Beach Haven

​BON AIR FARM
Corinne, Utah
12 January 1948
 
Dear Clinton and Rhea,
 
                This is Father’s birthday, 120 years since he was born. What a lot has happened since then! The first railroad operated in England in 1820; there were very few newspapers; education was very limited; telephone and electric service had not begun.
                One hundred years ago the young fellows in his neighborhood usually gathered evenings in the pub (beer shop) not to drink but to get the news as it was passed along by word of mouth. These lads were Rob’t. Daines, Elijah Seamons, Jas. Hurren, John Bals, Wm. Hammond, Geo. B. Reeder and several others. As they heard the tales of adventure and exploration and sea voyages by sailing vessels, they were stirred with anxious feelings.
                One winter evening Father was visiting at a neighbor’s home when two Mormon Elders called to spend the evening. He was as (sic) interested listener. When it was time to go home he arose and shook hands with the elders and said, “I have listened to all your remarks and I now tell you I believe every thing (sic) you have said.” Well, he and Jas Hurren (his brother-in-law) were baptized in June 1851 in the pond on Chediston Green. They were the first Mormon converts in that district. Soon others were baptized and branches of the church were organized. Things began to happen in that same section where the Pilgrim fathers had also been stirred 200 years previously. (I think our record of achievements has gone much farther than the Pilgrims did in their first century on American soil.).
                When these lads became enthusiastic their buddy, Wm Hammond, said, “the religion of my parents is good enough for me.” Thus he remained at his old home in Chediston. I saw him when I was there in 1907. He had become an old man and seemed quite lonely. He said he had never been so far from home but what he could always see the smoke of his chimney. He showed the little ten acre plot of land he had farmed all his life. The old home was old-fashioned with thatched roof and brick floor, small windows, and small rooms; it was not inviting. It seemed to me he had missed a lot in life and I felt proud of Father’s great achievements in spite of his lack of schooling. Now his posterity are very numerous. Ninety years ago last April he was married in Brigham and now I count 150 families descended from him. He was not only a good man himself, but had implanted in his posterity many of the fine manly characteristics he developed in his own lifetime. He used to say, “if a man’s work isn’t any good, neither is his bond.”
                When prohibition was first advocated he said, “I suppose it’s a fine thing to re-inforce the week fellow by removing the temptation, but I like to see the man who has the spinal fortitude to go where he should and resist those things that destroy his courage.” Most of his posterity are people of good habits and live clean lives. It seems to me a great asset to bequeath to posterity.
                When each of the six missionaries now out complete two years it will make 72 years of service in the cause of the true gospel. They have all served without pay and I doubt if another like situation could ever be found in all the generations that have preceded our day.
                When Father and I were coming or going to work, if we saw a neighbor’s irrigation dam broken or a gate open he often said, “do unto others as you have them do unto you,” and he would always stop to correct the situation. I was just a growing boy and these things seemed trivial to me at the time, but as the years speed by, I am now convinced that it’s the little things in life that effect our future and make or tear down our character.
                The Church doesn’t need us nearly so much as we need the Church. It could get along without us and we’d never be missed in it’s (sic) program, but it’s extensive program is intended to lead us to exaltation. The Gospel is a combination of two words, Gods-spell. It is the story of God and how He became exalted to become our Eternal Father. The Church prescribes the program of life to direct our way and our attitude. It (sic) we get a bump and become sour, our progress is much hindered. Or if we become addicted to destructive habits, we are putting on the brakes.
                I am happy to see so many fine people who have grown up without serious sin unto salvation. It bids us all to be on our toes all the time. If we get on to a detour, we lose our place in the caravan along the highway of life. Occasionally we see people who have been active and have become interested in other programs, which are the same as detours. They are described in the Book of Mormon story of the Iron Rod. There are those who lose their way in the darkness and they hunt until they find in (sic) again. Others fall into deeper darkness and are lost.
                It seems as though we have to be on our guard all the time; as Father said, “the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong but to those that endure to the end.”
                The memory of him becomes more dear to me each day. I cherish his remark, “you know, if I was having a woman made to order, I don’t know how I’d improve on your mother.” It was her birthday yesterday (11 January) and she would have been 100 years old. My parents were truly grand folks.
                I loved to hear Mother pray. She had no schooling, but in her simple speech, she surely knew how to talk to the Lord and he understood her language. There were power and sublime faith in her prayers. During their later years when the missionary letter came to our home, some one of the family always read the latter (sic) aloud for the benefit of Father and Mother. The tears that usually flowed down their cheeks were tears of joy and appreciation. They were happy beyond expression. They surely knew the fundamentals of life even though their education was received in the school of experience.
                I have always felt a deep appreciation of the fine attitude of Father’s children whose mother had died before I was born. I have seen these brothers and sister draw near to Mother Carline and confide in her with all the love and respect any mother could desire. I have seen her arm around them and her tears of tenderness go out to them in love and fellowship. No wonder Father paid her the great tribute.
                To me there are no half-brothers or sisters in our Reeder family. We are all Father’s children and bear his name. The same love and devotion shown by our parents should always direct us in our association with each other although we may differ in our views at times. We are all different in our nature and our ideas may differ but we should all cultivate the love and respect shown by our parents.
                Father once said, “my children are all different, but each one has a quality peculiar to himself and I respect and live them all regardless.”
                When I go into the great beyond, I expect to meet Father with Aunt Mary on his right and Mother Carline on his left. I expect them to greet me as a unit and I rather expect it shall be a happy and cheerful greeting. At least I hope so. Then all the brothers and sisters who have preceded me will, in their turn, be in the receiving line. I am happy in the contemplation of a joyous occasion and a great family reunion each time one departs. I feel that it is very fitting to hole such a joyous gathering when each missionary departs to go into the world to carry the message of light and truth to a world struggling to find a better way of life. We should be as appreciative as we are of those first elders who called at the neighbor’s home in Suffolk in January 1851.
                May the peace of heaven attend all who may read the feelings I have on Mother’s one hundredth anniversary, January 12, 1948. I think keenly of their journey across the plains in a forbidding wasteland; Father driving an ox team in 1853 and mother walking the entire distance in 1860.
 
