Anna Christine Hansen

Anna Christine Hansen was born on Jan 7, 1859 to Jens Hansen and Christine Johansen in Copenhagen, Denmark.

History

At a young age, Anna had a serious eye disease and the doctor prevented her from crying so that she wouldn't worsen the disease. While she was in the hospital getting better, her father died while in the King's Army, but not while on duty. Anna's mother converted to the Church a few years earlier and gathered her children to move west to Utah. 

They traveled from Denmark to Germany and sailed on the ship Kenilworth on May 25, 1866 from Hanberg, Germany to New York City, New York on July 16.  They sailed on steamboats and traveled on trains to Wyoming, Nebraska. The family joined the Peter Nebeker Co. on Aug 7, 1866 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 29.

Soon after their arrival in the Valley, the family moved to Richmond where Anna's mother married Jonas Halvorsen who adopted Anna. Anna Christine Hansen married Wallace Clinton Burnham on Oct 12, 1878 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"My mother’s help was often solicited and freely given in sickness, death and church affairs. She gave birth to nine children who all grew to maturity. Many customers sought her aid in making dresses and hats. Mother was of a happy disposition, always seeing the humorous side of any situation. She worked hard to provide an attractive, comfortable home and trained her six daughters and two sons in habits of thrift and order. With her, the motto was, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” She exerted every means to provide the necessities of life. “Eat it up, wear it out, make it do or do without,” was her motto and it was so engendered into her children that they still practice these precepts. 

"Mother never had the freedom from pain that is accorded to the healthy, vigorous person. Professional medical help was called upon only in an emergency and even then, the healing power of the Priesthood was called upon first. I remember the varicose veins which at times confined her to a chair. Toothache and headaches were never completely escaped. The babies came regularly at two and a half year intervals and their birth caused her much more suffering than is common to most women. The midwife did the best she knew, but even so, the attention did not measure up to modern obstetrical standards and mother had an affinity for blood poisoning. When the second child came, she almost gave her life. It was spared through the power of the Priesthood and the tireless care of her husband, her mother and the midwife, Mrs. 3 Lambert."

Epilogue