Ruth Edna Simons Peterson (wife of Hanmer)

As their fifth daughter and their sixth child, I was born to Orrawell Jr. and Frances Mary Brewerton Simons on October 2, 1896, in Payson Utah. Unfortunately my arrival necessitated my mother missing the big reception and banquet held in honor of my grandfather and grandmother Simons Golden Wedding. One of my first recollections was a trip to Salt Lake City with my parents to attend the General Conference of our Church. I can still vividly remember the profusion of flowers along the sidewalks. They meant the Easter Season to me. During my growing years, our centrally-located home on its large lot became the meeting place of my sisters, and my own friends. Our huge two-story barn proved an ideal place for our home dramatics and the younger kids converted the old granary with its three rooms into a very satisfactory playhouse. In passing through the grades I was fortunate in having strong, able teachers. However in the fall of 1910 after my first year in the Payson High School, our family moved to the small fruit farm [The Farm] on 3112 South Melbourne St, 1845 East in Salt Lake County. It was difficult at first for my sister Edith and I to adjust to the large new East High School as we entered a few weeks late. It had its advantages however, as it offered fine basic courses in all mayor subjects. Three years at the University of Utah followed. In 1918 during World War 1, I dropped out of school to try my luck at helping with our war garden, particularly with the marketing of the fruit which brought good prices that season. During the following year I worked in a downtown shoe store, before breaking into teaching as an assistant to an excellent first grade teacher. This training afforded valuable experience and kindled the desire to return to the University to get my degree. I found my senior year at school a rich and rewarding one. The Orwell and Francis Simons family was united and loving. They set a very good example for their many descendents. Each of the nine children was very gifted and educated.

After graduation in 1923 I accepted a position of girls’ physical education instructor at the Richfield High School and taught there for three years. In Richfield I met Hanmer Peterson a young man who had recently returned from serving with the A.E. Forces in France and later with the Army of Occupation in Germany following the armistice. Just prior to the war he had filled an L.D.S. mission in Winnipeg, Canada. We had many good times together in the months that followed, taking in the numerous Church and school functions that the community afforded. On June 14th, 1926 Hanmer and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. That evening a lovely reception was given by my parents.. We went to Yellowstone Park on our honeymoon, a region I had learned to love, as I had worked there an entire season several summers before. Returning to Richfield as a bride was a pleasant prospect, and we were fortunate in renting a cozy home in Hanmer’s own ward. Four years later we had the fun of building our own little home. We were blessed with two fine sons, Lowell arranging the year following our marriage, and Robert, after we were well settled in our new home. Both Hanmer and I worked in the M.I.A. for the first few years. We were both activity councilors on the Stake board with my husband serving as manager of the church-owned community dance hall. Sunday school stake work was my next Church assignment. The final four and half years before my husband’s illness and death, I was counselor in the forth Ward Relief Society, where my husband served as Bishop for several years. Lowell, our older boy, served in the Navy in World War 2 after completing high school. He then went on a mission to the Western states before returning to complete his degree at the school of architecture at the U. After Hanmer passed away, we rented our Richfield home and moved to Salt Lake, as Robert had just completed high school and wanted to enter the U that fall. After two years of college work Bob too was called on a mission, his assignment being the East German mission. He returned to school with his mission completed, and received a degree in physics. Both boys married and are living not far from the home on 3111South 1810 East at Lowell designed and they helped build for me. I now have nine grandchildren seven boys and two girls

Hanmer and Ruth now have 11 grandchildren 8 boys and 3 girls and 22 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild. Two grandsons have died Larry and Michael. Ruth's son Bob Peterson adds Our home in Richfield was a haven to all. I was borne May 31, 1933 in the south east bed room, and Peter Monson was borne in the south west bed room. Through the years we had various cousins living with us: Ruthalene Peterson Harmels daughter, Byron Peterson from Wayne county, and Aerie Chamberlain from Salt Lake. Our piano teacher Unis Berns from Marysville stayed over night once in a while.. Our home was designed by dads friend Edward O. Anderson from Richfield. He was the Church architect of the Los Angles, Swiss, and London Temples. The home had the luxury of a steam furnace and water heater in the basement with radiators in each room. The coal room was beneath the kitchen. A automatic coal stoker was added to furnace in the forty’s . Ruth returned to teaching school from 1954 to her accidental automobile death on her way to school near Laketown, UT in 13 Feb 1968. Her last teaching assignment was teaching remedial reading in the farming towns in north eastern Utah of Laketown, Randolph, and Woodruff. Ruth loved to teach. She made leaning fun. Ruth was gifted with many artistic talents. She painted in watercolor, and oils. She wrote poetry, songs, and prose. She tried several times to get her works published. She designed and printed a 1947 Utah Centennial post card. She wrote the poem, designed the card, carved the linoleum wood cut, had >1000 copies printed by the Richfield Reaper Press on imitation cedar wall paper, sold the cards through ZCMI and other stores, and gave the income to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Mission of Elder Hanmer Emmanuel Peterson

abridged from his journal Hanmer E. Peterson left Richfield, Utah for the Salt Lake mission home on Sunday, March 15, 1914. Two days later, Heber J. Grant, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve set him apart as a missionary. He left for Winnipeg, Canada in the Northern States Mission on March 18 on the Union Pacific Railroad, stopping in Chicago for seven days, then arriving in Winnipeg on the 28th. When Hanmer first got to Winnipeg, the realities of missionary life hit him hard, and he met with some discouragement. The missionaries stayed in the basement of the hall at 932 Sherbrook, "a very miserable place to live, cement floor and not much convenience." Also, he described the Canadian winter as miserably cold, and the Canadian people as strange. Walking was the only form of transportation, and after his first experience tracting with Elder Jorgensen, Hanmer felt discouraged and tired. Soon he tried tracting alone, which was permissible then and described how he felt like he could better rely on himself and the Lord without having to rely on another companion. The average day for a missionary began very early with studying, cleaning and washing. Occasionally they would attend bible class at around nine in the morning. Then in the "forenoon" and afternoon they would tract, almost always with other Elders. In the evenings, they would have supper with members and investigators, and at night priesthood meeting, choir practice, etc. were held at the hall. Weekly, he spent an average of about 11 hours traveling to and from missionary work, 4 hours tracting, 7 hours visiting saints, 9 hours attending meetings, 18 hours studying the Gospel, 5 hours visiting investigators, and 8.2 hours having Gospel Conversations. He generally worked 62 total hours per week, or roughly nine hours daily, spending an average of $2.55 weekly. There were usually about four elders and two sisters working in Winnipeg. Sisters Greene and Smith were the only "lady missionaries" there, and Elders Nielson, Jorgensen, Cook, Cahoon, Lindholm, Heaton, Wood, Christensen, and Burke were there while he was there.

