    
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
Greta Jensen Petersen
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Petersen, Greta Jensen
Collection Nr: t198-199
File Content:
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3 file folders
5 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: 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 Greta Petersen on October 25, 1982
in Seattle, Washington. It contains information on family background,
emigration, employment, marriage and family, church and community
involvement, and Danish heritage. The interview also includes
photographs of Greta's family farm in Denmark, the 73rd St.
Dairy Delicatessen, Greta on her 80th birthday, and Greta at
the time of the interview. The interview was codnucted in English.
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Greta
Petersen was born on March 8, 1900 in Give, Denmark to Søren
and Mette Jensen. Give is located on the East Coast of Jutland,
three Danish miles west of Vejle. Greta's father owned a butcher
shop in Give and was also a farmer. Greta was one of eight children
and began working at a young age. She got her first job outside
of her home, caring for a little boy, when she was twelve. After
she was confirmed, she worked for several families, taking care
of the children and housekeeping and then got a job at Vejle
Fjord Sanatorium. At the sanatorium, Greta worked in the dining
room and sewed linens. She liked the job and remained there
for four years. One Sunday, Greta ran into Jens Lauritsen, who
invited her to go to America with him and his younger sister,
Martha. Greta accepted the invitation, and they left Denmark
on August 11, 1922. The final destination of Greta, Martha,
and several other Danish groups was Seattle, WA, and they arrived
there on August 26. A group of Danish boys, who were staying
at a Danish boardinghouse, met the girls at the train station.
Greta then got a cleaning job at the boardinghouse. She also
joined Harmonien, a Danish drama club. Her future husband, John
Petersen, was also very active in this club. He was originally
from Copenhagen and immigrated in 1920. Greta worked at the
boardinghouse for nine months and then got a job as a housekeeper
in Laurelhurst, so that she could improve her English. In 1924,
she and John were married. They had two children, Erik and Lillian,
and John opened a dairy store in Seattle. Through the years,
Greta and John have remained active in Harmonien. John was president
of the club for over twenty years, and at the time of this interview,
Greta was serving her fifth year as president. Greta has also
been active at St. John's Lutheran Church, in the Danish Sisterhood,
and a singing society. Greta has returned to Denmark eight times
and maintained Danish traditions within her household.
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Full Name: |
Greta Petersen
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Maiden Name: |
Elna Margrethe Jensen
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Father: |
Søren Peter Jensen
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Mother: |
Mette Kathrine Jensen
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Jens Peter Sørensen
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Henriette Sørensen
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Maternal Grandfather: |
Lars Larsen
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Else Larsen
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Henriette Sofie Jensen
Jens Kring Jensen
Thyra Amalie Jensen
Jenny Emilie Jensen
Dagmar Johanne Jensen
Svend Aage Jensen
Gunhild Valborg Jensen
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Spouse: |
Hugo Johannes Petersen (John H.)
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Children: |
Erik Harley Petersen
Lillian Greta Petersen
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Petersen, Greta
Jensen, Søren
Jensen, Mette
Lauritsen, Jens
Petersen, John
Petersen, Erik
Lauritsen, Martha
Petersen, Lillian
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Family Names |
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Petersen family
Jensen family
Sørenson family
Lauritsen family
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Geographical Names |
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Give (Denmark)
Vejle (Denmark)
Seattle (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Harmonien (Danish drama club)
Emigration and immigration -- Denmark
Christmas -- Denmark
Ocean travel
Church and Community Life
Railroad travel
Washington Hall (Tacoma, Wash.)
St. Johns Lutheran Church (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish Sisterhood (Seattle, Wash.)
Hellig Olaf (Steamship)
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Occupations |
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Butcher Shop
Farming -- Denmark
Childcare workers
Domestics
Sanatoriums -- Denmark
Boardinghouses
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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 Baptized as Elna Margrethe Jensen. Goes by the name Greta.
She had her name officially changed to Greta on her US citizenship
papers. Born in Give, Denmark. Give is on the east coast of
Jutland, three Danish miles west of Vejle. Give had a couple
of churches and a lot of stores.
087 In comparison to Seattle, Give hasn't grown much. It was
a farming community. No big industry there. A place where pigs
were slaughtered and a candy factory. Born on March 8, 1900.
