Karen Sophie Møller

Biography

Karen and her family converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1853, while still living in Denmark. After their conversion, the family decided to move to the Americas, heading for Utah. Her older sister Sophie Caroline journeyed first, then was followed by the rest of the family. Through family, Karen met Christian Hansen, who first married her older sister Sophie Caroline. Later, Christian and Karen were also married, bearing eight children. Of those eight children, only six lived past infancy, and of those six, only four lived to adulthood. 

As Karen married into a polygamous marriage, there were difficulties particular to this kind of marriage. At one point, Christian Hansen had been arrested for having more than one wife, so Karen Hansen had to prove that she was capable of supporting herself and her children in order for her husband to be released from prison. She is said to have kept a stool that her husband crafted during his time in prison. 

As the third wife of Christian Hansen (although only the second at one time) Karen was responsible for many of the finances of her home and raising children. She had a home about half a mile away from Christian’s main home, as the two families were too large to house under one roof. In order to provide for herself and her children, she raised silkworms, spun silk, and wove said silk into cloth. Additionally, she wove rag carpets and rugs. This was enough to support herself and her children, and sufficient to justify the release of her husband from prison from the time he served for having multiple wives.