In the early twentieth century, many common mission rules that exist today were not in place. For example, he went swimming, ice-skating, to shows, photodramas, football (probably soccer) games, and parades. Also, the missionaries did rather different work much of the time. They helped members remodel, harvest, shovel snow, move pianos, purchase livestock, cut hair, etc. Also, they did a considerable amount of work on the construction of the New Chapel in Winnipeg building fences, installing doors and windows, painting and cutting sod. Elder Orson F. Whitney of the Twelve Apostles dedicated the Church on Sunday Aug. 30, 1914. After that, the Elders lived in the church. Missionaries were much older in general back then. When Hanmer left, he was almost twenty-three years old. Elder Jorgensen, his first companion was twenty seven and had left his wife behind. Elder Heaton also left a family. Hanmer kept in close touch with his family, writing his "Pa", Mary, Elsie, Harmel and Jerda often. His father sent large sums of money to support him, sometimes up to fifty dollars, which was a considerable amount in 1914. Some of it was borrowed. Hanmer and the other missionaries would frequently visit the religious services of other faiths. At first, he described them as ridiculous, but later, he learned to tolerate their differences. Toward the end of his mission, he would have lengthy discussions with ministers and pastors of other faiths. Canada declared war on Germany on Aug. 4, 1914. Of this, Hanmer replied that "The belief is generally that the war won't last more than 6 months, and Germany will be conquered." Soldiers paraded through the streets and many men voluntarily enlisted. John DeWinter and Jack Simpkin, a fifteen-year-old boy, were among the members who went to France to fight in the trenches. Mrs. Simpkin worried so much over her son that she became physically ill. Jack later received an injury to his head. Winters in Winnipeg were unbearably cold with temperatures as cold as minus forty degrees Fahrenheit. Snows began as early as September or October and lasted into May. On one very cold day, Hanmer's collar was wet and when he went outside it froze to his ear leaving it sore for some time. Living in the church, the Elders maintained the furnace, which required a lot of work. They had to clean, repair, and buy ton after ton of coal and coke. On Christmas Day of 1914, the members met in the church in the evening for a social, when the furnace leaked into the firebox. Brother Brewster sounded the alarm and everybody had to go out into the unbelievable cold. Later that winter, He left the church and resigned from his callings because the building was too cold. Incidentally, he asked for forgiveness and fellowship the next July.

One morning, while Hanmer and Elder Jorgensen were out tracting, they called at the home of a Mrs. Mortensen. "Mrs. Mortensen was scrubbing the floor when we first called on her, she was out of sorts, and called come in and when we got in she told us to get out and threw the floor rag against the wall. I was ready to go, but Elder Jorgensen talked her out of it, and we had a pretty good talk with her." One November night "Sister Blossom Huntley came in the church at night at 7 o'clock with a Mr. Harry Evanson and wanted to be married. I acted as best man and Sister Smith as best lady, Pres. Christensen performing the ceremony. Sister Huntley wanted it to be kept quiet." Hanmer left Winnipeg on March 1, 1916 "with the best of feelings between [himself] and the saints". He was sorry to leave the other Elders and Sisters. They "had seen some discouraging times together, but had got along well and [weren't] any worse for [their] experience". He was also glad to return to his home in Richfield. However, the missionary spirit stayed with him for the rest of his life. He always described a visit to the barber as a good opportunity to share the Gospel. Later in life, he shared fond memories of his mission with his children and visited his old companions often. He went on to be a bishop and a high councilman. Truly, sharing the Gospel was his lifetime ambition.

Augusta Johannesdotter Peterson (wife of Niels Peter Peterson)

by Marilyn Felt Anderson (granddaughter) Augusta Johnson, the daughter of Johannas Backlund and Christina Olafson (Olafsdatter), was born in Bracken, Jarn County, Sweden, on July 31, 1865. Her father, whom she described as being quite “well to do”, died before her birth; and before she reached the age of three, her mother, who nursed many of those afflicted with scarlet fever, died from an attack of the disease. Augusta went to live with her maternal grandparents, Olaf Larson and Kajsa Persson, but remained with them only a short time. When four or five, she went to live with her mother’s brother, Johannes Olson and his wife Christina. Augusta contracted scarlet fever at this time, but soon recovered. Her uncle, Johannes, was also seized and succumbed to the attack. His wife remarried and her posterity consisted of three children, Johann Johannasen, Sophia Johannasen, and an unidentified girl. When Grandmother was seven or eight, Christina took her back to her grandparents. They were very good to her, but being elderly people, in their seventies, they could not work, and Augusta found it necessary, at this early age, to help support herself. She herded cows and tended babies, which helped to supplement the support money that her grandparents received from the Lutheran Church. When Augusta’s grandmother died, she went to Mellerud to live with a family. At age eleven, she tended their only child and sewed, while the parents worked, the woman in a creamery and her husband on a train. Two years later, her grandfather died. She remembers being with him when he died, and said he could walk right up to the very last. She also recalled that he was probably a soldier in his early days, and that in his later years he tended a little plot of ground, where he raised vegetables.

At fourteen, Grandmother was sent to the Lutheran priest in Jarn County. She received there instruction in a class during the summer to prepare her for confirmation. She graduated from the class and was confirmed, receiving for her achievement a New Testament. Shortly afterwards at about fifteen, she went to Mon, a town on the Norwegian-Swedish border. The trains stopped there, and the passengers ate at the hotel. Grandmother worked in the hotel waiting on tables. In her late eighties, she could remember the way she served the dinners – a smorgasbord first, consisting of wine and hors d’oeuvres, and then the vegetable and meat course later. She worked a year, and then signed for another year. However, she cancelled the arrangement, because she decided to go to America. Her employers tried very hard to convince her to stay, and told her if she wasn’t treated right, they would send money to bring her back. Evidently, the great opposition and persecution, which members of the Church in Sweden endured in those early days, prevented many form entering the waters of baptism. But, while Grandmother was working in Mon, the Mormon missionaries found her, taught her the Gospel, and she was baptized. In 1963, when Mother and I visited the little Lutheran church where Grandmother had been a member, we found her name in the parish records with a line through it and “Mormon” written after it. Her parents never joined the Church, but Grandmother later did their temple work in Manti, Utah. Grandmother was to receive money to come to America from her cousin in Grantsville, Charlie Olsen. But when the money was delayed she went to Goteborg where she worked for woman who ran a lunch stand. She cleaned for her and took care of her young baby. It was at this time that Grandmother developed a great abhorrence for alcoholic drinks. The woman’s husband was frequently drunk, and Grandmother was shown the misery and heartache that his conduct brought to his family. From that time, she determined that her husband must not drink. Later on, when she met Grandfather, the fact that he did not drink gave her great faith that he would be a good and reliable husband.

Grandmother remained in Goteborg until money came from America. She waited much longer than she had anticipated and began to fear that she might never see Utah. Finally the money did arrive, and she realizes now that had it come earlier, she would not have met Grandfather on the boat she was on, just returning from a mission in Denmark. She reminisced that it “seemed that was the way it had to be.” In her late eighties, Grandmother retained a keen and a clear memory of events that transpired in her early life. She had a strong faith that she had been guided throughout her days by our Heavenly Father. Grandmother began her long voyage by taking a boat to Denmark, where she waited three or four days at the mission home for the boat to America. She enjoyed the trip from Denmark to America, and recalls the dances they had on board. In fact, she met Grandfather at one of those dances. The missionaries were instructed to take care of the emigrants. Being only eighteen and alone, Grandmother was very shy and appreciated Grandfather’s attention. She recalled that he brought her an orange on one occasion, and eventually they became better acquainted. The boat landed at New York City, where they took a train to Salt Lake. Grandfather said goodbye there and went on to Richfield. Grandmother stayed in Salt Lake one week and then rode to Grantsville in a covered wagon, which was hauling goods. Upon arriving, she repaid her cousin Charlie Olson the money she had used in traveling from Sweden. She then went to Idaho to visit her aunt, Sophia Erickson. Grandfather corresponded with Grandmother and asked her to marry him. When she was nineteen, he came to Idaho and urged her to make a decision. When she consented to be his wife, they traveled to Logan, and were married in the Temple on the twenty-first of April, 1886.

