife Mary Sophia, died in South Dakota.

Anne was steadily employed as Head Cook from 1946-1947 by the Kenmare School District. She stopped for one year. Then she started again in 1948 and continued for 20 years. She served an average of 60 students per day. The most students she served in one day was 500. Her main reason for being a cook was that she liked people and said that the kids in Kenmare were wonderful. She always tried to learn the names of each and every student that went through the lunch line. She cooked over 1,212,000 total meals and averaged 15 loaves of bread a day. Anne was known as "The Best Swiss Steak Maker There Has Ever Been". She was honored by the Kenmare School system in Dec.1967.

Following Anne's retirement, she led an active life making quilts for nearly all of her 16 great-grandchildren as well as connecting with friends she made through her many years of living in Kenmare. Anne was very independent and lived alone in an apartment in the downtown area of Kenmare. She read the Danish newspaper from Randers, Denmark throughout her life and corresponded with her mother's siblings still back in Copenhagen, DK. She was a life-long founding member of the Nazareth Lutheran Church, the Danish Sisterhood Lodge and the Rebekah Lodge all in Kenmare, North Dakota. As for her physical stature, she was very tall 5'9", thin, and had very strong bones. She was quiet in nature and made a point to visit her children on the west coast via train each summer .

To this marriage of Anne and Christ Nelsen were born ten children.

1. Ezera Albin Nelsen (1 day) (twin) (May 14, 1913- May 15, 1913)

2. Helen Louise Sophia Nelsen (88 yrs) (twin) stroke m. Ernest Harold Gustave Nelson buried Mohall Cemetery, ND. 3 children: Laurel, Don, Jeanne lived in Mohall, ND.

3. Walter Christian Nelsen (68 yrs)(1914-1982) m. Maude Edna Hay; 3 children: Richard, Mary Ann, Robert . Lived in Crosby, ND.

4. Alice Mildred Nelsen (5 yrs.) (twin)(1915-1920)

5. Arthur Welhelm Nelsen (75 yrs)(1915-1990)(twin) m. Violet R. Pillar 3 children: Gary, Mike, Gail. Lived in Tacoma, WA.

6. Robert Edwin Nelsen (10 yrs)(1917-1927)

7. Roy Vernon Nelsen (81 yrs)(1919-2000) Brain cancer m.Ida May (Powell) Brown 2 children: Kent, Kristina , lived in Rohert Park, CA

8. Anne Marguerite Nelsen (76 yrs.)(1920-1996) m. Mel Leon Vale 2 children: Mell L Vale, and Susan . Lived in Portland, WA

9. Baby Nelsen b. 1921-1921

10. Kenneth LaVerne Nelsen (80 yrs.) (1931-2011) Heart Attack m. Elaine Eleanor Gahler 2 children: Kim, Steven . Lived in Fallbrook, CA

Anne and Christ had 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Anne lived to be over 93 years old.