Charles Price

Charles Price came into this world on Monday September 1st, 1800.  When I visited Nauvoo, Illinois a few years ago, I had the opportunity to stop at the Records Office.  They had a lot of info about him.  From the early church records, I learned that his father was James Price.  His mother's first name was Mary.  That is all that I know about his heritage.  One of the treasures from those records I got in Nauvoo was a history of him in a compilation titled Ten Men of Nauvoo, written by Faye V. Bell (1986).  Here are some excerpts:

A SONG IN THE SILENCE

CHARLES PRICE

"Think not when you gather to Zion

Your troubles and trials are through

That nothing but comfort and pleasure

Are waiting in Zion for you;

No, no, its designed as a furnace,

All substance, all textures to try,

To burn all the "wood, hay and stubble",

The gold from the dross purify."

Charles Price, born in Kimbolton, Herefordshire, England (1800) was in the prime of his life when he heard the gospel from the apostle, Wilford Woodruff.  As the honest in heart everywhere are touched by the word of God, so was he. From his first patriarchal blessing given by the Patriarch, Hyrum Smith, at Nauvoo, September 13, 1841, com the words that proved his life, "Your name shall be had in honor unto future generations."

For the first time, Charles Price, was baptized in 1802 and the event is recorded in the Register of the Parish, Kimbolton, Herefordshire, England.  His tender years, according to general family knowledge, appeared to be managed by an orphanage in the shire.  His mother is believed to be Mary Price.  Beyond that, his beginnings are nebulous.

Kimbolton, England, is about 40 miles from the highest mountain peak near this part of Great Britain, the Penterfau in Wales.  The River Wye runs with salmon and flows near Kimbolton's green rolling hills.  Often the weather is sunny and splashed with rain.  Typical ten-foot hedges and a three-toned green panoramic view is visible from any direction.

When Charles was seventeen years old (1820), he was a member of the British military.  He enlisted in the 53rd Regiment and joined the Depot of the Regiment oat Aleany BArracks, Isle of Wight, January 5, 1820.  Nine months later, he was waiting embarkment for India.  Exactly thirteen months later, October 25, 1821, he landed in Madras, India, just a month before a notable hurricane hit the China Sea.

Thereafter, Charles served in Bangalore, Camp Chiltoor, and Ft. George in Madras and Calcutta.  At first he served simply as an occupation soldier but later he fought in the Burma War and was stationed six months at Arracan-- an unhealthy site where he was in and out of the hospital with malaria.  While on the Ganghes (Feb. 15, 1826), he was promoted to Corporal, but finally was recommended for return to England for recovery.  Five months of illness prompted his return and he took ship from Calcutta, January 17, 1827, and arrived back at Chatham, England April 17, 1827.  He appeared before the Chelsea Hospital Commissioners and received a discharge with an out-pension which was certified for two years only.  At this time Charles was 23 years old.  His military service recorded 6 years, 136 days.

For the first time, his military records describe the young soldier: 5 foot 7 1/2 inches tall; dark brown hair; gray eyes and fresh complexion.  A one-word character description is fitted to him: good. [During this time he married Sally Andrus. Nothing is known about her death. I assume no children were born to this union].

Between 1826 and 1840, he built up a business. [The history says that there were no records about this and assumes that he was a farmer; however, I found a record for 1840 stating that he owned a pub].    By 1840, Charles was listed as a preacher with the United Brethren.

In 1840, when the apostle Wilford Woodruff went to John Benbow's farm, Charles was among the group of United Brethren who were baptized.  Charles was baptized by Wilford Woodruff on March 6, 1840, at Hill Farm (property of John Benbow), Herefordshire, in a makeshift pool for the occasion and confirmed by the apostle on March 8, 1840.  Subsequently, he was ordained an Elder 21 June 1840, under the hands of Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards.

As soon as he was ordained, he was placed in charge of the Churches at Ledbury, Moore-End Cross and Ridgeway Cross.  His circumstances were such that he was a full-time missionary and set apart at Manchester.  

Charles Price left Liverpool on the ship, North America, September 7/8, 1840, and landed in New York harbor on October 12, 1840.  He went to Nauvoo.