They made their home in Richfield, where Grandmother was a devoted mother and wife. She raised eight children and has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her children, all but the last, were born without the aid of a doctor. Each time she gave birth, she barely escaped death. She has told many times how she put her faith and trust in the Priesthood, and was administered to on each of these occasions. She spent her married years in the little rock house in Richfield, which Grandfather built. She raised her children in the faith and was a very good sweet, and patient mother. Two of her sons preceded her in death. Lester was shot while hunting and Hanmer died of multiple sclerosis. When she became too old and ill to live alone, she began living with her children and spent time with Harmel, Jerda, and Elsie. In her eighty-ninth year, she went to Logan where she now resides (1956) in a home for the aged. It is across the street from the Temple, where she was married many years ago. She has very good care - a sweet nurse who often writes to me about her, and many friends who have grown to love her. She has always had many friends. One cannot help loving her sweet spirit. She seldom complains, for it is her nature to be long-suffering and patient. She has often expressed her desire to keep peace rather than to complain or criticize. She has set a marvelous example for all of us, her posterity, to follow. Following is a brief extract from a letter her nurse sent to me: “She is a doll – patience and kindness, I know, must be her motto. Yes, she’s talked of her husband being near and said she would soon join him. She likes me to come in and chat with her, but I can’t always do so. Nights are easiest as others are in bed and asleep, so we do get to visit a little. I kissed her cheek the other night as I finished getting her in bed, and she said, ‘Oh my, what have I done to receive that?’, and I told her just because I love you. She smiled a beautiful smile and said, ‘I’m glad you do’.” Grandmother passed away on June 7, 1956, after being unconscious for two days.

History of Niels Peter Peterson

A Short Sketch of My Life by Niels Peter Peterson) (information supplied Oct. 1944) ( Includes an article from the Richfield Reaper, dated May 9, 1935.) I was born in Albek, Hjorring, Denmark, our home being located on the south side of a large hill, (was called a mountain in Denmark); near a stream that ran into Catagaten arm of the North Sea near Voersan on the 9th day of May 1858, at 5 o’clock in the morning. You might question this last statement but I was there and I ought to know. I have followed it up as I now often get up at 5:00 in the morning. There were seven children in the family, four brothers and three sisters. All were born in the same place except my baby sister, Elsie, who was born in Pleasant Grove, Utah, October 9th 1862. My oldest sister, Anne Marie was born May 16, 1853, Sunday at 10 o’clock a.m.; James Christian, December 12,1854, 3 o’clock a.m.; Mary, June 12, 1856 at 4 p.m. (died April, 1862); Niels Peter, May 9, 1858; Ole Christian, June 24, 1859, at 4 p.m. (died in May 1862); Christian, June 17, 1861 at 9 p.m., (died May 1862); Elsie Marie, October 9, 1862, lived 32 days. To please father who was not a member of the Mormon Church, I was sprinkled at birth in the church at Albek. Soren Christensen’s mother was my Godmother and will be responsible for all my sins (poor soul). They dressed me in a beautiful white dress, white cap with a beautiful flower, and father drove the company to church, but I did not write what took place in the church. Mother stayed at home to prepare the feast and in her hurry tipped over the pitcher of cream, which meant bad luck.
On October 14, 1861 my father was baptized, my mother was baptized November 27, 1857, nearly four years before. These four years were trying periods for my parents, there being fear of separation; before this there had been perfect love and confidence. About December 26, 1858, when I was a babe about six months old, we all had scarlet fever except father. When I was three years old my brother Jim chopped Mary’s little finger, which created an excitement in our home. This is the only incident I remember before we immigrated. In the first part of April 1862, when we were ready to go to America, our home was sold and our household furniture was sold at auction. Hans Christiansen hitched up his team and took us to Aalborg. From there we traveled to Hamburg, Germany, where my sister Mary died. Father had a coffin made but did not get time to bury her there before the ship started and she was the first to be buried at sea. We bounded the ship Franklin, and the 9th of April and sailed about the 15th with 413 emigrants. Robert Murray was captain. Our leader was Bishop C. A. Madsen of Gunnison and his two counselors, J.C.A. Weiby and L. Larson. We were divided into eight companies with the following leaders at the head of each; J.C. Thurpe, J.C. Kornem, Niels F. Larsen and J. Anderson, with J.P. Mortensen appointed to look after our goods. Anthon H. Lund acted as interpreter and C. Anderson to look after baggage weights. The emigrants brought the measles with them on board the ship and about forty, mostly children, were soon down with the disease, and by the 27th of May there were 46 deaths, three adults and 43 children.Friday, May 2nd, two of N. M. Peterson’s children died, Aaron Christina and the baby Fjelsted. My brother Christian died Sunday May 4th at one o’clock, p.m. and Ole Christian died Sunday, May 11th. Jens Mortensen, James H, Peterson’s brother died May 19th. All through this great sorrow they had their meetings, gatherings, and dancing almost daily on board the ship. They had their call the get up at five o’clock in the morning, prayer at seven a.m. and 8:30 p.m. They mopped the deck three times a week and disinfected the ship twice on the trip by burning tar. We had some rainy weather about mid-ocean but the weather in general was pretty good. Thursday morning, May 29th, we landed in the New York harbor. We got on a transport boat, but at reaching the bridge at Castle Garden we were stopped, as several were still sick with the measles. We had to go back to the ship and remained for two more nights and one day when eighteen who were sick were transported to the hospital and we were permitted to land at Castle Garden on May 31st, were we were received by C.C. Rich, John VanCot and others. A number of the emigrants did not have means to continue the journey but though the kindness of those who did have the money, the poorer class was helped along. We boarded the train at 9:00 p.m. and landed next morning, June 1st, at Albany and from there we continued our journey by rail via Syracuse, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Windsor, Detroit, and Chicago, also through Quincy, Illinois and from there by boat to Hannibal; from Hannibal by rail to St. Joseph, arriving June 6, 1862. The next day we got a boat where we were very crowded and uncomfortable. We landed at Florence on Monday, June 9th, at 10 o’clock in the evening. Here we met H. C. Hansen’s company who sailed with the ship Humboldt about the same time as we sailed but had reached Florence a week before we did. Soren Christofferson’s company sailed from Hamburg, April 18th, with 336 emigrants on the ship “Electric”, H.C. Johnson, captain; O.N. Lilyenquist’s company sailed from Hamburg on April 21st, on board the ship “Athenia” with 484 emigrants; D. Schelings captain. These companies made up one of the largest migrations from Europe to America up to that time and for many years after. Tuesday, June 10th just north of Florence, we put up our tents, bought wagons, oxen, cows, stoves, cooking utensils for the journey over the plains. Some of the poor people went with the teams provided by the church; some had apostatized and they left the company. We stopped at Florence for several weeks. Just before leaving Florence on the 7th day of July, we were visited by a very heavy tornado. Two men were killed and Joseph W. Young was struck unconscious by a wagon box, which was blown down on him. However, he soon recovered. Father had a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows they could use when needed, and was in partnership with another man who had a yoke of oxen and a wagon so they could hitch up three yoke when needed. By the time we reached the valley we had been about six months on our journey. I don't remember our experiences enroute, but older members of the party have told me how I would get tired and ask to walk. Father would let me out of the wagon and in a very short time I would be tired and he would stop and take me up into the wagon again. At the end of our journey 62 of our company had died. I do not know how many died shortly after from exposure endured on the trip. My mother and baby sister died soon after we settled in Pleasant Grove, in a room near the meeting house which Father had rented. We moved from there and rented two rooms from Mr. Renalds for the winter. In the spring of l863 father built a cellar, which we lived in until later in the summer when he built an adobe house in the west part of town on the road to America Fork. We lived there until the spring of l864, when we moved to Richfield. We brought our belongings in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, Tom and Jerry, also, the two cows, Red and Roan, which we brought over the plains. Sometime after Mother’s death in Pleasant Grove, Father married Mrs. Marin Anderson who was about nine years his senior. She taught me to read the New Testament, which we brought along with us. I would read one chapter in the forenoon and one in the afternoon, and sometimes an extra chapter or two for punishment; but I became a very good reader without learning my alphabet. This proved of great worth to me in later years when I was sent on a m After moving to Richfield in 1864, we lived with N. A. Petersen and family in their cellar till we could build one of our own. We had crossed the sea and plains with them, lived neighbors with them in Pleasant Grove, Richfield and Fort Ephraim. One of my first jobs in Utah was to herd geese for Andrew Petersen, and at this time I was about five years old. Later I herded sheep for father and N.M. Petersen. I was out with the sheep north of town the morning the Indians made a raid on the Glenwood cowherd. They killed a man; his wife and Mary Smit on the Glenwood dug way. At this time I was about seven years old. When the two other boys and I heard the shots we started walking toward town. Shortly afterward we heard the old drum at the Fort beat and then we left our animals and ran. In those days people here had very little to eat or wear, and in order to make the most meager living they had to work very hard. In the summer of 1864 the people did their farming under the spring ditch south and east of town. During the winter and spring of 1865, they dug the Richfield Canal, nearly twelve miles long and mostly all by spading. I understood they had one scraper, homemade ploughs and tools. The same spring the Blackhawk War broke out which was a great drawback to the development of our country. Many people lost their lives in a very inhuman manner. Our animals were stolen and it was necessary to build fort walls in every town for protection. Our nearest gristmill was at Manti, fifty miles away and very dangerous to travel. Many people had to live without flour for weeks at a time. Finally after three year’s struggle, in the spring of 1867, the Sevier Valley was abandoned. We moved to Ephraim, and on October 27, 1867, I was baptized in the Fort Ephraim Creek by N.L. Christensen, and confirmed by Niels C. Christiansen. That winter we lived in Niels Anderson’s cellar. The next Summer Father made the adobes and built a two-room home on South Main Street, which is still standing. (1925) That summer, (1868) the Indians stole part of Ephraim’s horse herd and some of Manti’s cattle. We, also, had the grasshopper war and it was a very hard struggle to save some of the crops that year. The grasshoppers were so thick that during their migration from one place to another they darkened the sun. After long-suffering months the Indian chiefs were finally subdued and peace terms were made, and the pipe of peace was smoked in Ephraim. While living in Ephraim I attended Henry Hudson’s school for two winters. We would read, write, and spell and even sing the states. In the summer time I became an expert fisherman, catching from 30 to 80 chubs in a day; these kept the family and some of the neighbors in fish. I learned to swim in the Ephraim Creek. I also herded N. M. Peterson and Father’s sheep on the bench south of Guard Nole and in the foothills where I got frost in my toes, which troubled me for years after. I gleaned wheat in the fall of the year to help support the family. In 1871, we returned to Richfield. I had just finished school for that year. Patriarch Poulson and his brother Chris stayed over night at our place and hauled my bedding. I helped them drive their sheep and cattle to Richfield. We took us three days to make the journey. My Father and brother Jim were already here when I arrived. I remember the whole valley was covered with brush and willows. One of my first experiences after arriving was suffering for about a week with the earache. My next job was herding the town sheep herd. Christopher Nielson and I took the herd for one year, herding every other week. During this time I kept the family supplied with rabbit meat. For this service I received $90 in produce. It should have been $100 but they claimed we had lost a few head of sheep, which we hadn’t missed.

