Jens Jorgensen Biography
The history of Jens Larsen/Jorgensen or James Johnson
second husband of Maren Larsen/Nielsen
from a history of Birthe Sophie Jensen by Dorothy Schimmelpfennig
12 April 2002
email:  [email protected]

* the multiple surnames listed above is due to the name changes the Danish emigrants went through as they moved from the Danish patronymic custom to American surname custom, and then anglicized their names. Jens Larsen adopted his father's surname Jorgensen upon his arrival in the U.S. and then anglicized his name to James Johnson.  Maren Larsdatter, or Larsen, adopted her father's surname Nielsen, upon her arrival in the U.S.

SOME DISTANCE NORTH of Copenhagen lies the civil district designated as Frederksborg.  Esbonderup is one of the parishes contained within its boundaries.  Here, on September 19, 1802, a son born to Erik Pedersen and his wife Maren Mortensen was christened.  As part of that sacred ceremony, the infant was given the first name of Niels and the patronymic surname of Eriksen.

Four years later, December 10, 1806, another couple by the name of Kirstine Nielsen and Jens Andersen were blessed with a baby daughter.  The parish priest of Esbonderup entered this infant's name in his records as Birthe Sophie Jensen.  (Danes do not voice the “th” sound.  In their language Birthe Sophie is pronounced as Birt-a-Sofee-a.)

Residing from time to time in the neighboring villages of Nøddebo, Saltrup, and Mårum, Birthe and Niels became teenage sweethearts.  They longed to marry and start a family of their own, but Birthe's dowry wouldn't begin to set up a new household, and Niels's family couldn't afford to pay the costs of an apprenticeship for him.  If they were to enjoy the comforts of life as man and wife, Birthe and Niels knew they would have to earn them.  Ambitious and able-bodied, the two young people found employment in the nearby port city of Helsingør, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Wages were low and expenses high in that renowned city.  It was October of 1835 before the two felt prepared for marriage.  Although Birthe was twenty-eight and Niels thirty-three, both were certain the long period of self denial and restraint had been worthwhile.  They had remained true to each other and their savings were sufficient to purchase a small farm on the outskirts of Helsingør.  Life was good.

The farm prospered under the stewardship of Niels and soon two daughters, Magdalene and Charlotte Marie, joined the household.  During the troubled times that lay ahead, Birthe was to remember these productive, busy years as the most joyous and satisfying of her life.

Birthe was just two months pregnant when Niels died.  How she could manage alone, she did not know.  Life without Niels beside her was incomprehensible.  He had always been there, strong and steadfast, her strength and her purpose in life.

In that period of time, widows who became heirs to estates were not long without husbands in Denmark.  Females were considered neither physically capable of managing property nor intelligent enough to conduct their own financial affairs.  The best thing they could do for themselves and their children, was to accept the protection of a competent male.  Because it was far easier to marry property than to earn it, there was a plentitude of candidates for the hand of each heiress.

When news of Birthe's recent loss drifted back to the environs of Esbonderup, no eligible bachelor was more receptive or quicker to take advantage of the opportunity than a past acquaintance from Mårum by the name of Jens Larsen.  Jens had been born November 13, 1819, in Høbjerg, Frederiksborg, Denmark, the son of Lars Jorgensen and his wife Kirstin.10

Jens Larsen had anticipated a rather grim future.  He had no profession, nor was he trained for an occupation other than day laborer.  Because financial help would not be forthcoming from his family, Jens never expected to buy a farm.  His one chance to move ahead in life was to marry well, and the widow Birthe Eriksen represented that chance.  A negligible factor in his considerations was the fact that she was twelve years his senior.  Such an arrangement was quite acceptable in Danish society.  He would make the best living possible from the farm, for himself, for Birthe, and for her children.  Birthe's contribution would be the land, the cottage, and the wifely duties every man expects from marriage.  If both were willing, Jens saw no reason why the two of them should not enjoy many fruitful and pleasant years.

Birthe was neither flattered nor offended by Jens's proposal of marriage.  The important thing was to provide uninterrupted security for her children.  If Jens could insure this, then she would accept him as her husband.

