The Myrtue connection

The families Drustrup and Myrtue are connected in two ways:

1: Through Maren Poulsen Myrtue and her family. She was a cousin to the children of Jens Christian Myrtue (a brother to Marens mother: Inger Marie Sorensdatter Myrtue)

Among Jens Christian Myrtues children were the two brothers - Søren Jensen Myrtue and John Jensen Myrtue - who Thomas Drustrup was allowed to emigrate to and work for, were sons of Jens Christian Myrtue. In that way the emigrating Thomas Drustrup came to stay with his mothers cousins.

2: The second connection between the families is explained at the end of this page
The connection is between some danish lines of the families, but with relations to Maren Poulsen Myrtue and another cousin of hers.
Read the subpage about Johanne Drustrups family

The data on the two Myrtue brothers are:
John Jensen Myrtue (May 2nd 1864 - November 13th 1941) married to Julia Anne Mickelsen (December 25th 1877 - June 30th 1906)
Soren Jensen Myrtue (1858 - ?)
(Read more about Soren and John Jensen Myrtue in the section: Council Bluffs in the old days)

Marens grandparents/Inger Marie Sorensdatters parents, Soeren Christensen and mother Johanne Kristensdatter, were farmers on the farm Myrtue, and that gave name to Maren, who was called Maren Poulsen Myrtue before she married Jens Jørgen Nielsen.

Inger Marie Sorensdatter Myrtue is the oldest child of Søren Christensen and Johanne Cristensdatter. They had 8 children: Inger Marie (October 5th 1823 - February 14th 1876), Jens Christian (1826-1911), Niels Christian (September 16th 1828- , Ole Christian (March 13th 1831-May 23rd 1917), Mette Catrine (February 20 1833- ? ) (who married Peder Willadsen and their children went to Iowa and Minnesota), Elsine Dorthea (March 6th 1835-?), Chresten (March 4th.1838 - died 6 years old), Ane Marie (?-?), and Andreas (April 4th 1841-1924).

Other members of the Myrtue family
Along with Jens Christian Myrtue others of his siblings emigrated to USA too, and here follows some information on the Myrtue family.
(Read more in the section: Council Bluffs in the old days)

There is a story in the family (probably true!) that Andrew (Andreas) Myrtue had a farm bordering on the North Sea. According to the law, all lumber and timber from a wrecked ship belonged to the king. Andrew took lumber and timber from a wrecked ship that came to his shoreline and built or repaired his farm buildings. He was arrested and tried and convicted. He was given 3 months to settle his affairs. At the end of that time, he was supposed to surrender himself to the authorities. Once he sold the farm, he immigrated to America! Later, he brought many of his nephews over. I would assume that the Drustrup boys were among them. They were his sister's grandchildren and because of their age difference more close in age to his own children.

A letter from Emmett Soren Wilson
The following letter (an excerpt) was written by Emmett Soren Wilson before he died in 1991.
Emmett Soren Wilson was born April 15,1912 - the day the ship Titanic sunk. His father immigrated to the United States of America.

My grandfather, Peder Willadsen, was crippled in one foot. He was a tailor by profession. He had a crew of tailors working for him. Peder Willadsen would go from estate to estate to tailor for the landed gentry. One estate was the Myrtue estate. Peder Willadsen became enamored of one daughter, Matte (sc. Mette) Myrtue. It was like putting a match to kerosene. Peder Willadsen wooed and won Matte (sc. Mette) Myrtue.

Matte (sc. Mette) Myrtue had a brother, Andrew Myrtue. Andrew Myrtue had a farm bordering on the North Sea. According to the laws of Flotsam and Jetsam in force at the time, all lumber and timber from wrecked ships belonged to the crown (King). Andrew Myrtue took lumber and timber from a wrecked ship that came to his shoreline and built or repaired his farm improvements. Lumber and timber was scarce in Denmark. Andrew Myrtue was arrested and tried. He was found guilty of converting the crown's lumber and timber to his own use. He was given a sentence but was given three months to settle his affairs. At the end of the three months, he was to surrender himself to the authorities. It was a curse of too many people, too little land.

