Résumé

Carstensen's 1979 obituary summarized his career: “Mr. Carstensen had been a designer of commercial and industrial buildings and had been located in Seattle 40 years.” (See “Theodore M. Carstensen,” Everett Daily Herald, 09/11/1979, p. 19.)

President, T.M. Carstensen, Commercial and Industrial Consultant, Seattle, WA, c. 1953-1960. In 1953, Carstensen leased office space at 1915 1st Avenue in Downtown Seattle, Room #405. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1953, p. 237.) In 1960, this firm maintained its office at 1915 1st Avenue, Room #204. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1959, p. 259 and Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1960, p. 262.)

Relocation

Theodore Melvin Carstenen, the son of Frederick H. Carstensen and Amelia Kruse, was born in Cherokee, IA, on 11/20/1904.

In 1910, his parents resided in Grant, IA, in the northwestern part of the state, where they operated a farm. As noted in the 1910 US Census, the household included Frederick and Amelia and their two daughters--Edna and Ruth--and three sons--Theodore, Vernon and Louis. The census taker had poor handwriting and mistakenly listed Theodore as a girl. The family owned their property, paying a mortgage. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Grant, Woodbury, Iowa; Roll: T624_429; Page: 4a; Enumeration District: 0165; FHL microfilm: 1374442, accessed 04/10/2026.)

The family's fortunes changed in 1912, when Frederick passed away. Between 1910 and 1912, Amelia had had two more daughters, Elfreda and Elvira, leaving her with seven children to raise.

The family lived in Preston, in east-central IA, by 1920 in a residence that they owned free of a mortgage. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Preston, Jackson, Iowa; Roll: T625_495; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 80, accessed 04/10/2026.)

In 1941, Carstensen requested a delayed birth certificate while he resided Rochester, MN. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation State Historical Society of Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Title: Iowa Birth Records, 1888-1904, accessed 04/06/2026.)

Carstensen lived with his wife Hazel and stepson Tom in Snohomish County, WA, where he worked as an architectural and engineering designer, according to the 1950 US Census. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Snohomish, Washington; Roll: 5839; Page: 40; Enumeration District: 31-68, accessed 04/10/2026.)

T.M. Carstensen lived with his wife Hazel in Bothell, WA, between at least 1953 and 1960. (See Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1953, p. 237 and Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1960, p. 262.)

The architectural designer passed away due to cancer at the John Flynn Cancer Center at Providence Hospital in Everett, WA. He was 74. (See “Theodore M. Carstensen,” Everett Daily Herald, 09/11/1979, p. 19.)

Parents

His father was Frederick Herman Carstensen (born 04/24/1874 in Stedesand, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany-d. 04/22/1912 in Iowa Falls, IA). Frederick was five years older than Theodore's mother Amelia Catherine Kruse (born 12/05/1879 in IA-d. 01/23/1975 in IA). He died prematurely in 1912 while she lived until 1975.

Amelia's parents were Katrine (Catherine) Schröder (born 04/04/1855 in Germany-d. 1948 in Clinton County, IA) and Louis Kruse (born 06/06/1854 in Clinton County, IA-d. 12/24/1940 in Preston, IA).

His siblings included Edna Catherine Carstensen (born 12/25/1903 in IA-d. 10/20/1996 in Cerro Gordo County, IA); Ruth Sophie Carstensen Youtz (born 07/02/1906 in Cherokee, IA-d. 12/22/1996 in IA); Vernon Roscoe Carstensen (born 12/28/1907 in Cherokee, IA-d. 10/20/1992 in Seattle, WA); Louis Peter Carstensen (born 09/29/1909 in Woodbury City, IA-d. 05/10/2005); Elfreda Gertrude Carstensen Mohr (born 04/28/1911 in Grant, IA-d. 05/23/1982 in Denver, CO); and Elvira Matilda Carstensen Koski (born 06/21/1912 in Grant, IA-d. 10/21/2002 in Maquoketa, IA).

Vernon obtained a Ph.D. in history in 1936 from the University of Iowa, and taught at Central Washington College, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Washington (1964-1975), while Louis attended New York University and becoming a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, living in the Washington, DC, area. Louis was an active member of the American Meteorological Society.

Spouse

He wed Hazel Merry Barto Hawkins (born 07/15/1905 in CO-d. 12/16/1982 in Snohomish County, WA). At 18, she married William Louis Hawkins (born c. 1902-d. 03/31/1976 in Seattle, WA), who sold Seattle real estate in 1930. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0023; FHL microfilm: 2342226, accessed 04/10/2026.) With him, she had three children William “Bill” Lane Hawkins (born 03/10/1925 in Bellingham, WA-d. 03/1978 in Seattle, WA); Barbara Mignon Hawkins Stephens (born 12/22/1927 in Seattle, WA-d. 08/06/1970 in Seattle, WA); and Thomas Bruce Hawkins (born 08/14/1929 in Seattle, WA-d. 10/23/2002 in King County, WA)

Children

With Hazel, Theodore had one son, Bart T. Carstensen (born 03/22/1955 in WA), although Tom Hawkins also lived with them in 1950.

Biographical Notes

SSN: 471-03-6425.