Ulrick's paternal family

Jørgen Jakobsen Friis (Son of Jakob Jorgensen Friis??) Born 1698. Elected city mayor in Ringsted February 8, 1732. Appointed by the King as Amtmand in Ringsted and Soro Amter August 21, 1739, was removed from that office and appointed Judge in Gisselfelt on November 26, 1745. Died 1768. Buried in St. Bents Cemetery.

His widow Margrethe, lived to be eighty years old and died September 23, 1776, and was buried in St. Bonts Cemetery also. Their son was Ambrosius Jørgensen Friis.

Ambrosius Jørgensen Friis, son of Jørgen Jakobsen Friis, was married to Anna Overdatter Schianer. Ambrosius died on February 29, 1771 (Danish version says 1772). He had been a teacher in the Kvarkeby School. Ambrosius Jørgenson and Anna Friis had two sons, Jakob Jørgen and Claus.

Claus died the same year of his birth, 1764.

Jakob Jørgen, son of Ambrosius Jørgensen Friis, was born in Holbek in June 1, 1753. In 1790 he began to teach in Frue School. It is not known to whom he was married. After Jakob Jørgen's death in 1794, his wife obtained work on a large estate, Gjortslev, on Sealand. She was employed as Oldfrue. She was in charge of all the domestic duties on the estate. Her little son remained with her. His name was Jakob Jørgen Hansen Friis.

Jakob Jørgen Hansen Friis,(Ulrick's grandfather) son of Jakob Jørgen Friis, was born 1791. He remained with his mother until he was eight years old. Then he was boarded by a principal and went to school in Copenhagen. Afterwards he attended the university, graduating as a lawyer. Later he established his office in Faaborg on the Island of Funen. On September 20, 1814, he married Anna Kathrine Hansen in the town of Rudkjobing. Jakob Jargon Hansen Friis died in Faaborg on October 29, 1838. His wife died at the same place, July 11, 1876, at the age of 74. Both were buried in Faaborg Cemetery.

The children of Jakob Jørgen Hansen Friis and Anna Kathrine Friis were as follows: Jakob Jørgen Frederik (Ulrick's father), Nei1s Glerup, Carl Christian, Sofie, Frederikke, Carl, Theodor, Christian David (Anna's father), Matilda, Augusta.

Jakob Jørgen Frederik Friis

(The first child of Jakob Jørgen Hansen Friis and Anna Kathrine Friis, he was Ulrick's father and Signe's paternal grandfather.)
He was born in Faaborg on May 4, 1815. Jakob Jørgen's father was a successful lawyer but a man of poor health; consequently Jakob Jørgen had been obliged to work in his law office during his vacations from school. In this way it was possible for him to acquire a fair legal education. His experience in the law office had opened his eyes to the immense amount of dishonesty in the legal profession and because it was so distasteful to him, he gave up the study of law for theology.

After studying theology at the University of Cobenhagen, he graduated and was ordained as a minister. In Denmark an ordained minister does not receive a church until there is a vacancy. Then he is appointed by the Government to be pastor of the district in which the church is located. During this period Jakob Jørgen held several positions as teacher. In 1842 he accepted the position as tutor in the home of Pastor Gudmundsen on the Island of Laaland. In 1845 he was given a similar position on the large estate of Ollingsø on the Island of Laaland. In 1847 he became a teacher in Nakskov High School. While tutoring at Ollingsø, he became acquainted with a girl who later became his wife, Hanne Signe Cesilie Sehussen.

They were married on October 15, 1851. During his teaching in Nakskov, Jakob Jørgen began his literary carrier by writing the following historical romances: Svenskerne Paa Laaland, Fiskerlars, and Lybakkerne i Nakskov. Those books told of important periods in the history of the Islands of' Laaland and Falster. In addition to these three romances, he wrote a comprehensive history of the social and political life of the same two islands. In 1858 the Government appointed him minister for the parishes of Horne and Asdal in Hjorring Amt. After becoming a minister, he still continued his literary writings.

Mr. and Mrs. Friis spent the happiest part of their lives in the Horne parsonage. The minister's income was great1y supplemented by royalties from several books.

He was vitally interested in the political and social life of the community and expressed himself freely in the daily papers. Many of the local citizens were leading characters in his articles and books. He constantly strove to better the standard of living of the peasants and poor fishermen. With his knowledge of law and the skill of his pen he was able to champion their cause successfully. As a result he was loved and respected by the many people whom he knew.

In 1871 he was transferred to Vekkerby and Sislou, parishes close to the town of Nibe. He served there until his death in 1879. Shortly after this move his health and eyesight began to fail. His sight had never been normal. In his later years he was not able to read ordinary print. His children read to him and wrote what he would dictate to them. In the fall of 1878 he went to Copenhaven to undergo an operation for bladder stones. He recovered from the operation and assumed regular duties once more. However, he went to work too soon and suffered a relapse from which he never recovered. Death came to him on February 15, l879, and he was laid to rest in Kirketerp Cemetery.

His wife, Hanne, was born at Vilhelmshoj on Laaland, April 6, 1832. When she was five years old, she left her home and went to live with her aunt (Diderikke Longborg??) on the estate known as Ollingsø.

Soon after the death of her husband, she moved to the town of Aalborg and lived there until 1896 when she moved to Copenhagen. She remained in Copenhagen until her death on March 9, 1918.

