Lars Christian Caspersen

Notes:

Information on Lars comes from Cai Mygind's book, 'Some
Families From the two Counties Hanherred and Hillerslev Herred
in Northern Jutland,' pages 52 and 53. He was born a twin (his
brother was Christian Peter Caspersen) on the tenant farm of
Kjerup parsonage. The brothers were separated at an early age,
and Lars was brought up to about age 12 by his grandmother,
Mariane Prµtzman, at Diernesgaard. The 1840 census for
Djernisgaard shows Lars, age 2, listed as Mariane's foster son
(Plejes²n). The 1845 census lists him as her foster son and
the son of her son.
He returned at some time after 1845 to his mother and her
second husband, Lars Larsen Diernis, helping on the farm. He
left for Lild at age 17, becoming a farmhand at the inn. The
Lild Parish Register, FHL MF 0053228, pages 85 and 86, shows
that Lars was confirmed April 8, 1852 at the T²mmerby Church
with his twin brother, Christian Peter Caspersen. The
confirmation record lists his residence that year at age 14 as
Madsb²l in Hjardemaal Parish.
Lars was drafted in 1860, according to an undated document
written by his son, Casper L. Djernes of Clearbrook, Minnesota.
In 1861 he came home for two months, but was called back in
1862. He was sent to Slesvig, probably along the southern
border, to fight in the 1864 war against Prussia and Austria.
He was taken prisoner during the battle at Dybboel, one of over
3,000 prisoners. He spent two months in a prison camp at
Rendsborg, returning to northern Jutland on foot with a friend
after his release. Lars' military record, Record #51, Thisted
Amt, Vesterhanherred, 1864, Rigsarkivet-Kobenhavn M
Folkarkivet--12707, says that Lars was in the 9th Battalion,
3rd Company, service number 236. When Lars returned, he found
that his stepfather had lost the farm and money in gambling and
drinking. In 1865 Lars moved with his mother and half-brother
to Glaede and then Kaeret in Lild parish. He continued to live
with his mother even after his marriage to Maren Andersdatter
in 1868. A child, Helene, was born in 1869, but Maren died in
1870.
Lars married Mariane Olesen in 1876; they had 12 children.
Lars made his living fishing in an open boat, and also had a
small plot of land with sheep and cows. Lars' death date is
given as 1920 in the Mygind book, but Viola May Djernes Carter
says (1996) that it was 1925, since he nearly celebrated a
Golden Wedding anniversary with his second wife. In 1996 Gudrin
Kaspersen, wife of Gunner Kaspersen, a grandson of Lars' twin
brother, Christian Peder Kaspersen, sent a clipping from a 1923
local newspaper in Denmark, apparently near T²mmerby. She
translated the article as follows: 'Twins 85 Years Old--It is
very seldom that twins reach so high an age as the brothers
ex-farmer at Tommerby Christian Kaspersen and small-holder Lars
Christian Kaspersen at Kaeret who on Sunday 25 March will be 85
years old. Both are of good health and mind, really two fine
stout men who have worked hard throughout their lives never
giving up, and now they can look back on along life's good
work. Both brothers have had many children, and it is worth
mentioning that Lars Christian Kaspersen has 8 children in
America, one of whom volunteered as an American soldier in
World War I. Lars Christian Kaspersen himself is a veteran
from the war in 1864 between Denmark and Prussia. The two old
twins are the eldest of six still living brothers and sister.
The others are not young either and their ages counted together
reach the high number of 470.'

Lars married on 16 Mar 1876 in Lild, Vester Han, Thisted, Denmark. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Lars married on 06 Nov 1868 in Thisted, Denmark. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]