History of Jerald Wesley Glenn (1904-1991), Part 1

I am so excited to share this history. It is an autobiography written by my great-grandfather. It was enjoyable to read because I vaguely remember him (he died when I was about three years old) and because there were so many details about Kimberly, Idaho. Grandpa Wesley's parents were some of the first people to settle in Kimberly, and I am in the fifth generation in our family to grow up there. It will always be a special place to me.

Many thanks to Patricia Glenn Bates Miller and Lisa Bates Kent, who compiled the document that is transcribed here.

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History of the Kimberly, Idaho Ward


Jerald Wesley and Velma Tyler Glenn, 1980

HISTORY OF JERALD WESLEY GLENN

By Jerald Wesley Glenn - 1961

After a lot of persuasion by my children and mostly to please them, I am going to write a history of my life. I hope that with the inspiration of the Lord and my own intuition I will attempt to please them.

I was born in the land of freedom of goodly parents on the third day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred four---3 May 1904—at Marion, Cassia County, Idaho, the second child of Andrew Glenn and Mary Elizabeth Tolman.

Jerald Wesley Glenn (left, Abt. 18 months) and his brother Wendell (right)

Andrew Glenn Family

Fern, Wendell, J. Wesley, Ada, Calvin, Kimber

Mary Elizabeth, Elzina, Thelma, Andrew

Burton John

abt. 1926

There are in the family five boys---Wendell Ammon, myself, Calvin Rolly, Arvil Kimber, and Burton John in that order. There are five girls---Thelma Louise, Ora Fern, Ada Bernice, Ina June, and Elzina. In the order of their birth they are---Wendell, myself, Thelma, Calvin, Kimber, Fern, Ada, June, ElZina and Burton.

My father was born in Salt Lake City, Utah 23 June 1874, the son of Andrew and Anne Craig. My father and his brothers added the extra ‘N’ to their surname to give it the English spelling instead of the Scottish spelling. During his boyhood his father moved from Salt Lake City to Snowville, Box Elder, Utah and then to Elba, Cassia, Idaho, where my Father lived most of his boyhood days. My father was very independent as a boy, left home at an early age, and earned his own way. It will be interesting to note that grand-father worked in the coalmines in Scotland before immigrating to America in 1869. He then worked as a stonemason on the Salt Lake Temple for a period of eleven years and made his way into northern Utah and southern Idaho where he made his living by farming. Grandmother Glen was a weaver before her marriage, 31 December 1861, in Scotland.

My mother was born 7 January 1880 at Knowles, Tooele, Utah, (they lived on Settlement Creek in Tooele County, Utah) the daughter of Cyrus Ammon and Maria Louisa Pickett Tolman. Mother moved to Oakley, Cassia, Idaho, about 1882, and lived there until she was married, 2 March 1900. I know very little of the history of my grandmother except she taught school. I know nothing about my Grandfather Tolman.

My parents lived at Sublett in rough central Idaho where I started life. It was rather bleak and cold there, although it did not make much of an impression on my young mind. Dad heard of a nice place, so he thought, at Emmett, Idaho, near Boise. In 1906, we moved there. I was beginning to remember a few things then. Emmett being a fruit country, I can remember going into the little orchard and getting peaches and peeling them and like most small boys I would get the juice on my clothes, much to the dismay of my mother who had the task of keeping small boys clean. Dad did not like that country because of the poor soil and all the pesky mosquitoes which were large enough to carry away a small boy. During the fall of 1907, he came to southern Idaho and looked at the tract of land on which we now live and decided to move back to good old southern Idaho. While he was here, he got a potato that was large enough to last the family four days. In the spring of 1908 my father, mother, my older bother, and myself ‘pulled stakes’ and landed on the farm one mile north , one-half mile east, and one-quarter mile north of Kimberly, Twin Falls, Idaho, where I lived until I was twenty-five years of age.

In the early days of the tract, the country looked anything but promising. There was sagebrush everywhere one looked. The brush was very large, some of it standing three to four feet in height. The sagebrush had to be grubbed by using a large pair of blades which cut a few inches under the ground. The brush was then raked into rows, piled, and burned. There was lots of work to be done, but I was too small to enter therein, although I can remember the burning and clearing of the land. The land being new and rough caused an immense amount of work to get the water upon the land, but it was worth the effort once the deed was accomplished and the land forced to yield of its treasure. The first two years we were in Kimberly the jackrabbits ate nearly everything that looked green. They took nearly all the crop and there was not much left to pay bills and live on. By 1910, more people came to live nearby, so the rabbits were forced to retreat and by a lot of hard work, we were able to survive. I have seen the country grow and today (1961) it does not look anything like it did fifty years ago. One looking at the place now could not imagine what it was

like then. The old home place is still in my mother’s possession and will always be home to me. The old house where I grew up has been replaced by a newer one, but the old one still has memories of it in my mind. It means one never forgets his childhood days; they are the best time of his life.

