The Legacy of Wally & Dicka Jorgensen -Longer History
Waldemar Jorgensen (1885–1965): From Denmark to Granger, A Legacy of Land and Family
The story of Waldemar “Wally” & Fredrikke Andersen “Dicka” Jorgensen reflects the larger history of Granger and West Valley City—a community shaped by immigrants, built by hardworking families, and remembered through the land and homes they left behind.
Danish Beginnings
Waldemar was born November 11, 1885, in Korsør, Sorø, Denmark, the eldest of seven children born. His parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1896, and Waldemar was baptized the following year at just 12 years old.
As a teenager, Waldemar worked as a farmhand in Husliete, Denmark, helping support his large family. In 1904, his father made the journey to America and settled in Utah, where jobs and church connections drew many Scandinavian immigrants. Two years later, in June 1906, Waldemar, his mother, and half-sister followed, leaving behind their homeland for a new life in the Salt Lake Valley. By 1908, the entire family was reunited in Utah.
Building a Life in Utah
In Utah, Waldemar met Fredrikke Andersen, a young woman from Norway who had immigrated to the United States in 1908. The two were married on February 3, 1911, in Salt Lake City. Together they raised eight children: George Arthur, Steven Waldemar, Mildred Ardell, Wilma Irene, LaVell Freda, Richard Grant, Ruth Margaret, and Roy Allen. Their family grew and spread, with children living across Utah and beyond, but many stayed close to Granger.
Hardwork
Like many newcomers, Waldemar “Wally” and his father found steady employment at the Salt Lake Brick Company, later known as Interstate Brick, a major employer in the valley. Waldemar worked there for most of his life, retiring officially at 65 but continuing to return each summer to lend a hand.
Land and Home in Granger
Waldemar became a significant landowner in Granger, acquiring property along 3500 South. As Granger shifted from wide stretches of farmland into growing subdivisions after World War II, Waldemar sold much of his land to be subdivided for new homes. Yet he retained a portion of ground for his own familys farmstead, ensuring that even as new houses rose around him, the Jorgensen property continued to carry the feel of old Granger. Several of the Jorgensen children build homes on the property
Some homes owned by the Jorgensen Family
on 3500 South: 2806, 2820, and 2892 West
At their home on 2802 West 3500 South, Waldemar and Fredrikke raised animals and grew much of their own food. Their land held a large vegetable garden filled with potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, parsley, and rhubarb. Fruit trees and bottled produce stored in a backyard cellar sustained the family year-round. The farm also supported pigs, chickens, a cow, and sometimes a few lambs. Children and grandchildren helped plant, harvest, gather eggs, and feed the animals, all while creating lasting memories of life on their grandparents’ land.
A Gathering Place for Family and Neighbors
The Jorgensen home was more than a farm—it was a center of family and neighborhood life. Fredrikke, though often in pain from rheumatoid arthritis, was remembered for her quiet patience and gentle presence. She spent her days near the wall furnace with warm towels on her legs, surrounded by visiting children and grandchildren. Waldemar, with his tall frame and anchor tattoo on his arm, was a steady and loving grandfather who delighted in giving each grandchild a dollar bill for their birthday.
The home was often filled with children—both the Jorgensens’ own and their grandchildren, including two they helped raise. Cousins and friends gathered for big breakfasts of eggs, ham, bacon, and toast, and warm summer nights brought outdoor games of tag, “Red Rover,” and “Annie, Annie Over.” The traffic light on 3500 South became part of the children’s games, and roller skates clattered along the long driveway.
The property itself provided endless adventures. Children played hide-and-seek in the tall rows of corn, explored the haystack, roller skated on the driveway, or climbed onto the pigpen fence (sometimes with near-disastrous results). Even chores—shelling peas, bottling fruit, or gathering eggs—were remembered as part of the fun of growing up near the Jorgensen farm.
A Lasting Legacy
Fredrikke passed away in 1960, and Waldemar later married Maude Haycock Hartley in 1961. He continued to work the land and enjoy the company of his family until his own passing on October 14, 1965, at the age of 79. He was buried in Valley View Memorial Park in Granger, now West Valley City.
Though the farm is gone and the land has long since been filled with homes and businesses, the memory of “Wally” and “Dicka” Jorgensen lives on in the family they raised and the community they helped build. Their story is part of the fabric of Granger’s history—a reminder of the immigrant families who worked the soil, built homes, and left a foundation for the neighborhoods that followed.
The Jorgensen's home was built about 1920. They lived in the area over 50 years
