    
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
Ellen Hoch Andersen
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Andersen, Ellen Hoch
Collection Nr: t160
File Content:
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2 file folders
0 photographs
1 sound cassette
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 Donna Mallonee
Transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and Becky
Husby
Encoded by Kerstin Ringdahl & Amity Smetzler
Recording Quality: Good
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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 Ellen Andersen on April 1, 1982
in Poulsbo, Washington. It contains information on family background,
schooling, emigration, employment, marriage, and Danish heritage.
Also see A.V. (Aage) Andersen
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Ellen
Andersen was born on December 16, 1906 in Fredericia, Denmark.
Her parents were Frederik Johan Hoch and Henriette von Kaas,
and there were four other children in the family: Svend, Wolfgang,
Anna Margrethe, and Otto. Ellen's father was in the military
for thirty-five years, and the family lived in various towns
near the military bases. Ellen attended four years of grade
school and five years of high school in Denmark, during which
she took five years of English. This helped her a great deal
when she immigrated to the United States at age eighteen. She
settled in Seattle, WA and planned to stay for only two years
so that she could practice her English and then obtain a good
job back in Denmark. Ellen became employed as a housekeeper
and participated in Danish Club and church. Her plans to return
to Denmark were forgotten when she met her husband, A.V. (Aage)
Andersen, at a Danish Club function. Aage was originally from
Hornbaek, Denmark. They settled down in the Seattle area and
had two children, Elsie and Carl. Through the years, Ellen has
continued to be active in Danish organizations, and she and
Aage have visited Denmark seven times. Ellen remains in contact
with her relatives there and has maintained traditional Danish
customs within her household; particularly those involved with
the Christmas holiday.
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Full Name: |
Ellen Hoch Andersen
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Maiden Name: |
Ellen Hoch
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Father: |
Frederik Johan Hoch
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Mother: |
Henriette von Kaas
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Johan Gottlieb Hoch
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Johanne
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Maternal Grandfather: |
Hans Wolfgang von Kaas
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Minna
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Svend Hoch
Wolfgang Hoch
Anna Margrethe Hoch Hillers
Otto Hoch
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Spouse: |
Aage Valdemar Andersen
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Children: |
Elsie Margrethe Andersen Burdick
Carl Henry Andersen
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Andersen, Ellen
Hoch, Frederik Johan
Von Kaas, Henriette
Hoch, Svend
Hoch, Wolfgang
Hoch, Anna
Hoch, Otto
Andersen, A.V. (Aage)
Andersen, Elsie Margrethe
Andersen, Carl
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Family Names |
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Andersen family
Hoch family
Von Kaas family
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Geographical Names |
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Fredericia (Denmark)
Hornbæk (Denmark)
Seattle (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Denmark
Denmark -- Emigration and immigration
Fredericia (Denmark) -- Emigration and immigration
Aristocracy -- Denmark
School attendance -- Denmark
Christmas -- Denmark
Marriage service
Women slaves
Danish Club (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish Dramatic Club (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish Brotherhood in America -- Lodge 29 (Seattle, Wash.)
Sons of Norway (Seattle, Wash.)
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Occupations |
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Domestics (Seattle, Wash.)
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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.
004 PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Ellen Hoch Andersen. Born in Fredericia,
Denmark, which is in the southern part of Jylland (Jutland).
010 PARENTS: Frederik Hoch - was with the military for thirty-five
years. Henriette van Kaas. Ellen has her mother's family papers
back to the 1300's. She came from an aristocrat family. Her
mother and sister traveled to different estates in the country.
Ellen's grandfather married a common school teacher and therefore
the family would have nothing to do with him.
027 Maternal grandfather had a big factory, which burned down
before they got insurance, so they lost everything.
033 Paternal grandfather was in the military. Ellen's father
was confirmed at age fourteen in a uniform. He was a horn blower
in the military. He posed for statue in Copenhagen of the little
horn blower.
050 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Sven, Wolfgang Gottlieb, Anna Margrethe,
and her youngest brother who lives in Spain. Hoch is a German
name. Lived in towns, which were near the military bases. After
her father retired they moved to a little town in northern Jutland
which is where she left from when she emigrated in 1925. Her
parents later return to Fredericia where all the children had
been born.
069 CHRISTMAS: Started preparing long before Christmas. Father
decorated the tree in a room that was closed off. They didn't
see the tree until dinner when the candles were all lit and
the door opened. They would hold hands and sing around the tree.
The Andersen's did this in America too when their children were
small.
080 CHRISTMAS FOODS: Red cabbage, pork roast, and Danish apple
cake for dessert. Had a bowl of rice cooked in milk. The person
who got the whole almond in their bowl of rice got a prize.
