John H. Seely and Margaret Peel Seely ~~~ Pioneers of the Month ~~~ June 2025

 

Photo Shared by Marlane Harless

John Henry Seely as remembered by his grandchildren, Margaret Merrill Nelson and Madeline Merrill Mills

Contributed By

John Henry Seely (1855-1920)

As remembered by his grandchildren,

Margaret Merrill Nelson and Madeline Merrill Mills

John Henry Seely was the son of Justus Wellington Seely (1815-1894) and Clarissa Jane Wilcox Seely (1821-1908). They were married on 10 March 1842 in Charleston, Iowa. Both of their families had earlier converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They lived across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo, Illinois in Iowa. They joined the exodus of the saints from Nauvoo in 1846 with their three children; Orange, Sarah and Don Carlos. They spent the winter of 1846-1847 in Pigeon Grove near Omaha, Nebraska. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September, 1847 with the John Taylor Company.

In March 1851, Justus Wellington and Clarissa Jane were called by Brigham Young to take their family of five small children; Hyrum and Justus Wellington, Jr. had been born in Salt Lake City; to San Bernardino, California to make a settlement there and to grow olives. They traveled with the Charles Rich and Amasa Lyman groups. His brother, William Hazard, was born in 1852 in San Bernardino.

John Henry Seely was born on 29 April, 1855 in San Bernardino, California. When he was only two and one half years old, his parents responded to the call of Brigham Young to return to Utah at this time. His grandparents lived in Pleasant Grove, Utah and they first went there to live until they were called in the spring of 1859 to colonize Mt. Pleasant, Utah. He would spend the remainder of his life in Mt. Pleasant.

Life was hard and luxuries were non-existent in a pioneer settlement. Our mother told us that as a small boy, our grandfather had no shoes and played with things from the yard for toys. He had a toy made from a board with a nail half pounded in to which he attached a rope to pull it and he used it as a sled. When his little brother, David Alma Seely, died on 20 October, 1860, he gave up his sled to make a coffin for David.

The young children in the family worked hard. The boys went along with their father and learned from him to do a man's work. John Henry herded the sheep and cattle from the time he was a very small boy and he told Dwight Lincoln, a colleague in the Rambouillet Sheep Association that he had day-dreamed as a child of having his own great herd.

John Henry was a veteran of the Black Hawk Wars but we never heard about this from him. He was seventeen years old when he was honored in 1872 so he was a very young soldier having served before that. He hurt his arm about when he was fifteen when he was carrying his gun and climbed through a fence. The gun caught on the wire, discharged, and a bullet ripped through his arm. He injured a tendon and he had a stiff forefinger on his right hand for the rest of his life. Our mother told us that his mother insisted that he carry buckets of water, milk or whatever with his right hand to strengthen his right arm.

John Henry Seely and Margaret Folkman Peel were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 15 January 1880. They had known each other most of their lives. Both were raised in Mt. Pleasant of pioneer parents. Margaret's parents, Peder Madsen Peel and Christiana Folkman Peel, were Danish converts who came to Utah in 1854 and settled in Lehi, Utah where she was born 1 March 1858. They were later sent to Mt. Pleasant to colonize and lived there the rest of their lives.

At the time of their marriage, John Henry was the owner of two horses, one cow and a small amount of money. With these two horses and a wagon, and in the company of many others, the couple left Mt. Pleasant on the 10th of January, 1880. A large amount of snow fell that day so they only got as far as Fountain Green, Utah. The next morning, the ladies in the group waited for the men to make a trail over the summit to Nephi, Utah. A friend from Castle Valley, Utah was driving the team until a young boy in the group contracted diphtheria and he and his father took the train so the friend took over driving their wagon so John Henry had to drive the rest of the way. They drove to Mona, Utah the second day and to Pleasant Grove the third day, and Cottonwood, Utah on the fourth day. The ladies in the group slept in the wagon and the men slept on piles of hay under the wagon.

On the 14th of January, the couple and others drove into Salt Lake City where they stayed with Patriarch Hyde. Patriarch Hyde's son notified all of his friends that there were "newlyweds" staying at the home so that a crowd came with noisemakers and "shivereed" them. John Henry gave the young boy money so he could buy shrimps for the participants.

While in Salt Lake, they purchased a stove, some dishes, a lamp and a clock at the ZCMI store. When they returned to Mt. Pleasant, her parents had a lovely wedding supper for them at their home. John Henry and another bridegroom, Peter Anderson, organized a big wedding dance to which the whole town was invited. John and Maggie went to Antone Beauman's furniture store and a bed, six chairs, a rocking chair, a table and a mirror. This cost $35.00.

