    
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administrative
Information
Scope and Content Note
Biographical Information
Lineage
Selected Search Terms
Partial Interview Transcript
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Information
Resources
Robert A. L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific
Lutheran University
Tacoma, WASHINGTON 98447
Phone: (253) 535-7586 E-mail: archives@plu.edu
New Land
New Lives Oral History Collection
Ole Andreas Nissen
A Guide to His Oral History
Interview |
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Administrative Information
Creator: Nissen,
Ole Andreas
Collection Nr: t135-136
File Content:
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3 file folders
4 photographs
2 sound cassettes
0 compact discs
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Processing Information:
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The interview was conducted using
a cassette recorder. A research copy was also prepared
from the original. To further preserve the content of
the interview, it is now being transferred to compact
disc. We deliberately did not transcribe the entire interview
because we want the researchers to listen to the interviewee's
own voice. The transcription index highlights important
aspects of the interview and the tape counter numbers
noted on the Partial Interview Transcription are
meant as approximate finding guides and refer to the location
of a subject on the cassette/CD.
Interviewed by Inger Nygaard
Carr
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky
Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Faint voice at times and somewhat
garbled
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Restrictions:
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The collection is available for
research.
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Preferred Citation:
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[Collection Number, Collection
Title]
New Land New Lives Oral History Collection
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection
Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
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This interview was conducted
with Ole Nissen on January 21, 1982 in Seattle, Washington.
It contains information about family background, the tailoring
business, emigration, settling in, marriage, and family. The
interview also includes two photographs of Ole at his tailor
shop, a photograph of Ole and his family in 1971, two snapshots
of Ole at the time of the interview, and an article about Ole
receiving his 50-year emblem from the Danish Brotherhood. The
interview was conducted in English.
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Ole Nissen was born on January
22, 1887 in Ansager, Denmark to Christian Peder Nissen and Sophia
Christiana Sorensen. Ole's father had a chemistry business and
passed away when Ole was only three and half, leaving Ole's
brother Nis to support the family. Ole also had three older
sisters, Nikolina, Kristina, and Sina. The family lived on a
farm, and Ole stayed at home to help his mother until he was
eight years old and then attended school. After he finished
school, Ole's mother told him that she wanted him to become
a tailor, and he got an apprenticeship with a tailor in a nearby
town for the following three and half years. Ole learned the
entire profession of men's clothing and worked in small towns
around Ansager until he had enough money to immigrate to America.
Nis had immigrated in 1903, and when he came home to visit in
1907, he took Ole and Nikolina back with him. They stopped in
Milbank, South Dakota first to help an acquaintance of Nis's
build a house, and there, Nikolina began working for the sawmill
owner's family. She eventually moved to Santa Cruz, CA with
them, and Ole and Nis went to Seattle, WA for awhile before
moving to San Francisco, CA. A big earthquake had struck the
year before, and work was hard to come by. Nevertheless, Ole
eventually found tailoring work in various California cities.
In 1910, Ole's mother immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia,
and Ole and his sister went to live with her. They remained
there for four years, during which time, Ole learned how to
make women's clothing. In 1914, the family moved to Seattle,
and Ole opened his own shop in their home. He soon established
a large clientele, which included the wives of several prosperous
Seattle bankers. In 1924, Ole married Kathryn Hendrickson, who
was from Deer Lodge, Montana. Ole met her through her cousin,
who was a vest maker. Ole and Kathryn had one daughter, Marilyn.
In 1925, Ole was able to open his own shop on 28th and East
Madison and worked there until 1967. He has never returned to
Denmark, but still speaks Danish.
