Carl Theodor Hansen
Carl Theodore Hansen: A Life of Service, Cultivation, and Family
I want to tell you about your ancestor, Carl Theodor Hansen. His life was a remarkable journey, full of dedication to his country, his work, and, most importantly, his family. He lived through some truly significant times in the early 20th century, from wars to tough economic periods, and he always held onto his deep love for his family.
Carl was born Karl Theodor Hansen in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 14, 1884. When he was 18, in 1903, he made the brave decision to emigrate to the United States. Part of the reason he came to America was because he was a pacifist, and Danish law required all men over 18 to serve in the military, which he didn't want to do.
Initially settling in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, he worked for two years in a greenhouse. Despite only having two years of high school, he continued his work in horticulture, spending the next two years growing roses in Milwaukee. He saved enough money to attend Iowa State Agricultural School at Ames for a two-year horticulture course. Following this, he moved to Chicago and grew roses for a year.
In 1909, driven by a desire to reunite with his mother, Carl returned to Denmark and brought both his parents back to the United States. They settled in Milwaukee, where his father passed away two years later and was buried in Oshkosh. After his father's death, Carl continued to cultivate flowers and study landscape gardening. In 1913, he and his mother moved to Kansas City, where he secured a position as the city forester. In the spring of 1914, he traveled to Europe, but the outbreak of war prompted his return to the U.S. He continued working as a landscape gardener and growing nursery stock until the Mexican conflict. It's amazing, even though he never wanted to carry a gun, after his mother passed away, Carl somehow found himself in the military.
Early Military Service: On the Mexican Border (August - December 1916)
His military journey started on the Texas-Mexico border, where he was a Stable Sergeant from August to December 1916. This was during a time of high tension with the U.S. Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa, and he was responsible for an incredible 92 horses and mules. His company had really important jobs, like giving first aid, transporting wounded soldiers, and providing medical care to the sick. He participated in tough training, including a 130-mile escort mission down the Rio Grande River and a 40-mile trek across the desert.
It was during this time, in August 1916, that something truly special happened. A group of teenagers sent sewing kits to the troops on the Mexican border, and Carl received a sewing kit and a note from a 14-year-old girl named Hazel Atkins. She wasn't supposed to write a note, but she slipped one into the sewing kit with her name and address. Carl wrote her a thank-you note, and that began a close pen pal friendship that eventually led to their marriage. Imagine that!
Even amidst his military duties, Carl, who was a landscape gardener and nurseryman by trade, tried to grow a garden with petunias, sweet peas, asters, and gladiolas. It just shows how much he loved horticulture, even in difficult circumstances. The garden outside his tent attracted deer and he adopted not one but two deer who he took back to Kansas City on the train and released in the huge Swope Park (where now there is an overpopulation of deer!). After releasing them, he went back months later and called them and they came to him.
World War I: From Fort Riley to the Trenches of France (December 1916 - May 1919)
After a brief return to civilian life in Kansas City, Carl was quickly called back into military service when the United States entered World War I in April 1917. He went through intense training at Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, getting ready for foreign service with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). His journey to Europe included a stop at Camp Mills, New York, before he finally arrived in England in June 1918.
Carl's service in France put him directly on the front lines. He lived in "dugout houses," was constantly shelled, and witnessed the terrible devastation of trench warfare. As an ambulance driver and stretcher bearer with the 137th Ambulance Company, he played a critical role in evacuating wounded soldiers, especially during the brutal Battle of Argonne. He experienced the profound physical and emotional toll of war, including being gassed and suffering from the widespread Spanish Flu pandemic. Despite these harsh realities, he was promoted to Sergeant Major, managing crucial records and paperwork.
When the armistice was signed in November 1918, Carl celebrated the end of the war in France, and then helped with duties related to bringing wounded soldiers home. He eventually sailed home on the Kaiserin Augusta Victoria, arriving in New Jersey before being discharged from Camp Funston, Kansas.
Post-War Adjustments and a New Chapter (May 1919 - April 1924)
Returning to Kansas City, Carl faced the difficult process of adjusting back to civilian life. He took off his military uniform, started attending church, and married Hazel, his beloved pen pal, whom he had written to constantly throughout his service. They were married in December 1919. Hazel was 17, and Carl was 35.
His career changed, and he became a traveling salesman, initially involved in the struggling melon trade in Neosho, Missouri. But he soon returned to his true passion, working for a nursery. This job led to extensive travel across Oklahoma and Kansas, where he dealt with different business conditions and challenging road conditions, often relying on his newly acquired car. During this time, your ancestor Carl Jr. was born in 1921, and Max was born in 1923. Carl often wrote about how much he missed them during his travels.
Professional Growth and Personal Hardship (April 1924 - December 1936)
In April 1924, Carl took on a big new professional challenge, moving to Chanute, Kansas, to oversee a large-scale landscaping project for a cement factory. This demanding role involved laying out extensive lawns and shrubbery, beautifying farm areas, and planting orchards. His work as a nurseryman continued to require extensive travel throughout Kansas and Oklahoma, selling plants, collecting orders, and managing finances.
During this period, his family continued to grow! Mary was born in 1927, and Robert was born in 1928. He faced significant physical labor, which often made him tired, and he also dealt with the economic hardships of the Great Depression, which impacted his business and finances.
Personally, this was a very challenging time for him. He had a severe leg and hip injury from a fall at work that left him temporarily unable to walk, requiring extensive care and a long recovery. Despite these difficulties, he remained devoted to his family, preparing their home in Chanute and regularly sending letters, money, and gifts.
Final Years and Hospitalizations (July 1937 - February 1938)
Carl's later years were unfortunately marked by declining health. From July 1937, he was hospitalized twice at the Wichita, Kansas Veterans Hospital. During his first visit, his doctor thought most of his problems were due to a "glandular problem," noting weakness in his legs. It's likely that what they called a "glandular problem" back then was a very early understanding of what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from his experiences in the trenches of World War I. They thought there was excessive "adrenaline" in his system, and it was often called "Shell Shock" in those days. The leg weakness was probably related to that severe work injury he had sustained years earlier.
Despite treatment, his health continued to get worse. In his final hospitalization in early 1938, they ran extensive tests. He expressed profound emotional distress, especially about leaving his family, and acknowledged that he couldn't fully recover to support them.
Carl was discharged on February 14, 1938. Two days later, on February 16, 1938, at the age of 53, he took his own life, hanging himself in the barn. He left behind Hazel, who was 36, and her children, who were 10, 11, 15, and 17 years old. In his pocket, he had the lyrics to an old song, "In the Gloaming," which Hazel believed was his last message to his family. The lyrics are so poignant:
In the gloaming, oh my darling
When the lights are soft and low
And the quiet shadows, falling,
Softly come and softly go
When the trees are sobbing faintly
With a gentle unknown woe
Will you think of me and love me,
As you did once, long ago
In the gloaming, oh my darling
Think not bitterly of me
Though I passed away in silence
Left you lonely, set you free
For my heart was tossed with longing
What had been could never be
It was best to leave you thus, dear,
Best for you, and best for me
In the gloaming, oh my darling
When the lights are soft and low
Will you think of me, and love me
As you did once long ago
Carl Hansen's letters are a touching record of a man who faced the immense challenges of his time with incredible resilience and an unwavering commitment to his loved ones. He left behind a legacy of dedication and love that we cherish to this day.