    
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
Thorvald Andreas Kofoed
A Guide to His Oral History Interview |
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Administrative
Information
Creator:
Kofoed, Thorvald Andreas
Collection Nr: t243
File Content:
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3 file folders
4 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 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 Thorvald Kofoed on April 22, 1983
in Seattle, Washington. It provides information on family background,
employment, emigration, marriage and family, community activities,
and Danish heritage. The interview also includes the announcement
of Thorvald's 75th birthday in Bien, the text of several speeches
given by Thorvald, a Danish Brotherhood newsletter, and photocopies
of photographs of Thorvald's school, church, and home in Denmark
and he and his wife in 1982. In addition, actual photographs
of Thorvald when he was fifteen, Thorvald on a boat, and Thorvald
at the time of interview are available. The interview was conducted
in English.
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Thorvald
(Ted) Kofoed was born on August 18, 1907 in Allinge, Bornholm,
Denmark to Hans Julius Kofoed and Juliane Elise Hansen. Ted
had three older siblings, and his father died when Ted was only
two years old. The family had a small farm, but it was not enough
to support the family, and Ted's mother had to start working
outside of the house. Before Ted was confirmed, he worked in
bakeries and cabinet shops after school, but his mother could
not afford an apprenticeship for him, so he had to go out and
work when he turned fourteen. He began farming and learned to
milk cows, harness horses, plow, and anything else that went
along with the business. Ted's mother passed away on May 17,
1926, and when Ted's uncle came to visit from America, Ted began
to consider immigrating as well. He left Denmark in 1930, settling
at his uncle's house in Shevlin, Minnesota. Ted stayed with
his uncle for three months and then became a hired hand at a
local farm. He worked at the farm for several months, but when
he found an ad in "The Pioneer," the Danish newspaper, asking
for a hired hand on the West Coast, Ted decided to move west.
He worked on a farm in Sequim, Washington for three months and
then went to Seattle, where he was employed at a dairy farm
for four years. In 1936, he spent the summer digging for gold
in Alaska but then came back to Seattle and became doing carpentry
work. In 1942, Ted joined the U.S. Army and served for three
years. He did his basic training for the military police, but
when his battalion reactivated, he was transferred to quartermaster.
When he finished his commitment to the Army, Ted returned to
Seattle and became a carpenter at Frederick and Nelson. He also
met his wife, Virginia Carol, and was married in 1949. They
had one son, Hans Frederick. Through the years, Ted has been
active in Crown Lutheran Church, where he has served as Treasurer,
Deacon, and on the council. He is also a member of the American
Legion and the Danish Brotherhood. In 1976, when Ted was President
of his lodge, he became the editor of their Danish newsletter.
Ted's only trip back to Denmark was in 1972, during which the
visit to Bornholm was the most meaningful portion of the trip.
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Full Name: |
Thorvald Andreas Kofoed
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Father: |
Hans Julius Kofoed
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Mother: |
Juliane Elise Hansen
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Paternal Grandfather: |
Thor Hansen
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Brothers and Sisters: |
Hansine Kofoed
Ingeborg Kofoed
Hans Peter Kofoed
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Spouse: |
Virginia Kofoed
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Children: |
Hans Frederick Kofoed
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This collection is indexed under the following headings
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Personal Names |
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Kofoed, Thorvald (Ted) Andreas
Kofoed, Hans Julius
Hansen, Juliane Elise
Kofoed, Virginia Carol
Kofoed, Hans Frederick
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Family Names |
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Kofoed Family
Hansen Family
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Geographical Names |
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Allinge (Bornholm, Denmark)
Shevlin (Minn.)
Sequim (Wash.)
Seattle (Wash.)
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Subjects |
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Family - Denmark
Emigration and Immigration -- Denmark
World War, 1939-1945
Helling Olaf (Steamship)
Danish Brotherhood (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish-Americans -- Ethnic identity
Galloping Ghost (Railroad car)
Depressions -- Washington state
Railroad travel
Crown Lutheran Church (Seattle, Wash.)
Christmas -- Denmark
American Legion (Seattle, Wash.)
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Occupations |
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Farmers -- Danish-Americans
Dairy Farming -- Washington state
Gold mines and mining -- Alaska
United States -- Armed Forces
Carpenters
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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.
022 Thorvald Andreas Kofoed. Born on August 18, 1907 in Allinge
(Isle of Bornholm), Denmark. Bornholm is located in the Baltic
Sea, southeast of Sweden. An historical island. Strategically
in WWII. Occupied by the Germans. They were to surrender after
the armistice but the German commander on Bornholm refused.
Bornholm was far enough east that the Russians wanted to take
over. The Germans refused to surrender to the Russians. The
Russians bombed a couple of towns on the island. The Russians
occupied the island for some time after the armistice.
