BIOGRAPHY OF KAREN PETERSEN CHENEY Karen Petersen was born April 3, 1832 at Holme, Aarhans, Denmark. She was the daughter of Soren Petersen, (Dalsgoar) and Annie Margaret Baltzersen. She was one of five children born to this couple. She was an early convert to the L.D.S. church, having been baptized October 9, 1854. Her mother had joined the church a year or two earlier. The father joined about ten years later than the mother. Karen was the first of the family to emigrate to America. The following data obtained from "History of Scandinavian Mission"-by Andrew Jensen: "On Friday, April 1, 1859, 355 souls, namely, 224 Danes, 113 Swedes, and 18 Norwegians, sailed from Copenhagen, Denmark on the Steamer "L. H. Hvidt" in charge of Elder Carl Widerborg and Niels Wilhelmsen, by way of the North Sea. The voyage was some what sotrmy, but they arrived on April 6th at Grimsby, England. They were despatched by rail to Liverpool, where they arrived on April 7th, when they boarded the Ship "William Trapscott". They were joined by some British and Swiss Saints. Brother Robert F. Nelson was appointed Pres. of the company, with Henry H. Harris and George Rowley as Counselors. Under these leaders, the Scandianavian Saints were presided over by Elders - Soren P. Guhl, John F. Klingbeck, Peter A. Fjelsted, Anders Peterson, Lars Petersen, and Morten Petersen. Brothers Christian Jeppesen and Niels Jacobsen acted as interpreters, and Hans 0. Magleby and Anton Petersen as cooks. On Monday, April 11, 1859, the Ship "William Trapscott" lifted anchor and was tugged out of the Mersey (river) into the open sea with 726 souls aboard. The voyage lasted 31 days; only one death took place on the boyage, a Swedish sister, Inger Olsen Hagg, 61 years of age. There were two births on board. There were 19 marriages performed on board during the crossing, 5 couples were English, 1 Swiss, and 13 Scandinavian. (Mads Petersen Rasmussen and Karen Petersen were among these Scandinavian marriages). The emigrants were landed at New York, on May 14th, and in the evenings of the same day (May 14th) most of them went by Steamer up the Hudson River to Albany, N. Y. (About 50 of the Saints who crossed the Atlantic on the Ship "William Trapscott" remained temporarily in New York and other places in U.S.A.). From Albany N. Y., they were despatched by railroad via Niagara, then crossing over the large suspension bridge to Winsor, Canada, then to Detroit in Michigan, Quincy, Illinois, and on to St. Joseph in Missouri, on the Missouri River, where they arrived May 21st. In the afternoon of the same day (May 21st) they boarded a river Steamer "St, Mary" which took them up the river to the out post of Florence, Nebraska, where they arrived on the morning of May 25th. On June 1st, 1859, the Scandinavian Saints were organized into three companies, with Hans O Magleby, Jens Jensen, and Mathias B. Nielsson as Captains, and together with the English Saints, commenced their journey from Florence June 9th. The whole company consisted of 235 souls, with 60 handcarts under the leadership of Capt. George Rowley. For each handcart there were from 4 to 6 persons with 20 pounds of baggage and some provisions for each. Eight wagons hauled by oxen, followed the handcarts with other provisions in case of necessity, and for the sick and infirm to ride. The whole route through the United States was one which no former Company of Saints had ever taken. They were transported to St. Joseph on the Missouri River, instead of to Iowa City, Iowa, the old former out fitting point for Mormon emigrants. The Company arrived in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 4th. When it became known that the handcart company was approaching, thousands went out to meet them, and led by two bands of music, the whole brave company marched through the streets of Salt Lake City. Apostle Ezra T. Benson gave a speech of welcome, and a great amount of food was prepared for the new arrivals." As stated in the above date Karen was married to Mads Peter Rasmussen. She was endowed and sealed to her husband May 16, 1860 by Brigham Young in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City. They lived for sometime in Davis County. Then moved to Weber Valley about 1862. One of Karen's brothers, Peter Petersen, emigrated in 1861. Her parents and other members of her family - one brother Baltzer and family and two sisters -Christine and Mary, emigrated in 1863. They settled in Richville, Morgan Co. They were farmers. Karen and her husband separated in 1868. They had six children. The last two, twins, were born after the separation. Peter, the oldest son, went with the father. When nine years of age he was drownded in Bear River, when he and his father were trying to cross the river on a horse. Laura, the second chid, died when nine months old. Next was Mary and Henry and the twins, Joseph and Annie. At the separation Karen obtained twenty acres of land on the Richville Bench where the William Smith property now is. In 1871, she married John Cheney. He was born April 7, 1841 at Cortland, New York. Two children were born to this union. Axie on June 13, 1872 and David on November 2, 1873. David died October 23, 1889. John Cheney died at Richville, Morgan Co. March 15 1875. He is buried in the Richville Cemetery. Karen gave half of her land in Richville to her son, Henry. Being unable to make a living on the remaining ten acres she and her daughter, Axie, moved to Star Valley in 1894. Karen was not satisfied there and came back to Morgan about 1895 and began weaving carpets for a living. Her daughter, Axie, came back from Star Valley in 1899 and took care of her mother until her death. Karen Cheney died 10 June 1908 and was laid away in the South Morgan Cemetery beside her son David.