Love to all, Adolph M. Reeder
 
                I wrote this to one of our missionaries and decided we have a lot of young relatives who are not acquainted with my parents, so I got Ray to run off a lot of copies.
                Keep in your memory book.
​

​By Winnie Thorsted wife of Albert A Thorsted, grandson of Christian Boesen Jensen (Known as a Thorsted, or as Taarsted in Denmark) who was the son of Ane Kirstine.

My sketch of Ane’s life has been obtained from the Salt Lake Geneaological Library, from Church History, from the efforts of Karen Stow and Mrs. Robert Jones, both of Ogden, and from the labors of my son Lloyd at the close of his mission in Denmark.  Also some is taken from the sketches made by Lillian L. Christofferson made of the family and from the Beureau of Vital Statistics in New York.

Ane Kirstine was born the 11th of May in 1824 at Snedsted, Thisted, Denmark.  She was the second daughter of Jens Jensen and Bodil Kirstine Rasmussen.

Her father, Jens Jensen, was born the 17th of Feb. 1793, at Bested, Thisted, Denmark. He was the son of Jens Jensen Boesen and Kjersten Jensen fron Snedsted, Thisted, Denmark.

Her mother, Bodil Kirstine Rasmussen, was born around 1794 at Bested, Thisted, Denmark. Her parents are not known as of now.

Ane’s older sister, Karen Marie, was born the 5th of July 1822, and her younger sister Ane was born the 28thof Mar.1830. All three were born at Snedsted.

When Ane was about 6 years old her younger sister Ane died as a tiny baby. Of Keren Marie I have no further information. On the 31 of Dec. her mother also died. A year or so later her father remarried to a Karen Andersen Jensen and in Feb. 1833, when Ane was not quite 9 years old, her half sister Bodil was born. A great love grew between Ane and Bodil and her five half brothers who eventually came into her life.

At the age of 19 she met Jens Taarsted, a widower. She married him on the 26th day of December in 1843 at Snedsted, Thisted, Denmark. Jens’ first wife’s name was Karen Gouldager Petersdatter, who died the 19th of Sept. 1842.

Ane’s life was a very busy one. She became the mother of 12 children, 5 girls and 7 boys; the last one being named Ducine which means dozen in Danish.

In the spring of 1858, on the 14th and 16th of March, sorrow came into her life for two of her children, Ane Catherine and Peter died,, Ane Catherine being 5 yrs old and Peter 3 yrs.

In the spring of 1861, three yrs later, and a little over a month before her 10th child was born Mormon Elders came to her home. She listened to their message and was given a testimony of it’s truthfulness and on the 16th of April 1861 Ane was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Snedsted, Thisted, Denmark by P. C. Steffensen and confirmed the 17th of April 1861 by P.C. Steffensen.

One month and 5 days later Ane Catherine, the 10th child, was born. One can imagine the joy and happiness that must have filled her soul at this time. Two yrs later an 11th child, Lauritz Stephanus was added to their family, and 3 yrs later, their 12th child, Ducine was born.

In 1864, Jens, known as James, her 3rd child, a young man nearly 20 years of age also joined the church. He was baptized a member on the 20th day of Nov. 1867. H. Jorgensen confirmed him a member on the 21st of Nov. 1867. J. H. Christiansen baptized him. This was done in the L.D.S. church in Aalborg. This must have brought great joy to Ane.

(Some say Jens, her husband, was baptized but I haven’t found any record of it and cannot see why, if he was, why all the children old enough weren’t baptized and why James had to wait until he was 19 to be baptized.)

In 1862 Ane’s step-mother and half sister Bodil and half brother Peter left for Utah, settling in Ogden, Utah. From then on the desire must have grown within her to also come to Utah for about 4 years later Ane and her husband Jens made plans to come to Zion and in 1868, after saving and raising 1,000 dollars for passage (verified in passage records) they made arrangements to emigrate to America.