At about this time several members of John Henry's family left to settle Castle Valley, Utah. John Henry bought the home of his brother, Justus Wellington, Jr. (Wink) for $200.00 giving his older brother some needed cash for the upcoming journey. He also traded a horse for 200 acres of land in Chester, Utah.

The home was on Main Street and about 500 West. Four children were born to this couple while they lived in this little home; Ethel Alberta, 7 October 1880; Zella Gertrude, 6 December 1882; Earl Henning, 10 December 1884 and John Leo, 4 April 1887.

During this period of time, John Henry and his father, Justus Wellington Seely, and several of his brothers, changed the spelling of their surname to Seely from Seelye for the purpose of securing a brand. It was cheaper to use less letters.

In May, 1887, they moved into a larger home on 400 West and 100 South. It was purchased from Peter Meiling. They later put on a second story. It was a very comfortable home and they lived in it until their deaths. Six more children were born to them in this home; Leonard Joseph, 13 June 1890; Abrelia Clarissa, 19 September 1892; Lucretia Vern, 26 January 1895; Chesley Peel, 20 March 1898; Margaret Rae, 27 September 1901 (she died young); and Oliver Dwight, 27 April 1902.

While they lived in the small house, Grandpa had started a small sheep herd but over the years, he acquired more animals, more land for grazing and through breeding obtained better quality animals for which he was recognized throughout the world by the people in his field. At the National Ram Sale in 1918, he sold a ram for $6200.00 at auction. This was the highest price ever paid!

Grandpa was an organized man, loving and kind, but high expectations for good behavior. He did not like rowdiness or disobedience. If he saw us sliding down the banister, we were pulled off and told in no uncertain terms that banisters were for hands. Once Uncle Will Candland was saying the blessing on the food and he prayed so long that the children got to tittering and we all were banished from the table.

He respected his children as individuals and allowed them to make their own decisions. They had many advantages that other young people in Mt. Pleasant did not have the opportunity to enjoy. Uncle Bob Hinckley related that when he went to ask Grandpa for permission to marry Aunt Arbrelia, Grandpa seemed to avoid him. Finally, Uncle Bob asked Grandpa and Grandpa responded, "Have you talked with her?" "Yes." "If it is alright with her, it is alright with me. I don't have to live with you."

Grandpa made annual trips to Salt Lake City to the Utah State Fair. He always came to our house to stay bringing suitcases filled with home-made casing sausages, hams, bacon and often he would bring the head of a dead animal so mother could make head cheese. It was gruesome to look into the big, dead eyes! Once when he was there, we were at the dinner table. The adults were talking and three-year old Madeline wanted some of his attention so she crawled under the table and tickled his ankle. He thought it was our dog, Brown Socks, and he kicked her right in the face. He felt terrible when she cried. He picked her up and loved her and soothed her but from this we knew that he did not want dogs under foot at the dinner table.

Grandpa had a gentle temperament and was darling with our Grandma. She knew he loved her and so did all the children. He never went on a trip - and he went on a lot of trips - that he did not bring her home a present, even if it was only to Salt Lake City. He was generous with his children, too. He was called Uncle John by a lot of his acquaintances and friends, especially those in the livestock trade.

This man was very community minded. He served as Constable Deputy in 1882, was a member of the Mt. Pleasant City Council from 1891 to 1893, and elected Mayor of Mt. Pleasant from 1899 to 1901. He was a Utah State Senator for Sanpete County from 1906 to 1910, and a member of the Utah State Fair Board from 1903 until his death. He served in the Rambouillet Sheep Association from 1900 until he died in 1920.

Even as we remember him now, he was not a big man physically. He stood about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and was the smallest son in his family. He was handsome with wide shoulders, brown hair and smiling brown eyes. He seemed a big man to us!

John Henry Seely, our grandfather, was a "great" grandfather. All of us who were at least three or four years old when he died remember him well. We have wonderful, warm memories of visiting with him and Grandma - the snuggles and hugs we enjoyed and "dry shaves" which we would struggle and try to get away from - but not really. It was nice to be his friend. He always carried XXX mints in his pockets and we were always free to reach in and take one.

He never learned to drive a car and the reason, he told Will Clos, his secretary, was because he would never have to go alone. Because he wanted company, the children and grandchildren who were around would be gathered up in a car or pickup truck and away we would go to the or to the hay field. He loved being with people and he was noted for his comradeship, generosity and sympathy, He was always helping someone. People came to him in times of need and he never turned them away. He gave them meals, beds, and very often found jobs for them. One man who had been convicted of rustling was eligible for parole but could not find a sponsor. Grandpa took him in and gave him responsible jobs and the man proved to be a good employee. He still worked for Grandpa when Grandpa died.

