THE STORY OF MY LIFE  

BY ANDREW NIELSON

BORN 1 JANUARY 1827

GANTRUP, SKONBERG, DENMARK

　

　

Typed from an original typed copy which is faded, so there may be minor differences. I got my copy from my cousin, Stanley (Jay) Brady   Norma Jones Brady Melzer   1 July 2010

　

　

This original manuscript was given to me by my cousin Hazel Vance McCook. She found it in an old trunk belonging to her mother, Aunt Annie, after her death. It is written with pencil on an inexpensive lined note pad. The script is beautiful, the punctuation very scarce and the spelling so picturesque I copied it letter by letter. There were a few words we had difficulty identifying so we have used square brackets to indicate what we think the word was meant to be. Hazel said Grandpa wrote exactly as he spoke and to read this story was like listening directly to him. We do not know why the story ended so abruptly but he was 90 years old at the time he wrote it and he died the following year in 1917. I am extremely grateful for Hazel’s gift to me and I will cherish the original manuscript and pass it on to my daughter. If anyone is interested in trying to have it reproduced in the original I will be glad to help.

Dorothy Hyde Mortensen

　

I am very grateful to Dorothy Hyde Mortensen for this history. When she was told by her Uncle Ellis Nielson (a cousin of mine) that I was trying to finish a history of Grandpa Nielson, also of my father and mother, that my sister, Sadie Whiting, was working on when she passed away, Dorothy passed this on to us. It is available to anyone desiring a copy.

James C. Nielson

　

Fairview January 7the 1916

I feel it is my duty to write a few Words so my ofspring can find out where I came from. My name are Andrew Nielson born in Gantrup Danmark my perent name (Father) Niels Pederson Nielson, (Mother) Karen Johansen, they mooved to Bogedalsiig Rye Skov when I was about one Year old, where they lived and died. When I was 16 years old I went to the City Aarhus to learn the Mason traed. I worked for Murmester Anton Prouse 19 years till I went to America. In 1860 me and my Wife begin to lessen to Mormonisom and March 2^nd 1861 we were Baptised by Elder Andrew Frandson in Aarhuus and about 6 Weeks after I was ordaned a Teacher, about 6 months I was ordaned an Elder and set a part to preside over the Aarhuus brance of Latterday Cents. I had two Brothers and one Sister lived in the City of Aarhuus and my Wifes relation lived a few Miel from the City, when they found out we had ben Babtized and were going to America they were awful made, they Coxed and scoled and then all they posebel could for us to quit Mormenimen they sent Priests, and Provest, and Apostaeds to talk to us, and some time when enny of them hapened to meate enny of the misinairies in our home they waer allwice rady to fight them, and at last when they found out they could not chance our belive, they would not let us take our Children and they had agreaed wed one andother that my Wife Brothe who lived in Vielby about two Englis Mile from the City would take one and eates of my Brothers who lived in the City would take the other two, they thought it was a great sin to take this bright Children away from savalzsation but we did not have enny Children to spaer, and told them we weare taken them to Cion where they could learn more fully of the way that Jesus and his Apostles pritsed in former days and tried to make them see that the Religion we were rised up in, did not corespon with the New Testament ets.

