Anders Andersen and Mette Christensen's History

History of Anders Andersen, Mette Christensen 
and Niels Christensen

1809 - 1895 by Ida Beck Stubbs

Anders Andersen was born the 31st October 1810, at Fristrup, Aalborg, Denmark, christened the 4th November, 1810, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark. He was the only child of Anders Andersen and Mette Jensen. He was a grandson of Anders Christensen & Karen Andersen, and Jens Thomsen & Johanne Christensen. He had two half sisters, Karen and Johanne Andersen. Karen was christened on the 14th July 1799, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark, married (1) 19th December 1828, Lars Jorgensen, married (2) the 27th December 1841, Christen Jensen, died the 2nd May 1876, Johanne christened the 12th September 1802, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark.
Mette Christensen was christened the 4th April 1809, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark. (through research was unable to find a birth date). She was the daughter of Christen Nielsen and Margrethe Jorgensen. She was a grand daughter of Niels Sorensen and Mrs. Niels Sorensen and Jorgen Larsen and Anne Jensen. Mette had one sister, Maren Christensen, born the 28th March 1813, at Raevhede, Aalborg, Denmark. She had three half sisters and one brother.

Anders Andersen and Mette Christensen were married the 27th September 1833, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark. They were the parents of five children: Matte Marie, born the 15th November 1834, christened the 22nd November 1834, died the 16th July 1846. Anders Christian, (twin) born the 6th January 1839, christened the 17th January 1839. Maren (twin) born the 6th January 1839, christened the 17th January 1839, died the 22nd December 1839. Maren, born the 25th September 1840, christened the 7th November 1840, married Peter Almertz, died about 1920, buried at Mount Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah. The couple never had any children. Margrethe, born the 22nd February 1844, christened the 4th March 1844, married (1) 22nd November 1861, Jens Christen Jensen. The couple made their home at Mount Pleasant, Utah. They were the parents of five children. She married (2) the 4th October 1875, Jacob (Jensen) Johnson. They made their home at Spring City, Sanpete, Utah. All the children of Anders and Mette were born at Fristrup, Aalborg, Denmark.


One evening when Anders Andersen was skating home he fell through the ice. There were whirlpools in the stream and the ice wouldn't freeze solid on these places. Anders knew these places but it was a foggy night and he lost his way and skated on to one of these places.  He was able to get out of the water by himself and to continue on his way home. However, he became ill with pneumonia and died shortly afterwards.  He died the 5th March 1845, and was buried on the 16th March 1845, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark.


Mette had one son, Soren Hansen before she married Anders Andersen.  He was born the 11th June 1833, at Raevhede, christened the 16th June 1833, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark. He was the son of Hans Knudsen and Mette. Hans Knudsen was born the 12th July 1813, at Vedsted, Hjorring, Denmark, christened the 16th July 1813. He was the son of Knud Christensen and Birthe Pedersen. Soren Hansen married about 1860, in Denmark Carlene (Lena) Albertine Carlson. They were the parents of eight children.  The two eldest children died young and were buried in Denmark.  Children number three and four were born in Denmark, and the four others were born in the State of Iowa, after the couple had come to the U.S.A.  The couple made their home at Underwood, Pottawattamie, Iowa.

Niels Christensen and Mette Christensen Andersen were married the 29th August 1845, at Aaby, Aalborg, Denmark. Niels Christensen was born the 13th November 1819, at Sonderove, Hjorring, Denmark. A son of Christen Jensen (Under-lien) and Margrethe Hansen. Niels was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1850, however no L.D.S. Branch record in Denmark has the date and the baptismal work was redone for him on the 16th January 1965.


Mette Christensen and her children joined the L.D.S. Church and were baptized in 1860. Once again the record and the dates can not be found in Danish records. Only the date of the daughter Margrethe Andersen can be found, which was the 5th March 1860. The baptismal work for the rest of the family was redone in the years 1962 and 1965.  In the early spring of 1861 the Christensen Family began making plans to come to America and on to Utah. The Christensen family consisted of the Father, Niels Christensen, Mother, Mette Christensen the two daughters of Anders Andersen and Mette Christensen, Maren (Mary) and Margrethe Andersen and the couples two daughters, Andersine (Sene) Margrethe and Mette Marie Nielsen. ( see the shipping record).


On the 16th May 1861, the Christensen Family set sail for America. They sailed from Liverpool, England on a ship named the "Monarch of the Sea". The ship was under the direction of Jabez Woodward. The ship carried more passengers than any other ship had carrying Danish emigrants up to this period of time. There were nine hundred and fifty-five passengers aboard the ship. The ship docked at New York, from here the family continued on their journey to Utah.  The families of the Christensens have no record to their crossing the plains. The family arrived in Salt Lake City, and then continued on to Sanpete County, and settling in Spring City where the family made their home and here Niels and Mette lived the rest of their lives.


Soon after Mette and the family had arrived in Utah she wrote a letter to her mother-in-law in Denmark, but she told the family she never received an answer to her letter. Through research I discovered Mette's mother-in-law (Mette Jensen) had died the same day the Christensen Family had sailed from England, the 16th May 1861. Mette also told her family that her mother-in-law was one hundred years old but the Danish record has her death recorded and has that she was ninety-six years of age. No birth record can be found, therefore no correct age can be proven as to whether Mette's date or the records are correct as to her age.


The two Christensen children were Andersine Margrethe (Sene), and Mette Marie Nielsen. Andersine Margrethe (known as Sene in Utah records) was born the 26th November 1846, but family and Utah records have her birth as the 13th November 1846.  She was christened the 27th November 1846. She was born at Fristrup, Aalborg, Denmark. She married the 10th May 186? to Eskild Christian Petersen (Peterson). The couple first made their home at Mount Pleasant, Utah, then in about the year 1870 they moved to Richfield, Sevier, Utah, and here they lived the rest of their lives. They were the parents of nine children, Andersine died the 24th February 1922, buried at Richfield, Utah.Matte Marie was born the 23rd May 1850, at Fristrup, Aalborg, Denmark, christened the 28th May 1850, married (1) ____ Madsen, the couple had one child, married (2) Daniel Beckstrom.  The couple made their home at Spring City, Sanpete, Utah. They were the parents of five children. Mette Marie died the 12th January 1895, and was buried at Spring City, Sanpete, Utah.


Mette Christensen died the 18th May 1888, and was buried at Spring City, Sanpete, Utah. She was survived by her husband Niels, one son Sorn Hansen, three daughters Maren (Mary) Almerts, of Mt. Pleasant, Utah, Andersine (Sene) Peterson, of Richfield, Utah and Marie Beckstrom of Spring City, Utah. Mette was the grandmother to thirty-five grandchildren.


Niels died the 9th December 1895. He was buried beside his wife Mette. Lot #21 block 13, Spring City Cemetery. The lot is located North of the East and West roadway, and East of the center driveway.