In a recent issue of Arizona Highways magazine, I was astonished to see an article on the "Petersen House" in the town of Tempe, Arizona, USA. The name "Petersen" always grabs my attention, as it is my Best Beloved's birth name and she has many relatives in Denmark. The article tells of a Neils Petersen (a traditional christian name in her family) who settled in Arizona in 1878 and built the house in Tempe in 1892. The house is a two-story Queen Ann style building designed by James Creighton, who also designed part of the University of Arizona at Tucson. Here is the article, with acknowledgement to Arizona Highways Magazine:
It is quite evident that this Neils Petersen was a very successful man, and is the ancestor of the large population of Petersens who live in Arizona, and elsewhere in the USA, today. In fact, the present governor of the Arizona senate is Warren Petersen, who, I am willing to bet, is a direct descendant. It's a small world.
