Moses Josephat Christiansen

Mary Caroline Hartvigsen

Moses Josephat Christiansen pre-1900

The following history was entitled: Moses Josephat Christiansen and was written by his daughter, Nellie Rex C. Christensen.

My father, Moses Josephat Christiansen, born 21 January 1875, at Hyrum Cache, Utah, was the son of Lars Hansen Christiansen and Anna Sophia Rasmussen, who were both born in Denmark. His childhood days were spent in Hyrum, Utah. He lived much of the time out on the farm, which was located at Mt. Sterling a short distance southwest of Hyrum. His father's second wife, Anna Dorthea Sorenson, lived on the farm and his half brother, Peter, was his companion much of the time. In compliance with the Church at that time his father had two wives (a polygamist). His schooling consisted of the usual grade school education. During his teens and early twenties, he worked on various jobs on farms, on cattle ranches in northern Idaho, and logging in Bear Lake Country. His brother, Enoch lived up at St. Joseph, Idaho, and Moses, with his brother, Elias, worked for him for some time, logging and building shed and a house. Later he spent some time with Niels Hartvigsen working in northern Idaho country. After that, he and his younger brother, Jeremiah, spent some time trying to find land to purchase. As was customary in the early days to become a farmer, homesteading was the usual procedure. Moses, with his brothers, Elias and Jeremiah looked first for a home site in the Duschene Valley of Utah, in southeast and northern Idaho, and also in other parts of the country. They finally decided upon the Cherry Creek area which is about six miles southwest of Downey, Idaho.

George Salveson had come to this area in 1896, and he encourage these brothers to come also. So in 1897, they located a hundred and sixty acres each on the west side of the Cherry Creek area. Moses took the upper or most

Mary and Moses with baby Myrtle and Elvin circa 1906

southerly piece with Jerry and Elias taking pieces lower to the north. A few years later, Jerry bought Elias out and Elias went to Canada. Most of the land east of Downey, called Grant, was already taken. That is where George Salveson had located.

In 1898, Niels J. Hartvigsen came to this same area and located just east of Moses. As they had been good friends, Niels tried to interest Moses in a girlfriend. Niels told Moses of his cousin, Mary Hartvigsen, daughter of Johan Hagrup Hartvigsen and Maren Karoline Tomasen, both of Norway, who lived in Hyrum, Utah. Later, they also homesteaded in Cherry Creek, just north of Jerry Christiansen. After meeting the young lady and courting her, he married her on June 17, 1903. Later, in July 1909, they went to the Logan Temple where they were sealed for all eternity and at that time the three older children, Elvin, Myrtle, and Edna were sealed to them. Together they worked hard to raise a family of six children.

Moses built a nice home on the farm. There were four large rooms on the main floor and two rooms upstairs for bedrooms. They used the main floor as a kitchen, dining, living room, parlor and a bedroom. He also built a basement and over the basement was a large wash room. Water was piped down from the creek above the house to the west, down to the kitchen. Gasoline and coal oil lamps were used. A large barn was built with several sheds and granaries. A hand rotated washer was used. Moses used to help wash the clothes many times. Moses secured a job with the Telephone Line Co., as well as being a farmer. He installed many telephones in that area. The back room in the upstairs was used as a storage place for these telephones. Many hours of entertainment we children had upstairs playing with the telephone and dressing up in grown-ups's clothing. Lightning put our house on fire twice while we lived on the farm, but was put out immediately by our parents. We also witnessed a real bad cyclone in about 1918. It took up the roof of J.L. Hartvigsen's barn and also destroyed a cook camp built on a big wagon with all the belongings of Odd Hartvigsen and did other damages.

We children walked one mile to the school house many times in deep snow. Other times we walked part way and the children of N.J. Hartvigsen would pick us up in a sleigh drawn by horses and we would ride the rest of

the way. The school teacher, for several years, stayed at our home. In November of 1919, Moses bought a home in Downey, Idaho, where the children could go to High School. This was the first time the family had ever witnessed electric lights and any kind of town life. It was the first time his wife, Mary, had the joys of a nice lawn and access to the stores without long travel. But, alas, it did not last long. They were having two more rooms built on the new home because Grandmother Christiansen was going to live with them, when Mary fell into the basement from a open door in the floor. Mary was pregnant at the time and she hurt her hip very much. Pleurisy set in and she had to go to bed. In a another couple of days she had developed pneumonia in both lungs. Her brother, Hyrum J. Hartvigsen was the attending physician. He finally told Moses he could do no more for her. She died April 10, 1920, as her doctor was strapping her. It was a terrible blow to all concerned. Especially to her husband and the six children. The oldest, Elvin was just 16 years old, Myrtle was 14, Edna was 12, Nellie was 8, Eva was 6, and Johnnie was 4. In addition to operating his farm, Moses managed the Portneuf Marsh Valley Canal Company for the next 14 years. He had several housekeepers to take care of his home and family. After a great aunt and an aunt, there was a Mrs. Dyson and Mrs. Carrie Evans, also LaVina Anna Rose Murray, a young widow. In 1922, he married LaVina Rose Murray. She had a young son, Robert Ross, about seven years old, who come to live with the family. They were married on September 22, in the Salt Lake Temple. She was already sealed to her first husband, Robert Ross Murray, so it was just a marriage for time. To this union was born a girl, Merle Joyce, on 14 June 1924. At various times during his life he served on the School Board, the Village Board and different farm organizations. He also served as a Councilor in the Sunday School Superintendency in the Woodland Ward LDS Church.

Up until the time of his death he was industriously devoted to his field of labor in agriculture. He loved the outdoors and many times took his children or some of them fishing and hunting. After Mother's death, he many time took the three younger children with him as he attended his job as Water Master of the Marsh Valley Canal

Christiansen Family Reunion 1989

Elvin, John (back), Myrtle, Edna, Nellie, Eva

Company. In 1922, he took the four older daughters to Yellowstone Park on a camping trip. His sons, Elvin and John, spent many days on fishing trips into the Salmon country and other places with their father. His family meant a lot to him and even after the children were married he would take them on trips with him. Just two years before his death, even though in ill health, he took his four married daughters up to the Stanley Basin on a trip. We shall all remember his love and concern for us and we in turn loved him very dearly. He was very close to his two sons, Elvin and John, who farmed with him most of their lives. Since he didn't have a chance to attend much school, he encourage his family to get a good education. Moses always had very good health until 1944 when at the age of 69 suffered a stomach ailment which led to a major operation in September. He suffered nearly a year before he could be persuaded to see a doctor. So in consequences he had three-fourths of his stomach removed as a result of cancer. He recovered for a while but was not really very well. After two years in which he went right on trying to work as always, he died on 5 November 1946 at his home in Downey, Idaho. Survivors were his wife, LaVina Anna Rose Murray; two sons, Elvin Russel and Johnnie Modell; five daughters, Myrtle Mary, Edna Anna, Nellie Rex, Eva Ellenor and Merle Joyce; one stepson, Robert Ross Murray; one brother, Jeremiah Christiansen; a half-sister, Sarah Steffanhagen; thirty-two grandchildren.

Mary Caroline prior to marriage

The following history of Mary Caroline Hartvigsen was written by her third daughter Nellie Rex

Christiansen on February 19, 1980.

Our mother, Mary Caroline Hartvigsen was born on the 19th of July 1881 in Hyrum, Cache County, Utah. Her parents were Johan (John) Hagrup Hartvigsen and Maren Karoline Thomasen both of Dahle, Tromso, Norway. Johan or John as he was called was born 26, September, 1851 at Dahle Tromoso, Norway in Kvodjord Parish to Hartvig Nielsen and Johanna Fredrike Pedersen. Maren Karoline was born 15 June 1848 to Thomas Andreas Einsersen and Andrea Jacobsen. (our grandmother was three years older than Grandpa. As you will notice, in Norway the child always took their father's first name and added a "sen" on the end for their last name. [This concept is known as patronymic naming].

Mary Caroline had an older brother, Joakim Ferdinand born 26 May 1877 and three younger brothers, Hyrum Jacob (born 20 March 1885), John Henry (born on 16 November 1888), and Lester Edwin who was born on 18 August 1893. The eldest of these children was born in Norway, while the other four were born in Hyrum, Cache County, Utah. The two younger brothers died at the ages of 21 months and 2 1/2 years old. Mary Caroline spent her youth in Hyrum, Utah attending school there where she excelled as a champion speller. They used to have many spelling bees and she usually outspelled all the others. Her father was a farmer and as there was always lots of work on a farm and in the home she had to work hard. Her brother Hyrum said that is one memory of her is her doing so many things in the home. Helping her mother with the many tasks such as washing, ironing, cooking, scrubbing floors, etc. She also learned to be a good seamstress and sewed many clothes for her own family after she was married.

One incident I remember she used to tell us when we were young is that her brothers Joakim and Hyrum used to push her up in a big swing they had in their barn. One time they pushed her too high as she became frightened and fell out of the swing. She broke her arm as she landed. She would caution us kids not to swing too high. Her

brother also remembers how she used to love dolls and played with them along with her girlfriends when she was young. Her uncle's (Peter Hartvigsen) daughters, Selma, Hettie and Augusta came to visit here as they grew to be young women. Then some of the Christiansen boys courted these girls and so they would get together and have fun. Uncle Hyrum said that on the 4th and 24th of July the girls would be together at Mary's home in Hyrum and the Christiansen boys would come "sparking" the Hartvigsen girls.

