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Rosa Conrad Stephensen, the Farrier from Nikenbah
Photo of Rose Conrad Stephensen
The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866-1939) Thursday 21 March 1935
SHOEING HORSES AT 82
A Nikenbah Notability
(See photos, on page 30.)
Although 82 years of age Mr. R C. Stephensen still follows his trade as a blacksmith, and during the last cane season he shod all the horses at Nikenbah, where he carries on his business. "I hope to do so again this season," he said to a Queenslander
representative, "though soon I may have to retire." Mr. Stephensen was born in Denmark on August 15, 1862. He was one of a family of nine, and from seven years of age until he was 14 worked as a cowherd boy. Then he started to learn to be a blacksmith, and for four years worked from 5 a.m. till 7 at night. Subsequently he opened a blacksmith's shop and continued it until he left for Australia in 1883, landing at Maryborough on January 19, 1884. He had married when 20 years of age, and he and his wife settled in Tinana, where he obtained work with E. Stephensen (his brother), P. Hansen, and Co., remaining with them for two and a half years. He then went to the Pialba district, where he purchased an acre of land, built a blacksmith's shop, and carried on business there. Times were hard, all the farmers were new settlers, blacks were plentiful, and bush tracks were the only "roads."
In 1912 Mr. Stephensen made a trip to Denmark, and on his return commenced cane growing, while retaining his blacksmith's shop. In 1918 he lost his wife, to whom he had been married 45 years; they had reared a family of four daughters and one son—Mrs. Lars List (Pialba), Mrs. Dan Ready (Maryborough), Mrs. J. Blake (Pialba), and Mrs. R. Blakely (now deceased), and Mr. Conrad Stephensen (Nikenbah). Later he married again, but his second wife died two years afterwards. In 1922 he married a widow—Mrs. Jens Berthelsen—who died in 1932. Mr. Stephensen's descendants include 23 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. One of his daughters is the mother of 14 children.
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