Jens Peter Ipsen Benson (1831-1898)

Jens Peter Ipsen Benson

--Alma Peter Benson (1860-1918)

----Daniel Alma Benson (1886-1954)

------Julia Elizabeth Benson (1909-1999)

--------Earl Kingsford (1936-)

----------Bryan Kingsford (1959-)

History compiled by Annette Hancey Lunceford (phone (801) 375-9145), 459 East Stadium Avenue, Provo, Utah 84604. Edited by Leland Jacobson, great grandson of Jens Peter Benson

Jens Peter Benson was born 26 April 1831 and was christened Jens Peter Ipsen 12 June 1831 at Aakirkeby, Bornholm, Denmark (1). He was the son of Jeppe and Maren Christine Hanson Kofoed Benson.

At an early age, Peter learned the trades of carpentry and wheelwright service. He served as an apprentice for five years in the old country and became very efficient at his trade. The family lived in a small valley just a few miles inland from the coast. His father owned a small acreage of land, which he farmed, and there, Peter was born and grew to young manhood.

When Peter heard the wonderful message from the Mormon Elders, he was greatly impressed and became thoroughly convinced and was converted to the gospel message. The spirit bore witness to him as to the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon and of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Peter was baptized 10 July 1851 by Elder Aagren Aldreas (2) and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 27 July 1851, by Elder Hans Peter Jensen. All of his father's family accepted the Gospel, except his brothers Christian and Hans Kofoed. At that time, the Mormon religion was very unpopular and people would go out of their way to persecute those who did accept it.

In the early part of December, Peter and part of his father's family joined a large company of emigrating saints in Copenhagen. On 20 December 1852, they left Copenhagen bound for Utah. After a long and tedious journey they reached Salt Lake City, Utah 30 September 1853. They had been ten months on the way. What a lot of faith and courage these brave souls must have had, to sacrifice their homes, friends, relatives, and all the comforts of normal life for their religious convictions; to go into a strange land, thousands of miles away, where they would have to begin life over again, master a different language, and accept the customs of a strange people. Yet, how happy they were to be in the land of Zion, with the Saints and Prophet of God.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, Peter found work as a carpenter and wheelwright. On 12 January 1854, (3) he was ordained a Seventy and was a member of the 39th Quorum of Seventies.

On 26 December 1853,(4) Peter was married to Mary Jane Simpson by Erastus Snow at the home of Thornton Simpson, Mary Jane's Father, but they divorced. A son, John Jeremiah Benson, was born after the divorce. He lived and reared a family in the Uinta Basin in Utah.

On 8 April 1855, (5) Peter was married to Mette Christine Erickson by Ezra Taft Benson at his home. Mette had arrived from Denmark a year earlier as part of the company that included Peter's sister Karen.

With Johnston's Army on the march to Utah in 1857, many left the city and moved south. The Benson's moved to Lehi where they lived for several years. Here they shared the hardships and sacrifices of the early settlers, took part in the activities and were willing contributors to the building of that community.

In September of 1857, (6) Mette's younger sister, Kirsten, arrived from Denmark with the Seventh handcart company. She was extremely ill and weakened from the journey. She went to Lehi seeking her sister. Mette and Peter took her into their home and helped her regain her strength.

On 1 November 1857, (7) Peter entered into plural marriage and was sealed to Mette's sister, Kirsten, by Brigham Young in the President's Office.

Johnston's Army entered Utah in 1858, marched through Salt Lake City and down about 16 miles west of Lehi, where they founded Camp Floyd. Many civilians were employed there and Peter was thankful for the work he was able to do. He was also a cobbler and so kept busy at one job or another. The women made barley beer for the soldiers.

While living in Lehi, Peter was called to go to Salt Lake and work on the Tabernacle. His son, Marcus, says he worked on the roof and his daughter, Mary, records that he did some work on the organ pipes and benches. Says Maud B. Jorgensen (granddaughter), "I never enter the building but what I think of him and thrill with the knowledge that he was one of the many who helped with its construction."

Cache Valley was being settled, and in 1867 Peter went to Clarkston and bought some land from George Davis and Bill Sparks, said his daughter Mary. In the spring of 1868, he moved with his wife, Mette, and her family to Clarkston, where he took up farming with carpentry. His wife, Kirsten, stayed in Lehi and raised a garden. When fall came, she also, moved to Clarkston.

It was decided to make another settlement south and east of Clarkston, so in the spring of 1869, Peter was one of the group that helped to lay out the town site that became Newton. The head of each family received ten acres of land in the South Fields, and five in the North Fields. He then built a log house, shed for the cattle and sheep, planted some grain, and made irrigation ditches. In the fall, he moved Mette and her children into the new home in Newton. It was in the south west corner of town. Drinking water had to be carried from the slough and was not very good.

Theirs was a busy life, with plenty of hardships and trials; here they experienced real pioneer life. The ground was so heavy and soggy in the spring they could hardly get around for the mud. The water was poor, travel slow, and the climate was very cold. Peter helped to dig ditches, build roads, and he as ever ready and willing to improve the living conditions. Peter helped with many of the buildings and homes in Newton. He made benches for the church house that were used until it burned down.

From Mr. Atkinson, he bought the north half of the block just south of the public square, and on the north east corner built the rock house. Mette then moved from the log house to the new rock home.

Farming was very hard in pioneer times, grubbing sage brush, using hand plows, homemade harrows, and rakes. Winters were very severe, almost covering some of the log cabins. The pioneers worked hard and played hard. There was no time for idleness. Peter built many houses and repaired many wagon wheels.