Moses Christiansen was going steady with Annie Hartvigsen, who was Uncle Pete's daughter and worked in Logan. Jeremiah Christiansen courted Hettie Hartvigsen and Enoch courted Theresha Hartvigsen, Uncle Niels' daughter. While they still lived in Hyrum, Utah Mary had a boyfriend and suitor by the name of Lorin McBride, but when Mary's family moved to Idaho he didn't come to court her anymore. He probably figured it was too far away to court anymore with buggy and horses. Lorin eventually became a bishop in Hyrum, Utah. Three of the Christiansen boys (men by then) moved to Cherry Creek (which was located several miles southwest of Downey, Idaho) in 1897 to homestead some land. In 1898 some of the Hartvigsens came to Cherry Creek to homestead also. Mary's family came up this same year or soon after and took up an area just north of Jeremiah Christiansen. They had a two seater buggy without a top to ride in. Hyrum remembers when they took a trip back to Hyrum later in the buggy to visit with their Uncle Niels in Mount Sterling and Uncle Peter in Blacksmith Fork where they lived. Mary was about seventeen years old at the time they came to Idaho. She obtained work as soon as she could. Her father broke up 15 acres of land and planted Spring wheat at first. It turned out to be All Smut wheat. So the first winter they had very little to eat. The only kind of meat they could buy was salt bacon. Mary worked in Logan for a while. Later she worked with Mattie Evans on a cook shack. This was a covered wagon with a cook stove and table where they cooked and fed the men that worked on the thrasher machines during harvest time.

About this time a fellow by the name of Dave or Fred Stoker started courting Mary. As Niels Hartvigsen (who homesteaded just southeast of the Christiansen farms) and Moses Christiansen were good friends having worked together in Northern Idaho for some time, Niels thought Moses should get himself a wife. So he said to him, "Why don't you take my cousin Mary Hartvigsen out and court her. She is a very nice girl." Mary had dark blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. She was 5 foot 2 inches tall and slender. Moses started courting Mary and as her brother Hyrum said and beat out Stoker. Mr. Stoker was a relative of the Woodlands and worked for the Hendersons and Evans in Arimo, Idaho. Moses Josephat Christiansen and Mary Caroline Hartvigsen were married on June 17, 1903 in the Logan Courthouse. After they were married they lived in the one room that her father had built off from his home, which was called the Summer Kitchen. This was the place her parents used during the summers to cook and eat in. One corner of the room was over the creek. Her father had piped spring water down from Jeremiah place to right outside the main house so they could hold a bucket and get their water this way. It was much better than hauling it in barrels. They lived in this room until Moses rebuilt a one room log cabin on his place.

Uncle Hyrum said their mother went to help Mary when she had her first baby along with a Mrs. Barger. This first child was a boy, a chubby, dark haired, and dark blue eyes. They named him Elvin Russell Christiansen and he was born at the Cherry Creek Farm on April 15th 1904. Sometime later Moses built a bigger home. There were four rooms on the main floor_kitchen, living room, a parlor and a bedroom. Then on the second floor or upstairs as we called was two bedrooms and a "black room" we called it, which was used for storage. It had no windows therefore it was dark inside with a small door opening to the outside, but no step up to it. As Moses was employed part time by the telephone company he kept a storage of telephones and equipment in this room. Later he added on a wash house and a basement or cellar as it was called. This was used to store the bottled fruits, pickles, jams, and fresh vegetables and potatoes. They also had a good garden spot and had planted some fruit trees.

The second child was a girl and was born on January 14, 1906 at the Cherry Creek Farm house. She was light complexioned with blue eyes and light brown hair. They named her Myrtle Mary. She was a happy dispositioned baby. Their third child was expected in a couple of months and in June of 1908 they took a trip to Hyrum, Utah

as they often did to visit relatives and Moses' mother who also lived in Hyrum. On this eventful occasion Mary became ill and gave birth sooner than expected. She had another girl. They almost lost this baby and had to feed her on Eagle brand canned milk to save her. She was name Edna Anna and had dark hair, dark blue eyes and a fair complexion. She was born on June 16, 1908. When these two daughters were born Mary's mother was still living and I'm sure she helped some with the new babies. She must have been with Mary and a midwife when Myrtle was born. Mary's cousin Niels J. Hartvigsen had married about a year or so before Mary and Moses to a lovely Hyrum girl, Lulaette Brown. They lived about a mile southeast from Mary's and Moses' home up Cherry Creek Canyon. Mary and Lulaette were very good friends and it was the same for their husbands. It seemed one couple would have a new baby and then the other couple would have a new baby. The children would call the others uncle and aunt. Moses' half brother Peter Christiansen lived about half a mile northeast of their home also. He and his wife, Nora Jensen were their closest neighbors. The George Webb family lived close to Peter's home also. So these families along with Jeremiah (better known as Jerry) and Emily Israelsen, his wife and the three Evans families C. R., Charles and John were the closest neighbors. Mary's older brother Joakim (Yak) Hartvigsen had married another friend of Mary's named Ellen Eilertsen and lived east over the hill about two miles. Her younger brother went back to Logan to college to become a doctor and he married Ellen's sister, Inga Eilertsen. This meant that both their brothers married sisters. Mary's brother Joakim and his wife had their children about the same time as Moses and Mary did.

When Edna Anna was about 1 year old Mary and Moses went to the Logan temple to be sealed for time and eternity. It was June 23, 1909 and they took their three children to be sealed to them also. At this same time Mary's parents went with them to the temple and had their children all sealed to them. Joakim also stood proxy for his brother Johan Henry and Hyrum stood proxy for his bother Lester Edwin as these brothers had died in their youth. Then on August 23, 1909 Mary's mother died of breast cancer. This must have been a sad time for her. Mary wasn't very well and needed an operation. She went to Salt Lake City and was operated on for female organ repairs. While there she met a lovely lady whom she became good friends with. This lady was Nellie Rex Nielsen from Wyoming and Woodruff Utah. She hadn't been able to have any children and asked Mary to name her next daughter after her. On February 5, 1912 another daughter came to Christiansen home. They named her Nellie Rex and Mrs. Nielsen sent her a beautiful gold ring with her initials (N. R. C.) on it. This new child had reddish brown hair and blue eyes with a fair complexion.

Moses hired help for Mary to make things easier for her. This girl who was hired was Mary's cousin from Hyrum. She was a Johnson. Mary had a Dr. Arnout from Downey to assist in this most recent birth. Mary's father had remarried on 29 December 1910 to a lovely woman from Norway by the name of Albertine Johansen. She had a daughter by the name of Anny Pauline. She became a welcomed sister to Mary and was loved by all the family. Her father's second wife didn't live very long and she died during childbirth and we believe the baby never lived. Then on 25 June 1913 her father married for the third time to another lady, Elida Eggen from Norway. She had a son by the name of Peter. Then on October 6, 1913 Mary gave birth to another daughter. This baby was a lovely blond, blue eyed doll that all the other children loved very much. The oldest daughter, Myrtle became a second mother to this little tot as she grew older. They named her Eva Ellenor. She would call Myrtle "Mama" as she took care of her.

Soon after this Moses bought the first car in Marsh Valley. It was a Model T Ford. Now they could motor to Utah to visit relatives. Moses' father had died when Elvin was ten days old on April 25, 1904. That left his mother a widow living in Hyrum. Her youngest son was still living with her as he hadn't yet married. He also had an older sister living there and so they liked to see her especially on the 4th of July or some other holiday. Many times on holidays they would take food and get in the big wagons with horses hitched to it and go up Cherry Creek Canyon along with the Niels Hartvigsen family in their horse drawn wagon where they would fish and have games and races for the children. Then they all enjoyed a picnic dinner. Prizes were awarded to the children as they won races or games. This was great fun for all.

Then on March 30, 1916 a much wanted baby boy was born. He was blonde and blue eyed and received much

attention and love from all the family. They named him Johnny Modell after Mary's father. Since the family had looked forward to having another boy in the family, this new baby boy was really loved by all. There was many pictures taken of him with the new Kodak camera that Moses had bought. (These pictures were later destroyed when a big box of pictures were burned as the home in Downey was being renovated.) Mary made such cute little white suits for Johnny to wear. They were knee length. She made lovely little checkered coats for the two youngest daughters. The family attended church in the Woodland Ward, which was about four miles north of the house. A school house was built for the children that lived in the Cherry Creek Area and it stood about 3/4 of a mile north of the house. This was where Elvin, the oldest child, attended all eight grades. Myrtle, the second child attended this school until the beginning of her seventh grade. Edna, the third child, started the fifth grade the last fall they lived in Cherry Creek and Nellie, the fourth child, had started the second grade. So in the fall of 1919 Mary and Moses bought a home in Downey, Idaho so their children could attend high school. Elvin had started high school that fall and was staying at Peter Christiansen's home in Downey until the family could be settled in their new home in Downey. Moses' brother Peter and Jerry had moved to Downey some years previous.

During November of 1919 the family moved in a large wagon all the furniture and belongings. They had to make several trips. They had bought this house from Fred Fauteck for $3000.00. It had two bedrooms, a front room, a dining room, kitchen and bathroom. It also had a part basement. Moses' mother, Sophia Christiansen was coming to live in Downey with him since Elvira, her daughter and two children had been living with this widowed mother, and Elvira had passed away in February, the mother needed to live with one of her sons as she was not able to live alone. The children went to live with Moses' brother, Aaron and his wife in Hyrum, Utah. This caused Moses to build onto the existing home to add a room for his mother. In moving to Downey it made a change for Mary as she had never had electricity or a bathroom before. In Cherry Creek Moses had piped the water from the upper creek down to the house and had running water in the house. A water reservoir on the kitchen stove was the water that was heated in the Cherry Creek house, so it was great to have hot running water in the town house and a coal furnace instead of a wood heater.

