Maren Christensen wore this wool skirt on her 1890 voyage to the United States. The skirt was made from the wool of sheep that her own family raised, and it was carded, dyed and woven into fabric by Maren's mother. The skirt was meant to keep Maren warm during her long voyage. After her voyage, Maren arrived in New York and was processed at Ellis Island. She then traveled by train from New Jersey to Waterloo, Iowa, where she knew other Danish immigrants had settled. After arriving in Waterloo, she met a man named Mr. Jensen and lived with his family for a year as she learned English and got settled. In 1901 Maren married Jens Oleson, another Danish immigrant who lived in Waterloo. The couple had two children. In 1921 Jens Oleson and his son, J. Peter Oleson, founded Jens Oleson & Sons Construction Company. Both Maren and Jens Oleson are buried in Waterloo. Content can be used with the following standards: 3rd grade SS 3.27 Immigration and Migration in a lesson on immigrants to Iowa and the early settlers of the Waterloo area. For any use other than instructional resources, please check with the organization that owns this item regarding copyright restrictions.
2018.038.009 [Skirt]
Legal Status
Ownership of this resource is held by the Grout Museum District and has been provided here for educational purposes only, specifically for use in the Iowa Museum Association's "Teaching Iowa History" project. It may not be downloaded, reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission from the Rights Holder. For information on U.S. and International copyright laws, consult an attorney.