132 PARENTS: Soeren Peter Jensen and Mette Kathrine Larsen Jensen.
They got married in 1892. Soeren was in Nebraska for two years
before he got married. He had some uncles there. Greta remembers
him saying "all right!" Soeren and Mette came from farming communities
in Vejle. Greta's father was a farmer first. Then opened a butcher
shop in Give. He went back to farming when Greta was 7 years
old. In 1912 they came back to Give and they bought a house
which is still in the family.
224 CHILDHOOD: Greta got her first job when 12 years old. She
took care of a little boy on a farm in Give. She took care of
the oil lamps in the morning and shined shoes there as well.
It was fun to go down where the cows where and be with the milkmaids
and the boys who took care of the horses. When she was 11, she
took care of an old school teacher who had had a stroke. This
was when they lived on a farm. He died during August before
Greta moved back to Give. His funeral was big. About six ladies
cooked for days for that funeral.
333 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Henriette Sofie made hats in a big
store. Got a bladder infection. Died when 25. Jens Kring was
a mason. Built houses. Stayed in Give all his life. Died only
a short time ago. Thyra Amalie - married Elke (?) Nilsen who
had a bookstore in Horsens not far from Give. Amalie is still
living. She's 86 years old and lives with her daughter. Jenny
Emilie worked in Copenhagen for a while. Later, she and her
husband had a dairy store in Kolding, which is also on the east
coast of Jutland. She was hit by a bicycle and died.
402 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Greta was the middle child. After
her comes Dagmar. Her married name is Mattson. She didn't marry
until she came to America in 1950. Svend Aage was a carpenter.
He stayed at the family home. He had five children. His wife
is still living. Gunhild Valborg lives in California. She visited
Greta in 1937. Greta was involved in a Danish drama club. The
club went to San Francisco for a Danish play. Gunhild went with
Greta and met her husband there. He was from Seattle so Greta
knew him. Gunhild was only visiting the US but in 1939, Tage
Jensen went to Denmark to marry her. He was from Sapsoe (?)
a small island. The war started just after they got married.
They couldn't leave the island until after the war was over
in 1946, even though he was an American citizen. When they came
back to the US, they went to California where Tage worked for
wholesale business. They didn't have any children. They still
live in Ventura, California. He sold this business and now sells
glassware. He's 77 and still working.
529 GRANDPARENTS: Greta remembers her father's mother, although
she wasn't very old when she died. Her name was Henriette Soerensen.
Paternal grandfather, Jens Soerensen. Maternal grandparents,
she remembers her grandfather. She was about 4 years old when
he died. His name was Lars Larsen. Maternal grandmother was
Else Larsen.
599 SCHOOL AND CHURCH: Everybody had a lot of kids. They started
working when they were 10 years old. Greta had to do chores
in the morning before she went to school. It wasn't far to go
to school or church. Her parents weren't extremely religious.
She was confirmed when 14 years.
635 CHRISTMAS: They looked forward to making decorations for
Christmas tree. Didn't get many presents, an apple, an orange,
and some candy. Her mother made a bag of hornula (?) for each
child. It was a tradition to get this on Christmas Eve. Christmas
tree was lit with real candles. Neighbors and her father's Craftsmen's
Association had Christmas parties. They sang and danced around
the tree. Sometimes went to church.
712 CHRISTMAS FOODS: Many families had goose. Greta's family
was large so they had a leg of pork and red cabbage. They also
had rice pudding. An almond was put in the pudding, whoever
got it won a prize. They still have rice pudding. When it's
made with whipped cream, it's a dessert; when it's made with
milk, it's mush or groet. Her mother did a lot of baking.
787 WORK: (see I-224) Took care of two little boys in Grindsted.
It was hard work. Started this job when 15 years old. She got
room and board but no wages. She worked there for 1 1/2 years.
When she left, they gave her 60 crowns. They'd give her 2 or
3 crowns if she….
830 needed to buy something. Her next job was in Ribe, an old
town near the German border, working for a doctor. She earned
15 crowns a month and meals. This was during WWI so they had
food stamps. They could only have so much sugar. They could
have as much oatmeal mush as they wanted. There was a bakery
across the street from the doctor's…
909 office. She would often spend her 15 crowns there. Her next
job was on north Själland (Zealand). She was there for one summer.