Again I attended school. This time at Henry Hudson’s school and William G. Baker’s in the old school house joined to the fort wall, which was built in 1865. Later still I attended Dinnie Harris’ and about 1881, Daniel Harrington’s school in the Academy Hall. With the money I received for herding in the early 70’s I bought a few head of cattle. These I traded them to my brother for his ten acres of land adjoining mine. I then bought me a pair of mules and an old harness. Shortly after I bought one of the first new hand plows that came to the Sevier Valley; I would them ride my team in the field to plow. My next venture was a new Schuttler Wagon, which I bought on time from the late James M. Peterson, which cost me some interest money before I got it paid for. However, I was now prepared to do some freighting out to mines in West Utah and Nevada. This was about the only way for us to earn money. In the spring of 1874, the United Order was started in Richfield and lasted a little over three years. I helped to drive the first church cattle over into Wayne County; we were five days traveling as far as to where Thurber is now located. At that time there were no settlers in that valley except McClellans, Beason Lewis’ ranch cabin, and a few Indian wickiups. That fall I went with a company of sixteen to work on the St. George Temple. I was then sixteen years old. Here I worked in the stone quarry until the New Year, after which I slacked lime and mixed mortar at the east end of the Temple for about three months. The walls of the Temple were finished that spring. On the 11th day of March I received my patriarchal blessing under the hands of William G. Parkins, a patriarch ordained to that office by the Prophet Joseph Smith. The St. George Temple was partly dedicated January 1, 1877, and the whole building was dedicated April 6, 1877. During the summer of 1875 I farmed and worked for father in the Order. As I remember, I worked for Joshua Sylvester in the harvest field on his farm south of Central.

The next two years I spent at farming, freighting, making a few trips out west, working at the various jobs in the harvest fields, binding, and in general taking my station with other men. I also had my first experience running a self-binder In the fall of 1877 the United Order was dissolved with a great deal of dissatisfaction among the people. I was ordained a Priest on December 9, 1879, by Bishop Paul Poulson and ordained an elder in the St, George Temple, December 2, 1880, by John Pny. We traveled to the St. George Temple during midwinter. The distance was about 175 miles and the snow was very deep. Our trip lasted about six weeks. Some of us went through for six endowments. Our company consisted of three teams. In my wagon were William Heywood and wife (Aunt Jane's grandparents), father and Martha, her children, Olena and Charley, my sister and her two-year-old baby Joseph. My brother Jim had his wife and her mother, Sister Baker. I think it was in the winter of 1881 I went to school again. I had not been going for a few years and felt the necessity of getting a little more education. This time I went to Daniel Harrington’s school. I also, went out as a ward teacher with Hans Christensen, a work that I continued to do actively until last year (1943). In 1882 I started to build our rock house. I hauled all of the rock and got the walls up about to the top of the windows that fall when I received a call from Box “B” to go on a mission. I had no money, as I remember, and was in debt some on building. I sold my horses and harness and left the walls of my building standing; and prepared to go. It was a long rip back to New York, and after seeing some of the “sights of the East, I set sail for Denmark, there I served as a missionary for a little over two years. I visited the place of my birth and other places of interest that I had heard my father speak of. On my return trip on the boat, I met a beautiful Swedish girl. I couldn’t speak Swedish and she couldn’t speak Danish, but we each spoke in our own tongue and understood what our hearts said. Arriving in Salt Lake City she went to Oakley, Idaho, to live with a maternal aunt, Sophia Erickson, and I returned to Richfield.

