Obituary Record

Niels Christian - Rev. Carlsen
Died on 2/8/1950
Buried in Blair Cemetery

9 Feb., 1950 - The Enterprise - Rev. Niels Christian Carlsen

REV. CARLSEN DIED HERE MONDAY

President of United Evangelical Lutheran Church; Long Resident.

HEADED CHURCH 25 YEARS

Rev. N. C. Carlson, for 25 years President of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church and a resident of Blair during that time, passed away suddenly at his home early Monday evening at 7:30, a victim of a heart attack.

He had been convalescent the past three or four weeks upon doctor’s order at his home in order to recover from a heart and general weakness as a result of his strenuous travel and work the last year. As president of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church and a leading member of the committee which was to formulate plants for a possible unification of several Lutheran bodies in America, he had traveled extensively. He thus attended a meeting in Chicago shortly after New Year and came back very much fatigued and was ordered to bed. His passing is mourned by his wife and ten children and all that came to know this kind and reverend gentleman and church leader and have worked with him during his 25 years in that office.

Reverend Carlsen was born June 1, 1884 near the city of Hjoerring in the northern part of Jutland, Denmark. His father, Carl C. Jensen, was a common laborer whose first name the children later adopted as their surname because of the many Jensens. In 1894 the family emigrated to America, first the father and the two oldest children, soon after, the mother and younger ones, among them Niels and Jens, who both later became ministers. Their first residence was at Sennington, Wisconsin. Later in 1899 at Racine, Wisconsin where they became members of Our Saviour’s Danish Lutheran Church. Young Niels worked as a machinist at Racine until he felt the call of the ministry and entered Dana College at Blair in the fall of 1902. He pursued his studies three years, when his health broke down, and in order to recuperate took up farm work at Ringsted, Iowa. It was there he was engaged to Miss Caroline Martine Neve, whom he had first met at college and who later became his wife. Returning to his college, he finished his education and theological training at Trinity Seminary and on June 5, 1910 he was ordained during a convention in Racine. Ten days later he was married and started his ministry at Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. In 1914 he accepted a call to be pastor at Milltown, Wisconsin and served there until 1919 when he moved to Royal, Iowa as pastor for the Bethlehem congregation which he served until 1930. As a minister and preacher Rev. Carlsen soon became known in his synod as a leader and was much interested in promoting the religious education of young people. He also evidenced a clear insight in church affairs and was honored by his synod by being elected to the Vice Presidency in 1921. About that time the venerable first president of the United Synod, the Rev. G. B. Christiansen, resigned after 2 years of service. Rev. H. N. Andreasen was elected as his successor, but left for Denmark in 1924, whereupon Rev. Carlsen became president, and has been reelected every three years since. In 1930 he moved to Blair in consequence of the action by the synodical convention the year before, that the president should give his full time to this office. Hence he resigned his pastoral charge at Royal. At Blair he purchased the former residence of Prof. H. P. Lang and has lived there ever since, and with his family has been prominent in the hearts of the citizens of the community. His work called him away from home much of the time, and he became well known from coast to coast, especially in Danish Lutheran circles, in the latter years also in general Lutheran church life and action. In 1931 he was honored with a Doctor of Divinity degree by Capital University Theological School, Columbus, Ohio, and in 1936 the King Chr. X of Denmark conferred on him the order of the Knight of Dannebrog in recognition of his high office among Danish immigrants. Dr. Carlsen was a member of the board of the National Lutheran Council and has served in several official capacities. In 1929 he represented his synod at the Lutheran World Convention at Copenhagen and in 1935 he visited the land of his birth again as a member of the second Church Tour, arranged by his synod, and was delegate to the Lutheran World Convention at Paris. In 1946 he again crossed the Atlantic accompanied by his wife on a much needed vacation with all expenses paid by the synod, and spent a couple of months in Denmark.