Moses hired a man by the name of George Carspias, who was a carpenter to build a bedroom and a large laundry room onto the home. While he was doing this work on the porch or laundry as it is called today, Mary was out watching him for a few minutes and started to walk backwards. Behind Mary was a trap door to the basement that was open and she fell down the trap door and hurt her hip. This accident brought on pleurisy and later developed into double pneumonia. Her doctor at the time was her brother, Dr. Hyrum J. Hartvigsen. Mary was pregnant at the time with her seventh child that was due in August and she hired a lady named Mrs. Anderson to take care of her during this time. As her condition became more serious the two younger girls were sent up to Neils Hartvigsens' home to make things more quiet for her at home. Dr. Hartvigsen was very worried about Mary's condition as they did not have antibiotics to fight off the pneumonia at that time. Finally the doctor told Moses that he would have to call in another doctor or specialist because he could not do anything more for her. In those days they did not transfer patients to a hospital many miles away in an ambulance as they do now. Moses didn't have time to get another doctor and she died that afternoon. Her death took place on Saturday, April 10, 1920. It was a shock to the family and a sad time for her beloved husband and six children. Those surviving children were Elvin Russell, 16, Myrtle Mary, 14, Edna Anna, 11, Nellie Rex, 8, Eva Ellenor, 6, and Johnny Modell, 4. She had lived in the new home for only five months, so she never had much of a chance to know of an easier life than that of being on the farm. She was a quiet, loving, mild-mannered mother, and faithful, dutiful wife. We all missed her very much. There was a well attended funeral service that was held for her of Tuesday, April 13, 1920, in the Downey Ward LDS Chapel. She was buried in the Downey City Cemetery at Downey, Bannock County, Idaho.

This history of Lars Hans Christiansen was written by Bertha M. Christiansen who was a daughter-in-law.

A short life story of Lars Hans Christiansen, born 6 March 1844, in Harrested, Soro, Denmark. His father's name was Christian Johansen Christoffersen, who was born 15 December 1811, in Fuglsbolle, Denmark. His mother's name was Christine Pedersen, born 27 Mar 1809, in Jyderup, Hobeck, Denmark.

(Note: Very little about Lars life is known as shortly after his death in 1904, the family home in Hyrum burned down and with it the old family bible in which the family records were kept and all other records which had been accumulated.)

We are in debt to Christian Christiansen, his nephew, who with his father, Jens, a brother of Lars Hans, gathered much of this history. Also from the records of Peter's life history, we received a little insight of life in his father's house. His son, Jerry, who is still with us at nearly 100 years old, verified many things which will be told in this history. This and Jerry's own life story were told to Jerry's wife, Bertha, who wrote them down. Jerry is the only one alive of his ten brothers and sisters.

We know from records at hand that Lars had four brothers and two sisters. He was one in a family of seven.

Lars Hans Christiansen

Peter was born in Febeck, Bostrup; Niels, Hanna and Lars were born in Harrested, Soro; Jens, Hans and Marie were born in Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. Five of them together with their parents accepted the Gospel and immigrated to Utah (Hyrum). His father was a farmer in Denmark. Due to the feudal system which existed in Denmark, the land stayed in the hands of the people which first had it taken up and could only be sold among the landowners. Guess that is how aristocracy came into being in Europe. Common people had the right to rent or lease land when they had a chance. Lars' father was fortunate to be one of them. An episode was told to me by Mary Smith, a daughter of Peter Christiansen. The father of Peter and Lars had leased some land. The contract was for a long term, maybe for life. Sometime during that term, the owner came and wanted Christian to release the contract as he was short of funds and wanted to sell it. Christian refused several times to release the owner from the contract as his way of making a livelihood was at stake. After some more persuasion, he proposed to the owner that if he were willing to sell a certain part of the land to him, he would accommodate him. The proposal was accepted by the landowner after some argument. Christian Christoffersen became one of the first land owners among commoners.

Lars grew up like all normal boys do. A sister-in-law, the wife of Jens, told her children, "The Christiansen boys were known as the Longlanders. They were mischievous, and full of life and health." Their parents saw to it that they received all the education that was possible. The Bible was used as a textbook in school and religion played a big part in the Christiansen household. It is said of the boys' father that he was an ardent Bible student and his sons followed in his footsteps. They were members of the Lutheran Church. We have been told by the family of his brothers that Lars had considered becoming a Minister in that church. By the same families, we were told that he was the first to hear of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. According to the date of his baptism, 19 November 1862, he was not the first of his family to be baptized. His nephew, Christian, says of him: He was a great Bible student and knew the Bible as few men do". He served a mission for the Church when his family accepted the Gospel and migrated to the U.S. in 1863 and 1864. Lars came to the U.S. sometime in 1864 after completion of his Mission. We searched at the Church Historian Office for it and were told that many came in private companies and did not give the information to the office. According to information obtained from the Church Historian Office, Lars' fiance, Sophie Rasmussen, came in the same company in which his brothers, Peter and Hans, came, leaving Copenhagen on 23 April and arriving in Salt Lake on 15 September 1863.

They were married on 29 December 1865 at Hyrum (later sealed in 1867 in Salt Lake). To this union ten children were born, five boys and five girls. They had the misfortune of losing four of their girls who had diptheria which was not controllable in those days.

On April 26, 1874, he married Annie Dorothea Sorensen. To that union were born four children, the youngest son, Able, died also as a child.

Jerry tells us his father enjoyed music and especially organ music. Many times on Sunday he would get out their Danish song books and sing the songs of Zion with his sister, Elvira, accompanying him on the organ. Jennie Christiansen Shurtlif told me she was asked to take Elvira's place after she married.

He was a High Priest and a regular attender at the required meetings. Jerry remembers that he was a teacher in the Sunday School and he and his brothers were among the students to receive the benefit of his teachings. He would insist that they commit the scriptures in question to memory. He loved the Gospel and tried to carry out and live its principles. Jerry was asked many times to take the tenth load of the harvest to the Tithing Office. He also told me that his father took his oxen team and went to the canyon to bring out rocks for the building of the Logan Temple. His nephew, Christian, says of him that he was always interested in the education of his children and urged them after Grammar School to go on to the local Academy and later to the College in Logan. He also says he taught them honesty and integrity very successfully and left them with a firm conviction that their word must be as good as their note.

Again, I quote from his nephew, Christian: "He was a Pioneer in every deed. He was an extremely hard

worker, as generally known, he worked himself to death." It is told about him walking to the canyons about four miles, cutting on the logs all day, leaving the canyon when too dark to work any longer and then returning home walking all the way. This way he obtained material for a very outstanding fence around his 80 acre homestead. The fence was built by setting two posts with about eight inches between them, then boring holes directly opposite in which wooden pins were inserted. The logs were then layed on top of the pins. The fence was four poles high with about 18 inches between them. It was thought a remarkable accomplishment and it kept stock in or out. Part of it is still standing as a monument of endurance and ambition of the early pioneers. I quote further: "Uncle Lars was a pioneer of dry farming, a method as we understand it now of alternating the fallow principle with grain crops in successive years. He was also a pioneer in the field of farm machinery to modernize the farm." He was the first to purchase and operate with his mechanic minded brother, Jens, the self-rake, a fore runner of the twinbinder. In addition, he pioneered the use of other harvesting machinery such as the cropper and the moss harvester. He was the first to use a grain drill instead of broadcasting the grain by hand. His pioneering spirit carried over to his sons who pioneered the dry farming method very successfully in Marsh Valley, Idaho.

He liked and enjoyed carpentering, building his first home and barn in Hyrum and on his homestead. Many pieces of furniture in their home were the work of his hands. We still have a cupboard on the farm which he built and gave to Jerry after his marriage. When death visited the home he made the coffins for his little ones.

When his sons began their own homesteading they received a wagon and seedwheat to help them out. He died on 25 April 1904, in Hyrum, where his remains rest in the cemetery.

Addendum

During the years 1992-1996, additional research was conducted on the Christiansen Line by Allan Christiansen of Ogden, Utah and Vaughn Nielsen of Brigham City, Utah. They are both great-grandsons of Lars Hansen Christiansen. These additions to the life histories of Lars Hansen Christiansen, and his parents, Christian Johansen Christoffersen, and Christiana Pedersen, were written in February 1997 by Allan Christiansen. Vaughn Nielsen passed away in June 1996, but much of this additional information can be attributed to him.

In 1994 we made contact with David Barkdull of Dover, Delaware who is a great-grandson of Peter Christiansen, older brother of Lars Hans Christiansen. He compiled a life history of Peter Christiansen and sent us a copy, along with the "Temple Book Notes" made by Peter Christiansen during his lifetime. Peter's life history and temple notes gave us additional information on his brother Lars Hans and their father and mother. After reviewing many films in the Family History Libraries, we have located more information about when they joined the LDS Church, when they all emigrated to America, and more about their life in Hyrum, Utah.