He began his tithing labour on the temple on November 23, 1840, and worked five and a half years on it.  Much of this time he was sick.  It is not known if his malarial issues returned or if he suffered greatly from hunger.

[On October 9, 1841, he married Mary Jane Shelton.  Elder John Taylor performed their ceremony.  

They welcomed their first child, Benjamin P. Price, into their family on August 11, 1842.  Their second child, Mary Jane was born on December 22, 1843.]

On December 23, 1843 he paid $40 for a one half acre lot in the city boundaries.  He was a member of the Nauvoo 4th Ward. [He served in the Nauvoo Legion]. 

Charles was ordained a member of the 10th Quorum of Seventies in 1844 by Joseph Young.  

[Their third child, Sarah Ann, was born on September 5, 1845.  He and Jane received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple on December 18, 1845.]

On April 4, 1846, he sold the land he owned in Nauvoo for $300. [The following month brought tragedy for their family.  Sarah Ann passed away in May.]

He would go to Council Bluffs, to Pleasant Grove, to Lehi, to Harmony, Utah, wherever he was called.  He consecrated all of his property to the Church in 1872 from Lehi, Utah.  Furthermore, he would add to his career as a military man by fighting Indians in Utah.  Charles Price was a true man of Zion for Zion was where Charles was.

In addition to this history:

Their dear Benjamin passed away in October of 1850 somewhere between Nauvoo and Utah.  They had another daughter, Sarah W., born in 1849 in Kanesville, Iowa, but she died before they reached Utah as well.  

In 1851, they came in an independent wagon train and settled in Lehi.  Here he buried his beloved wife.  So, from his first marriage, only one child lived to adulthood.  

On February 19, 1857, he married two women- Ann Collett Oakey, whose family he had close ties with in England.  Her family were also members of the United Brethren.  Her father also served as a minister for that order and as the first Branch President of the Frogmarsh area in England.  The second woman was Caroline Gaston Blakey.  She was a widow with children of her own.  

He and Ann had 5 children. Their first, Charles Christopher, was born in Lehi and lived for less than 2 years. The remainder of their children were born in Slaterville, Weber, Utah.  

He and Caroline's first child, Emily Maria, was also born in Lehi.Their other child was born in Slaterville.  

Tragedy struck again for Charles when his dear young wife, Ann, 31 years old, died in February 1865, in Slaterville.  

Charles was the county surveyor down in Levan, Utah.  He served another mission later in life. He passed away on 27 May, 1873, in Harrisville, Utah.  His burial place is unknown.  It is known that he was not buried by any of his wives; however, at this time it is not known where his grave resides.

Christian Rindlisbacher Sr

On Christmas Day of 1830, Peter and Barbara Mausli Rindlisbacher welcomed a little son into their humble home in Lutzelfluh, Bern, Switzerland.  They named him Christian.  Fitting don't you think? Christian born on Christmas?  

This little community is located in the western part of the country and a little to the north of the center from North to South.  The primary language spoken there is German.  It is an agricultural community.  25% of the area is covered with dense forests. In 2012, the population was 4,052.  Interesting tidbit for genealogical purposes.  Small town.  Not many out-of-towners.  Maybe I need to go over there and do some family history digging.  Ahh! If only I had the money and knew the language. 

Christian was a comedian. "They said he could dance with a glass of wine on top of his head.  He wold let go of his partner, go down on his knees" and do all sorts of tricks.  "He would step dance, at the same time swinging a broom handle back and forth between his legs.  He could sit on a small bench and keep bouncing it up and down for a time; suddenly he would swing himself around and be sitting on the bench the opposite way."  

Eventually he settled on entertaining one young lady.  Her name was Magdalena Schenk.  After courting, they were wed in the same little town he was born.  To their union 8 children were born (3 sons and 5 daughters).  Their first son, Johannes, died when he was only two years old.