Augusta Johnson was a daughter of Johanes Backlund and Christena Olfson Backlund. She was born in Bracken, Jernsoken, Sweden, on July 31st, 1866. By the time she was three years old, her parents had both died, and her maternal grandparents then raised her. When she was eleven years old her grandmother died, and when thirteen her grandfather died. They were peasant folk and she too had known many hardships. Her schooling had been in the Lutheran country church schools, her work had been in the fields and herding cattle. After the death of her grandparents she worked for a well-to-do aunt, and later became a waitress in a tourists’ resort. It was there that her opportunity had come to go to “her people” in America. She had accepted the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints. To her it was sacred, a basis for formulating her entire life; it was during this trip to America that she met her future husband. Arriving home I completed my house and made all arrangements for my wife-to-be. We corresponded and each had to have an interpreter for our letters, but it was not until April 1886, that I hitched up my team and started for Idaho. I was ten days on the trip – a long time for one who is not sure of the answer to his question, but upon arriving at the home where she was staying, I told her what I had come for and she accepted me. We were married in the Logan LDS Temple on April 21, 1886, by Apostle Merrill, and after a six-week honeymoon we arrived in Richfield on the 7th day of May. I carried my bride over the threshold, and we have lived in the same house for over 58 years. There are eight children who have come to bless our union. They are John Lester, Hanmer Emanuel, Harmel Movell, Elsie Christina (Barker), Mary (Monson), Jerda Auerlia (Felt), Lars Eldon and Niels Marcus. We celebrated our Golden Wedding eight years ago. Our posterity includes twenty-eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. On son, one son-in-law, and seven grandsons are serving our country in the armed forces.

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Richfield Pioneer Observes His Seventy –Seventh Birthday (Richfield Reaper) Richfield, May 9 – One of the few remaining of the original 1864 Richfield settlers, N.P. Peterson today observed his seventy seventh birthday at his home here. Mr. Peterson was born in Albet, Hjorring, Denmark, May 9 1858. After joining the church in their native land, he and his parents auctioned their furniture and went to Hamburg, Germany, where they boarded the sailing ship, Franklin, April 8, 1862, and started for America. He was one of a party of 413 emigrants under Capt. Robert Murray and C.A. Madsen. Because of exposure on the journey, 46 of the company were buried at sea before the boat reached New York harbor on May 29. Many Perish Then came further hardship during the trek to Utah. Altogether 62 companions perished before the party reached Zion. Mr. Peterson’s mother and sister died shortly after arriving at Pleasant Grove, their first home in Utah. Leaving Pleasant Grove by ox 71 years ago, the family came to Richfield. That was in the spring of 1864. Here they found the grass green, watered by the warm springs of this vicinity. But in 1867, due to depredations of Black Hawk and his warriors, the settlement was abandoned by the pioneers, who did not return until the spring of 1871.

Filled Mission Mr. Peterson filled a mission to Denmark from 1882 to 1884. His last year there was spent under the presidency of the late Pres. Anthon H. Lund, who had been in the Murray emigrant company of 1862. He has also served for 30 years as high councilman in the old Sevier Stake: city councilman, one term; supervisor city streets, workman on the tabernacle, St. George Temple and other projects. He is still actively doing farm labor. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson are the parents of eight living children, Lester, Hanmer, Eldon, and Marcus of Richfield; Harmel, Loa; Mrs. J. R. Barker and Mrs. Mathew Monson of Glendale; Mrs. Richard N. Felt, Salt Lake. They also have 18 grand children.

The Life of Lars Peder (Peter) Christensen (Peterson)

THE LIFE OF LARS PEDER CHRISTENSEN (PEDERSON)

Contributed By Chad Hansen · 2013-07-14 19:10:00 GMT+0000 (UTC) · 0 Comments

Written by N. Marcus Peterson (grandson) Lars (also spelled Laurs) Peder Christensen was born on November 27, 1825 in Fourholt, Albaek Sogan (Parish), Hjorring Amt (County), Denmark. He was the son of Christen Pedersen and Marie Lauren. His name was chosen to perpetuate the names of both his mother and father. Three children had preceded him in the family, but each had lived but a short time. The eldest, Peder, was born October 6, 1818 and died the same day. The next, Laurs Peder, was born September 24, 1820 and died on September 30, six days later. The third children was born on July 8, 1822 and died the same day. So, when Laurs was born, it was a happy time, and brought joy to his parents to know that they had an heir to carry on their name. Christen Pedersen, Laurs' Father, lived to see him married to Else Marie Jensen of Fourholt and to know that he had a posterity. Marie Laursen, his Mother, must have been pleased when her only child became the father of a whole family of "Laursens" since her father was Laurs Laursen. The Parish Register shows that Ane Marie, their first child, was born May 16, 1853 at 10 o'clock A.M.; Jens Christen Larsen was born December 12, 1854 at 3 o'clock A.M.; Maren was born June 12, 1856 at 4:00 P.M.; Niels Peter was born May 9, 1858 at 5:00 A.M.; Ole Christen was born June 24, 1859 at 4:00 P.M.; and Christen Larsen was born June 17, 1861 at 9:00 P.M.

These six children were born at the Family home, Fourholt. It was located on the south side of a large hill near a stream that ran into the North Sea near Vososo. After Laurs Peder and Else Marie were married on November 26, 1852, a series of events occurred which changed the lives of the family, and even changed the names of the members of the family. Else's widowed mother, Maren Mickelsen, married Ole Mickelsen. They accepted the Gospel when contacted by Latter-day Saint missionaries and prepared to leave for America. Else's only sister, Johanne Marie, was baptized into the Church in 1855 and left the next year for America with her mother and step-father. Johanne joined the "Hand Cart" Company to cross the plains, and Maren and Ole went with the Ox-Team Company. Maren died before reaching Salt Lake City, but Johanne made the difficult trip and latter married John Paternoster Squires. Else accepted the Gospel and was baptized on November 27, 1857, Laurs' birthday. This was a critical time for the young family. Where there had been perfect love and confidence between Laurs and his wife, there now was religious differences. He insisted that the children be baptized into the Lutheran Church at birth. He drove the Company to the Church at Albaek while Else stayed home to prepare the feast. Church members were severely persecuted in Denmark at this time. There was now bickering and contention to the point of almost causing a separation. But, on October 14, 1861, Laurs was baptized--he had finally seen the light. Before Laurs married, he had served in the Danish Army in the War of 1848 over the Schlechwich-Holstein Corridor. In his little diary he tells of the march from northern Jutland to the Prussian Border and return. (I enclose a translation in the Appendix. See page 12.) For his service he was awarded a medal by the King of Denmark, Frederick VII. Laurs' mother died on December 15, 1855, and his father on September 28, 1857, shortly before Else joined the Church. After Laurs joined the Church, they decided to make preparations to emigrate to America. By the first part of April 1862 he had sold his home and furniture, and they were ready to leave Denmark. Their neighbor, Hans Christensen, drove the family to Aalborg, a distance of 15 miles. From there, they went by boat to Hamburg, Germany. Other members of the LDS Church were emigrating to the United States at this time. Tragedy struck when they arrived in Hamburg on April 8, 1862. Little Maren took the measles and died on April 14--she was not quite six years old. Laurs had a coffin made, and the body of Maren (Mary) was placed in it; but there was not time for a burial. Her body was taken aboard the ship and buried at sea.

