Ane Dorthea Andersdatter

Born 13 February 1828 in Denmark to Anders Christensen Smed and Kirsten Rasmusdatter Hoj
Married Jens Larsen
Married Thomas Christian Stephenson and here too
Ane Dorthea-Pauline-Lexia-Marie
Died 15 Apr 1893 in Sigurd
Buried in Sigurd

1870 Census
1880 Census

I don't seem to have a history written specifically about Ane Dorthea right now, but this is a story about her from Stories of Those Who Preceded Us by Lexia Dastrup. Jens Larson's page also has some information about her. If you have a history of Ane Dorthea, I'd love to read it. I also don't seem to have any photos.

After Pauline and Jacob Dastrup were married, Pauline's mother, Ane Dorthea Larson, had come to live with them. She kept herself busy raising a brood of young turkeys. They were her pride and joy.

One morning just at daylight, Pauline was awakened by a noise. She got up and ran to her mother's room but she was not there. The noise had come from outside, so that was where Pauline headed. "Mother, Mother," she called. Her mother answered from the direction of the turkey coop, sounding so anxious that Pauline ran all the faster.

She was not prepared for the sight that caught her eyes. There was her mother standing on a skunk! She shouted for her to come and cut off its head. Pauline headed for the house calling out that she would get the butcher knife. "No! No! Get the axe!" came her mother's more anxious call. Pauline changed course and was soon back with the axe. While her mother stood on the live skunk, Pauline quickly beheaded the varmint.

Well, that was not the end of it. Ane Dorthea's clothes were covered to the knees with green musk, and to quote an old story "Himmel--Vot a Stink!tI (English translation: "Heavens--What a stink!") Pauline rushed to the house, made a fire and fixed the bath water. When it was ready, she came back to her forlorn mother who disrobed and went straight to the tub. Pauline took a shovel and buried the clothing. The odor was there all summer to remind them that the skunk had killed all but four of that splendid turkey crop.