Jorgen Knudsen was born 14 March 1828 in Norup, Odense, Denmark to Knud Jorgensen (1787-1841) and Ane Marie Andersdatter (1796-1848) and died 14 March 1878 Benjamin, Utah, Utah Territory of unspecified causes.
Biography
Conversion to Mormonism
In 1851, Jorgen's cousin, Jens Hansen, was in Copenhagen where he first heard and accepted the preaching of some missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons). Three months after his baptism Jens was called as a missionary to preach on the Island of Fyen where much of his extended family lived. His first meetings were in the house of his parents and many of them and their extended family believed and joined the Mormon Church.
This would include his cousins, Jorgen, Else Marie, Caroline and Kirsten.
Journey to Utah
Shortly after their conversion, Jorgen and his sister Kirsten left Denmark to join the Mormon Saints to Utah. It took six days to sail from Copenhagen to Liverpool (departed on 22 Dec 1853). They departed Liverpool 3 Jan 1854 on the Jesse Munn for a long voyage to America. They reached New Orleans on 20 Feb 1854. They reached St Louis on 11 Mar 1854.
While in St Louis, the wife of fellow passenger Bendt Nielsen passed away. He would later marry Jorgen's sister, Kirsten. While in St Louis a second company of Scandinavian saints arrived and they would combine to form a very large wagon company under the leadership of Hans Peter Olsen. Departing on 15 Jun 1854.
Records show that Jorgen (and sister Kirsten) traveled with the Hans Peter Olsen Company of 1854. His wife Ane Sophia traveled with her family in the 1853 Forsgren Company (for which her father was a principle diarist). Two sisters, Else Marie and Caroline, in the Secrist/Guyman Company of 1855.
Family Life in Utah
Jorgen arrived in Salt Lake City in late 1854. There he courts his wife, Anna Sophia Nielson (1833-1876), and by Jan 1855 they are married there. Their first child was stillborn in about Oct 1855.
In 1856, they moved to Manti to be closer to Anna's parents. Ana Sophia appears on the 1860 US Census in the town of Moroni, UT (and her father is in Manti UT on in the 1860 US Census). In 1861 they left with others to settle the St. George area . Jorgen and his wife lived in Washington , about five miles from St. George , and they raised cotton.
In 1866, the orphan niece (Betsy Maria Bybee (1860-1923)) of Jorgen's oldest sister (Else Maria Knudsdatter (1820-1866)) came to live with Jorgen's family and is listed on the 1870 US Census with them. Betsy would later marry and have many children of her own.
In 1876 , the day after her baby was born, Anna died. Two weeks later the baby died.
Jorgen was a farmer. He was also very musical and wrote many songs. He played the accordion and taught his son Christian to play. After Anna 's death, Jorgen moved to Benjamin where he died in 1878.
Jorgen and Anna Sophia had 11 children, 7 of whom died before age 8. The couple and those seven children are listed on the family gravestone. Ane Sophia died just one day after delivering her last child in early Oct 1876. Jorgen died about two years later.
Life Sketch
Compiled in June 1988 by Wanda Knudsen Guthrie, granddaughter and William Warren Knudsen, son.
Christian Moroni Knudsen was born 26 October, 1856 in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah, to Jorgen Knudsen and Anna Sophia Nielsen. He is their second child. His brothers and sisters are Jorgen Lamoni, Anna Sophia, Joseph Enos, Mariana, Caroline, Anna Margarite, Melinda Jorgena, Frida, Sarah Artemesia and Mabel Matilda. Only four of the children lived to adulthood: Christian Moroni, Anna Sophia, Joseph Enos and Melinda Jorgena. The first child, Jorgen Lamoni, was stillborn and six died in infancy.
Danish Ancestry
Christian's father, Jorgen Knudsen, was born 14 March, 1828 in Norup or Fyen, Odense, Denmark to Knud Jorgensen and [[Ane Marie Andersdatter (1796-1848)| Anna Marie Anderson. Christina's mother, Anna Sophia Nielsen, was born 22 August, 1833 in Veijla, Veijla, Denmark.