They settled on the good ship, Franklin, about the 15th of April. There were 413 emigrants on board. The Captain was Robert Murray. Their leader was Bishop C. A. Madsen (see Footnote 1, page 9), later of Gunnison, with his two counselors. The emigrants brought the measles on board the ship and in a short time about forty persons were stricken with the disease. Little Christen died on Sunday May 4th at 1:00 P.M.; and Ole Christian followed a week later. All through the sorrow, the emigrants had their meetings, gatherings, and dancing. The deck was mopped three times each week, and the ship was disinfected by burning tar twice during the trip. The weather in general was good, although there was some rain about mid-ocean. on Thursday morning, May 29th, they landed in New York Harbor, having been on the ocean for six weeks. During this six weeks, the call to arise was sounded at five in the morning; prayer was at seven, and evening prayer at 8:30 P.M. Bishop Madsen and his two counselors, J. C. A. Weiby and L. Larsen were in charge. They divided the group into eight Companies with the following leaders: J. C. Thorpe, J. C. Kornem, Niels Mortensen, L. P. Fjelsted, C. P. Bjorreguard, J. C. S. Frost, F. Larsen, and J. Anderson. J. F. Mortensen was appointed to look after their belongings. Anton H. Lund acted as interpreter, and C. Anderson looked after the baggage weights. In New York they boarded a Transport Boat and prepared to land with the thrill of knowing that their first destination had been reached; but at the bridge of Castle Garden they were stopped due to the fact that several of the immigrants were still ill with the measles. They all had to go back to the ship and remain for two more nights. Then, eighteen persons who were still ill, were transported to a hospital, and the rest were permitted to land at Castle Garden on May 31st. There they were received by C. C. Rich, John Van Cott, and others.

A number of the immigrants did not have the means to continue the journey; but through the kindness of those who did have funds, the poorer people were helped along. They boarded the train at nine o'clock that evening, and were in Albany the next morning, June 1st. From there, they continued their journey by rail, via Syracuse, Rochester, Niagara Falls, Windsor, Detroit, and Chicago. Then, on through Quincy, Illinois. from there, they went by boat to Hannibal, Missouri. Then, by rail to st. Joseph; arriving on June 6th. The next day they were crowded on to a boat where they were very uncomfortable for three days until they landed at Florence, Missouri on Monday June 9th at 10:00 P.M. Here, they met three other companies that had sailed at about the same time as they. The next day, they pitched their tents just north of Florence. Here they bought wagons, oxen, cows, stoves, cooking utensils, and other necessary things for the journey over the Plains. Some of the poorer people traveled with the teams provided by the Church. Many things happened to test the faith of these Saints. Some of them apostatized and left the Company. They remained at Florence for several weeks. Just before leaving, a very heavy tornado struck. Two men were killed, and Joseph W. Young was knocked unconscious by a wagon-box falling on him. Others were hurt; but their journey across the Plains commenced that day, 7 July 1862. Laurs had a yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows which could be used when needed. He was in partnership with another man who had a yoke of oxen and a wagon. When needed, they could hitch up three yoke of animals. During the long trek across the plains, the three children often walked behind the wagon. They were on the way nearly 80 days, arriving in the valley on September 23rd. They had been about six months on the journey. Sixty-two of the Company had died from exposure and illness; others died soon after reaching Utah. Soon after they reached Salt Lake City, Lars took his family to settle in Pleasant Grove, Utah in a rented room. There is nothing in the record to show why Else did not remain with her sister, Johanne, who lived in Salt Lake City. Else gave birth to her seventh child on October 9th and died a week later on October 17th. The long journey had been too strenuous for her. The hardships had taken their toll, and at the age of twenty-nine she found rest in the new land. Only her family and close friends mourned her passing. She was buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery. The new baby, Else Marie, lived but 32 days, and died on November 10, 1862. She was buried by her mother's side in the cemetery.

Who knows the affect her passing had on Lars and on Johanne, Else's sister, who lived with her husband, John Paternoster Squires in Salt Lake City. Three years later, Johanne named her fourth child, Alice Marie, for her sister. Then after two more years, she gave birth to a boy; but the baby and Johanne both died. She was thirty-two. Another sad obituary! Now, Lars was told that he should marry another wife to care for his children. He married Maren Andersen of Voer, Denmark, who was nine years his senior on 8 December 1862. Lars and his family moved from the room near the meeting house, where Else had died, into two rooms which he rented from a Mr. Reynolds. Here they lived for the winter. In the spring of 1863, he built a cellar where they lived until summer. Then he built an adobe house in the west part of Pleasant Grove, on the road to American Fork. They lived there until the next spring when they moved to Richfield in a covered wagon drawn by two oxen, Tom and Jerry. They also had two cows, Red and Roan, which they had brought across the plains. In the summer of 1863, George A. Smith, a member of the Quorum of The Twelve, then a resident of Provo, called upon G. W. Bean to take a small company of men and explore Sevier Valley for the purpose of settlement. If they found it favorable, about fifty families would be called from Provo to found a colony. The Company began their journey on July 15, 1863. It consisted of G. W. Bean, John W. Turner, Bishop William Fausett, Silas Smith, Marion Smith, and Abraham Holliday. They went by way of Gunnison and there met the colorful character, Barney (Elijah Ward), a mountaineer who had joined the Mormon religion. He had reared a family by a Shoshone squaw. He informed the party that they were going into the finest country for wintering stock in Utah. The party pushed eagerly on to the salt creek at Salina; they crossed the Sevier River to a large spring near the present town of Redmond; and continued to the present site of Richfield, where it was decided themain settlement should be established. On the way back to Provo, the Company stopped in Spring City, where they told Orson Hyde of their journey and of Elder Smith's proposed settlement in Sevier Valley. Orson told the exploration party that no one was to settle in the Sanpete-Sevier district without first discussing the move with him, as he was in charge of the district. On his return to Provo, Elder Bean made his report to Apostle Smith, and informed him of the claims of Apostle Hyde. The matter was then referred to the First Presidency, and it was decided that Elder Orson Hyde had the responsibility of settling Sanpete and Sevier Valleys. In was not long until a company was sent by Brigham Young, under the direction of Orson Hyde, to settle the part of the Valley now known as Richfield. In December, 1863, nine men taken mostly from Sanpete County, journeyed to Richfield. They were Albert Lewis, Nelson Higgins, Andrew Poulsen, Hans Hansen, George Ogilvie, C. O. Hansen, August Nielsen, Judge Smith, and Mr. Glenn. They reached Richfield January 6, 1864. The season was very cold and travelling conditions were slow. Orson Hyde now called by letter about thirty families to settle Warm Springs, as Richfield was then called. Later it was called Omni after the Book of Mormon prophet. The first of these families began to arrive March 13, 1864. Among them was Lars Peter Peterson and family. (His name had been changed by the immigration authorities from Christensen to Peterson.) They moved in with N. M. Petersen and his family in their cellar. The first dwellings were dug-outs, made by digging a cellar, placing a willow and dirt roof over the excavation, and forming steps in the soil leading to the entrance. There were no windows or doors, just a cloth hung at the entrance to keep out some of the cold. As soon as the family arrived, they were given a plat of five acres of land. The first thing to do was to clear the land and prepare it for planting. They had to raise the food to sustain them through the following winter. Next, they had to build a suitable shelter of their own.

