![O&H Danish bakery wood carving](/images/blog/blog0000100-wood-carving-s.jpg)
Our Family History: How O&H Danish Bakery Got Its Start
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Danes in America
The journey was long and difficult; travelers often faced food shortages, cramped quarters and health issues. The first immigrants to arrive settled along the East Coast, while many of those who arrived later made their way into the Midwest and beyond. In the late 1800s, large numbers of Danes made their homes in Wisconsin — in fact, 10% of all Danish Americans call Racine, Wisconsin home.
The Journey to Racine
During this time, our great-grandfather Anton Olesen found himself widowed and raising six children by himself on low wages. It became harder and harder for him to make ends meet. Desperate, he decided to travel to the U.S., look for work and hopefully earn enough to bring his children overseas to join him. It did not go precisely as he had hoped. For some time, he earned as little as $32 per month on a local farm, sending $30 of that sum back home to his family. Demand only decreased during the winter months; at times, he earned no more than 50 cents per day, sending his children $10 out of the $12 that he earned for the month.
A Generational Bakery Is Born
Christian couldn’t have known at the time that he was setting the stage for the future generations of his family to follow in his footsteps — but follow we did. Be on the lookout for the next installment of Our Family History to see how Christian’s son, Ray, and daughter-in-law, Myrna, took a small bakery to new heights with new locations and ways to share their Kringle far and wide.
Get Danish Kringles from O&H Danish Bakery Delivered Straight to Your Door
Today, we remain committed to producing high-quality Kringles along with other delicious pastries and desserts. Our kitchens still contain the same passion, attention to detail and baking methods that we learned from our grandfather. We make each Kringle carefully and from scratch, and we never take shortcuts or skimp on quality ingredients. Order yours today, and we’ll deliver it straight to your door.