The Greenwood Supper Club of Door County in Fish Creek, Wisconsin

(Carrie) Christine Marie Larsen Peterson

Christine Marie Larsen was born January 2. 1866 in Sjaelland, Denmark to Peter Larsen and Sophia (Sorensen) Larsen and immigrated to the United States in 1899. For several years Christine worked in Denmark in a clothing factory as a seamstress and it was considered a well paying job. Still her sister convinced her to come to America. Upon arrival, she was surprised to find how uncivilized Door County was. Her sister didn’t tell her about the Native Americans who lived there. It was then when she questioned why she left Denmark.

Before boarding the ship “Danmark” to the new world Christine was given an unusual prediction. A fortuneteller said an eventful journey was in her near future that she must not take. Christine was unshaken by this warning. She packed all her possessions and started out to make a new life with her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Petersen, who were living on a farm in Baileys Harbor, WI. But, before the “Danmark” reached its destination, disaster struck. The ship sank, along with all of Christine’s possessions. Fortunately an English steamer named the “Missouri” was passing nearby and rescued the ships passengers. This occurrence remains one of the least-known great sea rescues of all time.

A year later in 1890 in Baileys Harbor, WI, Christine married (Ramus) Robert Peterson, brother of Martin her brother-in-law. She became the mother of five children; Harry, William, Louis, Robert, and Eva. Christine passed away August 3, 1933.

(Ramus) Robert Peterson (Pedersen)
Great Grandfather on Maternal side

Robert Peterson was born in Sondor Ortev, Denmark, July 26, 1860, the son of Hans Juergen Petersen (Padersen) and Kirsten (Hansen) Petersen. Robert was reared and educated in Denmark where his parents were well known farming people. It is uncertain when they changed the family name from Pedersen to Petersen.

Robert worked in a sawmill until he reached the age of twenty, when he left his native land and sailed for America. He made his way to Racine, WI, where he worked as a farm hand for one year. He left Racine and went to Dakota, where he was employed in the harvest fields through the summer months and in the winter worked in the woods lumbering.


In 1887 he became a resident of Baileys Harbor, WI, and purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which he cleared and developed into a very productive dairy and crop farm.

In 1890 he married his sister-in-laws sister, Christine Larsen. He and Christine raised five children on the farm and remained on the farm until his death, October 12, 1934. The barn and homestead is still standing just south of Peninsula Center and owned by a relative.