Because the sex of the child she carried was unknown, Birthe insisted that their marriage be post- poned until after the birth.  If it were a male, she wanted to protect the infant's legal rights as Niels's primary, legitimate heir.  March 24, 1842, Birthe bore daughter and named her Nicoline Eriksen.  (Nicoline is properly pronounced Nic-o-leen-a.)  As a female, she could inherit neither the farm nor the cottage.

Jens claimed his bride, his three stepdaughters, and his real estate in June. He was far from enthusiastic about the heavy farm work, but the land was good and the crops abundant.  Busy days slipped by in peaceful monotony.

DURING THE NEXT four years a daughter and son were added to the family:  Anne Kirstine and Adam Gottlieb Jens Christian Larsen, an impressive but cumbersome name.  Because the only son was also the baby of the family, there were endless chores both inside and out for the girls to perform during the summer months.  Winter released them from many of the duties, but it also meant school.  Nicoline loved to learn.  Her bright, eager mind quickly assimilated the rudimentary education avail-able to common folk in Denmark.  On the other hand, the frigid journey to and from the parish school during the months of northern twilight was a painful ordeal she would have preferred to avoid.

Birthe contemplated the middle years of life with a degree of satisfaction.  The loss of Niels would always be a quiet pain, to be born alone, but there were compensations.  The family enjoyed a comfortable income from the farm.  The children were healthy, strong, intelligent, and attractive.  Soon they would marry and provide her with grandchildren to spoil and adore.  Birthe felt she could be content with life's lesser rewards.

BIRTHE'S PLANS AND dreams for the future were circumvented with the arrival of Mormon missionaries in Denmark.  Neither she nor Jens had the slightest inkling of the ramifications of their baptism on August 8, 1853.  As had happened to converts elsewhere in Denmark, the family became targets for persecution by militant members of the Lutheran Church.  Fear for the safety of the children and obedient to the counsel of branch leaders, the couple began making plans to join the main body of Mormons in Zion.  Of the two, it was Birthe who was most reluctant to abandon the farm she and Niels had labored and sacrificed to buy.  Jens, on the other hand, contemplated a new life in America with enthusiasm.  There were occasions when he felt the price he had paid for easy security was too high.  Somewhere, somehow, he must find a more exhilarating, a more challenging and rewarding future.  Zion was the place to begin his search.

Jens Larsen had watched one Mormon farmer after another sell his property at a ridiculously low price in order to meet an emigration schedule, and he had no intention of committing the same blunder. He was determined to wait until he could find a buyer willing to pay top price for his land and comfortable cottage.

In the meantime, a group of Scandinavian converts would be leaving for American in the month of December.  There was nothing to stop Birthe and the children from booking passage.  In fact it was an ideal time.  There would be a minimum of work involved in running the farm during the winter months.  Without the constant worry of protecting the family, it would be far easier to make a few minor improvements to enhance the property as well as concentrate on finding a buyer.

Thoughts of traveling to England and then sailing across the broad Atlantic Ocean were frightening enough in themselves, but being solely responsible for the children until Jens could join her was beyond comprehension for Birthe.  She was not confident that she could handle all the problems inherent in such a prolonged and dangerous undertaking.  But Jens had made up his mind.  There seemed no alternative for Birthe but to comply with the wishes of her husband.

In the fall of 1854, Birthe and four of her children boarded the ship Semplede, bound for England, along with approximately 400 other Danes.  Her fifth and eldest child, Magdalene, chose to remain behind.  Birthe was uncertain if the purpose was, as her daughter declared, to keep house for her father.  Perhaps there was a boy friend to whom she was committed.  Whatever the reason, Birthe felt Magdalene was entitled to make her own decisions concerning her future.  She would soon celebrate her eighteenth birthday.

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From Liverpool, Rasmus and Maren embarked aboard the infamous James Nesmith, in the first week of January, 1855.  Nineteen passengers would die during the horrendous weeks of hunger and illness before the James Nesmith reached the mouth of the Mississippi, on February 18.

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Among the passengers with whom Rasmus and Maren became well acquainted were Birthe Sophia Larsen, her children Charlotte Eriksen, Nicoline Eriksen, and Anne Kirstine Larsen and Adam Larsen.  In his wildest fantasies, Rasmus could not have imagined that his sister Ingeborg, Birthe, and her twelve-year-old daughter Nicoline would all become sister wives in Zion.  As for Rasmus, he eventually took Ellen Petersen as his own plural wife and died at Richfield, Utah, on March 23, 1896.

