Henry & Andrea Jesperson
Henry Jesperson was christened Hans Jespersen in Denmark. According to his death certificate, he was born December 10, 1857, on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark, and his father was Jesper Petersen. This information has not yet been verified. Hans emigrated to the United States in the early 1880's, perhaps with a brother, whose identity remains unknown.
Andrea Mikkelsen was born August 11, 1860, Bodilsker, Bornholm, Denmark, and christened November 03, 1860. Andrea's parents were Peder Nielsen Mikkelsen (born January 31, 1824, Ibsker, Bornholm, Denmark; died November 01, 1908, Balka, Bodilsker, Denmark) and Ane Kirstine Hansen (born January 26, 1828, Skyttegard, Ibsker, Bornholm, Denmark; died May 10, 1896, Balka, Bodilsker). Andrea also had several brothers, including Hans Peter, Jens, Peter and Niels. Her father was a miller at Balka Mill. Jens, Peter and Neils emigrated to America, but Niels returned to Bornholm, and eventually moved to Copenhagen.
At age 20, Andrea emigrated to Pontiac Illinois, USA in March, 1881. We next find Hans and Andrea in San Francisco, where they married on August 03, 1884. Although the marriage record was lost in the big earthquake and fire, it was recorded in the San Francisco Call newspaper: "Jespersen-Michelsen - In this city, August 3, by Rev. O. Groensberg, John H. Jespersen to Annie Michelsen". Little is known of their lives in San Francisco. According to family stories, Andrea may have worked as a dancer at the Palace Hotel, and Henry may have worked for Leland Stanford, in some capacity on the Palo Alto Stock Farm, which was Stanford's horse breeding farm and was the site for what would become Stanford University.
Shortly after their marriage, Hans and Andrea moved north to Chilliwack British Columbia. They bought 240 acres (Lot 418) from John Kitchen in September, 1884. John Kitchen had acquired the land from the Crown for $241 in 1880. Unfortunately land title records do not indicate how much the Jespersen's paid for the lot. The Jesperson farm extended from Camp slough to Nelson slough which ran from Camp slough to the Fraser River, on the north side of what was later to become Jesperson Road.
A history of the Jesperson family is on file at the Chilliwack Archives (MSS1 file 43), as told by Mrs. John Davis, eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jesperson:.
"They bought 240 acres of land from John Kitchen, brother of Thomas E. Kitchen who represented this riding in the provincial parliament. Thomas E. owned all the land west of what is now Jesperson road and expanding to the Kitchen-Hall road.Those were hard years for the settler, spent in clearing heavily wooded land with just a saw, axe and brush-hook. The Jespersons built a house and barn, hewn from cedar logs and erected at a "raising" bee with neighbors gladly assisting. Many hardships were experienced while getting enough land cleared with the use of oxen, so that food might be grown for the family and for the animals.
Eight children were born in the old log house at a time when there were no doctors or nurses. The only help was that of a neighbor who had raised a family under similar circumstances. Getting an education was not easy. The children walked to Cheam school over oftentimes muddy roads. Sunday school was held in the Cheam church which is still on the old site. Mrs. Al Gillanders was superintendant of the Sunday school for many years and Miss Daisy Edmondson, later Mrs. Hugh Laughlin was the organist. The Jesperson family children attended day school only in the winter months since they were needed on the farm during the summer.
The settlers lived in constant fear, each year, as flood season approached. In 1894 it really came, destroying crops, fruit trees and carrying away fences made from split cedar. Cattle were driven to the Little Mountain or nearby foothills. After the water went down millet was sown to provide feed for the animals. Building dykes was a big undertaking. Mrs. Jesperson boarded the men who cleared the right-of-way in that section of the valley. A camp was erected, consisting of a bunk-house and cook-house which stood on the north bank of Nelson slough at the end of the Jesperson road. Mr. and Mrs. Dick Somers were in charge of the camp. A gravel pit was opened in the north end of the Jesperson farm and building of the dyke began. The equipment consisted of a steam shovel for loading flat-cars drawn by Mr. Jesperson's horses hitched to a capstan that slowly moved the cars as they were filled. Miles of track were laid and the locomotive with a heavy cable hitched to a hugh plough unloaded the cars to build up the dyke. Tony Jesperson supplied the locomotive with water with a horse hitched to a stone-boat loaded with a barrel filled with water. In his spare time he shot grouse which were plentiful, keeping the family well supplied with fresh game.