The children of Dr. Carlsen are Alvin, High School Principal at Shenandoah, Iowa; Viggo, music teacher at Mapleton, Iowa; Verner, pastor at Kenmore, North Dakota; Raymond at Council Bluffs; Stanley, pastor at Trufont, Michigan; Niels, teacher at Lyons, Nebraska; Ester, wife of Rev. Thorvald Hansen, Hartland, Wisconsin; Rhoda, wife of Mr. Elmer Holl, Spokane, Washington; Lois, wife of Dr. Harold Sorensen, Graettinger, Iowa; and Eunice, wife of Rev. Homer Larsen, Atlantic, Iowa. A brother and sister in Wisconsin also survive Dr. Carlsen. His brother, Rev. Jens Carlsen, died suddenly in Brooklyn, New York, December 13, 1928; a son of his is Mr. G. J. Carlsen, custodian of Dana College.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Dana College Auditorium. Burial will be made in the Blair cemetery and services will be charge of the Bendorf Funeral Home.

#2-from the Church Program:

NIELS CHRISTIAN CARLSEN

Niels Christian Carlsen was born on June 1, 1884, near the city of Jhoerring, Jutland, Denmark, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl C. Jensen. The family emigrated to America in 1894, settling first at Shennington, Wisconsin, but moving in 1899 to Racine, Wisconsin, where they became members of our Saviour’s Lutheran Church. In Racine, Niels Carlsen worked as a machinist until the fall of 1902, when he entered Dana College, having felt a call to the Christian ministry.

After three years of study, his health broke, and in order to regain his strength he took up farm work at Ringsted, Iowa. Successful in the rebuilding of his health he returned to Blair, where he finished his education, graduating from Trinity Seminary in 1910, and on the 5th of June that year was ordained at Racine. He served congregations at Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin, 1910-1914; at Milltown, Wisconsin, 1914-1919; and at Royal, Iowa, 1919 to 1930. In 1921 he was elected Vice-President of Synod, and after the resignation of Rev. M.N. Andreasen in 1924 he was elected president in 1925. He has been re-elected each three years since, the last time in 1948.

In 1920 Rev. Carlsen moved to Blair to assume the full time presidency of the church. He was honored with the Doctor of Divinity degree by Capital University of Columbus, Ohio, in 1931, and in 1936 by King Christian X of Denmark with the order of the Knights of Dannebrog. He visited the land of his birth in 1929, 1935 and 1946.

Dr. Carlsen was a member of the National Lutheran Council, and served it in several official capacities. His last meeting was that of the Lutheran Church merger committee in Chicago early in January, from which he returned quite fatigued. He was ordered to bed by his physician and a period of rest was prescribed. He seemed to be on the road to recovery, when the end came suddenly as a result of a heart attack at 7:30 on Monday evening, February 8, 1950.

Throughout his ministry, Dr. Carlsen has had the faithful and efficient help of his wife, Caroline Martine, nee Neve, with whom he was joined in marriage at Ringsted, Iowa, on June 15, 1910. The couple were blessed with ten children, all of whom survive their father. They are Alvin, instructor in the high school at Shenandoah, Iowa; Viggo, Raymond, telephone company employee; Stanely, pastor at Trufant, Michigan; Niels, instructor in the high school at Decatur, Nebraska; Esther, wife of Pastor Thorvald Hansen at Hartland, Wisconsin; Rhoda, wife of Mr. Elmer Holl at Spokane, Washington; Lois, wife of Dr. Harold Sorensen, Graettinger, Iowa; and Eunice, wife of Pastor Homer Larsen of Atlantic, Iowa. In addition to Mrs. Calrsen, he is also survived by a brother, Peter Carlsen and sister, Mrs. Marie Larsen, in Wisconsin, and by 18 grandchildren. A brother, Pastor Jens Carlsen, passed away suddenly while serving the church of our synod, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, on December 13, 1928.

His body will be laid to rest on a high knoll in Blair Cemetery, overlooking the valley of the Missouri River, whose ever moving waters remind us:

“Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all it sons away.”

Printed in the Washington County Enterprise on 2/9/1950


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