Grandpa was a good fisherman and he loved to go to Fish Lake. There are pictures of him showing large catches. There were several family reunions held at Fish Lake. Two of his friends, Doc Easton and his wife, ran the lodge at the southwest end of Fish Lake and the family stayed there. He died there from a stroke on July 31, 1920. It had been a hot summer and he wanted to go to Fish Lake to relax. So he and Grandma, Uncle Oliver, Aunt Abrelia Hinckley, and Aunt Vern Winters Erickson went to Fish Lake. He had been out fishing since early in the morning and when he came in about 11:00 am, he said he was tired and was going to lie down but to wake him when it was time to eat. When Grandma sent Uncle Oliver to wake him he was already in a deep coma. He died shortly thereafter. Our mother, Zella, was devastated. He died on Ina Morgan's 7th birthday and she was heard to say, "It wasn't very nice of Grandpa to die on my birthday."

His funeral is one of our most vivid remembrances. It was very hot in Mt. Pleasant and Grandpa was laid out under the west window of the parlor of their home. Ice was piled underneath the casket. Myriads of people passed by to pay their last respects. Three carloads of flowers were sent to express compassion and sympathy to Grandma and her family. There was a very long cortege to the services - 78 automobiles followed the hearse. The funeral was held in the L.D.S. Assembly Hall, sometimes called the Pavilion which was jammed with people - townspeople, shepherds (one had walked 30 miles to get there) and his large family, Utah State Senators, other notable people from around the state and the United States. The speakers included Senator Reed Smoot; former Governor, William Spry, W. D. Candland, President Lund, W. C. Winder of the State Farm Board. As children, we thought it was a very long funeral!

The McCall issue of August 7, 1920 had a long article about John Henry Seely, our grandfather. It began with:

"Speaking for the city -

Our friend is dead, his soul went out

And left its impress on our own;

Now life's more clear, and death less drear;

We'll reap where his clean hands have sown,

He is not dead to us!

And he is not dead to us either. We revere his name and are proud to be his progeny!

Rewritten by Katherine Mills Olsen, June 26, 2015.

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John H. Seely and Margaret Folkman Peel Seely ~~~ Pioneers of the Month ~~~ April 2022

 

 

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Margaret Folkman Peel Seely 

Annie on the left and Maggie 

The above history is taken from "Your Roots Are Showing"

History of Peter Madsen Pihl.

Family Search:https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWCC-GLD

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FINAL TRIBUTE PAID MRS. SEELY

Prominent Mt. Pleasant Woman Laid at Rest; Business Houses Close

Special to The Tribune

MT. PLEASANT, Jan. 10. – Out of respect to the memory of Mrs. Margaret Peel Seely, all business houses and banks here were closed today during the hours of the funeral service. The North ward chapel was filled to capacity by the many relatives and friends of the Seely family, one of the most prominent families in central Utah.

Bishop H.C. Jacobs was in charge of the services. Musical numbers were rendered by the ward choir. The invocation was offered by Joseph Seely, and the speakers were State Senator W.D. Candland. Judge George Christensen of Provo, William C. Clos, E.S. Hinckley of Provo and Bishop Jacobs. Miss Afton Argyle sang “O Love Divine,” and Miss Gertrude Rolfson and Miss Venetta Standfield sang a duet “Face to Face.” A violin solo, “Resignation,” was rendered by Mrs. J.D. Simpson, with piano accompaniment by Mrs. E.F. Gardemann. The benediction was pronounced by Daniel Rasmussen and P.A. Peel dedicated the grace. Six nephews of Mrs. Seely were pallbearers: P.A. Peel, Fred Peel, John Peel, R.W. Candland, Justus Seely, and Guy L. Candland. A wealth of floral offerings covered the casket and were banked on surrounding stands.

Among the many out-of-town relatives and friends in attendance were Supreme Court Justice J.W. Cherry of Salt Lake, Judge George Christensen of Price, State Senator and Mrs. W.D. Candland of Salt Lake, Mr. and Mrs. E.S. Hinckley of Provo, Dr. and Mrs. W.L. Easton of Richfield, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cox of Manti, Mrs. E.S. Walker of Salt Lake, Orson Folkman of Ogden, William Barber of Salt Lake and Dr. W.P. Winters of Prince.

Published in The Salt Lake Tribune, Thursday, January 11, 1923 page 12

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John H. Seely Home 

The John Henry Owen Wilcox Family (from our archives and updated)

History Of John Henry Owen Wilcox

History Of John Henry Owen Wilcox

taken from Family Search written by J.O. Meiling

On December 25, 1775, in a little town in Rhode Island, was born Hazard Wilcox. He met and wed Sarah Seeley. In 1824 the resided at Benton, Arkansas, where on 14 Feb. 1824, was born John Henry Owen Wilcox, the youngest and last of a larg family and the subject of this treatise.