Andrew Myrtue sold his farm and emigrated to America. He settled on land near Harlan in Shelby County, Iowa. As near as I can ascertain, Andrew Myrtue made three or more trips to Denmark. The first trip he took Uncle Willis back to the USA with him. This made my father 'sick' to come to uncle Andrew in the USA. My father borrowed passage money from a farmer neighbor in Denmark. Dad passed his sixteenth birthday on the ship enroute to this country and made his own way ever since. Andrew Myrtue brought 5 or more nephews and some nieces to the USA. Other cousins came first to Andrew Myrtue.

Many amusing events and happenings to my father and uncle Willis at Andrew Myrtue's. I could tell many tales and events about the Myrtues. One event about my dad. Dad was hoeing weeds out of Andrew Myrtue's corn. Dad hoed out the pumpkin plants that had been planted in the corn where he was hoeing. There were no pumpkins raised in Denmark so Dad wasn't familiar with them.

Andrew Myrtue and his wife had a son, Chris. Chris never married. Chris was a prosperous farmer and livestock man (fed and raised cattle and hogs). A person could go down this road near Harlan, Iowa for a distance of two miles or so and Chris owned the land on both sides of the road -- some of the choicest and best land in Iowa. Sometime following Chris' death an article in a Harlan paper said that he was 'frugal' though Chris was to say 'tight as the bark on a tree'. I always thought it was the way Chris considered and thought of things. For instance, we went out in the early 1930's and called on Chris. Chris took us to his garage. Inside was one of the finest cars available in that period -- a 1926 six cylinder Buick -- it had a sort of 'reverse' transmission (or shift) in it. The car was 5 to 7 years old at that time. It had 7000 or 8000 miles on it. The car was spotless -- waxed and polished, clean windows, windshield, upholstery and all. Chris kept it that way. There was a tarpaulin that Chris kept on it at all times. I've often wondered what happened to the car. It would be worth big bucks now. Chris drove around in a 6 speed International truck -- in which he hauled grain, hay, livestock, etc. Chris also took a trip to Florida one winter.

Well, at the time when Chris was in the hospital answering the 'call' to come home, Harlan, Iowa just had a dwelling for a hospital. (Chris died of cancer). There was a room with 4 beds in it for bedfast patients. Chris could see the need. Chris willed his money, land and resources to establish a hospital. As I remember, his land was auctioned off as well as his possessions. Those were the days when a dollar was a dollar. Chris stipulated the community had to contribute an amount of money equal to his contribution. The Federal Government contributed the money. All in all, I believe Chris' contribution in present day dollars would equate to $2,300,000. I think of Chris looking with pride when he showed his Buick car to us. Chris could look at the hospital he contributed to. On the atrium of which is inscribed 'The Chris Myrtue -- Shelby County Memorial Hospital'.

Another Myrtue I would call to your attention is John Myrtue. John Myrtue and his brother Soren Myrtue gravitated to Council Bluffs, Iowa. John and Soren established one of the largest building construction firms in Council Bluffs -- if not in southwest Iowa. John was elected 'President of the Danish Brotherhood of America'. As President of the Danish Brotherhood of America, John Myrtue was knighted by King Christian of Denmark. John Myrtue was elected Mayor of Council Bluffs, Iowa in the early 1930's. At the time Council Bluffs had a population of about 42.000 persons. The onliest thing about John was that he was a Democrat. I don't believe that should be held too much against him. The Myrtue family was and is a fascinating family.

The facts I set out are what I have heard from my Mother, Father and relatives. I feel that they should be of record.

Respectfully
Emmett S. Wilson

Another connection between Drustrup and Myrtue

Another connection between Drustrup and Myrtue is established as desribed on the page about Johanne Drustrup's family.

Annalise Kristensen as well as her mother's sister, Jenny, were of the Myrtue-family and grew up in the family of Johanne Drustrup and Ole Kjærgaard.

Annalise tells, that the name of her mother's father was Christen Olesen Myrtue (1863-1937), and on the site of Bob and Virginia Carrigan mentioned above, I found out, that Christen Olesen Myrtue was a son of Ole Christen Sørensen (1831-1917), who was a brother to Inger Marie Soerensdatter and Jens Christian Sørensen.

This means, that Annalises grandfather, Christen Olesen Myrtue, was a cousin to both Maren Poulsen Myrtue and the Myrtue-brothers in Council Bluffs, Søren Jensen Myrtue and John Jensen Myrtue.