When their second son, Christian, was seventeen years old, he became ill with the dropsy.  The doctors left him for dead.  His older sister, Mary, came home to take care of him.  She had been living in the city, and while there, had joined the LDS Church.  She hid a bottle of consecrated oil into her dress.  When no one was looking, she fed a drop or two at a time to her brother.  This helped.  About two months later, their uncle (Magdalena's brother), Samuel Schenk, stopped by.  He, too, had converted to the strange religion.  He was on his way to a meeting and had a feeling he needed to stop by.  Hesitantly, he offered to give him a blessing.  

Three days later, their family had to move from their home.  Their rent had expired.  Although Christian, Jr., was still weak, he was able to walk to their new home.

Christian was baptized on July 9, 1877.  The others quickly afterwards.  As soon as they became members of the church, the desire to join the saints in Utah took hold of them.  

The first one to emigrate was Christian, Jr.   He came over in 1884 and went to Providence, Cache County, Utah, where some of the Schenk's had settled.  He worked and paid off his emigration expenses.  In 1885 he sent for the two youngest girls, because their fare was the least amount.  The following year he sent for his father, mother, and other two siblings.  My 2nd great grandfather, Frederick, was one of them.  It took only one month to come via train. 

The family settled in Providence, Cache, Utah.  They worked hard and made a living by growing fruit and selling it in Logan. On February 18, 1886, Christian and Magdalena went to the Logan temple and were sealed for time and eternity.  It was a very special day for them.  Seven of their eight children, including Johannes, were sealed to them on this day as well.  

Christian passed away on July 4, 1899, at the age of 69 years.  He is buried in the Providence, Cache County, Cemetery. 

Sources for this post: Wikipedia.com (Lutzelfluh Switzerland), Christian Rindlisbacher Sr. found on familysearch.org, and documents I found and made digital copies of at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Henry Michael Shaffer

Henry Michael Shaffer's story begins in Wytheville, Wythe Co., Virginia, shortly after his father returned from serving in the Revolutionary War with General Washington.  Henry emerged into this world on April 3, 1789, the ninth of 13 children born to John Shaffer and Eve Kelkner. 

I don't know anything about his early childhood, so I will skip to the year 1816, when he married Eve Beard in the same township he was born in- Wytheville, Wythe Co., Virginia.  Although it doesn't appear he moved around a lot in his childhood, he and Eve gradually moved farther and farther west during their lifetimes.

They began their journey as parents on September 27, 1818.  They joyfully brought their first son, John Isaac Shaffer, into their home in Abington, Washington Co., Virginia.  Four more children were added to their family while they lived here: Joseph Russell (1820), Abigail (1821), Eliza Jane (1823), and George Henry (1825).

Within the next two years, they picked up their family and moved to Rushville, Rush Co., Indiana.  Here  the remainder of their children were born: William (1827), Elizabeth (1829), and Nancy Ann (1831).  Henry was a farmer throughout his life and provided for his family in this manner.

His father passed away in 1830 back in Abingdon, Virginia.  More sorrow followed when their daughter, Eliza Jane, passed away on August 28, 1839.

Henry and Eve moved their family once again in the year 1844 to Montrose, Iowa, which is just across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois.  Tradition has it that one of their children, Abigail, began meeting with the Mormons without her parents approval.  When they discovered it, Henry was very upset.  She plead with her father to come and hear the Prophet.  If he didn't believe what was taught, she would stop listening to their message.  Henry and Eve both concurred and joined their daughter one evening.  They "did hear the Prophet, and he and his wife, came into the Church."  The rest of the family joined in subsequent years, too.

As the turmoil in Nauvoo increased, Henry and Eve's desire to receive their own endowments increased.  Finally, on the morning of February 3, 1846, they went to the temple only to hear President Brigham Young declare to the people that it was unsafe and they should all return home and prepare to leave.  This is what President Young did; however, Henry and Eve were among the nearly 300 people who were determined to receive these precious ordinances.  After President Young prepared his horse and wagon, he returned to the temple grounds.  Discovering the people still there, he relented, and 295 people, including Henry and Eve, received their endowment.

