Veteran's Day

Here are the two veteran's from the family of which I am aware:

Jay Harold Henderson...served in World War II. He is my grandfather.

He and my grandmother were married as I understand when he was home on leave...if anyone knows the whole story...I would love to know it!

I only have this journal entry from my grandmother:

"As World War II was on at this time, Jay was called into the service. Our date was quite special, but I have to admit that marriage had not really entered my head. We had only gone together three months even though it was very often.

Yet, I definitely recall the thing that made this evening very special!!! I said goodbye to Jay and closed the door and started to walk up the stairs to my room. A voice said to me, as clear as could be, 'That is the boy you will marry!' Though I realize now that this message came from the Lord, at the time, I was spiritually immature and I wondered at this coming so strongly into my mind. But a seed was planted in my mind for sure.

All that next 9 months we wrote steadily and he sent me lovely gifts for Christmas. He was returning for a leave at the end of May and I resolved that I would really 'work on him' because 'that was the boy I wanted to marry.' He called me from the airport when he arrived in Salt Lake and I drove out to pick him up. All the way, I thought that these next two weeks I must really be at my best so that he might ask me to marry him.

Imagine my surprise when on the way in to town from the airport he asked me to marry him! The next two weeks were really hectic. I was not only planning for a big wedding, but I was in the process of graduating from the University of Utah....How grateful I am that we were able to marry in the temple--the most peaceful, quiet and beautiful time of the two weeks."

So I guess my grandmother was a "war bride". They were married 12 June 1945. I would love to know how long he was in the service. I do know he was in Okinawa for a while.





















Guy Messiah Keysor...served in the Mexican American War with the Mormon Battalion...click on his name to learn more.

If you know of more veterans in our family let me know!

Jens Peter and Ane Pederson Jensen

Here is some information & pictures of my 2nd great grandparents Jens & Ane Jensen.

They are the parents of Alice "Allie" Matilda Jensen who married Nicholas Thomas Henderson.
Allie & Nicholas Henderson are the parents of Jay Harold Henderson.

I am so excited to have found a picture of both of them! If anyone has more pictures of them, please share! E-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

Jens Peter Jensen




















Ane Pederson Jensen (possibly holding Alice "Allie" Matilda Jensen)




















The following is from the Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia Volume 1, Andrew Jensen, 1901, page 570-1

"Jens Peter Jensen:

Bishop of Crescent Ward (Jordan Stake), Salt Lake county, Utah, is the son of Soren Jensen and Nielsine Christine Neucuibing, and was born June 16, 1859, in Tommberby parish, Thisted amt, Denmark. In 1878 he was baptized into the Church by Elder Jens Christensen. He was ordained an Elder and sent out to labor as a local missionary. In June, 1879, he emigrated to Utah, and located in Draper , Salt Lake county. He was called on a mission to Scandinavia in 1894 and labored ten months in Denmark, when he was released on account of poor health. When the Crescent Ward was organized in 1895, he was chosen to preside as Bishop, and he is still laboring in the capacity."

Find of the day: Soren & Neilsine Jensen Picture

I was searching around today and was totally thrilled to find these pictures of my 3rd Great Grandparents. I had never seen them before. I am so grateful for those who share their pictures with names & dates!!!

This is Soren & Neilsine Jensen.

Soren Jens Jensen: 1835-1919

Neilsine Jensen: 1836-1914/1916

And the other picture is Soren Jensen. This is from the Latter-day Saint Biographical Encylopedia Volume 3. There is a wonderful entry about him that you can read if you click here. You will need to go to page 127.

These are the only pictures I have been able to find on the "Jensen" line of our family. So if anyone out there has more of them, or their children...especially their oldest Jens Peder Jensen (my 2nd great grandfather). I would love to see them!

Note: Soren & Neilsine Jensen are the parents of Jens Peder Jensen who married Ane Pederson. Jens & Ane Jensen are the parents of Alice Jensen who married Nicholas Thomas Henderson. Alice & NT Henderson are the parents of Jay Harold Henderson.

