• I I I L E P A G E PlONEER NAME METTE MARGREl'E JUISDATTER BIRTH DATE AND PLAC~ J 'anuary 11, 1834, Aarhus, Jutland , Denmark QEATH DATE AND PLACE . January 18, 1919, Richville . Mornn, Utah FATHER MOTHER Juul Eskil,dsen Nielsdatter Karen WHO MARRIED AND DATE May 30, 1857, Baltzer Sorensen YEAR ARRIVED IN •U TAH NAME OF COMPANY John F. Saooers 't 2.. ·:J I WHO WROTE HI STORY AND DATE ____ B_a_l;t..z;e..r._ P~e;t;;e;r.s..o..n.; ::..;;;..;:==..=~----=---------- WHO SUBMITTED HISTORY AND DATE Glenna R. Porter- ADDRESS 398 w Young st. Morgan, U±ab 84o~ _________________ T ELEPHONE NO. 820-h~k> CAMP NAME ~~S~o~u~t~h~M~or~·a. . : . • n ~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ COUNTY NAME ---M.- o=r1=1a"n= -----------------------------1 CAMP HISTORIAN Lucille O. Williams • ADDRESS COUNTY HISTORIAN Barbara C. Porter ADDRESS • JPEG-Bk13 • NOTES PERTAINING 'ID 'IHE LIFE OF OUR GRANIMCYrnER "Mette :r,,t.argrete Juulsdatter" (Wife of Baltzar (Sorensen) Petersen - Early Converts to L.D.S. Church) Jf3 "Mette Margrete Juulsdatter," daughter of Juul Eskildsen and Karen Nielsdatter, born 11 January, 1834, Parish of Holme (Skaade) in Aarhus, Jutland, Denmark. She was the seventh child of a family of eight children. Her father was a small leasehold fanner and weaver. en December 24, 1836, her father passed away, leaving the mother with a young family to care for, the oldest of the children, "Marie Kirstine," being only sixteen years of age, and the youngest child, "Janas (or James)," a baby of only ~two months old. Great were the responsibilities of the mother, but she carried on making a hane for her children . She was a most intelligent and resourceful wanan . She saw to the education of her chil dren in the State School at Holme, which at that time was under the direction of the Lutheran Church. Upon their graduation fran the prescribed course of study which nornally terminated at the age of fourteen, they were then Confirmed in the Lutheran Faith, and the event of graduation and ccnfirma.tion was a most important day in the ~ lives of all young folks participating. It seemed that this family was destined for more than their share of reverses, for in 1839, the baby boy, "Janas," died causing great grief to the family. Again ih 1840, the sixth child, "Christiane," passed away at the age of eight years. As if this was not enough for the mother to endure, her oldest child, "Marie Kirstine," then a young lady of (20) twenty, was called to the other side. She passed away 9 June 1841. When the terrible war broke out between Denmark and Germany, generally known as the War of 1849 (the war lasted fran 1848 to late in surrmer of 1849), the second child of the family, "Niels," being a young married man and (26) twenty-six years of age, was called to serve in the Danish Army. On the morning (or toward morning) of July 5, 1849, the Danes who had been held for several months in Fredericia, made a break through the German lines and succeeded in not only freeing themselves fran the siege of Fredericia, but defeated the Germans, that caused the Germans to sue for peace (known as the Armistice of Berlin). It was during this engagement of early morning of July 5 that "Niels" was killed in battle. The big guns being fired in the vacinity of Fredericia could be heard in Holrre, not so far distant to the north (between 35 and ,38 rnil~s distance). • The story as told by grandmother is as follo.vs: "It was during the night and toward rrorning of July 5 that the battle of Fredericia took place. The heavy cannonading could be distinctly heard by the folks then living JPEG-Bkf3 • • I 2 at Holme. 'Ihe mother (grandmother's and Niels' s mother) had sane premonition and raised up in her bed and exclaimed, "Oh! Niels ! Your blood burns my feet!" Fran what was later learned, it seems that Niels was killed about the ti.Ire his mother made such exclana-tion, it being toward morning. On Ma.y 30, 1857, she married Baltzer Sorensen (his D:mish name, as remrded in the Cllurch Register, Lutheran Church Register, Baltzar Peterson being his Arrericanized name) . The young couple went to the City of Aarhus, in Aarhus amt . Jutland to make their hane. Grandfather obtained good work as a coach and transfer man . His work of hauling freight and passengers to and fran the Ocean Liners that docked at Aarhus was quite interesting; since he liked good horses he used four head of matched black horses for freighting. Aarhus City, even to this day, is one of Denmark' s main shipping aenters. ,, 'Ihe year they I were married, 1857, their address was #539 Fredricksgaade, and in 1860 they were living at #1052 Bestugaade in Aarhus City. There were four children born to them while they lived in Aarhus City. 1st, Niels Juul; 2nd, Soren Baltzer; 3rd, Lura (or Laura) who died at Aarhus 1 March 1863, 2 yrs and 2 months old; and 4th, Jaras Juul (or James Joel). The first two children were registered in the Lutheran Parish Remrds, but due to the folks becaning interested ' in the message of the Mannon Missionaries, it seems that the other two children were not taken to the Lutheran Priest for christening, for their names are not on record. HOvVever, the Minister, knowing the family and to rrake a record of the knc,..m children, entered. the birth dates and the sex of the last two children born to Baltzer Sorens...e. n and wife Mette Ma.rgrete Juulsen, while they were in Aarhus. The story of our folks joining the L. D. S. Church is most exciting. It was grand-father's mother, "Ane Margrethe Baltzersdatter Pedersen" who first joined the Church shortly after the first Elders arrived in Jutland, and the organization of the Fredericia Conference. It was about 1852 that she was baptized into the Church, when persecution was particularly severe in the Aarhus and Fredericia Districts. She and her daughters for a period of 10 years walked over four miles every sabbath to attend L.D. S. services held in a l ittle rented house, which later was purchased by the Church. Her oldest daughter "Karen" was baptized as early as 9 October 1854, and the other daughters "Mette Kirstine" and "Anna Marie" were baptized as early as 1856. Her son "Peter" in order to avoid extended service in the Danish Army--and there was llU.lch talk of war at the time--was baptized 6 March 1861, and emigrated to Utah that same year. It was not till late in 1862 that grandfather and grandrrother joined the Church. They were baptized 20 Novanber 1862 \ by Niels Knudsen, and were confinred ITl6T'bers of the Church by G. Garretson and A. W. Winberg, respectively. All their four children were blessed the same date by Elders G. Garretson, Niels Knudsen, and A. W. Winberg . Grand-father's father "Soren Pedersen" also was baptized into the L. D.S. Church about this same JPEG-Bk13 3 ti.Ire, and all the folks made hasty preparation to emigrate to Utah and Zion . • On April 30, 1863, the Steamer (name not kno..m) called at the ports of Aall:x)rg, Aarhus, and Fredericia, and took on 1::x)ard about four hundred emigrating Saints fran Jutland, Fyen • (or the Saints fran the Vendsyssel, Aalborg, Skive, Aarhus, Fredericia, and Fyen Confer-ences). '!his was the group with whan our folks anigrated. 'Ihey were landed at Kiel, Germany, then by railroad to Altona, where they walked to the .docks at Hamburg (about a 20-minute walk) where they 1::x)arded the ship "Roland. " There were nearly six hundred emigrat-ing Saints in this group. There were about forty steers and several hundred sheep, which made it anything but canfortable for the emigrants. 'Ihe ship "Roland" sailed fran Harrburg, Germany, near midnight on May 1. 'Ibey arrived at Grimsby, England, early Sunday morning, May 3. The main canpany of emigrants left Grimsby about 5 o'clock in the afternoon on May 6 for Liverpool by railroad, and arrived there during the night. At Liverpool, the emigrants went aboard the ship "B. S. Kimball." There were 644 Scandinavian Saints and 13 English Saints aboard this ship. /They were organized with Elder Hans Peter Lund as President, with Peter Beckstran and Christoffer S. Winge as Counselors, and Elder P. Wilhelm Poulsen as Secretary for the carpany. 'Ihe "B.S. Kiroba.11" sailed fran Liverpool, England, on May 9. 'Ihere were four deaths aboard during the voyage, two children were born, and eleven couples marri ed • (Notes fran "'Ille History of Mary P. Christensen" by Mrs . Eliza Ross of Richfield, Utah.) This Mary P. Christensen is the same person "Anna Marie (Sorensen) Peterson, the youngest sister of Grandfather Baltzar Peterson. I "Before the voyage ended, the water and food was very bad. 'Ihe crowded condition on the ship made it most inconvenient. Sare deaths occurred on 1::x)ard and they were buried at sea. The wanen folks made burial clothes for sane of those who died during the crossing . Arrong those who died was a young man narnad "Sko;;rgard" whan they saw buried at sea. Sare years later, this man's family m:wed to Richfield, Utah, and made mother ' s acquaintance. They were very grateful for the assistance rendered at the time their son passed away while emigrating, on 1::x)ard the ship "B.S. Kimball." The folks traveled in Steerage Class, and the crowded condition of their quarters on board made it irrq:ossible to enjoy any canfort while on the sea. Their privileges were very limited and sanitary conditions recame bad indeed refore the voyage ended. (Report by Eliza P. Porter. ) 'Ihe "B. S. Kimball" arrived in New York Harbor in the evening of Saturday, June 13, and on the 15th, the passengers were permitted to go ashore. In the evening of the ' same day (June 15) the emigrants continued by train to Albany, New York; fran Albany they continued by railroad and riverboat to Florence, Nebraska. JPEG-Bk13 • • • 4 Notes : According to accotm.ts related by the folks, that during the time the emigrants waited on board the "B.S. Kimball" in New York Harbor £ran June 13 to 15, they were sub-jected to rigid inspection and fumigation which was most unpleasant. Their journey by railroad was far fran being a pleasant experience. 