In 1852, Henry and Eve and 13 other family members, including Nancy Ann, came with the Captain Woods company of that year leaving from Council Bluffs.  They were part of a wagon company of 58 wagons and 288 pioneers. Their company experienced a cholera epidemic.  Many became ill, 11 died, but most recovered.  As far as I know, none of the Shaffer family were among the casualties. They traveled between 12-15 miles a day and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley during General Conference in September.

They settled at Bingham Fort, Weber Co., Utah, (Five Points in Ogden 200 N. and Washington Blvd.  It is called Five Points, because 5 roads intersect there at a major intersection).  While here, Henry lost his dear companion, Eve.  She passed away on March 8, 1856.  In 1857, he moved to Slaterville, which is very close to Bingham Fort.

When Johnston's Army came, the family moved south for protection.  After the danger was gone,
he returned to Slaterville.  As his children moved away, he was drawn towards them, and he moved to Millville, Cache Co., Utah, in 1867 to be with a few of them who had settled there.

He passed away in Millville on February 16, 1875, and his body was taken to the Ogden Cemetery, where he was buried next to his Eternal Companion, Eve.  His daughter, my third great-grandmother, Nancy Ann Shaffer Perry, is also buried nearby.

-Written by Dari Peterson Thacker (from combined sources on the Web).

Niels Pedersen & Mette Katherine Pedersen

Niels Pedersen & Mette Kathrine Pedersen

 (The following is an abridged combined history taken from histories compiled by the Herbert Niels Pedersen family).

Niels Pedersen, the first of his family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and to emigrate to America, was born September 23, 1848, in Skovstrup, Gunderup, Aalborg, Denmark.  The son of Peder Christian Andersen and Maren Nielsen, he was the third child in a family of eight, which consisted of four boys and four girls.

Niels was a rather small man, standing about five feet eight inches tall and weighing about 145 lbs.  He had a sandy complexion and a red beard which turned snow white along with his hair as he grew older.  He wore his long flowing beard in two tails and his hair was also long and piled high on his head. 

At the age of eight, Niels was "farmed out"; that is, he was sent to work for a farmer family who agreed to educate him in exchange for his services, but who failed miserably to fulfill their part of the bargain.  His entire formal education consisted of only 8 days in school.  However, his desire for learning was not to be deterred so easily.  He taught himself how to read and write and also to add and subtract, but he never did master the processes involved in multiplication and division.

After many futile attempts to get his employer to sign his papers recommending him for another job, Niels, who was then about 15, ran away without a recommend and somehow found work on a farm outside of Aalborg.  It was while he was employed on this farm that the German invasion of 1864 took place.  Most of Denmark was captured. 

Aalborg was surrendered to the enemy after German soldiers surrounded the city and fired three warning cannon shots in to the hill north of town.  The soldier stationed on the farm where Niels was employed happened to be a good fellow, and the Danes prospered under his occupation.  They were all sorry when he returned to Germany, for they had accepted him as one of the family; and Niels, who had been especially friendly with him, decided to try his luck in Germany.

The next few years of his life were spent in Kiel, Germany, where he received good wages working for several different farmers, and where he learned to speak considerable German.  He enjoyed this period of his life very much.

When he was about 19 years old, Niels was called back to Denmark to serve an 18 month term in the Danish Army.  The most memorable event of his army career occurred during an annual inspection of the training center where he was stationed.  Niels was among the select group chosen to perform for the inspecting general, but when the general asked for the rifle firing sequence, no one knew what he was talking about.  He noticed the captain rhythmically slapping his leg three times and replied, "One, two, three."  The general replied, "Correct," and Niels was given a special furlough as a reward.

After his discharge from the army, Niels went to a town in the southern part of Aalborg Co. called Solbjerb. There was a great need for hired hands to work the large farms.  One day, as they were cutting peat moss, Niels noticed a girl who seemed to be having difficulty keeping up with the work.  He offered her his help to this "maiden in distress," which was readily accepted.  Her name was Mette Kathrine Pedersen.  

Mette Kathrine Pedersen was the first child of Martin Pedersen and Mette Marie Madsen. She was born on October 22, 1860, in Faer, Aalborg Co., Denmark.  One of the earliest memories of Mette is that of the German soldiers picking her up and swinging her as they rode through her town of Faer, during the war of 1864.  She was four years old at the time.

