Danish Days Maiden Heidi Anderson 2010

The Solvang Danish Days Foundation has named Heidi Anderson as the 2010 Danish Maid
to preside over this year’s Danish Days Festival September17 -19, 2010 Solvang CA.

Heidi, 19, said she is honored to be the Danish Days Maid because she will be representing
her beloved family heritage as well as her community.

A 2009 graduate of Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Heidi was a member of the
National Honor Society and completed six years of philanthropy work, where she
volunteered at community events.

She is also a member of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, where she has
been involved in various youth group service projects and was a youth delegate
at a national convention of the Missouri Synod.

Music has always played a major role in her life, Heidi said. She was proud to be a
part of the music program in high school and is now a member of the
Santa Ynez Valley Master Chorale.

Now a full-time student at Santa Barbara City College, she plans to transfer to
Concordia University in Irvine, where she would like to major in interior design with an
emphasis in the organizational aspect of design.

Her bestefar (grandfather), Frode K. Jensen, is of Danish descent and came to
Solvang in 1928 to attend Atterdag College, the Danish Folk school.
He was a member of the Danish Brotherhood and conducted the meetings in Danish.

Jensen also was the manager of Pea Soup Andersen’s restaurant from 1929 to
 around 1940. After that he and her bestemor (grandmother), Helen Jensen —
born in South Dakota of Norwegian descent — operated the Sunny Corner Cafe
 and the Solvang Inn Restaurant.

Later Heidi’s grandfather became a painting contractor, a member of the
 Santa Ynez Valley Coordinating Council and a member of various
community committees. Her grandmother was a charter member of the
Danish Sisterhood. Heidi’s grandfather’s uncle was “Old Man Block,” a celebrated local artist.

Heidi’s great-uncle, the late Kris Klibo, was a blacksmith who created many
ornamental iron works in the Valley. Klibo’s wife Olga was instrumental in making
the Buellton Library what it is today, and she resides at the Solvang Lutheran Home.

Heidi’s Danish great-grandparents, Jens Severin Marius Jensen from Mols Ebletoft,
 Denmark, and Ane Kristine Jorgine Nielsen from Mariager, Denmark, immigrated to
 Withee, Wisc., in 1903 after they married. They operated a dairy farm with their five sons.
Heidi’s grandfather was the eldest and Uncle Kris the youngest. Her Norwegian
great-grandparents immigrated to South Dakota in the late 1800s and were also farmers.

Being involved with Danish Days has been a long tradition in Heidi’s family. Her mother,
 Tone Jensen Anderson, started participating in Danish Days as a gymnast under the
direction of Viggo Tarnow and she folk danced as a youth. She has baked for the
aebleskiver breakfast since she was in eighth grade and was pictured on a postcard
 of Solvang. Her father, Michael Anderson, has helped with the aebleskiver breakfast
since 1981. Her uncle, Frode Jensen, has been a Danish folk dancer and is on a postcard as well.

Every year since 1936, Solvang has hosted Danish Days, in honor of its Danish heritage.
 This year’s festival is scheduled from Sept. 17-19.
For more information, call the Danish Days office at 686-9386

Events   SolvangCA.com