Elie E. Steffensen

Elie E. Steffensen, a “grand dame” in Danish communities in Chicago, Omaha, and most recently Houston, passed away on August 2nd at the age of 91. She is survived by sons Paul (Des Moines) and Carl (Houston) and their respective families, sister-in-law Anne Nielsen (Taastrup, Denmark), and many cousins around the globe. Elie was born on October 19, 1919 in Isenvad, Denmark. Her father was a farm hand and times were hard in Denmark during the 20’s, so Elie’s parents Christian and Karen Pedersen decided to follow several of Karen’s siblings to America and a better life; Elie was 10 and her brother Paul Egon was 7. They landed in New York after an 8-day voyage across the Atlantic on board the SS United States; the same day they took the train to Chicago and arrived the next day. Elie recalled that while enroute to Chicago they saw children with wheels under their feet – it was the first time she and her brother had seen rollerskates! Once in Chicago, they lived for a short while with relatives in the area that was known at the time as the “Danish colony”, where grocery stores, bakeries, and butcher shops were owned and operated by Danes (an important fact since no one in Elie’s family spoke English). Elie’s father quickly got work with a Danish construction company, and before long they felt right at home in the various Danish organizations like the Danish American Athletic Club, the Danish Singing Society, Harmonien, and Dania. Elie and Paul Egon learned English in school, and within 3 or 4 months they could handle themselves against the teasing from the other children. The US was not immune to the economic crisis of the 30’s – banks closed, and thousands of people were without food and money. Elie’s parents opened a boarding house on North Avenue called “Pensionat Rebild” for the benefit of young Danish men who lacked a place to live and eat. For many years they had 6 to 8 young male residents in addition to others who came for three meals each day. Those who had jobs paid weekly, while others who were unemployed were allowed to eat and/or live on credit until they found jobs and could pay their debts. Elie’s parents sold the boarding house in 1941, and her father died following a construction accident in 1953. During those early years Elie was a diligent student, and social life revolved around Chicago’s Danish organizations. Elie represented Denmark in the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, graduated from Yates high school, worked as a professional photo model, and went to secretarial school. After the war she worked as a secretary, first for Slick Airways and then for a legal firm. Then in 1951 she decided that it was time for her to make her first trip back to Denmark to visit family. She sailed from New York aboard the “Oslofjord”, and one evening decided to accept an invitation to visit the first-class lounge. Although she tried to be inconspicuous, a ship’s officer discovered her and asked her to dance – she looked in his eyes and knew that this man, Poul Steffensen, was someone special. When they docked in Copenhagen, a 3-month courtship began in earnest, and on July 18, 1951, Poul and Elie were married in Copenhagen’s City Hall. Poul had already started the process to immigrate to America, and he and Elie moved to Brooklyn, New York. Poul found work as a designer in the Mechanical Design & Drafting Department of a large power plant construction company, and the following year their first son, Paul Alan, was born the day before Elie’s birthday. In 1955 they decided to join the rest of Elie’s family and moved to Chicago, Illinois. Poul worked his way up from Designer, to Draftsman, Mechanical Engineer, and eventually to Departmental Manager at a number of different companies in downtown Chicago. In 1958 Poul and Elie welcomed the arrival of their second son, Carl Kristian, who shares the same birthday as Elie’s brother Paul Pedersen. Poul and Elie loved to socialize and entertain and were the consummate hosts to many visitors from Denmark over the years. Throughout the 60’s the family would spend many weekends at “Rønnelly” their beloved summer home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin where they took great pleasure in harvesting peaches and other fruit with close friends and family. Elie and Poul were tireless volunteers on behalf of all things Danish. Elie served as secretary of the Danish American Athletic Club for many years while Poul was President, and the entire family participated in gymnastics and folkdancing. The Danish Old People’s Home was another hub of activity, and Elie could always be found in the kitchen making smørebrød during the annual Sommerfest. In 1978 Poul and Elie surprised everyone in Chicago by moving to Omaha, Nebraska where Poul had found the ideal job. It didn’t take long for them to become entrenched in the Scandinavian culture of Omaha, with much of their time devoted to the Scandinavian Folkdancers of Omaha. Elie both demonstrated and taught Danish knipling (bobbin lace making) and was a founding member of the Lace Guild in Omaha. Both were extremely dedicated supporters of the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. In 2007 Poul and Elie moved to Houston Texas where they became members of the Danish Club of Houston. Elie came from an old, established lineage originally named “Bjerre” and had been the family representative in the US for decades, sending information about marriages, births, confirmations, etc. to the main organization in Denmark. No relative was ever a “distant” cousin, and Elie always welcomed guests into her home with typical Danish charm and hospitality. She was renowned for sending cards and letters to family and friends for any occasion, and was always a magnet for drawing family together – both American and Danish. Her warmth, humor, compassion, and graciousness will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made in Elie’s memory to the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa or the Danish Home in Chicago.

Elie E. Steffensen

October 20, 1919 - August 2, 2011