She was a large, though nicely proportioned woman.  She stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed about 160 lbs.  She had dark hair and blue eyes, a lovely soprano voice, and a very expressive reading voice.  She read often to her children. 

When Mette was six or seven, her father and mother both worked in the fields to support the children.  It was Mette's job to look after her younger brothers and sisters at home. She attended a little country school for a number of years.  Of the seven or eight pupils, she was one of the top students. 

When she was barely in her teens, she hired out as a house servant on a local farm.  During the harvest season, it was common for everyone, even the house servants to help in the fields, so she tried her best to keep up with the field hands. It was here that she met Niels.  

Although he was twelve years older than she, their friendship blossomed into a lasting love.  They were wed on December 27, 1880, in Aalborg, when Mette had just turned 20.  They began their marriage in Gunderup where their first 3 children were born.  Two of these children died in a diptheria epidemic.  They moved to Visgaard-hjaer, a suburb of Aalborb, where Niels was a handyman for various people.

One night Niels told Mette that he had to attend a business meeting.  He had heard there were two Mormon missionaries holding cottage meetings in the neighborhood and had decided to take his Bible to drive them out of town that night.  He didn't want anyone, not even his wife, to know where he was going, because it was a disgrace to be seen with the Mormons. At the meeting, Niels, who was well acquainted with the scriptures, was startled when each of the two elders talked for half an hour and said nothing that did not conform with the teachings of the Bible.  On several occasions, he went back to these meetings, hoping to trip the elders up on some point of doctrine, but each time, he himself became more convinced that the Mormons were speaking the truth.

In the meantime, Mette also had heard of the Mormon missionaries and was curious enough to want to attend their meetings.  But she, like her husbnad, was not anxious for anyone to know of her interest, so after she had decided to go to the meeting, she waited until Niels left for his "business meeting" before she ventured out of the house.  When she arrived at the Mormon gathering, there was Niels sitting toward the front of the building with his back to her.  She hid herself behind the stove (Danish stoves were very high) so that he would not see her and slipped out as soon as the meeting was over.  She was in bed by the time Niels returned.  This secrecy continued for a few months until they "ran" into each other at the meeting.  They began studying together.  Finally, Mette suggested that they get baptized.  Niels replied, "I've been waiting two years for you to say that." They were baptized on March 24, 1889, in Aalborg, by Elder Erastus Willardsen.  They served faithfully in the branch.

While living in Aalborg, 5 more children were born to them.  Niels was a fireman at the Rorhdahl Cement Factory. 

Mette was a very good manager of the household, feeding and clothing her family well on the little income they received.  She never wasted anything and she milked the family cows herself.  She had a special way of seasoning pork, which they raised every year, and she made delicious soups once a week, usually containing soup balls made of ground meat, parsley, carrots, and potatoes and Danish dumplings.  She also made a special rhubarb pudding.

At the April, 1897, conference, the mission president told the Pedersens that he appreciated their missionary work and wanted them to continue for a little longer.  They had no idea what he met at the time, but two years later, the same president called Niels into his office and asked him how long it would take him to get ready to emigrate to America.  Niels said that he could be ready in a couple of weeks, but that he didn't have any money.  The president shared a story with him.  

Two years before, in 1897, a Scandinavian Conference had been held in Manti, Utah.  One missionary had stood and asked that all missionaries who had eaten at the home of Niels Pedersen in Denmark raise their hands.  A large number stood.  He continued, "I appoint the president of this conference as treasurer for an emigration fund for Niels Pedersen."  He gave the first contribution of $5.  By the end of the conference, enough money had been collected for him to come.  The mission president had put the money in the bank.  Within three weeks, Niels was on his way to Ephraim, Utah.  As the ship departed, he waved a handkerchief to his family until the ship was out of sight.

When he arrived in Ephraim, Utah, he went to work for a farmer by the name of Peter Olsen. One day, Peter asked Niels how much it would take to bring his family to Utah.  He offered him $75 to begin his fund.  When they learned from church authorities that it would be $350, Peter game him the entire amount and told Niels that if he could repay it that it would be great, if not it was a gift. 

