Page Title

About the Title

My great-grandfather Andrew Christensen was born in Denmark and grew up
in extreme poverty. At age 18, he came to America. He worked hard, saved
his money and was able to bring his entire family over. He was the father of
14 children. Because of his emphasis on education, a number of his
children obtained college degrees. The determination to overcome any
obstacle and the importance of a good education were traits that he passed
to my grandmother. This inheritance inspired the title.

About my grandmother

My grandmother grew up in western Iowa. At the age of 16 she was on her
own teaching in a one-room school. During the next 18 years she became
an assistant pastor, high school teacher and principal. She gave up this life
to marry a farmer. They thought they had it made but were soon struggling to
survive the depression and raise four children. She lived to be 101 and kept
a curiousity about the world a zest for life to the end.

About the book

The book will eventually contain 10 chapters. The first three are complete
and the next two are being developed. If you would like to be notified when a
chapter is complete, please e-mail me. Let me know what you think

Chapter 1, ”Denmark”, tells the story of Esther’s ancestors in Denmark. Her
father came from a family of very poor peasant farmers while her mother
came from a relatively well-to-do family of fishermen.

Download Chapter 1

Chapter 2, "Cuppy’s Grove”, covers the start of the family in America and my
grandmother’s childhood in a Danish area of western Iowa.

Download Chapter 2

Chapter 3, "Getting an Education" covers my grandmother from age 14 to
29 as she worked to get her education. Along the way she left home at 14,
started teaching at 16 and became an assistant minister.

Download Chapter 3