She worked for a well-to-do man who'd made money on threshing
machines. She got a job at Vejle Fjord Sanatorium through her
sister. She made more money there. During the summer, there
was a place for dancing by the beach. Her husband used to go
there too but they didn't meet until they were in the US. There
were about 50 girls working at the sanatorium. At first, Greta
worked in the dining room. Later she got a job sewing linens,
curtains, etc. She liked this job. She got evenings and Sundays
off. She earned 60 crowns per month at first and then earned
80 crowns per month. She stayed there for four years. She got
her own room there. They had a big dining room for the girls
who worked there. Some girls stayed there for 10 or 20 years.
You couldn't meet boys there. She was 22 when she left the sanatorium.
1000 Greta went home to Give. One Sunday, she and her sister
went to a picnic in Vejle. They ran into a family they knew.
Jens Lauritzen (?) was with this family. He invited Greta to
go to America with him.
1035 REASONS FOR GOING TO AMERICA: She didn't get the job she
wanted after she quit working at the sanatorium and she happened
to meet Jens who was going to the US with his sister Martha,
who was 17 years old. She went to Copenhagen to get her permit
from the consulate. Her mother still didn't know she was leaving.
1072 PREPARING FOR THE TRIP: She had ten days before the ship
would leave. She went home to Give and sewed. Her father let
use the old steamer trunk that he'd got in America. She later
sent it back to Denmark. She packed a lot of clothes into the
trunk. Her mother didn't want her to go. A few years before
Greta's sister, Amalie was planing on going to America. There
was a fire on the boat after the passengers boarded so they
had to get off the boat. After she got off of the boat, she
was talked in staying in Denmark.
SIDE II
028 THE TRIP OVER: Greta was 22 years old when left for America.
The name of the boat was Hellig Olaf Scandinavian-American Lines.
It left from Copenhagen. Most of the people got sick on the
boat, but Greta had a terrific time. There were a lot of young
people on the boat. It took ten days to get from Copenhagen
to New York. She left August 11, 1922. The family she came over
with traveled 2nd class.
104 She had no problems at Ellis Island. They checked her throat
and her eyes and wanted to know if she could read (in Danish).
Jens Lauritzen (?) knew somebody in New York who had a hotel.
They stayed over night there. They went out to see New York
in the evening. Having ice cream at the drugstore was new to
them. She met a man on the boat who was from Chicago. He tried
to get Greta to stay in Chicago. He called Seattle "wild country".
He took them through the lobby of one of the biggest hotels
in New York. He showed them how to act in the lobby.
209 Greta and four other girls stayed in one room at the hotel
owned by Jens Lauritsen's acquaintance. When they turned on
the lights, they saw bugs on the floor. They left the lights
on all night. They had a big breakfast the next day, two fried
eggs each, toast, and fried potatoes. Greta had never had a
breakfast like that before.
256 CHICAGO: They took the train to Chicago, had to wait a few
hours for the train to Seattle. They were in Chicago during
the afternoon but they didn't get to see the city. Mrs. Lauritzen
(?) didn't want them to venture too far away from the train
station.
276 TRAIN TRIP TO SEATTLE: The train wasn't very clean. It was
really hot when they went through Montana. They got to Seattle
on August 26. A bunch of Danish boys who were staying at a Danish
boarding house met them at the train station. They were interested
in meeting the Danish girls. There were a couple of Danish girls
who had come from Sweden as well as Greta and Jens' sister.
The boys invited them to a party that night at the boarding
house. The food on the train was pretty good. She had no problem
ordering food because she was with people who could speak English.
The porters on the train were black. She was in Give, Denmark
when she saw a black person for the first time. One of the black
waiters was very handsome.
386 FIRST NIGHT IN SEATTLE: They heard songs they knew in this
Danish boarding house. Greta didn't want to go in the condition
they were in after the long train ride. Greta's hair was like
wire. She met her husband-to-be at this party. He had another
girl then. The guys wanted to see the girls from Denmark but
were not impressed when they saw the condition they were in.
They were black because of the train ride. The name of the boarding
house was Washington Hall. (see II-477)
420 WORK: Greta lived and worked at the Danish boarding house.
She cleaned the eighteen rooms there. Many came there just to
eat.
