In my Writing 150 class, we are writing research papers. The assignment is to find a story from our family history, develop a research question around it, and research it.
I initially chose to research the missions of my great-great-great-grandfather, Simon Christensen, who emigrated from Denmark after his first mission but later returned on two subsequent missions. As I researched, however, I because more and more curious about Simon's family.
Simon Christensen was born on August 13, 1846 in Bindslev, Hjorring, Denmark, to Christen Simonsen, of nearby Tversted and Ane Jensen of Bindslev. Four years later, on October 27, 1850, Christen died, leaving Ane alone to care for their three children: Simon (age 4), Marie (age 2), and Christen, who according to FamilySearch data was born the day before his father's death.
I was immediately curious about what my grandmother did with her three young children. I have done some research among my family, but I have so far not found record of Ane's story. Did she continue life as a widow? Remarry? Move back in with her parents? With her late husband's parents? There is nothing to suggest an answer to any of these questions.
My curiosity was further piqued when I reviewed the story of Simon's conversion to the LDS faith, which I had read in conjunction with the stories of his missions.
Hjorring is a very sparsely populated and agricultural area even today (Bindslev, for example had a population of 1,101 in 2014). Simon began working on a neighboring farm when he was 17 (roughly 1864). This in itself brings new questions. Did the Christensens have a farm? What about Ane's parents? Had she been managing the farm that Christen may have left with her at his death? If any of these answers are true, why did Simon leave the family farm in order to work?
During his time there, Simon met his first Mormons: neighbors to the farm where he was working. There was much opposition to the new religion at the time, but the family that owned the farm where Simon worked were open enough to listen to them present their new religion. With time, Simon came to accept their doctrine as the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and was baptized in June of 1867. The fact that Simon was also involved in the conversations between his employer and their neighbors leads me to believe that he was also living with them. Otherwise, I find it unlikely that he would have been present during the time that they would have been talking about it - probably on Sundays or during any leisure time. This is also supported by the fact that no other member of Simon's family was baptized.
Only two months later, Simon was called to serve a mission for his new faith, which he did for the next 4 years. At the conclusion of his mission, he barely got enough money together to travel from his mission field in Alborg to Copenhagen, and used loaned money to board a ship bound for America.
This makes it seem unlikely to me that he returned home to his family, or had much contact with them.
My research question at this point remains unclear. There are several things I'd like to know: did Ane remarry? How did she survive as a widow? Did Simon stay in contact with them? Were they angry because he joined the Church? Did he ever see them again during his subsequent missions?
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