Ogden Valley News | 2008-06-15 | Page 11

Volume XV Issue XIII The Ogden Valley news Page 11 June 15, 2008 Note: The following is a condensed version of the historical sketch of Peder Skaarup from the book “Wansgaard/Wangsgard Roots and Branches— 1866 – 1989” by Stanley Ferrin Wangsgaard. The Snedsted Parish Register showed that twin boys (Christian and Peder Skaarup) were born 25 August 1858 at Gersbol, sons of Husmand Christen Christensen Vangsgaard and wife Kirstine Pedersdatter. Known by his second name, Skaarup was youngest of the twins, and the ninth child in the family. His twin brother, Christian Christensen, died 1 February 1859, age 5 months. In January following his seventh birthday, his parents began making plans to leave their native Denmark and sail for a new land referred to as Zion. They had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of the thirteen children in the family, four boys had died while young, ranging in age from three months to three years. Another brother, Mads was living with his mother’s sister, Ane, wife of Niels Sorensen, and would remain with them in Hundborg Parish. Therefore, on 8 May 1866, the record shows that Skaarup was with his parents, three brothers, four sisters in Aalborg, Denmark, the gathering place for the saints going to Zion. The journey, which was to his parents a trying and heartbreaking experience, was to this seven-year-old a fun adventure. He walked most of the way across the plains, and every evening helped gather dried droppings from the cattle (called buffalo chips), to be used for fires, because the dry wood had been used up by the many groups of emigrants who had preceded them over a 20 year period. Skaarup celebrated his eighth birthday while traveling somewhere on the western plains of Nebraska. He attended school in the Rock Meeting House in Huntsville, and was baptized a member of the LDS Church sometime after their arrival, the record of which has long since been lost. In 1875 while still sixteen, Skaarup left home accompanied by a chum named Hans Schow, and went to Montana where they worked for a rancher for two years. Skaarup was careful with his money and saved enough, that when he returned to Huntsville, was able to buy some property, but was purchased in his father’s name because he was only 18 years old. Shortly afterward, he returned to Montana to work, stayed awhile, then returned to Huntsville about 1879. In June 1880 Skaarup was married to Katie Emmertsen. He was 22 and she had just turned 16. The British Mission of Emigration records show that her family sailed 13 Sept 1876, from Liverpool, England on the ship “Wyoming,” arriving in New York Sept 23. The company continued their journey by rail in charge of Capt. John L. Binder and arrived in Salt Lake City, October 3. She was Christened Kjersten Maria Knudsdatter and was called Maria until after they immigrated to Utah, when she became known as Katie. Peder Skaarup Skaarup and Katie set up housekeeping in a small brick house two blocks east of his parents home, on the north side of the street. His father had purchased this property for him 27 Feb 1877 from Ole Nielsen for $450. There were rumors that this house was haunted, and there were times when they could hear a sewing machine running in the night, which no doubt caused some concern. Skaarup was mature at 22, having a pleasant disposition, being somewhat of the same temperament as his older brother “C.C.” On the other hand, Katie was only 16, and every time they had a spat, she would run home to her mother. Skaarup got tired of this, and finally told her that if she went home again, she couldn’t come back. One of the things she did that provoked him, was her taking the soap that they made for themselves and giving it to her parents. The same thing with the flour that his parents gave them. After they parted ways, he never cared for anyone else. He always loved her. The same with Katie. She wanted him to take her back, but he wouldn’t. Years later, after Katie had been married three more times, she made the statement on more than one occasion, that Skaarup Wangsgaard was the only man she ever loved. Skaarup moved home with his parents sometime after he and Katie divorced, and when his father died in 1882, he stayed on with his mother in order to assist her in caring for the farm. He took to drinking, and it got worse as the years went by. His mother complained about him coming home drunk and laying around the house in a stupor. Finally, in 1904 when his brother Christian tore down the old home to build his large brick house, there wasn’t room for Skaarup in their little house where his mother moved, so he moved into the granary on his lot a block or so west from there. He cut a window in the east side of the granary and set up housekeeping. He lived there a few years before moving right across the street from his mother . . . in a one-room farmhouse about 10 x 12 feet. It was close to the street, had a door at the east and a window at the south, and there he lived for a time. Later he adobied up the walls of his granary, lined the inside with cheesecloth, and moved in. This was his home for the rest of his life. It has been said that on occasion Skaarup drank until he was almost unconscious. . . . It has also been said, that, had it not been for liquor, he was the best natured man of the Wangsgaard family. He was an honorable and peaceable man, thrifty and industrious, but when he got started on a drunk, he gave up everything. Skaarup was physically fit for hard labor and expected others, whom he hired, to keep up with him. Most of the time he hauled his hay alone. He had long timothy hay from down in the meadows that he loaded and then pitched off onto the stack by hand—he had no derrick. He made his stack long and sloped off at one end. As it got higher he drove his team and loaded wagon up onto the stack and pitched it off. Others talked and joked about his haystacks and wondered how he would ever get the hay out to feed his stock, or to sell, when it was packed too tight. He lived alone—was good natured and calm. It is doubtful that he ever went with another woman after he broke up with Katie. He was very good at playing the violin, beating time with both feet, then once in awhile would give a grunt. He could sure play that old fiddle for the dances and call the quadrille at he same time. He isn’t the only one in the family who had musical ability, most of them could either play an instrument or sing. Skaarup was one of the early ones in Huntsville to do blacksmith work. He also pulled teeth, but was a farmer, first and foremost. He had two big roan horses, a beautiful team with a lot of pulling power. By his house he had a well, and brought the water up with a bucket on a rope. He never had a pump. He went to Ogden on the streetcar 8 December 1915 and took care of some business. He had sold his crop of hay and probably went to collect for it. It wasn’t very late when he came home, but it was night. He was well dressed and looking fine, not drunk. Had a bottle with him, but had taken only one drink out of it. He got off the streetcar in the bottoms by the fish hatchery to walk up to his house. Early next morning, 9 Dec 1915, first one and then another Wangsgaard was informed that Skaarup Wangsgaard’s house was burning. By daybreak, several were there only to find burning ashes of what was his house. They cleared away some adobes and smoldering timbers trying to find out what had happened and were wondering if Skaarup was in it. Near the door there was a hissing and SKAARUP cont. on page 12 Historical Photo Can you identify any “Valley Boys” from this 1973 Weber High School photo? Row One: Kerry Wangsgard, Craig Oberg, Layne Christensen, Mark Chandler. Row Two: Mike Froerer, Allen McKay, Matthew Timothy, Craig Storey, and Jerry Crawford. Row Three: Joe Leigh, Louis Flores, Jeff Wilson, Chris Erickson, and John Wyatt. Celeste C. Canning PLLC Attorney at Law 2590 Washington Boulevard, Suite 200 Ogden, Utah 84401 Local: [phone] Office: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Meeting the Legal Needs of Small Business and Their Owners FREE Initial Thirty Minute Consultation. Appointments in Ogden Valley upon request. Short Sale New Construction eden acres, Preserve & Durfee Creek as low as $100 per square foot* Contact Us Immediately for Information *Third party approval required PH:801-745-8400 | FAX:[phone] | P.O. BOX 985 EDEN, UTAH 84310 | www.mOUNTAiNlUXUry.cOm