430 DANISH ORGANIZATIONS: She joined a club called "Harmonien."
They played Danish plays. Her husband was president of this
club for more than 20 years. Greta is now serving her 5th year
as president. It is now more of a social club than a drama club.
467 WORK: (See II-420) Received $35 and room and board at the
Danish boarding house. She felt this was adequate. She didn't
need much.
477 She had brought some nice clothes from Denmark. A dressmaker,
Mrs. Thomas made her the first dress she got in Seattle. She
got her second dress at Rhode's Department Store on 2nd Avenue.
The fellows always took the girls out to the movies. After the
movie they had to go out for coffee at Baasch coffee shop. They
had a good time. They had a Danish society. They had dances.
546 DANISH ORGANIZATIONS: Harmonien Club. She joined this club
in September 1922. She had a 60th anniversary party in 1982.
She and her daughter served coffee for the whole club. They
made Danish layer cakes and Danish "klejner", a type of cookie.
The club meets at their clubhouse on the grounds of the Danish
old people's home on Des Moines Way.
570 MEETING SPOUSE: She saw him everyday at the Danish boarding
house. He was very active in the Harmonien Drama Club. His name
was John Petersen. He worked at Wonder Bakery. It was called
Butter Loaf Bakery then. He was a creamer-man from Denmark.
He was accustomed to the machinery the bakery used because of
the work he'd done in Denmark. He was from Copenhagen. Came
to Minneapolis in 1920. He had come to Seattle the spring before
Greta came.
614 LEARNING THE LANGUAGE: Greta worked at Washington Hall for
about nine months. She wasn't learning any English because she
was with Danish people most of the time. She got a job as a
housekeeper from the Richmond's, a wealthy family in Laurelhrust.
Another girl worked there. Her parents were Danish. She helped
Greta with her English. Greta did a lot of cooking there. Stayed
one summer. Her English improved.
657 NIGHT SCHOOL: Greta wanted to go to night school. Laurelhurst
was too far away. She got a job n Seattle as a housekeeper for
the Norwegian consulate. She had to make dinner for him before
she went to night school. It was hard to find time for school
most of the time. He was a bachelor and often brought people
home for dinner. Greta went to night school only a few times.
After this she got married.
689 MARRIAGE: She got married in 1924. Lots of friends came
to their wedding. Bert and Sigrid Nielsen had a wedding party
at their house on Queen Anne Hill. The wedding took place in
a Danish church. The Nielsens had a rented house but it was
good sized. Sigrid fixed dinner for the guests and had the house
decorated with streamers. They played a kissing game afterwards.
Greta didn't have a wedding dress. They went to Mukilteo, south
of Everett for their honeymoon. Greta and three other girls
had bought a cabin on the beach up there. The other three girls
had the cabin fixed up for them and had prepared all kinds of
food. Greta and John rented the upstairs part of a house on
25th Avenue. This was close to the….
790 Danish church. Later they moved into the house of a Danish
man who was going to Denmark for the summer. From there, they
moved to Ballard.
798 Greta's husband and Bert Nielsen had a dairy store on market
Street. In 1931, John and Bert's partnership broke up. Hans
Petersen built a building on 33rd Street. John put a new dairy
store there. They stayed there until after the war. In 1934,
Greta took her two children to Denmark.
856 Mrs. Hansen, an acquaintance in Seattle had a brother in
Vejle, Denmark. He had a business in which he made rullepølser.
He showed Greta how to make this. When she came back to Seattle,
she started selling rullepølser, sylte, syltefläsk. The Norwegians
in Ballard were good customers. One time, something was going
on at the Norway Hall and they had to have 10 gallons of sour
cream for rommegrøt.
898 They bought a house in Ballard on 25th and 75th. It was
too far away so they got another house on 73rd. They stayed
there for six years. In 1938 they bought the house they have
now.
915 CHILDREN: Erik Harley Petersen. He is an accountant. He
lives in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. He got married when he was
42 years old. They have no children. They have a beautiful home.
Lillian Greta Petersen. She is called Greta. She's married and
has four children, three boys and one girl. Her married name
is Larsen. Her husband is a professor of sociology at the University
of Washington.
952 CHURCH: Greta goes to St. John's Lutheran Church. She is
one of the older members of the church. She has helped make
cookies and dolls. Helped buy the carpeting for the church.