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| Full
Name: |
Ole Andreas Nissen
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| Father:
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Christian Peder Nissen
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| Mother:
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Sophia Christiana
Sorensen
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| Maternal
Grandmother: |
Søren Hansen
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| Brothers
and Sisters: |
Nis Nissen
Peder Nissen
Nikolina Nissen
Kristina Nissen
Sina Nissen
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| Spouse:
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Kathryn Hendrickson
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| Children:
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Marilyn Adele Nissen
Leren
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This collection is indexed under
the following headings
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| Personal
Names |
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Nissen, Ole
Nissen, Christian Peder
Sørensen, Sophia Christiana
Nissen, Nis
Nissen, Nikolina
Nissen, Kristina
Nissen, Sina
Hendrickson, Kathryn
Leren, Marilyn Adele Nissen
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| Family
Names |
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Nissen family
Sorensen family
Hansen family
Hendrickson family
Leren family
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| Geographical
Names |
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Ansager (Denmark)
Milbank (N.D.)
San Francisco (Calif.)
Seattle (Wash.)
Vancouver (B.C.)
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| Subjects
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Family -- Denmark
Denmark -- Economic aspects -- 1887-1907
Denmark -- Emigration and immigration
Ansager (Denmark) -- Emigration and immigration
Christmas -- Denmark
Baltic (Steamship)
Ocean travel
Ellis Island Immigration Station (N.Y.and N.J.)
Railroad travel
Danish Brotherhood (Selma, Calif.)
Danish Brotherhood (Seattle, Wash.)
Marriage service
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| Occupations
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Farmers -- Denmark
Tailoring -- Denmark
Tailoring -- United States
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| Genre/Form
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Oral history
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| Institution
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Pacific Lutheran
University. Scandinavian Immigrant Experience Collection
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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.
020 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Name - Ole Andreas Nissen. Born in
Ansager, Denmark, which is in the west part of Jutland close
of Esbjerg and Varde.
050 PARENTS: Father went into the area and built a home. This
was a farming area where they raised grains, buckwheat and barley.
They raised everything but wheat. There was a watermill in town
where the farmers took their grain. They were very self-sufficient.
Father's name was Christian Peder Nissen. He came from Schleswig
area, which is close to the German border. He had a chemistry
business. Mother, Sophia Christiana Sorensen. She came from
around Ansager. Ole was born 22 January 1887.
165 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: The first three died at 1 year. (See
counter I-270 and I-460)
185 PASTORS IN A SMALL TOWN: Just like a king. Everything that
happened with the family had to be reported to him. (see counter
I-270).
210 COUNTY COUNCIL: Used to meet at his father's place for a
number of years. Then another family by the name of Nissen moved
to town and bought the inn and told the county council that
they should meet there. In those days, they used liquor regularly,
but not an over...
245 amount because they only allowed so much. In this business
they had a long counter were people came. The men were treated
with "kaffeepunch" which was a schnapps glass full of brandy
and a cup of coffee. The women got a glass of wine and cookies.
Father had a number of people who worked for him and he took
care of the business end himself.
270 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Preacher came and told them they had
to pray to the Almighty that this child wouldn't die like the
others. This child, Nis Peder Nissen survived. As a result he
was to study to become a preacher, but then this changed. One
time when they were going to Varde to buy supplies the father
became ill. Father had a special soup that he used for a cure-all.
This soup was made from homemade beer and rye bread. Made a
big batch of beer every fall for the harvest season. The soup
didn't work this time and he passed away. Ole was 3 1/2 years
old then. Now Nis his brother would have to work to support
the family.
410 BROTHER NIS' JOB: Worked at a creamery with his mother,
but he quit. He worked at almost any kind of place. Then he
went down to Schleswig, Germany where they had many relatives,
but he was not allowed to stay there unless he lived with a
German family. This was because he was Danish. He left there
and went to Hamburg, Germany and then he traveled around. He
was sent home in 1898.
460 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Had a sister two years younger than
Nis and another sister who fell down the stairs and died. They
were Nikolina, Kristina, and Sina. Ole was the youngest.
