Journal of Elijah Charles Clapp
History of Ann Christine Mortensen Clapp Nielson
Ann Christine Mortensen was born September 14, 1837, at Wederby, Viborg, Denmark. She was the daughter of Didrick and Mary Jensen Mortensen, the third child in a family of eight children. Her father was a mechanic, ambitious and industrious, a hard worker, always providing well for his family. Their home was the kind that fostered cheerfulness, loyalty, and affection between its members. Christine was about thirteen years old when Erastas Snow opened the Danish mission in 1850. Her parents were both first converts in their locality. All the family who were old enough were baptized.
As soon as they were members, her father and mother began to think of Zion. They wanted to go to America where they felt they could live their religion more fully. It was a large undertaking to bring a family of ten people from Denmark to Utah, but once the decision was made they set to work to accomplish it. The mother a thrifty, industrious housewife did her share by spinning, weaving, and knitting. The children who were old enough added their savings by doing odd jobs at whatever work they could get. Finally the money was saved and all in readiness.
In the spring of 1855, Christine from the deck of small sailing vessel turned her face to wave a last goodbye to her beloved country, home, and friends. With her were her parents, brothers, and sisters.
The journey proved to be long and tiring covering a period of several weeks. One incident occurred during the voyage that is worthy of record. After some weeks at sea a terrible storm arose, so violent it brought fear to the hearts of both crew and passengers. Christine, with her family huddled together in the lower part of the ship. With them was a group of converts. Among them was an Elder, a missionary, who had charge of the group and who tried vainly to calm their fears. Suddenly the Captain appeared and speaking to the Elder asked:
"Are these people Mormons?"
"Yes", was the answer. "We are sometimes called that."
"I understand," the Captain continued, "that the the Mormons believe in a God who controls the sea as well as the land."
"We do," the Elder answered.
"Then I urge you to call upon your God with all the faith you can command. Our ship is disabled and it is only a matter of a short time until we shall all be at the bottom of the sea."
As long as she lived Christine never forgot the terror of that moment; the awful roar of the storm, the ceaseless rocking and lurching of the ship, the white, terror-stricken face of her mother, stark fear in the eyes of each one of the company. All turned in appeal to the Elder. Above the roar of the storm came his clear, calm voice.
"We will call on our God. He will hear our prayer and save us."
The captain disappeared and the Elder turned to the converts. There was no sign of alarm or fear either on his face or in his voice.
"Do not be afraid. The same God that stilled the waves of Gali1ee still watches over his children. He knows the sacrifices you have made. He knows how earnestly you desire to help in the building of his church and kingdom. He will not desert you now. We shall call upon him and he will save us, but we must have faith. We must do our part."
He crowded them together in a circle and they knelt to pray. The elder prayed first, then each in turn added their plea for deliverance. Even the children who were old enough to pray lisped their petition for mercy. Then a wonderful thing happened. Almost at once the storm abated, the angry waves ceased to pound the ship, a great calm stilled the mighty waters. Their prayers had been answered. They were saved. The ship was reconditioned and sailed on. There were no more storms to frighten them and they landed at last on American soil.
In the confusion of disembarking the most valuable box the Mortensens possessed was lost or stolen. It had been built for this particular service and contained extra clothing and necessities besides a hoard of money intended to start them in business in Utah. It was never recovered so now they found themselves in the new world seriously handicapped; but Didrick Mortensen was not discouraged. He was a strong, a good mechanic and he set out at once to look for work. He soon secured work in his line and the wages were good. He assured his family that their set-back was only temporary.
However, he had worked only a short time when he was stricken with a terrible illness and before long the wife took down with the same fever. Their lives were despaired of. It was a trying situation for the children. Christine was nearly eighteen and the youngest child was only five. It was a trying time. Add to the loss of their money and the illness of the parents they were handicapped by the new and strange language. After many years Christine could never speak of this experience without emotion.
Kind friends found homes for the younger children and doctors and medicine for the parents. Christine found work with some people who ran a boarding house. They paid her good wages.
While working here love and romance first touched her. A young man living at the same place fell in love with her. He was an American, handsome, and ambitious. His first name was William and Christine had started taking English lessons from him. From their first meeting they were attracted to each other and after some weeks of studying together they were desperately in love. William did not take kindly to Christine's religion and when she tried to talk to him about it he laughed and said to get it out of her pretty head as soon as possible. There followed many hard days and sleepless nights.
They had been in America a year and it was spring again. The parents had recovered, the doctor bills paid, but they had not been able to save any money. The longing to go on to Utah grew stronger with each passing day and when they heard of a handcart company being outfitted for Utah they decided to join. At the same time a wagon train drawn by oxen and loaded with converts passed through the city on the way to Salt Lake Valley Christine and one of her sisters were asked to join this company. They could pay the expense of their journey by helping to care for children. The parents felt such a move would be wise and immediately sent for Christine.
