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
http://www.plu.edu/archives
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Collection Number:
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t251
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Creator:
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Hansen, Anne Schmidt
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Title:
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Anne Schmidt Hansen 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
1
photograph
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 Anne Schmidt Hansen, a Danish immigrant.
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Biographical Note
Anne Hansen was born on November 15, 1888 in
Aastrup, Denmark, which is located on Jylland (Jutland). Anne's parents were
Peder Jessen Schmidt and Olena Andersen, and Anne was one of twelve children.
Peder was a farmer, and all of the children had to work on the farm. Anne's
mother died of cancer when Anne was fifteen, and Anne then began living on
other people's farms. While working for a butcher from Fyn, Denmark, Anne met
her husband, Holger Hansen. Holger had been living with relatives in Minnesota,
and when he came to visit from America, Anne wanted to go back with him. Anne
was twenty years old at the time, and they were married in Albert Lea,
Minnesota. They then went to Stratford, Washington, near Moses Lake, and got a
homestead from somebody who had to give it up to the government. The homestead
was a wheat farm, and they also raised potatoes and onions for their own use.
Holger worked in the harvest fields, and in the winter, he trapped coyote and
sold the fur. Anne and Holger had three children: Henry (Hank), Charlie, and
Linda. Anne and Holger spoke Danish in their home, so all of the children can
understand the language. Holger passed away in 1968, and Anne continued to live
on the homestead for as long as she could. Charlie then took over the farm,
raising cattle and sweet corn. Anne is proud of her Danish heritage, but she
also feels she is a "true American."
Lineage
Full Name: Anne Kirstine Hansen. Maiden Name: Anne Kirstine Schmidt. Father:
Peder Jessen Schmidt. Mother: Olena Andersen. Brothers and Sisters: Mikel
Schmidt, Anders Schmidt, Ingeborg Marie Schmidt, Kirsten Marie Schmidt, Mette
Marie Schmidt, Petrine Olena Schmidt, Mikelina Schmidt, Jess Schmidt, Three
other brothers died when young. Spouse: Holger Hansen. Children: Henry (Hank)
Hansen, Charlie Hansen, Linda Hansen.
Content Description
This interview was conducted with Anne Schmidt Hansen on July 16, 1983 in
Ephrata, Washington. It contains information about family background,
emigration, marriage and family, homesteading, and Danish heritage. Also
available is a black and white photograph of Anne at the time of the interview.
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
Janet Rasmussen 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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| Andersen, Olena |
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Hansen, Anne Schmidt--Interviews (creator) |
| Hansen, Charlie |
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Hansen, Henry (Hank) |
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Hansen, Holger |
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Hansen, Linda |
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Schmidt, Peder Jessen |
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Andersen family |
| Hansen
family |
| Schmidt
family |
| Lusitania
(Steamship) |
| Aastrup (Denmark) |
| Fyn
(Denmark) |
| Stratford (Wash.) |
| Danish-Americans--Ethnic identity |
| Danish-Americans--Northwest, Pacific--Interviews |
| Danish-Americans--Social life and customs |
| Emigration and immigration
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| Family--Denmark |
| Naturalization |
| Poetry |
| Oral
histories |
| Farmers |
| Trappers |
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
051:
ANNE KIRSTINE
SCHMIDT
Maiden name was German. Her
parents lived near the German border. Anne thinks they might have changed their
name to a German name so they could get along better. Anne was born in Aastrup,
Denmark on November 15, 1888. Aastrup is located on Jylland (Jutland).
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Cassette Counter
138:
PARENTS
Peder Jessen Schmidt and Olena Andersen.
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Cassette Counter
160:
BROTHERS AND
SISTERS
six boys and six girls in the
family. Anne is the youngest and the only one still living. Ingeborg Marie,
Mikel, Anders, Marie, Kirsten, Mette, Petrine, Anne, and three younger than
Anne. Mette came to America and lived near Anne.
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Cassette Counter
211:
FATHER'S
OCCUPATION
Farmer. He was a "gårdmand."
He had his own farm. Quite a bit of land. They had dairy cattle. They all had
to work on the farm. The buildings on their farm were shaped in an angle.