For religious training, we attended a branch of the Marion Ward of the Cassia Stake, later organized into the Kimberly Ward, May 1908. We shared a building with other churches until our building was completed in 1909. This building was used until it was out grown and a new building was erected in 1950 and 1951. Mud in the spring of the year and the hard work in the summer limited our attendance at church meetings. However, as I grew older we would rather walk the two miles to church than get the horses in and ride to church. I have walked the two miles many times. I think that was good for us as it made us use our legs which made them strong. Children nowadays do too much riding in the car to keep themselves strong and healthy like we used to be.

Jerald Wesley and Wendell Ammon Glenn Abt. 1916

I was baptized during my eighth year, 31 August 1912, in a canal which ran through Brother Moroni Morgan’s place—the place where nearly all baptisms took place—by Elder Joseph H.

Sudweeks and was confirmed the next day, September 1, 1912, by Elder Samuel F. Strong. I was active in the priesthood quorums as I became of age. I was secretary of the Deacons and Teachers Quorum. There was not the emphasis placed on the activity of the youth then as there is now. We did not get to do the work that the young boys do now. The Church always progresses so the youth are now kept active. During the year of 1929, I was sustained as president of the Elders quorum.

In the year of 1916, the sugar company wanted to plant sugar beets. My father contracted for 65 acres of them. We had a crew of Japanese people to thin and take care of them. They did a good job of it. However, as the fall progresses the weather became colder and colder. Late in the season, the ground began to freeze. The leader of the crew told my father to keep pulling them—we pulled the beets with horses then and topped them by hand—and they would keep topping them to get them on top of the ground. The idea sounded very good to my father. He did that and after they were on top of the ground and the ground was frozen, they hauled them to the ‘beet dump’. If they had not done this, they would have had some frozen in the ground as other farmers did. My father said that he would get us an automobile if he got all the beets out. To keep his word he got one the next spring. It is quite amusing to me now to look back and watch father try to drive the car. He had never tried to operate a machine like that before. He had a hard time of it. The salesman would drive and show Dad how it should be done, but Dad just couldn't do what he was supposed to do. However, in a few days, it all came to him and he was an old hand at driving.

The auto helped us to get to church more regularly. I was enabled to attend M.I.A. meetings, heretofore denied. I was secretary of M.I.A. at the age of 16. The car permitted us to attend Stake Conference in

Oakley, Idaho, the headquarters of the Cassia Stake during the summer of 1912. The main thing I remember about the conference was that I was asked to pump the pipe organ for the services. This organ had to be pumped by hand, as there was no other power there. There was a long handle on the side of the organ which I had to pull up and down to build the necessary air pressure to make the pipes play. It was thrilling to be so close and watch the organist play. To play the organ has always been one of my desires of life.

One night just before Christmas, the fall of 1917, Wendell and I were at a dance and as he was at the right age to be taking girls home, he and a friend took their girls home and left me with the car thinking it would be safe. But, to their surprise when they returned the car was gone and so was I. I waited for an hour for them to come. I thought an hour was long enough for anyone to travel a couple of miles and get back. At one o’clock, I took the car and went home. The roads were slick with mud, as it had been raining for several days and there were no paved roads as there is now. But, that made no difference to me. I was not afraid of the mud for it was there first. I drove slow and easy and kept to the middle of the road so as not to slip off into the ditch along the side of the road. There were not many cars on the road then, as I did not meet a single one on the way home. I arrived home safely and went to bed. Was Wendell mad at me when he had to walk the two miles home! Father took my side and told Wendell he did not blame me as he would have done the same thing had he been in my place. I was not left with the car alone anymore because I could not be trusted to stay put.

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 12: Patriarchal Blessings and Cemetery Map

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Note from Marcelaine: I decided not to share the patriarchal blessings here due to the sacred and personal nature of patriarchal blessings. If you would like to read them, leave me an email address where I can send those pages to you, or you may be able to order a copy on lds.org under Sign In/Tools (people who are not members can still request ancestors' blessings). Here I will share just the first sentences that have useful information for genealogy.

