Ane Catharine Nielsen

Biography

Ane Catharine Nelson was born in Hjørring, Denmark to Karen and Niels Nielsen on April 18, 1844. In 1851, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to preach to the people in Denmark, and her parents were baptized in January 1852 by Christian Christiansen. Because the family did not have enough funds to make the journey all together, they initially saved for and sent Christense and Berthel (two of Ane Catharine’s siblings) to Utah in December of 1853 with their friends. Two years late in 1855, the rest of the family journeyed to Utah. The family traveled first to Copenhagen, and from there to Liverpool. They intended to sail on the ship “John J. Boyd” however, got sick and thus postponed their journey. In February of 1856, they left for New York on the ship “Caravan”, arriving in the United States on March 27th. They proceeded to St. Louis so her father could work and earn enough money for the remainder of the journey. Unfortunately, he died of cholera in St. Louis in April of 1857. Her mother (Karen) continued the journey with her children by heading to Florence, Nebraska, and from there crossing the plains to Salt Lake City with the Christian Christiansen hand cart company. They finishing the journey in September of 1857. Ane was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 28, 1860. On February 6, 1863, she married Hans Fredrick Hansen and they were later endowed and sealed in the Endowment House on February 1, 1869. The couple had 13 children together, 5 of whom died in infancy. They first settled in Spanish Fork, but then went to help settle the community of Lake Shore. Ane Catharine took care of her mother, Karen, till Karen’s death in August of 1877. Ane passed away on October 25, 1927 in Roosevelt, UT. She was known as a dedicated, hardworking homemaker. She also made her own butter and cheese. Information gathered from Family Search.