Little is known of his early life. Leaving Arkansas the family settled in Missouri, where in 1831 the father died. It was here in Marion County, Missouri that the boy accepted Mormonism. This new religion had aroused such bitter antagonism against its adherents that mob violence was prevalent throughout the Middle west. They lived in Jackson, Clay, and Caldwell counties in Missouri, being driven from place to place with less regard than for so many cattle. On one occasion, Grandfather escaped the wrath of the mob by hiding in a corn field, and another time he was clad in girls clothing to cover his idnentity lest he be taken away by a brother-in-law who was bitterly opposed to his affiliating with the Mormons. He witnessed the transfiguration of Brigham Young when he assumed the likeness of the Prophet Joseph Smith at the time a successor to lead the western trek was being discussed. When it was seen futile to further attempt to maintain the homesteads in the Mississippi valley, and hold their religious convictions, the Mormon converts, in accordance with the advice of the Prophet Joseph, prepared to head west into the unknown Rocky Mountain region. John Henry Owen, with his widowed mother and sister Jane, was among them and early in the summer of 1847, in a slowly moving ox drawn prairie schooner, set out in John Taylor's Company, bound for that unknown, unexplored western wilderness. Jane and Justus Azel Sealey were married 10 March 1842, and were in the same Company. Over the prairie lands, along the North Platte river, up the ridges and valleys, up of the Wasatch Mountains, and down through Emmigration Canyon continued that trek of more than 1000 miles, the like of which is recorded no where else in history. What were the emotions that surged through his being his being when , on September 30, 1847, from a vantage point on the Western Slope of Big Mountain, he gazed over Salt Lake Valley, a cheerless, desolate, uninviting desert wasteland? What did he behold in that panorama to bid him welcome, or to suggest that this is the long sought haven in which to build a home? Somber indeed, was the picture painted by Jim Bridger when he urged the original emigrants not to stop in Salt Lake Valley. Said he, "This is no place for civilized man. Nothing but wild beasts and savages could possibly survive the vigors of the elements and the destitution of this barren land. Nothing can grow and utter starvation will inevitably follow if settlement is attempted." Did Grandfather lament and want to turn back as did the children of Israel? Never. With a burning desire for a home in a land of religious freedom, as the obstacles that beset the way of the o conquer the obstacles that beset the way of the frontiersman, as in the woof there was woven into his being some of the most enduring fabric that ever formed a part of human character.

He first settled in Salt Lake, where on the 14th of March, 1848, he was married to Mary Young, a convert from Ontario, Canada, who also came westward in John Taylor's Company. In 1850, they moved to Manti remaining there until 1853, when they settled at Fort Hamilton, a settlement located some distance west of the present site of Mt. Pleasant. That same year, they moved to Pleasant Grove, Then to North Ogden. In 1860, he came to Mt. Pleasant whare they resided the rest of their lives. He homesteaded 20 acres of land Three miles north of the town and tilled this land for nearly 40 years until he became so feeble he could plow but a quarter of an acre per day.

Grandfather participated in the Walker and the Blackhawk Indian Wars. While residing at Fort Hamilton, he was employed at a sawmill in Pleasant Creek Canyon, where on one occasion he was left as a watchman while the other workmen went to town. In the early evening he heard the words, "go home." He paid no attention to this until the warning was repeated three times then he went home. On returning to camp the next day they found it a smoldering mass of ruin. The Indians had set fire to the lumber, the logs, the wagons and every combustible object, and driven off the cattle. This cost Grandfather his wagon and oxen, but did not deter him in his determination to strive on. He traded all his possessions, including a house and lot for another wagon and yoke of cattle.

Though he went hunting occasionally to augment the family food supply, he had little recreation, his first concern was to supply provisions for a wife and eleven children. His life was filled with toil, trials, hardships, privations, sacrifices and heartaches incident to life in that time. He was ambitious and worked at any form of labor available, including farming, logging, mining, building log and adobe dwellings. At one time he worked at a mine near Austin, Nevada, where he was so severely injured that he was weak for years. He was an expert log hewer, even made lumber by this method. His ability in making ox yokes was widely known and many men came to him for his service. On one occasion he exchanged a large load of poles for 40 pounds of wheat, which he planted on an acre and a quarted of land, and with joyousness they gathered from the threshing floor seventy bushels of grain. He grubbed oak brush for a peck of corn per day and thanked God for the opportunity of earning that 14 pounds of corn to help feed his family. In our day, we hear much about the full dinner pail but Grandfather well remembers the days his dinner bucket contained only a pinch of salt, with which he hoped to season a kettle of segas, thistle stocks, pig weed or other edible plants he might find to cook for his noon day meal. Grandmother Wilcox oft repeated, "As I look back on these agonizing times, I wonder how in the world we ever managed to keep body and soul together. I know, However, that it was through the graciousness of the Good Lord on High, we were able to withstand those terrible ordeals." The Mormons made the desert blossom as the rose, but the first "roses to bloom for grandfather were a few potatoes broduced from seed brought from California on pack animals and sold pour to a customer at 25 cents each.