482 EMIGRATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS: Nis had traveling experience
in Germany and he came to the US in 1903. He was in New York
for five years, where he learned to be a cabinetmaker. After
five years he returned to Denmark to visit his mother. Then
Ole and his oldest sister went back to New York with him in
1907. They saw all the sights.
523 REASONS FOR GOING TO THE MID-WEST: Nis had a partner who
had a brother who lived out in the Black Hills in Dakota who
needed a house built. They all went to Dakota.
545 SCHOOL DAYS IN DENMARK: Went to school from age 7 to 14.
In the wintertime, they had regular school and in the summer
they had vacation time.
570 CHRISTMAS TIME IN DENMARK: They were the only ones in their
family that had a Christmas tree.
575 CHILDHOOD AND FARM: Father had 20 acres which was bordered
by two rivers. Then his father bought 20 acres on the other
side of the river where he used to have to take the cows in
the morning. He stayed at home and helped his mother until he
was 8. After breakfast and the milking he would hitch the cows
together and take them across the river and tie them in place.
If he wasn't looking after the cows he had to look after the
young cattle and the sheep which were also on ropes. They milked
their cows three times a day.
635 Mother made butter to sell. She sold it to the man with
the inn (he also had a grocery store). People would ask for
her butter, she had a good reputation as a butter maker.
647 FATHER: He recalls his father who would set him on his lap
and sing a sailor song. He sings the sailor song in Danish.
It was a popular song, which he has heard in Vancouver, BC at
the Danish Club there. He translates - a sailor suffers more
evil than good.
710 MATERNAL GRANDFATHER: Hit Ole with an apple. He was Soren
Hansen. Apple trees were very scarce in Denmark. This was grain
land and they had to buy the supplies they needed.
758 WORK: When he was 9-13 he worked for the summers with his
mother on the farm. Then she told him she wanted him to become
a tailor. She decided this because he had such small wrists,
those weren't the wrists of a farmer.
780 APPRENTICESHIP: With the tailor in the next town for 3 1/2
years. Liked after he started. This was in a private home. Had
a store below it. He was the serviceman besides learning to
be a tailor, had to run all the errands, help his wife in the
kitchen, keep the stoves all burning, etc. The first years he
did only pants, the second vests, and the third year coats,
and the final half-year the finishing off of the completed garment.
Had learned the entire profession in men's clothing. He learned
about women's later.
824 TAILORING IN DENMARK: Went to work in small towns around
Ansager. Earned enough money to come to the US.
833 REASONS FOR EMIGRATION: Very curious about things over here
- Indians. His brother was back for a visit and took Ole and
his sister back to the US.
847 TRIP TO U.S.: Left 28 May 1907 from Esbjerg and went to
England. Cousin Martin Jensen came too. Martin had been sailing
before. Ole had never been on the water so they teased him,
but it was Martin who got seasick. The North Sea was rough.
Went to Liverpool, England and then they got on a new steamer
called "The Baltic". They stopped in Ireland and took on passengers.
911 BOAT TRIP: Lots of young people. Dancing. Took 708 days
across the Atlantic. It was an enjoyable trip.
932 ELLIS ISLAND: They checked him over. He had to have $25
dollars. He got this from his brother. Brother helped them out
a lot because he spoke English.
955 SIGHTSEEING IN NEW YORK: Had to see all the places where
his brother had been. They went out to Coney Island. It was
so crowded that they could hardly get to the water. Everything
was exciting. Curious about many things - Indians and California.
983 Saw first black man, first Indian and first Chinaman
1008 BLACK HILLS, DAKOTA: Brother had to go out to meet his
friend so they left New York. They took a train to Chicago,
Illinois. Martin, the cousin left the group to visit his uncle
in Minnesota. (see counter I-1075).
1025 TRAIN TRIP: Very interesting. He had never been on a train
before.
1033 MOTHER'S FEELINGS ON HIS EMIGRATION: She had no objections.
She wrote that she would like to come over too if someone would
come over and get her. Nis went home and got her. They came
home through Canada because his mother was 67 and the US wouldn't
accept anyone here of that age unless they had a permanent person
to take care of her. She came to Vancouver, BC in 1910. Ole
and his sister went up to Vancouver and stayed for four years.
