Christine Pedersdatter

Born 27 March 1809 in Denmark to Ane Marie Lisabeth Larsdatter and Pedar Hansen
Married Christian Johan Christoffersen
Christine-Lars-Peter-Afton
Died 6 November 1884 in Hyrum
Buried in Hyrum

1880 Census 

If you're related to Christine, you must download this pdf where this information comes from.

Christiana (Christine) Pedersdatter was born on March 27, 1809 at Jyderup, Hobeck, Denmark. Her parents were Pedar Hansen and Ane Marie Lisabeth Larsen. It is told her father walked twelve miles a day and when visiting friends he would card wool.

Nothing is known about Christiana in her youth and as she was growing up, therefore her known history starts at the time of her marriage. She married Christian (Johnsen Christophersen) Johansen Christoffersen on 22 April 1837 in Bostrup, Langeland, Svendborg, Denmark. He was also known as Christian Hansen on the Military Records and as Christian Hansen Christoffersen on confirmation records and as Christian Johansen Christiansen on the Branch records in the L.D.S. Church. He was the illegitimate son of an unknown seaman who after courting Dorthea Nielsen went to sea and was never heard from again. Christian was brought up by an Aunt and grandparents who taught him well. He became a hard worker and an honest good man who read the Bible often, He was born the 9th of December, 1811 in Fuglsbolle, Svendborg, Denmark. His father's given name probably was Christoffer, as in Denmark the sons went by the father's first name with an added "sen" or "son", hence Christoffersen. His mother, Dorthea Nielsen, died between 1815 - 1820.

Christiana was a very good wife and mother according to some of her son's histories. This family was devoted Bible students and belonged to the Lutheran Church. Christian and Christiana first lived on a big estate owned by another man. They took care and worked eight acres of land, living in a two roomed house. The cattle were stabled on one side adjacent to the living quarters.

A few years later they moved to another parish where they had more land to work. They always had to work hard to make a living for themselves and family. They had seven children. Their first born was named Peter Christiansen as all the sons took the father's name and added "sen". This is called patronymics. Peter was born 30 January 1835 at Fabeck, Bostrup, Denmark. Next came another son named Niels Christiansen born 13 June 1838 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. A daughter named Hanne Marie Christiansen was born 8 May 1840 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. A son Lars Hans Christiansen was born 6 March 1844 at Harrested, Soro, Denmark. (This was my Grandfather) A son, Jens Christiansen was born 19 May l846 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. A son, Hans Christiansen was born 20 January 1849 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark and finally Marie Dorthea Christiansen a daughter was born 8 May 1852 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark, On some records her surname is listed as Christoffersen.

At one time the father and some sons talked about sailing around the Cape of Good Hope to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. This travel never came to pass as the father became seriously ill and died 19 August 1862 at age fifty and a half years old.

The Bible was used as a text book in their home and the family seemed to be religiously inclined. Two sons Peter and Lars Hans were offered help from the Priest in the Lutheran Church to become ministers. The father declined this offer as he could afford to help Peter, otherwise. Later, Lars Hans studied some, for about three years, then he came in contact with the Mormon Missionaries. This was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commonly called the Mormons. After hearing their message and their testimonies of its truthfulness, he was baptized and became a member in 1862, the first one of his father's family. The eldest brother Peter told about this to his daughter Mary Smith of Thornton, Idaho, as she was recording Peter's history. Other family members have acknowledged this, also. At this time the father Christian was failing in health and his son Lars Hans was anxious that he should learn of the what he considered the new and restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he took a Book of Mormon and went to see his parents. It took his father only one day and one night to read the Book of Mormon and become convinced of its truthfulness. He was baptized 3rd of June 1862. Christiana was baptized 8 August 1862.

In a biography written by Peter, the eldest son, he tells of the event of his father becoming baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Peter had become very concerned when he heard his parents had joined the "Mormon Church". Both Aunt Bertha Christiansen and myself have copies of Peters Biography, in part, which was obtained from a daughter of Mary Smith, Devinna Bennett, a granddaughter. Peter writes, "It was the taunting words of a village gossip that caused me to stop plowing that pleasant day in the spring of 1862 and hastened to my father's home. "Hey, Peter Christiansen", she called when in my plowing I came near to the village street. "You wouldn't be holding your head so high or think yourself so great if you knew what I know about your parents." Plainly I heard her, waved a greeting and went on hurrying to get away from her voice." Along the fence she followed chuckling. Soon she called again, "Oh you may make it appear that you don't hear me or care, but other people know that your father and mother are very friendly with the Mormons." Determinedly, I went on up the field from her amused laughter and loud taunting voice. I was not going to let her know that her words had disturbed me or that I paid any attention to her foolish gossip. But as soon as she was out of sight I went to the house calling to my wife to hurry and dress as we were going to visit my mother and father. Plainly she showed her surprise that I would quit plowing in the early afternoon and go visiting. My best team was rapidly hooked to our carriage and as we drove along the pleasant road, I told my wife what I had heard."

