Changes

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Christen Thiesen

1,313 bytes added, 22:22, 27 February 2022
m
Thiesen -> He
| occupation =Businessman
| religion =
| spouse =Emilie Lemkuhl (née Lupkes)
| parents =
| children =Rudolph John("Jack") (1887–1963), Petrea Elizabeth(1890–1965), John Henry(1892–1989), OlgaMarie (1897–1972), Bernhardine ("Dina") (1882–1964)
| signature =
| signaturesize =
'''Christen Ustrup Thiesen''' (first name sometimes given as '''Christian''') was a Pensacolian businessman best remembered for his ownership of the [[Thiesen Building]].
Christen Thiesen emigrated ended up in Pensacola thanks to a quirk of fate. Born in Denmark, Thiesen was the navigator of a Danish sailing ship. He was stranded in Pensacola during the Pensacola [[yellow fever ]] epidemic of [[1882]]when his ship left without him. According to a story passed down in the Thiesen family from generation to generation, Thiesen had been was the first sailor off the navigator of a Danish sailing ship. After he had disembarked when it docked in Pensacola, the rest . He was informed of the crewepidemic, hearing of he told the epidemiccrew, and they refused to let Thiesen him back on board. (At that time it was not yet generally known that yellow fever is not transmitted by person-to-person contact, but by mosquitoes.)
Thiesen's fortunes improved when he married Emilie Lupkes, who contracted yellow fever but recovered, found a widow who owned job tending bar in a profitable saloon. The widow's previous husband had saloon owner died in the epidemic. In 1884, Thiesen married the saloon owner's widow, Emilie Lemkuhl (or possibly Lehnkuhl), and thus became the owner of the saloon, located at the southwest corner of [[Intendencia Street|Intendencia]] and [[Baylen Street]]s.<ref>[http://www.flgenhistonline.com/counties/escambia/directories/1885directory/directpg3-1885.htm Webb's 1885/1886 Business Directory]</ref>.
Christen and Emilie had four children who lived to adulthood; Thiesen built the Thiesen Building on the northeast corner also adopted his stepdaughter Dina. Emilie died in January, 1900 due to complications of [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Romana Street]]s in [[childbirth. In April, 1901]], Thiesen married Effie Lee Mitchell. He Thiesen was reportedly warned that his venture would fail and the building would be lost to receivership; when this failed to happen, Thiesen gloated by flying the Danish flag from the building every year until his death granted U.S. citizenship in [[1934]]1902.
He built the [[Thiesen Building]] on the northeast corner of [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Romana Street]]s in [[1901]]. He was reportedly warned that his venture would fail and the building would be lost to receivership. Thiesen responded by vowing to fly the Danish flag from the building each April 1st as a symbol of his continued ownership. It is said that Thiesen raised the Danish flag every April 1st until his death. Thiesen's wife Effie divorced him in 1927. Thiesen died in [[1934]], and is buried in St. Michael's Cemetery.<ref>Sutton, Leora "Christian [sic] Ustrup Thiesen",University of West Florida, John C. Pace Library, Special Collections (unpublished manuscript)</ref> ==References=={{reflist}} [[Category:Deceased personsNatives of Denmark|Thiesen, Christen]] [[Category:Business biographiesPeople buried in St. Michael's Cemetery|Thiesen, Christen]] [[Category:Building namesakes|Thiesen]]
38
edits

Navigation menu