Monday Morning Boost: My Pioneer 2nd Great-Grandmother
Kristine Marie Jensen is my second great-grandmother on my father’s mother’s side. She was born July 23, 1847, in Denmark. She migrated to America in 1863 and crossed the plains with a group of Mormon Pioneers.
In preparation for last week’s “Red Edge Live Pioneer Day” special with renowned LDS historian and storyteller Glenn Rawson, Elisa did a little research on her history for me and discovered an account of her miraculous journey across the plains
Kristine was a young child when her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark. She was 16 when she migrated to America, making the journey all alone because her family didn’t have the money to all come together. She met up with a group of “strangers” and crossed the plains in a wagon pulled by a team of oxen.
I learned of her remarkable and miraculous faith from a brief recorded history of her life found on Family Search:
“About the sixth day out on the plains Sister Christensen met with a serious accident. Climbing out of the wagon she fell and the front wheel ran over her chest. Unable to stop the team, the hind wheel ran over her back… Being unable to ride in the wagons, she had to walk the greater part of the way.”
With no medical care available, Kristine received a priesthood blessing from the elders, and got up and kept going. She was blessed she “would get to Utah and be the mother of a large family.”
That blessing came true. Kristine made it to Utah, first to Salt Lake City then traveling to join extended family where they had settled in Ephraim in the Sanpete Valley in central Utah. And she became a mother of 12 children. At the time of her passing at the age of 98, she had 53 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
My dad’s mother Veone Christensen Patterson was one of those 53 grandchildren. And my dad was one of the 11 great-grandchildren. You can see the connection in the Family Tree graphic.
I have never felt so closed and connected to the pioneer journey!
RECORD YOUR STORIES
Reading stories of our ancestors will help us feel closer and more connected to them. We will be inspired by their triumphs and mourn with their tragedies. Likewise, those who follow us, our children, grandchildren, and yes, even our great-great-grandchildren will be inspired by our triumphs and mourn with our tragedies.
Glenn Rawson says the stories of our normal everyday life to our children and grandchildren will be “precious in their hearts.”
Learning the stories of our ancestors can be a great blessing to our own lives and to our children and grandchildren. I’m grateful for the encouragement to share my stories and hope you will also start recording your own stories to inspire yourself, and your descendants.
Have a great Monday! Thanks for letting me share!
Les
p.s. Take 13 minutes today to share, write, record a story of your life.
PERSONAL PROMISE PROCLAMATION
The Story You Most Consistently Create Will be The Story To Most Consistently Come True In Your Life. Intentionally Create A Beautiful, Powerful, Wonderful Story!
