Christen Frederichsen 1816-1870

Born 2 August 1816 in Denmark to Zidsel Andersdatter and Frederich Christensen
Married Mette Jensdatter 10 February 1843 in Denmark
Christen-Dorthea-Elnora-Afton
Died 10 December 1870 in Denmark

Sylivia Marie Jensen and M. Stone, some descendants of Christian, write that after Christian and Mette joined the LDS Church, they wanted to come to Utah to be sealed together. However, Christian had consumption and died before they were able to leave Denmark. Christian's last request before his death was for his wife Mette to come to Utah to have them sealed together. Mette left 6 months after Christian's death with their two unmarried daughters Dorthea and Hannah.

At that time in Denmark it would have been necessary for Mette to have the consent of a male member of the family before she could take Dorthea and Hannah to America. Her son first gave his permission, but shortly before they were to sail, he decided that he did not want her to leave. The missionaries helped Mette and her two daughters hide so he could not prevent them from leaving.

They sailed on the ship "Minnesota" to Liverpool, England, and then on to New York. They came to Utah by rail since it was a few years after the railroad had been completed. They ended up in Hyrum, Utah, just outside of Logan.

In 1871 Mette was able to fulfill Christian's request to have them sealed together. On 18 June 1871 Mette was sealed to Christian in the Endowment House. Niels Jensen (who would become Dorthea's father-in-law in 1873) stood in as proxy. On 23 June 1871, Niels and Mette were married for time in the Endowment House.

Mette did not live much longer after this. One morning she told her daughters that Christian had been there and told her that he would be back to get her the next Tuesday at a certain time. She died the next Tuesday at the appointed time.

Thanks to Nan Wood for sending us this information.