Wife Katherine at the gate.
Jacob and Katherine Hafen
Jacob Hafen, shoemaker and farmer, son of Jacob and Elizabeth Spengler, was born in Switzerland on February 16, 1836. He learned his trade, shoemaking, in Switzerland. He joined the Mormon church and emigrated to Utah in 1861, crossing the plains in an Ox train under Captain Jones.
He located in Payson where he remained three years. Then he removed to Richfield and in 1866 came to Mt Pleasant, Utah. He followed his trade three years, became interested in a shoe store and now has a shop near his residency.
He took an active part in the Black Hawk war. He is a ward teacher. He performed a mission of two year in Switzerland, during 1883-1885. He is a stockholder in the coal mine in Pleasant Valley, which supplies a large amount of fuel consumed in this city.
His first wife, Anna Katherine Naef, he married in Payson, Utah, September 21, 1861. They have five living children: Hermina, Katherine, Rosetta, Lydia and Wilford. His second wife, Lizetta Ott, married September 29, 1873, in Salt Lake City. They have six children: William, Lizetta, Emile, Pauline, Jacob and Annie.
Written by: Ruby Hafen, granddaughter-in-law (Married to William Jay Hafen)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mt. Pleasant Pyramid
March 30, 1917
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PERSONAL HISTORY OF
ANNA KATHERINA NAEF
Much is taken from a story written by Pauline Hafen Seely, a daughter of Jacob Hafen.
Compiled and researched by Sandra Brown Dike Wilson
‘Anna was born 27 December 1837 in Albikan, (or Albecund,) St. Gallen, Switzerland. Her Father was Daniel Naef and her mother was Rosina Egli. She was the 5th child in the family. Her native country ‘Torganbury” joined the Thurgau but belonged to a different Canton (state) hence had been governed differently from time immemorial.
The famous medical Allemenic Courts of Toggenburg gave the valley its name and when that ancient line died out, the objects of the Monastery of St. Gallen obtained and maintained control for years until during the Napoleonic era.
This beautiful valley was joined to the newly created Canton, St. Gallen. The change of government brought a remarkable change in the economic life of that country during the latter end of the 18th century and since, the various branches of the textile industry were developed and these gave employment not only to men but also to women and thus the population enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity.
It should be noted that Katherina Naef’s early home life and the conditions of her upbringing were quite different from those of her husband.
Anna Katherina joined the LDS church on 11 May 1856 in Switzerland. Her brother Johan Jakob joined the LDS church 12 October, 1856 just a few months after Anna. The earliest missionaries came to Switzerland in 1850.
She boarded the ship “Monarch of the Sea” in 1861and sailed to America in the company of several other immigrants and other Mormon converts. The trip took several weeks and while on board she met a very handsome young man by the name of Jacob Hafen. They both had wonderful voices and on the voyage of several weeks, they feel in love. So through the gift of song, they soon became sweethearts.
They landed in New York. They then traveled to Utah in the Captain Jones Company. She did not neglect her talent for singing; they sang the Mormon hymns on the journey to Utah (Zion to them). They also sang many of the old Swiss folk songs, which they knew by heart.
From Salt Lake City they were assigned to go to Payson, Utah to get their start in America.”
(Pauline Hafen Seely)
Marriage
Jacob Hafen
21 September 1861
Payson, Utah County, Utah
They lived in Payson for three years. During their stay in Payson, Utah County, Utah,
Anna gave birth to two children.
1. Jacob Hafen Jr. was born 5 August 1862 and only lived for 13 months.
2. Herman Hafen was born December 1863 and only lived for 10 months
Their next move was to Fort Hambilton which was then a new settlement in Sanpete County, Utah. There they took up a homestead and started anew. Their first home in Fort Hambilton was a one-room dugout.
In Fort Hambilton a third child was born.
3. Hermena Rozena was born on 13 July 1865. Hermina lived to adulthood.
Anna had a frightening experience with baby Hermina in her arms.
Indian Trouble
“Because of the Indian trouble, there was a militia battalion organized under the leadership of Major James Jorgensen who had served in the Danish Army. Jacob Hafen took part in this and one time when Jacob was on duty the drums were calling the men to be ready to fight.
He was obliged to lock his wife, Annie Katherina and the baby Hermena in their dugout home lest the prowling redskins would molest them. Anna hid in the corner where she could watch every shadow that came within the range of the one small window that lighted that cellar room.
Suddenly the window was darkened and as she stared, she saw the face of an Indian pressed close to the window pane. She didn’t know how long he stayed there. Minutes seemed hours and an hour seemed an eternity before Jacob returned and found his wife on her knees praying asking God to keep baby Hermena from awakening and crying.” (Pauline Hafen Seely)
Their stay at Ft. Hambilton was short. They were called to Richfield, Sevier, Utah.
In Richfield their fourth child was born.
4. Bertha Hafen was born on 14 April 1867. This baby girl only lived for 14 days.
All went well in Richfield for two years, and then problems in Richfield with the Black Hawk Indian War forced them to return to Ft. Hambilton, Utah, which was now called Mt. Pleasant, Utah.
