Siskiyou
County
Biographies
EKKARD V. ERIKSEN
Ekkard V. Eriksen, manager of the
Richfield oil station at Weed, is one of this community’s most highly respected
residents, being a man of high character, marked business ability and pleasing personality. He was born at Bjornsholm, Logstor, Denmark,
on the 14th of April, 1901, and is a son of Jens and Adele
(Tradsborg) Eriksen. His father was the
holder of an estate of some nine hundred acres which had been in the family for
many generations, dating back to 1152.
To him and his wife were born eleven children, all of whom still reside
in Denmark excepting Ekkard V.
The latter received a good
education, having completed the public school course and graduated from the
University of Denmark after four years’ work.
During the World War he went to England, being at that time seventeen
years of age, and spent sixteen months in the British cavalry. He did not see active service, having entered
too late, and was honorably discharged in December, 1919. He returned to his own country, where he
remained until March 29, 1920, when he immigrated to America. Locating first in Montreal, Canada, he was
employed at various lines of work, and then went to Oak Lake, Manitoba, Canada,
where he remained about four months. In
1921 he came to the United States, locating at Davenport, Iowa, where he spent
about nine months. He returned to Canada
for six months, and then again went to Davenport, where he lived for two years,
during which period he was employed in a creamery. He next made his way to North Dakota, thence
to Montana and to Saskatchewan, Canada, where he stayed a short time, going
from there back to Montana. In 1925 Mr.
Eriksen came to California and, locating in Weed, went to work for W. D. Duke,
the cattle king, on his big ranch near Gazelle.
He was there for four months, after which he went to Scott Valley, where
he was engaged in ranching and the stock business for a brief period. He returned to Canada, but came back to Weed
in November, 1926, and is now the manager of the Richfield service station and
camp grounds, on the main highway through Weed.
He has shown marked business qualifications and, by his accommodation,
his courtesy and fair dealing, is building up a splendid patronage.
Mr. Eriksen’s religious belief is
that of the State Church of Denmark and gives his earnest support to those
things which are calculated to promote the community progress and welfare. It is his purpose to present his copy of this
history of the Sacramento Valley to the University of Denmark at Copenhagen, of
which he is a graduate. He enjoys a wide
acquaintance throughout his section of the valley and has won a large circle of
loyal friends, who esteem him for his sterling qualities and his friendliness.
Transcribed by
Gerald Iaquinta.
Source:
Wooldridge, J.W.Major History of Sacramento Valley
California, Vol. 3 Pages 349-350. Pioneer Historical
Publishing Co. Chicago 1931.
© 2010 Gerald Iaquinta.
Golden Nugget Library's Siskiyou County
Biographies