Ane Sophie Christofferson was born March 17, 1818 in a small town called Gentofte, a few miles outside of Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the only child of Sten Bentzen and Andres Christofferson. Her father died when she was very young, so she and her mother moved to Copenhagen to find work to support them. Ane was raised in poor circumstances but was a beautiful young lady. She was very attractive and real artistic. She had an inborn appreciation for the beautiful things in life associated with good music, drama, society, and culture. She was gifted with a fine voice, although she sang mainly just to her children, who seemed to inherit her love and talent for music She had considerable polish and was a graduate from the Garrison Lutheran Church School in Denmark, which was considered an excellent educational institution under the direction of Pastor Bronson.

Not much is known about Ane’s childhood until she met Nikolai (born April 15, 1830). She and her mother were living in the same boarding house as Nikolai. Once they became acquainted, their relationship grew, possibly out of the closeness of living in the same building, and because of Nikolai’s intelligent and pleasing personality. This continued until February 27, 1827 when they were married in Trinity Church. Ane was sixteen years of age and Nikolai was twenty-two. Afterward Nikolai, a successful shoemaker, and Ana Sophie set up a shoe business where Nikolai made the shoes, and Ane helped in the shop. The couple found a building in Christianshavn, a suburb of Copenhagen, located on King’s Street near Our Savior’s Church to set up shop, and the building provided a home for the family as well as the shoe shop.

Ane Sophie became the mother of nine children. They were Carl Christian Nikolai, born February 17, 1928 and died in infancy, Carl Christian Nikolai named after the deceased infant as was quite common in that day; John Frederik Ferdinand born June 15, 1832, Emma Rosalea born April 3, 1835, Augusta Ratsmena born Oct 29, 1837, Carolina Amelia born October 21, 1841, Rebecca Dorthea born November 3, 1842, a stillborn infant Dorius, and Nicoline born February 11, 1849. It is noted that all journal accounts penned by the children of this marriage between Nikolai and Ane Sophie, state emphatically, that they were a happy couple, with love and affection existing between them and the children for many years. Ane taught the children correct principles of thrift, honesty, soberness, neatness, love, respect, and devotion to each other. She was a loving mother devoted to her children and her husband. She would rise at four in the mornings to get the boys’ breakfast, which was served to them in bed because they had a long way to walk to school.

Some time after Nikolai had established his own shoe shop, he agreed to Ane’s proposal to build an extra room in the front of the shop, extending to the street, in which to have a delicatessen that she could manage. She was an excellent cook and soon she was baking and selling a variety of fancy bread, buns, cookies, and pastry of superb quality. Her business thrived and gained wide popularity. Ane Sophie had the patronage of the elite and well to do, and those having charge of social functions where dinners were served. Because the delicatessen was located on Kings Street, not far from the Palace, it eventually drew the attention of the King’s chef, who made arrangements to have some of its fine pastries served at the palace. Soon Ane Sophie was being engaged to assist with parties at the Royal Mansion. This was considered not only a great honor and privilege, but it provided prestige and excellent advertising for her shop and fine products. By the time Ane Sophie was thirty-nine, she had found a new life of excitement, sparkle, and prestige, resulting from her business success, so irresistible that even a mother’s love could not dissuade her. Ane Sophie’s engagements kept her away from both the store and home, night, and day, much of the time. This situation caused a severe hardship and burden upon Nikolai who had to take care of the children, her store, and his shop. He did all he could to persuade his wife to give up her social life, but his pleadings only caused arguments and contention, and brought heartaches to a once happy home. A heavy cloud seemed to be hanging over the home and family.

In the spring of 1850, four Mormon missionaries had arrived in Denmark from America, bringing the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nikolai was so impressed with the message, that he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on November 14,1850. This gave Ane Sophie the excuse she needed to leave Nikolai. They had been married twenty-two years. Nikolai kept all the children except Nicoline, and Ane Sophie kept her. Thus ended an epoch that began with the marital union of a humble man and a beautiful woman. Both were endowed with strength of character, intelligence, and a strong determination to achieve their goals. Yet, their basic differences were so overwhelming that such a union was destined to fail.

Ane Sophie remained in Denmark when the other members emigrated to America. Nicolai came to Utah and married Hannah Mariah Rasmusen in 1857. After his death, Ane had oldest living son, Carl Christian, stand proxy for his father and she was sealed to himNot much is known about her for several years. In early 1852, Augusta Dorius Ane Sophia’s daughter, who was then only fourteen years of age, left Denmark for the United States to join the saints in Zion. She had previously joined the church with her father. Nikolai and his other children Carolina Amelia, Rebecca Dorthea, and Nicoline soon followed Augusta to America, leaving Ane Sophia alone behind. Her sons Carl and John also came to America. Augusta made it to Zion, and married Henry Stevens, but the trip took on a new twist for Nikolai. After crossing the ocean, they arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi river to sail up to New Orleans. Along the way, a cholera epidemic broke out, and both Nicoline and Caroline perished. The anguish must have been great for Nikolai and for Ane Sophia as well when she finally received the news that two of her precious children were dead.

In the early 1860's, when John and Carl returned to Denmark as missionaries, they kept in touch with their mother. Apparently she had remarried. Apparently her sons tried to persuade her to join the Church and emigrate to Utah. At times she would agree to go. But, at the last moment she would change her mind, saying that she must stay with her husband. Eventually Ane Sophia accepted the gospel and was baptized on June 28, 1862. She finally gave up her business and emigrated to America in 1874. Nikolai had passed away two years before she emigrated. Nothing is known about what happened to her second husband. She followed her family to Ephraim and reestablished her relationship with her daughter Augusta and sons Carl and John. She established herself with considerable charisma as a proud mother and grandmother. Being quite a lady, she was fond of dressing up for get-togethers where coffee and Danish pastry was served.. She loved music and the arts and never missed a performance when her sons performed. It was a well-known custom of hers to enter shows, musicals, and other public entertainments, without a ticket. With a smile on her face she would walk in without paying and proudly say, “I am Bishop Dorius’ mother.” Ane Sophia spent the final period of her life in the care of John’s second wife, Gunild. She had been ailing only a few days before she died peacefully on June 27, 1895 at the age of 84. She was buried in the Old Ephraim Cemetery in a lot away from Nikolai. She was survived by her daughter Augusta and son John. Carl had passed away the year before.

Information obtained from the Journals of John F. F. Dorius and Carl Christian Dorius her sons. History of Dorius family found in the book “The Dorius Heritage” by Earl Dorius and Ruth Carlston Rasmussen Information is in the possession of Suzy Dudley and at the Family History Library, Salt Lake.