Shortly after Elsa’s fathers death on 1 April 1886 her mother Ida did not have the financial means to care for her. Elsa was fostered out to a family friend, pastor Lars Peter Fries and his wife Anna Amanda Margareta. Els were given a new surname of Janzon-Fries
In 1886 Census she was reordered to live with her foster parent in Tolfta, Upplands Län.
In 1905 William received a high school certificate from Göteborgs Högre Realläroverk, that later became Vasa Högre Allmänna Läroverk and today is Schillerska gymnasiet. In 1906 William studied law at Uppsala University. In 1911, after graduating, William and Elsa moved to Umeå and arrived on 10 October 1911. William did his law clerk qualification (tingsmeritering) at Svea Hovrätt in Umeå.
William served as notary public at Svea Hovrätt, and was also a partner in the law firm Kristensen & Bergh in Göteborg. William was a board member in several organisations, including his father’s Hans Henrik’s firm H.H. Kristensen AB and AB Lombard, both in Gothenburg, as well as AB Bohman & Johansson in Blomstermåla and as legal representative for Rottneros AB in Sunne, Värmland.
William received Knighthood (Riddare) of the Royal Order of Vasa (Kungliga Vasaorden) on 6 Juni 1936 (RNO, RVO) and
the Nordstjärneorden. William was also Grand Master in W6, see story below.William’s hobby was literature.
The below text is loosely translated from wiw6are nr 2 2017 “I huvudet på en Ex StorMästare”
11
William Kristensen
W:6 first Grand Master was lawyer William Kristensen born 1885. He joined W:6 1915 and immediately became vS in the working orders, and already after a year he became Secretary and after a short period of time he became Vice President in the years 1918, and held the position until 1921. After this William took a break from Chairing the chapter for 12 years.
Why we don't know for sure, but he probably had his hands full up with his growing family (see below), his own law firm, several board assignments, new house, his father passing away, etc. During this break, he was not total disconnected from W:6, because in 1933, he was elected the new Ruling Master after Viktor Bensow who, after 40 years on the National Board and 12 years as the Ruling Master resigned. It was a big jump from the Vice President to the Ruling Master, which suggest that he was after all quite active even if he had not held any office in those 12 years.
With attorney William Kristensen, W6: Masonic Lodge activities entered a new courses. During his 15 years-tenure as Governing Master and lots of activities within W6: Masonic Lodge new ideas were created. A new era began with Kristensen. During his time a number of new activities were implemented. The first and fundamental measures which led to unanimous and successful collaboration between the country's various W:6-lodgers. During his time as Ruling Master and at the National meeting in Norrköping 1940 it was decided that the Governor Master of the Masonic Lodge should be W6: Masonic Lodge Supreme ruler and the Grand Master. (See previous article on Grandmaster b. creation) On 2 October 1940, he was formally installed as W6: Masonic Lodge first Grand Master. He remained at this post until 1948. William Kristensen died in 1951.
Williams' late son Hans was also a member of the W6: Masonic Lodge, something he was for 68 years! He was courted at his 90 birthday and was talking happily about W:6-memories. His like his father served as Vice President, but also as the Speaker. He probably is best known as the lead singer and participant in many of the spex/revues performed on stage at Bellmansgatan.
The following personal portrait of our first Grand Master is written by Ann Che Minneskjöld, granddaughter of William.
Grandfather William Kristensen
William was born as child No. 2 of 4 by his Norwegian parents who had earlier moved to Gothenburg, where his father had started a wholesale business, HH Kristensen AB “Sil & Fisk”. After matriculating he studied law in Uppsala. There he met pastor's daughter Elsa whom he married before moving to Umeå where William did his law clerk qualification. After qualifying as a law clerk the family, now with a daughter, moved back to Gothenburg. At a brisk pace seven 7 children were born, another daughter, then 6 sons.
As the family grew the apartment in the city became too cramped and in 1918 he bought Gamla Underås, Nissensgatan in Örgryte — where the three youngest children were born. Where there was plenty of room for the mischief ..., grandfather William happily folded paper airplanes with his grandson, his own children used the flagpole as a slingshot, had jumps races on bikes down the porch stairs, hid in the coal-bin etc. What grandfather thought about this, we do not know, but as we understood, he was a cheerful and jovial man with a great sense of humour. All the children always called their parents “Gubben (old man)” and “Gumman (old woman)”. In the summers, he rented summer houses on the west-coast before he bought his own, where the kids built a tree huts. Electricity to the hut was arranged by damming of a creek, even a plane was built on top of the woodsheds roofs, but it crash landed at the premiere flight with a bone fracture as a result
[that was uncle Björn’s first flight attempt and probably his last].
Grandpa was a very hospitable person, so there was often big dinners at home at Underås. After the guests had gone, the sons were called down to the dining room to spit on the cleared table ... apparently a good trick to remove wine stains. Granny was educated at a domestic science school but she also had help in the kitchen when it was needed. One day, just before lunch time grandfather called home and says “I have two fellows home for lunch with me” imagine Grandma's surprise when it turned out “the fellows” was Prince Bertil and his adjutant.
1945 there was only one, sometimes two children still left at home and thats when Gamla Underås was sold and the family moved to Viktoriagatan 15. Family memories from Viktoriagatan where big dinners that always ended with the guests stood up, took each other's hands and said “thanks for the dinner Attorney”.