"Arriving at my parents house, Christian Johansen and Christiana Pedersen Christoffersen's home, we were greeted pleasantly. In a little while my mother had taken my wife to the kitchen to prepare a nice meal, for we must have the best when we come visiting. Silence feigned in my father's sick room. Now that I was here, how was I to ask the hated question? Father turned and with a quizzical look asked, "what is it my son, what has brought you here this busy day?" Is it true that you and mother have become Mormons? "Yes". Why, oh why have you taken such a foolish step? My father who was very ill turned and pointed to a book that lay on the table, saying, "I am too tired to answer your question son, but stay with me tonight and read that book and I believe the answer will be given to you." We stayed and when all was quiet and my father asleep, I picked up the book and read the title - The Book of Mormon, and began reading. When early morning light began to fill the room I turned to my father and saw that he was watching me, having awakened. I laid the book down trying to appear uninterested. In answer to his query, "Well, how did you like the reading?" I answered `Oh, it is good as a history book of many battles.'"

This ended my copy of Peter's biography. After I had copied this much of the biography of Peter Christiansen, I asked for the next page and Mrs. Divinna S. Bennett of Pocatello, Idaho, where we were doing the copying, said she had mislaid the rest of the article and would look for it later. We never went back to see if she found it. That was our big mistake. Divenna was Peter's granddaughter, her mother being Mary Smith, a daughter of Peter Christiansen. Aunt Bertha and I had read this article weeks and months before, we remembered that Peter finally became convinced of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was later baptized and became a member of the Church on December 29, 1862 and in 1863 immigrated to America and Utah. He took his wife and four children and youngest brother Hans, who was 14 years old, with him. Also, the fiances of Lars Hans, Anne Sophia Rasmussen, came with Peter to America or at lest in the same company. Lars Hans stayed in Denmark to go on a mission for the L.D.S. Church and come to America later in 1864.

Christian Johansen Christoffersen was baptized 3rd of June 1862. Christiana was baptized the 8th of August 1862. We feel sure Lars Hans was baptized early in 1862 before his father Christian, as his brothers all said he was the first one in the family to hear the L.D.S. Missionaries and join the Church. Then he went to his parents with the message of the Restored Church. The date of Lars Hans's baptism that we found was 14 November 1862, must have been rebaptized just before he was to go on his mission in Denmark. This was a common occurrence in the early years of the Church.

Jens was baptized 10 April 1864 by Lars. Hans was baptized 29 December 1862 same day as Peter. Marie Dorthea was baptized 24 July 1862. The other two children a son Niels and daughter Hanne Marie never joined the Church and stayed in Denmark. Hanne Marie married Hans Christian Jensen in July 17, 1858 at Slots-Bjergby, Soro, Denmark. They had five children. Niels served in the Military and later married Ingeborg Jorgensen Kaae February 1866. They had one child, a daughter, Anna, who married Hans Peter Gram.

Peter was married to Anna Petrina Peterson on 8 November 1856 and they had four children born in Denmark. Later he married Maren Mary Olsen, a convert to the Church and disowned by her parents for joining the L.D.S. Church and came to America with Peters family, on 2 July 1864 in Salt Lake City, Utah and had eight children. On May 25, 1867 he married Ane Marie Hansen and had ten children.

Lars Hans married Anne Sophia Rasmussen 30 December 1865 in Hyrum, Utah. They had ten children. Later he married Dorthea Sorensen on April 26, 1874 in Salt Lake City, Utah and they had four children.

Jens married Martha Ericksen on 23 May 1870. They had ten children. Hans married Anna Marie Poulsen on 29 November 1867. They had three daughters. Marie Dorthea Christoffersen married Hans (Jens) Christian Dragstedt 18 November 1868 and had two sons and later married Wilhelm Anderson in 1878 and had one daughter.

