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A GENERATION GAP: 1873 STYLE Jennie Lind M. Brown Salt Lake City, Utah Professional Division Second Place Anecdote My grandmother, Frederikke, liked to tell about the time she opposed her stern Danish father. Her family came to Utah in 1861 and settled in Gunnison Valley, where she lived until she moved to Salt Lake City to work in the home of Bishop Jacob Weiler. The summer she turned sixteen he sent her to American Fork to assist a member of his family who was ill. Rikky made friends there and was asked to be the Goddess of Liberty in the 4th of July parade. On that special day, in her white, home-made robe, she felt and looked as pretty as any Danish princess. A leader in the comnunity of Gunnison saw the parade and took a fancy to the young goddess. A few days later she received a letter from her father asking her to come home. When she was told a stuffy, middle-aged bachelor wanted to court her, she was horrified. Rikky had always obeyed her father, but this time she looked at him and shook her head. Nevertheless, she knew he would expect her to be prepared for a visitor. Early the next evening the prospective suitor arrived ready to take her riding in his new buggy, but there was no sign of Rikky. No one had seen her leave, yet she definitely wasn't at home. After a fruitless wait the man drove away, not bothering to hide his displeasure. Later, the children discovered their sister safely hidden in an empty rainbarrel. Rikky's father looked at her with exasperation, but said no more about the courtship. Source: The above anecdote was often told to me by my grandmother, Frederikke Tollestrup Fjelsted, of Gunnison, Utah. -39- |
