Anna Marie Nielsen

Chapter 5
Anna Marie Nielsen
1839-1918
Paternal Grandmother of Marcus Joy Christensen
Unknown compiler — includes extensive quotation from her daughters, Hannah (Johanna Hansine) and Olga

The subject of this sketch, Annie Marie Christensen, wife of Axel Christensen, was born the 15 of January, 1839, Lem, Helvad Sogn Viborg, Denmark. Her father, Niels Christian Nielsen, died early of typhus fever. Her mother Johanne Sorensen was twice married, first time to Annie Marie’s father and after his death to Jacob Sorensen. She died in 1888 and was 84 years old. She [Annie’s mother] had for many years been a nurse in the hospital at Aalborg. As she was unable to keep her little girl with her at the hospital, Annie had to be put out among strangers. Her mother paid for her, but often she was ill-treated by the people who had her, even in one case till the neighbors complained to the police. Then her mother took her to the hospital and hid her there, that is, kept it from the knowledge of the doctors, for quite a long time. When she could not have her there any longer she had to go out again to live with other people. She did not fare very well; some places she did not get enough to eat, other places there were objectionable features. She was buffeted about from place to place and saw a great many peculiar things.

When she was 18 or 19 years old she got a position as second girl in the hospital where her mother was a nurse. She had had several other positions, not always very good ones. She then decided to learn dressmaking, which she liked better.

When she was 22 years old she went to sew for a Mr. Flikner, where a young carpenter by the name of Axel Christensen was boarding. The two of course became acquainted and he invited her out promenading with him, which is quite the custom in Denmark. People of all classes and ages go promenading out in beautiful places of which there are any amount. Sometimes they walked out on the pier and watched the ships at sea; sometimes they took the gay paths to the forest or other places of amusement with which the country teems. Often they would go out to Limfjorden and sit by the seaside watching the waves gently rolling landward. There were flowers all along the way, beautiful field flowers of every description and birds singing and when the sun went down and the bands were playing in nearby resorts, life indeed seemed worth living. They enjoyed the happy present and never though of the disappointments that might meet them later in life. In the words of Axel Christensen: “We were very happy, sometimes we would go to the springs and drink tea or coffee or eat strawberries, off and on we would have a boat ride and in winter we would go to the theater now and then. Those things did not cost then as they do now. Then we were married and life began in earnest.”

Their first child died, [Cecilie Margrethe] then they had a girl [Johanne Hansine who went by Hannah], then came Olga. C.O. was next, he was born at Aalborg; C.N. in Copen­hagen.
In the words of her daughters: “When they first joined the church, Mother was not quite converted, it was quite hard for her; she did not care to associate with the saints, who were nearly all from the lower walks of life and other disappointments came that made it hard for her. When Olga was nine months old, a small-pox epidemic was raging; their children took the disease and the older ones died. They were two lovely children [Cecilie Margrethe and Ole Christian Markus]. They were poor for Father had been out of work for quite a while and they had not the means to get them buried. Mother went to some well-to-do people she knew as asked for help but they refused. Finally the saints came to their rescue.

Later when they moved to Copenhagen things brightened up. Father made good money. We were well fed and clothed and had a good time. Then we emigrated and came to Utah, where other trials awaited both father and mother.

When Mother left Denmark she wanted to take her curtains but grandmother, who was very much against their going told her not to take them, she was sure she would not need them. [She said] “You will very likely have to live in a hole in the ground.” That really came to pass for their first home in Brigham City [Utah] was in a cellar Father had dug. That was quiet a come-down for mother. We could not get what we needed, not even shoes to go to Sunday school. The first year that we were here Mother went out washing to help a little; but she was cheerful and tried to make the best of things. She was benevolent; emigrants used to come and stop with us often. She was a good housekeeper and taught her children good principles. She was true to her religion and always willing to do more than her part. She had nine children, five boys and four girls. She worked for years as a Relief Society teacher.

Mother often would tell us of her young days. Once she told us that when her grandmother on her father’s side died, they made a great festival which lasted three days. That was out in the country and mother thought it was very strange.

Mother was a good nurse when her children were sick. When we first came to Utah and the boys were small, C.O. who was a twin, the other twin having died, was quite nervous and high-strung. Other children used to tease him till he became hysterical and was nearly beside himself for several days. The neighbors would come in and suggest different remedies but nothing helped. One day when mother was alone with him she administered the oil and prayed for him and he got better but after that he stuttered. He has however been able to overcome that.

Mother was always a great comfort to her children and true to her religion to the last.
Mother died during the first Influenza period of a stroke. Just when she died, father dreamed that she was going home.

Obituary
Box Elder Journal
Brigham City, Box Elder County, Utah
Friday Nov. 1, 1918
An Aged Pioneer Died Yesterday
Mrs. Anna Marie Christensen, Wife of Axel Christensen of this City Passes to Well Earned Reward
At 5:30 a.m. yesterday morning Mrs. Anna Marie (Olsen) Christensen, the wife of Axel Christensen, passed to her reward at the advanced age of 79 years. She has been confined to her bed and suffered terrible for the past three weeks.
The deceased was born in Denmark January 5, 1839. In December, 1861, she became the wife of Axel Christensen and fifteen years later, in June, 1876, they came to Brigham City where they have resided these many years. Five years ago they celebrated their silver wedding in the city. Mrs. Christensen was one of the aged and respected pioneers of this section. About 14 years ago she had trouble with her eyes and underwent an operation for the same. She never did fully recover her eyesight, however, and all the years following she has been unable to do any reading or to continue her work in the Relief Society, which she was so interested in. She was exceptionally kind hearted–a mother to all.
She was the mother of nine children, four of whom are still living, C.O. Christensen, Mrs. Parley Thompson, Mrs. Fred Petersen all of Brigham, and C. N. Christensen who recently moved to Salt Lake to reside. She also leaves many grandchildren two of whom, Leslie V. and Alma Thompson, are serving the colors in France.
The funeral services will be held at the cemetery Sunday at 2 o’clock p. m.

About M.J. Christensen’s paternal grandmother’s name
She was born Ane Marie Ole-Christiandatter, using her father’s first name as was the custom. Later, she went by Ane Marie Nielsen using her father’s last name. When she came to Utah, her name was spelled Anna Marie Christensen (taking her husband Axel Christensen’s surname) and sometimes she went by Annie.

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