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Sigrid
Andersen was born in Nęsby, Lolland, Denmark in 1885. Her father
was a dancing instructor and her mother an obstetrician. Sigrid
had five sisters and one brother. She finished seven years of
school, not attending high school, and then went on to work
for local doctors, learning all that she could. In 1904, Sigrid's
uncle, who had been living in America for many years, chose
her return to America with him. Once in America, she first stayed
with her uncle near Forest City, IA and then stayed with the
Marshall family-Mr. Marshall was the Congregational minister-to
improve her English. Harald Andersen was a follow passenger
of Sigrid's when she immigrated to America, and after he settled
in St. Paul, he asked her to join him. After a year in St. Paul,
they moved to Tacoma, and in 1907, they were married in the
Danish Lutheran Church. In Tacoma, Harald worked for Northern
Pacific Railroad and made a good salary, allowing them to have
one house in town and one on American Lake. The Andersen's had
four children: Elsie, Stan, Harald, and Morris. When all of
their sons moved to California, Harald and Sigrid decided to
move too. Sigrid has fond memories of selling jewelry at the
World Fair in San Francisco. After thirty-five years of marriage,
Sigrid divorced Harald. She later settled in Tacoma again.
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The
partial interview transcription highlights important aspects
of the interview. Numbers on the left may be used as guides
to important subjects. Two numbers separated by a slash indicate
that the first number is for cassette and the second for CD.
005/11 FAMILY BACKGROUND: Born Sigrid Marie Christiansen on
June 5, 1885, in Nęsby, Lolland, Denmark. (Nęsby is in the northwest
corner of Lolland.)
030 Her husband was Harald Bernhard Andersen. They had four
children: Elsie, Stan, Harald, and Morris.
063/12 EMIGRATION: The boat arrived at Ellis Island, NY, on
a November evening in 1904. "It was a terrific sight to see
all New York lit up. Beautiful!" Everyone was examined on Ellis
Island. She was fortunate because she came with an uncle who
was an American citizen; things moved quickly. They boarded
a train to Boston where they changed trains for Iowa. It was
a uneventful trip except for eating her first piece of pie and
seeing a picture of President (Teddy) Roosevelt. She wondered
how he was elected; his looks - beard and bushy hair - were
scary.
107 In Iowa she stayed in her uncle's home and went to school
that first,cold winter, walking about a mile to the schoolhouse
- her face covered with a scarf.
129 In Nęsby her father was a dancing teacher. Her mother had
graduated from the largest hospital in Copenhagen as an obstetrician
[midwife?]. She worked for the Danish government for over 40
years in the same place.
161 One of Sigrid's sisters was trained as an obstetrician also
- to follow her mother. However, she didn't graduate with high
enough grades, so she settled into practice in Copenhagen. After
WWII this sister visited Sigrid. As a medical person she had
to wear white, and they were destitute for clothes and white
fabric in Denmark - had used sheets. She bought lots of material
here; "went home with trunks full of goods". During the war
Sigrid sent cigars to a brother-in-law, coffee, etc. to her
family. He like the cigars. Nobody liked the American coffee
- but they used it.
214/13 Sigrid has nieces, nephews, and cousins back in Denmark.
She returned for a visit in June 1967-8 (?) - a beautiful time
of the year in Denmark. She met a doctor-cousin who received
specialized training in Germany. He and a German doctor, Dr.
Vincent (?), discovered a new x-ray technique.
268 REASONS FOR EMIGRATING: There weren't any. There were six
sisters, and her uncle chose Sigrid to return to America with
him. She doesn't know if she was lucky to have been chosen;
"I think I would have been lucky if I'd been home, too."
On the day they were to leave Nęsby by train, a pick-pocket
stole her uncle's money and papers. He reacted quickly and telegraphed
his IA bank which in turn contacted a Danish bank which issued
her wealthy uncle more money. This uncle was mother's brother
and had been in the US for many years.
316/14 They sailed first class on Oscar II; she shared a cabin
with a lady. She could see the poor people in the hold who carried
their own bedding and food on board. The 10 day trip was very
stormy; she was never seasick. Her uncle had paid for her passage.
355/15 SETTLING IN: She lived with her uncle on his farm by
Forest City, Iowa. There were many Danish people in the area--so
many, it was difficult to learn English. She didn't appreciate
it then, but it was good for her to attend school. Then she
stayed with the Marshall family to improve her English. He was
the Congregational minister, and he, his wife, and little boy
spoke only English.