The Indians were a problem. They came, not begging for food, but demanding it. Many times the children went to bed hungry because the Indians had come demanding the pot of stew and ate all of it. By 1865 Indian troubles were so bad that it was decided that a Fort had to be built and families moved into it for protection. Each family that owned a lot was asked to build a rod of wall to be 3 1/2 feet wide at the base, 12 feet high, and 12 inches wide at the top. That would make a wall around one city block. Many families from the outlying settlements had to move to Richfield and lie there for protection. (The name "Richfield" was now chosen because of the rich soil.) The young children that were assigned to herding the animals were in constant danger from the Indian raids that were made on those herds. Men had to carry guns while working in the fields. In July 1866 the trouble was so bad that 50 men were sent with Daniel H. Wells to help guard against the Indians. Many scalpings and killings and much destruction and theft of stock took place. On March 21, 1867 Jens Peter Petersen, his wife, Amalia and Mary Smith were killed by the Indians. Soon came the decision from President Young that Richfield should be evacuated. In utter despair the people completely abandoned Sevier Valley by the latter part of April. All the inhabitants moved to Sanpete. Lars decided to go to Ft. Ephraim. Two hundred wagons arrived from Sanpete to assist in the evacuation. Lars lived in Niels Andersen's cellar during the first winter. The next summer, he made adobes and built a two-room home on South Main Street. Here they lived until the Black Hawk War was ended and peace was reached with the Indians. On August 3, 1867, Lars' daughter, Anne Marie, was married to Jens L. Petersen in the Salt Lake Endowment House. They moved to St. Joseph, Nevada. In the meantime, Lars and his deceased wife, Else, were sealed for time and all eternity by W. Woodruff in the Salt Lake Endowment House on November 5, 1866 with Maren acting as proxy for Else. (See Book D, page 655, #8974.) In the summer of 1870 they obtained permission from President Brigham Young to return to their former home in Richfield. But their troubles were not over. A small company arrived in Richfield on November 5, but very little work was attempted during the winter. It was very cold and long. Guards were stationed around the cattle at night. In the early spring of 1871 Lars and his 16 year old son, Jim, returned to Richfield to make preparations for the return of the rest of the family. Lars' 13 year old son, Niels, records, "I had just finished school for that year. Patriarch Poul Paulsen and his brother, Chris, stayed overnight at our home in Ephraim. They were on their way back to the Sevier Valley and they told me that they would take me with them if I would help them drive their stock to Richfield. It took us three days to make the journey. My father and brother were already there when I arrived. I remember that whole valley was covered with sage brush and willows."

In a mass meeting held in March 1871, Lars was appointed to represent Plot "B" of the town of Richfield. Peace treaties were signed with the treacherous Indians in 1871. During the summer, great swarms of grasshoppers swooped down on the grain fields and gardens. The settlers were near starvation but the little group of fifteen families struggled through. They made their own clothes--their trousers were of buckskin or canvas. Hats were braided of reeds or straw. They dug their canals by spading or with homemade plows. The crops that year were at total loss but the people did not allow themselves to become discouraged. By careful planning and diligent care they managed to eke out a living with their meager amount of supplies. In the end, it proved to be the turning point for the people of Richfield. Brigham Young sent his oldest son, Joseph, to live among the people of Richfield. On July 24, 1872 a parade was held and a program followed at the bowery. William Baker sang the "Star Spangled Banner." The United Order was organized in Richfield on April 19, 1874--it lasted three years. At this time Lars returned to Salt Lake City to be sealed to his wife, Maren, in the Salt Lake Endowment House July 15, 1874. Maren Andersen (Thomsen, Peterson) was born May 5, 1816 in Voer, Hjorring, Denmark. Lars was sealed to Martha Marie Nielsen of Syndal, Hjorring, Denmark by D. H. Wells on August 17, 1874. Martha was born October 4, 1843 and had been baptized March 6, 1856. She had two children, Olena and Charles Peder Christian Mogensen; they were adopted by Lars and sealed to him in the St. George Temple December 10, 1880.Maren died October 16, 1876 and was buried in the old Richfield Cemetery. She and Lars had no children. On June 13, 1877 he married Mette Petersen in the St. George Temple. His eldest son, Jens (Jim), married Ruth Jean Rio Baker January 15, 1878. In the winter of 1880 Lars and his wife, Martha, and their children all drove to St. George (175 miles) to do temple work for their dead. Niels tells the story: "The snow was very deep. Our trip lasted about six weeks. Our company consisted of three teams. In my wagon was William Haywood and his wife (Aunt Jane's grandparents), Father and Martha, her children (Olena and Charley), my sister, and her two-year old baby (Joseph), my brother, Jim, his wife and her mother." Lars had built a home on the corner of Main and Center Street on their return to Richfield from Ephraim. He also provided a home for Martha on First South and First East Street and a little house in the back of the lot for Mette, his fourth wife. It is said his home was open to a host of people. He was friendly and hospitable and his wives were excellent cooks. Young people from the nearby towns lived with them while attending the Stake Academy. Conference vistors put their teams in his corral and fed from his hay stack. There was always a good meal prepared by Martha--no one made soup with Danish dumplings as good as hers. Latter-day Saint Church authorities stopped at their home on the way to St. George or Arizona. One time a little boy name George Albert Smith was with a group going south. He found a pair of Lars' wooden shoes and could not resist dancing a jig in them. Maren was 46 years old when Lars married her. She had not children of her own but she taught the other children to read and write and disciplined them well. There was an opportunity for the children to attend the schools during the short winter season. Lars' first grandchild was born to his daughter Anne in St. Joseph, Nevada. She was named Alice Marie. Jens and Anne returned to Richfield where their other children were born. In 1882 Lars' youngest son, Niels, started to build a rock house. Naturally Lars was there to help him. They hauled the rock and laid the walls up to the top of the windows that fall. Then Niels received a letter from Box "B", a call to go on a mission to Denmark. Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1882 they left together in an open wagon to drive to Nephi to meet the train. It was windy and cold. They slept by theside of a wheat stack in Redmond the first night. It started to rain as they continued the next day. The second night they slept in their wet clothes. They arrived in Juab the third day about noon. Here Lars bid his son "Goodbye" as Niels boarded the train. Then he returned to Richfield with the wagon. During the next two years they corresponded once a month. Lars heard the news of his relatives who were still in Denmark. He sent what money he could to his son in the mission field. He continued to work on Niels' rock house. He planted trees and improved the surroundings of the property at Third East and First South. He obviously knew how to build a house since he had built adobe homes in Pleasant Grove, Ephraim and Richfield. On July 3, 1884 he met his son on his return from Denmark at Cedar Ridge, a few miles north of Richfield. They were back in Richfield at 10:00 P.M. The next day, July 4th, there was a Homecoming Party in the evening! During the next year, Niels, and Lars' two adopted children were with him caring for the farm and doing the family chores. Then, his adopted daughter, Olena Marie, married Lars James Larson in the St. George Temple on December 17, 1885. She was seventeen. This left the two boys at home. The following spring, Niels hitched up his team and wagon and drove to Oakley, Idaho. There he picked up Augusta Johnson and drove to Logan where they were married in the Logan Temple on April 21, 1886. Niels and Augusta returned to Richfield to live in the rock house he had built. They were close to Lars for the rest of his life. They frequently had dinner together and in times of sorrow they comforted each other. On Wednesday January 20, 1887, a grandchild was born dead. Lars helped dig the grave where the child was buried the next day. Jim must have appreciated the closeness of his father. Lars often helped his boys load or unload the freight they hauled to earn a few dollars to supplement their farm income. They worked together on their farms. When they needed, they could combine their three teams of horses to do their farm work. Most of the time, he was well and healthy during these years. Niels mentions his being ill on occasion but nothing of a serious nature. In 1892, they took a trip together on business. They hauled wood together. Niels always addressed him as "Father." On November 27, 1895 he was seventy years old. His children joined together and bought him a pair of Sunday shoes. The following day they had Thanksgiving dinner at his home. The Family Circle was well represented and "they had a good time together." On April 21, 1900 Mette died in Richfield. There is a brief entry in the record of Niels Peter Peterson to that effect. The next day Lars purchased a lot in the Richfield City Cemetery and he and Niels dug Mette's grave. She was buried on April 24, 1900. The deed for the lot is dated May 10 and is lot 14, block 22, section 2, plat A, Richfield City Cemetery. The plot shows Lars, Mette and Martha buried on the left side of the lot. (See Footnote 2, page 10.) On August 14, 1906, Lars died in his home in Richfield. The obituary stated, "A well-known citizen and one of the first settlers in this valley passed to his reward Tuesday morning. Mr. Peterson had been gradually failing for a year or more past, and for the past six months had been bedfast nearly all the time. Beginning with the first year that settlement was attempted in Sevier County, Mr. Peterson became a resident of Richfield, but his family was taken to Ephraim during the Indian troubles from 1867 to 1871. The deceased was a native of Denmark. He was married when 27 years of age. He was a soldier under King Frederick VII in the three years war with Germany from 1848 to 1850. Mr. Peterson held some ecclesiastical positions in times past, and was one of the directors of the old Co-op Store. He lived a busy and useful life and has a host of old-time friends. He leaves three children, two adopted children, a number of grandchildren (32) and several great-grandchildren (100--without the adopted ones). He was a councilor to N.M. Peterson and Secretary and Treasurer of the Immigration Fund."

