Show r tm The SunNews Wednesday July 3B Jeanie Nielsen Annie Catherine Christensen Olsen was among the early pioneers who left their homelands to make a new home in Zion Her story follows in her own words: I was bom October 13 1841 in Jy Hand Denmark I attended school until I was 12 years old During vacation time my work was helping in the house and watching the sheep so they would not get on the neighbor’s farm My father was a heavy drinker and my mother made it a matter of prayer that something would transpire that he might change his ways Shortly thereafter two Elders came to our door and were invited in During the conversation they drifted into the Gospel of Jesus Christof Latter-daSaints Although father was partly under the influence of liquor at the time he became quite interested We heard about the gathering of Saints to Zion My father had a beautiful mare of which he thought a great deal and said he could never go to Zion and leave her behind The Elders told him he could take her with him which pleased him very much The Elders came many times to our home We were baptized in the winter of 1852 when I was eleven years old My father never touched again after he joined the church his home and belongings including his beautiful mare and began to get ready to go to Zion In December of 854 we boarded the ship at Frederick’s Hound for England but the wind came from the wrong direction and we landed at Norway where we stayed for a week We finally arrived in England on Christmas morning of 1854 At the end of January 1855 we boarded the ship “James Nesmith” with Peter 0 Hansen as leader and sailed with 440ScandinavianSaints and British Saintacross the Atlantic We were all very sick for the first three days One day a terrible storm came up I was standing on the middle of the deck holding on to a large barrel just under the hold of the ship I felt impressed to move over under the deck and just as I did so a mast beam broke and fell breaking the barrel to pieces On February 23 1855 we landed at New Orleans then took a steamer and sailed up the Missouri River to St Louis We then went on to Leavenworth Kansas and landed at a place later named Mormon Grove We had to wait there for the arrival of the oxen so my brother sister and a young girl whose emigration my father had paid for all Father 1333 Annie Christensen Olsen Pioneer: faithful to the end Editor's Note: The story of Jeanie's pioneer ancestor Annie is a tale of courage and faith so often exhibited by our early settlers Jeanie earns four Lagoon tickets for herself and family from the SunNews Contest quor 21 i sold had to go out to work to help keep up expenses Cholera broke out in camp and we moved farther from town My mother was very sick and quite a number of the young people died The oxen finally came and we began our long journey across the plains in the Peter O Hansen Company Our wagon was quite heavily loaded and we all had to walk unless we were sick When we camped for the night we young folks would gatherbuffalochips We used them to cook with as wood was very At the end of the day we scarce would sing hymns and occasionally darlte We would then have prayer and retire for the night At one point in the journey we were surrounded by Indians and had to give them flour and sugar to keep peace with them One day we came to a large herd of buffalo They had been down to the river to drink and were returning to the hills There was such an immense herd that we could feel the ground tremble as they passed over the road Our oxen became so One excited that they ran away man killed a buffalo which provided us with fresh mcatfora while We waded all the rivers until we came to the Green River which was so swift and deep that we had to cross in the wagons and the water would almost sweep the oxen off A short time later my their feet mother was bit on the wrist by a Her arm began to swell scorpion and the infection entered her body She was very sick all the rest of the journey and died just as we were entering the Great SaltLake Valley which she had gone through so much to reach We buried her on the same day as she died Sister Elizabeth Ann Whitney or Mother Whitney as we always called her had a crippled boy and asked father to leave me with her to She said she care for the boy would be a mother to me as I had lostmine Father decided it was the best thing to do as the grasshoppers had taken the crops that year and he didn't know whether he would be able to get enough food to last through the winter This was a terrible time for me being in a strange land not being able to speak the new language ni room log cabin and put in crops Some friends lived in one room of the cabin and often when we baked pancakes we would slip them to each other through the cracks between the logs Indiansbcgan stealing our cattle The men built a fort around the houses and the women and children weren’t allowed outside We had to go to Manti to get our wheat ground into flour Finally some of the men put up a windmill and we could grind the wheat to a coarse graham flour One day Daniel H Wells came by and seeing the conditions we were living in ordered us to move back to Sanpete where we had to start all over again In March of 1876 we moved to Manti where my husband bought a farm from Hcbcr C Kimball just below the hill where the Manti Temple now stands We lived there five years when my husband was called to go on a mission to Denmark He was sick most of the time he was gone but labored there 10 months He died two months after returning home October 16 1883 I remained on the farm keeping house for my five children until Four of our they were all married children had passed away before my husband all of them boys Three of them one 3 one 6 and one 9 all passed away in a