Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Christen Jensen's family

Christen Jensen received his endowments and married Mary Sophia Anderson on February 8, 1868. That same spring, he received a call to go as a teamster across the plains, assisting the Mormon emigrants on their way to Utah.

On December 5, 1875, he took a second wife, Anna Christina Bengtsson. In December, 1881, he married Helena S. Rundquist, and in 1883, he married Mattie K. Peterson. About this time great pressure was exerted against polygamists. Christen moved part of his family to the San Luis Stake of Zion (The San Luis Valley). He was in exile for 12 years. The family lifed in Richfield, Colorado for about 13 years and then moved to Eastdale, Costilla County, Colorado.

Christen was the father of 18 children. Anna Christina was the mother of seven daughters and three sons and Helena Sophia was the mother of six daughters and two sons.

In 1886 Christen assisten in organizing the 92nd Quorum of Seventy. For eleven years, he served as its senior president.

After the persecution relented, the Jensen family made plans to return to their old home in Utah, but he was called to move to Eastdale and server as Bishop of the Eastdale Ward. He was ordained a Bishop by Apostle John W. Taylor on August 11, 1897, with Simeon Adams Dunn as his First Counselor and Ward Clerk and Andrew S. Nielson as Second Counselor.

Christen Jensen, The Mormons; 100 Years in the San Luis Valley of Colorado 1883-1983, Compiled and Edited byCarleton Q. Anderson, Betty Shawcroft, and Robert Compton, published by The La Jara Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, pp 191,192


6 comments:

Unknown said...

Kent, I appreciate your family posts. I hope the grand children read them. Sometimes it takes some years on people before they turn to family. It is good if they do it before the people that they could as questions of are still able to answer.

Kent said...

I am glad somebody is reading them. I have more to share, but am hesitant if there is nobody reading them.

Larry said...

You cannot gauge how many people are reading by the comments. There is a lot of traffic across the United States and some from Europe that are evidently reading it. I assume that only a tiny fraction of the people that visit intentionally leave a trace that they looked.

I only look when there is something new.

Sheree said...

Thank you for this. My great grandmother is Kate Estella Mortensen, wife of Christen Peter and I googled their names to get more information about them to compile some stories from their histories. I appreciate your efforts! I am just starting out, and finding that the internet is such a valuble source.

Anonymous said...

I am related to Helen Sophia Rundquist. I searched her name and it brought up this blog. It was really interesting reading this. I have family down in Sanford and Mannassa. Maybe you know them they are the Rogers. My grandparents and Bill and Mary Rogers.

Kent said...

It's been over 40 years since I lived in Manassa, but I know the Rogers family.