After Christiana's husband, Christian, died on 19 August 1862 in Denmark, she and her son Jens and 14 year old daughter Marie Dorthea immigrated to America and Hyrum, Utah in 1864 according to Jen's History. She




Addendum

Some new additional information has been gathered on Christiana Pedersdatter since her life history was written in 1993 by Nellie Christiansen Christensen. Most of the new information has been summarized beautifully in a letter that Vaughn Nielsen wrote to Nellie Christensen on 25 January 1995. The following nine paragraphs are quoted directly from his letter:

Dear Nellie, Allan and I enjoy your letters which he shares with me. Your continual interest in family history and temple work is an example to all of us. Thanks for preserving information on our ancestors, particularly Christian Johansen Christoffersen and Christiane Pedersdatter. I'd like to tell you what I have found out about Christiane after she came to Hyrum with Hans Olsen, his sisters and our Lars Hans, Jens and Marie Dorthea.

After Christian J. Christoffersen died in Denmark, his property could not be probated and kept in Christiane's control as women were not allowed to hold property in those days in Denmark. Hans Olsen had been one of the missionaries responsible for the conversion of our family. He baptized our Lars. Hans Olsen had been baptized in 1854. He had married in 1852 but was widowed and childless at the time he met our family.

It was the custom in Denmark for a widow to quickly remarry in order to have her deceased husband's property transferred to her new husband. Hans Olsen and Christiane decided that they should marry so that they could sell our family's property and use the money to immigrate to Utah. Therefore, early in 1863, about the time Peter was preparing to depart for Zion, Hans Olsen and Christiane were married. The home and property were sold and the OLSENS were ready to come to Utah by early 1864.

When they arrived in Salt Lake City, they had already determined that Hyrum would be their home, as two of Christiane's sons were already there. Faithful Hans Olsen remained by Christiane's side until she passed away in early November 1884. One month after Christiane's death, Hans Olsen married a widow named Hansine or Sena Iversdatter, who had immigrated with her children and parents and brothers and sisters in 1882. Sena was the mother of five children, including the Mrs. Bickmore you talked about in your letters. Her name was Elna Cathrine Nielsen, future wife of William McArthur Bickmore.

When Hans Olsen married Sena Iversdatter, he was 54 yrs. old. He became a father for the first time at 55 in September of 1885. By the time his 5th child was nearly nine, Hans Olsen died and is buried in the Hyrum Cemetery by our Christiane. His wife Sena, who died in Rupert, Idaho 34 yrs. after Hans, and the first three of their five children are buried there, too. The first three children died at six, two, and three years of age. Only the last two girls lived to become mothers themselves.

Hans Olsen and Christiane arrived in Utah with Lars, Jens, Marie Dorthea, and two of Hans' sisters. After getting established, our Lars married Sophia Rasmussen 30 Dec 1865. Though I remember Aaron's boy LaGrande telling me that they were married in Hyrum, they very well could have been married in Salt Lake City, perhaps by a ward bishop, but not for time and eternity. There were no marriages for time and eternity during the Christmas holidays in 1865. The probability is that Lars and Sophia picked up their courtship at the home of Sophia's parents in Mantua, over the hill from Hyrum.

Hans Olsen and Christiane are listed at least four times in the Hyrum Ward Record, the first time on page 15. In the 1870 and 1880 Census of Utah they are listed together, with no other family as part of their household. I had thought that Hans Olsen was a polygamist, but he wasn't. On 4 Jun 1873 there is an Endowment House sealing of Hans Olsen and one Ellen Petersen, deceased. On this day Christiane did baptisms for her mother and two sisters. Hans did baptisms for his father and other family members. They were loyal to each other and faithful Latter-day Saints.

Christiane lived long enough to see the opening of the Logan Temple. During the summer of 1884, after the temple was dedicated, Hans Olsen and Christiane Olsen did the endowments for her mother and two sisters and Hans' family that they had done baptisms for in 1873. It was a thrill for me to know that Christiane was able to go to the Logan Temple those few months before she died.

I feel grateful for our heritage, a part of which is Hans Olsen, who baptized my great grandfather, Lars Hansen Christiansen, and became his stepfather. I admire Christian Johansen Christoffersen, an orphan boy raised by a great aunt that Allan and I have searched diligently for and so far have not found except as the foster mother at the confirmation of Christian Hansen