Grandfather never learned to read or write, yet the feat of turning this sagebrush covered wasteland into fields of bounteous harvests, will be emblanzoned on the history of Utah by these early pioneers. It was not the call of wild, the desire for fame or fortune, or adventure that promted him to abondon his friends and posessions, but the hope of finding a place where he could dwell in peace and safety, unbomolested by a bloodthirsty mob determined to annihilate the converts to this newly-born religion. He had morality, truthfulness, and strict adherence to the golden rule worthy of emulation to the end of time.


"Well done, thou good and faithful servant, ... ... ..."

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The following is a handwritten history written by a daughter of Mary and John Henry Wilcox .

Jacob Christensen ~~~ Pioneer of the Month ~~ July 2020

Jacob and Ingaborg Christensen 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF JACOB CHRISTENSEN AND FAMILY Copied by Karen Shelley Hacking Great Grandfather of Norman Shelley Jacob Christensen, son of Christen Petersen and Maren Thompsen, eldest of ten children, was born in Vennsyssel, Hjoring, Denmark, September 21, 1827. His father was the son of Peter Peterson and Mette Christensen. His father, Christen Peterson was born in Lendum, Jutland, Denmark and his mother Maren Thomsen was born in Hapstyert, Jutland Denmark. His boyhood days were typical of the times in which he lived. His parents earned their scanty living by fishing. Many times later in his life he told his children of the following incident that took place when he was a mere boy. He was employed by a certain woman to herd her cows. A part of his wages was to be his lunch. The woman, was not of a very generous nature and one night Jacob said to her, "My eyes must be getting very poor.” she replied, "Oh, how’s that my boy?" "Because", he said "I could hardly see any cheese on my bread today." When a young man he spent two years in the service of his king, as was customary. He served as a sailor and one day was ordered to climb up and repair the mast and while so doing he lost his balance and plunged headlong into the ocean. He was almost drowned, having gone down for the third time when he was rescued. Many times later in life he related this experience and said that drowning would be a most peaceful death. Jacob joined the L. D. S. church in his native land on Feb. 20, 1853 and was a traveling elder for the following two years. He married Inger Kristine Thomsen Jan. 19, 1855. She became the mother of nine children, the eldest being born in Denmark before immigration.

In 1857 they immigrated to the United States. A perpetual emigration fund came into being through the desires of the Church leaders to bring to this land those too poor to provide themselves with the transportation money which was needed. The provision of this act says: "Where as there are many good and worthy people who would gladly emigrate to this state if they were provided with the means." This fund provided money for the emigrant, who paid it back just as soon as he could, after getting settled in Zion.

 Jacob’s mother accompanied them to Omaha, Nebraska, where she died a short time later. They were compelled to stay here for two years, because of lack of funds to go further. Here, although he took whatever employment he could get at sawmills and adobe yards, they lived under the most trying circumstances. One time he was obliged to trade one shirt, of his meager supply of two, for a bushel of frozen turnips, which they boiled and then warmed up in tallow.

In the meantime his wife’s parents, Thomas C. and Else M. Olsen Jensen had disposed of their property in Denmark preparatory to immigrating to Utah. They joined Jacob and his wife at Omaha and then crossed the plains together with the Nesling Company. While crossing the plains Jacob and his good wife encountered a great misfortune. `Their only child died. The company halted and buried the little one by the wayside. Jacob, overcome with grief, threw himself across the newly made grave, declaring he could not go on and leave it. Grasping hold of him, his wife said, "Jacob, you’re not a child are you? This will not do, me must go on."

They located in Mt. Pleasant, and were among the first settlers in the fall of 1859, living in a dugout until the fort was build. Jacob helped to build the south wall of the fort, furnishing team, wagon and his own work. Homes were built against the inside walls of the fort where the settlers lived. By the fall of 1859 Mt. Pleasant had a population of 800 people.

The first ward was organized at Mt. Pleasant, July 9, 1859, by Elders George A. Smith and Amasa M. Lyman. William S. Seely was ordained bishop. Jacob Christensen became his first counselor. The Bishop and his counselors were looked upon as the leaders of the group. They were the superintendents, planners, confidant tribunal, directors, ecclesiastical tribunal, the leaders of the group, in fact the responsibility of the settlement rested upon their shoulders. They were all busy people those days, building homes, a fort, clearing and plowing land, planting crops, building fences, canals, fighting and guarding against Indians, harvesting crops, and a score of other jobs.

