    
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
Johanne Knudsen
A Guide to Her Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Knudsen, Johanne
Collection Nr: t201
File Content:
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3 file folders
3 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 Cindy Klein
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 Johanne Knudsen on October 26,
1982 in Bellingham, Washington. It provides information on family
background, emigration, marriage and family, farming, and Danish
heritage. The interview also includes a photograph of Johanne
in 1958 and two of her in 1982, wearing the same traditional
outfit as in the1958 photograph. The interview was conducted
in English.
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Johanne
Knudsen was born on August 28, 1900 in Tvis, Jutland, Denmark
to Ole Jensen and Ane Katherine Nielsen. Her father drove a
team of horses and hauled things for people, and her mother
was a seamstress. Johanne had eight siblings and was the next
to youngest in the family. Johanne was confirmed when she was
fourteen and then got a job as a house assistant. She gave up
this job when she married Jorgen Knudsen on May 21, 1925. In
an effort to find work, Jorgen went to New Brunswick, Canada
on March 21, 1927, and Johanne joined him the following November.
They lived in Grand Falls, New Brunswick for six months and
then bought a farm beyond a Danish settlement known as New Denmark.
They remained at this farm for ten years and had two children,
Else and Bob. The family left New Brunswick in order to help
Johanne's sister Anna in Saxon, WA. Anna and her husband were
getting too old to run their own farm and thought Johanne and
Jorgen could help them out. Johanne and Jorgen rented the farm
and went through some very tough years, clearing the land and
making the farm productive again. Eventually, Jorgen wanted
to learn another trade and began attending Western Washington
State College in Bellingham. He became a first class welder
and got a job in at the Everett shipyards. While Jorgen worked
in Everett, Johanne and the children decided to remain at the
farm. Johanne loved living on the farm and stayed there for
twenty-six years. Johanne has made several trips back to Denmark
and continues to keep in touch with her friends there. She never
had time to join any Scandinavian organizations, but is a member
of Faith Lutheran Church and the grange in Saxon.
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Full Name: |
Johanne Knudsen
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Maiden Name: |
Johanne Jensen
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Father: |
Ole Jensen
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Mother: |
Ane Kathrine Nielsen
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Jens Olsen
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Paternal Grandmother: |
Kristine
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Maternal Grandmother: |
Anna (?)
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Anna Lintz
Jens Jensen
Oline Kathrine Rasmussen
Mathilde Bodil Clausen
Niels Peter Jensen
Wilhelm Jensen
Marie Kristine Jensen
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Spouse: |
Jorgen Knudsen
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Children: |
Else Knudsen
Bob Knudsen
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Knudsen, Johanne
Jensen, Ole
Nielsen, Ane Katherine
Knudsen, Jorgen
Knudsen, Else
Knudsen, Bob
Lintz, Anna (sister)
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Family Names |
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Knudsen family
Jensen family
Nielsen family
Olsen family
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Geographical Names |
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Tvis, Jutland (Denmark)
Grand Falls (N.B.)
New Denmark (N.B.)
Saxon (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family -- Denmark
School attendance -- Denmark
Confirmation -- Lutheran Church -- Denmark
Denmark -- Emigration and immigration
Tvis (Denmark) -- Emigration and immigration
Ocean travel
School attendance -- New Brunswick (Canada)
Naturalization
Marriage service
Faith Lutheran Church
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Occupations |
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Domestics
Farmers -- Washington (State)
Farmers -- New Denmark (N.B.)
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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.
016 Johanne Knudsen. Born in Tvis, Denmark on August 28, 1900.
030 PARENTS: Ole Jensen and Ane Kathrine. Father left every
morning with a team of horses and hauled things for people.
He sold things as well. Didn't usually make over night trips.
Mother was a seamstress as well as a homemaker.
077 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Nine children in the family. Johanne
is next to the youngest. Anna, Jens, Oline, Mathilde, Niels,
Wilhelm, Johanne, and Marie.
102 GRANDPARENTS: Maternal, remembers grandmother. Johanne remembers
playing with her dolls at her grandmother's home, while her
grandmother weaved. Paternal - grandfather was a salesman. He
always bought things for the children. Wilhelm and Johanne loved
to walk to their grandparent's house, which was 10 kilometers
from their home.
147 BROTHERS AND SISTERS (See also I-077) Ann emigrated to the
US in 1911. Lived in Saxon, Washington. Passed away in 1982.
Johanne came to her place when she came to the US. Johanne and
Marie are the only ones in their family still living.
166 CHILDHOOD HOME: A little village. The school was close by.
The teachers had a hard time keeping Johanne home when she was
still too young to go to school. They finally told her mother
that she might as well start school. Four teachers. The village
was very nice. There was a railway station too. Johanne's parents
were poor. They had lost everything by buying their farm. Johanne
was born at this farm in Tvis. Her sisters and brothers were
all born in Hjerm. Her father left the farm after five years
and got his job in Hjerm back. Johanne grew up in a nice home
in Hjerm.