1075 TRAIN TRIP: Transferred trains in Chicago to go the Black
Hills in the Dakotas. Stopped at Milbank, South Dakota. His
sister got a job working for the sawmill owner's family. When
this family moved to Santa Cruz, California she went with them.
She was a dressmaker by trade. She had had a shop in Denmark.
1102 PEEVER, SOUTH DAKOTA: Worked as a handyman, cook around
the house for the man his brother was working for.
1116 INDIANS: Had a summer picnic for the 4th of July. Indians
were invited from Minnesota and Iowa and all the surrounding
states. A multitude of people.
SIDE II
029 INDIAN PICNIC: Had drummers playing in the Indian section.
There was another section for the American where they were doing
square dances. This was near Peever, South Dakota. Talks about
this being a dry state and the bootleggers in the hills.
135 Went back to Minneapolis.
139 Got on the work train to Pasco, Washington. Then they took
the train down to Portland where they were building a depot.
Ole went as a carpenter's helper. This way their train trip
was free. Stayed there for about three weeks.
177 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 1907: Brother felt sorry for him because
he had to do such hard work so they went to Seattle. Worked
for a tailor for awhile but tailor work was slow at that time.
200 CALIFORNIA: Took a sailboat to San Francisco from Seattle.
It took 2 1/2 days. This was 1907, the year after the big earthquake.
The people were very poor because of this. There were many people
out of work, the town was all broken up. Market Street was all
broken up. He was out of work for quite awhile.
250 NICKEL BEER: Could get a glass of beer (schooner) for 5
cents at noon and then there were free snacks to go along with
it. They would search for the places where they could get the
most food.
270 GOLDEN GATE AVENUE: There used to be streams of people two
blocks long waiting to use the toilet there.
290 TAILOR WORK: Found work with a tailor for about a week and
a half.
311 CAFETERIA WORK: Decided to get a job where he could get
something to eat. This was down by the ferry building on Market
Street. It was called "Alameda Cafe"(?). This was owned by a
Dane. He was a waiter. This man taught him how to be a waiter.
Got $12 a week. Worked there for 6 months.
407 HOUSING: He and his brother had a room in the gentlemen's
district in San Francisco, which they had put up for the time
being (hard time). There were 20 sleeping rooms and one toilet.
435 TAILOR WORK: Saw an ad in the paper that a coat maker was
needed in Selma which is near Fresno, California. Worked in
Selma for one year. He was paid by the coat - $9. Two and a
quarter would be one week's wages. A tailor from Eureka in Humbolt,
California came down to visit and persuaded Ole to get our the
heat and go back with him. Stayed there for one year.
515 NOVEL EXPERIENCES: Danish church in Selma, the minister's
wife got him to sing in the choir. Went to Ferndale, California
and a preacher came and invited him to sing in his choir. Sang
alto. Talks about the Redwood Forest.
605 DANISH BROTHERHOOD: Joined in 1908 in Selma, California.
Joined because his brother belonged to it and because of the
benefits. Made a lot of friends. Took part in everything.
650 After Ferndale, California he went down to visit his sister
in Santa Cruz, California who was working with that same family.
Ole went down after her because of the fact that his brother
was in Denmark bringing back their mother. They took a boat
from San Francisco to Seattle, Washington. Stayed in Seattle
until he got the letter from his brother in Vancouver, BC that
he and his mother were there.
700 WENT TO SEE HIS MOTHER IN VANCOUVER, B.C.: Set up housekeeping
in Vancouver where they lived for four years. This was a very
good town for tailoring. Worked for J.C. Morgan. This is where
he got to learn to make ladies clothing. Used this training
in his business in Seattle. The Ladies clothier left and Ole
went with him (Whitterman?). They made both ladies and men's'
clothing. He stayed with him for about one year.
777 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: Wanted to get back to the states. Liked
Seattle's climate and friendly people.