This was the beginning of prosperity for Chilliwack and the family feels well repaid for the hard work and privations when they look over the broad green fields, and the beautiful home and gardens on the road named after their parents ... Jesperson."
The eight children born to Henry and Andrea were Florence Matilda (Fanny), 1885-1954; Peter Anthony (Tony), 1887-1966; John H. (Harry), 1890-1905; Arthur Hunter, 1892-1975; Frances Christina, 1896-1966; Mary Elizabeth, 1899-1976; Charles Edward (Charlie), 1901-1934; and Frederich Herman (Fred), 1904-1979.
A beautiful stone quarried house was built about 1912 by contractor Ernest Hill. It is on the list of Heritage buildings in the Chilliwack area. It had 2 storeys, 10 rooms, and a copper kitchen. It was constructed mostly of cement blocks, and is the largest example of this type of construction in the Chilliwack area. The beautiful gardens surrounding the house were legendary.
Jesperson Farm Other information on Henry Jesperson and his family has been gleaned from the Chilliwack Archives and the Chilliwack Progress.
According to their son, Tony Jesperson (Community Portrait, Mar 1/50, Chilliwack Progress):
Two hundred acres of land were cleared in a cycle of felling trees, removing brush (with the help of a Chinese labourer in the winter) and burning the land. Grass was seeded each fall and a thin crop showed the next year, followed each year by heavier growth. This resulted in good pasture land. The farm produced pasture, cannery corn, hay, and grass for dehy.In the early days, there was little money used, but no one who had a farm was broke. All business was done on the barter system.
In1893 the Jespersons decided to move back to California. They held a sale and disposed of 15 head of cattle, a team of horses and a binder. They had to cancel their plans to move as they had no money to travel. In 1895 they went back to the farm and started over.
The farm in the early days had 3 teams of horses. Henry sent to Denmark for sleigh bells, triangular, each with a different note.
Government assistance to flooded out farmers in the early days was five sacks of grain and turnip seed. Big floods occured in 1894 and 1896, especially 1894. Dyke work at the east end of the valley in 1897 paid 25 cents/hour, and was done by hand with shovels.
Chilliwack Flood, 1884 Henry Jesperson was quoted in Chilliwack "Farm Research Project" (date unknown).
"My bull is three-quarter bred Holstein; my other cattle are graded Jerseys and Durhams. Smut occurred here in barley. I never seem to have noticed it before, but this is the first time I have tried barley. Hog cholera is a disease of animal life. Last year hundreds of hogs were destroyed by it here. This year I have not heard of the disease at all. The noxious weeds here in Chilliwack are Canadian thistles, but only in small spots; and also wild oats. I have none on my farm. The following I consider the best varieties of cereals, roots, and grasses for this locality: Six-rowed barley, Banner and Egyptian oats, Mummy peas, Dakota Red potatoes, White Belgium carrots, Mammoth swede, Yellow Danver onions, and Timothy grass. The following breeds of stock are the best for this district: - Suffolk Punches, Holsteins for dairying, Durhams for beef, Berkshire pigs, Brahams and Plymouth Rock poultry".In the early days of the Chilliwack progress, which was first published in 1891, there is little mention of the Jespersons. Birth announcements were rare, but marriages and obituaries of the inhabitants were usually published.
Henry was mentioned in the Chilliwack Progress, Oct. 10, 1894: Kitchen vs Paisley "The case of Kitchen vs Paisley was resumed at Mission Junction on Friday last before Messrs. Bulwer and Boddington, J.P.'s.... The particular charge in this new information is that irregularities in the application of one Henry Jasperson. The latter swears he made no application to be put on the voters' list, but Paisley on the contrary, swears he received one purporting to be signed by him. Be this as it may, Jasperson voted and to make matters more complicated the application is lost and cannot be produced to decide the point. An amusing circumstance .. is that Jasperson informed the court that he had voted for Mr. Kitchen at the general election."
The Chilliwack progress reported in January 1896 that "Mr. Jesperson has had the misfortune to lose a valuable cow." Also, in March, 1901, "Messrs. H. Jesperson and Arch. Hamilton appeared before G.R. Ashwell and Jas. Watson, J.'s P., last week, charged with a violation of the Wide Tire Act. As the charges could not be clearly proven the cases were dismissed, the council paying costs."