370 MEETING SPOUSE: On the boat there was a fellow passenger
she had met once in Naesby. She had been staying at a place
outside of town and coming in from the field in early summer
with arms full of wild flowers; poppies, cornflowers, white
daisies. "I guess I must have made a picture to him. I never
saw him again. But when he heard I was going to America, then
he wanted to go too. I didn't know anything about all that.
So his brother - an older brother - let him have the money to
go."
He (Anders) went to St. Paul; he was a machinist - having learned
his trade in Denmark - and found work right away. After awhile
he corresponded with Sigrid and begged her to come to St. Paul.
392/16 That's what she did. Was in St. Paul for a year doing
anything to learn more English. Anders decided to go west to
Tacoma with his brother (she doesn't know what prompted this),
and once again he wanted her to come also. By then she'd earned
enough money to buy a ticket and follow.
410 SETTLING IN: They lived in Tacoma many years (about 30)
until 1937. Then she visited her daughter in NY; stayed a month.
In Tacoma, they had two homes: one in town and the other on
American Lake. Her husband made good salaries. The boys were
all grown up. Stan the oldest boy was killed in France during
the Second World War.
427/17 Sigrid had no problems settling in. She remembers dances
and sleigh rides as a young girl in Iowa. Her uncle was a Christian
man, so she was involved with the church.
Sigrid gradually learned English by mixing with a lot of people
and by staying at the minister's house. After marriage, she
spoke Danish infrequently. They didn't associate with Danes
even though there were lots around Tacoma; they wanted to learn
the English language. Her children were never taught Danish
but helped her with English after they started school.
Sigrid was invited to be a housemother at UPS (college then);
many of the young people were often at her home. Didn't accept
it as she had four children of her own to raise.
CITIZENSHIP: She acquired her citizenship through marriage,
but she has her own papers.
502 Sigrid and Anders were married in 1907 in the new Danish
Lutheran Church - the first couple married there. Her mother
had instilled in her girls that "you could never marry in white
except if you were a virgin. But if you wore colored clothes
you were not a virgin. I went out on my own and bought a whole
outfit: veil and shoes and gloves and a big bunch of roses.
We had a photograph made of that and sent to Denmark so my mother
could see I was a virgin when I got married."
It was a small, simple affair with only the pastor, his wife,
a deacon, and their two people present. She had spent the afternoon
preparing their rented apartment.
534/19 FAMILY LIFE: Anders worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad.
She did not work after marriage, but took care of the children,
house, food preservation, etc. After the three-room apartment,
they moved to a small cottage.
Her husband liked to play cards as a hobby. She didn't, but
went along and knitted.
597/01 HOLIDAYS: Sigrid is partial to Danish Independence Day,
June 5, as it coincided with her birthday; she never had school
on her birthday. This day was not celebrated with the Danish
community.
In Denmark their living room was stuffed with the decorated
Christmas tree. Kids couldn't see it until after Christmas eve
dinner. Then all went in, sang hymns, and walked around the
tree. This was the height of Christmas.
633 In Tacoma their recreation was going to American Lake, first
by train and later by streetcar. They eventually bought government
land and built a home on the lake the same year the Veteran's
Administration Hospital was built. It was a nice piece of property
with a good view.
670 There was a storm (typhoon) one November. Anders had picked
Sigrid up from church and they'd gone to dinner downtown where
they noticed a lot of damage. Checking their lake home, they
found it criss-crossed by seven trees. The renters had escaped
but their car had rolled into the lake. The Andersen's spent
the summers at the lake and rented it out during the winters.
706/02 DANISH HERITAGE: General talk about Danish Independence
Day; an annual event at a national place in Denmark, her son
attending one year when the king and queen were present, and
Sigrid visiting this place.
734/03 They never belonged to any Danish groups but subscribed
to the Danish newspaper Danske Pioner which was printed in Omaha,
Nebraska - a strong Danish community.
747 In Denmark she had no contact with other Scandinavian people.
She knew that Swedish womenfolk came to Denmark to thin and
weed the sugar beets in spring and to harvest them in fall.
There was a train that ran the length of the land, and the girls
came on that train.
SIDE II
011/04 DANISH COOKING: She made a lot of Danish food including
roast duck and goose, meatballs, homemade sausages, head cheese.
But she never made or ate blood sausage. These were mostly winter
foods.
070 In Denmark they had many vegetables: artichokes (wasn't
very common), good potatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers. Her parents'
place was ringed by fruit trees, not a fence; had plums and
cherries which the city people came and got.