WIVES AND FAMILY OF LARS PEDER PETERSON (CHRISTENSEN) On 26 November 1852, Lars married Else Marie Jensen in the little church at Albaek, Hjorring, Denmark. Else was the daughter of Jens Thorsen and Maren Mickelsen, born 11 February 1833. They lived in the family home at Fourholt until they emigrated to the United States of America in 1862. Else died 17 October 1862 in Pleasant Grove, Utah soon after their arrival there. They had seven children, six of whom were born at the family home in Denmark and the seventh born in Pleasant Grove, Utah. On 8 December 1862, he married Maren Andersen in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the daughter of Anders Thompsen and Anne Larsen, born 5 May 1816 in Venesyssel, Voer, Hjorring, Denmark. They moved to Richfield, Utah in the Spring of 1864. Maren died there on 16 October 1876 and was buried in the old cemetery. They had no children. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Endowment House on 15 July 1874. On 17 August 1874, Lars married Martha Marie Nielsen (Mogensen) in Salt Lake City, Utah and was sealed to her in the Salt Lake Endowment House. She was the daughter of Niels Pedersen and Maren Jensen, born 4 October 1843 in Syndal, Hjorring, Denmark. They lived in Richfield, Utah; she died 15 February 192. Lars adopted her two children, Olena Maria and Charles Peder Christian. On 13 June 1877, he married Mette Petersen in the St. George Temple. She was the daughter of Peter Nielsen and Maren Jensen, born in Emb, Hjorring, Denmark in May 1810 (christened 11 June). She lived in Richfield, Utah until she died on 21 April 1900. She was buried in the Richfield Cemetery on 24 April 1900. It is of interest to know that when Lars was sealed to his wife, Else, on November 1866, it was Maren who acted as proxy for her. It was not until July 15, 1874 that they returned to the Salt Lake Endowment House and Maren was sealed to him. On August 17th, a month later he was married to Martha by Daniel H. Wells in the Endowment House. Later, they drove to St. George and Martha's children were sealed to Lars. Niels describes this journey during the winter of 1880 in his JournaI it can be found in the Historical Archives of the LDS Church in Salt Lake.

In the meantime, Lars and Mette were married in St. George by John D. McAllister on 13 June 1877. William Carter and S.S. Adams were the witnesses. (See entry #285 on that date.) It seems that all three wives had been married in Denmark. Maren was married to Peder Michel Jensen, Martha to Frederik Christian Peder Mogensen and Mette to Jens Nielsen (Smed). On March 21, 1889, they went to the Manti Temple and did the temple work for my grandparents, Johannes Backlund and Christina Olsson. An error was made in Christina's name and she is listed as Christina Larsen, Larsson being her father's name. At that time my grandparents' family were adopted into the family of Daniel H. Wells, who was present on the occasion. Also, Mette Pedersen and her children were adopted to Pres. Brigham Young and family. The correct sealings to their families has been performed. REFERENCES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a primary source of information for this sketch of the life of Lars Peter Peterson (Christensen), I am indebted to the diary of my Father, Niels Peter Peterson. He kept a daily record of events during much of his life. Also, there are portions of the life of Lars Peter Peterson recorded in his little diary.

Lars Peter Christensen gets a new name

Lars Peter Christensen joined the church in Denmark four years after his wife, Elsa, did. This was near the end of the year 1861. Immediately they began preparing for their emigration to Utah as members of the Mormon Church. They had six children to bring with them. Three of them were buried at sea because of a measles epidemic. When they arrived at New York, the immigration agent asked Lars what his name was and he answered, "Lars Peter Christensen." Then the agent asked his father's name and he answered, Christen Petersen." The agent exclaimed, "Well, you have to have the same last name as your father!" Then he wrote Lars' name down as Lars Peter Peterson. That is how the family left Denmark as the Christensen family and arrived in New York and became the Peterson family.

Vella Fowler Neil - Part 1, by Vella Neil Evans

Vella Fowler Neil, Part 2, by Vella Neil Evans

Vella Fowler Neil, Part 3, by Vella Neil Evans

Robert Faddis and Elizabeth Miller, by Vella Evans

James W. Neil, by Vella Neil Evans

What We Learned From Dave and Bea, by Joy, Ted, Gloria, Wayne and Vella Evans 2008

How Well Do You Know David W and Beatrice C Evans? Selections by WCE, Written by DWE

George Cannon the Immigrant

Funeral Service of David Wooley Evans

East of Glasgow, the Search for Agnes and Archie, by Vella Evans

David Wooley Evans' History of his Ancestors

Concrete Evidence of the Book of Mormon, by Robert H Peterson

A Family of Faith and Works, by David W Evans

Meditation on the Foremothers, by Vella Evans

(This is a meditation Mom wrote as she prepared for our family history trip to Scotland and Ireland in 2007.)

Mothers!  Mothers!  Bide with me
Whilst I go across the sea.

Agnes!  Tough faith I must be.
Elizabeths!   Elizabeth!  Whose heart's in me.
Nellie's too, but Lizzie's strong.
Rose so sweet the whole day long.

Mothers!  Mothers!  Bide with me
Whilst I go across the sea.

(In addition,  I carry a small picture of my mother Rachel Vella next to my heart.)