The letters below were written by Andrew and Halvor Jensen to their sisters Kriste and Martha (letter of June 23, 1919) and their parents.
Andrew Jensen was born April 21, 1887, one of five children born to Halvard and Jacobina Jensen, of Lærdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. The family emigrated from Norway to North Dakota where Halvor was born May 21, 1891 in the town of Milnor. In total, Halvard and Jacobina had 14 children.
Halvor enlisted in the army at Milnor on May 12, 1917. At the time of his enlistment, he was a farmer. He served in Headquarters Company 16th Infantry until his discharge at Camp Grant on September 25, 1919. He was in service overseas from June 14, 1917 to September 3, 1919. He was promoted to Private 1st Class May 1, 1918 and Corporal October 24, 1918. He participated in the engagements of Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne and Montdidier-Noyon.
In 1950 he resided in Austin City, North Dakota, with his mother and younger brother Hans and worked in a meat packing plant. He died of stomach cancer in Austin, Minnesota on August 4, 1971 at the age of 80. He was interred back home in Milnor.
Andrew enlisted at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, on May 12, 1917. Like Halvor he served in the Headquarters Company of the16th Infantry until his discharge at Camp Grant on September 25, 1919. Andrew was overseas from June 14, 1917, to September 3, 1919. He was promoted to Private 1st Class on May 1, 1918. He participated in the engagements of Montdidier-Noyon, Aisne-Marn, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. Cited in General Orders No. 5, Headquarters, 1st Infantry Brigade, AEF, Selters, Germany, June 1, 1919, for gallant and courageous conduct during his participation in all of the four major operations of the Division. In 1930 he resided in Milnor and was a farmer. At the age of 56, Andrew married 27-year-old Nellie Henrietta Moberg in Wilkin, Minnesota on November 1, 1943.
Andrew died May 10, 1963 in Fargo, North Dakota at the age of 76. Nellie passed away September 26, 1994 in Wilkin, Minnesota at the age of 78.
Special thanks to Diane Green for the photo of Andrew and Halvor and the letters of Sept. 6, 1918 and June 23, 1919.
Francais
Sept 6 1918
Dear Mother:-
Will write you a few lines to-day it is almost 6 weeks since I wrote we are all well hope this finds you the same. I received your letter some times ago but was to busy to write. I had a letter from Stina a few days ago. I suppose every body is busy by this time with the fall work. We haven’t seen Severt yet had a letter from him not long ago. Where is Jens now? Do you see anything of Hillestade I wrote to Tom about four months ago but haven’t heard nothing from him maybe he is too busy with his ford du Serda. Has been lonesome since Pat Petderson and Red Smith got killed as they were the only ones with us from Milner, well this is all for this time write again
By By Your Son
Halvor Jensen
H.q. Co 16th US Inf 1st Divi
Signal Section
A.E.F. France
Dermbach Germany
Feb 16, 1919,
Dear Sister:-
Received your letter last week and will now ans. I’m glad to know that you are all well at home so are we. We are still on the same old place and I think we will be here for a while, everything is lovely, been going fine, today its Sunday, and we are going to church in Salvation Army the call mom so Severt is going back to St. Paul, now that’s the way it goes. Here I can’t do nothing but write to Ted. and that don’t do a bit of good. You tell Severt to keep away from her. I’m getting hostile this morning I worked over an hour on my hair pulling out gray hairs I’m getting old I never knows till the other day when one of the boys told me I had gray hair. Sure aught I had them so this morning I pulled out a handful. Uncle Sam out to give an old man like me my discharge. Halvor got a letter from Hans a few days ago and he said in his letter something about Burt. I didn’t quite get what he meant. How big is Hans now he must be quit a man now, and Mrs. H so she is sorry about Carl poor thing. I bet he was crazy to go. That story won’t go here and I’ll tell them so if they ever try and tell me any hard luck story. If they only know what we all have gone through. I have been so tired sometimes that I could not move an inch. And I have slept standing up and the same with the rest of the soldiers they came over here in 1917. If I was Carl I would be a shame to look a good soldier in the face. Four months ago we were all skinny all the soldiers was poor but now I know I’m sad and so is the rest of them. They all look good. And we are all healthy. Now what are you all doing. I see by the papers that the winter so far has been fine, and that the flu isn’t so bad now. Where is Inga now with Bill?-“Oh well” I hope my Ford is well, well I have nothing more to write about we had letters from Stiner and Annie last week and I got to answer them will write to Mother sometime this week. Halvor never got his eczema Sparks guess it got lost or some thing. Well I enjoyed what I got. Now we have plenty of everything here, how is big Martin, is he still at Peterson, say hello from me and greet the folks. I guess Halvor is writing, don’t know. The last letter I got from Home it took only 17 days to get here. Thats bon. write again
