History of Marcus Enrichsen and Kjersten Christensdatter

Submitted by: Jens Peter Benson Family Organization, Carol Milligan (President), P.O. Box 56, Newton, UT 84327

Marcus Erichsen (Ericksen) and Kjersten Christensdatter (Christensen) were married and lived in the little country village of Dokkedal, Danmark (Denmark). It is on the sea coast south and east of Aalborg. The sea between there and Sverige (Sweden) is known as the Kattegat.

The Ericksen's were farmers, and had four daughters, christened;(1) Mette Kjerstine Marcusdatter, Kirsten Marcussen, Ane Elisabeth Marcussen and Else Marie Marcussen. The gospel was taken to Denmark in 1850, and as soon as they heard it the recognized its truth. Marcus and his family listened to the Elders, but they didn't join the church as a single group (2). Marcus was baptized 11 April 1852. His wife Kjersten, who had dark brown hair, was a gifted singer and an expert needlewoman, joined a week later on 18 April 1852. Her sister, Kirsten, was baptized later in the month on 23 May 1852 at the age of sixteen. Ane Elisabeth was baptized a year later in May of 1853. She was thirteen at the time. Else Marie was not baptized, because she was not yet eight, having been born 28 December 1846 (3).

The spirit of gathering was strong, and since they could not all leave at once, plans were made for two of the girls to make the journey to Zion. Although money was scarce they decided that Mette Kjerstine and Else Marie could go to Utah first. Mette Kjerstine was now 20 and well able to care for her seven-year-old sister.

Mette and little sister Else Marie left in December 1853 in order to sail from Liverpool in January. They were on either the "Jessie Munn" or the "Benjamin Adams."

Three hundred Scandinavian Saints under the direction of Christian Larsen sailed from Copenhagen on 22 December 1853 aboard the Danish steamship "Slesvig" bound for Hull, England. These emigrants went on to Liverpool, where they boarded the three-masted square-rigger "Jessie Munn" which sailed from Liverpool 3 January 1854. The vessel arrived at New Orleans on 20 February - a passage of forty-eight days (4).

Hans Peter Olsen was in charge of another company of 378 Scandinavian Saints who sailed from Copenhagen on 26 December 1853 on the steamship "Eideren" also bound for Hull. Both groups traveled by way of Kiel and Gluckstadt on the way to Hull, and by rail to Liverpool. On 22 January 1854 this second group boarded the "Benjamin Adams," a larger, full-rigged, three-masted ship. After their arrival at Liverpool sickness broke out among the company. Twenty-two children and two adults died. They sailed from Liverpool 28 January 1854. The vessel arrived at New Orleans on 22 March - a fifty-three day passage. In New Orleans the company boarded the side-wheel paddle steamboat "L. M. Kennett" and journeyed up the Mississippi to Saint Louis, arriving on 3 April. These emigrants joined others from the ship "Jessie Munn" in St. Louis, and continued on another steamer to Kansas City, Missouri, which was the out-fitting place for the companies crossing the plains that year.

At some point the passengers of both ships were combined into one company for the overland trek. They became part of the Hans Peter Olsen Company of about 550 Saints, including Jens Peter Benson's sister Karen and Karen's husband Jens Nielsen. They finally left Westport, Missouri 15 Jun 1854. However, they did have difficulty. Many died from cholera, and Else Marie was one of its victims. She died and was buried at or near Florence, Nebraska (5). Mette Kjerstine continued on the journey and arrived safely in Salt Lake City with the remaining Scandinavians on 5 October 1854. She was married to Jens Peter Benson by Ezra Taft Benson at his home on 8 April 1855 (6). She was endowed at the Endowment House on 18 April 1856 (7).

The next daughter to make the trip to Utah was Ane Elisabeth. She sailed with a company of 440 Saints, lead by Peter O. Hansen, on the ship "James Nesmith" on 7 January 1855 (8). She made the voyage successfully arriving in New Orleans on 23 February, after a forty-seven-day passage, and continued up the Mississippi River and Missouri River to Mormon Grove, Kansas, near the present city of Atchison. Mormon Grove, Kansas was the outfitting point that year. She arrived in Salt Lake City on 8 September 1855. She married George Laub, as second wife, in the President's Office 11 Mar 1856, while she was still 16 years old. They lived in Salt Lake about nine years then moved to St. George. She died there 9 May 1926 at the age of 87. She was the mother of seven children.