Two more children were born after they returned to Mt. Pleasant, Utah.
5. John Orson Hafen was born 09 April 1868 and he only lived for two days.
6. Fredrick Henry was born 02 March 1869 and he lived for one year.
They continued to live in Mt. Pleasant after the move back from Richfield, Utah. They remained in Mt. Pleasant to raise their family and established the Hafen home. Jacob’s shoe making shop was built behind the house.
So here we have Anna married for eight and a half years and she has given birth to 6 children and only has one living daughter. Five babies have died. What pain must have filled her heart as she laid 5 babies in the grave.
Two more babies were born now in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.
7. Anna Catherina was born 15 January 1871. This daughter lived and raised a family.
8. Rozetta Sarah was born 03 February 1873. She lived to be 86 years old.
On the 29th of September 1873 Jacob took a second wife
Lizetta Susanna Ott in a polygamous marriage.
The 2nd marriage had Anna’s full consent. She welcomed his 2nd wife into the family.
Anna gave birth to four more children.
09. Lydia Mary was born 06 August 1874. Lydia lived and raised a family.
10. Emily was born 2 September 1876. She died just after her second birthday.
11. Joseph Richard was born 29 January 1880. He lived 16 months.
12. Wilford Franklin was born 29 January 1882. He lived to adult hood and had a family.
7 of Anna’s babies died in infancy. She raised 5 out of twelve babies to adulthood.
Anna was 45 years of age when her last child was born in 1882.
This was just the year before Jacob left for his mission back to Switzerland.
In 1883-1885
Jacob was called back to his homeland, Switzerland, to serve a mission.
Ages of Jacob’s children with two wives when he went to Switzerland to serve a mission:
First wife Anna had 5 children aged 1-18
Second wife Lizetta had 5 children aged 1-8
Lizetta’s 5th child, a baby girl was born June 06, 1882
Anna’s 12th child, a baby boy was born June 12, 1882
These babies were born just 6 days apart.
“These wives and their daughters were equal to the occasion. Their mothers had been schooled in the art of homemaking. One wife was a fine baker of bread and cakes and the other was a good organizer as well as a good seamstress. They were educated in the fine arts of lace making and embroidery. They gathered the fruit from their orchard, peeled and dried apples, plums and pears which they sold by the sackful. They gathered straw from the straw-stacks and braided it in five and seven strands and sewed the strands to make hats for the next summer’s trade. Then all went gleaning over the wheat fields that they might have flour for bread.”
Jacob Comes Home From Mission to Switzerland in 1885
“The home of the Hafen’s hummed with activity. Everything in and out of the house was cleaned and scoured. The white pine floors and benches were scrubbed with sand and water. The hand-made lace fillet curtains were taken down from the windows and laundered. Every cup, plate, pot and pan was scoured with ashes to give them an extra polish. Why? Because Father Jacob was coming home.
How happy this family of two wives and many children were. Each doing the different tasks assigned them by their mothers. There was work for the tiniest hands. Tiny hands could scour the knives, forks and spoons with ashes. Tiny hands could polish the shoes of the entire family by applying soot mixed with mutton tallow and brushed with a homemade brush. The brass kettle was made to look like gold by scouring with salt and vinegar.
When the house was in order the wives decided to make an arch over the white picket gate for the joyous occasion. The children were sent out to gather wild flowers to bind it with. Each child was to bring an armful of the kind they liked best. Soon the Hafen children were seen bringing in a profusion of flowers and their mother’s deft fingers soon arranged them around the green willow arch that was later placed over the gate. “Put my Sego Lilies on the top so Father will be sure to see them”, said one little girl. “No put my blue bells where he will see them”, said another. “No put mine where he will see them”, said another. “He will like mine best”, said another child.
Then the wise mother said, “No, there are no favorite flowers with father and no favorite children or wife. So the Sego Lilies, Bluebells, Indian Paint Brushes, Violets and Daisies were all twined around the arch that Jacob walked under on that never-to-be-forgotten afternoon. Over the door he entered he read “Welcome Home Father” printed with charcoal on a piece of white muslin.”
(Pauline Hafen Seely)
“These sister wives and their children remained close friends. My mother, Pearl Bramsted Brown, the child of Rozetta Hafen Bramsted who was a child in the home of Jacobs first wife Anna Katherina Naef Hafen, fondly remembered and communicated by letter with many of her cousins from both marriages. She called the children of each marriage as aunt. I have never heard any negative comments from her about the children from the marriage to Lizetta Ott. When my mother had the rare opportunity to visit relatives in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, she visited with the family of both wives and considered them family.” (Sandra Brown)
Anna Katherina was 80 years old when her husband Jacob died 22 March 1917.
She lived to be 85 years old in spite of the many hardships of her life.
What a legacy to live to be that old for a woman born in the early 1800’s
She died 6 May 1923 in the home of her daughter in Moroni, Utah.
Mt. Pleasant Pyramid
May 11, 1923
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