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 3

"It might be interesting to relate a little experience Grandfather had on an occasion. He was coming from Riverton to Granger one evening when suddenly, out of no where a man appeared by his wagon and asked for a ride, also for night’s lodging. Grandfather didn’t dare take him home, because at this time he was being watched by the U.S. Marshals. He didn’t know but what the stranger could be one of these. However, when he let the man from his wagon, he immediately and completely disappeared. This troubled Grandpa, he always thought he had been privileged to associate that short time with one of the 3 Nephites.

On another occasion, while he and Grandma were visiting Aunt Minnie and family in Riverton, he became very ill and requested all his children to come so he could bid them goodbye as he knew he was going to die. Shortly he seemed to have passed away. His family was all crying in deep grief, when he opened his eyes and said, “I’ve come back”. He told them afterward that he could see his body lying on the bed and all of them crying and it seemed that some great power brought him back.

In the spring of 1892 Grandpa bought a farm in Riverton or South Jordan and moved Grandma and her family there. Her Alma John was born 11 Oct 1894. Twins, Harvey and Earl were born 23 April 1896.

Grandpa and his boys worked harmoniously together. He was always considerate of their opinions. He believed that they should have time off for pleasures, and a reward for work well done on the farm. Uncle Clarence recently related how his father taught him early in life how to plow a straight furrow in the field. To select a goal ahead and plow straight for it, never look back, but always forward and straight ahead.

He taught his children the value of money by letting them select and pay for their own clothes. He believed in buying good clothing and shoes. He had a cobbling outfit and repaired the family’s shoes.

His daughters were very special to him too, in fact it could be said that he spoiled his little daughter Ella. He used to wash and dress her each morning. One morning he wanted to get an early start to Bingham, and went out without dressing her. She screamed so loud when her sister Rosa tried to dress her that her father stopped the horses, got down off the wagon and came back into the house and dressed her.

A friend, Oley Peterson, persuaded Grandpa to market his farm, garden and diary products in Bingham as he did. It was soon found that he did get much better cash returns to peddle his produce at the mines. So Grandpa continued this employment for years.

Grandma became seriously ill and died Nov. 29, 1896 at the age of 38. (She most likely died of appendicitis. See “Come After Us” by Melvin Banner, page 403-404 for more of this story.) This was a hard blow to the family. Grandfather was inconsolable. He closed her bedroom and wouldn’t let any one go in there thought they needed the room badly. It gave the children a strange feeling of death.

Of course, dear Aunt Minnie brought her 9 children and moved right in to take care of Grandma’s 11, the twins were just babies. It made 20 children for her to supervise and mother. In Jan of 1898 an epidemic of Black Measles hit the town, the twins and Aunt Minnie’s little Parley all died at the same time.

Time moved along and Aunt Minnie died in 1901. Again, Grandpa needed a mother for his children. He met a fine widow woman, Treena Christensen as he went about his work securing produce. She lived in Pleasant Grove. He presented his domestic problems to her in such a way that she was willing to marry him and help out the children yet at home. Their marriage date was 12 Feb 1902, the same as my mother and father’s, Rosa Henderson and Edwin Oliver.

I remember Grandfather as a good, kind man. He was very tender hearted. His bushy, curly hair of his younger years was thin and gray. He was quite hard of hearing, and we had to speak real loud in order for him to hear us. He didn’t take a very active part in Church affairs. His religion was not the Church going kind. He was very generous to his fellow men in need. He never turned anyone away from his door whom he could help. He taught his children honesty, industry and kindness, and many attributes pertaining to a good life. As a granddaughter I feel very proud to be numbered among his descendants. He died Feb 8 1917 at his home in Riverton at the age of 73 years. "


This history of Alexander Shillington Henderson was written by one of his granddaughters, Marie Oliver Winter. The original copy can be found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City. I have made some grammatical and spelling changes. Other additional information I have added is in italics. All of the pictures and graphics I have added as well.