We did not come here becoes I was poor and could not make a living for my fammelie, but we had got a testemonny from our Hivenly Father that we had the true Gosble and we wish to go to where the Lord gettered his Cents in the Valies of the Mounties, we knowed that Joseph Smidt was a true Prophet just as much as we knowed that Christ wase the Son of God, and by the healp of the Lord things turned so that I sold our Home and Furneture in the lather part of the Winther and left the City of Aarhuus on the 7^th day of Aprile 1862 on a steamboet that toke us to Kiil in Holstean from there with Rielroed to Altona from there some smaler bots take us to the harboer of Hamborg where we got ombord on a German Sailship name Humbolt there toke us to Newyork in America, we were 450 laterdas Cent and about 100 Gjentiles ombord it take us seven Weeks to cross the Atlantic it was a long time to be on the Watter and our foode and espessly our drinking Watter was not verry desireble, but we weare blesed with good health, though we encoutered all kind of Weather, heave wind and some time so still so the Sails would hardly straten out, but we got along find, the Captain I don’t remember his name toke a fency to our yongest boy Peter who was 5 year old on the Atlantick, the Captain was a nice yong Men could speak a litle Danish, he had his Wife ombord and had lots of fond with Peter, it was not menny days with out he toke Peter down in his Room and he came up with his hate halfull of Plomes some time he was not alowed to give eny of they other boys some times he could de?lde wish who he like best, other times he told him now Pete I guess you have had a womin give the Hat to the Boy and the Captain mad him hurry to stere in his moute so he could not tue a tall, ahi you are no acont toke the hat away and give it to an other Boy and have lots a fond with them next day he mite come up with a fried Chicenleg and a few patatoes and the Captain behind him telling him you site thers and don’t give it to eny body, and becoes the Captain toke up so with Peter he were the Patte of all on bord. And when we landed in New York a bigg place called Cassle garden wher we were anloaded and weare glad to put our foot on the groun after being on the Watter so long, and where we could get a dessent Mael and some thing good to Eat, here we lade a day or two prepairing to cross America, from New York we went with Railroad from one City to another (and on account we could not understand the American lanwice we did not know where we were ) and some time we were on Steamboads seiling on the bigg rivers such as Misisipi who toke us to the next City, we came true St. Joseph and Chacago and menny other places that I cannot remember and at last we came up on the Missouri River on a Steamboat who landed us at Florence, in the State of Nebrasca, that were where we were going to wight for the Oxeteams from Utah to come and pull us over the Plaence to Salt Lake City, and bring provition for the Compagny to live on, we laid there seven Weeks, the Watter weare so high in Rivers so the teamsters had to go becke after they had started and wight severl Weeks befoer they deare trey to cross the Rivers, but at last they came and Br. Skouson and family from Randers and Br. R. Micelson a misionairy from Aarhuus and his wife when he piked up in America he had started the year befoer and had not monny enough to come to Utah that Jear, and two Widows with a 12 year Dhild each, we found a Danice teamter from Fairview name Peter Nielson Hansen whom we could talk to, and understand true him what wore required of us, in them days I were yong and active and Mother the same so we soon get aquented and Mother told him she would cook for him, so we agreaed to pute our grops to getter when it was devited out to us by the comasairy, there was a Men from Aarhuus Comference there let me have a Heffer to bring to S. Lake for him for the Milk she would give us that helped us a good deel some time we got melk left from Brekfest, put it in a three quart boket hong it on the bake of the Wagon and at Noon we had a litle Butter for our dinner. "Well" we are travelen along on the Road to Cion with four Yoke of Oxen on each Wagon which were pretty well filed up with our thing, a tent to sleep in at Night our cooking utentials ets, we had to walk all the wey and got along firstright Mother some time had to take Peter on here bake crausing Creaks and where it was much uphill or sandy and some time craus pretty big streams there were no roms in the Wagon for only Mrs. Skousen she had an increace in thier famelie with a new baby when we were about half way acrouse the plaens, and about the same time Mother give out, she toke the Mountain feaver and were plome out of here head and were just as cressy and onreasenoble as a person could be, it were a hart jope for us to get something she could or would eat, she wont me to give here some hard bround Sugar that a boy had give to me fore here and I would not give it to here and she got stoberen would not eat nor drink here Caffee with out here Sugar we tried to make some hard Sugar for her by boilen it and made it brown by the Juce of Blakberies which we paeked as we traveled along but but she had sence anough to know that were not the kind the Boy had give to me would not taest it, but wont me to take here to that pretty glass house that Prst. Brigham Young had give to here, and said I were stoberen so I would not even let here see it, and that was the condision we were in when we arived in S.L. City on the 25^th of September 8162 Mother had improved a litle but it toke here to pretty neare Xmas befoer she got to here right Censes.