Patriarchal Blessings

We have copies of Patriarchal Blessings for both Hans Peter and Karen Marie. In the case of Karen Marie, we have what is assumed to be on original paper, written on both sides in faint ink and a beautiful script, but with several errors of fact. These apparent errors have been retained in the transcription. Punctuation and other matters of style and grammar have been preserved as in the original. It is left to the reader to discern where these differences are and to understand the true meaning. Later transcriptions of both blessings, in the same handwriting, are also available. The later transcriptions also contain apparent discrepancies. For example, the date in the somewhat hard-to-read original, appears to be 1899, not 1879, as in the later copy. The 1899 date is probably more consistent with other dates in his life. The name of Karen Marie in the original is spelled Carn Mary. In the second transcription, someone has corrected the name to Karen Marie. The spelling of her birthplace is also different from other records that we have. We assume that the blessing, still in the hands of her descendants, was simply misspelled by the clerk.

Hans Peter

A Patriarchal Blessing of Hans Peter Jensen, son of Jens Petersen and Karen Hansen, given on Jan. 10, 1898. Born at Hjorring, Denmark, on 20 June, 1844. Blessing by Patriarch Chas D. Evans.

Spanish Fork City Dec 15, 1899

Karen Marie

A Patriarchal Blessing given Dec 15, 1879, by Zebedee Coltrin upon the head of Carn Mary Neilsen Jensen, daughter of Neils Peterson and Maren Anderson. Born Jan. 6, 1845, Faslu Denmark.

Pictures of their headstone can be seen on Find a Grave here.

And this is the end of this history!

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 11: Thoughts By a Grandson, Morris/Maurice J. Bissell

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Hans Peter Jensen and Karen Marie Nielsen
By a grandson, Morris J. Bissell
Feb. 9, 1966

When I was a youngster, I lived with Grandpa and Grandma a lot during the summer and some times during the winter; even after I started school, I spent a lot of my vacations with them.

They were an honest, law abiding, and very religious couple. As you all know by now, Grandpa went back to Denmark on two missions for the Church after he had come to this country. Grandpa wanted to take me with him on one of his missions, but Mother was afraid that I would have gotten homesick and caused Grandpa a lot of trouble--which I may have done (missionary calls were quite different in that day). I do not know why Mother objected so much; she always claimed that I was the ugliest baby that was ever born. She could have had Grandpa drop me over the side of the ship.

I look back on it today and wish I could have gone with Grandpa so that I could have gotten acquainted with some of our relatives and learned the Danish language as that was all that was ever spoken when the Jensen family were together. I got so I could understand the Danish language quite well but never could speak it.

Looking back, I wonder if Grandpa and Grandma ate to live or lived to eat. We had morning prayer and an early breakfast (and I mean early), then about ten o'clock, Grandma brought another big lunch out to the field, then at the end of the day, we had supper, another big meal. Before bed and after all the evening chores were done, we had another bowl of bread and milk. There was always a large coffee pot setting on the stove and a large bowl of lump sugar on the table so that any time of the day or night someone dropped in, they had to have coffee. (Us young ones got barley coffee that Grandma made out of roasted barley).

Then, at bed time, we all knelt down and had evening prayer, and Grandpa read to us out of one of the church books, mostly the Bible. Then Grandpa or one of the boys always went out to the corrals and barn to see that the livestock were all right and had plenty of food for the night. The Danish people took great pride in their livestock, and took great care with them. During the summer months when the weather was good, Grandma did all the milking--Grandma claimed the boys were too careless about it—and took care of the poultry. They raised an awful lot of chickens, ducks, and turkeys as well.

Grandpa did all the business for the family when he was home, but when gone, Grandma and the oldest boys stepped in. Grandpa was a very honest and upright man; his word was as good as his bond. He did not accumulate a whole lot of money, but he did acquire an awful lot of friends. I do not think he had an enemy in the world.

I think back and wonder how Grandma accomplished as much as she did. I do not know how she got through all her work and had time to take care of her church duties and do all the shopping. She always had a large amount of washing, ironing, and mending to do. She did not have an electric washer and iron in those days; it was all done by hand. And Grandma made all the bedding too. There were heavy quilts and bed ticks to make and stuff with feathers (which Grandma had saved when cleaning poultry).

On certain days of the week, Grandma traded her butter (which was always in great demand) and eggs to the store for groceries and staples. Everyone liked Grandma’s butter as she was very clean. I think Grandma was one of the cleanest persons that ever lived on this earth. I know that if you did not clean your shoes when you came in from outside, winter or summer, you were sure told about it. And Grandma liked to cook and have people eat at her table. Twice a year on Grandpa's and Grandma's birthdays, all the relations and friends would gather at the family farm and celebrate and visit and eat. If I had not seen it, I don't think I would have believed it, to see so much food on a table at one time. And Grandma was always running here and there to see that everyone got all they could eat.