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 2

"Immediately Grandfather sought out the coal mines in Utah for employment. Finally he decided that it was not good for man to be alone; and he began looking for a nice girl to become his wife. He met and fell in love with Miss Hannah Taylor of Salt Lake City. They were married the 5th of July, 1870. He was twenty four years old. They were very happy together. They were great fans of the Salt Lake Theater. When a large troop from the east and abroad were going to put on a show, he appreciated the best and most cultured performance and attended these rather than the efforts of local talent. He was an aristocrat in dress as well as entertainment, proud as a peacock, one neighbor said of him. He had as many as four suits of cloths at one time. He dressed his wife Hannah in the most beautiful cloths obtainable; these also came from the east.

Their first child, Alexander Taylor, was born the 12 Mar. 1871. He lived only 12 days. Hannah never fully recovered in health from this birth. Grandfather bought a nicer home for her in Cottonwood, and gave her the best loving care, but she died the 2nd of June 1873. Heartbroken he sold his home in Cottonwood and went back to the mines, coming in often to visit his mother-in-law, and his wife's grave in the City Cemetery.

With the building of the canal from the point of the mountain to Riverton area, the water taken out the Jordan River at the narrows, Grandfather saw a chance to make himself considerable more money. He purchased a team of horses and equipment, and went to work on the canal. He went to Nicholas T. Silcock, a farmer living in Riverton to buy some hay and grain to feed his horses. As he paid for the feed, Nicholas Silcock was surprised at the large amount of money in this stranger's pocket book, indeed he never seen so much money in his life. It was on one of his purchasing trips, Grandfather chanced to meet lovely Miss Almira Silcock. However she was on the lookout for him, because she had previously been shown in a dream the man she was going to marry. They were married 30 Mar. 1874 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. He had previously received his endowments in 1867.

He purchased a tract of land joining the Silcock property in Riverton. Here he built a 3 room adobe house. When the Riverton Ward was organized he gave the land for the Meeting House and also helped to build it. To show that he built well, both of these buildings are still standing today in a good state of preservation.

Grandpa was pleased when their first child was born, Alice Sarah, 4 Feb. 1875. The Hannah Jane, 13 Feb. 1876. He was somewhat disappointed when my mother Rosa was born 13 June 1878. He did so want a boy. So when George Alexander came on the 29th of Jan 1880, his joy knew no bounds.

In these early days of the Church, plural marriage was being practiced and preached by the Authorities. Grandpa desired to take another wife, so with Grandma’s consent he married Minnie Sorenson, Oct 16, 1876. From all I have heard both wives lived very harmoniously together as a family unit. Each wife was just another Mother to the other’s children. Grandpa was a kind, peace-loving man, himself. He showed great love and understanding to all his children alike. He was a strict but wise disciplinarian; all his children and grandchildren loved and respected him very much.

About 1881 Grandfather moved to the 5th Ward in Salt Lake City. Here he built his own house and both of the wives lived in the same house for the first and only time. All through these years both were having children about the same time. Grandma gave birth to Harriet, 7 March 1882. Nicholas Thomas was born 4 July 1883. James Mormon was born 8 Dec 1884.

His wife Minnie had:
Minnie Sophia, Aug 19, 1877
Annie, Aug 2, 1878
Juliatte, Feb 11. 1880
Eliza Jane, July 3, 1881
William Edward, Sept 29, 1882
Henry Ether, Dec 14, 1883
Elizabeth Mary, Feb 17, 1885
Emma, May 6, 1887
Margaret M, Dec. 6, 1888
Orson, Feb 5, 1890
Clara, 29 Feb 1892
Edna, Aug 27, 1894
Parley Cecil, April 8, 1896
Orin Millard, Dec 14, 1897
Clarence, Feb 3, 1901.

Nine of these children from both families died by 1898.

His wife Almira moved to the 3rd ward on State Street and wife Minnie moved to Little Cottonwood. Then he built a large 2 story house in Farmer’s Ward (about 13th South and 17th Street) where both families lived, very closely associated with each other.