266 CELEBRATIONS: Remembers her sisters' weddings. Celebrated
for a couple of days. Johanne, who got married after WWI (1925),
didn't get that kind of wedding. Their honeymoon was spent working
in a turnip field. Planned on being a housewife. They both had
to work.
337 MARRIAGE: Married in Hjerm on May 21, 1925. Johanne had
given up her job as a house assistant. She had started this
type of work at age 14. Her husband was out looking for work.
367 CONFIRMATION: Common for children to be out on their own
after they were confirmed at 14 years of age. Johanne had a
job where she could still live at her parent's home for the
first year and a half after she was confirmed. Boys would sometimes
be on their own when 9 years old.
387 MARRIAGE: (See also I-337) Johanne got work washing and
cleaning. Her husband looked everywhere for work. Decided to
sell fish. Rode around the county on his bicycle selling fish.
Would could home with the fish he hadn't sold and the whole
neighborhood would eat fish. Didn't do this work for very long.
Her husband went to Canada on March 21,1927, looking for work.
Johanne worked all summer and her husband helped to pay for
her ticket. He was quite enthused about life in Canada.
462 TRIP TO AMERICA: Left on a boat from Copenhagen on November
2, 1927. Sailed to England. Took one of Cunard Line's ships
to America. Johanne was with two other girls. Took the boat
from Southampton, England. One lady was in bed for the entire
journey. Not Johanne and her friends. They met four Swedes.
Had a lot of fun. Sailed to France. Picked up more passengers
and then sailed to Quebec, Canada.
504 ARRIVAL: After they got off the boat and entered the halls,
they were instructed to put down their suitcase. They noticed
that the girl who had been sick was missing. All passengers
had been given ribbons of various colors. Each color meant something.
The missing girl's ribbon meant she should be taken to the hospital
at once. Johanne had a hard time finding her suitcase after
she said good-bye to her friends. Because of this she missed
her train to New Brunswick. She stayed at a YWCA in Quebec,
and a lady there took her to the train station the next day.
566 TRAIN RIDE: Couldn't speak much English. Was put on the
wrong train. Ended up in New Castle, New Brunswick. Went back
to Moncton, New Brunswick. A Danish lady at the YWCA got her
on the right train to Grand Falls, New Brunswick.
639 REUNION: She'd sent her husband telegrams from every place
she'd stopped. They hadn't seen each other since March. She
gave him a big hug and kiss.
652 SETTLING: They stayed in Grand Falls for half a year. Bought
a farm way out in the sticks, beyond a Danish settlement. Stayed
there for 10 years, clearing land. Children grew up there. Bob
was 4 when they left and Else was 7. Her husband had worked
in a power plant and on farms before Johanne came over. Thought
he would make a lot of money growing potatoes on their farm.
The problem was that they had to clear the land first. New Denmark,
New Brunswick was on old settlement. They were new immigrants.
Many Danish immigrants in the area. They had one neighbor nearby.
Cold winters with lots of snow. Men worked on the roads in the
winter. Tried to raise their own food, make their own furniture,
etc.
713 REASONS FOR LEAVING NEW BRUNSWICK: Johanne's sister and
brother-in-law in Saxon, WA, were getting too old to run their
farm. Anna thought maybe they could help each other. Johanne
would have rather gone back to Denmark. Her husband thought
it would be best to go to the West Coast.
731 TRAIN RIDE: Johanne, her husband, and two children traveled
by train to Mission City, British Columbia. They spent the night
in Edmonton, Alberta went through Calgary, Alberta, and rode
in the caboose from Mission City to Sumas, Washington. Her sister
met them there and then took them to her farm in Saxon, Washington.
749 SAXON, WASHINGTON: The farm in Saxon was almost lost. Johanne's
husband was a very good farmer. Johanne drove a tractor on this
farm. In Canada, she had always driven a team of horses.
761 TRAVEL ON NEW BRUNSWICK: Drove a team of horses everywhere.
Took the kids into the settlement for vacation Bible school
one time with the neighbor another Danish lady. Bob was too
young for Bible school so Johanne fixed a place in the wagon
for him to sleep. He didn't want to sleep, he wanted to drive.
Tells about driving with horse and sled in the snow to the settlement's
general store. Worried about bobcats when she went by herself.
820 LIFE IN NEW BRUNSWICK: They tired to make the most of their
own things. Bought flour, beans, and meat. One year they had
only $12 in cash. She used it to buy underwear. People helped
those having a hard time. The Frenchmen would bring them buckwheat.
Anybody could make it if they had buckwheat and buttermilk.