790 RETURNING TO THE U.S.: Went to the American Consul to see
about returning to the US. They explained that they had moved
to Canada for their mother's sake. Ole had enough money and
was put in charge of his mother so that they could all come
down. (1914).
824 SEATTLE: Their first home was on Lake Washington Blvd.
840 WORK: The neighbor came in and told him that they needed
a tailor in that part of town and that he should set up his
business in the house. This man gave him a coat to work and
then he got some free advertising.
883 OPENED A SHOP IN HIS HOME: Started building up a clientele
with the neighbors. The first suit he made was for $29, after
that he didn't charge less than $35.
897 DANISH BROTHERHOOD: Once a month they would play cards (whist).
One time he played with the vice-president of the Washington
Mutual Bank. He asked Ole to make a suit for his wife. The bankers
had a meeting every month in which the wives went too. This
lady he made the suit for talked to the head of the Sea-First
Bank (the richest banker in town at that time). This man's wife
became a 25-year customer.
932 He mentions the names of his customers, Andrew Price's and
Joshua Green's wives. He had four banker's wives he was making
clothes for. They introduced him to senator's, governor's, and
mayor's wives.
955 IN THE SHOP: He did all the ladies work. With the men's
work he would cut it and fit it ad sent it out to other coat
makers. His sister helped him in the shop and he did have some
coat makers for awhile.
970 NEW SHOP: Bought a lot on 28th and Madison. Moved the house
that was there to the back and built two stores in the front.
Rented out one store.
993 FUEL: Used coal and wood for heat. Had a half basement under
each store, which they used for storage of these fuels.
1015 The other shop he rented out to a barbershop and a beauty
parlor.
1020 TAILOR STORE: Up-to-date and modern. Had his name on the
front of the shop. Worked there from 1925-1967. He retired at
about 80.
1071 WIFE: Met her in Seattle, Washington. His wife's cousin
was a vest maker who made some vests for Ole. That was how they
met. Her name was Kathryn Hendrickson. She was from Montana.
Asked her out to a dance the first weekend she was here at the
Danish Brotherhood. Married in September 1, 1924.
1125 WEDDING: Supposed to have a double wedding, but the other
couple got married sooner.
TAPE 136
SIDE I
005 MINISTER: Met a pastor in Ferndale, California, who knew
a pastor they knew in Seattle because they had studied in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Ole was the best man for the Seattle pastor's wedding.
This is who they were supposed to have the double wedding with.
070 WEDDING: Katy's wedding dress. Wore a regular dress. In
the Danish Church. Alfred and Marie were the witnesses. A cat
came in and disturbed the wedding party. No wedding party afterwards.
Went to Tacoma, Washington and Olympia, Washington for their
honeymoon. Stayed at a hotel. Took the train.
225 HOUSE: Had already purchased a home, which was not finished.
There was another house in the back of the lot that they rented
out. They fixed up the homes and stayed there for 20 years.
His mother stayed in the house, which was by the tailor shop.
299 LANGUAGE PROBLEMS: His mother couldn't speak English. She
would come to the shop and talk to him.
308 CHILDREN: Marilyn married Loren Leren in 1952. He is a carpenter.
They have three children, son, 29 helps his father and does
mechanical work and has a child seven years old, Cheryl is 26
and the youngest is 19.
355 Hasn't returned to Denmark. Still speaks Danish. Talks about
the differences between the language from the city to the country.
387 During the vacation time in the summer in Denmark, the children
from the cities would go out the country. It took them awhile
to get adjusted to the language differences.
404 WIFE: Born in Deer Lodge, Montana. Her father came from
Denmark and settled in Iowa where they were many Mormons. He
went with them out to Salt Lake City, Utah and became a Mormon
priest. Several of the priests there grouped together and took
a stand against the head of the Mormons because he had so many
wives (30). He was chased out of the valley and moved to Montana.
Ole's wife wasn't a Mormon.
460 CHURCH LIFE: Didn't attend church.
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