'Il1ey were detoured up near the Canadian border to avoid danger of Civil War Battles . along the m::>re southern route . They were crowded into freight cars which caused much discanfort; their feet and legs would swell £ran standing for so many hours. When they reached the Missouri River, they were taken to Winter Quarters by Riverboat. While on this boat, a young boy fell overboard and was drowned, and his bojy was never found . Another boy fell into a vat of hot water and was burned terribly. Note: The route this particular group of emigrants traveled by railroad fran Albany, New York, to the Missouri River was as foll0t1s: They were dispatched over the Northern Route franAlbany to Niagara, then over the susp:msion bridge to the canadian side and via Windsor, Canada to Ietroit, Michigan; then to Cllicago, Illinois, and on through Quincy, Illinois, to St. Joseph, Missouri, the railroad tenninal on the Missouri River. It was at St. Joseph they boarded the Riverboat which took them to Florence, Nebraska, where they ma.de preparation to cross the Plains to Utah. At Florence, Nebraska, due to limited wagon space, the folks were obliged to leave much of their good bedding which they had worked so hard to make, and which would have been appreciated later during the winter months in Utah. Sare of their har.e -spun clothing was also discarded and left at Florence because of certain rules limiting the amount of baggage on the journey across the Plains . OUr great ~andfather "Soren Pedersen" purchased a COil. at Florence, which supplied milk on their journey to Utah. This CCM was taken clear to Richville and was the family CCM for a long period. The folks left Florence, Nebraska, July 6, 1963, in Captain John F. Sanders' Ccrnpa.ny (Capt. John F. Sanders ' Cllurch OX-Team Train) . They arrived in Great Salt Lake City September 5 • The season during s1..1111T'er of 1863 was extrerrely hot and dry, causing the waters of the Platte and SWeetwater Rivers to dry up in places. Sare children became ill and died in route . When the "John F. Sanders Ccrnpany" of emigrants were en~ in the vacini ty of the headwaters of Ea.st Canyon Creek and east of Big Mountain, grandfather Baltzar (Sarensen) Peterson ma.de his way down East Canyon to the settlement of Richville, ,in Morgan County, where he contacted his older sister Karen ( then Mrs. Mads Peter Rasmussen) and his brother Peter, both having emigrated previously in 1859 and 1861, respectively, and who were then living in the new settlement of Richville. Arrangerrents were ma.de for Mr. Rasrrussen and Peter to go by way of Weber Canyon to Salt Lake City and neet the emigrant train with their Ox teams and wagons and help the folks with all their possessions £ran Salt Lake City to Richville in M::>rgan County. After .rraking such arrangerrents, Grandfather ma.de his way back JPEct_~ kUe emigrating carpany and went on to Salt Lake with them. • • • 5 Mads Peter Rasrrrussen and Peter (Sorensen) Peterson met the folks at Salt lake City, with wagons to haul their baggage and sorre supplies they obtained at Salt Lake. Grand-father was fortunate in obtaining a sack of seed wheat fran Bishop George Nebeker. His younger sister, Anna Marie, remained for a season in Salt lake and worked for Bishop Nebeker. 'Ihe first two seasons at Richville were rrost difficult for the folks . 'Iheir hane was a dug-out, and it was impossible to keep it fran leaking during the rain seasons. It was in this dug-out hane that their next two children were born, Joseph Juul, born 5 May 1865, and Baltzar Jr., born 29 May 1867. 'Their food supply during that first winter was not too acute, but during the second winter about all they had was cooked grain which they ground in a coffee mill, and they even rationed that diet. Grandfather grew a crop of wheat fran the sack of seed obtained fran Bishop Nebeker, and as soon as the harvest was made he carried a full sack of wheat over the rrountain to Salt Lake City and paid the Bishop back . Tragedy struck on September l, 1866, when their baby Joseph was drowned in the old mill race; the body was found on the screen where the water plunged over the water wheel in the old grist mill at Ricpville. Shortly after the birth of Baltzar, their 6th child, the new lcx;;r house was canpleted . 