Olsen, 1850-
Family
The family in the United States began when Andrew Olsen (1816-1908) and Bertha Andrews Olsen (1823-1879) immigrated from Norway about 1850 and settled near Oakland (now Atkinson), Wisconsin. Andrew and Bertha grew up in the Lutheran Church but when they came to the United States, they attended the services of the Methodist Church. Having heard about the seventh-day Sabbath while still in Norway,after immigrating they studied the Bible and came to the conclusion that the seventhday Sabbath was the correct day of rest. Thus they started to keep the Sabbath, and when more and more people started to keep the Sabbath word went around so that Seventh-day Adventist ministers came and an Adventist Church was established.
The oldest son, Ole Andres (1845-1915) eventually became the president of the General Conference from 1888 to 1897. M. E. Olsen was one of O. A. Olsen’s two sons.
Martin Mathias, the fifth of nine children, was born about 1855 at Oakland, Wisconsin. It seems that Martin became a member of the Adventist Church at the age of eleven. Beginning in 1871, he worked for some time at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. In 1876 he received his ministerial license, and five years later he married Karen Hansen. They had one child, Della, who later married Junias Hansen; and they also adopted a boy, Lio. Martin, in 1889, attended the Scandinavian course at Battle Creek College. The same year he was sent to Denmark where he was first in charge of the school in Copenhagen. Later he became principal at the school in Frederikshavn for two years, and afterwards he began to work among the churches in Denmark. For two years he served as conference president and at the same time as editor of the church periodical, Trøstermanden. In 1922 he worked for several months in Estonia. Later he worked several years in the West Danish Conference. The date of his death could not be verified but some sources mention the year 1950.
The Danish book Minder og Erfaringer by Martin M. Olsen (1936) was translated into English (Memories and Experiences) by Dyre Dyreson in 1978. The book contains information on the history and experiences in the lives of Olsen’s parents and siblings.
The oldest son, Ole Andres (1845-1915) eventually became the president of the General Conference from 1888 to 1897. M. E. Olsen was one of O. A. Olsen’s two sons.
Martin Mathias, the fifth of nine children, was born about 1855 at Oakland, Wisconsin. It seems that Martin became a member of the Adventist Church at the age of eleven. Beginning in 1871, he worked for some time at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan. In 1876 he received his ministerial license, and five years later he married Karen Hansen. They had one child, Della, who later married Junias Hansen; and they also adopted a boy, Lio. Martin, in 1889, attended the Scandinavian course at Battle Creek College. The same year he was sent to Denmark where he was first in charge of the school in Copenhagen. Later he became principal at the school in Frederikshavn for two years, and afterwards he began to work among the churches in Denmark. For two years he served as conference president and at the same time as editor of the church periodical, Trøstermanden. In 1922 he worked for several months in Estonia. Later he worked several years in the West Danish Conference. The date of his death could not be verified but some sources mention the year 1950.
The Danish book Minder og Erfaringer by Martin M. Olsen (1936) was translated into English (Memories and Experiences) by Dyre Dyreson in 1978. The book contains information on the history and experiences in the lives of Olsen’s parents and siblings.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Olsen Family Collection
Collection
Identifier: Collection 66
Content Description
The collection contains materials on several members of the Olsen family, a prominent Seventh-day Adventist family, plus some material on Adventist work in Wisconsin in the 19th century and early years of the 20th century.
Dates:
Majority of material found within 1896 - 1976
Olsen Family Collection
Accession
Identifier: Collection 66