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Note: Maren Hansen Jensen 1826-1899 In the early part of the nineteenth century there lived at Borglum, Hjorring Amt, Denmark, a worthy couple named Hans Hansen and Rjearsten Hansen. They were a very religious couple belonging to the Lutheran Church. The father was a miller by trade and also owned a distillery having plenty of worldly goods. Two boys and four girls come to bless their home. Maren, the subject of the sketch, was born February 10, 1826, and was the oldest of the girls.
They gave their children the best education the schools then afforded, and although they always hired help in the home, the children were taught to work. When Maren was in her teens, she was taught fancy wearing such as fine bedspreads, tablecloths, etc., at Elling. Elling is a small village twenty-five miles from Borglum, here was a lady that taught her to weave.
There she met Mads C. Jensen, a son of the lady that taught her. Their friendship ripened into love, and they were married in May 1845, at the home of the bride's parents.
Near their home lived an old couple who desired this young pair to live with them and take care of them while they lived. After the couple passed away, they would deed their home to them. They tried to do this, but the old lady was so disagreeable that Maren, being of a peaceful disposition, felt she could not live in that atmosphere. So she went home to her father and told him she just could not live there any longer. Her father bought the home from the old couple and gave it to his daughter. This was Mads and Maren's home as long as they lived in Denmark, they were very happy living by their friends and relatives until the gospel message came to them.
They were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 17, 1851. They felt a great joy within their own souls for they knew they had found the "Pearl of Great Price." None of their friends and neighbors received this message, so of course they were outcasts and looked down on. Their friends became their enemies. Mads and Maren stayed in their native country one and a half years after joining the church, during that time they endured much persecution.
Having higher ideals of life, they decided to gather with the Saints in America. They sold their home and all personal possessions. On November 5, 1852, they bade good bye to their loved ones and went to Copenhagen, preparatory to immigrations. They had five children born to them before leaving their native land. Just before leaving, death entered their home and took their baby girl; she was little more than one year old. This was a great sorrow to them, especially the mother, and formed a new tie to bind them to their native land. But the truth was greater than all else so they crossed the North Sea into England.
From England, they set sail for American with the first company of Mormon emigrants to leave Scandinavia. They landed in March 1853. Maren was seasick most all of the voyage when crossing the North Sea. One day she was seen with her head over the railing, and when Mads tried to find her, he could not see her anywhere. Some sailors had saw her leaning over the side and it was feared she had fallen overboard. He spent a very anxious night but found her in the morning in the kitchen of the ships. The cook had seen her and had taken her to the kitchen. Of course he was overjoyed when he found her still alive.
The voyage from England to America lasted nearly three months, all they had to eat was boiled barley, split peas without seasoning, and hard sea biscuits. They gave the children one hard sea biscuit and a cup of split peas between the two of them. With Maren being sick, the children had her share also. For eleven weeks they had only had what water they brought with them. Before landing they were called to part with another little one, a boy about four years old. He was buried in the Gulf of Mexico.
Soon after landing in America, they began the journey traveling by ox team across the plains. Before the journey was ended, they were called to part with most of their treasures they had brought with them. Maren even gave the earrings from her ears. They endured uncomplainingly many hardships and privations during the long, hard journey. Their little children walked all the way across the plains as did Maren except one week while she was confined to her bed. On the twenty-fourth day of July, she gave birth to a son whom they named Denmark. When the baby was three days old, they were fording a stream. As they were going up the steep embankment, the chain broke and let the wagon back into the stream. The box began floating off the wagon when four strong men got into the stream and held the wagon box on while the chain was mended and the wagon pulled out.
The bedding and everything they had on was soaked with water, but some sisters had a dry bed and clothing for her and the baby when they reached shore; neither mother or baby took cold. Surely the Father's blessing were with them through all their difficulties and trials.
When baby Denmark was a week old, a man traveling with them broke his leg. Brother Jensen said he did not know what to do with him as they only had enough room in the wagon for his wife, but Maren said she could walk now. She gave her bed to the injured man and walked the rest of the way to Utah. The children were happy when their mother could walk with them again. What a noble example of faith and self sacrifice--two wonderful traits developed by those great souls that God called to establish His latter-day work. They arrived in Salt Lake City September 28, 1853.
The family was happy that their long journey was ended and that they were gathering with the Saints of God. After staying in Salt Lake a short time, they moved to Kaysville.