'This hane was where five other children were born, namely Charles C. , bor' n 15 July 1869; George L. , born 2 July 1871; Anna Eliza, born 26 November 1873; William, born 29 February 1876 and died 18 April 1877; and Frederick L. , born 12 February 1879 • It was in 1886 that their new large brick hane was carpleted. It. was a large two-story structure, considered one of the finest in the co-~u nty for that period. While the two older boys, Niels and Soren, had cane to the Worm Creek District as early as 1877 and established land claims, yet there was a large family to care for, thus the large residence was provided. 'Ihe Peterson hare at Richville was a gathering place for the young folks for many years. Many a pleasant association is recalled when young people would gather at the Peterson hare for parties. 'Ihe programs consisted of singing, dancing, selections played by Baltzar and Charles on their violins, step dancing which was a s:pecialty of Baltzar and George; group singing was always a major part of the prcx;;rram. Grandmother was the perfect hostess, always pleased to entertain, and naking sure that there was plenty of good things to eat. Both Grandfather and Grandmother enjoyed life most when the young folks came and participated in good hane entertainment. Much of the credit can be given to Grandrrother for the success of their farming and livestock projects. Within a period of about 25 years, these Danish emigrants who pioneered at Richville, with practically nothing to start with, had accurnmulated quite an estate . In fact, the Richard Frys of M.:>rgan County, and Baltzar Petersons of Richville were considered about the two rrost financially inde:pendent men of their ccmnunities . Grandmother with her education and her natural ability to manage, was considered an exceptional wanan. She was resourreful; her judgement sound; she gave advice when it was ' JP~~, and when it would do the most good; she was quite small ( considered tiny in 6 stature) but she was quick and accurate, full of energy, and most irrmaculate in her dress, • person, and behavior. She was an artist with the needle and her clothes, all of which she made herself, were examples of fine sewing; and when she had means with which to buy, she always insisted on good quality, not only for herself but for all her family. She was anything but extravagant, for nothing was wasted or misused, but she insisted upon proper care, systen, which is one secret of success . • • Grandfather and Grandmother forwarded money and helped in other ways, in order that her sister "Maren" and little daughter "C'aroline Jensen" could emigrate to Utah. This was after the railroad was extended West. Maren and her daughter lived at Milton, Utah, for several years. They joined the L. D.S. Church. The mother "Maren" died 10 March 1890 at Milton,. Utah, and is buried in the Milton Cemetery. Her daughter, caroline, married the late William Edward Shipley of O:Jden, Utah. They later rrade their hare at Riverdale, just south of O:Jden, where they lived practically all their remaining lives. She was the mother of six children. Much credit is due the daughter Anna Eliza and her husband, S. O. Porter, who in 1909 aa:iuired most of the old fann and hare at Richville by purchase, and came there to ltve I and care for her father and mother. Grandfather passed away 21 November 1910, at the old hane and is buried in the Richville Cenetery. Grandmother lived on for several years and attended to several worthwhile projects, one of which was to keep up written correspondence with a sister "Kirsten" (Mrs . Christian Sorensen) and members of her fpmily. Grandmother would always enclose a five or ten dollar bill in her irtters to this sister in Denmark. The last letter fran this sister in Denmark was received just after the first world war in 1918, which revealed that her husband, Christian Sorensen, passed away in September of 1917, near 90 years of age, and that the sister, Kirsten, was then living at the age of 88 years and that their sons and daughters were doing quite well. Grandmother was a beautiful letter writer, both in the Ianish and Engl ish languages. Her letters seemed to carry the same feeling and expression as if she were visiting in person. If she ever had any favorites among her children or grandchildren, they never knew it; if she passed a favor to one, she never failed to give to all. Our grandmother M:tte Margrete Juulsen Peterson passed fran this life 18 January 1919 (at the age of 85 years) at the old hare at Richville. She is buried beside her good husband in the Richville Cerretery, which is only a short distance south; in fact, the cemetery was once a part of the Petersen Fann. By Baltzar William Peterson JPEG-Bk13