While William Olesen started out in business in a small way he is now controlling extensive interests as a manufacturer of automobile truck bodies, his activities having reach such proportions that he is now owner of one of the prosperous manufacturing concerns of New Haven. He was born in Denmark, April 30, 1870, a son of Ole Olesen, who spent his entire life in Denmark, where he followed the blacksmith’s trade, conducting a profitable business. He served in the war between Denmark and Germany, and was wounded and taken prisoner. His religious faith was that of the Lutheran church, and he was a devout Christian. He passed away at the age of seventy-eight years, while his widow, Mrs. Hannah Olesen, is still living on the old homestead at the age of eighty-four years, her place of residence being at Horsens, Denmark.

  In a family of nine children William Olesen was the sixth, and after acquiring his education in the public schools of his native city he started out to earn his own living at the age of fourteen years. He removed from Endelava, his native town, to Horsens, where he entered upon an apprenticeship to the blacksmith’s trade, which he followed for four years, but he heard and heeded the call of the new world and in 1888, severing home ties, emigrated to America. He left Denmark on the 7th of June of that year and arrived in New York on the 25th of the month, after which he made his way direct to New Haven. He was here employed at his trade until 1900, when he established a smithy of his own at No. 248 Washington street, and there engaged in blacksmithing until 1907, in which year he entered into partnership with Thomas C. Knudsen under the firm name of Olesen & Knudsen. They have since been engaged in the manufacture of automobile truck bodies and are the leading manufacturers in their line in New Haven. They employ on an average of from eight to ten people and their business is entirely local. While they began manufacturing in a small way their business has shown a marked increase and today has reached very substantial and gratifying proportions.

  On the 10th of January, 1894, Mr. Olesen was married in New Haven to Miss Anna Hayden, a native of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Hayden, both now deceased. The mother passed away in Germany but the father spent his last days in New Haven. Mr. and Mrs. Olesen have become parents of six children: Anna May, the wife of Raymond Cote, of North Haven; Esther Louise; Ludwig, who enlisted in the United States navy in November, 1916; Marius George, a carpenter of New Haven; Ella Louisa; and Irma.

  Mr. and Mrs. Olesen are members of the Danish Free church of New Haven, of which Mr. Olesen is one of the trustees, and his political faith is that of the republican party. His record is a creditable one. He came to America on borrowed money and arrived with but five dollars in his pocket. His condition was such as to render immediate employment a necessity, and his determination and ambition were such as prompted his close application. He soon repaid the borrowed money and started to build up his own fortunes, with the result that he is today one of the substantial residents of New Haven, his honorable life record being an exemplification of the dignity of labor and the possibilities for attainment of success in a land where effort and opportunity are unhampered by class or caste.