dictated Nov. 19, 1951 at Farr West, Utah to Olena Homer

I was born Dec. 7, 1840 in Seland Village Denmark. My mother heard the gospel in Denmark, and was baptized May 15, 1853 by Elder Knute H. Brown, and confirmed by him the same day. I had eight brothers and sisters. Four died while young. Father, mother, sister Metta and myself sailed from Copenhagen in the latter part of Dec. 1853 to England and thence, from Liverpool to New Orleans, in the ship "Benjamin Adams". Cholera struck the company while on the Mississippi River and many died. Father and sister Metta died in Kansas and mother and I finished the journey to Utah. I a boy of 14 years. We crossed the plains in Perry Olsens Co. The company got wagons and oxen in Kansas. There were 69 wagons, and about ten people to a wagon. We saw great herds of buffalo and many Indians on the plains.

We arrived in Salt Lake City, strangers in a strange land, Oct. 5, 1854. I worked for Lorenzo Young for two weeks and received by board for pay. I received $8.00 per month and worked for Claud Spencer for six months. I then went to work for Neils Jensen, a potter who was very good to me. I had a good home with him and learned the pottery trade.

In the spring of 1855 the grasshoppers took nearly all the crops. I dug roots, which mother cooked, but they were not satisfying. Brother Jensen owned a fish net which the neighbors borrowed to fish on Utah Lake. They would give us fish for the use of the net. I have made many meals on straight fish, which were suckers. For three months I was hungry for bread.

I married Johanna Sanberg April 21, 1860 in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City. I moved to Logan, Cache Co., in 1863 where I ran a pottery shop and a small farm. I was ordained a deacon as a boy, and labored as a ward teacher for 14 years. In 1878 falling health caused me to move to Trenton, Utah. I knew outdoor work would be beneficial to me and I had a farm of 236 acres.

I was ordained a High Priest May 9, 1892 and set apart as first counselor to Bishop Benjamin F. Bingham. I filled that position until 1902, when I moved to Farr West, Weber Co. I have done the temple work for all the names of my relatives and my wife's that I have been able to get. I hope to be able to get more. My faith in the Gospel has never wavered and may the Lord help me to hold steadfast to the end.

Added by Olena Homer: My father passed away April 6, 1917 an honest upright man and a faithful Latter-day Saint. May we follow in his footsteps.

Story of Johanna Sandberg Jensen

Johanna Sandberg Jensen, was born Jan. 13, 1836 in Dalbe Molmohus Sweden. She joined the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was seventeen years old. At that time her father, Olif Peher Sandberg, was a master blacksmith. After the family joined the church they suffered many persecutions. People would not give him work or sell them food. A friend brought them a sack of flour. When their enemies heard of it they put them on a threshing floor and whipped them so they never recovered.

When they got the means they sailed on the ship "Tuscorora". They landed in Philadelphia July 3, 1857. Johanna went to Burlington, Iowa, while her parents went to Fairfield. Johanna worked in a hotel two years. While there she was sick and lost her hearing which grew worse in the passing years.

She walked all the way to Utah crossing the plains with Captain James Brown's Ox Team Co. She arrived at Salt Lake in the Spring of 1859.

She married Neils Jensen April 21, 1860 and went through the endowment House in 1862. They left Salt Lake in the Fall of 1863 and made their home in Logan, Utah. They lived there until the summer of 1878 when they moved to Trenton, Utah. She was the mother of nine children. One son died when sixteen years old. The others were married and lived in homes of their own. She with her husband moved to Far West, Utah. Her husband died the 6th of April, 1917. She then moved back to Trenton to live by her daughter Clara Fife. When her daughter died she spent her last days at the home of her daughter in Soda Springs, where she passed away at the home of her daughter, Ella Horsley, Oct. 5, 1925 and was buried beside her husband and children at Cornish, Utah.