Name/Title
Figenskau family: Clara Figenskau (Mrs Henry Thompson), of Crookston, MN, friend of Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet of Hillsboro, NDEntry/Object ID
2025.9.1Description
This Figenskau family history folder contains a number of photographs from the Hovet Collection for Clara (Mrs. Henry Thompson) Figenskau who was a friend of Ostina (Halvorson) Hovet of Hillsboro, ND. Clara Figenskau (b. 1873) and Ostina Halvorson (b. 1866) grew up as close neighbors on family farms by Colfax, Wisconsin. Clara Figenskau was the fifth of six children born to Knud G. and Anna Figenskau (see Catalogit entry 2025.8.1]. The Hovet collection was donated to the TCHS by George Olson, husband of Thelma (Hovet) Olson, who was Ostina's only daughter.
The first photograph at left is a wedding photo of Clara Figenskau and Henry Thompson, taken at the A. P. Holand Studio in Grand Forks, ND. Clara and Henry married on 9 June 1901 in St. Petri Lutheran Church in Gary, Norman County, MN [US ELCA marriage rec.].
The second photograph (below) is a family photo taken at the A. P. Holand Studio in Grand Forks, ND, at the wedding of Clara Figenskau and Henry Thompson. As shown in the photo, at front are Henry and bride Clara, with her father, Knut G. Figneskau. At the back are thought to be Clara's siblings, from left to right, Magdalena Hasina Figenskau (Mrs. Swan Carlson), Thomas Figenskau, Jens Figenskau, Tina Figenskau (Mrs. Theodor Johnsen) and Martha Figenskau (Mrs. John Lee).
The third photo (below) is another A. P. Holand studio photograph showing four adult children of Knud & Anne Figenskau (l-r: Thomas, Clara, Tina and Jens Figenskau), and perhaps a grandson (unknown) at left. This photograph was likely also taken in 1901 based on clothes worn by Tina Figenskau. If so, the boy of about 10 could be a son of Martha (Figenskau) and John Lee.
In this Hovet Collection were two more photographs of Clara Figenskau, both taken at the A. P. Holand studio in Grand Forks. The first has "Clara F" written on the front, and the second has "Clara Figenskau" written on the back.
Also in this Hovet Collection was a photograph of Clara Figenskau's (future?) husband, Henry Thompson (at right), and Clara's youngest brother, Tom Figenskau (at left). This A. P. Holand studio photograph had "Tom Figenskau" and "Henrry Thompson" written on the back.
After Henry and Clara (Figenskau) Thompsen married in 1901, the farmed in Strand Township in Norman County [MN 1905 Census; 1910 US Census]. By 1910, Henry and Clara had three children (family tree, below), including Adelaide, Jens and Thelma.
By 1920, Henry and Clara Thompsen, and children, had moved to the village of Twin Valley in Norman County, MN, where Henry was now employed as a "Merchant" of a "General store" [1920 US Census]. In this 1920 census, Clara's widowed father, Knut Figenskau, at age 85, lived with her family in Twin Valley. This census noted that Knut had come from Norway to the USA in 1862 [see Catalogit family history entry 2025.8.1].
By 1930, Henry and Clara, and their son Jens Thompsen, had moved to a rented house on E. 18th St. in Minneapolis, MN [1930 US Census]. Henry now was listed as a "Factory owner".
On 23 April 1936, at age 57, Henry V. Thompsen passed away in Crookston, Polk County, MN, where he was interred in the Oakdale Cemetery [US FaG grave-marker, below].
After the passing of her husband, Henry, Clara (Figenskau) Thompsen, age 66, resided with her daughter, Adelaide (Mrs. Philip Hamre) and husband, who lived on Pleasant Avenue in Crookston, MN [1940 US Census]. In 1950 [US Census], Clara, now age 76, continued to reside with Philip and Adelaide Hamre in Crookston. After Philip passed away in 1961, Adelaide and her mother first moved to Butte, MT, and later to Chico, CA.
Clara (Figenskau) Thompsen passed away at age 93 on 28 August 1966 in Chico, CA, while with her daughters, Mrs. Thelma (Figenskau) Portwood and Mrs. Adelaide (Figenskau) Hamre, both of Chico [obit, Sacramento Bee, 31 Aug. 1966]. Clara was interred next to her husband Henry at the Oakdale Cemetery in Crookston, MN [US FaG grave-marker, below].Acquisition
Accession
2025.9Source or Donor
George Olson, Hovet CollectionLocation
* Untyped Location
Resource RoomBuilding
Plummer House