Building on bigger farms often formed a square.
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Cassette Counter
319:
SCHOOL
Had to go half a Danish mile to go to school. If they came
late, they'd have to stay after school. Anne started school when six years old.
Finished when fourteen years old. Anne's mother was sick for three years. Anne
was allowed to stay home from school when helping her mother, but generally,
the rule was that a student would pay 3 øre the first day he missed and 6 øre
the next.
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Cassette Counter
369:
MOTHER'S
ILLNESS
Mother had cancer. Suffered
awfully. Died before Anne turned fifteen. Had already been confirmed by this
time.
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Cassette Counter
412:
WORK
Worked in the fields. They raised beets for the cows. She
could outwork anybody in the fields. Lived on other people's farms. Sometimes
paid by the month and sometimes by the year. One of Anne's older sisters worked
for a neighbor for 180 Dkr per month. She didn't want to work for them so Anne
got the job. They didn't pay Anne as much because she was just a kid out of
school. Anne did this kind of work until she was twenty. She came to America
then.
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Cassette Counter
463:
REASONS FOR COMING TO
AMERICA
The man who was to become her
husband came home from America. Anne wanted to come to America so he took
her.
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Cassette Counter
471:
MEETING SPOUSE
Anne was working for a butcher from Fyn, Denmark when
she met her husband. Holger Hansen was also from Fyn. He was two years older
than Anne. Holger had brothers and sisters in Minnesota. He went to stay with
relatives in Minnesota before he was grown up. Eventually, he settled in
Stratford, Washington, near Moses Lake. Anne and Holger's homestead is still
there. They were given 160 acres and later were allowed to take additional
land. Holger settled in central Washington because his brother was there. His
brother, Hans raised wild horses. Anne's sister, Mette came to America after
Anne and married Hans.
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Cassette Counter
580:
MARRIAGE
Anne and Holger got married in Albert Lea, Minnesota.
Holger had an uncle there. Anne was 20 years old then.
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Cassette Counter
587:
TRIP TO
AMERICA
Wonderful, a chance to travel.
Took a boat from Esbjerg, Denmark across the North Sea. Landed in Liverpool,
England. Took the Lusitania across the Atlantic. Lusitania owned by the same
company that owned the Titanic. Left home on May 5, 1908. Arrived in Minnesota
on May 17, 1908.
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Cassette Counter
628:
NEW YORK
No problems with immigration. Her husband spoke
English. Traveled by train to Minnesota.
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Cassette Counter
645:
LEARNING
ENGLISH
Learned from hearing other people
speak English. Could have learned better English but she was by herself a lot
on their homestead. Holger had to work to make a living.
HOMESTEADING:
Gathered sagebrush in the fall and stacked it up by the house. Lasted all
winter. Got water from neighbors who had an open well. Had to carry the water
they needed. Holger would haul water in barrels for washing when he was home on
Sundays. Eventually they had a well drilled on their place. They lived in their
two-room house for eighteen years. They got their homestead from somebody who'd
to give it up to the government. The homestead already had a little barn.
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Cassette Counter
788:
HUSBAND'S
OCCUPATION
Worked in the harvest fields.
In the winter trapped coyote and sold the fur.
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Cassette Counter
797:
CLIMATE
Wasn't a hindrance. "I guess I was a tough old egg,
always."
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Cassette Counter
807:
CHILDREN
Always had good help. Never had to have doctors when
the babies were born. Anne's three children were all born at home. She still
had her two boys. Her daughter died of cancer when in her early thirties.
Eldest son, Henry lives in Ephrata. He's an electrician and a handyman. Also
makes jewelry out of rocks. Charlie, the youngest son, runs the family farm.
Raises cattle and grows sweet corn. Daughter's name was Linda.
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Cassette Counter
838:
DANISH
LANGUAGE
Anne and her husband spoke Danish
at home. Linda could speak it. Could also read the letters they received from
Denmark. Anne doesn't hear from Denmark anymore. The boys understand Danish but
they feel foolish when they speak it. Somebody from Denmark came to visit once.
