Overview of the Collection
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Repository Name:
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Robert A.L. Mortvedt Library
Scandinavian Immigrant Experience
Collection
Archives and Special
Collections Department
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA, 98447
253-535-7586
Email:archives@plu.edu
Web: http://www.plu.edu/~archives/SIE%20Collection/index.htm
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Collection Number:
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t243
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Creator:
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Kofoed, Thorvald
Andreas
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Title:
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Thorvald Andreas Kofoed
Oral History Interview
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Dates:
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1983 (inclusive)
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Quantity:
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3 file folders
4
photographs
1
sound cassette
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Languages:
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English
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Summary:
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An oral
history interview with Thorvald Andreas Kofoed, a Danish immigrant.
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Biographical Note
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.
Lineage
Full Name: Thorvald Andreas Kofoed. Father:
Hans Julius Kofoed. Mother: Juliane Elise Hansen. Paternal Grandfather: Thor
Hansen. Brothers and Sisters: Hansine Kofoed, Ingeborg Kofoed, Hans Peter
Kofoed. Spouse: Virginia Kofoed. Children: Hans Frederick Kofoed.
Content Description
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Information
Bibliography
Rasmussen, Janet Elaine. New Land
New Lives: Scandinavian Immigrants to the Pacific NorthwestTacoma, WashingtonUniversity of Washington
Press1993
Additional Reference Guides
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.
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Hansen, Juliane Elise |
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Kofoed, Hans Frederick |
| Kofoed, Hans Julius |
| Kofoed, Thorvald
Andreas--Interviews (creator) |
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Kofoed, Virginia Carol |
| Hansen
Family |
| Kofoed
Family |
| American Legion (Seattle, Wash.) |
| Crown Lutheran Church (Seattle, Wash.) |
| Danish Brotherhood
in America. Lodge 29 (Seattle, Wash.) |
| Hellig Olaf (Steamship) |
| Bornholm (Denmark) |
| Seattle
(Wash.) |
| Sequim (Wash.) |
| Shevlin
(Minn.) |
| Christmas |
| Danes -- Ethnic
identity |
| Danish-Americans--Interviews |
| Danish-Americans--Northwest,Pacific--Social life and
customs |
| Emigration and
immigration |
| Railroad
travel |
| World War,
1939-1945 |
| Oral
histories |
| Carpenters |
| Farmers |
| Miners |
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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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.
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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.
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Cassette Counter
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
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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.
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Cassette Counter
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
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
262:
SEQUIM, WASH.
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.
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Cassette Counter
294:
LEARNING
ENGLISH
Was speaking English pretty well
by this time.
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Cassette Counter
329:
DAIRY FARMING
Got work at a dairy farm just below 8th Ave. Worked
there for four years. Started in 1932.
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Cassette Counter
341:
DANISH
ORGANIZATIONS
Joined the Danish
Brotherhood in 1932, Got his fifty-year pin in 1982.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
670:
SEATTLE SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Got a job as a custodian.
Studied to get a (tape unclear) engineer's license.
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Cassette Counter
680:
US CITIZENSHIP
Had to study for it. Went to school.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
901:
CHILDREN
One son, Hans Fredrick. Is a truck driver. Is
married.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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Cassette Counter
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.
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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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