In July 1902, H. Jesperson once again found himself before the long arm of the law (along with 14 other Chilliwack residents). They appeared before the judge and were each fined $2.00 plus costs for failing to cut or destroy noxious weeds.
In spite of his tendency to harbour noxious weeds, Henry proved himself to be a good farmer by winning prizes at the Chilliwack Fair. For example, in 1903 he took first prize for brace cabbage, vegetable marrow, and second for cucumbers and swede turnips. In 1904 he won first place for fall wheat, turnips, parsnips, corn, and second for vegetable marrow, cauliflower and sugar beets. In 1905 he took first place for cabbages, fall wheat, and swede turnips.
The Jespersons suffered a tragedy in 1905 with the death of their son Harry at the age of 15. He died of heart failure after a bout with Rheumatic fever.
In April,1905, according the Chilliwack assessment rolls, Chilliwack had 12,684 improved acres, 540 acres in orchard, 1555 sheep, 4476 hogs, 2515 cows, 3156 other cattle, 696 work horses, and 461 other horses. There were 490 children of school age, 1917 families, and a total "white" population of 2132.
In 1926 the Chilliwack progress reported that the Jespersons were building a new barn at a cost of $8000. After Henry Jesperson's death, a Canadian Farm Loan of $7500 at 6 ½ % was shown on the land title transfer to his children.
Andrea died in September 16, 1924 of heart failure at the age of 64 years. Henry died in 1933 at the age of 76 after a lengthy illness (possibly alzheimers) and chronic myocarditis.
Obituary of Andrea Jesperson (Wed. Sept. 24, 1924):
The funeral of the late Mrs. Henry Jesperson which took place from the family residence, Jesperson road, on Thursday afternoon at two p.m. was largely attended by many friends who took the opportunity of paying their last tribute to one who for many years had been a most highly respected and loved neighbor. The funeral service was taken by the Rev. J.C. Jackson of Cheam, the casket being covered with beautiful floral tributes, the expressions of deep sympathy from many.
The late Mrs. Jesperson was born at Bornholm, Denmark, on Aug. 11, 1860, coming to Chilliwack by way of California, with her husband over forty years ago, and living on the present homesite during that period. Known from one end of the valley to the other for her kindly disposition, her big heartedness and her unfailing help in time of trouble or illness, many are left who have at one time or another been the beneficiary of Mrs. Jesperson's thoughtfulness and kindness.
Four sons, Tony, Charlie and Fred at home, and Arthur, living at Piapot, Sask., and three daughters, Mrs. J. Davis, Miss Frances and Miss Mary, are left with their father to mourn a devoted wife and mother.
Obituary of Henry Jesperson (died Dec. 30, 1933)
Following an illness extending over several years, Mr. Henry Jesperson passed away at his home on the Jesperson road late Saturday afternoon. Born in Denmark 76 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Jesperson came to America fify-one years ago, settling for about two years in California prior to coming to Chilliwack. Taking up land on Rose Island, adjoining Fairfield Island, Mr. Jesperson, with the aid of his family, pioneered and cleared over 240 acres and built up around himself one of the finest of the Valley's homes and farms, the place now being known as one of the most attractive and desirable farms of the province, excellently equipped in every respect and a decided asset to the valley which he and his wife and family adopted as home. Of a quiet, home-loving nature, Mr. Jesperson was a great lover of music and nothing delighted him more than to surround himself and his family with the best in this line. He also enouraged this talent in and out of his family, being one of the members of the first band Chilliwack possessed. He had a simple, deep love for the beautiful in nature and strove at all times for the best in everything.
Mrs. Jesperson, who was ever a helpful mate and kindly neighbor, predeceased her husband nine years ago. To mourn their loss is left three daughters, Mrs. John Davis, Miss Frances Jesperson, Miss Mary Jesperson, and four sons, "Tony" Jesperson, Fred, Charlie and Arthur.
The funeral took place from the Henderson Undertaking Parlors on Tuesday afternoon, the Rev. George Turpin officiating. Pallbearers were Mr. E.D. Barrow, M.L.A., Mr. John Murray, Mr. J.C. Calhoun, Mr. F. Van Winkle, Mr. H.H. Campbell, Mr. P. Close. Many showed their presence and their floral tributes the respect which they held for a good neighbor and friend.
View family group sheet of Henry & Andrea Jespersen
