Senator Pederson Honors Father’s Immigration Journey on 100th Anniversary

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senator Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, commemorated the 100th anniversary of his father’s immigration to the United States, reflecting on a journey that began exactly one century ago and the enduring values it represents.

On April 9, 1926, Senator Pederson’s father, Axel Marinus Pederson, boarded a ship in Denmark bound for America, later arriving in New Jersey on April 23, 1926. In remarks delivered on the Senate floor Thursday, the Senator paid tribute to his father’s legacy built in Northwest Oklahoma.

“It is a very special time for my family as we pay tribute to the centennial of my father, Axel Marinus Pederson, coming to America from Denmark,” Senator Pederson said. “Reflecting back on my father’s story and family legacy reminds me of why I continue to fight for Oklahoma values in the Legislature, so that every family has the opportunity to live, work, own land, and raise a family in a state where they can build such a legacy of their own.”

Pederson was joined by his daughters, Kristy and Toni, and on the Senate floor for the remarks, with other family members present in the gallery.

“I have always been proud of my father, and that pride has only deepened over time. I've learned that the 1922 Quota Act reduced Danish immigration to America, impacting families like ours seeking the American Dream, and making my father’s immigration so much more special,” Pederson added.

In April 1926, at just 16 years old and carrying $25, Axel Marinus Pederson stepped off the Oscar II after traveling from Copenhagen to Hoboken, New Jersey. Alongside his cousin, he passed through Ellis Island before continuing by train to Kiowa, Kansas, where family members had encouraged them to come to America in search of land ownership and opportunity.

Despite early hardships and uncertainty, including the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II, Pederson’s father remained in the United States, unable to return home but determined to build a life. He became a naturalized citizen by 1930, married in 1939, and ultimately established deep roots in Northwest Oklahoma.

33 years after arriving in America, he purchased farmland in Alfalfa County, just eight miles south of where he stepped off the train in Kansas, and where the family legacy continues today. Senator Pederson and his wife still live on and work the land, where they raised their children and remain actively involved in agriculture alongside future generations.

A painting of the Oscar II hangs in the Senator’s office as a reminder of his father’s journey on the ship and the sacrifices made along the way. The family has since maintained close ties to relatives in Denmark, with multiple generations reconnecting over the years.

A formal Senate citation was also issued in recognition of this milestone.

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For more information, contact: communications@oksenate.gov.