098 CHRISTMAS FOODS: It was during the winter, so they had lots
of the butchered meats. Made lots of cookies. The "klejner"
(the Danish equivalent of Norwegian fattigmann) were made the
year round, as were "aebleskiver" which were made in an iron
frying pan.
148/05 CHURCH: They never became members. Both she and her husband
were brought up in the Lutheran Church in Denmark, but he never
would go to church. He spent a lot of money on music for his
children. Elsie sang solos at church (6th Avenue Baptist Church)
and gave concerts at college (UPS), but he never went to hear
her.
171 "We were married 35 years; then I divorced him. I don't
want to tell this." (And, she doesn't.)
176/06 TO CALIFORNIA: San Francisco World Fair. All the boys
moved to CA. They decided to move there also; it was hard for
her husband to find work but he did. When she returned from
visiting Elsie in NY, Sigrid sold both houses, furniture, etc.
In CA it was near the fair time on Treasure Island. A friend
advised her to sell Alaskan jewelry; she had acquired and knew
a lot about this jewelry when they lived in Anchorage. She did,
and considers it "a courageous job".
The man who began the Daffodil Parade in Tacoma, Mr. Smiser
(?), a decorator, was building the WA state pavilion; he built
a beautiful display cart for her. Her booth was in the building
where the foreign nations had exhibits. Denmark was there, had
a nice exhibit.
240 Her space was located next to a big door that led to a garden.
One day Mrs. Roosevelt came in and signed the guest book; Sigrid
ran over and signed directly under her name.
246 Sigrid was at the fair two years selling jewelry. She arrived
early in the morning by ferry; the bridge wasn't there yet.
It was a long walk to her booth through beautifully landscaped
grounds with big trees and fragrant flowers. Treasure Island
was a man-made island and huge trees were brought in. In her
heart she would sing the song (hymn), "I come to the garden
alone, while the dew is still on the roses...". It was a beautiful
sight. At the fair's end she received a certificate from the
commission commending her for good business.
317/07 CHILDREN: Elsie was born about 1909; now lives in Arizona.
All the children were born at home but with a doctor's help.
Elsie and the two boys were born in Tacoma; the last boy was
born in 1917 in Anchorage, AK - right when America entered the
war.
357 Her husband was helping build the radio system in Anchorage.
They only stayed a year, because she didn't like it. "I had
to send the children to school in minus 50 degree weather, and
I wouldn't do that another year." The summer conditions weren't
pleasant either because the mosquitoes were a big problem. She
and another woman were taking the children on a picnic one day,
and had to return home the mosquitoes were so thick. She saw
a man buried who was killed by mosquitoes; also his horse.
381/08 TRADITIONAL CRAFTS, MYTHS, ETC.: Here there is Santa
Claus, but in Denmark there were "nisse" - a little man who
came at Christmas. A big bowl of rice was placed in the hay
barn on Christmas Eve. "In the morning everything was gone.
But there were probably lots of rats around." That was only
a fable.
415/09 SPEAKING DANISH: They used to say the Lord's Prayer when
she was young, but she can't remember it for sure. She sings
an ordinary song in Danish.
445 RETURN TRIP TO DENMARK: When she returned in 1967-8 (63
years after emigrating), she was scared she wouldn't be understood.
But her Danish came back fluently, surprising her and her relatives.
She visited her old school about a quarter mile from her home.
It held 50 people and was closed down when they built one big
school. She liked reading, geography, and studying old writing.
She never liked Danish history as a schoolchild.
480/10 She had six sisters and one brother who was a tiny baby
when she left. She doesn't know if boys were encouraged more
than girls to continue with education. Boys sat on one side
of the room and girls on the other. The teacher used a rod for
discipline, if needed.
Sigrid did not go to high school but worked for two different
doctors in Denmark. Learned what she could there. After marriage,
she didn't work but volunteered at UPS and YWCA. She was on
the board of the latter, drove around and helped collect money
for the building on Broadway.
532/11 REMINISCES: She remembers when part of Tacoma was powerless.
The ship - the Lexington - anchored in Puget Sound under Stadium
for months generating power for Tacoma.
When they first came, Fawcett was the mayor.
They were in Tacoma during WWI; everything was scarce. She made
clothes for her children and others too, out of old pants and
coats. Same with the Depression.
598/12 Talk about other Danish people in this area. There's
another Andersen in the Parkland area on 121st ; son's name
is Louis.
643 General conversation about the 6th Avenue Baptist Church,
children attending Sunday School, Sigrid being the oldest member
of the church.
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