It was now the parents’ turn to make the journey. Although the wait had been long and sometimes sorrowful, the goal of having the family together again was now about to be realized. The year was 1857. Marcus, his wife Kjersten, and his remaining daughter Kirsten were completing their plans to join the migration. Marcus and his wife decided to take his wife's mother, Mette Christina Nielsen, a 72-year-old widow, with them to America.

Kirsten was now 20 years old, her father was 48, and her mother 50. The four of them left Copenhagen 18 April 1857 on the steamship "L. N. Hvidt" for Britain in a company of 540 Scandinavian Saints under the leadership of Hector C. Haight. The vessel reached Grimsby, England on 21 April. The 540 were joined by four missionaries returning from Great Britain, including Mathias Cowley, who then presided over the emigrants. They sailed from Liverpool on the ship "Westmoreland" on 25 April 1857. They arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 31 May 1857, completing a thirty-six-day passage (9),(10).

During the eleven-day rail journey from Philadelphia to Iowa City, Iowa, young Kirsten had a harrowing experience when she got temporarily separated from her parents and the rest of the company (11).

At Iowa City the Mathias Cowley Company was divided into two companies. One company of 198 saints was organized with 31 wagons, still under the direction of Mathias Cowley. The other company consisted of about 330 saints including Marcus and his family. They were organized as a handcart company under the leadership of James Park, David Dille, and George Thurston. This was to become known as the Seventh Handcart Company. They left Iowa City about 15 June 1857 and traveled as far as Florence, Nebraska. At Florence the company was reorganized under Captain Christian Christiansen (12).

Their arrival at Florence must have been bittersweet. This was the place where Else Marie had died and was buried three years earlier on her journey to Utah. By this time it was apparent that many of the Seventh Handcart Company were too ill and would not be able to complete the journey on foot. Marcus, his wife and her mother were among those that stayed in Florence until the following year.

Reluctantly, Kirsten left them behind in Florence and continued with the company. She arrived in Salt Lake City on 13 September 1857.

She was ill for weeks, weakened by the journey. She went to Lehi, Utah, where her sister Mette Kjerstine and Jens Peter Benson, Mett Kjerstine's Husband, were now living. They had moved south from Salt Lake City because of the threat of Johnson's Army. On 1 November 1857, in the President's Office, Kirsten was sealed to Mette Kjerstine's husband, Jens Peter Benson, as a plural wife (13).

Marcus, his wife and her mother, who were still in Florence, joined the wagon train of Iver N. Iversen, which had departed from Iowa City about the middle of June 1858 (14). They then completed the journey to Utah, arriving in Salt Lake City on 20 September 1858. They settled in Lehi, reuniting with Mette Kjerstine and Kirsten.

In 1859 Marcus's mother-in-law died in Lehi. In 1868 daughters Mette Kjerstine and Kirsten moved to Clarkston, Utah, with their husband Jens Peter Benson. Marcus and his wife, Kjersten, remained in Lehi until his wife's death on 13 October 1893. On 21 October 1893 Marcus married Larsine Birgitte Christensen (15). The marriage license was issued in Provo, Utah, on 20 October 1893, to Marcus Ericksen, age 85, and Mrs. Sena Christian. Marcus died two years later on 6 October 1895 and was buried in Lehi.

FOOTNOTES:

1. Parish records for Mov, Aalborg, Denmark (FHL film 0410434)

2. FHL film 0183404

3. FHL film 0410434

4. Ships, Saints, and Mariners, Conway B. Stone, University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, 1987.

5. Family records originated by Kirsten Ericksen Benson and maintained by Alice Marie Benson Jacobson, now in possession of Jens Peter Benson Family Organization.

6. FHL film 0183393

7. FHL film 0183394

8. European Emigration Card Index 1849-1925 ("Crossing the Ocean Index")(FHL film 0298433)

9. FHL film 0025691

10. European Emigration Card Index 1849-1925 ("Crossing the Ocean Index")(FHL film 0298433)

11. Benson, Kersten Erickson, Autobiography, (LDS Church Archives, Ms 12065, pp. 1-3; Acc. #200259 and Ms 8237, reel 3, item #26; Acc. #209198)

12. Mormon Pioneer Companies Crossing the Plains (1847-1868) Narratives, Bashore and Haslam, Historical Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 3rd Revised Ed., 1990.

13. FHL film 0183395

14. Utah Immigration Card Index 1847-1868 ("Crossing the Plains Index")(FHL film 0298441)

15. Early Church Information File (FHL film 1750674)