Lar's older brother, Peter, said in his life history about when the family joined the Mormon Church. The following is quoted from Peter:

"One of Peter's younger brothers, Lars, had been the first in the family to join the Mormon Church. He was baptized on 19 November 1861. His father had been baptized on 3 June 1862, and his mother a few months later on 8 August. His youngest sister, Marie Dorothea, also joined the Mormon Church prior to Peter's conversion. She was baptized 24 Jul 1862. The following spring, on 26 March 1863, Peter was ordained an Elder by Elder Brent Jensen. After his ordination, he and his wife talked about the counsel of the Prophet Brigham Young, who told the saints they should emigrate to the new Zion in America. They decided this was what they should do and immediately began preparations. Peter sold his farm to a neighbor on the same conditions for which he and Anne had become the owners of it. He gave the house and lot his father had given him when he was married, to his brother and sister, Niels and Hanna, who had not joined the church but stayed in Denmark. In addition he gave Anne's parents $400.00 to help them. He also was able to pay the passage for twelve other new converts

The Monarch of the Sea (223' x 44' x 24') provided passage for Lars Hans Christiansen and his family

who were unable to pay themselves. One of these converts was Maren Olsen, their housemaid. She had also joined the Mormon Church with Peter and his family. Her family had disowned her after she became a Mormon. On 23 April 1863, Peter, Anne, their four children, Maren and Peter's youngest brother Hans, departed for America. They were leaving behind their family and friends whom they loved dearly and putting their trust and faith in their God. It was difficult for them to leave because they knew they would probably never see any of their friends or family again. However, they didn't look back but set their sights on their objective to gather with the rest of the saints in Utah."

In Peter's Temple Book, he is quoted as saying he was ordained an Elder by Brent Jensen and Lars Christiansen. The date that Peter says Lars was baptized into the Mormon Church is one year earlier than is shown on the church records. Since we have been told that Lars was the first in the family to accept the gospel and join the church, it is likely that the baptism date quoted by Peter of "19 November 1861" is correct and the date of "19 November 1862" in the church records is in error.

The Life History of Lars Hans Christiansen says he served a mission for the LDS Church in Denmark before he emigrated to America. This is probably true, but it would have been a short mission since he came to America with the rest of the family in April 1864. We found LDS Church records that showed the family members that joined the church in the Love or Sondre (South) Oredrev Branches of the Scandinavian Mission in 1862. Jens was baptized in Copenhagen in April 1864 by Lars Christiansen a few days before the family emigrated to America.

Peter and his wife and four children, younger brother Hans, and Lars' Fiancé Sophia Rassmusen, had previously emigrated in April 1863. Their mother Christiana remarried the missionary that converted them, Hans Olsen, in March 1863. In the next year, they sold Christian Christoffersen's farm to obtain the money necessary to emigrate to America. On 28 April 1864, a family of eight set sail on the ship Monarch of the Sea and arrived in New York City on 3 June 1864. The eight family members were Hans Olsen, age 33, Christine Olsen, 52 (Lars mother), Lars Christiansen, 20, Jens Christiansen, 18, Marie Dorothea Christiansen, 11, and two of Hans Olsen's sisters, Hedevig Olsen, 24, and Ane Olsen, 38. A widow also traveled with them, Ane Kirstine Pedersen, age 35.

Vaughn Nielsen found the church records showing that Lars Hans and Sophia Pedersen did not initially marry in the Endowment House as indicated in his life history. They were married in Hyrum, Utah on 30 Dec 1865. Two years later they went to the Endowment House in Salt Lake City and were sealed to each other on 29 November 1867.

We located an LDS Plains Crossing film that showed the family of eight joined a large company of LDS emigrants crossing the plains under the leadership of Capt. William B. Preston. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on 15 September 1864.

After locating the name of the wagon train that our ancestors crossed the plains "William B Preston Church Train", an effort was made to find someone in the company that had written a history of the plains crossing. Marilyn Christiansen Throckmorton of West Valley City, Utah, a great-granddaughter of Lars Hans Christiansen, went to the Church Historical Department in Salt Lake City to find more information on this wagon train. She learned there had been seven accounts written about this plains crossing. Five of the seven accounts were on file, but cannot be copied or taken out of the office. It is only possible to read through them and make notes. Marilyn was able to obtain a list of the "passengers" in the Capt. William B. Preston's Company. She also obtained from the Church Biographical Encyclopedia a summary background on William B. Preston, who was asked by President Brigham Young to go to Missouri and lead a train of saints to Utah in 1863 and again in 1864.

A letter written by Caroline Mortine Hansen to her husband Charles Hansen, who was serving a mission in Denmark, said that they sailed on a very nice ship from Copenhagen on Wednesday, April 13, and arrived in

Grimsby, England on April 18th. On April 28th, they left Grimsby and traveled by train to Liverpool, and arrived the same day. She wrote another letter to her husband on June 17th where she says they were on the water five weeks and arrived in New York on June 3rd. She later says they arrived in Wyoming, Nebraska on June 13th. [Wyoming, Nebraska is about 40 miles south of Omaha -Ed.] The next letter Charles Hansen received was from a traveling companion of his wife, Trine Marie Hold in Salt Lake City telling him his wife had died in Wyoming only six days before the trip ended.

From the History of the Scandinavian Mission. p. 181 we learn about the trip from Denmark to England.

"On April 13, 1864, the English steamer 'Sultana' sailed from Copenhagen, Denmark, with 353 emigrants from the different conferences in Denmark, excepting a few from Fredricia, who on account of the war [Germans were invading parts of western Denmark at this time --Ed.] had to go direct to Hamburg. This company was in charge of Pres. Jesse N. Smith, who was returning home from a successful mission to Scandinavia...A number of traveling Elders, who had diligently labored in the ministry, also emigrated with this company, which, like the preceding one, went by way of Lubeck, Hamburg and Grismsby [England], to Liverpool [England] where they were joined by the company that sailed from Copenhagen, April 10th."

"On Tuesday, April 26th, the ship 'Monarch of the Sea' cleared for sailing and on Thursday, April 28th, sailed from Liverpool, England, with 974 souls on board. Patriach John Smith was chosen president of the company with Elders John D. Chase, Johan P.R. Johansen and Parley P. Pratt Jun. as his counselors."

Emigration records from the European Mission for 1864 indicate that the cost of this voyage across the ocean was 4 British pounds, 8 pence per Scandinavian adult. The group totaled 974 with a breakdown as follows:

England 175

Scotland 28

Wales 5

Ireland 4

Denmark 389

Sweden 333

Norway 33

Germany 3

Russia 1

America 3

The journal recorded by Lars August Nelson, who was also in the same company as our ancestors, gives us some information about the journey across the Atlantic Ocean:

"The ship to America was a huge one. Before it was loaded, it stood so high above the water and we had to visit some time while the sailors loaded heavy freight into the hold. I have tried to forget the journey across the Atlantic. Our rations were raw beef, large hard soda biscuits, water, mustard, and salt. Sometimes we would wait most of the day for our turn to cook our meat. The winds and waves were so high sometimes that the flag on the main mast touched the waves as it rolled. Trunks and boxes had to be tied down. The vessel had three decks and there were bunks all around on the two lower decks. We saw many varieties of fish. Sometimes the passengers, men and women, helped bail out water when it seemed the ship might sink. During the voyage there was considerable sickness and a number of deaths, mostly children. On the morning of June 3rd, the ship arrived in New York where the landing of the emigrants at the Castle Gardens at once took place. In the evening they were sent by steamer to Albany, New York, and from there by rail to St. Joseph, Missouri, thence by steamer up the Missouri River to Wyoming Nebraska, from which place most of the Scandinavian saints were taken to the Valley by

the Church teams of which 170 were sent out that year."

The LDS Church Journal of History mentions this wagon train on three different dates:

July 8, 1864: Gave list of passengers in Capt. William B. Preston's company. This list includes Hans and Christina Olsen and Lars, Jens and Marie Christensen. The company left Wyoming, Nebraska [Wyoming was located about 40 miles south of Omaha -Ed.] on July 8, 1864 and arrived in Great Salt Lake City on September 15, 1864. We noticed the other three people in the "Olsen Family", Han's sisters Hedevig and Ane and a widow Ane Kirstine Pedersen, were not on the list of the passengers crossing the plains in this company. We know they were on the ship with the others, and apparently stayed in the eastern states.

August 10, 1864 Deseret News article: Capt. John Murdock's mule train passed Horse Shoe, and Capt. William B. Preston's train crossed the Platte at Julesburg on the 6th of this month. Both trains were making good progress, and the passengers generally enjoyed good health.

September 21, 1864 Deseret News editorial: Capt. William B. Preston's train, which arrived on the 15th of this month, brought many needed suppilies from the east.

The following are excerpts from the Journal of

Robert Bodily.

"William B. Preston was our captain. Three teams, including his, were sent from Kaysville to the Missouri River for the emigrants. Buffalo were not so numerous as four years before (his first trip to Salt Lake). There being more people and the wagon loaded with merchandise, a good many people had to walk every foot of the way across those plains, both men and women across rivers, it made no difference, but they did not complain. But everyone could see how tired they were. In the start the days were long and plenty of grass and water and we could camp almost anywhere, but as we came on, the days grew shorter and water dried up in lots of places and the grass dry and not much for the cattle. It made it very hard on the people. Sometimes we would be very late coming into camp and then supper to get and children put to bed but when we got into camp in any decent time, we always had camp prayers and all would assemble together and sing a hymn and all seemed to enjoy it and forget the days hard work. And all seemed to enjoy good health so in due time we arrived in Salt Lake City on September 15, 1864. We unloaded and went home with joyful hearts. We were heartily received by the people."

Excerpts from History of Lars August Nelson

"Thus about 400 Scandinavians crossed the plains in Captain William B. Preston's company of about 50 Church teams, leaving in the beginning of July and arriving in Salt Lake City on September 15, 1864. The journey to Zion: In due time boys and wagons from Utah arrived and everything was loaded for the trip. There was a stove and tent in each wagon. Then the luggage and two families were piled in and we were off for Zion."

