Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Karsten JESSEN, known as Jack, was born in 27 Mar 1893 at Maryborough the 13th child of Andreas and Sophjie Jessen. His mother died when Jack was 6 years old and a year later his father married, Widow Eliza Nolan my Great Grandmother.
Jack, aged 10 years 10 months, was enrolled at Wooroolin Provisional School in Jan 1904 and left in Jun 1905. He was previously at either Gundiah or Willowbank School near Tiaro.
In 1907 his father bought the store keeping business of Mrs. Evans at Wooroolin, and built a large store, butcher's shop, bakery & café. His father and brother Fred also developed Short St in 1910 and donated one of the blocks to the Church of England where St Andrews was built some years later. His brother Fred developed Andrew St in Wooroolin and owned the Wooroolin Hotel before it was burnt to the ground in 1915. Jack was one of the people living in the hotel at the time and lucky to escape. Another person staying at the hotel on the night of the fire was Bill Fellows who enlisted in the Army on the same day as Jack giving Christian Jessen as NOK then altered it to Lena Jessen when Christian enlisted.
Jack was very musical. In 1912 an article in the Maryborough Chronicle records that he acted as MC at a ball at Tingoora and put the dances through in style. He was also a member of the Wooroolin Brass band and I am fortunate to have a photo taken about 1913 of the band and includes Jack. It is interesting to see that 7 out of the 12 men in the photo enlisted during WW1 and 5 are on the Wooroolin Honour Board and 1 was killed in action. I have another photo of Jack in the Wooroolin Brass band but as yet undated.
Jack, aged 23, joined the 15th Battalion, 18th Reinforcement on 11 Feb 1916 and his unit embarked from Brisbane on board HMAT A49 Seang Choon on 4 May 1916. He stood 5 feet 6 ½ inches in his socks and had a fair complexion with fair hair and blue eyes. His distinguishing features were Tattoo on finger of right hand and both arms, Scar on left foot, right knee and left thumb.
His brother Christian joined the Australian army 2 months later but that is a separate story. Before Jack left to go overseas he had a portrait taken of himself with his sister Lena and step-sister Lizzy, my Grandmother and he and Bill Fellows were some of the soldiers photographed in The Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to The Queenslander, 8 Jul 1916.
Jack was transferred to 41st Battalion on arrival in England. The 41st Battalion arrived in France on 25 November 1916. It entered the front line for the first time on Christmas Eve and spent the bleak winter of 1916-17 alternating between service in the front line, and training and labouring in the rear areas. John served his time on the Western Front with the 15th Battalion interspersed by several long hospital stays through a gunshot wound, illnesses and disease. There is a family story that Jack was a sniper during his service but I have not been able to prove this either way.
During Jacks time in France and/or Belgium his brother Christian as Killed in Action in June 1917 at Messines, Belgium. Whilst on active service in France Jack wrote a beautiful Memoriam Poem about his brother and sent it to his cousin Alice Andersen who inserted it in the Maryborough Chronicle. The poem reads”
JESSEN – In memory of my dear brother, Christian Jessen
He left home in health and strength
To answer his country’s call:
He gave his life, he gave his best
For you, for me, for all.
His cheerful face, his kindly ways,
Are pleasant to recall.
He had a friendly word for all.
Far away from all he loved.
His comrades laid him down to rest,
On Australia’s role of honour.
You will find my dear brother’s name – Christian Jessen.

Jack returned to Australia 27 December 1918 and was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. He returned to Wooroolin and the 1919 electoral records Jack as a farmer. I think he had inherited one of the many farms owned by his father as well as the café and Butcher shop next door to the post office. Have yet to go to the Qld State archives and get a copy of the will of his father.
In 1921, aged 28, Jack Jessen married Cecelia Brennan at St Peters Church of England, Gympie, witnessed by Eliza Jessen his stepmother and WR Isles. His occupation now Grazier. This ties in with an article in The Queenslander Saturday 30 June 1923 where KJ Jessen was granted a lease on Por 2 Jua. I believe “Jua” is the name of the area around Proston….
Interesting that there were 4 siblings of Ciss also living at Wooroolin. Gertrude Brennan married Bill Woltmann the butcher. Meg Brennan married Edwin Weller the baker and Vic Brennan the baker who took over from Edwin Weller. Jas Brennan ran a Fruiter in 1917 per Qld Post Office Directory.
Jack was a member of the committee of the Memorial School of Arts in 1925 and would have been involved in the organisation to add the hall at back which was built in 1928.
John & Ciss lived in the house off Gatacre Lane behind where my grandparents lived on Frederick St and that Ciss ran the café that was between the post office and bakery.
Two daughters were born to Jack & Ciss and they attended Wooroolin School for a while. When Dot was registered in 1928 her father’s occupation was Engine Driver and in 1931 when Fay registered his occupation was Butcher. Mums note book on family history states that Dad was very close to Dorothy & Fay when they lived next door at Wooroolin.
I found that John’s brothers Peter and Fred had been successful in 1919 in their examinations for certificates of competence as engine drivers under the inspection of Machinery act of 1915. Peter – Loco & Traction, Fred – Third Class Provisional. Not yet found Jack.
Jack had the Tingoora Butcher shop some years before the family moved there to live in 1934. Probably at the back of the butcher shop near the new Tingoora Town Hall and the girls went to Tingoora School which was across the road. Jack was on the Tingoora Hall committee when it was erected in 1934. An article from the Catholic Advocate in 1933 advertises JK Jessen - the leading butcher of Tingoora.
A 1932 list of Residents for the local Sanitation service states Jessen Estate Shop currently occupied by Fiedler. Ernie Strenzel was registered as being the Wooroolin Fruiter in the 1938 PO Directory.
The family moved back to Wooroolin in 1941 but not for long as by 1944 when the Bakery and Café burnt to the ground Jack was living at Maryborough.
At Maryborough Jack is recorded as working as a Linesman, Labourer and Mail Contractor over the years. They lived at Roseneath St where my Dad used to take us to visit him when we went on holidays at Hervey Bay.
Jack died in 1972 aged 79 and his buried at Maryborough Cemetery. His wife joined him there in 1985.
Lest We Forget