Funding for encoding this finding aid was
provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
Biographical Note
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.
Lineage
Full Name: Ellen Hoch Andersen. Maiden Name: Ellen Hoch. Father: Frederik
Johan Hoch. Mother: Henriette von Kaas. Paternal Grandfather: Johan Gottlieb
Hoch. Paternal Grandmother: Johanne. Maternal Grandfather: Hans Wolfgang von
Kaas. Maternal Grandmother: Minna. Brothers and Sisters: Svend Hoch, Wolfgang
Hoch, Anna Margrethe Hoch, Hillers Otto Hoch. Spouse: Aage Valdemar Andersen.
Children: Elsie Margrethe, Andersen Burdick, Carl Henry Andersen.
Content Description
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
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 :
Related Materials :
To search and view Pacific
Lutheran University's digitized images, visit our
Digital Assets
Website
Processing Note :
The interview was conducted by
Donna Mallonee 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
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.
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.
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.
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 :
Andersen, A.V. (Aage)
Andersen, Carl
Andersen, Elsie Margrethe
Anderson, Ellen
Hoch--Interviews
(
creator)
Hoch, Anna
Hoch, Frederik Johan
Hoch, Otto
Hoch, Svend
Hoch, Wolfgang
von
Kaas, Henriette
Family Names :
Andersen family
Hoch
family
von
Kaas family
Corporate Names :
Danish Brotherhood
in America. Lodge 29 (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish Club (Seattle, Wash.)
Danish Dramatic
Club (Seattle, Wash.)
Sons
of Norway (U.S.)Leif Erikson Lodge No. 1 (Seattle,Wash.)
Geographical Names :
Fredericia
(Denmark)
Hornbæk
(Denmark)
Seattle
(Wash.)
Subject Terms :
Christmas
Danish-Americans--Interviews
Danish-Americans--Northwest, Pacific--Social life and
customs