And here we were with out Monny without a reletive or aquentens, there were only one Men in S.L. City that I had ever ben aquanted with, and that were Br. Frandson whom baptissed us the year befor I Damark. I had coresponded with him and he knowed we were comming he came out to our Camp about Three Miles from the City on The Church farm the next day, and when he had seen our condeation he felt sorry for us, and did not know what to doo, but said he would go and see what he could doo, in the afternoon he come out there with a boky [buggy] to take Mother to his plase who were so week and feeble that she could not stand aloen, you can emagen what a great sacrefice that were to them they had only ben maried one year and it were pretty hard to get work to get some for them selv to live on, and we had never sean Mrs. Frandsen befoer, but they both than all they could for us and she shade manny tears with Mother becoes she could not get here all what she neaded but the Lord were at the Healm and we got over oure trople, but we had a pretty tough Winter to get some ting to eat. I don’t remember how long we stoped at Br. Frandsens I think a bout two weeks til I got a room in the Sicond ward, and Mother got so we could moove here, and hired an old Girl to take cair of here, I had to rossel to get some work and some thing for us to eat. I happened to get in with a Danis plasterer got a few day work, and were not afraid to take hold of enne thing even to go in the caions [Canyons] to get Wood and Oakbark to taend leader, I happened one day to see some Danice Brethren making Busle baskeds of green Villes [willows]. When I did not have enny thing to doo I went out in the fiel to fine some Willes and when I got one or two made I went up in towl to seal them for a litle Molasses or flower or enny thing we could eat, in the fall I were working for a Blaksmith laying a foundation for a new shap got him to make me a stoenhammer and a spoon Iron I has some Qwecenasp [Quakikng Asp] poels where of I made Wooden spoons both bigg small, ladele, flouer skoopes, Dustpans, ets. When I got some mad I put them in a flouer sake, put them on my bake up in the City I went, aqwiped with another emty flouer sake and a litle boked [bucket] to get Molasses in I supose you can emagen how nice I fell could hardly speake an Englise word but had to trey to make them understand I wont some for my famelie to eat, some time I got some flouer or litle molasses, some were generes anough to go to thier Meat barrel give me a few poind of salted Beef or Hogmeat ½ pound of Butter was quite a treat, once I remember I broth home 1/4 pound of green Caffe, on other time a Man stoke his finger in his Vestpoked and give me dime, an other time I went to the Postoffe there were a letter from Danmark for me but I could not get it without 50 Cent in Monney, I went in Drugstoer and sold Mr. Godby two big spoons and he give me fifty cent in stoarorder, I went right to the Postoffice and asked for my letter but low and behold they did not deal in that kind of monney and I were qwit discurige were talking to some body out in the Streat telling what fix I were in, an old Women sitten cloes by had some thing to sell on a Table, had heard our conversation, she asked me to let her see the Order when she had looced at it said well Br. I can help you and she give me the Monnie and I got my first latter from my Br. Jens he had forgot to put a 5 cent post stemp on it that were whay they toke 50 cent of me, that were the way we spent our first Winter in America, and when spring come I toke it some time I worked in Mason work and other time I toke enny kind of work I could get and got pretty tired to live in S. Lake, so I wrod a letter to our Teamster who holed us to Utah and asked him what chance there were in Fairview, he said he did not like to say mach about the plase but it was a new plaes and he would like verry much if we would make up our mind to come out here he expect to come to S. Lake City in the fall with a loed of Grean and he would take us out her and we could see for us selv and we exepted his offer, and commonst to stoady haw can we get a home of our owen, I musht get some Carpenter tuels and some thing lick Niels and Windowglass but how can we get it,? It cost Monny and we have not got it, and everry thing is so aufull dear it had to be holed from Misoury River some over a Tousend Mile by Oxteam, a Windowpaen 8x10 65 cent a pound of Niels 60 cent etc. we counseled about it and come to the conclootion to trey to sell the bigg Lookingglass with a nice Gilden frame Mother taude so much of, if I remember right I tried three days to sell it went to the bigest houses they all admired the Glas I asked $20.00 for it at last I sold it to a Widow there was runen a bigg Hotell her Husbon had died a few years agoe he had left some Carpertuals, she give me $10.00 in Monney and I could pick out what I wonted of the tooels and that were the way we fitted us selv out for Sanpete, and Peter some down according to agreaement in September 1863, Fairview a that time did not luke like it doo to day, there werre only a few half disent houses in town the most People lived in Callers, the first Night we sleped in Peter Nielsons Celler "he were not Maried when we crosed the Plaens but piced him out a wife among the Amegrant Girls", the next day we got a litle log house 10 x 12 standing in the corne of the Forde where the old Tidinghous now stand with out floer or windows, we lived there the most of the Winter, I put in some light in our house, I soon begin to get aqwented, could begin to a litle to explean me selv, and some of my frends asked the Bsp to let me have one of tham vacent lots in town so he pekede one out for me, no fence or nothing on it, so I soone had a Celler dog Ransom A Steavens then said he had a clame on that lot, the Bichoprice had to find out what clame he had and they desided I could pay him one Busle of Wheat and I could keap the lot, wheat were then $5.00 a Busle. I got Br. Stuart to hall me a lo?t of logs for my C?ller and he Byld one Chimny for the Bsp Jones, and had several jops where I could get some for my famele to eat, and worked on my Celler when I had time and befoore spring I had as nice a home as the most of the People, in 1864 in the foerpart of the Sommer the People concluded to Build a Rock Meatinhous give me jope to suprentend it. Mr. Lansy Brady let me have my first Cow a Naturel Muly on, working on the New Meatinghouse for two Bushel wheat a day or two Doller so I had plenty for my famely to live on but we neaded everything and I could take what People had and turn it on thier Metinghous tax, true the Sommer I take a contract to Querry Rokes for a stepes for the Meatinghouse in Mont Pleasent there I got another Cow and some breadstofe, when fall come I had now two Cows and a few seep and nothing for them to eat true the Winter, the most of the People had to go to Tistle vally to get thier Hay, and that were the only way I could get enny, so I had to hunt around to see where I could get an old Side and made a Snado of the best stick I could find, that were a new jope for me to cut Greass, there ware no Alfalfa in the contry then, and no Hay only around the streams, I was not in a farming Contry so I had to learn to doo licke my Nighboers get some Land and rice some both for us selv and our stoke, next Spring the People toke the nosion to fence the land there belong to Fairview there were a pure ten Acre lot no one caired for South of where Moroni Turpin then lived, the Fence comeaty and I could have if I would put up I think

