Maren Hansdatter

Biography

When Maren Hansdatter was born on May 31, 1818, in Fraugde, Odensegård, Denmark, her father, Hans Jacobsen, was thirty-five and her mother, Anne Christophersdatter, was thrity-two. She was the fifth of five children. Maren married Hans Nielsen on February 24, 1839, in Fraugde, Odense, Fyn, Denmark. They were the parents of three sons and four daughters.

In 1860, Maren and her children joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but her husband was not interested in the gospel. Maren's elder two sons set out for Utah, and the rest of the family wished to join them. Although she met with resistance from her husband, in 1865 Maren took her three living daughters and her youngest son and emigrated to Utah. Her husband divorced her on grounds of desertion in 1868. In 1869, Maren married James Gledhill, and English immigrant. She settled in Provo, Utah, and lived there for the rest of her life. Although she was in her late forties when she emigrated, Maren successfully learned English and adjusted to her life in the States. She enjoyed being close to her children in Provo, and lived with her son Jorgen and her daughter Anna for periods of time. She died on November 30, 1893 in Provo, Utah at the age of 75, and was buried in the Provo City Cemetery.