"At first there was an abundance of grass. I liked to watch the donkeys in the train. Day after day we traveled and the only living thing of any size was an occasional stage coach and the stations built along the way. One day I got out of the wagon and ran ahead until noon. After that I had to walk most of the way. One day two young women sat down to rest. All at once they screamed and jumped up. Then a man killed a large rattler where they had been. I have seen families take a corpse out of the wagon, dig a shallow grave and then hurriedly catch up to the train which did not stop. Then we got a glimpse of the mountains in the distance. We also saw large herds of buffalo. While camping one noon, a herd was coming directly towards us. Some men rode out and turned them. To avoid a stampede of our oxen, we started out and the teamsters were able to keep them under control."

"The first Indians I saw were at a stage station. There must have been several hundred of them and we could see their wigwams in the distance. We were now getting into great sagebrush flats and everybody was warned against fires. One day at noon we yoked up in a hurry because someone had let their fire get the best of them."

"Now we began to meet companies of soldiers. They generally led horses with empty saddles. Next we saw where a fire had burned some wagons in the company in which grandmother crossed in 1862. The whole country round about was black and the grass had not started. When we crossed rivers, if they were not too deep, the men and women waded. Two government wagons were caught in the quicksand near where we forded. As we got into the hills, there was a lot of elk, deer and antelope. One man on a gray horse did the hunting for the group. Several times the oxen tried to stampede. On parts of the trail men had to hold the wagons up to keep them from tipping over."

"The most interesting of all to me was at Echo Canyon where we were told how the Mormon scouts had marched round the cliff and made Johnston's army believe there were a whole lot of them when in fact there were very few. We found chokecherries along the road but they were too green. The last hill seemed the longest and steepest and we did not reach the top until late in the evening. Next morning everyone was happy. Cherries were riper and so good to eat they failed to choke. Happy beyond expression we hastened to get a view of Canaan and Joseph's land, where the Elders of Israel reside and Prophets and Apostles to guide the Latter-Day Saints. Having seen some of the big cities of the world, you may imagine our disappointment when we looked down from Emigration Canyon upon Great Salt Lake City by the Great Salt Lake. We saw Fort Douglas where some of the soldiers were stationed. One aged man exclaimed, 'Why, the children cry here as they did at home.' We entered the dear old tithing square and rested until noon. Now it was for us to decide where we wanted to settle."

Excerpts from Henry Ballard's Journal on William B. Preston's Church Train from Wyoming, Nebraska to Great Salt Lake City in 1864:

July 8 - 800 emigrants came from Wyoming (Nebraska).

July 9 - Traveled 4 miles.

July 11 - Heavy rain.

July 15 - Woman and child died in camp.

July 20-21 - Traveling on the Platte (River).

July 22 - A son was born.

July 24 - Another child died.

July 25 - Passed Kerney and camped 10 miles above. July 28 - Traveled 23 miles.

July 29 - Another woman died.

July 31 - Very hot, traveled 15 miles.

Aug 2 - A man died.

Aug 4 - Crossed So. Platte, decided to travel to Julesburg.

Aug 7 - Sunday - Rested the cattle in the fore part of the day. Mule bitten by a snake and died, cattle stampeded.

Aug 9 - Traveled 10 miles, cattle dying, telegraphed Pres. Young about route to take.

Aug 10 - Indian disturbances in area, next church train 60 miles behind

Aug 11 - More cattle dying.

Aug 14 - A child died.

Aug 16 - Had to camp without water, the creek sunk in the sand.

Aug 18 - Camped 180 miles from Julesburg, son born. Aug 22 - Unlevel country and wind blew very hard, very rocky country. Mentioned many times that they crossed over the Platte.

Aug 26 - Five horses missing, stolen by men at the station because of damage to their hay, eight men had to stand guard.

Aug 31 - Without water for many miles, a woman died who was 60 years old. Mentioned camping without water many times. Also mentioned several times about having a good feed.

Sep 4 - Thunder storm, son born.

Sep 5 - One of the teamsters broke the hind wheel of his wagon all to pieces and they loaded his load into another wagon.

Sep 9 - Two women died of dysentery (One of these was Caroline Hansen).

Sep 10 - Bad accident, a man fell off the temporary seat at front of his wagon and both wheels of the wagon ran over his neck and injured him badly. We had to leave him at the Bear River Station, he died three days later.

Sep 12 - A child died.

Sep 14 - Went to the top of Little Mountain and camped there.

Sep 15 - Arrived in Salt Lake.

Sep 20 - My wife had a son.

Extracted from the Church Biographical Encyclopedia concerning William B. Preston.

"William B. Preston and two of his brothers-in-law, John B. and Aaron Thatcher, left Payson, Utah in August 1859 and moved to Cache Valley and were the first to settle upon the present site of Logan. He helped to lay out the city of Logan in 1860 and was named the first Bishop of Logan. He served in the Territorial Assembly in 1861-1865 until he was called on a mission to England in 1865. When he returned from his mission on July 14, 1868 on the steamer Colorado, he was put in charge of a company of 600 saints and led them to Utah, arriving the following September. On April 6, 1884, William B. Preston was called to be the Presiding Bishop of the Church."

This history was written by Nellie Rex Christiansen Christensen on March 4-7, 1991 and is entitled "Christian J. Christoffersen Family History".

Christian was the father of Lars Hans Christiansen and the grandfather of Moses Christiansen.

I, Nellie Rex Christiansen Christensen, a great granddaughter of Christian Johansen Christofferson - will attempt to write a brief history of my Paternal Great Grandfather, Christian Johansen Christoffersen, (Confirmation Record) - as Christian Johansen Christiansen, (Branch Record). and as Christian Hansen (Military Record.) He was the son of Dorthea Nielsen and Christoffer (surname not known) - may have been Christiansen as shown for son on Branch Records. Christian was born the 9th of Dec 1811 in Fuglsbolle, Svendborg, Denmark - and died 19, Aug. 1862, at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark at the age 50 years 8 months and 4 days. Buried at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. We learned from our Danish genealogist John Christiansen (no relative) that the Mother Dorthea Nielsen who was a daughter of Niels Hans Ryman and Hanna Christine Danielsen - was courted by a Sea Captain or Seaman who returned to Sea duty and never returned. As the Danish always used the first or given name and added "sen" - we feel his Father's name must have been Christoffer; hence the surname being Christoffersen on the early records for the son. The Mother Dorthea Nielsen was born in 1791 at Longelse, Svendborg, Denmark and died in between 1815-1820. Christian was raised by great aunt Hanna Ryemann. His mother Dorthea was never married to the Sea Captain as far as we can determine. The Father probably never knew about the son. We have never learned about his boyhood except his belief in the Bible Scriptures. The Church (Lutheran) where records were kept of his family burned down and the records were destroyed. (Our

Christian Johansen Christoffersen

genealogist found this out). Someday we hope someone may be able to search farther on his records, somehow.

When Christian was a young man he met and married Christiana Petersen on April 22, 1837 at Bostrup, Langeland, Svendborg, Denmark (Christiana Petersen). Her parents were Peder Hansen and Anna Marie Lisbet Larsen. Her father Peder Hansen lived to be 95 years old and when he was 94 he walked 12 miles a day. When visiting friends he would card wool. (No wonder I love to crochet or do sewing when I watch T.V., I've inherited this attribute.) When Christian was a young man he worked on a big estate that belonged to another man. He tended 8 acres and lived in two rooms. The cattle were stabled on one side adjacent to the living quarters. Later other families lived in the same house - probably workers on this same Estate. A few years after this Christian and family moved to another parish (Harrested, Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark) where they had more land to work.

They always worked hard to make a living for themselves and families. They had seven children eventually. Namely Peter Christiansen born 30 Jan. 1835 at Fabeck, Bostrup Denmark. Niels Christiansen born 13 June 1838 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. Hanne Marie Christiansen was born 8 May 1840 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. Lars Hans Christiansen was born 6 Mar. 1844 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. (He was my grandfather - Nellie's). Jens Christiansen born 19 May 1846 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. Hans Christiansen born 20 Jan. 1849 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. Marie Dorthea born 8 May 1852, (On some records her Surname is listed as Christoffersen and others as Christiansen.) at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. The reason these children went by name Christiansen is because of custom in Denmark and Norway they always used as a surname the given name of the Father and added "sen". This is called patronymics. At one time the Father and some sons talked about sailing around the Cape of Good Hope into California, U. S. A. during the Gold Strike there. This never materialized due to health problems.

All the family were "Lutherans" by religion and spent much time reading and studying the Bible. The eldest son Peter told his life story to his daughter Mary Smith is his latter life and told about a time in his life when "he says he was always religiously inclined, and was an ardent Bible student." "The Bible was used as a text book in School." "He became so well versed that the Priest wanted him to become a minister, as he could answer many questions." When he was fifteen years old, he was confirmed by the Pastor. "He offered him a years support in college if he would become a Minister." "This the Father Christian would not let him do, as he could not afford to help him otherwise" Peter also told his daughter Mary Smith of Thornton, Idaho - about his brother Lars Hans Christiansen (my grandfather) had studied (some time later) for the Lutheran Ministry for about 3 years, when he came in contact with the "Mormon Missionaries".

After hearing their message and their testimonies of its truthfulness, he believed and was soon baptized in 1862. (My Aunt and I tried to find the exact date of his baptism, but were not successful.) (We do know he was the first to be converted in the family as his brothers have mentioned this several times.) The Father Christian Johansen Christofferson seemed to be failing in health and his son Lars Hans was anxious that he should receive the truth also. Therefore he took a Book of Mormon and went to see his Father and Mother. It took Christian only one day and one night to read the Book of Mormon after being told about the Missionaries. The Father was truly convinced of its truthfulness and was baptized on 3rd June 1862, into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Lars Hans was baptized November 19, 1862. The eldest son Peter became very concerned when he heard his Father had joined the `Mormons'. Let me quote here the exact words Peter wrote in his Biography given to me by his daughter Mary Smith.

