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Christian Lincoln Petersen
Chritain Lincoln Petersen (12 February 1896 - d. 29 Aug 1977). Chris' mother Ane Marie Jensen Buhl died
during child birth with Chris. Chris was taken to the neighbor?s farm, that of Sam Petersen, also Danish,
by Ane Marie?s 3 daughters; Anna, Olie, and Jean. The sisters knew if he went to the orphanage they may lose track of him through adoption.
So, Christian Lincoln S?rensen?s name was changed to Petersen. Johan Christian S?rensen, Chris? original father, died in a train accident prior to the birth of their son Christian.
Chris worked the farm with his step dad Sam and the 2 sisters, Jean and Olie kept close ties with him. Anna soon lost touch with the family. Chris?s responsibilities at the farm and the need to work allowed him to only finish 5th grade. The Petersen farm land later became a part of what is now Cleveland Hopkins airport. And, the original farm house was used for the airport office.
Chris later left the farm to work in the city, Cleveland, Ohio and became a salesman with a coffee company, CW Brand. At the time there were 6 salesmen and they became angry with their employer and discussed starting their own coffee company, Van Roy Coffee. Chris decided to leave as well but join the DeWitt Nash coffee company which was established in 1926 by two gentlemen DeWitt and Nash.
Nora Bercot, whom Chris would later marry, was originally from Indiana living in Fort Wayne and Angola at times. Her father worked on the railroad and was transferred to Berea Ohio where she eventually met Chris.
Later, Nora and Chris would buy out the remaining partner, Nash and Chris became president and owner the DeWitt Nash Coffee Company. The DeWitt Nash Coffee Company sold their brand named coffee 5th Avenue Coffee, out of the building on West 9th Street in downtown Cleveland. 5th Ave Coffee was originally sold to grocery stores in cans but later moved to servicing hotel and restaurants with coffee in bags.
Both of Chris' original parents were both born in Denmark
The following information was obtained from 2 books that Christian Lincoln Petersen had at his residence. The books are called Skudsm?lsbog or testimonial book in English. Chris passed away in 1977 and his wife Nora (Bercot) Petersen in 1995 at the age of 98. Their grandson, Craig Lincoln Petersen, (son of Donald Lincoln Petersen) inherited the house and the belongings within. Craig?s daughter Jennifer (Petersen) Tucker found the books and had them translated from Danish to English in 2005.
The testimonial books are records of the jobs that both Chris? original mother and father had while they lived in Denmark. Back then they only were allowed to change where they worked twice each year. In May and November so you will see that the hand written entries are from those months. It is a record of the work they did and who their employer was. Some of the hand writing was eligible and is noted as such.
The information in the books both end as of May 1883. This may be the time frame where Ane Marie Jensen Buhl and husband Johan Christian S?rensen decided to move to America.
Would you like to see the Translations of the Skudsm?lsbog books from Christian Petersen? click here.
Donald Lincoln Petersen
Donald Petersen (b. 21 Feb 1926 - d. 19 Feb 2006) was born in Cleveland, OH., Feb. 21, 1926 to Christian Lincoln Petersen and Nora (Bercot) Petersen. He married Margaret Neal Snyder August 2 1947 in Columbus OH.
Donald and his wife Margaret Snyder
During WWII he worked in a California shipyard building Liberty Ships. He entered the coffee industry in 1950 and went on to become President of
5th Ave. Coffee Co. and Star Coffee Company based in Cleveland, OH. He was a member of the National Coffee Association. He was active in local
Cleveland athletics and was past president of the Cleveland Athletic Club. He was also a member of the Columbia Hills Country Club.
Throughout the 1970's, Donald had a stable of Harness Horses and raced both in Canada and the U.S. He met his wife of 59 years, Margaret Snyder
at Miami University of Ohio and married upon graduation on Aug. 2, 1947 in Worthington, OH. They had four children; nine grandchildren; and eight
great-grandchildren when he passed away. He retired in 1988 and moved to Cape Coral, FL., overlooking the Caloosahatchee River.
He spent the last five months with his wife and daughter and her family in Leawood, KS.
Donald and his wife, Margaret, had four children; Craig Petersen of Parma Hts., OH., Mark Petersen of Indianapolis, IN., Kimberly Moore of
Denver, CO., and Krista Hutfless of Leawood, KS.
Johan's wife, Ane Marie Jensen Buhl, died in child birth with Christian Lincoln Sorensen. There were 3 older sisters, Anna 18, Olga 13,
and Jean 8 when she died. Johan left the kids with Anna in 1896 and left for the gold rush by hopping a train (yes, while drinking);
which he fell off and was killed in Norwalk OH.