At first the people cut their hay with scythes and their grain with the cradle. Later Peter bought a reaper and binder and did much of the cutting. At harvest time, he worked days and most of the nights, cutting grain. He hung a lantern on his machine when he worked at night. When the people desired cash, they hauled their grain to Corrinne. This at first was the nearest railroad station. Otherwise, they hauled it to Logan where all they got was scrip (8).

Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, was living in Clarkston at that time, and Peter became well acquainted with him. He heard him bear testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. When Brother Harris passed away, 10 July 1875, Peter made the coffin in which he was buried.

Mette died 8 April 1876 of complications resulting from bearing her tenth child.

After Mette's death, Peter moved his wife, Kirsten, and her family to the rock house in Newton.

Kirsten lived there until her death. Many of Peter's children and grandchildren have fond memories of the house.

On 11 November 1879, Peter married Christina Nielsen. She was born in Arnager, Bornholm, Denmark, and was a convert to the church. Peter built her a frame house just west of the rock house.

Peter was arrested for polygamy in 1887. He was fined $100.00 and sentenced to six months in the Utah State Penitentiary (located in Sugarhouse, Salt Lake City). That was a sad Christmas for the family for he left on 23 December 1887. He was discharged from prison on 24 May 1888, having served five months.

Peter was industrious, honest, a wonderful neighbor, and kind to the poor. He was a faithful Latter-Day Saint, filled several Home Missions, was a diligent temple worker. He was ordained a High Priest on 23 June 1884, by Orson Smith and was set apart as Second Counselor to Bishop Hans Funk. He held this position until the death of Bishop Funk, which occurred 25 October 1892. At that time, William H. Griffin was sustained as Bishop of the Newton Ward and Peter was made First Counselor to him. This position, he held until his death. He was a willing donator to all Church and civic affairs, always willing and ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. He was honored and loved by all who knew him. One history says of Peter Benson, "He was honest and a good neighbor, kind to the poor, always willing to lend a helping hand in public affairs, a diligent temple worker, and filled several home missions."

He fell from the roof of a building, which may have contributed to his death. He died on 21 June 1898, following a prolonged illness (9),(10). The immediate cause of death was "stomach troubles" which had confined him to his bed for three or four months. He was 67 years of age. He was buried in the Newton Cemetery.

He was the father of twenty-four children, twelve sons and twelve daughters. Surviving him were two wives, eight sons, nine daughters, and a number of grand children. The descendants now have become a numerous posterity, with Jens Peter Benson bequeathing to them a wonderful heritage and a name that should be honored until the last generation of time.(11)

FOOTNOTES

1. FHL film 0044040

2. FHL film 0041939, item 4, p. 2.

3. FHL film 0025555

4. FHL film 0183393

5. FHL film 0183393

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

7. FHL film 0183395

8. History of Newton

9. Obituary, The Tri-Weekly Journal, Logan, Utah, 22 Jun 1898, p. 2.

10. Obituary, Deseret Evening News, Salt Lake City, Utah, 29 June 1898, by Niels Jacobson, son-in-law.

11. This history is a compilation of information from several sources including histories written by:

Ester Paul Benson Dame, granddaughter of Jens Peter Benson

Maud B. Jorgensen, granddaughter of Jens Peter Benson

Mary Benson Larsen Goody Griffin, daughter of Jens Peter Benson

Marcus Joseph Benson, son of Jens Peter Benson

Alice Marie Benson Jacobson, daughter of Jens Peter Benson

Vilate Sharp, niece of Jens Peter Benson (Christina's daughter)

Sarah Harris, niece of Jens Peter Benson (Martha's daugher)

From the Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia

Benson, Jens Peter, first counselor in the Bishopbric of the Newton Ward, from 1884 to 1898, was the son of Jeppe and Maren Christine Bentzen and was born April 26, 1830, in Aaker parish, Bornholm, Denmark. He was baptized July 10, 1851, by priest Andreas Aagren, and confirmed July 27, 1851 by Hans Peter Jensen, being one of the first who embraced the gospel as revealed through Joseph Smith on the island of Bornholm. In November, 1852, he left his native island to emigrate to Zion, at Copenhagen he joined a large company of emigrating Saints which sailed from that city Dec. 20, 1852, crossed the Atlantic in the ship "Forest Monarch," and arrived in Salt Lake City Sept. 30, 1853. The following year he was ordained a Seventy and became a member of the 39th quorum of Seventy. April 8, 1854, he married Mathie Christine Eriksen, in Salt Lake City, where he lived till 1856, when he removed to Lehi, Utah county, and there followed his trade as a wheelwright and carpenter. Nov. 1, 1857, he married Kirsten Ericksen, a sister of his first wife. In 1869 he removed to Clarkston, Cache County, and in 1875 to Newton, where he resided until his death. His first wife died in 1876, and he married Christine Nielsen, of Newton, Nov 12, 1879. He was ordained a High Priest and set apart as second counselor to Bishop Hans Funk, June 23, 1884, by Orson Smith, and occupied that position till the death of Bishop Funk. From Feb. 5, 1893, until his death, which occurred in Newton June 21, 1898, Elder Benson acted as first counselor to Bishop Wm. H Griffin. As the husband of three wives, he became the father of 24 children, namely thirteen boys and eleven girls. Elder Benson was known as an upright and honest man; he was always ready to lend a helping hand in public affairs and was kind to the poor. He was a diligent Temple worker and filled several home missions.