The Story of Andy Kjearsgaard
Dad and Mom (Christen and Eleonora Kjearsgaard) farmed at Dyrby, near Aarhus, Denmark. They had five children in Denmark (four survived) and another after they came to Canada.
In 1927, Dad and Mom decided to come to Canada. Dad came first and got a job as a hired man on a farm in the Raven district. Meantime, Mom and us kids lived with our paternal grandparents.
Bedstemor's Sago Soup
Staying with Dad's parents was stressful for Mom, since Bedstemor (Grandmother) was quite a battleaxe and did not treat her daughter-in-law too kindly. In fact, she was so strict, she expected me to eat all my sago soup.
Even today, remembering those beady little eyes peering at me makes me sick. One day, I couldn't swallow even one of them. Luckily, Bedstemor went to the kitchen for a moment and Mom came to my rescue. When Bedstemor returned, my soup was all gone. Mom never let on that she'd eaten it
Many years later (1945), I returned to Denmark as a Canadian soldier and was pleasantly surprised to find that Bedstemor was human––even likeable––after all.
Coming to Canada
Dad's new boss was a bachelor who needed a cook. Would Mom take the job? Yes. We left for Canada in 1928, when I was six years old. The only thing I remember about our journey is the ship (LINK to Travel Anecdotes: To Canada by Ship). I don't remember arriving at the Raven farm, and we only stayed a few months. Then we moved to Dickson.
Adapted from the 1994 Heritage Book,with permission from the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
More Immigrant Stories:
• A Danish-style sago soup recipe even Andy would like
• What will Andy think of Dickson?