Jorgen was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3 October, 1853. He left his homeland in December of that year with a large group of Saints for America. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah in September, 1854. Jorgen's younger sister, Kistrene came with him, and two other sisters came the following year. They were Else Maria and Caroline.
Anna Sophia was baptized 19 March 1851 and came to America with her father, Christian Nielsen, his wife, Maria, and Anna's younger brother, Fritz. They traveled with the first large group of Saints from Scandinavia, leaving Denmark in December 1852 and arriving in Utah in September 1853. The stayed in Salt Lake City just a short time,then went on to Manti, where Christian Nielsen and his family lived the rest of their lives.
Early years in Utah
Jorgen and his sisters settled in Salt Lake City. Anna Sophia also stayed in Salt Lake City and worked as a housekeeper there. Jorgen and Anna met while there and were married 13 January 1855. On 11 April 1856, they were endowed and sealed in the Endowment House.
Jorgen and Anna moved to Manti the summer of 1856 and lived near Anna's parents. Three of their children were born in Manti; Christian Moroni, Anna Sophia, and Joseph Enos. In 1861 or 1862, the moved to Washington, Utah, Washington Co., Utah which is about five miles northeast of St. George, where they made their home until their death.
Timeline
- 1828 : Birth / Christening in Norup, Odense, Denmark
- 1850-1852 : Conversion to Mormon Religion - joins Copenhagen Branch of LDS Church
- 1853-Dec-22 : Jorgen and sister Kirsten leave Copenhagen for England
- 1854-Jan-03 : Jorgen and sister Kirsten leave Liverpool for America
- 1854-Mar-11 : Arrival in St Louis.
- 1854-Jun-15 : Join the Hans Peter Olsen wagon company headed west.
- 1854-Oct-5 : Hans Peter Olsen Company arrives in Utah
- 1855-Jan-13 : Marriage to Anna Sophia Nielson (1833-1876) in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1855-Oct : First child is stillborn in Salt Lake City, Utah
- 1856-Apr-11 : Marriage Sealing in the Salt Lake Endowment House
- 1856 (Summer) : Jorgen and Anna Sophia move to Sanpete Co, Utah where they have three children.
- 1860 : US Census for Moroni, Sanpete Co. Utah-
- 1861-Dec : Move to Washington County, Utah - last seven children were born there.
- 1866 : Adoption of orphan niece, Betsy Bybee.
- 1870-Jul-06 : US Census - Washington Co Utah Residence
- 1876-Oct-03 : Death (age 43) of Ana Sophia following birth of 11th child.
- 1878 : Death of Jorgen Knudsen
Census Records
Denmark Baptismal Certificate
Birth Date: 14 Mar 1828 / Christening Date: 16 Mar 1828 Christening Place : Norup, Odense, Denmark Father: Knud Jorgensen / Mother: Ane Marie Andersdr
1860 US Census : Moroni Utah
Taken at Moroni, Sanpete Co, Utah. Family had settled there to be near Annie's parents. There are some wrong spellings and ages recorded on this survey.
- Yorgan Knutson M/32
- Anna S Knutson F/27
- Christian Knutson M/3
- Annie S Knutson F/4
1870 US Census : Manti Utah
Survey taken 06-July-1870 in Washington, Washington Co, Utah. / House #18 /
- Jorgen Knudsen / M / 43Y / Born- Denmark / Ocp: Farmer
- Annie / F / 36Y / Born- Denmark / Ocp: KeepingHouse - (wife)
- Christian / M / 13Y / Born- Utah - (son)
- Annie G / F / 11Y / Born- Utah - (daughter)
- Joseph E / M / 9Y / Born- Utah - (son)
- Betsey M / F / 10Y / Born- Utah - (orphan niece)
- Malinda / F / 1Y / Born- Utah - (daughter)
Gravestone
Washington City Cemetery Gravestone for Jorgen Knudsen Family. Notice children listed on bottom half.
