Funding for encoding this finding
aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
Hans Fredrickson was born on February 3, 1909 in Småland, Sweden. Two
of Hans' sisters died at young ages of whooping cough, but his nine other
siblings survived. Hans' father, Frederick Anderson, was a farmer, and Hans
grew up helping him with milking the cows and picking the potatoes. Hans'
mother, Omilia Jonsson, helped in the fields as well, but she also did the
baking and washing. For about six years, Hans attended school; his family did
not have enough money for him to go beyond the sixth grade. As a child, Hans
delighted in the traditional Swedish celebrations of holidays like Christmas,
Easter, and Midsummer. Although he loved the Swedish heritage, Hans disliked
the work in Sweden and chose to move to America in 1928. He first settled in
Chicago, employed in the concrete business. Hans attended school to learn
English and picked up the language quickly. After a short time in Chicago, Hans
moved to a variety of places like South Dakota, North Dakota, and finally,
Tacoma, Washington; he worked on farms, dams, and logging camps. In 1931, Hans
met Elsie Danielson, whom he married in 1934. The two of them visited Sweden in
1936, 1959, 1974, and 1980. They had four children, all of whom spoke Swedish
until they began attending school. Each one became a National Merit Scholarship
winner. Hans enjoys gardening and belongs to the Valhalla Lodge and the Order
of Vasa. He and Elsie still practice Swedish traditions during the holidays and
speak the language periodically.
Lineage
Father: Ott Fredrick Andersson. Mother: Alma Omilia Jonsson. Paternal
Grandfather: Anders Målsson. Maternal Grandfather: Ole Jonsson. Maternal
Grandmother: Kristina Jonsson. Brothers and Sisters: Lydia Ingeborg
Fredrickson, Ingrid Maria Fredrickson, Carl Edvin Fredrickson, Sven Fredrick
Fredrickson, Signe Augusta Fredrickson, Magda Linnea Fredrickson, Otto Valfred
Fredrickson, Seth Geron Fredrickson, Allice Hillevi Fredrickson, Tore Elving
Fredrickson, Maj Hildegard Fredrickson, Spouse: Elsie Marie Fredrickson,
Children: Helen May Fredrickson, Bert Fredrickson, Gary Lee Fredrickson, Donald
Hans Fredrickson, Karen Marie Fredrickson, Glen Evert Fredrickson.
Content Description
The interview was conducted with Hans Fredrickson on September 30,
1981 in Tacoma, Washington. This interview contains information on personal
background, emigration, settling in, work, family, Swedish heritage, church and
community life, and trips back to Sweden. Also available are photographs of
Hans at the time of the interview, Hans and his family at his childhood home in
Småland, Sweden, Hans and other young men immigrating to America (February 22,
1928), Hans as a concrete worker in Villa Park, Illinois (May 23, 1929), Hans
working on threshing crew in the Midwest (July 3, 1929), and harvest work in
Småland, Sweden (July 31, 1936). The interview was conducted in English. Also
see Sven Fredrickson.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Access :
The oral history collection is open to all users.
Restrictions on Use :
There are no restrictions on use.
Administrative Information
Custodial History :
The Oral History collection project was started during an experimental
course on Scandinavian Women in the Pacific Northwest. Students in the course
were encouraged to interview women and learn about their experiences as
immigrants to the United States. The project was continued and expanded with
support from the president's office and by grants from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary
C. Skaggs Foundation, from the Joel E. Ferris Foundation and the Norwegian
Emigration Fund of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The project
was directed by Dr. Janet E. Rasmussen. The collection was transferred to the
Archives and Special Collections Department.
Acquisition Information :
Processing Note :
The interview was conducted by Inger Nygaard Carr 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. The
recording quality is good
The collection was transcribed by Mary Sue Gee, Julie Peterson and
Becky Husby.
Bibliography :
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine.
New Land New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to
the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington Press1993
Additional Reference Guides :
Detailed Description of the Collection
The partial interview transcription highlights important aspects of
the interview. Numbers 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.
Cassette
92, side 1
008: PERSONAL BACKGROUND
Born Småland, Sweden, February 3, 1909.
92, side 1
015: PARENTS
Frederick and Omelia Anderson. Custom for son to take father's
first name for his last name plus son.
92, side 1
022:
Ten brothers and sisters (see previous)
92, side 1
031: WHOOPING COUGH
Two sisters dead during epidemic. Many people were victims of
disease.
92, side 1
045: FATHER'S OCCUPATION
Farmer, when younger, employed on railroad in North Norway.
92, side 1
048: MOTHER'S MAIDEN
Jonsson, maternal grandfather employed as builder.