Within 1 week Anna left Olga (Olie as she was called; pronounced ?O LEE?) with the two kids. Olga at 13 knew she couldn't care for the children so she took Jean to the McGregor?s and Chris to Sorin (Sam) and Jane Petersen a neighboring farm. Sam Petersen?s wife Jane died in 1926. Olga then turned herself in to an orphanage until the age of 18. Olga then left and got a job at the Cleveland Law School and kept track of Chris and Jean
My Father, Donald Petersen remembered that, ?Anna Sorensen would call and write only when she needed something, everything is for Anna as she was a self centered individual,? a similar trait that would surface again.
In California, Anna would have moments of depression and was seeing a doctor (Shrink). The Doctor gave her an injection for her depression and she sat
down and died.
Chris (Doc as he was called) was in the 4th grade when Sam began drinking too much. He would send Chris to the market by himself and Sam would drink
up the money. Chris had to quit the 4th grade to continue working the farm.
When Chris was 35-40 years old Sam was killed on Center ridge road & Dover Center walking home from a bar and was hit by a car. Sam had a lump on his
head and said he was alright, but 3 days later he died from his injuries.
Chris married Nora Bercot and lived on 117th St. for a while Olga lived with Chris & Nora. Olga helped with the 2 kids, Twyla and Don. Olga moved
out when she married Charles Switzer. Charley had lost his arm in WWI.
McGregor?s had one real son, Jean?s step brother. He came to Cleveland and went to Baldwin Wallace College to become an opera star and stayed with
Chris & Nora Petersen. Donald McGregor was a nice guy so when Donald Lincoln Petersen was born he was given Don?s name. Don McGregor became an opera
star in Canada and married a girl named Jean, also in the opera. My father and mother, (Don and Margaret) drove to Canada to see them. In 1949 Don
and his wife quit the opera and began teaching for the opera.
When Dad?s mother Nora was a little girl she lived in Cleveland on a farm on Gratin Road and Riverside Drive. She had a St Bernard named Don, so
perhaps my father was named for the dog?
Sorin Petersen came over from Denmark on a boat. When he registered, they thought Sorin was ?Stupid? and they gave him ?Sam? and spelled Petersen
wrong; Peterson. Sam had ?Sam Peterson? on his boxes of Onions. Chris found out, he changed the name back to ?SEN? as a teenager and said, ?We?re
Danish and proud of it.?
Doc and Nora moved to 7807 Waitstead Parma in 1929. Sam and Doc built the driveway. They dug out 10-12 inches and scoured the field for flat rocks,
the stones golf ball size, then pea grave and smoothed it out. ?It was the most gorgeous driveway in Cleveland.? It was later blacktopped after WWII.
Nora and Doc moved to 9113 Evergreen Dr in 1963.
History of 5th Ave Coffee; DeWitt Nash Co:
Widler Coffee Co was breaking up. DeWitt and Roberts formed a coffee Co. after one year but got mad and they split up. Nash was the accountant and
they formed the DeWitt Nash Co. in 1924 and hired salesmen from Widler Coffee. Chris Petersen was one of the hires.
DeWitt and Nash argued and after a few years Nash ended up with the whole company. Doc became the best salesman by selling the most and was named sales
manager in the early 30?s. Margie, daughter of Nash, married and moved to CA. When Fred Nash died in 1946, Margie had all the stock and wanted no
part of the business and sold the company to Doc. Doc had money in the bank and Nora had received an inheritance from Uncle Henry. Christian ?Doc?
Lincoln Petersen died in 1977.
Doc's son, Donald began running the Co. in 1965; he changed the packaging, financials and purchased new machine in 1970.
He also purchased the 4 story building on West 9th Street in Downtown Cleveland. He also started a second company ?Star
Service? an office coffee service. This was before the home coffee drip machines were available.
When Donald retired, no one in the family was interested in taking it over. The company, DeWitt Nash was sold in 1984. Star Service company
kept the brand name "5th Ave Coffee".
The Star Service company and the brand were then sold in 1988 to Wallingford Coffee Company. They still use the name
5th Ave coffee today.
Donald graduated from Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, GA., and Miami University of Ohio in 1947. At Miami OH, he was a member of
Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity.
He was also a 32nd Mason and Shriner and received his gold 50-year pin in 2001.
Family History - Adopted Name was Petersen
This was in conversation with my father Donald L. Petersen on the family history. (Mark L. Petersen) 
Chris on his farm wagon
5th Ave Coffee truck with their coffee salesmen (1950's)