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While the ocean voyage had been a physically devastating experience, Birthe found the responsibil- ilities of a single-parent family mentally as well as physically stressful.  She was grateful when, some months later, Jens finally resumed his place as head of the household.

The sale of the farm in Denmark had brought Jens Larsen even more cash than anticipated.  With money to buy a wagon and oxen for the journey westward, Jens, Birthe, and their youngsters moved on to Florence, Nebraska, where they spent the next two years.  Florence had originally been called Winter Quarter by the Mormons.  Today, it is known as Omaha.

Jens Larsen was a man who always saw greener fields just over the horizon.  His feet were itching to move on.  When the Scandinavian Company reached Florence, Jens seized upon the opportunity to join the wagon train.

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During the next two days, Rasmus took the opportunity of introducing Ingeborg to Jens and Birthe Larsen, who planned to join the Scandinavian Company as it headed for Salt Lake City.  Birthe and her children had been fellow passengers aboard the infamous James Nesmith.  They, like Rasmus and Maren, had been living in Florence, waiting for the most propitious time to move on. Circumstances had brought together three future wives of Hans Peter Jensen: Ingeborg, Birthe, and her daughter Nicoline.

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In spite of the day's head start the Scandinavian Company had enjoyed over the Seventh Handcart Company, both arrived in Salt Lake City on the same day, September 13, 1857.

Intent upon establishing far-flung colonies, Brigham Young counseled the Danes to continue their journey another ten days, to settle in the small communities of Ephraim, Nephi, or Manti, far to the south. For those who felt the distance too far to travel, there was always the option of  Brigham City to the north.

Among those who elected Brigham City as their destination were Ingeborg, Hedevig, Rasmus and Maren, and  Jens Larsen, together with his wife Birthe and children.

After spending two years in America, customs and traditions of the old country were beginning to fade from the memories of the Eriksen-Larsen offspring. Charlotte was now seventeen years old, Nicoline fifteen, Anne Kirstine fourteen, and Adam eleven.

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IN THE MONTH OF MAY, 1863, the sailing vessel John J. Boyd docked in New York Harbor.  Maren Larsen, the erstwhile wife of Hans Jensen, was among the Mormons disembarking.  Maren had been born on July 29, 1831, in the Danish village of Mønge, Helsinge Parish, Friederiksborg County,  the daughter of Lars Nielsen and Anna Hansen.  With Maren were a daughter Hanne [Christine], age 9, and two sons Lars [Peter], age 5, and year-old Jens.  All three of the children were recorded in the passenger list by the surname Hansen, following patronymic tradition.

Exhausted by the ocean voyage, Maren would have preferred to remain in the Eastern States for her confinement.  However, she was sensible enough to realize that she would be dependent upon the generosity of others prior to the delivery of her baby, as well as for a considerable time afterward. Somehow it seemed that charity wouldn't be so offensive if it were offered by people of her own faith.

Maren joined the John R. Young Company heading west out of Florence, Nebraska, on July 6, 1863.  A month later, on August 9, she gave birth to her fourth child, Anna Marie, somewhere along the Platte River as it coursed through Wyoming.

MAREN'S ARRIVAL IN BRIGHAM CITY that fall offered no indication as to the impact she was to have upon the lives of Birthe Sophie Larsen and her family.

In Mormondom a man who desired to advance to positions of authority was expected to participate in the Patriarchal Order of Marriage.  Jens considered it most unfortunate that he had failed to take a plural wife prior to passage of federal legislation outlawing the practice in 1862.  However, as far as he could ascertain, legal action was being taken primarily against the highest-ranking Mormon leaders.  In his anonymity, he believed himself quite safe from prosecution.

Trolling the waters, Jens finally settled on Maren Jensen.  It had been a difficult decision.  On the plus side was the fact that she was eleven years his junior, possessing youthful zest for living and adventure that his elderly wife Birthe had lost.  That both he and Maren had both been born in the same county of Friederiksborg made little difference, one way or another.  The major obstacle, as he saw it, was her four young children, but there were solutions to all problems.

As for Maren, she visualized only a positive outcome for marriage to Jens.  He seemed the answer to her problems.  In Zion, life for a single woman with three minor children equated to one of poverty.  Only the most menial and back breaking jobs were available, and these paid but a pittance.  Accepting the role of a plural wife held no threat.  To all appearances, Birthe was certainly a congenial woman.