She's not as active now as she was when she was younger.
983 DANISH ORGANIZATIONS: (See also II-430 and II-546) She belongs
to the Danish Sisterhood. She had served as president and has
hardly missed a meeting. In February 1983 she celebrates her
60th year as a member of the Danish Sisterhood. She is the longest
member (not the oldest).
1002 TRIPS BACK TO DENMARK: Eight trips. Lots of changes.
1005 DANISH CUSTOMS: They still like medisterpoelser, a kind
of sausage. They also have Krideneres (?) which is made from
ground pork. They spoke in Danish in the home so both of the
kids speak it. Her daughter spent a year over there when her
husband was teaching at the university there. Her little kids
went as well.
1034 She speaks in Danish. She tells about her trips back to
Denmark. They went first in 1934, after WWII, they went again.
They sold their business in 1946 and went to Denmark. They drove
across the US and brought their American car with them. The
third time they went was in 1960 when their daughter and son-in-law
were there for a year. Greta and her husband stayed for three
months. They went to a silver wedding anniversary for both Greta's
brother and sister. They rented a car in Denmark so that they
could drive to the different places.
1105 When they came back from the trip, they were looking for
a store to take care of. They ended up running the old Danish
boarding house.
TAPE 199
SIDE I
007 Greta's husband died on August 21, 1968. He had retired
four years before. He worked as a cashier for the state liquor
wholesale for 12 years. Greta hasn't worked since they quit
working at the boarding house.
049 CHURCH: (See counter II-689 and II-952) Greta was married
in St. John's Danish Mission Lutheran Church. They were married
by Pastor Sorensen. At that time, (1924), the church was on
24th and East Spruce Street. They didn't actually have a church
yet. They were married in the basement of the parsonage. Later,
they built a beautiful church right next to the parsonage. Greta's
daughter was the first to be baptized in it. Her children went
to summer school there. They actually lived there while going
to school. They could learn Danish at the summer school.
105 Her daughter was married in this church. Greta's children
were instrumental in getting the choir started there. The Danish
Society had Danish plays there. When her son was 16 years old,
he got a car. The church was quite a ways from their home. He
always had to take other boys and girls home from meetings at
the church. Greta's first grandson was baptized in that church.
172 In 1955, they built a new church. Greta and her husband
were there for the dedication of the new church.
207 LIFE IN AMERICA: Greta says she has had a wonderful life
here. In 1950 Greta's sister came to help her at the boarding
house. She had never been married, but she met someone after
she came to America. She got married when she was 42, the same
year that she had some to the US. She lives in Des Moines, Washington
now. Greta has spent a lot of time with her sister over the
years. They have a sister in California too. They like to make
a trip down there once in a while. The three sisters try to
get together once a year.
260 Greta also belongs to a singing society. They meet in each
other's homes.
269 Six years ago (1976), Greta initiated the idea of having
a Danish Christmas Eve (Juleaften) service. Christmas Eve traditions
in different parts of Denmark varied. They would have aebleskiver
in some parts of Denmark. At their Juleaften service in Seattle,
they sing Danish hymns. They had a Danish minister once who
spoke Danish. After the service, they have coffee, julekage
(Christmas cake), klejner (Danish cookies). They have big crowds
every year.
334 Greta's husband: John Petersen was well known as an actor
in Vig, a town on Zealand, Denmark. He was a "creamer man" but
he belonged to an acting society. He played the part of the
"skriverhand" (writing hand) in one play and that name stuck
with him all his life in that town. When he came to America,
he joined drama club, which played Danish plays. Greta joined
this club too. Greta's daughter became an actress too. Greta
went to Santa Barbara to see her perform in "Mr. and Mrs. North."
Lillian's daughter, Lori Larsen, was also an actress, first
at Roosevelt High School and then at the University of Washington.
She had been in many plays in Seattle and has had good reviews
in the newspapers.
428 Soendag paa Amager: This play means "Sunday on Amager."
Amager is an island connected to Copenhagen. Greta played the
young girl, Elizebeth, in this play in the 1930's for the 25th
anniversary of this drama club. On the 50th anniversary, Greta's
daughter, Lillian played the same part in the play. They plan
on having Lori, Lillian's daughter play that same part in 1984,
when they celebrate the 75th anniversary.
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