It was the taunting words of the Village gossip that caused me to stop plowing that pleasant day in the Spring of 1861 or (62) and hastened to my father's home. "Hey Peter Christiansen" she called when in my plowing I came near to the Village street. "You wouldn't be holding your head so high or think yourself so great if you knew what I know about your parents." Plainly I heard her, waved a greeting and went on hurrying to get away from her voice. Along the fence she followed chuckling. Soon she called again "Oh, you may make it appear that you can't hear me or care, but other people know that your father and mother are very friendly with the Mormons." Determinedly I went on up the field from her amused laughter and loud taunting voice. I was not going to let her know that her words had disturbed me or that I paid any attention to her foolish gossip. But as soon as she was out of sight I went to the house calling to my wife to hurry and dress as we were

going to visit my Mother and Father. Plainly she showed her surprise that I would quit plowing in the early afternoon and go visiting. My best team was rapidly hooked to our carriage, and as we drove along the pleasant road, I told my wife what I had heard. Arriving at my parents house Christian Johansen and Christiana Petersen Christoffersen's home, we were greeted pleasantly. In a little while my mother had taken my wife to the kitchen to prepare a nice meal, for we must have the best when we came visiting. Silence reigned in my fathers sick room. Now that I was here, how was I to ask the hated question. Father turned and with a quizzical look asked, "What is it my son? What has brought you here this busy day?" "Is it true that you and Mother have become Mormons?" "Yes," he replied. "Why, oh why have you taken such a foolish step?" My father who was very ill turned and pointed to a book that lay on the table, said "I am too tired to answer your question son, but stay with me tonight and read that book and I believe the answer will be given to you." We stayed and when all was quiet and my father asleep, I picked up the book and read the title - "The Book of Mormon" - and began reading. When early morning light began to fill the room, I turned to my father and saw that he was awake and watching me. I laid the book down trying to appear uninterested. In answer to his query, "Well how did you like the reading?" I answered "Oh it is good as a history of many battles."

(I, Nellie, did not get the rest of this account as Dwinna Bennett (Peters granddaughter) had misplaced the rest of the account and we never went back to see if they'd found it at her home in Pocatello. I had read it before.) Peter sometime later joined the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). The Lars Hans Family Book says Dec. 29, 1862. Christian Johansen Christoffersen passed away on the 19 Aug 1862 and is buried in Slots-Bjergby Soro, Denmark. His widow Christiana (Christine) as she was called, remarried on Mar. 13, 1863 to Hans Olson in Denmark. Later she and her husband and other family members came to America and settled in Hyrum, Utah where her four sons - Peter, Lars Hans, Jens and Hans were living having come to America earlier. Peter and Hans came in 1863 - Lars Hans came in 1864 after going on a mission while living in Denmark. Jens came in 1864 - all settling in Hyrum, Utah. Marie Dorthea did come with her Mother Christiana as she was a young teenager at home when her Mother and Stepfather Hans Olson came to America. (Just an interesting note here - Hans Olson became the Father of Mrs. William Bickmore who lived in Downey, Idaho for many years - (by his 3rd wife). Christiana had died in 1884 - 6th of Nov. in Hyrum, Cache, Utah) Two children, Niels Christiansen and Hanna Christiansen never came to America or even joined the L. D. S. Church. Niels (2nd son) was in the military in Denmark and Hanna Marie (eldest daughter) was married and living with her husband Hans Christian Jensen, in Denmark. They had 5 children and they were all born by Aug 1864.

The eldest son of Christian and Christiana,(1) Peter Christiansen left for America April 30, 1863, accompanied by his 1st wife Ane Petersen and four children Elizabeth, Lars Peter, Hannah, and Hans Peter - a brother Hans Christiansen 14 years old, and possible brother Jens Christiansen 17 years old, as well as his brother Lars Han's fiancee Anna Sophia Rassmussen. Jens came to America in April 1864 immediately after his brother, Lars, baptized him into the LDS Church. They were with a large company of Saints enroute for Utah. In Utah Peter married in polygamy 2nd wife Maren Olson 2, July 1864 (a single lady who came with Peter's family from Denmark.), 3rd wife Ane Marie Hansen on 25 May 1867 in Utah. (2)Niels Christiansen married Ingerbore Jorgensen Kaae on 6 Feb. 1866 in Denmark. They had only one child Anna Christiansen. Niels died in June 1870 in Denmark. His wife died one year later. (3)Hanna Marie C. married Hans Christian Jensen on 17, July 1858. He died (no date) and she married a Mr. Poulsen - they had one son Charles. (I have a Photo of her and Poulsen and son Charles, but we don't have dates to have him sealed to Mother). Hanna Marie died 30 July 1912 in Denmark. (4)Lars Hans Christiansen came to America (after fulfilling a mission) in 1864 and married Anna Sophia Rasmussen on 30 Dec. 1865 in in Hyrum, Utah. He married Annie Dorthea Sorensen 26 April 1874 in polygamy. (5) Jens Christiansen came to America and married Martha Ericksen 23 May 1870 - died 9 Feb. 1907 in Hyrum Utah. (6) Hans Christiansen came to America - married Ane Marie Poulsen 29 Nov 1867 - He died 22 June 1879 at Hyrum, Utah. (7) Marie Dorthea Christoffersen came to America - married Jens Dragsted 17, Aug 1870 - and later to Wilhelm Andersen - She died in July, 1923 in Utah. (4) Lars Hans Christiansen (my grandfather) died on 25 April 1904 in Hyrum, Utah at age 60.

Addendum

Additional new information has been found on the life of Christian J. Christoffersen since the previous history was written. The LDS Church records in Denmark shows Christian's birth date as 9 Dec 1811. We believe this date to be correct and the previous date of 15 Dec 1811 is not the birth date but the date he was christened in the Lutheran Church. The first Parish Record found was when Christian was Confirmed in the church in the Fuglsbolle Parish in 1826, at age 14. At that time his guardian was Hanna Ryemann, who is a sister of Christian's grandfather, Niels Hansen Ryemann (Ryman). Therefore, we believe he was raised by his Great Aunt Hanna Ryemann.

The Military Levying Rolls are taken every three years in Denmark for all males. It shows their age, where they lived, and the name of their parent(s). The first entry Christian appears on is in 1812 before the age of 1, living in Fuglsbolle, only parent listed is Dorothea Nielsdatter. He is also listed in Fuglsbolle in 1815, 1821, and 1824. The record shows he moved to Skrobelev on Langeland Island where he resides in 1827, 1830, 1833, and 1836. In 1837 he moved to Sludstrup in Soro County where he was found in 1839 and 1842. The record in 1842 in Sludstrup has a line through the name Christian Hansen and written below it is Christian Johansen Christoffersen. In 1844 his residence changes to Slots Bjergby when he was age 33. This is the last military record we found.

In Denmark the census records jump from 1801 to 1834 with none taken in between. On the 1834 census it shows Christian living on a farm in Bostrup, Langeland Island, as an unmarried worker with ten people living on the farm. This entry is recorded in the Lars Hans Christiansen Book on page 5. The master of the farm is Anders Rasmussen, age 43, his wife, five children, a grandmother, and two unmarried workers with Christian being one of them. There is a marriage record in the same town, Bostrup, of Christian to Christiana Pedersen, age 28, on 22 April 1837. The Bostrup Parish records show that Christian and Christiana left the parish and moved to Harrested on 25 April 1837, only three days after they were married.

The country of Denmark is made up of many islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The two main islands where our ancestors lived between 1800 and 1863 are Langeland and Sjaelland. Langeland is a small, long, and narrow island about 20 miles long and 3 miles wide. It is a short distance southeast of the island of Fyn (Odense). Further to the northeast is the island of Sjaelland, which is a large island with the capitol of Copenhagen on the east coast. On the southwest side of the island is the county of Soro, where the family lived between 1835-1864. The island of Langeland was in Tranekaer County prior to 1807 and in Svendborg County after 1807.

In Peter Christiansen's Life History, compiled by David Barkdull, is more information about their family life in Denmark. The next five paragraphs are a direct quote from that life history.

"When Peter was born, his parents were living in Faebaek, on the Island of Langelands. Peter's parents had seven children, Peter being the oldest. Their first home had only two living rooms for the entire family to live in. Like most farm houses in those days, the farm animals were stabled in the house but in another section. In addition, two other families lived in the house. Peter's father was a hard working man. He farmed eight acres of land. The farm on which they lived was part of the estate of a rich landlord. They lived in Faebaek for a few years after Peter was born. By 1838, Christian had moved the family to Harrested on the island of Sjaelland. While living in Harrested, three more children were born to Christian and Christiane. Two boys and a girl. Niels, born 13 June 1838, Lars Hans born 6 March 1844, and Hanna Marie born 8 May 1840.

In 1844, when Peter was nine years old, his father again moved the family. This time, it was not as long a move as the one from Faebaek had been, because they were moving to the small village of Slots Bjergby about one and a half miles away. In Slots Bjergby, Peter's father Christian, had twice as much land to work as he had in Harrested. Even though this meant more work for Christian, the family was better off because of the added income he was able to earn. Christian was a very religious and God fearing man. He was a diligent student of the

Bible and would gather his family together for regular scripture reading and prayer.

In 1862, Mormon Elders, missionaries, were preaching their new gospel to the people in the area. Most people didn't accept or even want to hear what the Mormon Elders had to say. Many stories were going around about these strange ministers. Many said they had come from America to try to lure them to their secret places in the mountains. However, Peter's parents became interested in what these men of God were preaching and invited them to their home."

