HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04211987 - S.10 5. 1 b
IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In the Matter of Honoring)
Caroline Karsten Kent )
upon the her 106th ) RESOLUTION NO. 87 / 217
Birthday and Recognized )
as the Oldest Resident of)
Contra Costa County )
Caroline was born in Norway on April 26, 1881. At age five,
Caroline' s mother died and by age ten she was working for room
and board by tending neighbor' s cows and their children.
Caroline was responsible for finding the cows in the fields and
forest and collecting their milk. Often she would have to
spend the night in a little cabin on the mountain, milk the
cows in the morning and return with full milk buckets balanced
on a yoke.
In the 18901s, Caroline' s father took the older children to
Minnesota with the promise that the rest of the family would
soon join them. However, his new wife refused to immigrate and
Caroline' s father was forced to return to Norway. Caroline was
determined to sail to America and began saving her money for
the trip. When she was nineteen, her older brother from
Minnesota sent her a ticket and she sailed by herself to the
United States. When her ship docked at Montreal, she
discovered U.S. Agents were sending immigrants home that didn' t
have enough money for a prolonged stay. Caroline knew she
didn' t have enough money but slipped by the agents by hiding
behind enough people until she could escape out the door to the
United States.
Caroline met and married her husband at age twenty-five and
they raised a family of three boys and one girl. Caroline
often said she couldn' t cook very well but when her children
were small, she took $25. 00 she had saved and borrowed another
$25. 00 and bought an old oven. She began baking and selling
bread which eventually grew into a restaurant business. The
entire family worked in the business until 1938 when the Kents
sold their restaurant and joined their daughter' s family in
Southern California. After Mr. Kent died, Caroline moved with
her daughter and children to Concord.
Caroline is currently a resident of Valley Manor Convalescent
Hospital where she is surrounded by momentos and pictures of
her family.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Supervisors that
Caroline Karsten Kent be honored on her 106th birthday, April
26, 1987, as the oldest resident of Contra Costa County.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on April 21, 1987 by a unanimous vote of the
Board members present.
Sunne Wright McPeak, Chair
e.
owers MNay7C.,'*]Fanden
Robert I. SCh der Tom Torlakson
t.
L I hereby certify that the foregoing is
a true and correct copy of an order
entered on the minutes of said Board
of Supervisors on the date aforesaid.
Witness my hand and the Seal of the
Board of Supervisors affixed this 21st
day of April, 1987 .
PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board of
Supervisor anCou ty Administrator.
�y By
Deputy, Clerk of the Board