Your Brother
Andrew
Hq. Co 16th Inf
Am. Ex. Force
Dermbach Germany
Feb 22. 1919
Dear Sis-:
I received your letter yesterday I just love to get letters but I sure don’t like to write any. I suppose you no that. I am waiting for payday so I can go to Colbenz (Kolbenz) and get some more post cards to send home and get my picture taken. Andrew received mothers letter and postcards of illegible & Jacob they look like soldiers allright. So Inga wants to go to Germany. Tell her that home is the best place for fat ones like she is. How does Martin like to be away from home I suppose she has plenty of work to do now. Well everything is all well with us I just got back from the YMCA where they had a show to-night it sure was good. Ask father if he would like to have some German smoking tobacco and it’s kind of strong how do you can make plenty of smoke out of it. I am smoking a pipe 3 feet long it is an old German pipe. Andrew chews tobacco till he get black and blue fi when I amnd the years. Here comes the best of all mother wrote to Andrew and (ask) him to write to Anna Edd. When I saw that I pretty near fainting do you think that I would write to anything like that no never. Maybe Andrew will write to her but I sure won’t. Well as I hear taps blow I will close for this time write again. Greeting to all. From your Bro
Corp. Halvor Jensen
H.q. Co 16th US Inf
1st Divi Am. Ex. Forces
Germany
Dermbach Germany
March 13. 1919
Dear Sis-:
I will write you a few lines to-night it is bedtime but will send you a few words. Everything is fine and dandy. I had a letter from Stiner to-day.
Everything is getting nice and green over here. Do you go to school I suppose you are how is kid Martha I will write to her Sunday. Our band put on a show to-night at the YMCA didn’t go as I don’t care for the shows anymore. I go to show when there are some girls in it. Is Inga working in Milner or is she at home. Why don’t you girls have your picture taken? Andrew had his picture the other day, don’t no how they will turn out. I don’t think that I’ll have my picture taken until I get back home. Well there ain’t a dam thing to write about so I will close for this time. If you get time write something I don’t care what you write just so you write.
Greeting to all of you
I am your Bro
Corp. Halvor Jensen
H.q. Co 16th US Inf
1st Divi Am. Ex. Forces
Germany
Dembach Germany
Apr. 1st 1919.
Dear Sister-
I received your letter a few days ago and was glad to hear that you all are well so are we. Well we have had a fue days bad weather now but to-day it’s better. I see by your letter that the “Flu” has started again. I hope it won’t be bad like it was last winter. You say that Hans is tall well I suppose he is strong to. Song hi isn’t going to have anything to do with him and Martha. Say you must send us some pictures so we can see how you all look our I won’t know any one of you when I come home. I don’t grow any bigger the only thing that grow big on me is my feets they are awfull big. I’ll be ashame to show them up. I spose Inga is quit a lady now if she stays in a city like Milnor last time she wrote she said she was starving poor thing I can just about see it when she starvs I’ll eat my shirt. How about yourself have you started spring work yet and how goes it. Annie wrote and said that Jens spooning Miss Randall. Now is that right. I hope he has luck do you want to see mine. She is fat as a saw and she talks like one but I can understand her. Well Kriste I have nothing to write about everything hear is the same. This month I believe it’s my birthday. I wonder how old I am. Last year I spent my birthday in France 8 miles from Montdidier. Things was more livly than. Well I got to ans Severt to. Not t-oday maybe to-morrow. Say hello to the folks and everybody. How is our young girls now is there anyone left. Write soon. Would be glad to receive some pictures if you have any. Greet from Halvor. Your bother
Andrew
Hq. Co 16th Inf
Am. Ex. Force
April 10, 1919
Dear Sis-:
I just received your letter. Gee I was glad to hear from you it was about 15 days since we had an email from home. Well everything is fine and dandy here we have nice weather all the time it rained a little this morning but not much.
I received a letter from Annie and Martha also this morning.
You must have been sleepy when you wrote your letter you had it dated February 16th and it was stamped March 17th. How do you get that way? Last night I was to show. Andrew just received a letter from Stiner now he also got Inga’s letter.