From Peter's history is two paragraphs about when Peter learned his parents had joined the Mormon Church. Nellie quotes Peter in Christian Christoffersen's life history. At the point where Nellie says she did not get the rest of this account because Dwinna Bennett had misplaced it, a complete copy of Peter's life history gave us the missing part as follows:

"Later, the Mormon Elders visited Peter and his family who had become interested in this new religion, the "restored gospel" of Jesus Christ. The Elders left tracts with the Christiansen family which they read and studied and prayed about. Peter's brother Hans, had also been deeply impressed by what the Mormon Elders had been teaching. So on 29 Dec 1862, Peter, Anne and Hans were all baptized into the Mormon Church." This is the end of the quotes from Peter's Life History.

In the Slots-Bjergby Parish Records are birth records for the three youngest children of Christian Christoffersen who are Jens, Hans, and Marie Dorthea Christiansen. The date of births was the same as on the Family Group Sheet. There is confirmation records on Jens and Hans on this film, but Marie Dorthea was too young (11) before they left Slots-Bjergby and came to America. We found a death record on Christian Johansen Christoffersen at age 50. The date of death is 22 Aug 1862 and the burial date is 27 Aug 1862. This date is a little different than we previously had recorded, which was 19 Aug 1862. Vaughn says the births and confirmations for Niels, Hanne Marie, and Lars Hans Christiansen are in the Sludstrup Parish Records.

On the film of the Probate Records in Soro County in 1852-1865, are three different places in the records that refers to Christian Johansen Christoffersen. On the date of 4 Sep 1862 there is a short paragraph with 12 lines that mentions his name. On the date 24 Sep 1862 is a second paragraph of 10 lines that mentions Christine Pedersen and Christian Johansen Christoffersen. On the date 11 Feb 1863 is the complete probate records containing all the numbers and signatures. It lists all of Christian Johansen Christoffersen's children and at the end of the last page is the following signatures: Christiane Pedersen, Peder Christiansen, Niels Christiansen, Lars Hansen Christiansen, Hans Christian Jensen (Husband of Hanne Marie Christiansen), Jens Pedersen Hansen (Vaughn determined this was the sheriff).

The following section is about Dorthea Nielsen, who was the mother of Christian Johansen Christoffersen.

We have been unable to find a birth or death record on Dorothea Nielsen, mother of Christian Johansen Christoffersen. On the 1801 census records for the island of Langeland, we found the family of Dorothea Nielsen in the town of Longelse, but Dorothea (at age 10) was not listed with the family. Her father, mother and two younger sisters were listed. We have been unable to find out where Dorothea Nielsen was living when the 1801 census was taken. It could have been with her aunt, Hanne Ryemann who raised Christian Christoffersen, but this has not been found on the 1801 census.

On the Fuglsbolle Parish Records in 1815 we found a birth record for a Daniel Jorgensen. The mother is listed as Dorthea Nielsdatter Rymann of Fuglsbolle and the father is Jorgen Hansen of Tullebolle. The record says they were unmarried and Dorthea's two sisters, Karen and Kirsten are listed as witnesses. This information seems to indicate that Dorothea did not die in 1811 or 1812 as believed. We also found the boys death record in 1820 at the age of 4 1/2 years. The death record has another lady as the mother, but the Parish Index shows the birth and death records as being the same person. The mother listed is Dorthe Kirstine Rasmus Datter. Vaughn

This history was written by Nellie Rex Christiansen Christensen on March 29, 1993 and is entitled "A History of Christiana Pedersen Christoffersen. 1809 - 1884".

Christiana was the mother of Lars Hans Christiansen and the grandmother of Moses Christiansen.

Christiana (Christine) Pedersen was born on March 27, 1809 at Jyderup, Hobeck, Denmark. Her parents were Pedar Hansen and Ane Marie Lisabeth Larsen. It is told her father walked twelve miles a day and when visiting friends he would card wool.

Nothing is known about Christiana in her youth and as she was growing up, therefore her known history starts at the time of her marriage. She married Christian (Johnsen Christophersen) Johansen Christoffersen on 22 April 1837 in Bostrup, Langeland, Svendborg, Denmark. He was also known as Christian Hansen on the Military Records and as Christian Hansen Christoffersen on confirmation records and as Christian Johansen Christiansen on the Branch records in the L.D.S. Church. He was the illegitimate son of an unknown seaman who after courting Dorthea Nielsen went to sea and was never heard from again. Christian was brought up by an Aunt and grandparents who taught him well. He became a hard worker and an honest good man who read the Bible often, He was born the 9th of December, 1811 in Fuglsbolle, Svendborg, Denmark. His father's given name probably was Christoffer, as in Denmark the sons went by the father's first name with an added "sen" or "son", hence Christoffersen. His mother, Dorthea Nielsen, died between 1815 - 1820.

Christiana was a very good wife and mother according to some of her son's histories. This family was devoted

Christina Pedersen Christoffersen

This history was written by Nellie Rex Christiansen Christensen on March 29, 1993 and is entitled "A

History of Christiana Pedersen Christoffersen.

1809 - 1884".

Christiana was the mother of Lars Hans Christiansen and the grandmother of Moses Christiansen.

Christiana (Christine) Pedersen was born on March 27, 1809 at Jyderup, Hobeck, Denmark. Her parents were Pedar Hansen and Ane Marie Lisabeth Larsen. It is told her father walked twelve miles a day and when visiting friends he would card wool.

Nothing is known about Christiana in her youth and as she was growing up, therefore her known history starts at the time of her marriage. She married Christian (Johnsen Christophersen) Johansen Christoffersen on 22 April 1837 in Bostrup, Langeland, Svendborg, Denmark. He was also known as Christian Hansen on the Military Records and as Christian Hansen Christoffersen on confirmation records and as Christian Johansen Christiansen on the Branch records in the L.D.S. Church. He was the illegitimate son of an unknown seaman who after courting Dorthea Nielsen went to sea and was never heard from again. Christian was brought up by an Aunt and grandparents who taught him well. He became a hard worker and an honest good man who read the Bible often, He was born the 9th of December, 1811 in Fuglsbolle, Svendborg, Denmark. His father's given name probably was Christoffer, as in Denmark the sons went by the father's first name with an added "sen" or "son", hence Christoffersen. His mother, Dorthea Nielsen, died between 1815 - 1820.

Christiana was a very good wife and mother according to some of her son's histories. This family was devoted

Bible students and belonged to the Lutheran Church. Christian and Christiana first lived on a big estate owned by another man. They took care and worked eight acres of land, living in a two roomed house. The cattle were stabled on one side adjacent to the living quarters.

A few years later they moved to another parish where they had more land to work. They always had to work hard to make a living for themselves and family. They had seven children. Their first born was named Peter Christiansen as all the sons took the father's name and added "sen". This is called patronymics. Peter was born 30 January 1835 at Fabeck, Bostrup, Denmark. Next came another son named Niels Christiansen born 13 June 1838 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. A daughter named Hanne Marie Christiansen was born 8 May 1840 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. A son Lars Hans Christiansen was born 6 March 1844 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. (This was my Grandfather) A son, Jens Christiansen was born 19 May l846 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. A son, Hans Christiansen was born 20 January 1849 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark and finally Marie Dorthea Christiansen a daughter was born 8 May 1852 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark, On some records her surname is listed as Christoffersen.

At one time the father and some sons talked about sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. This travel never came to pass as the father became seriously ill and died 19 August 1862 at age fifty and a half years old.

The Bible was used as a text book in their home and the family seemed to be religiously inclined. Two sons Peter and Lars Hans were offered help from the Priest in the Lutheran Church to become ministers. The father declined this offer as he could afford to help Peter, otherwise. Later, Lars Hans studied some, for about three years, then he came in contact with the Mormon Missionaries. This was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commonly called the Mormons. After hearing their message and their testimonies of its truthfulness, he was baptized and became a member in 1862, the first one of his father's family. The eldest brother Peter told about this to his daughter Mary Smith of Thornton, Idaho, as she was recording Peter's history. Other family members have acknowledged this, also. At this time the father Christian was failing in health and his son Lars Hans was anxious that he should learn of the what he considered the new and restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he took a Book of Mormon and went to see his parents. It took his father only one day and one night to read the Book of Mormon and become convinced of its truthfulness. He was baptized 3rd of June 1862. Christiana was baptized 8 August 1862.

In a biography written by Peter, the eldest son, he tells of the event of his father becoming baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Peter had become very concerned when he heard his parents had joined the "Mormon Church". Both Aunt Bertha Christiansen and myself have copies of Peters Biography, in part, which was obtained from a daughter of Mary Smith, Devinna Bennett, a granddaughter. Peter writes, "It was the taunting words of a village gossip that caused me to stop plowing that pleasant day in the spring of 1862 and hastened to my father's home. "Hey, Peter Christiansen", she called when in my plowing I came near to the village street. "You wouldn't be holding your head so high or think yourself so great if you knew what I know about your parents." Plainly I heard her, waved a greeting and went on hurrying to get away from her voice." Along

the fence she followed chuckling. Soon she called again, "Oh you may make it appear that you don't hear me or care, but other people know that your father and mother are very friendly with the Mormons." Determinedly, I went on up the field from her amused laughter and loud taunting voice. I was not going to let her know that her words had disturbed me or that I paid any attention to her foolish gossip. But as soon as she was out of sight I went to the house calling to my wife to hurry and dress as we were going to visit my mother and father. Plainly she showed her surprise that I would quit plowing in the early afternoon and go visiting. My best team was rapidly hooked to our carriage and as we drove along the pleasant road, I told my wife what I had heard."