While Maren seemed pleased and complimented by his attentions, Jens knew he must act with utmost discretion if Birthe were to give her consent to the union.  In an effort to reassure her, he took Birthe to Salt Lake City on January 28, 1865, so she might receive her sacred endowments and be sealed to him for eternity.  Although somewhat mollified, Birthe continued to remain apprehensive about the change a new wife was sure to bring into her life.

While many of the Danish emigrants clung to the ways of their ancestors, others were inclined to adopt American customs and names.  Jens was one of the latter group.  Sometime after his arrival in Utah, he set aside the patronymic Larsen and adopted the name of Jorgensen, the surname of his father.  Still dissatisfied, he made another change, this time to James Johnson, the Anglicized version of Jens  Jorgensen.

Jens and Maren were married in the Endowment House on July 29, 1865.  Nine months later, on April 17, 1866, Maren bore a son, James Larsen Johnson.  A second son, Jonathan Jay, followed on February 23, 1868.

Birthe considered the change of surnames as a repudiation of the two children she had born Jens, children who continued to carry the now-obsolete name of Larsen.  It was as though Jens were planning a new life for himself, a life that was not meant to include Birthe or her offspring.

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AS THE YEAR 1870 BEGAN, Birthe was one of the few who saw the rapidly changing scene in the heart of Zion as a threat rather than a promise of better times ahead.  Since her husband had moved to Weston, Franklin County, Idaho,  Birthe had to accept the fact that she had been abandoned physically, as well as emotionally and spiritually.

From the very first, Birthe had been skeptical of Jens's proposed plan to move to Idaho. Jens's argument for the move had been twofold.  If he were to prosper in this new country, he must sink his plow, once again, into rich, black loam, not the gravel beds of Brigham City.  Authorities of the Mormon Church had recommended the cultivation of peach trees on Brigham City's rocky, unproductive farmland. Peach trees were as foreign to Jens's experience as his native tongue was to the English-speaking men who prescribed the rules under which Mormons struggled their way toward the highest degree of glory in God’s Celestial Kingdom.  Farming was what he had done in Denmark; it was the work he knew best.  If this argument didn't convince Birthe, then there was the constant danger of arrest and conviction under new federal laws prohibiting cohabitation.  Everyone in Brigham City knew Jens had two wives.  In Idaho it would be different.  He would be safe.

In retrospect Birthe could clearly see how Jens had exploited her vulnerability from the very first day he had learned of her widowhood.  His rationale for moving to Idaho might convince someone who didn't know him for the opportunist he was.  A sad and much wiser Birthe clearly understood that Jens's plan had been cleverly contrived to rid himself of her and her children, and do it without endangering his standing in the eyes of the Mormon Church.  He had it all now, her share of the money from the sale of the property in Denmark, as well as a new, younger wife.

The prospect of an eternity bound to Jens was absolutely untenable to Birthe.  Again and again she asked herself how she had been fool enough to be sealed to him in the Mormon Endowment House.  If she couldn't undo what had been done, under the auspices of the Holy Priesthood, how would it be possible to enjoy the exaltation that she had earned through faith, obedience, sacrifice, and good works?

Nicoline was furious with her stepfather for the predicament in which he had placed her mother.  Could her own husband, Hans Peter Jensen, find a solution that would extricate Birthe from the situation in which she found herself?  The answer was simple.  Jens was a scoundrel who didn't deserve a fine woman like Birthe.  Hans would have Nicoline's mother sealed to him.  Like his marriage to Mette, the union would be one in name only.  During Birthe's lifetime he would protect and provide for her.  If God was merciful, and Hans was certain that He was, the second sealing would supersede the first in the world to come.

May 18, 1870, Birthe Sophie and three deceased women were sealed to Hans Peter Jensen in the Endowment House.  At this particular time, in the ecclesiastical history of the Mormon Church, the sealing of the dead to the living was a common practice.  Sarah Josephine acted as proxy for her cousin Maria Clausen and Anna Casper, a childhood friend who had died in 1847, at Friedrichsberg, Germany.  The eleventh and final woman to be sealed to Hans Peter Jensen was Christine Marcker, a contact Hans had made during his missionary labors on the island of Bornholm.
 
 

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