152 PARENTS: Hans Julius Kofoed and Juliane Elise Hansen. Father
died when Ted was 2 years old. He had a small farm. It wasn't
big enough to support the family. Had to find other jobs too.
This put an extra burden on Ted's mother. She was bringing up
four children and had to look after the animals. Had to tend
to the four or five cows during the summer. Their home was in
town. Farmland was out of town. After his father died, his mother
sold some of the land and animals. Rented out some of the property.
Mother had to start working. His older sisters were taken in
by other families. Brother moved in with cousins who lived on
a farm when he was 8 years old. Ted was the only one left at
home. His mother did some weaving in her younger days. Kept
hose and did farm work too.
284 GRANDPARENTS: Maternal grandfather - Thor Hansen. He was
a farmer. Didn't know is maternal grandmother or paternal grandparents.
He did meet his father's brother who lived in Minnesota. His
name was Andreas Kofoed. Tells about how his maternal grandfather
would fix his wooden shoes when he was young.
377 BROTHERS AND SISTERS: Hans Peter Kofoed lives in the old
home where Ted grew up. Hansine spent most of her life working
in Copenhagen. Never married. Ingeborg stayed on Bornholm. Did
housework. Never married. Brother married. Has a nice wife.
Worked on farms. Became a stonecutter.
421 CHILDHOOD: Mother passed away on May 17, 1926, Norway's
constitution day. Has a different meaning for Ted. In town,
they had a good-sized house. Had a kitchen, a dining room, a
sitting room, a big room converted to bedrooms. House was divided
so that it had an apartment, which was rented out. After Ted's
brother took over the house, his sister moved into the apartment.
They had a little bit of land and a barn in town as well as
the house.
474 SCHOOL: Went to school in town, six days a week. In the
upper grades they went to school four days a week from 8:00
am - 3:00 pm. On Fridays they went from 8:00-2:00. On Saturdays,
they went from 8:00-12:00.
492 CHURCH: Was across street from school. One of the teachers
at the school was also a deacon at the church. Church had an
old organ with pedals that hod to be pumped to get air into
it. Two big bells in the belltower. Rang the biggest bell early
on Sunday morning. Half an hour later, rang the smaller one.
15 minutes before church was to being, they rang the two bells
together. The man who rang the bells had to pump the organ pedals
too.
562 CHRISTMAS: Beautiful in Denmark. Remembers looking at displays
in store windows. Could get cold and frosty. Sometimes snowed.
On Christmas Eve, the town turned dark by 4:00 except for people's
homes. The bell ringer had a way of making the church bell chime
at Christmas. Went to church at 5:00 on Christmas Eve. Lit the
Christmas tree after church. Can't get used to putting up the
trees weeks before Christmas. Also, Christmas isn't over for
him after December 25th. For Christmas Eve dinner they'd have
klipfisk (lutefisk). The fish came from the Færo Islands. Lutefisk
is salted down in a barrel. Klipfisk is the same except it is
split and dried on flat rocks on the islands. Had rice pudding
with a non-alcoholic Christmas beer. Had pudding with butter,
nutmeg, and sugar. Got presents. Went to church Christmas day.
Danes don't' "break their necks" to celebrate Christmas.
716 CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS AT SCHOOL: Had a big Christmas tree
at school during Christmas week. His mother always provided
him with a lace handkerchief for the school Christmas party
for two reasons. He was to use it as a bib so he wouldn't get
food on his good clothes and when the party was over he was
to use it to take home extra food that was left on the tree.
The party took place in the mission house. The children were
served sandwiches and non-alcoholic beer. There was an old parlour
organ in the house. A man would play it and they'd sing old
Danish Christmas songs. They'd walk around the Christmas tree.
Before the party was over, the teachers would bring out a stepladder.
The parents and teachers had made heart shaped Christmas baskets
filled with candy, fruit, and nuts.
791 WORK IN DENMARK: Did farm work. Before he was confirmed,
he worked in bakeries and cabinet shops after school. His mother
couldn't afford to send him to a school for special training.
Couldn't afford an apprenticeship. Had to go to work when he
turned 14. Learned to milk cows, harness horses, plow, everything
that goes along with farming. After his mother passed away,
moved back into town. Worked in a stone quarry. An uncle from
America came home to visit in 1926, two days after Ted's mother
had died. Uncle hadn't been home for 30 years. Wanted to surprise
Ted's mother and his own mother. He hadn't contacted anybody
before this.
841 LEAVING DENMARK: Ted talked to his uncle about going to
America. Went to America in 1930. Times were hard everywhere.
Thought there'd be better opportunities for him in a bigger
country. He had no problems getting a visa. Went to the consulate
in Copenhagen. Had a physical in Copenhagen.