Thereafter, he devoted much of his time to the building up of this community. He was a shareholder in Mt. Pleasant’s first cooperative institution and organizer of the United Order here. He served as Counselor to Bishop William S. Seely for seven years and as president of the High Priest’s quorum for twenty—five years. January 14, 1865, he married Ingeborg Anderson, daughter of Christian and Karen Anderson. Ingeborg was the only daughter and the youngest of a family of four, born in Seiland, Denmark, April 28, 1846. Her father was a tailor, and Ingeborg had a comfortable childhood, attending the schools of the town until her parents accepted the Latter-day Saint Church and decided to leave their homeland for Utah, where her three brothers had already settled. This was in 1862. She spent her sixteenth birthday aboard a sailing vessel, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The trip across the ocean was so miserable, it stood out in her memory as forty—six days of misery.

After landing in New York and crossing the plains by ox team, furnished. by' the church, she landed in Salt. Lake City. Her brothers met her and her parents here. She was offered a job in Salt Lake City by a family named Deckers. This seemed a blessing from heaven to her; now she could have a job to earn some money to help get some of those things so much needed by herself and her family. After some months there, she started working for one of Brigham Young’s wives where she stayed for some time. After a year in Salt Lake, Ingeborg went to Mt. Pleasant to be with her folks. This young girl of 18 obtained work in the home of Jacob Christensen whose wife had a family of youngsters, and in that day with the lack of any comforts, a family gave the mother plenty work to do.

Plurality of wives was in flower at that time. Those who could afford two families and were worthy could get permission of the Church authorities to marry a second wife. Jacob asked Ingeborg to marry him, and after due consideration she accepted his offer of marriage. They were married January, 1865. She was 19 years of age and he was double her age, but it seems at that time, this was often the case. Jacob Christensen and Ingeborg Anderson were sealed 14 Jan 1865. He was sealed to Inger Kirstine Jensen 4 Oct 1862 and he was sealed to Anna Christena Magnussen (Marberg) on 15 Mar 1869. Ingeborg became the mother of seven children, two dying in infancy.

About this time Jacob took a very active part in the Black Hawk War, being captain of Company A, Mt. Pleasant Militia and was in several engagements with the Indians. He was also a Councilman in Mt. Pleasant’s first City Council. On March 15, 1869, he married his third wife, Anna Christena Marberg, daughter of Johannes and Christine Peterson Marberg, who was born March 2, 1850 at Leitse, Gutland, Sweden. She was the second child in a family of four daughters.

Even during Anna’s early childhood tragedy and hardship stalked through her life. Her family was desperately poor, as were most of the people in the locality in which they lived. That part of Sweden was barren and unproductive. The climate was cold and the people were entirely dependent upon the rainfall for their crops. Food and fuel were scarce, coal being unheard of and wood had to be bought.  . Ann’s father was a tailor, of the machine less age, doing all his sewing by hand and, at times, walking miles and spending days to sew at the homes of the more well—to—do. His wife assisted him in his work and a good part of her time she worked for others, sometimes in a slaughter house, taking her pay in meat to help out the family larder. Anna began her working career at the age of nine, tending children.

Johannes Marberg was a very devout man. He and his family were members of the Swedish Lutherian Church, the prevailing religion. During Anna’s early childhood her parents were converted to the L.D.S. church by a Mormon missionary named Warnick of Battle Creek, Utah, now known as Pleasant Grove, Utah. Elder Warnick not only brought the Marbergs their religion, but he gave them a beautiful friendship and instilled in their hearts the desire to immigrate to Utah. Anna was baptized and confirmed a member of the church, by her father, when she was ten years old.

In the fall of 1863, when Anna was just thirteen years old, her father contracted typhoid fever and died, leaving her mother destitute and with a family to provide for. Christine Marberg having no means of maintaining the home, was forced to sell her small house and household goods at public auction and find a home for herself and daughters. The eldest daughter, Marie Helena, 15, and Anna were taken in by families to help care for children. The third child, Augusta, age 5 was taken by a moderately wealthy L.D.S. family. The mother with her infant daughter, Hedda, secured a place to work for a family named Collgren.

During this time of misfortune Elder Warnick had proved a staunch friend of the Marberg family. In the spring of 1864, he received an honorable release from his mission and the money for his fare home. Knowing Christine Marberg’s great desire to go to Zion, Adolph Warnick stayed in Sweden and loaned Christine his fare to Utah.