It was early morning when they came to the place where Christine was working. The wagon train had started the day before and was miles out on the prairie. The father sent a young man with two horses for the girl. He was to ride one and she the other until they caught the wagon train. Faced with leaving Christine hesitated. It was no easy decision she had to make. Two ways were open to her. She could stay with the man she loved and have a life of comparative ease and comfort or she could go West where her family were going and carry on in the religion for which she had come to America. In the end, she decided for the West.
Her decision once made she hastily put her things together in a bundle, it was strapped to her saddle, and she bade a tearful farewell to the friends whose home she had shared for so many months. Her sweetheart was out of the city on business so she had no opportunity to tell him goodbye. That made leaving somewhat easier but it was with grim lips and a heavy heart that she turned her face toward the unknown.
Her companion, a young man from her own country and a convert like herse1f, tried to cheer her but his word went unheard. Tears dimmed her sight of the windswept prairie. It was night before they reached the of the wagon train. As they rode into the circle of light her sister met her with open arms and thankful heart. She was so weary she fell asleep in spite of herself.
Next morning, with the train again moving slowly westward, the story was different. She was really going now. The realization, the pain, the longing to be back with the one she loved came over her with such crushing force it was more than she could stand. Her sister came quickly to her side.
"Christine," she said softly, "I think you are wonderful to leave William to come with us." Christine turned and looked back toward the city from which she had come. Then to her sister's dismay she collapsed in a faint. They had been walking and at her sister's frightened cry the captain of the company rushed to her aid. When Christine had regained consciousness he lifted her into one of the wagons and told her not to try to walk again unti1 she felt better. With a few words of cheer and comfort he left them. This man was Benjamin L. Clapp. He had been on a mission to Texas and was taking this company of converts back to the valley with him.
As Christine became interested in her work and the distance lengthened, became more reconciled. The women about her were so cheerful, so full of faith and trust. They talked a great deal of the great empire which was to be built in the mountains where according to scripture the church was to "rise and shine". It would be a privilege to help the building.
They arrived in Salt Lake City in September 1856. Her Captain Elder Clapp had been very kind and attentive to her on the journey, but she was surprised when, shortly after their arrival in the valley, he came to her and asked her to marry him.
Benjamin Clapp had come to the valley with one of the first companies. He was one of the first seven presidents of Seventy. He was a close friend of Brigham Young's and had been appointed by him as one of the city counselmen in Salt Lake. He was a public-spirited man of considerable influence. To be the wife of one of the General Authorities of the church seemed to Christine a very great honor, one she felt would be wrong to refuse. So she consented although she did not pretend to love him as she had loved William. She did respect and honor him. She felt that with him she would be safe and her future secure.
They were married in November by Brigham Young in his office. Although she was a plural wife, Christine was happy. This was one phase of her religion and she accepted it as she did the rest. Her husband was kind to his wives and children and there was very little friction.
On December 11,1867, she gave birth to twin boys.
But more trials were in store for her. Her husband had trouble with his bishop and later this lead to apostasy. After he was excommunicated he took his first two families and went to California. Christine felt it was the Church which had been responsible for her being in Utah, it had separated her and the man she loved so she felt she should remain in the church. She stayed in Utah with her boys.
Benjamin L. Clapp settled near San Francisco where he and his families grew in wealth and respect. San Francisco has a park and a street named for him. He and his families joined the Josephite Church and his boys later numbered among the general authorities of that church. Some of the second wife's boys went into Montana.
Left alone Christine turned her time and attention to making a living for her twin boys. After two years she married Lars Nielson, a friend of her childhood and her older sister's husband. So for the second time she went into polygamy. Her sister had three children and she had the two. Shortly after her marriage Lars Nielson was called to go South and settle in Sevier County. They helped to settle the town of Richfield. Her sister died and she was left with the care of both families. They had begun their home but Black Hawk and his band attacked the settlement and they had to flee for their lives. They went as far North as San Pete County where they lived for a number of years. Lars became known as Lars, the fiddler. Once during the trouble with Black Hawk he ran from Ephraim to Salt Lake City and back in the capacity of scout.
After the trouble was over they sold their farm in San Pete and went back to Sevier County (Annabella). Christine lived there the remainder of her life. She always remained a faithful Latter-day Saint.
Indians, grasshoppers, drought, building, and rebuilding were a part of her everyday life. She bore and reared children without the benefit of doctors or nurses. She never refused help to the sick and her services were much in demand. She was noted for her wit and good nature. A friend said of her, "She was a woman of unusual resourcefulness." She lad a strain of creativeness that was manifest in her children in poetry and music.
Lars Nielsen never seemed to have any other trace than being a fiddler. Christine tells of him going into other counties to play. She was a very intelligent and resourceful woman. She was the mother of sixteen children, nine boys and seven girls. Her sister's three children were raised as her own. Her children were all musical. At one time she had a complete orchestra in her own family. Peter, her sister's boy, gained considerable renown as a violinist. He took second prize at the world's fair in Chicago in 1893. He spent years of his life touring the country giving concerts. At one time Christine had a small store from which part of their living was derived. She died 12,1293 and is buried at Richfield