(See also I-652)
850 SAXON, WASHINGTON: (See also I-749) Rented her sister's
farm. Wanted most of all to get their citizenship papers. Were
just about ready to this in Canada when her sister wrote, asking
them to come to the US. There were only two openings left for
Danes to come into the US. They barely got into the US. Came
to Saxon and "started working like troopers." Had to clear a
lot of land. Tough years. Her husband wanted to learn to do
something else. The government was sending teachers to the colleges
to learn welding and such. He went to school at Western Washington
State College in Bellingham everyday. Came home every night.
Became a first class welder. They had a lot of cows, a bull,
and four horses to take care of as well. He got a job as a welder
in a shipyard in Everett, Washington.
911 CITIZENSHIP: (See also I-850) January 1943 got their citizenship
papers. They had gone to a school in order to become a citizen.
There were many people without citizenship papers. This was
a problem when the war started up, so many school sprang up.
935 Husband went to work in Everett, Washington. Johanne and
the kids decided to stay in the farm. They liked Mt. Baker.
They helped their mother on the farm. They stayed on this farm
for 26 years.
973 Bought another farm, which was a block away from the old
one. There weren't many Danes in the area. Many Norwegians.
922 LEARNING ENGLISH: Began studying English at home, but didn't
know enough to get along. Learned to understand quite a lot.
Learned a lot of English from a 3 year old girl she babysat
in Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Johanne's husband had to learn
because of his work. After they moved to New Denmark, they spoke
a lot more Danish. Wasn't good for their English.
1030 CHILDREN: Else was born in 1930 and Bob was born in 1933.
Neither speaks Danish now. Else and Johanne were in Denmark
in 1971. Johanne thought that Else would pick up Danish again
but she didn't.
1040 TRIPS BACK TO DENMARK: Johanne and her husband went back
in 1958. Stayed six weeks. Her husband died in 1969. Else said
to Johanne that she and Bob didn't know their family in Denmark.
Else wanted to make a trip to Denmark. Bob is the only one who
hasn't been to Denmark.
SIDE II
141 CHANGES IN DENMARK: Enjoyed seeing friends and relatives.
Planned on renting a place to stay, but they had a lot of family
who would not allow them to do anything for themselves. Rented
a car. The trips were very interesting. Met someone from Minnesota.
Husband started speaking to a Danish bus driver in English.
Johanne told him to speak Danish but the bus driver said he
wanted to learn English.
226 DANES VISITING THE US: One of Johanne's girlfriend has visited
her twice. Came alone once and with her husband once. They had
a son who got married in California. He lives in Germany now.
252 CHILDREN: (See also I-1030) Else has been the secretary
for the Garden Street Methodist Church in Bellingham for 17
years. Bob is superintendent of the identification bureau at
the police station in Bellingham.
273 Johanne has six grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Talks about them. Phyllis went to Denmark while in the Air Force.
She was stationed in Turkey at the time.
334 SCANDINAVIAN ORGANIZATIONS: Has never had time to join.
Her husband was sick for a long time. Does know some Danish
people in town. It was the Danish bakers that got Johanne and
Else in on the trip to Denmark in 1972. They saved a lot of
money on that trip. Belongs to Faith Lutheran Church. Has been
more active than she is now.
359 Loved living on the farm. Her husband worked on the farm
when he came home at night, but during the day it was hers.
Her kids were always helpful. She was active in the church in
Saxon. Her husband belonged to the grange there. She still does,
but she's not an active member.
402 CANADA: (See also I-652, I-820) Poor times when they were
in New Brunswick. They had school in their area but couldn't
afford to pay the teacher much. They offered room and board
to the teacher. One girl who taught there comes to visit Johanne
almost every year. There was a table prayer they always said
while she lived with them before 1937. The last time she visited
Johanne she asked if Johanne could say it. Johanne was surprised
that she still remembered it. Johanne says some prayers in Danish.
Her grandchildren always like to hear the table prayer: I Jesus
navn til bords vi gaar.
475 Learned to quilt in America. Learned to knit mittens in
Canada. Learned to knit stockings in Denmark. Had to learn to
sew. The pastor at the Danish settlement helped them get a cow
and a horse.
535 Had a one room school at the Danish settlement in Canada.
They had the teacher stay with them quite often because they
had an extra room. The only thing she didn't like out there
was the bedbugs. Tells how they would get rid of them.
576 Danish tradition to have a raising party when building.
They built a barn. Tradition to put a wreath and flag on top
and have a big party.
609 CONTACT WITH FRIENDS IN CANADA: Gets a letter from one friend
once every years. She has moved into the city now. She has a
daughter the same age as Else. Edith Kveld (?), the school teacher
came to visit in the summer of 1982. (See also II-402) She remarked
how much she admired Mrs. Knudsen for always managing something
on the table. They had cows, pigs, and chickens. The chickens
were friendly. There were a lot of French-Canadians in the area.
They got along fine with each other.
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