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| Jacob and Inger Christensen |
Inger was born Feb. 6, 1833 in Napstyert, Jutland, Denmark. Her parents were Thomas Christian Jensen and Else Margrethe Olsen. Inger grew up on a farm. No doubt she learned many valuable lessons on the farm, which helped her throughout her life. She met and fell in love with Jacob Christensen. He had joined the LDS church in his native land of Denmark on Feb. 20, 1853. His mother Maren Pedersen Peterson was also a member of the church. His father Christen Peterson had passed away a few years earlier. Inger joined the church in June of the same year. Two years later, Inger and Jacob were married on Jan.17, 1855. Jacob was 28 years old and Inger was 22 years old. One year later Jan. 16, 1856 a little son Thomas was born to their family. They were a happy family and they were dedicated to their new faith, but troubles soon began. Because they had joined the church, family, neighbors, and friends ostracized them. They found it hard to live in Denmark where there were so many negative feelings about the church. So within two years of their marriage they decided to immigrate to the United States and join the saints in Utah.
There are conflicting stories that have been handed down. One is that they received the money they needed for travel from the Perpetual Emigration Fund of the church and the other is that Inger’s parents gave them the needed money. With the financial help they left their beloved home on Friday April 18, 1857. Jacob, Inger, baby Thomas and Jacob’s mother, Maren joined 536 Scandinavian Saints who sailed from Copenhagen on the steamer L. N. Hvidt. The ship arrived at Grimsby, England on April 21 in the afternoon. The following day they rode a train to Liverpool. On April 25, 1857 these and other saints, 544 total, sailed from Liverpool on the ship Westmoreland. At this time Inger was just 23 years old with a baby of 15 months. Her husband was 29 and his mother was 68 years old. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean lasted 36 days. There were good feelings of harmony among these saints. On May 31 they arrived in Philadelphia. Elder Angus M. Cannon who was the emigration agent at that port received the emigrants. They made arrangements to continue their journey to Utah. On June 2 they left Philadelphia on a train. They arrived in Iowa City on June 9, 1857. Most emigrants crossed the plains immediately afterwards but some saints did not have the means to continue. This was the case for Jacob and Inger and their family. Sadness came to them with the passing of Jacob’s mother soon after they arrived in Omaha, Nebraska. They remained there for two years. Although Jacob worked at whatever employment he could find, they lived under the most trying circumstances. One time Jacob was obliged to trade one shirt, of his supply of two, for a bushel of frozen turnips.
Inger was very happy to finally have her parents join them in Omaha in 1859. They had sailed from England on the William Tapscott ship on April 11, 1859. It appears that they had also joined the church in Denmark and gathered with other emigrating saints. They had a pleasant journey of 31 days on the ship. Although there were nine different languages spoken and many different customs they enjoyed meeting together for morning and evening prayers and Sunday meetings and also gathering for singing, music, dancing and games. They arrived in New York Harbor May 14, 1859. They traveled by train and steamboat and finally arrived in Florence, Nebraska on May 25, 1859.
With their supplies ready and the arrival of Inger’s parents, the Christensen family was ready to make the trek to Utah. Jacob, Inger, and son Tommy and Inger’s parents Thomas and Else Jensen joined the Robert F. Neslen Handcart Company. This was the only handcart company to cross the plains in 1859. According to a pioneer diary they left June 6, 1859. Along with a handcart, they received utensils, a water-can, bedding and food rations.. A tent was provided for each ten persons. The company comprised 235 persons, with 60 handcarts, and six ox-drawn wagons to haul provisions and the sick. The company was very organized with sub-captains for each 10 carts. There were many hardships along the way. They would travel from 16 to 22 miles a day. There were blisters and mosquitoes and occasional trouble with the Indians. There often was not enough food to satisfy their appetites. On Aug. 22 the provisions were scarce and people were starving. It wasn’t until Aug 25 that wagons from SLC rescued the handcart company. They found out that the supply wagons had traveled day and night to bring food and assistance.
While crossing the plains, Jacob and Inger had a great misfortune. Their only child died. The company halted and buried little Tommy. Jacob, overcome with grief, threw himself across the newly made grave declaring he could not go on and leave his little boy. According to his great granddaughter, Elizabeth Averett Vance he asked, “ Inger, is it worth it? We have lost our families, our friends, our home and our country. My mother died. And now this. Is it worth it?” Inger, grasping hold of him said, “Jacob Christensen, you know it is worth it. It is worth it and more. Now you get up off that grave. We must go on.”