Their eighteen children are as follows: Jørgen Lonborg, Mathias Wilhjelm, Emilie, Emilie Jeorgine, Karoline Wilhelmine, Anna Kathrine, Benedikte Theodora, Christian Sehussen, Signe Sehussen; Hans Peter Deisimus, stillbirth of a boy, Signe, Thorvald Justus, Signe Matilde, Ulrick Engelhart, Louise Augusta, Thorvald Holgerand, Sofie Magdelene.

Niels Glerup Friis, the second child of J.J.H. Friis, the lawyer, Niels was born June 4, 1818. Died April 24, 1820.

Sofie Friis, the third child of J.J.H. Friis was born in 1820 and lived until 1894. Due to a serious disappointment in love, she always remained alone. This loneliness caused her to become despondent. Later her sister, Augusta, took her to spend the rest of her life in her home.

Georgine Friis, tThe fourth child of J.J.H. Friis was born in 1822. She studied to be a teacher and taught in Jutland. During the war of 1848, she nursed many Danish soldiers. Her heroic services were noteworthy and received praise from the King. Later in the war she was stationed on the estate Skjellerup, close to the town of Hobro, where, with great sacrifice, she nursed soldiers that were stricken with typhoid. Stricken with the same disease she died in 1850.

Frederikke Friis, the fifth child of J.J.H. Friis. It is not known when she was born or when she died. She had a daughter out of wedlock and was never married. She was a beautiful woman and was supposed to have been poisoned by a rival. Her daughter married and lived in Copenhagen. (The Danish version looks different.)

Carl Friis, the sixth child of J.J.H. Friis was born in 1825. At an early age he became an apprentice in a merchandise store of the Island of Aro. He remained there and married his employer's daughter. He soon established himself as a merchant in Rudkjobing. Later he became a real estate agent. His wife died after the birth of the first child, a daughter, Julia. She was a beautiful girl, but was never married. She was last heard of in the St. Jacob's Parsonage in Copenhagen. Carl left Denmark and went to Germany, where he was supposed to have died in 1875.

Theodor Friis, the seventh child of J.J.H. Friis was born in 1828, served apprenticeship as a mason and established himself as a mason in Faaberg. He married Thora Svendsen, who was born August 15, 1836. Several years after their marriage they moved to Copenhagen, where he continued his mason work. There were four children, Anders Jørgen, who served an apprenticeship as a stonecutter. Anders worked mostly in Germany, where he was supposed to have died in 1933. (His children:) Krestine Katrine was born April 3, 1872. She was married to a watch maker, Bigel. They are still living and have no children. Emilie was born August 10, 1876. She died unmarried. (The fourth child wasn't named or mentioned.)

David Christian Friis, (Anna's father and Signe's maternal grandfather) the eighth child of J.J.H. Friis was born April 22, 1832. In 1850 he was married to Georgine Svendsen, who was born March 27, 1834. He became a sailor. Later he became a part owner of a ship of which he was captain. He sai1ed the seven seas and visited such countries as China, Russia, and Holland. On his way to Bergen, Norway, his ship sprung a leak and was lost. The crew took to a life boat and were rescued by a steamer. The total loss of his ship left him unable to buy a share in another ship. He then became first mate for a few years until he bought half interest in a tug boat. (See memorial speech describing Georgine's role in raising the money for him. ) He then moved his family to Copenhagen. David Christian Friis died at the hone of his son Elias in 1901, and Georgine passed away in 1922.

Their children were as follows:

Jørgen was an engineer on a freight steamer. He married twice, first to Anna Lind, who died in childbirth. The child died, too. His second marriage was to Anna Plambek. They had no children.

Anna Kathrine, (Signe's mother) their second child, was born June 25, 1863. She was married to her cousin Ulrick Engelhart Fries on November 22, 1891, in Sprague, Washington. She came to the United States at the age of 28 for the purpose of marrying U.E. Fries.

Elias, the third child of D.C. Friis and G.S., Friis, was born December 13, 1866, and died September 5, 1936. He was buried in the Copenhagen Cemetery. He served an apprenticeship as a machinist and became assistant engineer on a freight steamer which sailed the seven seas. After sailing for about three years, he was appointed superintendent of the Copenhagen Destruction Plant. Here condemned meats and other foods were either destroyed or processed for chicken feed and fertilizer. He remained in that position until his death. He was married to his cousin, Sofie Magdalene Friis, December 23, 1897. They had four children, Benedikte, born April 11, 1900; Kersten Emilie, born April 19, 1907; Elizabeth Marie, born December 12, 1905; David Christian, born January 2, 1911.

Frederikke, the fourth child of D.C. and G.S. Friis was born February 17, 1869. She never married and died January 20, 1889. She was a talented musician and studied the piano. She won recognition from Crown Prince Frederik's wife and received two hundred crowns to further her study of music. Her health failed, and she was obliged to abandon her music.

Rasmus, the fifth child of D.C. and G.S. Friis died in infancy.

Marie, the sixth child of D.C. and G.S. Friis was born December 28, 1876. She became a graduate nurse and has never married. She is still following her profession. (As of 1944, was still alive.)

Sofie, the seventh child of D.C. and G.S. Friis died in infancy.

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Ulrick's & Anna's paternal side
Ulrick's maternal side
Ulrick's siblings
Ulrick & Anna's children