Washington City Cemetery : Family gravestone lists Jorgen, his wife Ane Sophia and all of their children that died young:
- Jorgen Knudsen : Mar, 14, 1828- Sept 24, 1878
- Ane Sophia Christiansen Nielsen Knudsen : Aug 22, 1833- Oct 3, 1876
And their children who died in the struggle to build Zion.
- Jorgen Lamoni Knudsen : Oct 1855- Oct 1855
- Mariana Knudsen : Nov 15, 1862- Dec 29, 1864
- Anna Margaret Knudsen : Oct 22, 1864- Apr 27, 1868
- Caroline Knudsen : Oct 19, 1866- Apr 27, 1869
- Frids A Knudsen : June 16, 1871- June 26, 1871
- Sarah Artemesia Knudsen : Feb 27, 1873 - Mar 16, 1873
- Mabel Matilda Knudsen : Oct 2, 1876 - Oct 17, 1876
Research Notes
- Jorgen's family shows in House #18 on the 1870 US Census for Washington township. But who is House #19? Another relative? From Where?
- Other Wives - Caroline Ford / Mary Hansen / - Is there any documentation to support these other rumored marriages?
- Kirsten Knudsen History #2 - These histories vividly tell of the Knudsen Family coming to America one year later than the Forsgren Pioneer Company.
- Xmission list of Scandinavian Pioneer Companies - Nielsens and Knudsens are listed with the 1853 company, but not 1854 company. Kirsten's history references the 1854 company.
- Hans Peters Olsen Company 1854 - LDS Pioneer Histories
- FAS spelling of wife's name does not match what is on the gravestone.
- FAS has a duplicate listing for deceased child Anne Margaret. This family has only 11 children.
- Who is Betsey M that is listed in the 1870 census. I don't think it is a daughter but a niece? She does not appear on FAS
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Else Maria Knudsdatter (1820-1866) | 24 October 1820 Bederslev, Odense, Denmark | 1866 Grafton, Washington County, Utah, United States | Byram Lee Bybee (1799-1864) |
| Anders Knudsen (1822-1854) | 8 June 1822 Otterup, Odense, Denmark | Juliane Handatter | |
| Caroline Jorgensen Knudsen (1824-1891) | 30 June 1824 Eganse, Odense, Denmark | 4 June 1891 Spanish Ford, Utah, Utah | Jens Hansen (1823-1897) |
| Ane Knudsdatter (1826-1834) | |||
| Jorgen Knudsen (1828-1878) | 14 March 1828 Norup, Odense, Denmark | 14 March 1878 Benjamin, Utah, Utah Territory | Anna Sophia Nielson (1833-1876) |
| Kirsten Knudsen (1830-1910) | 12 August 1830 Egensemark, Norup, Odense, Denmark | 17 March 1910 Hyrum, Cache County, Utah | Bendt Nielsen (1796-1862) Jens Wilhelm Nielsen (1837-) |
| Jens Knudsen (1834-1834) | |||
| Niels Knudsen (1834-1834) | |||
| Ane Knudsen (1836-1837) | |||
References
- Gravestone for Jorgen Knudsen - Find A Grave Memorial# 19407656
- John Forsgren Pioneer Company 1853 - Journal Exceprts and partial list of members.
- Else Marie Knudsen Biography - This is a key document to clarify that Ana Sophia traveled in 1853, Jorgen and his sister Kirsten traveled in 1854 and Else Marie and Caroline came in 1855. Else had a child named Betsy that is found on the 1870 US Census living with uncle/aunt Jorgen and Ana Sophia in Washington UT.
- Else Knudsen Genealogy - Ancestry chart for Else Knudsen - however, the identities of her paternal grandparents is in dispute.
- Else Knudsen Biographies - Family data charts / photographs / histories