I do not believe that I ever saw or heard of Grandma loosing [sic] her temper or getting out of patience with anyone. She had a good disposition and when Grandpa was away on his missions she was always cheerful and never showed her loneliness; she always believed that everything would turn out well in the end. One year the grasshoppers took most of the crops so the boys caught and sold grasshoppers (for bounty) at fifty cents a bushel. But Grandma still set a good table.

While I was living with Grandpa and Grandma, they used to get a lot of mail and papers from Denmark, but as I could not read or understand the language very well, I do not know much about their relatives in the old country. There used to be an elderly lady who came to visit with Grandma and Grandma [sic]. They called her Auntie but I never did find out what relation (if any) she was to the family. But I wish we had some of those letters and papers from Denmark now; it would make genealogy so much easier.

Grandpa was a very stern man and when he spoke everyone paid attention. He did not abuse anyone, but if you made a mistake, he did not lose his temper but would give you a talking to that you remembered. He was very religious and I know that he would be proud of a lot of his grandchildren if he were alive today, because of the interest they have taken in the church. And he has same grandchildren that he not be too proud of, although Grandpa never did condemn any one if they got in trouble or need but would do all he could to help.

Grandma was a very kind person; she thought a lot of all children. If any child suffered injury, no matter how slight, she always figured that a hug and a kiss and a piece of candy (which she always had) would always heal it.

Grandpa and Grandma raised a wonderful family and I can truthfully say that I am proud to be one of their offspring; any one else related should be proud as well. I am only sorry that all the relation could not have known them like I did. Words cannot express my feelings toward them.

I hope the younger generation will keep the name of Jensen alive by having a get together every year. And I want to wish them all the luck in the world and hope they keep after the laggards in the family so that they will take an interest so the remembrance of two most wonderful people, Grandma and Grandma [sic] Jensen, will be kept alive.

One of the Family

Maurice (Mully) Bissell

>>Part 12

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 10: Family Experiences with Karen Marie

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Family Experiences with Karen Marie

Clara remembered that Grandma was a good cook and would make mincemeat pies and sprinkle sugar on top. She made these for parties. She would take them out of the pan and put one on top of the other and then unstack them when they get to the party. They wondered how she could handle the pies without breaking them. She made beautiful flaky crust. Her Danish dumplings were most delicious, so light and not soggy. They were made much like a cream puff; after they were dipped in boiling soup, they were allowed to simmer 30 minutes. She also made Danish pickles out of ripe cucumbers. In one or [sic] her letters to me while I was teaching she wrote “We have been out to Joseph’s today and we had plenty to eat."

Grandma had thick, black hair that came to her knees. Her braids were to her waist when she died. She was small in stature and weighed not much over 100 lbs. She was very fussy about home and clothes. The small hays were white shirts that had to be starched and spotless. The collar was round and came out over the shoulders. The boys dreaded its stiffness.

Grandma moved about at a little "dog trot" doing her work. When she stopped, she was always knitting. She helped with the family budget by making quilts and selling them. She would piece them and every seam had to be steam pressed, with the coal stove iron. She would dampen the seam and then press it.

Marie remembers that “Grandma always had a dish of hard tack candy for the Grandkids. One piece was always given when we came but rarely more than one piece. She was a good cook. She would not let us do the dishes for she was too fussy about how they should he done. The kids enjoyed this. She kept her house immaculate. She used a broom made out of straw tied together. When she scrubbed the floor, she always wiped each spot dry before wetting the next one.

“Uncle Pete liked to dance. He always dressed sporty. Uncle Chris enjoyed sports and, around the family, was quite a clown. Uncle Al had a sense of humor. Joseph was more reserved and quiet. When they were together for a social, they always talked Danish. They would talk and laugh and have lots of fun but those who didn't understand the Danish could only imagine what the fun was about and laugh with them. Then there were those Danish Birthday parties where they had such good eats. They always had two meals, one in the afternoon and the other at night. The men used to play croconole.

“One of the joys of going there in the summer was a large crab apple tree. These crab apples were twice the size of ordinary ones and very good to eat. Then, in the fall, pink grapes grew in a big poplar tree by the house. Fay was always the one who could get those in the highest part of the tree, and course they were the best flavored. The family also made Danish beer (made with browned barley and yeast) and heated it with bread for breakfast; barley “coffee” was also a favorite.”

