Paul Udesen (1906 - 1962)

Born 26 Apr 1906 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Ancestors

Husband of Freda Vivienne (Setter) Udesen — married 2 Jul 1932 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Husband of Mariane Ruth (Hindbo) Mann — married about 20 Mar 1948 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Descendants

Died 10 Feb 1962 at age 55 in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

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Biography

I don't know much about Paul's early life.

His father was a miller at the time Paul was born, owning and operating the Seest Windmill. Paul had an older brother, Gunnar. Life was probably good in his younger years, even with World War One happening from his age 8 to 12, as Denmark remained neutral. But Paul's mother died when we has 12 years old, and many of his aunts and uncles had emigrated to North America by this time.

Based on pictoral evidence, Paul belonged to a youth group in his younger teen years, and received military training in his older teen years.

His father remarried when Paul was 16, and it seems that the windmill ceased to be around this time. Paul gained a half-brother when he was almost 19.

At age 21, Paul emigrated to Canada on the S. S. Frederik VIII, arriving in Halifax on May 1, 1927. He seems to have traveled on his own. He indicated (see passenger list document) that he was destined for the Government Employment Office in Petersen, New Brunswick. He spent his first Canadian summer in New Denmark, New Brunswick. He then traveled across Canada by train to Vancouver, British Columbia, where is uncle Walter was already living. Walter had emigrated to Canada years earlier.

Paul did not remain in Vancouver, but moved on to Ceepeecee, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Ceepeecee, whose name was based on the initials of the California Packing Company, was a remote sardine cannery created in the middle of nowhere in 1926. I have inherited photos of Ceepeecee dated 1926, from before Paul left Denmark, so perhaps he knew someone who was already working there.

Paul spent his first few years in British Columbia at Ceepeecee, working and saving. He made occasional trips into Vancouver, where he visited his uncle Walter, aunt Cora and their daughter Dee Dee. On one such visit, they attended the Pacific National Exhibition (May 1929).

Sources

• "Denmark Census, 1916," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CC-JM1W : 12 July 2017), Paul Udesen in entry for Hans Udesen, Seest, Andst, Ribe, Denmark; from "1916 Denmark Census," database and images, MyHeritage ( https://www.myheritage.com : 2016), film 00166; citing household 632641, Rigsarkivet, København (The Danish National Archives), Copenhagen; FHL microfilm 103,920,339.
• "British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932; 1937-1938," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JD8B-6KD : 22 February 2021), Paul Wesen and Freda Vivian Setter, 02 Jul 1932; citing Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, British Columbia Archives film number B13763, Vital Statistics Agency, Victoria; FHL microfilm 2,135,982.
• BC Death Registration Number: 1962-09-002604