I was born in Hjorring, Denmark August 3rd 1859. My father was a big man of six feet threee inches tall. By trade, he was a steel moulder. He loved to fish and would often take me sea fishing with him. Father was in the Danish Army, and went to war against Germany. He was wounded at that time but recovered. After his return from war my mother passed away. I was at that time 7 years of age. Father remarried 2 years later and I went to live with an aunt who raised me and sent me to school. There I learned the english language. I was the namesake of the family.
At the age of sixteen I found my first job on a boat and went to Germany. On my return to Denmark I was drafted into the Danish Army in 1872 for a period of six months.
I then went to sea as a donkey engineer for five years. One day, as our ship was crusing into New York Harbor, I made up my mind to stay in America. The next morning I was off duty and went up on the deck where I could see the Statue of Liberty. It was really an inspiring sight. One could not put into words how I felt as my eyes gazed upon the Goddess of Liberty. I knew for sure at that time that I must stay here, so I picked up my sailor bag and proceeded down the grey gang plank not knowing where to go. I wandered around in this strange city of New York where everything was so different from what I had been use to. I finally found a place to stay and after a few days found a job as a cable splicer helping build the Brooklyn Bridge.
From there I went to New Jersey to work for a man by the name of Hornsby. He had two beautiful daughters. Both had dark auburn hair and beautiful figures. In fact, they looked very much alike as they were twins. I went with the two sisters for about a month. Having gone to a dance one night and both sisters being there, I brought Elizabeth Ann Hornsby home and later I married her.
My wife was born on the ship on April 11,1857, coming from England. She was a twin. Her family settled in Perth Amboy, New Jersey where she was raised.
After my marriage to Elizabeth, I went to work as a motorman on the street cars in New York for about a year and a half. In those days we wore stove-pipe hats and swallow-tail coats. After that I went back to New Jersey and did contracting work.
One day a mormon missionary called on me and started to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I was very interested in what he had to say so I asked him to come again. At that time, I belonged to the Luthern faith. In about 2 weeks my missionary friend returned. His name was Samuel W. Richards. He was president of the eastern states mission and was also one of the first missionarys to come into Perth Amboy. I asked the good brothern to come in, and seeing what a large front room we had, he asked if I would open my house up and let them hold Sunday School there. Of course, my reply was that they could use it as long as they liked. It was the first Sunday School held in New Jersey. I joined the Latter Day Saints Church and was baptized in the Patin River on May 2,1804. However, I was not very active in the church at that time.
My five children were born in New Jersey. My mother-in-law was very sick at the time our first child was born and was unable to take care of my wife. The good brother Joseph F. Smith and his wife called at my home and took over nursing my wife until she was able to take care of the children again. I did not think people could be so kind. At that moment I made up my mind to come to Utah. Brother Richards and Brother Watts helped me to get my family ready to leave.
We took a boat to New York, May 20, 1896 and from there we took a train west. On the train coming out here I could hear a cat meowing and wondered where it was. Having investigated I found my wife had put one in a basket and it was the first Maltese cat brought into Utah. I also found out that I was the only man on this car amoung 16 women and children.
We arrived in Utah after three days and nights of weary traveling but our tired feeling soon wore off. The sight of the temple being built was invigorating. Looking at the temple in amazement a man by the name of Willard Call approached me, introduced himself and immediately offered his service in any way possible. We originally made our home in Bountiful and I secured employment in a brickyard. I later became reunited with Brother Call, who in time became my closest friend. Before we moved from Bountiful. we had another child born.
After a period of six years I moved back to Salt Lake where I started contracting building homes. During that time I built the Lagoon Resort for Simon Bamberger, also was contractor for a Salt Palace Resort and the Salt Palace bicycle racing track, which was quite famous in the 1900's.
I took sick with typhoid fever at the peak of my building career, and in two months time, I went from 230 pounds to 160 pounds. The sickness wasn't so bad but what hurt was that I had bought a new suit before my illness and now it hung on me like a wet sack. After my recovery I took a very easy job as night watchman at the city and county building, which was only temporary. Later I was appointed sheriff of the Utah copper Mines at Brigham, Utah. After many years of work I retired at the age of 80.
Now as time was growing short, I began to realize that I, after all these years, had never been to the temple.
realizing how much my wife and family meant to me, I went to the temple and was married and had my children sealed to me. It was shortly after that, I lost my dear wife. Being alone and remembering how beautiful and wonderful the temple was, I began to do work for the dead, remembering all the time of the people who had not had the opportunity of going through the temple. I did this work as long as I was able to, wishing only that I could do more.
At the age of 95 I look back on all the wonderful days of my life and remember most clearly of all, a plane ride I took last year to California and back traveling alone. I still live in the Bryan Ward and enjoy every minute of it. (THERE IS A TECNICAL PROBLEM HERE - SO PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE)
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