Mads built a mill for Brother Winel. They lived in a dugout close to the mill and were very comfortable for those times. Their little room was warm and they had a few chickens and a cow. Brother Winel furnished them with potatoes, flour, and basic needs. They were very happy and content in their humble home after all they had gone through. They greatly appreciated the gospel truths and enjoyed meeting with the Saints.
In the spring, they moved into a tent on a piece of land where they planted corn and other garden crops, but the grasshoppers took it all, so their patience was still to be tried and tested. What a great truth Shakespeare wrote when he said, "Endurance is the crowning quality and patience all the passion of great hearts," for truly this is the school that the Father in Heaven takes all of His choicest souls through. In the fall, they moved back to Salt Lake where they stayed all winter. In the spring of 1855, the family moved to Weber where Mads worked in the mill until fall. While in Ogden, another baby girl came to bless their home. The next winter was known as the hard winter for the early settlers of Utah, and they with many others knew the pains of hunger and also suffered many other privations.
The following spring they moved back to Weber where Mads worked in the mill during the summer. About this time a great scare came to the people of Utah. The word came that Johnston's Army had been sent to destroy them and their homes.
We can only imagine what a consternation this would cause after the cruel driving and persecutions in the East when they thought they had found a refuge where they could build up peaceful homes and worship God as they desired, without molestation.
In the fall, Mads with other brethren were called to leave their families and go to Echo Canyon to keep back the army. The day after he left, Maren gave pre-mature birth to a baby boy who only lived five days.
Soon after Mads returned home, he was called by President Lorenzo Snow of Box Elder Stake to move to Brigham City and run a flour mill at that place. They moved there in February 1857. Sometimes before this, Mads had married another wife who now had two children. A few months after they moved to Brigham City, the call came to move south. The two wives moved with the rest of the Saints, but Mads remained in Brigham City to grind up what wheat they had as they did not know when, if ever, they would return. They came back in August of the same year and from that time they made their home in Brigham City.
While living here, six more children came to add more happiness to their homes making fourteen in all, seven boys and seven girls who's names are: Maren, Hans Christian, Anders Christian, James Christian, Rjearsten Marie, Denmark, Sarah, Joseph, Rebecca, Eliza, Mads Christian, Isaac H., Martha, and Valana. Five boys and two girls preceded them to the spirit world.
Some years after moving to Brigham, their son Anders Christian, a boy of nineteen, was sent with some other young men back East to buy a thrashing machine. One evening when Anders Christian was guarding the cattle while the others were at their supper, some Indians came and killed him taking his boots, belt, pistol, hat, and also some of the riding horses. Of course he had to be buried out there on the plains in a lonely grave.
This sad news was a great blow to his mother, she never afterwards could talk about it, and if others would mention it, tears would come to her eyes and she would leave the room. Besides raising her own children, she also had another son of Mads, Hyrum S. who's mother died soon after his birth. He never knew any other mother and was treated as one of her own children.
Maren was a homemaker, she loved her home, her husband, and her children. She was extremely sympathetic and kind to them. She stood faithfully by her husband in whatever came to them. Although she endured many hardships, knowing sorrows and trials, she always felt that God was good for she had His spirit to strengthen her. She learned, as all great souls do who take their difficulties in the right spirit, that every sorrow borne uncomplainingly brings us up one step higher to the rounds of progression and leads us nearer to the Giver of all good. She was a faithful consistent Latter-day Saint and taught her children the truths for which they sacrificed so much.
They lived to all be faithful workers in the church ready to obey any call made of them. She had a big heart and kept her home open to the Saints that came from her native land. Many found a hearty welcome and a good meal in her home.
Maren was well educated and learned the English language remarkably quick. She was a great reader and understood the gospel well. She had a good memory and kept well posted on the topics of the day. She often made the remark that she would rather do without a meal a day then without the Desert News in her home. Although she was not a publicly spirited woman, being perfectly content to live quietly in her home feeling that woman's greatest mission was to raise noble sons and daughters, yet when the Fourth Ward Relief Society was organized, she was also chose as one of the first Relief Society teachers, a position she held almost up to the time of her death.
Although she left all of her own sisters back in her native land, she found true sisters in the homes of her neighbors, and she was also a true sister to them for perfect love existed between them. They never had a disagreement and were always glad to help each other in times of sorrow or difficulty.
She was called to part with her beloved husband July 11, 1898. She lived just a little more than a year longer, joining him August 31, 1899. She lived to see all of her children happily married and was glad to obtain a well earned rest after a life well spent in doing good.
She was buried besides her husband in the family plot at Brigham City.
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