"Arriving at my parents house, Christian Johansen and Christiana Pedersen Christoffersen's home, we were greeted pleasantly. In a little while my mother had taken my wife to the kitchen to prepare a nice meal, for we

must have the best when we come visiting. Silence feigned in my father's sick room. Now that I was here, how was I to ask the hated question? Father turned and with a quizzical look asked, "what is it my son, what has brought you here this busy day?" Is it true that you and mother have become Mormons? "Yes". Why, oh why have you taken such a foolish step? My father who was very ill turned and pointed to a book that lay on the table, saying, "I am too tired to answer your question son, but stay with me tonight and read that book and I believe the answer will be given to you." We stayed and when all was quiet and my father asleep, I picked up the book and read the title - The Book of Mormon, and began reading. When early morning light began to fill the room I turned to my father and saw that he was watching me, having awakened. I laid the book down trying to appear uninterested. In answer to his query, "well, how did you like the reading?" I answered `Oh, it is good as a history book of many battles.'"

This ended my copy of Peter's biography. After I had copied this much of the biography of Peter Christiansen, I asked for the next page and Mrs. Divinna S. Bennett of Pocatello, Idaho, where we were doing the copying, said she had mislaid the rest of the article and would look for it later. We never went back to see if she found it. That was our big mistake. Divenna was Peter's granddaughter, her mother being Mary Smith, a daughter of Peter Christiansen. Aunt Bertha and I had read this article weeks and months before, we remembered that Peter finally became convinced of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was later baptized and became a member of the Church on December 29, 1862 and in 1863 immigrated to America and Utah. He took his wife and four children and youngest brother Hans, who was 14 years old, with him. Also, the fiances of Lars Hans, Anne Sophia Rasmussen, came with Peter to America or at lest in the same company. Lars Hans stayed in Denmark to go on a mission for the L.D.S. Church and come to America later in 1864.

Christian Johansen Christoffersen was baptized 3rd of June 1862. Christiana was baptized the 8th of August 1862. We feel sure Lars Hans was baptized early in 1862 before his father Christian, as his brothers all said he was the first one in the family to hear the L.D.S. Missionaries and join the Church. Then he went to his parents with the message of the Restored Church. The date of Lars Hans's baptism that we found was 14 November 1862, must have been rebaptized just before he was to go on his mission in Denmark. This was a common occurrence in the early years of the Church.

Jens was baptized 10 April 1864 by Lars. Hans was baptized 29 December 1862 same day as Peter. Marie Dorthea was baptized 24 July 1862. The other two children a son Niels and daughter Hanne Marie never joined the Church and stayed in Denmark. Hanne Marie married Hans Christian Jensen in July 17, 1858 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. They had five children. Niels served in the Military and later married Ingeborg Jorgensen Kaae February 1866. They had one child, a daughter, Anna, who married Hans Peter Gram.

Peter was married to Anna Petrina Peterson on 8 November 1856 and they had four children born in Denmark. Later he married Maren Mary Olsen, a convert to the Church and disowned by her parents for joining the L.D.S. Church and came to America with Peters family, on 2 July 1864 in Salt Lake City, Utah and had eight children. On May 25, 1867 he married Ane Marie Hansen and had ten children.

Lars Hans married Anne Sophia Rasmussen 30

December 1865 in Hyrum, Utah. They had ten children. Later he married Dorthea Sorensen on April 26, 1874 in Salt Lake City, Utah and they had four children.

Jens married Martha Ericksen on 23 May 1870. They had ten children. Hans married Anna Marie Poulsen on 29 November 1867. They had three daughters. Marie Dorthea Christoffersen married Hans (Jens) Christian Dragstedt 18 November 1868 and had two sons and later married Wilhelm Anderson in 1878 and had one daughter.

After Christiana's husband, Christian, died on 19 August 1862 in Denmark, she and her son Jens and 14 year old daughter Marie Dorthea immigrated to America and Hyrum, Utah in 1864 according to Jen's History. She

Addendum

Some new additional information has been gathered on Christiana Pedersen since her life history was written in 1993 by Nellie Christiansen Christensen. Most of the new information has been summarized beautifully in a letter that Vaughn Nielsen wrote to Nellie Christensen on 25 January 1995. The following nine paragraphs are quoted directly from his letter:

Dear Nellie, Allan and I enjoy your letters which he shares with me. Your continual interest in family history and temple work is an example to all of us. Thanks for preserving information on our ancestors, particularly Christian Johansen Christoffersen and Christiane Pedersen. I'd like to tell you what I have found out about Christiane after she came to Hyrum with Hans Olsen, his sisters and our Lars Hans, Jens and Marie Dorthea.

After Christian J. Christoffersen died in Denmark, his property could not be probated and kept in Christiane's control as women were not allowed to hold property in those days in Denmark. Hans Olsen had been one of the missionaries responsible for the conversion of our family. He baptized our Lars. Hans Olsen had been baptized in 1854. He had married in 1852 but was widowed and childless at the time he met our family.

It was the custom in Denmark for a widow to quickly remarry in order to have her deceased husband's property transferred to her new husband. Hans Olsen and Christiane decided that they should marry so that they could sell our family's property and use the money to immigrate to Utah. Therefore, early in 1863, about the time Peter was preparing to depart for Zion, Hans Olsen and Christiane were married. The home and property were sold and the OLSENS were ready to come to Utah by early 1864.

When they arrived in Salt Lake City, they had already determined that Hyrum would be their home, as two of Christiane's sons were already there. Faithful Hans Olsen remained by Christiane's side until she passed away in early November 1884. One month after Christiane's death, Hans Olsen married a widow named Hansine or Sena Iversdatter, who had immigrated with her children and parents and brothers and sisters in 1882. Sena was the mother of five children, including the Mrs. Bickmore you talked about in your letters. Her name was Elna Cathrine Nielsen, future wife of William McArthur Bickmore.

When Hans Olsen married Sena Iversdatter, he was 54 yrs. old. He became a father for the first time at 55 in September of 1885. By the time his 5th child was nearly nine, Hans Olsen died and is buried in the Hyrum Cemetery by our Christiane. His wife Sena, who died in Rupert, Idaho 34 yrs. after Hans, and the first three of their five children are buried there, too. The first three children died at six, two, and three years of age. Only the last two girls lived to become mothers themselves.

Hans Olsen and Christiane arrived in Utah with Lars, Jens, Marie Dorthea, and two of Hans' sisters. After getting established, our Lars married Sophia Rasmussen 30 Dec 1865. Though I remember Aaron's boy LaGrande telling me that they were married in Hyrum, they very well could have been married in Salt Lake City, perhaps by a ward bishop, but not for time and eternity. There were no marriages for time and eternity during the Christmas holidays in 1865. The probability is that Lars and Sophia picked up their courtship at the home of Sophia's parents in Mantua, over the hill from Hyrum.

Hans Olsen and Christiane are listed at least four times in the Hyrum Ward Record, the first time on page 15. In the 1870 and 1880 Census of Utah they are listed together, with no other family as part of their household. I had thought that Hans Olsen was a polygamist, but he wasn't. On 4 Jun 1873 there is an Endowment House sealing of Hans Olsen and one Ellen Petersen, deceased. On this day Christiane did baptisms for her mother and two sisters. Hans did baptisms for his father and other family members. They were loyal to each other and faithful Latter-day Saints.

Christiane lived long enough to see the opening of the Logan Temple. During the summer of 1884, after the temple was dedicated, Hans Olsen and Christiane Olsen did the endowments for her mother and two sisters and Hans' family that they had done baptisms for in 1873. It was a thrill for me to know that Christiane was able to go to the Logan Temple those few months before she died.

I feel grateful for our heritage, a part of which is Hans Olsen, who baptized my great grandfather, Lars Hansen Christiansen, and became his stepfather. I admire Christian Johansen Christoffersen, an orphan boy raised by a great aunt that Allan and I have searched diligently for and so far have not found except as the foster mother at the confirmation of Christian Hansen

This article is entitled "Memories of Cherry Creek" and was written by Nellie Rex Christiansen Christensen on July 1, 1994.

These are things I can remember about our life while living in Cherry Creek on the farm of our parents, Moses Josephat Christiansen and Mary Caroline Hartvigsen Christiansen, who were both born in Hyrum Cache County, Utah of Danish and Norwegian parents (pioneers).

We lived in a two story house of four rooms on first floor and three rooms upstairs. There was a large kitchen with a stairway leading to the second floor, a large living-dining room, a parlor and one bedroom on the main floor. Upstairs consisted of a boys bedroom and a girls bedroom, also a room with no windows; we called the "blackroom", used for storage of telephones and big balls of torn rags for rug making and other items. Built onto the house on the southwest side was a wash house and storage for flour, sugar and other dry commodities. Underneath this wash house was a cellar to store bottled fruit, fresh vegetables, milk, cream, butter and pickles.

The house proper faced the north with a large window in the living room on the north and a door and window on the east, also a window on the north in the kitchen and a door on the west. "I don't remember the windows in the parlor or bedroom".

Our father with help from other families had built this house a few years after his and mother's marriage in 1903, 17th of June in Logan, Utah. It was sometime later he built the wash house, about 1916 as I can remember him doing it. Near our house and on a slopping hill to the west, "Papa" (as we called him) built a large barn for hay and attached to it corrals for horses, cows, calves and a few sheep. There was a tool shed and machinery sheds and out door toilet a little closer to the house also on west side. Just above the barn ran a creek that was diverted from the natural "Cherry Creek" that ran below our house on the east in a northerly direction from the canyons to the south, near "Oxford Peak", a landmark in our valley. We had water piped down to our house

Cherry Creek School

from the creek on the west into our kitchen. No electricity.

There were pig pens to the northeast of our house where we emptied our dish water for