I regret that many of our biography's had to be cut in the interest of space so as Sadie's biography was written first and contains much that was mentioned in Marx's biography, those parts I shall skip and center principally on Marx's life before their marriage.

I was born 19 May 1886 in a little country town called Dingerdon, just a few miles from Hamburg, Germany. I was the eldest of 13 children.

I started school at the age of 5 years. School continued summer and winter. On Wednesday and Saturdays we had half a day at school. This half day was 6pent in acrobatics and Military Training. All boys at 5 years were compelled to start school and military training. I continued in school until I reached the sixth grade, 25 Sept. 1896.

In 1891, the Mormon missionaries came to us. They had to come to the house after dark. This was because the Mormon missionaries were not allowed in that part of the country. If seen they would be jailed, fined and transported out. Mother would let them in. They would explain the gospel doctrine to my parents, sometimes all night long. Then mother would give them a good meal, fill their pockets with sandwiches and send them on their way before day-break, so the officers wouldn't catch them.

The officers were brightly uniformed with glittering tips on their helmets. We school kids could see them coming for a mile or more. When they passed us we had to line up to one side of the walk and salute.

My p-rents were converted and baptized in the fall of 1893. Mother was the only one of her family to join the L.D.S. Church. When they found out, they disowned her. And when the law found out, we were ordered out of the country, of course my parents expected this to happen when they first started to investigate. After they joined the church they began to save up for their journey to Utah. This would take about $375.00 in our money. This took two years to save enough to take us to American Fork where Father's parents lived.

We boarded our first ship in Hamburg, Germany to cross the North Sea.

We left there about 8:00 p.m. on 3 Oct. 1896. The next morning early the sailors brought us food and told us we could not go to the dining room to eat, because of a big storm coming up. They locked our doors. For two days we were tossed and rolled about in our rooms. We were very seasick and vomited. The waves seemed as big as mountains. The ship would take a nose dive. It seemed almost as though it were standing on its tail. Then it would roll from side to side.

On the third day, late afternoon, the storm stopped suddenly. The sailors came down and unlocked our doors and brought us a drink that stopped our sea sickness. We had a delicious meal that evening in the dining room and the sailors put on a three hour show.

After several stop overs and changing from trains to boats and boats to trains, we were taken by motor boat for a one half day ride to a ship anchored in the Atlantic. After landing in New York it took us five days by train to reach American Fork, Utah.

Grandpa Pehrson met us and drove us in his wagon to his small farm. None of us spoke English, all German or Danish.

We lived with my grandparents, Anders and Hannah Pehrson, at Highland Branch. Jan 1897, Father rented a farm on shares. It had an old broken down house on it. It belonged to Bro. Hunter from American Fork, who furnished us with a team of horses, a wagon, harness and seeds to plant. We fixed things up and stayed there two years.

I went to school once in a while and learned to speak English, by force and ugly fights. Immigrants were shunned and fighting was the only way to gain respect.

I was baptized in the Lehi ditch 13 June 1897 at age eleven. When I was twelve years we moved close to Robinson's Flour Mill. Father went to work at the Sugar Factory in Lehi. I got some work at the mill driving their team and hauling wheat from American Fork to the mill. After a while they decided to teach me the miller trade. They let me work in the mill with machinery. That's where I got my hand ground in the cog wheels. I guess I was too young. It left me with a crooked finger.

I did not get money for my work, I received flour which was 35 cents - 50 pound bag. I worked 2 days for each bag, but I was happy. I had stored up some flour for mother. So I went around with my hand in a sling, picking up small potatoes and anything good to eat that I could get to help mother feed the family.

At the age of 13 we moved to Lindon, Utah, on to a farm of 160 acres. It belonged to Dr. Rogers of Salt Lake City. Dad tried to buy this farm. He had a two year contract wlth Dr. Rogers but before this contract was up he sold it to James Duffin, a Provo man for $1000. Then he turned about and purchased 40 acres across the street for that $1000.00.

I and my two small brothers did some farming. our bed was a pile of hay covered with an old canvas. Our meals were scarce. Sometimes one or two meals a day, sometimes none. Sometimes we had a jack rabbit to fry over an open fire. I did not mind for myself but I did worry when my two brothers said they were hungry. I looked into an old forgotten orchard which had some green apples on the trees. We picked and ate some. I prayed we could digest them without pain. We did and were happy.

At age fourteen and nine months, I left home with raged clothes and worn out shoes. I went to the Salt Lake Brigk Yard. It was a cold day and I prayed all the day that I could get something I could do. I contacted the foreman. He was a big hearted Swede. I told him I needed better clothes and shoes but most of all I needed something to eat. He said, "Yes, I see. He asked if I could handle horses. I told him I could. he showed me a horse and said, "put the harness on him, hook him to that dump cart, clean all the brick bats and the yard up good. Every day that's your job until I tell you different." They paid $1.50 a day half in cash and half in store pay. Their store was in Murray. Once every two weeks I would go to the store on Saturday, guess the size of the clothes our family of kids would wear, buy them and mail them to my mother.

After ten months at this job the boss asked me if I would like to make $2.00 a day. This was to handle 15,000 face bricks for the shayding gang. This was for doing it in 6 hours. Plus loading a flat car with 20,000 wire cut bricks for $1.00 extra in 2-1/2 hours. I chose two big Swedes to help me. I had that Job for 2 years.

I was 18 years old when I quit this job, because of the death of my younger brother, Rex. He was killed by his horse, who stumbled and fell on him.

On May 19, I was 19 years old. I went to a ward dance. That night I asked Sadie Ogden to let me walk home with her and she said, "Sure you may." So that was our beginning. I told her I was leaving home again and asked her to write to me. She promised.

I worked for the Murray smelters for a year.

I returned to Lindon to the home of Mrs. Joseph Ash. I rented her fruit farm on a 50% basis.

Now I began to take a very active part in the Ward affairs. I sang and worked in music with Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain. He was the music teacher for Lindon and Pleasant Grove Schools.

At the age of 21, I asked my 18 year old baby sweet heart if she would take a chance and join me to be my life's guide, because I loved her with all my heart. She said, "I feel the same love for you and want to be with you. "

Bishop Cullimore gave us our temple recommends, Stephen L. Chipman, our stake president gave us very good spiritual advice.

So on 13 Nov 1907 Papa and Mama, (Sadie's parents), Sadie and I hooked up good old Fanny, (Dad's mare) to a two seated buggy and went to Salt Lake to the House of the Lord to be married. Thus we started our life together.