period from Diphtheria one of them being laid out in one room while my youngest son was being bom in another “I have gone through all this for the Gospel’s sake which I know to be the true and everlasting gospel of Jesus Christof Saints I am mother of 9 children have 40 and 15 grandchildren and hope and trust I may prove faithful to the end” () n e in a n nit li courage makes a majority —Andrew Jackson Barb’s Just for Her 32 East Main - Sallna - 529-- 7 IBS Barb's Just for Her features the latest fashions for Ladies ready to wear She started in business in October of 1988 in the store next to Salina's Barber Barb moved to the former Shop on Main Street Paulette's Store a year later where she is now located “It has been a life long dream of mine to won a boutique We strive for personal service' said Barbara Hansen as they are forever improving their customer relations for satisfied customers Janis There are four employees at Barb's Nielsen has been there since the day one five years ago “She puts her heart Into pleasing every customer' said Barb Gwen Martin has been there for three years and has a great way with customers Tracy Mickelsen has been there for three years and is great with young customers Mothballs can prevent tools from rusting losing my mother and wondering if I would ever see m y father and family again I would go out and hide and cry till my heart would almost break However the young boy taught me some of the language and my brother laterhuntcdmeup and took me to Ephraim where my father had settled In October of 1859 I married James Olsen and moved to my own home a two room adobe house - one room being used as a granary We had a large box for a table and stools flour bin 2 or 3 and a wooden bed with rope springs which my husband made and of which we were very proud Some shelves on the wall formed a cupboard for our few dishes and we "i f cooked by the fire place Although our house had a dirt roof and dirt floor we were as happy as we could be We would have little house parties and dance in our bare feet In 1864 my husband was called to go to Omaha Nebraska with ox teams to bring emigrants over the plains It took them six months to make the trip In 1865 we were cal led to move to Circlcvillc and help settle that We built a two part of the country Gunnison Thriftwav 520 South Main - Gunnison Utah 528-306- 0 With over 50 employees there Is always an abundance of friendly fast and efficient service at Gunnison Thriftway Manager Denis Tanner has taken his 20 plus years of experience in the grocery business and transformed the Gunnison store Into this areas finest and most up to date grocery store Gunnison Thriftway opened in February of 1990 with grocery deli bakery meat produce and V8tS ienis continues to strive for the fast friendly service Variety product lines From this effective beginning his customers demand “If someone is unhappy please come in and talk to me in person! We value that our customers the same ones that keep our business growing and growing' said Tanner Grocery: David Lambertsen has the motto “If we don't have what you need we'll try to get it for you' in the grocery department and this motto keeps his department striving to provide what the customer desires Non Foods: Grace Peterson and Saundra Coates have been with the store since it opened and has experience for many years before that in general merchandising Their part of the store offers lines in fabric sewing notions yam silk flowers crafts housewares small appliances cameras watches perfumes firearms sporting goods greeting cards shoes toys bikes health and beauty aids garden supplies automotive supplies baby supplies and video rentals and sales J iir Produce: Marshall Sorenson also Is able to put his 20 plus years of working with produce to good work at Gunnison Thriftway He explains that he tries to have a variety of different items as season come and go fruit offering during the year This year Utah has had a good fruit season and he is looking forward to a good this fall who come into all to fresh is and inviting He continually striving to keep his department clean and the store Comments are welcomed De Ann's Ceramics 69 East Main - Sallna - 5 DeAnn's Ceramics located on Salina Main street offers a variety of handmade gifts craft supplies paints brushes ceramic bisque wood for painting and classes The classes held at DeAnn's are ceramic a former which she teaches Debbie McDonald employee at Robert's Crafts in Orem teaches the wood classes and has wood available to paint Janet Morgerfrom Redmond teaches the porcelain doll classes DeAnn opened up in April of this year and has always wanted to have a Ceramic shop She in helped her mother Margaret Keisel years ago her ceramic shop and DeAnn feels the need to have art in an classes again in this area as to bring back the area There is a big demand for boutiques In the area and some only come once a year but now there Is gifts available all year round at DeAnn's jr“ 5 Meat: Val Sanderson has spent the last 3 years as a meat cutter and his product lines show his experience and expertise He offers a complete line of meat and deli with specialty cuts made to the customers If satisfaction you want meat this is the place to come Bakery: Gunnison Thriftway does offer some great tasting bakery items fresh Richard Ports heads up some very caring employees that put out only the finest in bakery goods that include specialty breads including squaw English muffins sourdough honey cracked wheat etc They also offer specialty decorated cakes and their donut line is considered one of the best in the country To be a place where their They have os a goal to continually offer what the public desires customers are so satisfied they will tell their friends about them |