Conversion in Denmark and Immigration
submitted by: SUP Pioneer Stories Cedar City Chapter June Newsletter
Grandpa N.P. Anderson was born in 1874 in Denmark. His parents had 14 children, six of which died in early childhood.
His mother Anna, naturally spiritually minded, read her Bible by candlelight and learned to quote it from memory. She and her husband Niels Peter were finally convinced that the gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. On May 25, 1876, they were both baptized and remained faithful to its teachings all their lives.
Neils Peter was a very good blacksmith and made a good living, but after their conversion they were persecuted and were no longer able to make a living at that profession.
They bought a farm in another location. This new homestead included a pasture near the sea and a hayfield. In the summer when the hay was ready to cut, Neils Peter and Anna with their children took their lunch to the field to be gone all day. Niels cut the hay with a scythe and Anna raked it while watching the children around a mound of hay where the baby slept. They labored early and
late at this heavy work but failed to make the farm pay. Being unaccustomed to farming and without farm implements, he was forced to hire too much of the farm work done to be able to make a profit. Poverty closed in upon them until they could not even get all the bread they needed. They would have suffered severe hunger had it not been for milk. They had cows and Anna knew the value of milk as a diet.
A neighbor lady who befriended the Andersons, was stricken with typhoid fever and had none of her own people to care for her. The neighbors were afraid to go near because they considered the disease very contagious. Anna was no less afraid of typhoid fever than others, but her love for humanity would not permit her to forsake a friend in need. She prayed earnestly for protection against the dread disease and went each day for three weeks and more to nurse this friend back to health, no doubt saving her life.
The spirit of gathering to Zion took possession of this family, and all their efforts were put forth to prepare to immigrate to Utah where they could worship God as they wished without being scorned and persecuted.
Because of their lack of money Neils Peter had to immigrate without his family. He arrived in Ogden by railroad, September 21, 1882. So sure was his wife Anna that her prayers would be answered that she had everything ready to leave within a short notice. Just three days before the next group of Saints were to leave for America, a missionary from Utah came to her with money sent by friends of her husband who wanted him to be their blacksmith. There was not enough for all the family so Christian age 13 and Anna Marie age 11 were sent out to work where they had been during the summer, until the following emigration in the spring of 1883.
In Denmark it was customary for children to enter school in their seventh year, but Mormon children were ridiculed so much they often put off their education until they came to Utah where they found one teacher and schools poorly equipped. Thus, it happened that N.P. was deprived of an average formal education even for those days.
At the age of ten years, N.P. began to add his bit to the family income by helping his brother Chris herd cows for the people of Mantua. At daylight every day, Sunday included, for two years as long as feed lasted in the hills, they started out on foot with their two helpful dogs. At the blast of the horn the farmers would turn out the cows and the boys would take them to the hills to graze until
close of day. For this service they received 75 cents and one-half bushel of wheat for each cow, about ninety head in the herd.
The boys' bare feet became so calloused they could run over the hills without knowing if they stepped on pebbles or grass. However, they sometimes wore shoes. Occasionally one of their sisters came out to visit them and bring a pail of water which was a real treat. On mornings when N.P. was very tired, Chris would take the herd to the hills and later return for his younger brother. It was perhaps here that a mutual love grew between the two brothers that lasted throughout their lives. At all times they were willing and ready to help each other when occasion presented itself.
Years later, N.P. was called on a mission to Denmark. A few years ago, we, N.P. Anderson’s grandchildren, visited Denmark where he lived and served, and found his former Mission home.