Clara remembered “the winter Grandma had a dreadful cough the entire winter. They say she had asthma. She finally cured it by drinking hot milk with tallow in it. I never remember her coughing like that again. But I remember her in bed with a gown that was ruffled around the neck and a night cap with a ruffle around it much like the girls wear today except it was made of bleached muslin with embroidery on the ruffle.

“Grandma milked the cow as long as they had one. She always tied a blue bandanna on her head, put on a blue figured apron that had long sleeves and buttoned down the back. Then she stepped into a pair of wooden shoes that were kept just inside the barn door. Grandma was one of the most appreciative people. Her favorite expression, when any one did a favor for her was, “You are so good to me.”

Clara also remembers the old organ that was in the family house where she grew up in Mapleton. Joseoh had traded a horse for the organ. He bought it before he was married and white his father was on his first mission. Grandma Jensen said she spent many hours playing it as she was lonesome while her husband was away. When Joseph married, he took the organ to his new 2-room home. The organ meant a lot to Grandma Jensen and she missed it.

Fern remembered, “ Grandma being ill and lying in a bed that, to me, seemed like it was up on a raised platform; the headboard made of wood. I don't remember much design or carving on it, only along the top and edges. I can still remember thinking the top quilt on the bed always looked so "warm"--maybe made of flannel or warm soft wool—all dark colors.

“l was quite young when they lived in Spanish Fork, but I remember the home and going there and having to take off our shoes to go in the house. I remember the candy in that lovely soup tureen and how we looked forward to that piece she'd always give us. I remember the water bucket and getting to drink out of the dipper. We loved their wooden shoes and were allowed to put them on and clomp around outside. Muriel and I have always looked for and wanted a soup tureen like Grandma’s and some wooden shoes just to have them because of the memories.

"The family was so poor when they first lived in Spanish Fork that someone gave them the head of an ox and that was all of the meat they had for one winter. It cost 5 cents, which was very hard to find, to send a letter to Denmark.

“Grandma's sister, Auntie Caroline sewed for a living. She came to America after she was married. She had one boy named Elwood Christensen, also one girl. Auntie Caroline always joined the family in their family socials. "

>>Part 11

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 9: Her Early Life

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Karen Marie Nielsen Jensen

By Harriet Lucinda Whiting Jensen, daughter-in-law



Her Early Life

Karen Marie Nielsen was born Jan 6, 1845, at Torslev, Denmark. She was the daughter of Niels Pedersen and Maren Andersen, the seventh child in a family of eight. Her oldest sister died. She began working away from home when she was twelve years of age. When her mother died when she was fourteen, Karen Marie was obliged to support herself from then on.

She lived with "fine folk" as she termed them, but they were very hard on her and only allowed the children a certain amount to eat. Many times she was hungry, but the door was always locked and nothing was given them to eat after the five o'clock supper. The bread was cut thin and only two tiny slices given to each child. She stayed with this family a year and was paid about $8.00 for her work.

At fourteen, children went to the Priest to be confirmed. He lined the boys on one side and the girls on the other and talked to them for a time; then the next Sunday they were allowed to take the Sacrament and given a book. The Priest wrote in the book that they had been confirmed and this was their reference book. No one would hire a person without this reference. At that time, they were hired for a certain length of time and if they left before the time was up, they would not get a reference and could not get another job.

Karen worked at one place two and one half years, but it was such hard work. She was forced to go into the field to work along with the men as well as do the housework. During the harvest, they had to get up at 3:30 or 4:00 o'clock in the morning and get breakfast, and after breakfast, milk as many as ten cows and take care of the milk; she also did the churning. She put up lunches for a ten o'clock lunch, and then came home at noon and milked the cows, washed the dishes, and put up an afternoon lunch, while the men folks took a rest and nap. Many times she helped bind grain until 10:00 o'clock at night. It was at this place that her health broke and she contracted something similar to asthma that bothered her all her life.

One fall, about November, she spread over four hundred loads of fertilizer called “marigal,” a clay that was dug up from the ground. It was unloaded in piles, and the workers had to spread it and break it into pieces. Many times it was very cold, and the fertilizer was so heavy that she thought she would never get it done. But after the day’s work was done, she thought nothing of walking a mile (a Danish mile is four of our miles) to a dance and back again. Finally, she made up her mind that she would quit the farm work and go to the city. She found that this was also hard work because the family she worked for lived in four large rooms and every week the rooms were given a thorough house cleaning. She scrubbed the floors with sand.

