My grandpa, Jens Rasmussen, was an inveterate letter writer. I was the recipient of a good share of his letters, but I was not the only one. As long as you were willing to write to him, he’d quickly respond with a letter of his own.
All of his letters were written in pencil on unlined paper. I think he chose pencil because he was an artist and, indeed, his writing with the soft lead almost seems artsy. He typically wrote on one side of the page and would cram each page, up to four or five per letter, with words.
He talked of life in Siren, Wisconsin, where he lived for most of his 95 years. He also discussed his health, often mentioning that he felt “punk” or that he was sure he wouldn’t wake the next morning and was surprised when he did.
Portion of a letter by Jens Rasmussen
Handwritten letters of any kind these days are precious, but Grandpa Jens’ letters are especially precious to me. Working in a museum, I often have people come in who are sorting through their relative’s personal items, trying to decide what to do with various artifacts, pictures and documents. They don’t want to throw these things away, so they offer them to museums. If a museum can’t take them, out they go. (It’s a rare museum that won’t take handwritten letters that relate to its mission. If a specific museum can’t accept them, ask if there is another museum that might.)
All of this explanation is leading up to a request.
If you find any letters from Jens Rasmussen of Siren, Wisconsin, as you are going through your relative’s personal effects and you don’t know what to do with them, I’d like you to consider sending them to me to add to my collection. There have to be hundreds of them out there, tucked away in shoe boxes and trunks. Jens was as prolific a letter writer as he was a painter.
Contact me via email or by leaving a comment if you’d like to pass along any of his letters. Thanks!
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November 15, 2009 at 5:17 pm
kim ball
Hi there. I am Kim Ball (used to be Morehouse). I knew your grandparents in the 1970s. I am also an artist, and used to go visit them when I got done with work at Karschbaum’s market. I’m sure I have old letters from him. I vividly recall both, expecially Jens, since he lived to be quite old. He spoke of his father and how he built churches. I know he was Danish. I remember his as a poor artist who lived the simple life. He was outspoken and a shoot from the hip person. Wasn’t your grandmother’s name Bea?? He missed her so after she passed. I kept in touch with hime untill the late 90s, and don’t remember after that. He was a special and unique man. I recall the tiney house and the artwork piled up on fiber board, and many sketches of farmland that he would revert back to then “tweek” a bit (an artists’ license to improve a little on reality) for his paintings.
He was a one-of-a-kind and I was fortunate to have known him.
Fondly, Kim Ball, Superior WI
November 15, 2009 at 7:47 pm
woowooteacup
Kim – You have described Grandpa Jens to a “T.” He sure was outspoken. And, yes, he had piles of paintings in a tiny house, although I never thought of him as a poor artist. He and Grandma Bea always seemed to have everything they needed.
Grandpa died in 2005 at the age of 95, a nice old age. I was with him when he passed and had the privilege of writing his name on the painting above his bed in the nursing home. I believe it may have been his last.
Thanks so much for sharing your memories of Grandpa. If you have any of his letters and wouldn’t mind sharing, I’d love to read them. Let me know and we can arrange something. Photocopies or a digital version would be just fine if you want to hang on to the originals. Thanks again!