Peter  helped 32 families come over.  When he had left Denmark, he sold his estate for three bags of gold. Niels and Mette made payments throughout the years to Peter's family.  One day in 1936/1937, their son, Oliver, found Peter's widow and paid off the last $75.  She was so grateful.  It had come at a much needed time.  They had lost everything due to the depression.  He learned that out of the 32 families her husband had funded, only 4 including their family had been able to repay them.

During the time Niels was working in Ephraim, Mette went to work cleaning for others.  One of her employers was her landlady, Miss Antonette Mariane Carolina Willadsen.  She cleaned her apartment twice a week.  Mette frequently found money lying about the place and carefully left it in the apartment.  When she was getting ready to leave for Utah, she went to Miss Villadsen to pay up her rent and was told to wait for a moment.  She returned with a handful of bills, more money than Mette had ever seen before.  She gave it to Mette and said, "You're to have this money because you are honest.  I tried to trick you into taking my money by leaving it lying around the house, but you never took a cent.  Now use it to feed your children on the way to America."  She did.  She purchased bananas, apples and grapes- the first they had ever tasted with it.

Niels was able to send for them within six months from the time he arrived.  On the way to America, Mette was sick during the entire voyage.  Fortunately, none of the children were sea sick.  When they arrived at Ellis Island, they were put into a large building.  While sitting inside, Mette commented that she was glad she wouldn't have to sail anymore.  Then she looked out the window and found that she was sailing on a large ferryboat which took them to New York City, where they boarded a train for Utah! They arrived in Salt Lake City just as the Temple was being finished.  Oliver remembers scaffolding all around the top of the East Tower.

Their first home in America was a little house on Main Street in Ephraim, which they rented for $2 a month. Over the next several years, they moved to various parts of Sanpete County.  Niels worked many different jobs.  He worked in farming; for the Gunnison Irrigation Company; as a rip-rapper on the Sterling Reservoir Dam.  Their last two children were born in Utah. 

Niels was blessed with a gift.  He had many visions and revelations about the future.  One day he was sitting with his three oldest sons on a ditch bank on their farm in Gunnison.  It was during WWI, and they had all registered for the draft and were waiting for their numbers to come up.  Niels turned to Hy (Hyrum) and said, "Hy, you'll go across the ocean and see plenty of action."  A prophecy which was fulfilled.  Hyrum trained at Fort Houston, Texas, and was went to France with the Signal Engineering Corps of the Thirty-third Army Division.  He fought in the battle of St. Mielhil and in other major battles.  He was on the front lines when the armistice was signed.

He told Oliver that he would remain in the States and would have it good in the Army.  He was sent to Camp Lewis.  After seven months training in Camp Lewis, they were ready to board ship when the armistice was signed.

He said that Alvin would go into the service as well, but that he couldn't interpret what he had seen.  Alvin was sent to Fort Logan, Colorado, where he died in the flu epidemic a few months later.  When Niels went to the Gunnison Railroad Depot to get Alvin's body, he told the family that what he had been shown was a light over the depot and that he now realized what it had meant.

 

On another occasion, Niels' brother, Svend, had appeared to him one night.  He was in tears and had pleaded, "Please do something for me."  Niels had told the family to mark the date on the calendar.  Two weeks later Niels received a letter saying his brother had been killed when the house he was tearing down had fallen in on him.  It had happened on the very day they had circled on the calendar.

They were sealed in the Manti Temple on October 8, 1924. Niels was healthy and blessed to be able to work all his life until the day he died.  He passed away on June 28, 1927, being 76 years old. He was buried in the Gunnison Cemetery.

After his death, Mette moved around a lot as her children took care of her.  Finally, her daughter, Emma, and her husband were given charge of caring for her.  They moved into Mette's home and cared for her the remaining of her days.  She passed away on September 10, 1948.  She is buried in the Gunnison Cemetery next to her husband.

-Note: After the family came to Utah, all members changed the spelling of their surname to Peterson.  Oliver, years later, changed his back to Pedersen.