Record of a boat passage shows Jens and Ane and 9 children left Denmark headed to Liverpool where they were to board their ship. With the exception of the oldest daughter Karen Maria and the two children who had died in Denmark, this accounts for the family of twelve. Karen Maria had married Niels Andersen, who was serving in the Danish army in the Shlasing-Holstein War between Denmark and Prussia. They came over later with 2 children.

When Ane and her family arrived at Liverpool her husband refused to go any further.  (Family tradition says that he was so upset with the boat they had booked passage on and that it wasn’t what he expected). This again comfirms my opinion that he wasn’t baptized into the church or converted to the gospel. He probably loved his wife and children very much to have gone this far). I can see him pleading with his wife and children to reconsider. Ane, though, must have been quite a determined and possibly domineering person and with her testimony of the gospel she stood her ground. Jens refused to cross the ocean in steerage (lower class) and he probably begged and pleaded with his family to get off the boat and return with him to Denmark. Ane was just as determined to sail for America as Jens was to return home,and so they parted. Records show that he was refunded $132.00 “passenger refund.”

The name of the vessel they sailed on was (Emerald Island). It was the last sailboat used for this purpose. Because of the tragic happenings on this voyage investigation and history was made of it. 37 passengers died on the boat. 627 sailed. It is recorded on the New York shipping record, FAM-62pt306#23990 record no. 867.

In departure on 11 Jun, 1868 they sailed and arrived in New York on the 14th of Aug. 1868 practically 2 whole months on the water. (2 months, 2 days).

The Jensen (Thorsted) family was listed as such:

Ane Kirstine Jensen Thorsted—Jens Thorsted (struck out)
–refund $132.00
Peder Jensen—age 21 yrs
Jens Boesen Jensen—age 20 yrs
Bodil Kristine Jensen—age 18 yrs
Christian Boesen Jensen—age 16 yrs
Otto Jensen—age 7 yrs
Peter Jensen—age 6 yrs
Ane Katherine Jensen—age 4 yrs
Lauritz Jensen—age 2 1/2 yrs
Ducine Jensen—age 1 yr

Can you imagine yourself doing this? A child one year another 2 1/2, the next 4 and so on. What a magnificent, faithful and determined woman she must have been. And what a testimony she must have had.

What some days they must have been! Record states that the distiller machine broke down and bad water resulted. Typhoid Fever broke out, others had diarrhea and as if that weren’t bad enough the sailors gave them a bad time.

Ane, and several of her children became very ill, and when they reached New York City officials met them and Ane and 3 of her younger children were quarantined at Ward’s Isle Hospital. Desperate, Ane insisted that Peter  21, Bodil Kristine 18, Christian 16, and Otto 7, go on to Utah to her stepmother and half sister Bodil and half brother Peter. They left and arrived safely in Utah in the fall of 1868. They were met at Salt Lake and taken to Ogden where they stayed until they could establish them selves.

Back at the hospital young Jens, called James, 20 yrs. was left to take care of the rest of the family. Here 1 sister, 2 brothers, and his mother died.

At Ward’s Isle Hospital, 12th ward it is recorded:
Arrived at hospital 14th day of August:
On 21st day of Aug.. Peter Jensen died (Typhoid) and was buried
On the 29th day of Aug. Lautitz Jensen died (Diaarea) and was buried
On the 7th day of Sept. Ane Kirstine died (Typhoid) and was buried
On 17th day of September, Ane Katherine died and was buried (Typhoid)
All were buried in the New York Cemetery on same day as death.

Oh!, the responsibilities that were placed upon James! After seeing it through he left the big city with a heavy heart but with little 2 yr old Ducine on his lap, starting out for Utah, for Salt Lake City. On the way, I know not when little Ducine became very ill. He held her in his arms all the way to Utah. When she died I do not know but when they got to Salt Lake City they took her and buried her in the church cemetery in  Salt Lake. They were met by relatives from Ogden and James, who by this time was ill was taken to Ogden and in 4 days less than a month later he too died 20 Nov.1868. He was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery on the Boesen burial lot.

All this proved to be too much for the family left. They turned bitter against the church, blaming them and the missionaries for all that had happened. Could you blame them? I’m sure poor Ane’s heart ached seeing what was happening.

Only 2 of Christian’s children are members of the Church. Bitterness is fading and more of her descendants are becoming members, some very active with missionaries, descendants of Ane out teaching the gospel.

The father, Jens, returned to Denmark, not the the town from which he came, but a small town nearby, called Baersted, in the same County of Thisted. Here, about 2 yrs later, he died, the 10th day of Aug.1870. He was buried by the community as a single man, the 14 day of Aug.1870.

It appears that his too was not a happy lot and he could very easily have died of a broken heart.
Peter, Kristine, Christian, and Otto were left.
Peter married Johanna Boyer and had one son.
Kristine married U. S. Pair and had one daughter.
Otto married and had five children, md. Fudite Jensen Boyer (Annie).
Christian md. Ann Humphries and had 12 children (same as his mother)

​By now this great woman, Ane Kirstine has many great-grandchildren, great great gr. children & so on, my husband being one.  He is proud and grateful for the life of Ane Kirstine and the heritage she has given him.