870 TRIP TO AMERICA: Came in the Helling Olaf of the Scandinavian-American
Line. Sailed from Copenhagen to Oslo, and then to New York.
Arrived in Oslo early in the morning before breakfast was served.
He and some other guys got off the boat. This was in August.
They walked up Karl Johans Gate. Walked around Akershus Fortress.
Guard said it was closed. Got back on the boat. Went across
the North Sea and the Atlantic. Ran into a bad storm. Was playing
whist in another guy's cabin. One by one everybody got sick.
Ted was the last to get sick. He was 23 years old at this time.
Had to stop in Halifax to let off passengers. Headed towards
New York. Had heard that the first thing one sees as one approached
New York Harbor was the Statue of Liberty. The first thing Ted
saw was a neon sign, which said "Wrigley's Chewing Gum." He
knew he was in America then.
973 CUSTOMS: Had to open his wooden trunk for the customs officials.
A Swedish pastor was helping people get from Ellis Island to
the mainland. Had to take a ferry. Brought Ted to the train
station. He bought Ted a bag of doughnuts.
996 TRAIN RIDE: A little perplexed. Everything was new to him.
There were many colored people getting on and off the train.
The black women had big hats and loud colored clothes. He felt
like they were looking at him all of the time. Got off the train
in Chicago. Met a guy he had met on the boat. He was on his
way to St. Paul and then to Portland, Oregon. Ted was just going
to Minnesota. They got off in St. Paul. Went into a restaurant.
Ted's companion ordered pie. Ted had him buy him a piece. He
didn't like it.
1050 TRAVELING IN MINNESOTA: Went on the "Galloping Ghost" (small
motor cars used on rails) to Shevlin, Minnesota. Nobody was
there to meet him. Met a lot of Norwegians there. Met a Norwegian
who was a blacksmith and a preacher. He drove Ted up to his
uncle's. Uncle lived in a little one-room shack with a kitchen
and lean-to. Had a log stable for his cows. Had a building for
his machinery. Had about 120 acres. Had some woods that hadn't
been cleared. This was the 2nd place he had homesteaded. Had
been married but his wife had died. Ted wasn't used to his uncle's
kind of farming. Stayed for three months.
TAPE ENDS ABRUPTLY
SIDE II
037 THE DEPRESSION: Hard to find work. Met a Swede at a tire
shop. Said he knew a farmer near Crookston, MN who might need
help for the winter. It was about a four-mile walk. There had
been a big sleet storm. Wires and telephone poles were down.
Impossible to drive through. He got to the farm. Owned by some
Swedes, the Anderson's. They said they needed a man but they'd
already hired one. They invited Ted to stay for a couple of
days. This was just before Thanksgiving. He had Thanksgiving
dinner with them. The Anderson's found another Swedish family
by the name of Olson who Ted could work for over the winter.
Made $10 a month. Ted stayed through the next summer. Earned
$30 a month during the summer. Fall of 1931 awful. Many dust
storms. No money. In North Dakota, many families loaded up their
trucks and a team of horses and left their farms. Many young
men roaming around looking for a place where they could at least
get room and board. Jake (man Ted worked for) asked Ted to stay
for the winter. Paid him $5 a month. Had met on old Dane in
town. He was Crookston's police-judge. Ted would meet him in
town at the pool hall on Sundays sometimes. He'd ask Ted if
he'd like to go to his office to read the Sunday paper. The
entire courtroom was his office.
262 SEQUIM, WASHINGTON: This Dane had a subscription to the
Danish newspaper "The Pioneer." Ted found an ad in the paper
asking for a hired man on the West Coast. Ted decided he didn't
want to freeze for $5 a month. He ended up working for German
in Sequim, Washington. Didn't get along with the German. He
stayed for three months. Neighbors told him that the longest
period of time of that any hired man had worked there.
294 LEARNING ENGLISH: Was speaking English pretty well by this
time.
329 DAIRY FARMING: Got work at a dairy farm just below 8th Ave.
Worked there for four years. Started in 1932.
341 DANISH ORGANIZATIONS: Joined the Danish Brotherhood in 1932,
Got his fifty-year pin in 1982.
347 ALASKA: By 1936, was tired of working on the farm. Some
guys talked him into going to Alaska. Took a passenger boat
to Seward, Alaska. Took the train to Fairbanks. No dinner on
the train. Stopped in a town along the way. Everybody sat around
a long table. Ate meat "that was blacker than the ace of spades."
Train stopped at Mt. McKinley. No sleeping cars on the train.