Then in 1885, the U.S. Government was cracking down on those men who had more than one wife. The local U.S. Marshals were, on the most part, Mormon-haters and delighted in seeking these men and putting them in jail, under the co-habitation law, if they were caught. True, Pres. Wilford Woodruff had been directed to issue the Manifesto, making it unlawful for men to take more than one wife. The Church Authorities instructed their men not to take anymore wives, but to take care of the ones they already had as well as possible.

Grandfather had taken Aunt Minnie in good faith and certainly she and her children were his responsibility. It was noised around that Aunt Minnie and her children had gone to St. George to live. But she went to Riverton and lived with Auntie Beb, Great Grandfather Silcock’s 2nd wife. Here Grandpa secretly looked after their wants. Later Grandpa built her a nice brick home in Riverton.

Eventually, with his growing family Grandpa decided he had to have more land, so he sold his property in the Farmer’s Ward in Salt Lake City at a sacrifice and bought a farm in Granger. Here Heber Charles was born 10 Oct. 1886, Hyrum Edgar, 11 Jun 1889 and Ella Almira, 10 Mar 1892.

He built a nice frame house for his family in Granger. Then he later bought more land joining his farm on the West. This farm had a hewn log house on it to which he made a sizable addition, which housed his large family comfortably. He raised good crops and had all kinds of livestock on the farm. He was a great lover of horses and owned some fine animals. "

TO BE CONTINUED...

This history of Alexander Shillington Henderson was written by one of his granddaughters, Marie Oliver Winter. The original copy can be found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City. I have made some grammatical and spelling changes. Other additional information I have added is in italics. All of the pictures and graphics I have added as well.

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 1

This history of Alexander Shillington Henderson was written by one of his granddaughters, Marie Oliver Winter. The original copy can be found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City. I have made some grammatical and spelling changes. Other additional information I have added is in italics. All of the pictures and graphics I have added as well.


"My Grandfather, Alexander Shillington Henderson, was the 6th and youngest child of James and Ann Jane Shilling Henderson. His paternal grandparents were: Isaac and Jane Askin Henderson. Those on his mother's side were: James and Ellen Anderson Shillington.

Grandfather was born, 31 October 1844, in Syerla, Tryone, Ireland. Other members of the family were: Eliza born 1831; Mary Ann born 1835; Thomas in 1837; James H. in 1841; and Mary 1842. Mary Ann died young, but the others five grew to maturity.

About 1848, my Great Grandmother Ann Jane Henderson died, leaving her little family who needed her so much. Young Alex (as he was called) especially missed her. Great Grandfather had to have help with the children. So he courted and married Mary Ann Murphy. Sometimes it is hard to replace a mother in a family, and Alex began to dislike his step-mother. The tension in the home grew so tense, that at the age of eight he left home and went to live with his older brother Thomas. From this time on he worked in the coal mines. They later left Ireland and moved to Glasgow, Scotland. Grandfather had a life long dislike for the Irish, but he loved Scotland and its people. After he came to America, I think he just let people suppose he was born in Scotland, because his published Obituary from Riverton, gave his birth place as Scotland.

In Scotland he continued to work in the coal mines. But he did work by contract, his brother Thomas was a weaver of fine Irish linen.

It was some time in 1858, when Mormon missionaries from America taught the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the Henderson's and converted them. Thomas and his wife were baptized early in 1859, Grandfather a little later on. I don't know if James was baptized or not. From the time they became affiliated with this unpopular religion, their way of living changed they were shunned by their friends, and work was harder to get.

The spirit of gathering was upon them and they started saving money to immigrate to America and to Utah. At the Church History Archives, it gives the sailing date for Thomas Henderson as May 30, 1862, from Liverpool England, we know that Alex and James came at the same time, however they arrived in New York, James decided to stay there. While on the ocean Tom's little son, Alexander, died and was buried at sea. Grandfather's sister Eliza married a man by the name of Turner who lived in Illinois. The records show that the Henderson's (Thomas and Alexander) made the trip across the plains to Utah in 1863, arriving in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake in the fall. (Alexander was about 18 years old at the time. See Perpetual Immigration Fund records).


TO BE CONTINUED...