This Sorensen family of the descendants of
Nicolai Sorensen and Magdelena (Olsen) Sorensen joined
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
(the Mormons) in the early summer and fall
of 1855. They emigrated from Haverup, Sorø Amt., Sjælland, Denmark in the
early spring of 1857 via the steam ship, L. N. Hvidt from Copenhagen,
Denmark to Grimsby, England and then traveled by rail across England to
Liverpool, where they boarded the sail ship Westmoreland, traveling
on board her from Liverpool, England to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United
States of America. From Philadelphia they traveled by rail once again to
Iowa City, Iowa. At Iowa City they received their wagons and ox-teams with
which they traversed the heartland of America, the great plains and on to
the mighty Rocky Mountains, through South Pass and finally on to the Great
Salt Lake Valley.
The family settled first at Mill Creek on a
small farm in Salt Lake County, then they moved to Pond Town (now Salem,
Utah County) during the time of the great ?Move? south just prior to what is
now known as the Utah War in 1858. In the early spring of 1859 a vanguard of
the family (Peter Sorensen and Isaac Sorensen) went to Cache Valley from
Provo by way of Mill Creek, building a three room log home for the family
and settling at Mendon, Cache County, Territory of Utah, United States of
America. Nicolai, Malena and the rest of the Sorensen family arrived in
Mendon, Utah by mid-November, 1859.
Nicolai Sorensen
Nicolai Sorensen, son of Soren Abrahamsen
and Catharine Jappe, was born third or twenty-third [christening date] of
June, 1799 at Fjenneslev, Sorø Amt., Denmark. He married Magdelena (Malena)
Olsen, 6 July, 1830 and they had 12 children, all born in Haverup,
Pedersborg Parish, Sorø Amt., Sjælland Island, Denmark.
Nicolai Sorensen
Catherine Sophie
Peter
Soren Christian
Christena
Frederik Abraham
Frederik Isak
Maria Carolina
Jacob Frederik
Soren Christian
[Stillborn Son]
Henrik Carl Christien
Ingeborg Kristine Larsine
Malena Olsen
Nicolai lived with his family at Haverup, a
very small village outside of Pedersborg, about forty miles west of
Copenhagen. He had a large farm for little Denmark and kept a milkmaid and a
cook and two farm men. Besides his dairy business, he had a wheelwright shop
in which he made everything from spinning wheels and farm wagons to coffins.
The Nicolai Sorensen family were independent
land holders. Their home at Haverup was built to form a square about 150
feet on each side. One wing was used for the family living quarters. A large
recreation room was in the east end. Leading from this were living rooms,
bedrooms, and a large kitchen with bake ovens. The bedrooms had two tiers of
beds; the lower for the small children and the upper for the older members
of the family. The other three wings of the building were used for farm
machinery, hay, grain, and cattle. The inside of the buildings formed a
court or yard. Outside of the buildings were the gardens, farmland and
pastures.
The children started to school when they
were seven. They had thorough training in speaking the Danish language and
were taught reading, writing and arithmetic. Music and recreation had an
important place in the education of all classes. They were taught to sing by
note as well as rote, and most could play some musical instrument. They
learned their national songs, folk songs, played and danced together. They
were taught to do tasks and help about the home. All the boys were taught to
work on the farm and in manhood were good farmers.
A lover of music, Nicolai sang many songs
and played the violin. In his young manhood he belonged to an orchestra
which played in the famous Tivoli Park in Copenhagen. Nicolai worked at
times for the Danish Government in checking forms of inns. Andrew Andersen
who married his eldest daughter was an apprentice in his shop.