While working in the City, she met Hans Peter Jensen, who worked at the same place. They were married Nov. 5, 1869. They were baptized into the Church Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) at 12:00 midnight, March 5, 1871. It was so cold her clothing was frozen stiff before she could get to the house, a short distance away. Choosing this time of night was necessary to avoid trouble from mobs. They left Denmark to come to Utah in June 1871 and arrived in Salt Lake City, July 24th of that year. From here they went to Spanish Fork, Utah, probably to be with many other families from the Scandinavian countries. After about a year, they rented a farm down by Utah Lake. While living here, two children were born and one of these died. Eight children were born to them while they were living in Spanish Fork.

They were always poor, but the hand of the Lord was with them. He was ever first in her sight and she was blessed by her obedience to Him. She was always a faithful mother as well as a helpmate to her husband, and was loved fer her helpfulness and charity. Her smile was an integral part of her and her jolly laughter always rang through the air.

She carded sheep's wool and from this knitted all her children’s stockings, gloves, sweaters, and wove the cloth for their clothing. She also made piece-blocks, quilts, and rugs, and quilted for other people; she nearly always had a quilt on in her later years. In this way she earned money to buy Christmas presents for all of her family and especially the grandchildren. When she passed away, she had quilts to do for her neighbors. These worried her up until her death because they weren't done.

She loved to dance or be with the crowd out having a good time. She and Hans used to go down to the dance hall in Spanish Fork and watch the young people dance. This was while they were in their seventies. She loved the jolly things in life, and always tried to see the bright side of things.

She was a faithful worker in the church and, for years, was counselor in the Mapleton Relief Society. She stayed at home and took care of things while her husband went on two missions to his native land. By this time the boys were big enough to assume much of the work.

She never forgot a grandchild's birthday and her pennies were saved to bring them joy. She loved their noise and laughed at the things they did. There was always candy or cookies for anyone who went to her home.

She and Hans moved back to Spanish Fork for their later years. They had a little home at 479 North 500 East. It was here that she took ill and was in bed about four days before her death. She didn't seem to be in any pain, just exhausted from the toils of a life well spent. She slept her last few days peacefully away. Her death occurred March 9, 1926, at age 80. She was buried in the Spanish Fork cemetery.

>>Part 10

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 8: His Last Days in Lake Shore and The Temple Books

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His Last Days in Lake Shore

His health failing, Hans went to live in Lake Shore (west of Spanish Fork) with Lizzie, his oldest daughter, for a couple years before he died. One time, Harriet went over to help her. First she took the barley and malt that he had and made some beer. When she handed it to him he said, “Oh Sister, you'll never know how good that tastes to me." He only lived a couple days after that.

Thelma Tweede Butler, Lizzie's daughter, had also moved to Spring Lake. She was married by then, but lived close by. She tells the following story:

"Grandpa liked to walk down the road with his cane. Father's horses were very curious and came close to the fence. When he put the cane in the air, they put their ears and tails up and ran. Grandpa would stand and laugh at them."

He died in Spring Lake at Lizzie's home on September 15, 1931. His last request was to be brought back to Mapleton for his funeral. He was buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery by the side of his wife.

Muriel recalls one incident after Grandpa's funeral that, to her, was a miracle. "The closing prayer was given by Ellis Harmer. As he prayed, he asked that there would be no harm or accident befall anyone on the way to the cemetery. I was young then and thought that was a strange thing to say. There were three cars with the flower girls that went ahead to place the flowers on the grave before the procession got there.

I was in the car with Woodrow Tweede driving. Burton Warren and Uncle Bert Whiting draw the other two cars.

“There was a railroad track that crossed the road just at the top of a hill as we went down into Spanish Fork and some upright cattle guards about 6 or 8 feet from the side of the road on either side of the track so that no cattle would go through there and wander onto the track. Just before we got to them, Uncle Bert and Burton went acress the tracks and stopped on the other side and jumped out of their car to wave us down. By then it was too late, as we creased the track, the train came through where those cattle guards were and I looked right into the cow catcher since I was sitting in the back on that side. If Woodrow had even touched the brake, we would have surely been hit. The Lord had certainly answered that prayer."

The Temple Books

Among the papers of Hans Peter and Karen Marie Jensen are two “Temple Books”, showing their activities in the temple and their lineage and relationships. These are in delicate condition but show temple ordinance records and dates of those listed. They are interesting to study as they tell who was at the Temple and when, which ordinances were performed, and who the proxy was.

