I was born the October 22, 1930 on the farm in Gammelby, which my dad Niels Jepsen had leased from my grandfather Jeppe Jepsen. My father and mother was married May 8, 1928 and as early as January 17, 1929 was my older brother Anton born. I followed the year after and my younger brother was born August 11, 1933.
My grandfather, who recently had relinquish his claim on a farm in Folding to my pertanal aunt Anna Larsen and her husband, bought a farm in Gammelby instead. My parents leased this farm whereupon my grandfather bought himself a property in Nørbølling. The conditions for farming was very bad in the thirties though and only the wealthy farmers could hold their own. My grandfather was forced to sell the farm in Gammelby and my parents had to leave the farm.
IMG: The farm in Gammelby where I am born
My father took work as herdsman in Lunderskov (Flauenfeld) where we should live in a small house located directly next to the railway. The house is still there. It got to be in the spring 1934, because I remember clear that Anton was five years old, I was three and a half and Arne still in baby carriage. I have a clear memory of this summer as my grandfather died that year. The fact that the farming led to a great personal defeat problably impacted negatively on his desease.
My mother was worried about her boys when the heavy trains roared by the house. It was steam engines and I remember that the first had tall chimneys and the newer, that came later that summer, had a thick short chimney. I did not like the latter.
On the opposite side of the lane we visisted some fishponds together with father. The owner had got himself a huge meat chopping machine for chopping fish. Beign a little boy, this seemed to be at least half a meter in circumference. In 1970, being adult, I invited my parents on a trip to revisit Lunderskov and the house. We went to see the "extraordinaire huge" meat chopper. In the mean time it had shrinked considerable. Actually it was only about 10 centimeter. Things change in life.
I recall the first Christmas Eve in my life. It was held in the small herdmans house, which was sparse furnished and with a small living room. My father moved the oil lamp to a nail in the window. Anton and I got presents from our grandmother (on mothers side) in Copenhagen. Anton got a sheet metal drum and I got a small metal truck.
When we visited my grandmother in Nørbølling we went to Lunderskov railway station, took the train to Brørup where we were picked up by horse carriage. I remember Anton and I each got a leather hat, which my father bought in a small shop. I complained over having pain in my legs, so my father lend a pushcart from somebody on the way, when he felt I was too heavy to carry.
IMG: The picture of the family Jeppe and Karen Jepsen in the livingroom is from circa 1914 and from the farm in Folding. On grandfathers lap is Anton, the youngest son who died as four-year-old. To the right is my grandmother Karen Jepsen followed by my great-grandmother and to the far right is paternal aunt Anne, who became 97 years old. In the sofa to the left is paternal aunt Gertrud and my father Niels Jepsen.
It became summer and the trains roared when they passed by. One day a steam engine had an engine problem and stopped almost next to our house. We saw a lot of passengers and we waited to see another steam engine arrive to carry away the first one. Arne was in baby carriage and still using diaper. The well-of mothers on the train throw away their used diapers, and my mother collected and washed the diapers for her own household. After all, the diapers were brand new.
Anton and I often played in the pit. Anton crouched down and said: "I don't shit in my pants", he said. "Neither do I", I said. But I did. I remember how difficult it was to walk back home with my pants full.
One day my father came home on his bike with a new pushcart. We could not make head or tails that it was for us, but it was and it last for many years.