DI Families: Meet the Jansen Family
This week, we sat down with the Jansen family of Pierce Street, one of the “pioneer” families who bravely, but enthusiastically, made the island their home when it was a largely undeveloped frontier: empty, dark, and full of mosquitoes…and lots of promise. Meet Mark, an engineer in charge of emergency response at Spawar; Cheryl, a trainer at Pearson; Marissa, a senior at Hanahan High School; Ellie, a freshman at Hanahan High School; Nina, a seventh grader at Daniel Island School; and Sully, the family dog.
Where are you from originally?
Cheryl Jansen (CJ): Mark and I are both from Charleston. Mark’s family has been here going back a while, whereas my parents came because of the Navy Base. We both attended Blessed Sacrament Catholic School followed by high school at Bishop England when it was still downtown. Although we knew of each other we really didn’t get acquainted until we met at Cafe 99 downtown during Spoleto.
Mark Jansen (MJ): After we got married, we waited seven years before having our first child, Marissa. You’ve got to grow sea legs before you have kids.
CJ: And enjoy every moment.
Why did you/your family choose to make Daniel Island your home?
MJ: We were in the process of building a house in Hollywood (South Carolina), when the word got out about this new “master plan” for Daniel Island. My brother was an engineer for SCE&G at the time who had already surveyed the land. He called us to say, “You’ve got to see this place!”
CJ: The plan included an elementary school and Bishop England was going to move here. We really liked the idea that our children could go to school and play with their friends after school in the neighborhood. Mark and I did not have that growing up because we didn’t go to the zoned school.
MJ: This was around 2000 when there were only about five houses in the front of the Codner’s Ferry section along Daniel Island Drive. As an intern for NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency) back then, I had access to maps of the area. We wanted to build near what is now Bellinger Island, but the development company wasn’t ready to begin clearing the land back there. Later, we got a call about available houses. We moved to DI on Elfe Street, one road east of Daniel Island Drive which at that time stopped at Mazo Street, across from (what is today) Center Park.
CJ: Every morning at around 6 a.m., we’d be awakened by gobbling noises. About a dozen large wild turkeys were wandering around. They were probably here from the days when the Guggenheim family owned the island and used it as a hunting ground.
What attracted you to the neighborhood and the house you currently live in?
MJ: By the time our third child, Nina, was on her way, we knew we needed a bigger house. At that time, around 2004, there weren’t enough houses or lots available to accommodate the rising tide of would-be homeowners. The development company put a lottery in place - interested buyers often had to pay as much as $5,000 just for a chance to bid.
CJ: Fortunately, through friends on the island, we found a house on Pierce Street and we sold our house on Elfe Street in a few days. It was a miracle that we bought and sold property here so fast. There weren’t a lot of choices available. We just needed a house with enough bedrooms for us and each of our three kids - and a playroom. Of course, I love the open floor plan, a design that’s kind of basic in all Daniel Island homes.
What changes have you seen on Daniel Island since you moved here?
MJ: The mosquito situation on the island used to be really bad. The mosquitoes were huge - and they were everywhere. You couldn’t even go out of your house at times. It was a big health concern. Now, Berkeley and Charleston counties split the cost to spray the island fairly regularly. Also, in the early years, after the sun went down, it was pitch dark all over the island because there were no street lamps back then. It was a little scary.
Do you have plans to move to any other address/location on - or even off - Daniel Island?
CJ: We do plan to stay, although we might downsize to a smaller house once everyone’s graduated high school and college. And our girls just assume that they’ll eventually be moving back to Daniel Island to start their own families.
What is your family’s favorite place to hang out on the island?
MJ: Everyone in our family is so busy now it’s hard to take advantage of the events on the island. I guess we’ve kind of taken life here for granted. We still do try to at least go to the summer concert on the Wando and the Concert at the Park.
CJ: We also love the Pumpkin Walk every Halloween, especially making jack-o lanterns at Pierce Park Pavilion with the kids.
MJ: This summer, we got a chance to really appreciate all that the island offers when Cheryl’s cousins visited from New Jersey for the Fourth of July holiday. Over that long weekend, we had about twenty-seven people in the house. We did a lot the Fourth of July activities on the island - and we had a blast. We’re planning to make the family visit an annual tradition. You really get to appreciate what we have on Daniel Island all over again just taking it all in through others’ eyes.
Nina Jansen (NJ): My favorite thing to do on Daniel Island is hanging out with my friends and being able to ride around on our bike.
Ellie Jansen (EJ): And I love the holiday events like the Pumpkin Walk.
(NJ): There’s a real sense of community and security on Daniel Island.
(EJ): The whole neighborhood comes out to help when someone is in need.
Do you ever take day trips/short weekend trips off the island?
MJ: Every summer, when the girls were younger, we’d go to Disney World or gem mining in the highlands of North Carolina. Now that they’re older, we look forward to hiking and swimming in Table Rock State Park in Pickens, SC.
Does your family have any special traditions?
CJ: Every Christmas, we make a point of signing up for the gingerbread house decorating class at Trident Technical College’s cooking school. We’ve been doing this for years and we’ll continue as long as we can.
Do you prefer to cook meals at home or eat out?
CJ: Mark and I attended some cooking “boot camps” in Charleston- especially arming to cook Asian cuisine. And we do like to try new recipes at home, like shrimp and grits.
Do you have any favorite restaurants on or off the island?
CJ: Wasabi. We could go there every night. When we visited Tokyo two years ago, we got to experience the traditional Japanese meal.
What’s for dinner at the Jansen house tonight?
Actually, we’re going to dinner at a friend’s house tonight. But tomorrow, it’ll probably be shrimp gumbo.
If you could describe your life on Daniel Island in a few words, what would they be?
CJ: Community. Security…..
MJ: Life is good.