Marie Rasmussen ~ My Grand Aunt

I remember Marie well - we all called her "Auntie".   A short lady, sweet as could be, and never married.  She was born in Independence, Ohio in 1894 (9 miles south of Cleveland). I don't know if the family lived in Independence for a time or she was just born in that city and the family had always lived in Cleveland.  I have regrets ... when she was alive... and I visited her ..  that I didn't ask her more about her past.  What I would give to sit with Auntie again and hear her stories.  Most of what I know of her is from searching through census records.  This is what I know  ....

Both of her parents, Andreas and Anna Rasmussen were born and raised in Denmark.  They came to the United States and originally settled in Independence or Cleveland Ohio. I was told by Auntie's sister, Margaret (my other Grand Aunt) that the Dr advised their Father Andreas to leave Ohio due to the harsh winters.  So the family relocated to California.

When Auntie was 16 yrs, and living in Cleveland, she worked as a seamstress in an umbrella factory. Then ten years later, in 1920, Auntie is working as a telephone operator for the phone company and living at home with her family - her Mom Anna, Dad Andreas and siblings Minnie, Robert, Margaret, Edna May and Alice. Also living there were Nels and Frank Monsen, her uncles from Denmark. In 1930, when Auntie was 36 yrs, she worked as a waitress and was still living at home, in Los Angeles, with her Mom and Dad and siblings. Auntie died in 1982, she was 88 years.  She's at Inglewood Cemetery in Los Angeles.

It appears she's never lived on her own.  Even in death she's with her Mom and Dad. 

Warm Regards,