In the early part of the nineteenth century there lived in Borglum Hjorring Amt., Denmark, a worthy couple named Hans Andersen and Rjearsten Hansen. They were a very religious couple, belonging to the Lutheran Church. The father was a miller by trade, and also owned a distillery, having plenty of this world's goods. Two boys and four girls came to bless their home. Maren, the subject of this sketch, was born February 10, 1826, and was the oldest of the girls.
They gave their children the best education the schools then afforded, and although they always hired help in the home, the children were taught to work. When Maren was in her teens she was sent to learn fancy weaving, such as fine bedspreads, tablecloths, etc. at Elling. Elling is a little village about 25 miles from Borglum. Here there was a lady who taught this art to young girls. While there she met Mads. C. Jensen, the son of the lady who taught weaving. Their friendship ripened into love and they were united in marriage in the month of May 1845, at the home of Mara 's parents.
Near their home lived an old couple who desired this young pair to live with them and take care of them while they lived and they would deed their home to them. The young Jensens tried to do this but the little old woman was so very disagreeable that Maren, being of a peaceful disposition, felt she, could not live in such an atmosphere of contention. She went home and told her father that she could not live with them longer. Her father then bought the home from the old couple and gave it to his daughter and her husband. This was their home for as long as they lived in Denmark. Here they lived happily with their relatives and friends until the Gospel message came to them. They were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints August 17, 1851.
Although they felt a joy unspeakable within their own souls, for they knew they had found the "Pearl of Great Price, " yet none of their relatives received the message, and of course, looked upon them as poor, deluded beings. Their once kind friends and neighbors now turned to bitter enemies. They stayed in their native land one and one-half years after joining the church, and during that time endured much persecution.
Having so much loftier and higher ideals of life and living, they could no longer be happy where they were, so they decided to gather with the Saints in America. They sold their home and all other earthly possessions and on November 5, 1852, bade goodbye to all their loved ones and went to Copenhagen, preparatory to emigration. They had five children born to them in their native country, but just before leaving, death entered their home and took from them their baby girl, who was a little more than a year old. This was a great sorrow to them, especially to the tender-hearted mother, and formed a new tie to bind them to their native land. But the call of truth was greater than all else, and in December they left Copenhagen and crossed the North Sea to England, from which place they set sail for America with the first company of the Mormon emigrants to leave Scandinavia.
They landed sometime in March 1853. The mother was seasick during most all of the voyage. When crossing the North Sea she was seen one day with her head over the railing and when her husband tried to find her he could not see her any place. Some sailors told him they had seen her by the railing, and they thought, perhaps, she had fallen over board. He spent a very anxious night but found her the next morning in the ship's kitchen. The cook had seen her by the railing also, and had taken her into the kitchen. It was happy reunion, especially for the husband, to find that he was still alive. The voyage from England to America lasted nearly three months. All they had to eat during the voyage was boiled barley, split pea soup, very little seasoning, and hard sea biscuits. They gave the children one sea biscuit and a cup of split peas between two of them, but the mother being sick, they had her allowance. For eleven weeks and three days they did not have a drop of water, only what they brought with them. Before landing they were called to part with another of their little ones, a boy of about four years who was buried in the Gulf of Mexico.
Soon after landing in America they began the journey across the plains, by ox team. Before the journey was ended they were called upon to part with most all of the treasures they had brought with them, the mother even taking the earrings from her ears. They endured, uncomplainingly, many hardships and privations during this long, hard journey. Their little children walked all of the way across the plains and the mother walked all of the way except one week while she was confined to her bed. On the twenty-fourth of July she gave birth to a son, whom they named Denmark. When the baby was three days old they were fording a stream of water. As they were going up a steep embankment the chain broke and let the wagon drop back into the stream. The box began floating off the wagon when four strong men jumped into the stream and held the box in place while the chain was mended and the wagon was pulled out of the river.
The bedding as well as everything they had on was water soaked. Some of the sisters had some dry clothing for her and the baby when they reached shore and neither of them took cold. Surely the Father's blessings were with them through all their difficulties and trials which only consumed the dross and refined the gold within their souls. When baby Denmark was a week old, a man who was traveling with them broke his leg.
Brother Jensen said he did not know what to do with him, as they had only room for one bed, and his wife needed the bed, but she told him she was able to walk. So she gave her bed to the man and walked all the rest of the way to Utah. Her children were happy when mother could walk with them again. What a noble example of self-sacrifice and faith--two wonderful traits developed by those great souls whom God called to establish his latter day work. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 98, 1853 happy that their long journey was ended and that they were gathered with the Saints of God. After staying in Salt Lake a short time they went to Kaysville where Brother Jensen built a mill for Brother Winel.
Here they lived in a dug-out close to the mill and were very comfortable those long winter nights during the winter months. Their little room was warm. They had a few chickens and a cow and Brother Winel furnished them with potatoes, flour, etc. They were very happy and contented in this humble place after their recent privation and hardships. They greatly appreciated the Gospel truths and enjoyed meeting with the Saints.
