Hulda Elvine Kristine Hansen Klemmetsen b. about 1857 Christiana, Norway, death date unknown. Hulda Elizabeth was named after her Aunt on her paternal side.
The theme for this week's challenge is Birthdays. Birthdays are usually joyous occasions celebrated with family and friends to mark another year lived. This little one, sadly, did not live much longer past her "birth" day. But, she was always remembered by her family and frequently talked about so that her three younger brothers would not forget that they once had a sister. There is not much information on little Hulda; just a short obituary, a mention in the Big Book of Burials and a burial in an unknown plot at Greenwood Cemetery in Grass Valley, California in 1905. She is still remembered, even though she did not live long enough to celebrate even a first birthday.
Hulda Elizabeth Hansen was the first child born to my Great Grandparents John Hartwig and Vere Burrows Hansen. She was born on April 11, 1905 in Grass Valley, California. Her first name of Hulda honored John's older sister Hulda who lived in Norway. I believe John was very close to his sister and her family, as we have many pictures, newspaper articles and letters from the Klemmetsen family in Norway that were saved by my Great Grandmother. Hulda's middle name Elizabeth honored Vere's mother Elizabeth Jane Hurd. Jane was very involved in all of her children's lives, and I believe she and Vere were also close. Waiting for Hulda's birth must have been an exciting time for the whole family, as she was the first child for John and Vere. Sadly, Hulda Elizabeth died thirteen days after her birth.
This is taken from The Morning Union Grass Valley, California Thursday, April 13, 1905:
BORN--In Grass Valley, April 11, 1905, to the wife of John Hansen, a daughter.
This is taken from The Union April 25, 1905:
INFANT DAUGHTER DEAD.
Hulda Elizabeth, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hansen passed away yesterday morning at 5 o'clock, after a week's illness. The child was only 13 days old. A severe attack of congestion of the lungs was the cause of death. The funeral will be held this afternoon at 2 o'clock, from the family home, and will be private.
Infant mortality was still very high at the turn of the century. I don't know if she was born prematurely and did not have well developed lungs, or if she just caught an infection that she couldn't fight off. It must have been devastating for my Great Grandparents. Vere had lost her father Alexander Burrows to suicide just a year before in 1904.
Hulda's memorial is located on the Find A Grave website, and provides additional information that was taken from the Big Book "Record of Burials in Greenwood Cemetery, Grass Valley, 1867-1930, page 11:
"Hulda E. Hansen died April 24, 1905, aged 13 days. Resident of Grass Valley. Native of Grass Valley. Cause of death: Pneumonia.
Hulda's memorial on Find A Grave states that she was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, but does not give an exact location for her burial. Through Find A Grave you are able to contact the person who originally created the online memorial you are viewing. The person who created the memorial posted it in 2017. I was curious about this person's profile, as she described a project that she worked on at Greenwood Cemetery that lasted a few years. She worked with a group of researchers that "walked, dug, documented, researched, and made new maps..." I thought maybe she had more insight into the location of Hulda's gravesite.
I was able to get a response from her regarding my desire to find a more specific location. She stated that..."We only know of Hulda because of the "Big Book" of Burials in Greenwood Cemetery which by the grace of Hooper and Weaver, I was allowed to have photo copied. I transcribed it to Find A Grave. She is in one of the older blocks, which we prodded in and sometimes dug to locate markers below the surface. We also used a metal detector. We spent a few years there." I was able to work with this person and add Hulda to John and Vere's memorials on Find A Grave. I am working on adding her brothers, as well, so that the whole family will be listed together. Their memorials were added by different people.
So, I know for certain that Hulda is buried at Greenwood Cemetery. She is buried there along with her younger brothers Jack and Harold Hansen (see my previous post from June 4, 2021 Decoration Day Musings and How the Hansens Celebrated the Day in Grass Valley). My next project will be to locate where the older blocks of the cemetery might be, so that I can add a picture of the general location to her memorial. I am still in contact with the lovely person who worked on this project.
Jack, Harold (my Grandfather) and Robley Hansen. Photograph taken around 1910 or 1911 in Grass Valley, California. These boys were Hulda's three younger brothers.
I am sorry that little Hulda did not live to celebrate her future birthdays. But, she will still be remembered by her family for many generations to come, thanks in part to the work of a small team of researchers in 2017.
You have written a very sweet memorial for little Hulda. I imagine your great-grandparents would be pleased to know Hulda is being remembered. Thanks for sharing.
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