Charlie could understand him and speak to him but he felt foolish.
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Cassette Counter
868:
FARMING ON THE
HOMESTEAD
(See also I-655) Didn't have
much. Raised dry land potatoes and onions in a little place. Otherwise it was a
wheat farm. In Denmark, they harvested wheat and rye with a scythe and then
tied the bundles. Anne used to tie the bundles. They had to use different
methods in America. Farming was smaller in Denmark.
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Cassette Counter
900:
TRIPS INTO
TOWN
Didn't go to town very often.
Walking was their only means of transportation. Once they were established they
got their own horses. They would raise potatoes and haul them into town in the
fall. They would then buy supplies like flour and sugar.
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Cassette Counter
916:
NEIGHBORS
Knew her neighbors then much better than she knows
her neighbors now. She hardly knows her neighbors across the street now. Before
she knew all of her neighbors for miles around. Some of her Norwegian
neighbors, such as Greta Odegard, were her best neighbors. There weren't many
Scandinavians in the area.
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Cassette Counter
937:
CUSTOMS
Anne used to make dark rye bread and white bread.
Baked Danish pastries too. Daughter doesn't bake pastries because she doesn't
like to eat sugar. They eat a lot of beef now because her son raises beef
cattle.
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Cassette Counter
985:
TRIPS BACK
TO DENMARK
Has never been back to Denmark.
Would have liked to visit Denmark when younger but couldn't afford it then.
Sister never went back either. Couldn't afford it. Anne's sister never liked it
here in the US. Anne made herself like it here. She couldn't make much money
but she could make friends. The Norwegians she met were wonderful people. Like
her own people.
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Cassette Counter
1012:
METTE'S
FAMILY
Got along with Anne's family. Anne
and Mette spoke Danish with each other most of the time.
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Cassette Counter
1024:
AMERICAN
CITIZENSHIP
Became a citizen by marriage
her husband who was an American citizen.
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Cassette Counter
1034:
MARRIAGE
Didn't really have a Danish wedding. They didn't have
much money. She didn't get a ring until their 50th wedding anniversary. At the
time they got married, all of their money went into their homestead. Anne's
husband passed away 15 years ago.
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Cassette Counter
1076:
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE
DANISH
"I'm not ashamed of being Danish,
but if they tell me I'm not American, that hurt my feelings because I'm a true
American…I've lived to see that my kids didn't have to struggle."
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Cassette Counter
1098:
HOMESTEAD
(See also I-655, I-868) Lived on the homestead until
she could no longer live alone. Their land had the best soil. They raised
berries and vegetables.
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Cassette Counter
084:
CHILDREN
(see also I-807) Gave birth to her children at home. A
neighbor helped with the first one. Tells about a neighbor, Ellen, who Anne
helped gave birth. A doctor was there too. They had to take Ellen to Ephrata.
Ellen gave birth while in their car. Anna cut the cord with the doctor's
pocketknife. Most women didn't call for doctors when giving birth in those
days. Women gave birth at home. Anna was all alone when she gave birth to her
last child. Her two boys were age 8 and 6. Henry was in school and Holger was
with the cattle. Anne sent Charlie out to get Holger.
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Cassette Counter
304:
LIFE CONTINUOUSLY
IMPROVED
Her son, Charlie now has 200 new
calves on the homestead.
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Cassette Counter
336:
KEEPSAKES FROM
DENMARK
Couldn't bring anything with her
when she came.
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Cassette Counter
350:
HANDWORK
Has made apple dolls. Has done lace work and
crocheted to pass the time.
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Cassette Counter
375:
ENTERTAINMENT
They had school programs.
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Cassette Counter
388:
POETRY
"Ode of the Dried Apple Dolls," a poem Anne has written is
read by the interviewer. Anne wrote this poem after she started making apple
dolls. She could never get anything out of the story of Johnny Appleseed so she
wrote her own poem about the apple dolls. She started making apple dolls when
80 years old.
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Cassette Counter
558:
Anne's father got the highest honor that a soldier could
get, dannebrogsmand, from the war he fought in 1848-50.
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