In the Spring they moved into a tent on a piece of land where they planted corn and other garden crops, but the grasshoppers took it all, so their patience still had to be tried and tested. What a great truth the poet Shakespeare writes when he says, "Endurance is the crowning quality and patience all the passion of great hearts. "For truly this is the school that the Father takes all of His choicest souls through. In the fall they moved back to Salt Lake City where they stayed during the winter. In the spring of 1855, the family moved to Weber where Brother Jensen worked in the mill until fall when they moved to Ogden, Here another baby girl came to bless their home. The next winter was known as the hard winter for the early settlers of Utah, and they with many others learned what the pangs of hunger am, along with other privations.
The following spring they moved back to Weber where Brother Jensen worked in the mill during the summer months. About this time a great scare came to the people of Utah. Word came that Johnston's Army had been sent to destroy them and their homes. We can imagine what consternation this would cause after the cruel drivings and persecutions they had suffered in the East. Now when they thought they had found refuge where they could build up peaceful homes and worship God as they desired without molestation, this great fear bore down upon them. In the Fall, Brother Jensen with other brethren, were called to go to Echo Canyon to keep back the army. The day he left, Sister Jensen gave birth prematurely to a baby boy who lived only five days.
Soon after Brother Jensen returned home he was called by President Lorenzo Snow, of Box Elder Stake, to move to Brigham City and run the Flour Mill at that place. They moved there in February of 1851. Sometime before this Bro Jensen had married another wife, who, now had two children.
A few months after they moved to Brigham City the call came to move South. The two wives moved with the rest of the Saints, but Brother Jensen remained in Brigham City to grind up what wheat they had, as they did not know when, if ever, they would return. They came back in August of the same year. From that time on they made their home in Brigham City.
While living here six more children came to add more happiness to their home, making fourteen in all, seven boys and seven girls, whose names are: Maren, Hans Christian, Andrew Christian, James Christian, Rjearsten Marie, Denmark, Sarah, Joseph, Rebecca, Eliza, Mads Christian, Isaac H, Martha and Valana. Five boys and two girls preceeded the parents to the spirit world. Some years after moving to Brigham City their son, Andrew Christian, a boy of nineteen years, was sent with some other young men back east to purchase a threshing machine. One evening when guarding the cattle, while the others ate their supper, some Indians came and killed him, taking his boots, belt, pistol and hat, also some of the riding horses. Of course, he had to be buried out there on the Plains in a lonely grave. This sad news was a great sorrow to his mother. She never afterwards could talk about it herself, and if others would mention it, tears would come to her eyes and she would leave the room. Besides raising her own children she also raised another son of Brother Jensen's, Hyrum S, whose mother died soon after his birth. He never knew any other mother and was treated as one of her own children.
Sister Jensen loved her home, her husband and her children, and was extremely sympathetic and kind to them. She stood faithfully by her husband in whatever came to them, and although she endured many hardships, deep sorrows, and trials, in it all she felt that God was good, for she had His spirit to strengthen her and learned, as all great souls learn, who take their difficulties in the right spirit, that every sorrow borne uncomplainingly brings us one step higher in the rounds of progression and leads us nearer to the Giver of all good. She was a faithful, consistent Latter Day Saint, and taught her children the truths for which they sacrificed so much. They are all faithful workers in the Church, ready to obey any call made of them. She had a big heart and kept her home open to the Saints that came from her native land, and many found a hearty welcome and a good meal in her home.
Sister Jensen was well educated and learned the English language remarkably quickly. She was a great reader and understood the Gospel well. She had a good memory and kept well posted on the topics of the day. She often made the remark that she would rather do without a meal a day than be without the Deseret News in her home. Although she was not a public spirited woman, being perfectly content to live quietly in her home, feeling that women's greatest mission is to raise noble sons and daughters. Yet, when the Fourth Ward Relief Society was organized, she was chosen treasurer, a position she faithfully filled for several years. She was also chosen to be one of the first Relief Society teachers, a position she held almost up to the time of her death.
Although she left all her own sisters back in her native land, yet she found true sisters in the homes of her neighbors, and she was a true sister to them, for perfect love existed between them. They never had a disagreement that couldn't be solved satisfactorily and were always happy to help each other in times of sorrow and difficulty.
She was called to part with her beloved husband July 11, 1898. She lived just a little more than a year longer , joining him August 31, 1899. She lived to see all her children happily married. One must believe she was glad to obtain a well earned rest after a life well spent in doing the best she knew how, both in service to her God and to her fellow travelers.
She was buried beside her husband in the family plot, in the Brigham City cemetery. Records in the Archives show Maren Hansen sealed to M. C. Jensen the 25 June 1854, probably in President Young's office. Maren Andersen was endowed 1 April 1857 in the Endowment House as was her husband Mads C. Jensen. The English recorder gave Maren her father's surname Andersen. Many couples were married for eternity in President Young's office before the opening of the Endowment House so were sealed before they were endowed. Anyone seeing these records might come to the conclusion that there were five wives instead of the known four.
Six of this large family of fourteen children died young. One young man of nineteen years was killed by the Indians while making a wagon trip east across the plains to purchase a threshing machine. The remaining seven children grew to adulthood, married, and raised honorable families. Descendants of this lovely woman and her good husband are widely scattered throughout the world. Engaged in a wide variety of vocations, they are filling their own particular niche in earthly activities. Who can say that their successes haven't been built on the strong foundation of a moral pattern passed on to them from these stalwart, faithful pioneer ancestors.