92, side 1
057: GROWING UP IN SWEDEN
Work for all, woods backbone of farm, selling timber, taking care
of children, housework. Rough life, but a good life, learned discipline.
92, side 1
076: COWS
Milking, big money worked day & night no matter what/cows
grazed in summer, had to herd them in.
92, side 1
113: POTATOES
Lots of potatoes it took weeks to pick them, kept out of school to
pick and sell potatoes.
92, side 1
123: PIGS
Slaughtered for family use, salted meat for preservation and also
smoked them.
92, side 1
138: MOTHER AND FATHER
Mother did all baking, washing, etc. and worked in the field.
Lived until age 75. Father died in 1946.
92, side 1
163: SCHOOL DAYS
Started at age 7. Learned to read before school days. Lasted for 6
years. Loved school, not much of it. Teacher gave special instruction in
arithmetic encouraged studies. After 6th grade you had to pay for school.
Speaks of his children's education.
92, side 1
228:
Speaks of birth of grandson.
92, side 1
238: CHRISTMAS IN SWEDEN
Snow. Found tree in the forest, decorating the tree, big breakfast
and noon meal. Opening presents. Church on Christmas Day.
92, side 1
257: SPECIALITY FOODS
Dopparedagen - name for Christmas Eve. They dipped boiled pork in
juice, homemade sausages, meatballs, ham, lutfisk, & potatoes for
breakfast. Evening - rice pudding with almonds - whoever got almond would get
married next. Many baked goods.
92, side 1
295: CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Little money, children bought presents for each other/ knock at
friend's door, throw packages and run.
92, side 1
307: JULTOMTEN
Same as Santa Claus here. Christmas lasted almost 2 weeks.
92, side 1
339: HOLIDAYS
Easter: Big holiday. Pentacost: Two-day holiday, went to church.
Midsummer: Picnics, parties and dancing.
92, side 1
366: CHURCH LIFE
Bible instruction when child, confirmation, first communion. He
was Lutheran.
92, side 1
394: RECEIVED A BIKE
Really could get places fast.
92, side 1
397: FOLK CUSTOMS
Told troll stories, scared to go to bed after.
92, side 1
415:
Brother and sister off to U.S. in 1923. Brother employed for
Milwaukee Railroad.
92, side 1
441: OFF TO CHICAGO, 1928
Wanted adventure. Tired of work in Sweden. Speaks of brothers and
sisters. Parents didn't like to see children go.
92, side 1
485: BOAT TRIP
9-10 days. Borrowed money from brother in Chicago area
(Drottningholm) cost of voyage $100.
92, side 1
545: LANDED NEW YORK CITY
Sent telegrams to brothers. Couldn't speak English. TOOK TRAIN TO
CHICAGO: Nobody to meet him.
92, side 1
568:
Didn't go to Ellis Island. Processed by American Council in
Sweden.
92, side 1
574: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Never saw black person before. Couldn't speak English on train,
not much food on train trip.
92, side 1
596: EMPLOYMENT
In Chicago, concrete business - basements, steps, mostly
foundations. Hard work, but big money 90 cents an hour.
92, side 1
626: LEARNING ENGLISH
Went to school 5 days a week. Mostly worked with Swedish speaking
people. North side of Chicago large proportion were Swedish. Picked English up
fast.
92, side 2
007:
Cold winters in Chicago area. Worked as bricklayer during
winters.
92, side 2
059: SOUTH DAKOTA
Threshing. Weather not very good. Lived with farmers - moved from
farm to farm. Compares weather in Chicago with South Dakota.
92, side 2
088: ON TO NORTH DAKOTA
Threshing. Talks about work horses. Drove from Chicago in 1924
Buick. Husked corn - "hard working Swedes."
92, side 2
118: ON TO TACOMA, WASHINGTON
Came at time of fair. Picked apples. Talks of his family living
there. UNCLE: Axel Anderson, 19th & M in Tacoma.
92, side 2
147: LEONARD ANDERSON
Outstanding musician (Tacoma area), played the accordion and
piano, everyone took lessons.
92, side 2
155: EMPLOYED TIDE-WATER SAWMILL
Eventually burned down. Many mills burned down.
92, side 2
164: CUSHMAN DAM
Employed for period of time. Depression: Not bad, got a job
through employment office. Didn't like working on the dam.
92, side 2
191: EMPLOYED FOR PACIFIC NATIONAL RAILROAD
Describes work building RR toward the mountain. Job also working
south of Olympia.
92, side 2
212:
Describes improving the saw mill production and work at the
smelter.
92, side 2
225: DEPRESSION
No work, hit 1932-33. Various odds and end jobs. Built a cabin in
Milton ($200 an acre/ total cost for cabin $17). Friend from Alaska brought
salmon and ate food from the garden.