Had to find a place at a hotel or dormitory. Ted and his companions
couldn't afford to stay in a hotel. Cost $3-4 a night. Found
a dormitory that cot $1 a night. Ted tells about the problems
he and his two friends had getting beds in the same room. Was
in Fairbanks for a month. Hadn't found any work. One of his
friends had worked in Nome, Alaska before. Could only get there
by plane or by dogsled. Ted's two friends flew there. Ted was
low on money. Told his friends to write and to tell him if there
were many people there. The less people the better chance for
finding work. The man that flew Ted to Nome said Ted could pay
him later. Describes the flight to Nome.
Got a job digging gold for the summer. The ground was frozen
down to bedrock. The shaft went down 85 feet. Halfway down the
shaft was a 12-foot glacier. Tells about an ivory piece he found
down in the shaft. Worked in the mine until it started freezing.
A ship by the name of "Victoria" let passengers off in Nome
and left winter supplies. The water there is too shallow for
the boat to come in. Had to go out to the boat in tugboats.
Ted took the boat back to Seattle. Took ten days. Traveled steerage.
Rats on the ship. They say that if rats are on the ship the
ship is safe. If there aren't any rats, then the ship is sinking.
655 SEATTLE: (see also II-300) Things still tough in 1936. Got
work in a sawmill. Did some carpenter work. Had that kind of
experience from work he'd done in Denmark.
670 SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT: Got a job as a custodian. Studied
to get a (tape unclear) engineer's license.
680 US CITIZENSHIP: Had to study for it. Went to school.
686 SERVING IN THE ARMY: Joined the US Army in 1942. Was 35
years old when he went in. Served for 3 years. Did his basic
training for the military police. A year after he joined his
battalion deactivated. He requested a transfer to quartermaster.
Never got to go overseas. Was quartermaster sergeant (tape unclear)
General Hospital in California. Serving in the army helped Ted
to find himself. Used to be intimidated by men with white collars
and ties. After serving in the army he felt equal to other men.
738 CARPENTER SHOP AT FREDERICK AND NELSONS: Was going to work
for the Seattle School District but decided not to. Was offered
a job doing carpenter work at Frederick and Nelsons. Became
interested in this trade. Took some classes at night school.
750 MEETING SPOUSE: Started going out with Virginia Carol. Met
her when dancing. Used to dance a lot at Danish organizations
and at the Swedish Club. She pushed him into taking the civil
service test for the city. Worked for City Light as a carpenter
up on the Skagit Valley. In 1948, he was injured there. Had
to spend time in the hospital over Christmas. Virginia visited
him while he was in the hospital. Ted decided to buy her a ring.
They got engaged and in the fall they got married.
819 WEDDING: Married in 1949. Had a fairly big wedding. Got
married in Denny Lutheran Church. Ted and Virginia threw their
own party. Had a nice get-together. Went on a honeymoon. Had
a '36 Chevy. Drove around the Olympic Peninsula.
847 WORK: Went to work for City Light (see also II-750) Was
only a temporary job. Found other jobs. Worked for a man named
Gorman on pier 81. In '52, the Republicans got back into power.
More people laid off. Ted had a son by this time. Had to work.
Got work in Bremerton. Had to take the ferry there every day
for 3-4 years. Was a carpenter.
WORK: Transferred to Port ? Mistake. They closed and everyone
lost their jobs. Got work from civil service in public health
hospital. Worked in the Marine Hospital (which is no longer
public health). A carpenter was sick. Ted was working temporarily
but after a few weeks they decided they'd like to keep him.
He worked there for 16 years.
901 CHILDREN: One son, Hans Fredrick. Is a truck driver. Is
married.
910 CHURCH: Used to go to St. John's Lutheran. Goes to Crown
Lutheran now. Served on the council for several years. Was treasurer
for a couple of terms. Was deacon. From time to time they've
asked him to give speeches on the 4th of July and Memorial Day.
They've asked him because he's a veteran of WWII and a member
of the American Legion. Is past commander of his post in the
American Legion. Was state chaplain for the state of Washington.
He has had to officiate at funerals too.
945 DANISH NEWSLETTER: Ted became the editor in 1976 when he
was president of his lodge. He does the writing and his wife
does the typing. The two of them put out a good newsletter.
965 TRIPS TO DENMARK: 1972. Flew Canadian Air from Vancouver,
BC. They had a special charter flight to Copenhagen but in order
to go, you had to belong to a soccer club in Vancouver. Ted
hadn't played for 30 years but he joined a club. He and his
wife got on the charter flight. Son drove them to Vancouver.
Flew for $260 each. Many changes. Landmarks still the same.
Tells about Grundtvig Church named after a well-known composer
of hymns. It is located in Copenhagen. Visit to Bornholm was
the most meaningful part of the trip.
1038 DANISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: Wife isn't Danish. Hasn't
cooked Danish food. Ted still speaks Danish. Says that Danes
are proud of their background. Danes have the oldest kingdom
in Europe. Has the oldest national flag in the world. Has always
been the same, red with a white cross.
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