>>Part 9

Hans Peter Jensen (1844-1931) and Karen Marie Nielsen (1845-1926) histories, Part 7: Return to Mapleton and Family Experiences with Hans Peter

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5
Part 6

Return to Mapleton

After the death of Karen Marie, Hans bought the little Relief Society Hall in Mapleton, just west of the home belonging to his son Joseph and Harriet, and lived there for possibly 4 or 5 years. This building was formerly the meeting place for the Relief Society. As was common in that day, Relief Society was held in a separate building rather than the chapel; many of these were built and paid for from the “dues” paid by members of the Relief Society; this one was about a block east of the main Chapel and on the other side of the street and was probably built about 1890.

When the Relief Society no longer needed it, Hans Peter made his home there. The deed to
the property shows that he paid $500 for it in April 1926.

Caption: The Old Relief Society Building still stands behind the home at 195 East Maple in Mapleton, Utah, although its appearance is considerably different than the building in the photo.

Following the death of Hans Peter, the home became the property of Joseph Jensen and was used for a residence for a few years and later for storage. This building is located today behind a newer home at 195 East Maple, in Mapleton. There have been attempts to preserve the building. The bricks have been cleaned and efforts have been made to stabilize the walls. The doorway and access have also been altered.

The pathway through the grass to the front door of the Relief Society building was lined with purple flags (Iris). The outside measurements are 15 x 20 ft. There was no running water inside so water had to he carried from a hydrant at the back of Hattie and Joe’s house. On the inside, a huge wardrobe stood against one wall at the back of the room. On the opposite side was his bed. The stove was a cook stove that was also used to heat the house. A cupboard, with glass in the doors on the top half to show off the nice dishes, stood in the corner. A table and a "Bishop's couch“ completed the furnishing. The couch had a wooden back and arms and a slat seat with a mattress on top to make it comfortable to sit on.

A short distance behind the house was a granary, also made of brick, but a lighter color; it had been used to store the grain kept by the Relief Society for an emergency. Until this building was built, the wheat was stored in the back of the Relief Society Room. Outside and a little north was the outhouse or "shanty," with three holes for seats, each one sized appropriately for the different sizes of occupants.

Family Experiences with Hans Peter

As a little girl, Marie remembers the “Leafy Society" (Relief Society) ladies meeting in this room or building. The Jensen girls, who lived just few steps east, were assigned to help clean. She remembers them singing the hymns with gusto even if some of their voices were a little “screechy.” Marie also remembers playing the pump organ there, powered by pumping the foot petals [sic].

Fern recalls, “After Grandpa moved into the Relief Society house there by us, we really got to know him. He was always an pleasant and “chuckled” over the things we did. He always sat with his back to the door, facing the warm stove, so we'd sneak in the door and go over and grab him and scare him. We loved it as he'd always act as if he were scared and grab us and give us a squeeze for being “naughty.” He loved smoked herring and other kinds of fish and the smell was always in the house. Any time I smell that good smell I am reminded of Grandpa and how he enjoyed the fish.

"I remember him always being so neat and clean. He wore a full heard and kept it so clean and white. I remember how soft it always felt and his hands were soft too. As he got older, Mom would have one of us go get him or walk over to the house to stay for part of the day. We also took turns walking him to Church for each meeting, and were so proud to get to be the one to hold hands and walk with him. This is why his soft hands are so vivid in my memory. And he always thanked us for taking him as if we'd done him such a great favor.

"When he’d come over to our house in the daytime, he had a favorite place to sit by the end of the stove, and lots of times he‘d lean on his cane and just watch the activity going on. He seemed to know that where he sat he was out of Mom's way while she worked. And knowing our Mother, I'm sure she kept a conversation going with him--maybe encouraging him to tell about Denmark. Mother was so proud to tell us that Grandpa had said to her, “Your children honor me." How I wish all this had been recorded.

“He fixed his own breakfast, which was usually “fisk” (fish)--which he bought in a keg and kept in some kind of a brine—and barley coffee. He ate his noon meal with us and had his "supper" at his place, usually bread and milk and smoked fish and sometimes some homemade “beer.” He liked "tin" (thin), not "tick" (thick) soup and loved his homemade "beer" and "coffee"--neither of which were in violation of his strict Mormon ethics.

One of his favorite delicacies was fruit toast. During the summer, we gathered and dried berries. These were soaked and cooked with sweetening, then thickened and poured ever toast. (Some years age this recipe was included in the Relief Society Magazine.)

Fern remembers being a “flower girl" at his funeral. “Each of the smaller grandkids was given a bouquet of flowers and stood on either side of the sidewalk; the casket was brought along the path and the relatives walked alongside; it was probably quite touching and pretty to see and such an honer to get to stand there.”

