Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 6 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 32

It is a long way from Denmark to Fresno County, Cal., but many upbuilders of the commonwealth have come from that distant country, and among these is Lauge Laugesen, who was born July 1, 1875, at Brorup, Jylland, Denmark, a son of Christian and Catherine (Christian) Laugesen. The father was a farmer and a patriot, having served two years in the Danish-German War, 1864-1866. He passed away in 1917, the mother is also deceased. Of this union there were four children, Lauge Laugesen, being next to the youngest. Of the second marriage of Christian Laugesen, there were also four children, one of whom is Conrad Anderson, residing in the vicinity of Rolinda.

Lauge Laugesen was reared in his native land and attended the public schools of Denmark, until he was fourteen years of age, when he was apprenticed for three years to a blacksmith, later working for five years at his trade in Roding, Schleswig, following which he and his brother Anton started a shop at Brorup. Denmark, which they continued to operate for eighteen months, when Lauge sold his interest to his brother and set sail for the United States, arriving at Fresno, Cal., in 1902. In the Rolinda district he found employment at his trade with Carl M. Jacobsen, where he remained one year and following this he was engaged one summer as a blacksmith for Nels Petersen, at Fresno. Later at Kutner Colony he opened a shop of his own, but afterwards was employed for four years as manager of the blacksmith shop owned by M. Theo. Kearney.

Mr. Laugesen being a very enterprising man and possessing those innate characteristics of his fellow countrymen, thrift and economy, he had by 1910 saved sufficient money to warrant the purchase of thirty acres of land, which he selected at Rolinda and where he established his blacksmith shop which he has run ever since. He erected a residence and farm buildings, improved the thirty acres by setting out a vineyard and planting alfalfa, digging a canal and installing a pumping-plant. In addition to his blacksmithing he conducts a carriage and wagon works, does auto repairing and sells agricultural implements.

In Fresno, on October 25, 1903, Mr. Laugesen was united in marriage with Miss Christene Nielsen, a native of Denmark. They have two children: Gladys and Einar.

Mr. Laugesen is a member of the Danish Brotherhood at Fresno; he adheres to the Lutheran faith, and is a member of the California Associated Raisin Company. In 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Laugesen and the children, took a trip to Denmark, to see his father and visit the scenes of his boyhood days. While there his father passed away, and in October, 1917, the family returned, via Christiania and New York City, and upon arriving in the Golden State expressed themselves as more pleased than ever with California and especially Fresno County. Mr. Laugesen is highly respected in the community of Rolinda.