Laura Petrea Sorensen (1861-1911)

LIFE STORY OF LAURA PETREA SORENSEN HANSEN

Laura was the daughter of Peder Sorensen and Mariane Pedersen. She was born July 30, 1861, at Tidsvilde, Fredricksborg, Denmark. There were only two children in this family, Laura being the second girl. Laura's mother was a tailor, and the older sister helped her, but Laura loved the outdoors and chose to help her father, until she was old enough to work away from home.

When she was seventeen, together with her sister and parents, she joined the Latter-day Saint church. She was baptized and confirmed July 5, 1878, by her future husband, James F. Hansen.

On July 5, 1880, the family left Denmark, and set sail for America to find a new home with the Saints. Both girls had their sweethearts with them, they too having joined the church. The trip must have been romantic as well as enjoyable, for love is much the same whether it be 1800 or 1900. They arrived in Logan, Utah, on July 29th after traveling twenty-four days and here kind friends took them in. This couple were too poor to get married at that time. James had but five cents when he reached Logan. They both worked, and on January 20, 1881, their dreams came true, and they were married by John Van Cott in the old Endowment House at Salt Lake City.

When James went to Montana to work on the Great Northern Railroad in the spring, Laura went to work on a dairy farm at Cache Junction. This farm was owned by the apostle Melvin J. Ballard's parents. She cooked and milked fifteen cows night and morning. From her earnings she was able to get many things for their future home.

When James returned, they moved to Richmond, where they had many friends among the Danish converts who had settled there. Their home was where the South Ward Chapel now stands.

In December of that year their first child, a boy, was born. The next year, James again went to Montana to earn money, as he was still owing on his Immigration Fund, and Laura was left with her son.

In 1884 Hans Funk was called to move to Newton and be bishop there. Brother Funk had been James's missionary companion in Denmark, so the Hansens moved to Newton to join him. They had two sons at this time, Junius and Peter. Laura's parents and sister also moved there at the same time.

The old rock home at Newton, built by Lara and James still stands and is owned by a daughter.

This home was always open to Danish immigrants, or in fact to anyone who needed a place to stay. Laura was a charitable woman, and would always go out of her way to help anyone in need. She was fond of company, and would often entertain her Danish friends at dinner. Here, again, they would enjoy conversing in their own native tongue.

Laura and James became the parents of ten children, five boys and five girls. The two oldest boys preceded their parents in death; Peter in July 1, 1889. Junius died on March 29, 1906, a short time before he was to be married. That was hard for Laura, as he was always so kind to her.

James was called to do much church work, including a home mission and temple work. Laura stood by her husband in whatever he was called to do. It was up to Laura to see that the chores were done and the crops planted. She was a strong woman and could hook up and drive a team of horses as well as any man. Like her mother, she was an excellent seamstress and was handy at many odd jobs. One celebration day in Newton, she won a prize for driving more nails in less time than any other woman.

Laura was a hard working woman. Besides rearing her own ten children, she helped her mother with two little children left at the death of her sister.

Her health began to fail in her forty-seventh year. On July 29, 1911, (one day before her fiftieth birthday), her suffering was so intense, that her husband called his family together. They all knelt around her bed, while he asked the Lord to take this wife and mother from her pain. In less than half an hour, the prayer of this family was answered and Lara lay at rest.

While this special lady was just middle-aged when she passed away, she accomplished much while she lived on this earth. It is now up to us, her posterity, to follow.