5 Roede of fence, I had just baught 5 acere farmingland in the east field of Br. Jos Beswick, in the fall I got the lot where the Birch Creak Shoolhese now stand some one Fence for it, so had now moer land thein I had teames to plow it, but I thought I better take it while there were a chance even if it were pooer land, and how I got the fence for my land and my City lot and Build I cant hartly amajen, but it got up in time there were plenty of cider post on the stonqweury on the Blake cider hill and all around so when I had time I toke my Ax on my shulder and went to cut fence post and when I got a loed or two I got some one to hall it or als I borowed a team and halled it me selv, it did not take long befoer I had a litle ponny tims [team] of my own I think about three year I bouth an old light Wagon fixed it up me selv used that for severel years I drove it to Salt Lake City when we had our Endowment and that were way we got started in Fairview, but it toke us a long time to get a deasent house to live in on account of Indian truple and graeshoppers there were botheren os for severel years, then the graeshoppers had toke all our grean that year when the first Rilroad came in to Utah I left Fairview got in to Wioming got a jope to cot tiess for the Rilroad worked there to pretty close to Xmas and come home with litle of ($300) three hudred Dollar, that helped me to build us a litle adoby house which are standing there yeat, at that time the United Order were started (of short after) I went in with the rest while working in the Order I got a jope to buyld a new brick House for Petter C Bertelson in Fountaingreen, Brick work wer what I had mosly than in Danmark and I found out it was not so heavy work as to buyld Rockhouses as I now had ben duing for several years sence I come to Fairview, and asmuch as I ware in the Order and the only Stone mason, it would be my work to lay Rock all the rest of my days in Fountaiengreen were menny Danish people come from the same Comference where we come from and ware all aquentnece, they ..... all they could for me to moove over there, even found out where we could get a lot to buyld on at reaseneble terms, I come to conclution to moove if we could sell out in Fairview, and when we had fennised the house I had Fred Christenson to healp me, I got the Monny ($50.00) in Greenbaks some in Grean and some in Crukery weare amount to some over $200.00 Dollar give that to the Officers of the Order and not have enny thing for my work for me selv. Now I begin to find some one to by me out and it did not take verry long before we had sold both House and land and I droed my things out of the Order and Mooved to Fountaingreen in the fall of 1894 there we lived 8 years while we lived there I buyldet several good Brick Houses and I feel pretty well to wards the people of that place we had allwise good Sosiable compagny and good Nighboers, while there moste of our Children had got Maried and movved to other plases, four of our sex Children had left us, one live in Fairview three in Castle Vallie, we now had a good chance to sell our home but where can we go to better our selv, we were looking aroun we went to Castle Vallie but I come to the conclution I were getting to old to trey to setle a new Contry so we mad up our mins and bought a ten Acre lot a cross the road from Alma L. Miners home who are our Son in Llow, he lived about one Mile South of Fairview on the County Road to Mt. Pleasent I bought one Acre for a building spot of H. W. Sanderson (a kind of a knoel between two Slooes) there I builded a loghouse and a Barn and got some more land and we lived there a few years, then Andrew and Annie both got Maried, and Andrew toke a notion to go with his Brothers to Colorado, they were going to live Castle Vally they were not sattisfied there, Andrew had ben using my Team and I were doing mason work when there were any to be had, we had a small Muleteam and he treated around so we had a pretty big Horse team so I helped to fex him up with a pretty good outfit and I got the home we have ben living in which he had ben treting for but were not half fennised we have never setled up and I don’t think there are enny thing to settel eather one way ore they other,