On account of her limited finances Mrs. Marberg was unable to take her three eldest daughters with her when she immigrated. The child, Augusta was still with the family who had taken her at the time of her father’s death and who had become greatly attached to her. Friends rallied around Mrs. Marberg, promising to care for Anna and Marie Helena. The day came when the mother was to depart for• America and.`Utah, a day• to the end of days never to be forgotten by Anna. Her mother and baby sister, in company with the Collgrens and another family of converts had packed their belongings in white topped wagons which were to convey them to the nearest railroad center. The country was perfectly flat and level and Anna and Marie Helena watched and waved to their mother until the wagons became a mere speck in the distance. It was two sad and lonely little girls, just 14 and 16, who turned back to the mercy and charity of friends and relatives. Marie Helena went to her maternal grandparents, Peer and Helena Peterson, who were devoted to the girl, but bitter toward her mother for joining the L.D.S. faith. Anna was to stay with an aged couple and their widowed daughter.

Because of the gap between age and youth, life with the old couple became intolerable to Anna. She sought the advice and council of her sister and it was decided that Anna should leave this place and go to her father’s sister, Marie, who worked in a neighboring rural community. So Anna and Marie Helena walked the four Swedish miles, equivalent to sixteen American miles, to the place where the Aunt worked as a cook for a group of laborers. Marie Helena rested here for a couple of days and walked back alone to west Gutland.

How Anna hated to see her go, it was well the girls could not read the future for they never saw one another again. Marie Helena, never a robust child, was taken seriously ill shortly after this and was taken to a hospital in a distant city and died and was buried there. Anna knew nothing of this until she received word from the Grandmother, through the Aunt, that her sister was dead and she could call at the Grandparents and get the few possessions the girl left, if she desired. Even the mother, on her journey across the ocean, was not free from the tragedy that seemed to follow the Marbergs. The baby Hedda, now one and a half years old, contracted the measles and died during the early part of the night. The mother, dreading to have her child thrown overboard, lay with the dead baby in her arms until morning. Then she reported it’s death to the ship’s authorities and the little one was buried in the ocean.

In the meantime the family who had taken Augusta, immigrated to America, taking this child with them. While crossing the plains the entire family, including the child, died of cholera. Only the hired man, who immigrated with them, lived to carry the story of Augusta’s death to her mother.

Anna, now alone in Sweden, was again faced with the problem of finding a home. It was no longer possible for her Aunt to keep her at the place she worked. Anna was a pretty, red haired girl and the men would not keep their hands off her. Although Anna was now old enough to hire out, she lacked the required education to do so. There were no schools in the rural areas of Sweden, so Anna never attended a day of school in her life. It was the custom, however, for one to be able to read and repeat to a priest portions of the Swedish Testament and the Catechism. When they passed this test they were fairly well educated and ready to begin work. Anna studied diligently and in time mastered these books. She secured a place to do housework, with the customary understanding that she must remain six months and she was given one dollar in advance to bind the bargain.

She was about to begin her second year at this place when she received word from Elder Warnick, who was still in Sweden, that he had a letter from her mother repaying the loan he made to her and telling him she was borrowing the money to bring Anna to Utah. Elder Warnick advised Anna not to begin another six months of service, but she had no other place to stay until her money came so she was obliged to start a third six months term.

Again Adolph Warnick proved to be the rare friend he was. When Anna’s fare arrived he found a girl to take her place, brought the girl to his household and took Anna back to West Gutland, where she stayed awhile with Adolph’s sweetheart’s parents and then later in the spring he took her to Jutaborg where she began the first lap of her journey to America. From here she crossed the north sea to Liverpool, England. At Liverpool she boarded a sailboat and spent five weeks on the Atlantic Ocean. This company was to have had the first steamship to cross the ocean, but were disappointed and so made the last sailboat trip over the Atlantic.

Anna arrived in New York City in July of 1868 and came by railroad to Omaha, Nebraska. She then joined the Folkman and the C. C. A. Christensen companies and. began a four weeks trek across the plains, walking all the way. It was the middle of August when she joined her mother, who had come to Salt Lake City, from Mt. Pleasant to meet her after a four year separation. It was a happy meeting between mother and daughter. They were the only survivors of a family of six. They never again parted until the mother's death in the spring of 1907. On March 15, 1869 at the age of nineteen, Anna was married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, to Jacob Christensen of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, 23 years her senior. Her first home was the old Haage home on South State Street, now owned by Maxine Johansen Hardy. This house, built by Jacob Christensen was considered one of the finest residences of the early days. Jacob Christensen died March 9, 1915, having been an invalid for eleven years.

Anna became the mother of ten children, three dying in infancy, one in youth and two in middle life. She was the wife of a soldier and the mother of a soldier. She was a faithful church worker, being a visiting teacher for over forty years when the teacher’s beat covered miles instead of blocks and the contributions consisted of the staples, such as flour, eggs, meat, etc.