92, side 2
284: RASPBERRY PICKING
Salary 35 cents a crate. Fired for not working on the Fourth of
July.
92, side 2
329: MEETING WIFE
Met at a dance. She from Puyallup. Wife's name Elsie Danielson.
Speaks of wife's family, also from Sweden (see 363-II).
92, side 2
355: ALASKA
Gold dredging and life with mosquitoes.
92, side 2
363:
Married fall 1934. Three years after meeting (see counter 329-II)
92, side 2
369: EMPLOYED WITH WEYERHAUSER
Describes his work. Part includes building railroad. Made $15 a
day. Laid off, later wanted him back. He describes several logging camps -
Weyerhauser good food and treatment. Bordeaux was a bad camp.
92, side 2
481: MOVED TO LITTLE ROCK
Prices for food cheap, "lived like kings." Lived in Little Rock
because camps had bad food and were expensive.
92, side 2
530: DESCRIBES WEDDING
December 29, 1934. Took place at wife's house in Puyallup. Few
friends & family. Rented apartment for $30 a month (7th & K).
92, side 2
595: JOB AT TACOMA GRAIN
Unloaded wheat, wasn't steady work.
92, side 2
604: SAW MILLS
Bad strike in 1930's loggers came to strike too.
92, side 2
644: EMPLOYED VARIOUS JOBS
Work not steady. Employed at a flour mill, worked on tracks
switching them.
92, side 2
667: VISITING SWEDEN
In1936, Was wonderful. Took bus to New York from there to Sweden
by boat (Tape 93 Side I concludes trip back to Sweden). He stopped…
93, side 1
001:
In Oklahoma City to visit his brother on the way to New York.
CONCLUDES TRIP TO SWEDEN: Not many changes. Returned for another visit in 1974
(see counter I-242).
93, side 1
077: BROTHER VISITED NORWAY LAST YEAR (1980)
Outstandingly beautiful. Drove to Gudbrandsdalen in his new
Volvo.
93, side 1
080: CHILDREN
Oldest son, Gary Lee, went to Stanford and became an engineer at
Boeing, married and has 2 boys, Erik, who now goes to Dartmouth College and
Mark, who is a very ambitious worker. Donald Hans is a doctor in nuclear
physics at the University of Washington. Fixes machines for cancer treatments,
does wood working and lives in Seattle. Karen Marie is a librarian director at
Stanford. Glen Evert is the youngest, father of the third grandchild.
93, side 1
147: CHURCH LIFE
Goes mainly at Christmas time, not every Sunday.
93, side 1
157: ORGANIZATIONS
Belongs to Valhalla since 1934 - soon 50-year member, Order of
Vasa, treasurer for Swedish Order of Valhalla and plays the accordion.
93, side 1
187: EMPLOYED VARIOUS JOBS
Carpenter after quitting the smelter. Worked for Western Boat
until the War was over (in conjunction with Navy). Retired from Puget Sound
Plywood Cooperative after 30 years.
93, side 1
221: DESCRIBES PRESENT HOUSE
Added on many times, once was a small house. All children born and
raised here.
93, side 1
242: TRIPS BACK TO SWEDEN
1936, 1959 with all children, 1974 & 1980. Prices are high,
farm still standing. Some family is still living there. Big family reunions in
Sweden and in U.S. (see counter 001-III)
93, side 1
287:
Growing, washing, cooking, eating "wonderful corn". Has a big
garden and berries, fruit trees, flowers, everything.
93, side 1
305:
Wife cooks Swedish foods. Continues to have Christmas like in
Sweden: meals, trees, church and presents.
93, side 1
317:
Children spoke Swedish, but lost it when they attended school. Son
studied in Sweden for awhile; learned to speak and write Swedish and later
studied in Munich.
93, side 1
373:
Closes in Swedish.
Subjects
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Personal Names :
Andersson, Ott Fredrick
Fredrickson, Bert
Fredrickson, Donald Hans
Fredrickson, Elsie Marie
Fredrickson, Gary Lee
Fredrickson, Glen Evert
Fredrickson, Hans
Fredrickson, Hans--Interviews
(
creator)
Fredrickson, Helen May
Fredrickson, Karen Marie
Fredrickson, Sven Fredrick
Jonsson, Alma Omilia
Jonsson, Kristina
Jonsson, Ole
Målsson, Anders
Family Names :
Andersson family
Fredrickson family
Jonsson family
Målsson family
Corporate Names :
Puget Sound Plywood Company (Tacoma, Wash.)
Swedish
Order of Valhalla (Tacoma, Wash,)
Vasa Order
of America. Lodge No. 233 (Tacoma, Wash.)