This tradition is still maintained in the home.
087 EMIGRATION: Came to the US in 1925 at the age of 18.
090 SCHOOL: Finished school in Denmark. Went to four years of
grade school and five years of high school. Had lots of homework.
Had a schedule to follow. Went to school on Saturday. Had English
five years, German four years, and Swedish one year. Graduated
second in her class. Most went to high school. Took a test in
fourth grade to determine if you went to high school. If you
didn't pass the test you stayed seven-eight years in grade school.
You finished when fourteen years. There were trade and technical
schools, which some children went to. It was four years in any
trade before you were finished. After high school you could
go to into college and seminary.
124 Came to the US alone. She had an aunt and uncle in America
who had been to Denmark visiting. They didn't have any children
and they wanted Ellen. They offered $1,000 for her but Ellen's
mother said she didn't sell her children. She said that Ellen
could go to America when she was through with school and if
she wanted to. Ellen looked at the trip as an adventure.
133 Ellen planned on staying in the US for two years to practice
her English so that she could get a good job n Denmark. She
met her husband and ended up staying.
136 FEELINGS LEAVING: She felt full of expectation and adventure.
She was only planning to be gone for two years.
140 TRIP OVER: Left Copenhagen on a ship. Spoke with a few women
who warned against white slavery.
146 LANDED IN NEW YORK: Took a train with another lady. Stopped
in Salt Lake City, Utah. Stopped in the Midwest on a farm to
visit some people this lady knew. Had just been a cyclone there.
Then she came on to Seattle.
154 Have been in Seattle ever since she first came, except for
the ten-eleven years when they had a motel in Moses Lake, Washington.
She has always loved Seattle.
158 WORK: Did housework. Had Thursday afternoons off so they
would (the Danish housekeepers) meet downtown. In the evening
they had Danish Club. They also did folk dancing and singing
in the church choir. Every year they put on an amateur stage
play.
166 DANISH COMMUNITY: Danish church up on East Spruce, which
had Danish services 1-2 times a month. Now the church is by
Woodland Park and they only use Danish for a special Christmas
service. There are still several Danish clubs (folk dancing
and businessmen's clubs) in Seattle.
179 LANGUAGE: No difficulties, but a little shy in speaking
English. Could read quite well. Stayed with a lawyer friend
who had Danish clients. She helped him practice his Danish so
that he could communicate with his clients.
190 WORK: Nice people that she worked for. She could read to
cook the American recipes. One Jewish family treated her like
dirt. She lived with the families that she worked for.
199 Loved salads in America when she first came. Things seemed
so big. People were friendly. This is home here. She would not
live in Denmark again.
208 Met her husband at a Danish Club in Seattle. He was working
his way around the world. His world trip ended in Seattle.
218 WEDDING: The ceremony was in the Danish Church. Had a few
friends there. Had a little reception put on by some friends
and the Danish Club had a little party for them. Kransekage
is the typical Danish wedding cake. Had this cake for their
Silver and Golden Wedding Anniversaries.
231 Anniversaries.
231 CHILDREN: Elsie and Carl. Elsie lives by Agate Pass, Washington.
Carl lives in Twisp, Washington. Ellen has four grandchildren
and two great grandchildren.
241 Ellen didn't work after she was married. She helped a friend
out once for six months who had a store.
245 Husband belongs to the Danish Brotherhood and the Sons of
Norway. Belonged to the Danish club "Harmony" which used to
be a dramatic club, but is now just a social club. Used to belong
to the old Danish club "Måsen" (Seagull) when they first came
to Seattle. They went to other towns with their plays - Tacoma,
Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.
269 TRIPS BACK TO DENMARK: First time in 1946 they took their
children. Went again in 1954. Have gone five times within the
past twelve years. The people are happy in Denmark. Ellen still
keeps in touch with relatives in Denmark.
281 DESCRIBING THE DANES: Humorous people, especially from the
area that her husband came from. More serious-minded where Ellen
comes from. The Danes are very friendly people.
298 The Andersen's took a tape of Danes in America with them
when they went to visit people in Denmark. In 1954, they traveled
through Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, and Switzerland.
307 HERITAGE: Proud to be a Dane. Often in the paper there were
ads requesting Danish housekeepers. People knew that the Danes
worked hard. Traditions maintained: Did more when they were
young. Now they use Danish customs mostly at Christmas time.
325 HOLIDAYS: Midsummer - they have a special celebration. Fastelavn
- like Halloween. Dress in costumes. This is in February. Harvest
Festival did things in the church. Had people from Denmark to
speak.
353 SPOKEN DANISH: Says a prayer similar to "Now I Lay Me Down
to Sleep" in Danish.
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