Everything is nice and green over here now. It sure is nice. Gee I wish I could go home soon but I guess it won’t be until late in the fall or maybe next spring. Well there is no news to write about so I will close for this time will write Martha and Jacob to-morrow greetings to all
I am your Bro
Halvor
Selters Germany
May 16.-17
Dear Sister :-
I will write you a few lines to-day.
Everything is fine and dandy over here with us. I don’t know if will be home in July now as the Huns don’t want to signe peace. Things look pretty dark just now as we may go further into Germany if they don’t signe it.
If we have to fight them again we will kill everyone of them. I don’t give a dam if they start or not.
I received Martha’s letter yesterday. Next month I am going to have my picture taking so you can see a real soldier.
What are the boys doing now days. I suppose you are all through with spring work. It sure is a nice country around here now everything is green.
Well I have any news to write about so I will close for this time,
will write again
Greetings to all
From your Bro
Halvor
Selters Germany
May. 30. 1919
Dear Sister-
Well I suppose it’s but time I ans your letter. I’ve been so lazy that I ain’t taking the time to write. Today is decoration day so we are having a holyday. Course we have had a good ball game in “Montabour” and we lost. Playing with the 26th Inf. The weather is fine so I have taken some pictures to-day. Will send you a few. You see I have a Kodak now so I can shoot anything I went to. I sent a bunch to father and mother. Hope they have received them. Well what are you doing to pass time all the work done now aint it. One year ago today we were howling in hot and “Cantingy” we were just leaving “Noumont” to hold the new line that the 28th Inf. took of the Germans. I can remember so well how big guns where is shaking the Earth. It seems as if everything was our had gone crazy. Shells falling on both sides of the road that we hike that night. When we were about 1 mile from the Germans then we spread out and went over the battlefield. There what is the first time I seen dead soldier is laying all over the country it’s better now. Gen Parker came and seen us to-day gave us a little spiel and so forth. He didn’t say when we was going home we are ready to go over the top again any time now I guess. Fritz better sign are there won’t be any Germany left. Well I had a letter from Annie saying she was well and Stine mention and her letter that she was going to spend the summer in the country. Hope she is home when we get there. It’s Thomas home now. I suppose it’s this time of the year that he comes home isn’t it. If he is greet him from me. have mother got the illegible that I sent her yet. I sent Stein one to a small one well I have nothing to write about. Will write to mother someday when I really have some things to write about here is no news everything is the same thing over again. I’ll send pictures now and then. That’s better than writing. Say hello to everybody and write again. Were is Sevent now. How is the tin-can.
Your Brother
Andrew
Selters Germany
June 3.-17
Dear Little Sister
Received your letter of May 16th this morning so I will ans it right away before I forget about it. I also had a letter from Inga & Annie at the same time. I’ve got all I can do to keep up letter writing.
To-day we have had a little rain, first rain for over a month. Yesterday at noon we got paid and in the afternoon I went out for a joyride. We went over to the 5th F. Art. And beat them playing ball had a good game score was 3 to 4. So you hope I’ll be home this fall and help pick potatoes no sure don’t like that job, that is to hard on my back. That is I’m good job for a little girls like you and Martha. Ha. Ha. May 22 I got a damn good licking. There was about five big boys that got me down in my bed and he hit me about 30 times because they didn’t just illegible so they said they were going to give me plenty to be sure. Well I can’t think of any more to write about so I’ll close for this time all right mother to morrow
Greetings to all your illegible so they said they were going to give me plenty to be sure. Well I can’t think of any more to write about so I’ll close for this time all right mother tomorrow greetings to all
your Bro Halvor
Ettinghausen, Germany
Dear Little Sister:
I received your letter written June 3 today. I also received mothers letter I was glad to hear that Severt is getting better. I have been kind of worried about him do you know how it is fun we are so far away. We are all happy to-night as we heard that the Germans was going sign peace. Maybe it won’t be long before we will be back home.
You said in your letter that if I come home with a German girl you was going to kick her out. You wouldn’t do that with you. Gee I’ve got such a nice girl to.
To day I was out for a joyride, we went to Division Headquarters to see a ball game.
It was the 16th Inf and 5th F.A. that played we had hard luck to lost the game.
If they would have had me in the game we would have one you know. Well I haven’t got much to write about this time so I better close will write to mother tomorrow. Write again little one. Greetings to all
I am your Bro
Halvor