Anna died May 7, 1937 at the age of 87 years, two months and five days. She left four children, fifteen grandchildren and ten great- grandchildren. Her once red hair was grey, but her back that carried so many burdens was still unbent and her spirit still unbroken and surely, the good Lord, who holds the destinies of men in the hollow of His hand, will have a special reward for souls like these, who have kept the faith. This history was written by Olea Thompson, granddaughter of Jacob and Anna Marberg Christensen.   

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The following is a history from our archives and published in 2012

Jacob Christensen, son of Christen Petersen and Maren Thompsen, eldest of ten children, was born in Vennsyssel, Hjoring, Denmark, September 21, 1827. His father was the son of Peter Peterson and Mette Christensen. His father, Christen Peterson was born in Lendum, Jutland, Denmark and his mother Maren Thomsen was born in Napstyert, Jutland Denmark.

His boyhood days were typical of the times in which he lived. His parents earned their scanty living by fishing. When a young man he spent two years in the service of his king, as was customary. He served as a sailor.

Jacob joined the L.D.S. church in his native land on February 20, 1853 and was a traveling elder for the following two years. He married Inger Kristine Thomsen January 19, 1855. She became the mother of nine children, the eldest being born in Denmark before immigration.

In 1857 they immigrated to the United States. a perpetual emigration fund came into being through the desires of the church leaders to bring to this land those too poor to provide themselves with the transportation money which was needed.

Jacob's mother accompanied them to Omaha, Nebraska, where she died a short time later. They were compelled to stay here for two years, because of lack of funds to go further. Here, although he took whatever employment he could get at sawmills and adobe yards, they lived under the most trying circumstances. One time he was obliged to trade one shirt, of his meager supply of two, for a bushel of frozen turnips, which they boiled and then warmed up in tallow. While crossing the plains Jacob and his good wife encountered a great misfortune. Their only child died.

They located in Mt. Pleasant, among the first settlers in the fall of 1859, living in a dugout until the fort was built. Jacob helped to build the south wall of the fort, furnishing team, wagon and his own work. Homes were built against the inside walls of the fort where the settlers lived. By the fall of 1859 Mt. Pleasant had a population of 800 people.

Jacob Christensen Grave Marker

The First Ward was organized at Mt. Pleasant, July 9, 1859, by Elders George A. Smith and Amasa M. Lyman. William S. Seely was ordained bishop. Jacob Christensen became his first counselor. The Bishop and his counselors were looked upon as the leaders of the group. They were the superintendents, planners, confidant tribunal, directors, ecclesiastical tribunal, the leaders of the group, in fact the responsibility of the settlement rested upon their shoulders.

They were all busy people those days, building homes, a fort, clearing and plowing land, planting crops, building fences, canals, fighting and guarding against Indians, harvesting crops and a score of other jobs.

Thereafter, Jacob devoted much of his time to building up of this community. He was a shareholder in Mt. Pleasant's first cooperative institution and organizer of the United Order here. He served as Counselor to Bishop William S. Seely for seven years and as president of the High Priest's quorum for twenty five years.

January 14, 1865, he married Ingeborg Anderson, daughter of Christian and Karen Anderson. Ingeborg was the only daughter and the youngest of a family of four, born in Seiland, Denmark, April 28, 1846. Her father was a tailor, and Ingeborg had a comfortable childhood attending the schools of the town until her parents accepted the Latter-day Saint Church and decided to leave their homeland for Utah, where her three brothers had already settled. This was in 1862.

Plurality of wives was in flower at that time. Those who could afford two families and were worthy could get permission of the Church authorities to marry a second wife. Jacob asked Ingeborg to marry him, and after due consideration she accepted his offer of marriage. The were married, January 1865. She was 19 years of age and he was double her age, but it seems at that time, this was often the case. Ingeborg became the mother of seven children, two dying in infancy.

About this time Jacob took a very active part in the Black Hawk War, being captain of Company A, Mt. Pleasant Militia and was in several engagements with the Indians. He was also a Councilman in Mt. Pleasant's first city council.

On March 15, 1869, he married his third wife, Anna Christena Marberg, daughter of Johannes and Christine Peterson Marberg, who was born March 2, 1850 at Leitse, Gutland, Sweden. She was the second child in a family of four daughters.

They were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Their first home was the Haage home about 411 South State Street, Mt. Pleasant (now vacant). This house, built by Jacob Christensen was considered one of the finest residences of the early days.

Anna became the mother of ten children, three dying in infancy, one in youth and two in middle life.

Jacob died March 9, 1915, having been an invalid for eleven years.