Muriel also remembers living next door as a young girl, and gives us her perspective of Hans Peter Jensen. “I used to go over to Grandpa's house and build fires for him in the mornings so that he wouldn't have to get up in the cold. I would walk home with him at night when he left our house and I remember what soft hands he had as he held my hand. I would sleep on the couch and he must have waked me in the mornings, as I doubt I was an early riser. He always had the little kindling brought in. I would wad up some paper and put it in the stove and then add the kindling, followed by bigger pieces of wood, then lay the coal on top. He kept a gallon can of kerosene nearby and I would pour a liberal amount over the whole thing and then light a match to it. It would take right off and I would go back home as soon as I saw that the coal was burning.

“Every Saturday, there was always a quarter on the table for me. I have wondered many times since how he could afford to give it to me as money was a very scarce item in those days. One day on my birthday, instead of a quarter, he left me a pretty strand of heads. I can only guess how he ever got those. He was such a kindly quiet man and I know our family all loved him.

“Grandpa Jensen loved his Danish “beer.” This beer had no alcohol in it. He would have it for

supper like bread and milk. On one occasion, He ran out of the beer, so Mother decided to make a batch for him. We had a big screen porch at the back of the house whore she washed and she had two number 3 tubs to rinse the clothes in. We used them to have our weekly bath in also. Well, she scrubbed one of them real clean and made the beer in that. She covered it with a cloth and left it to ferment or whatever it did. Clara and Len had wanted to go on a trip to California, so they brought Alice down for us to take care of while they were gone. She was just a little tyke, about 2 years old. She caught the whooping cough after Clara left so we just tended her as best we could. One day I happened to go out on the porch and there was Alice having the time of her life bathing in the tub of beer. I gathered her out—shoes, socks, clothes and all and called Mother. I was sure that she would be really sick, but it didn't seem to make her any worse. Maybe she drank some and it pepped her up. I did tell Mather that she should measure the contents she bottled it.

"We had a player piano at our home and happened to have the roll of "Midnight Fire Alarm," which I used to love to hear, so I would play it often. Our sister-.in-law, Beth, had the sheet music of the same song. I learned to play it fairly well, but one day decided to put the roll on and played it while was playing with my own hands. The switch where you turned the roll off when it was finished was at the top where I had to put the sheet music. Well, I started to play— better than Mozart himself—and Grandpa heard me and came in the parlor to watch. Of course the darn thing ended, and I had nothing to do but reach up under the music and turn the player off. Grandpa always carried a cane and he shook that cane at me and stalked out of the room.

“One day, three of the cousins, June Whiting Blanchard, her sister Beulah, and Fern Jensen, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Harriet, were playing together. As June remembers the experience, Harriet had just baked an apple pie and came out onto the porch where the girls were playing and handed it to Fern. Fern thought the pie was for three hungry girls, so she went to the kitchen and got three spoons and they enjoyed the pie. Harriet expected that Fern would understand that it was to be delivered to Grandpa in the little house next door."

Thelma Tweede Butler, daughter of Mary Eliza Jensen Tweede, one of Hans Peter's daughters, shares the following memories.

“My Father Herman and his brother went out to the West Mountain and homesteaded a big farm out there. The first recollection I have of Grandpa and Grandma was when I was about 5 years old. ‘There weren't any phones so I don't know how my brother and I knew that Grandma and Grandpa were coming, but we were waiting for them and finally saw the little black buggy coming a long way off and ran to meet them. Grandpa took me on his lap and let me drive the horse; of course, we knew they had a sack of old fashioned candy for us.

When they lived in Spanish Fork, we visited quite a lot. Grandmother always had a quilt on the frames to sew and us kids would have a playhouse under the quilt. When Grandma died, she had a quilt on that hadn't been finished so Mother and some of the Aunts finished it before the funeral. At rest time, they put a pan of sweet beer on to heat and toasted bread on the back burner of the shiny black coal stove. And I had a bowl of hot bread and beer.”

Veda Tweede Durfey, another of the grandchildren, adds, “We used to watch Grandpa drive up whether it was buggy or car. The day that I remember, particularly, they were in a buggy. I must have been about 9 or 10 and was attempting to do some ironing. Grandma asked me if I knew how to iron. I said nothing but went and asked mother what she meant. She always had a little bag of candy with her, so we were glad to have them visit us. One time they had purchased one of the first cars around and we went riding with them. Grandpa, never a good driver, did not see the train coming down the tracks and just about crossed in front of it. We were all pretty shaken up. Grandpa came to live with us for a time. We really enjoyed having him. I don't think he was a burden to us. We missed him when he died.

>>Part 8