Jense (Jens) Peter Benson was born 26 April 1831. Pedersker is given


as his
birthplace; also Aaker Parish, and Aaker, Bornholm, Denmark.

His parents were Yeppa Benson (Jeppe Bendtsen) and Maren Kirstine
Hansen Kofoed (old spelling, Koefoed). He was the seventh of eleven
children. At least five of these died in childhood. Peter, his
parents and three sisters, Karen, Martha, and Christina joined the
church and came to Utah. The family was among the first to accept
the gospel in Denmark, being baptized in 1850, 1851, and 1852.
The family lived in a small valley just a few miles inland from the
coast. Soon after joining the church the family home burned to the
ground, no doubt hastening the decision to cast their lot with the
Saints in America. In December 1852, they left Bornholm for
Copenhagen to join the first large
company of Saints bound for Utah. They sailed on the Steamship
"Obotroit" for Kiel, Germany and encountered storms on the way. They


traveled by rail to Hamburg, Germany where father Yeppa was bitten by


a dog. There they boarded the steamship "Lion" which sailed for
Hull, England on Christmas day.
Quoting from Chapter 11, "Under the Midnight Sun", by Albert Zobell,
Jr.,
"A sever storm was raging on the North Sea, a storm which claimed
about 150 ships, and the people of Hull were greatly surprised when
the "Lion" appeared on the Horizon.
After a train ride to Liverpool, England the emmigrating Saints went
aboard the packet ship "Forest Monarch", which was hauled out of the
dock and anchored in the river Mersey on the last day of the year.
Here the ship lay at anchor for two weeks awaiting favorable winds.
One night the ship became entangled with another ship, and sustained
some damage. A few days later, during a heavy storm, the "Forest
Monarch" got adrift, pulling up both anchors, and at just the right
moment was saved by two tug boats from running aground. One
emmigrant had been bitten by a dog, and was counseled to return to
shore and wait for the next company. So when sails were actually
hoisted, 16 January 1853, the company under President Forsgren's
direction numbered 297.
The Atlantic crossing was tedious. The provisions were poor and the
supply of fresh water inadequate to reach New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA, where they arrived 16 March 1853. Four deaths and three births
occured."
We do not know if Yeppa sailed on the "Forest Monarch" with the rest
of the family or on a later ship, but information received from the
LDS Church Historian's Office in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1956 tells
us Yeppa, his wife Maren, and Christina and Peter (Jens Peter)
crossed the plains in the John E. Forsgren Company. "No record of
sailing from Liverpool."
They went up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, MO where they stayed


for about a month and then on to Keokuk, Iowa which was the
outfitting station that year. There they secured supplies, wagons,
and oxen for the journey. Most of the oxen had not been worked and
few of the men had experience in driving teams. This resulted in
many upset wagons in gullies and ditches. Finally, with 34 wagons and


about 130 oxen, the company rolled out from the camping grounds near
Keokuk, Iowa on 21 May 1853. There were a thousand miles of plains,
hills and mountains to cross, rivers and streams to ford, blistering
summer heat with wind storms and summer showers, hot days and cold
nights, especially as they neared the Rocky Mountains. The wagon
company was always on the alert for indians. On 30 September 1853,
nine months after leaving Denmark, they reached Salt Lake City, Utah.


The parents, Yeppa and Maren, made their home in Lehi. Their
pioneering was to continue for many years. One of their first
challenges was that of learning a new language.
Peter's sisters, Martha and Karen, and Karen's husband Jens Nielsen
(James Nelson) and their baby daughter left Copenhagen on Monday 26
December 1853 aboard the steam ship "Eideren" bound for Utah, under
the leadership of Hans Peter Olsen, a missionary from the valley, who


had labored about 10 months on the island of Bornholm. Like the
preceding company, these emigrants traveled by way of Kiel,
Gluckstadt, and Hull to Liverpool, where they arrived 9 January 1854.


Here they were compelled to wait nearly two weeks, during which time
the greater portion of the children were attacked with fever,
resulting in the death of twenty-two of the little ones. Two adults
also died. On 22 January 1854, the emmigrants went aboard the ship
"Benjamin Adams", together with a few German Saints.

From The Contributor, Vol. 13, p. 508-509 (Logan, Utah Library):
Detailed Emigration Account 1854, Seventieth Company.
"The 'Benjamin Adams' sailed from Liverpool, England on the 28th with


384 Saints on board, arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on 22
March 1854 after a pleasant and prosperous voyage. Eight deaths
occurred during the voyage, namely two very old people and six
children; two children were born on board and nine couples were
married.
One March 25, 1854, the company continued the journey from New
Orleans by the steamboat 'L.M. Kennet' and arrived in St. Louis,
Missouri on April 3, 1854. During the passage up the river,
considerable sickness prevailed and fourteen of the emigrants died.
In St. Louis, where an organized branch of the Church existed, the
immigrants joined the former company which had crossed the Atlantic
in the 'Jesse Munn' and H.P. Olsen became the leader of all. Under
him, the survivors of both companies continued the journey by
steamboat to Kansas City in Jackson County, Missouri, which had been
selected as the outfitting place for the Saints who crossed the
plains that year. The Scandinavian immigrants made their encampment
near Westport." (Millennial Star, Vol. XVI, pp. 94, 256, 272, 297;
Morgenstjernen, Vol 11, p. 53)

From "Under the Midnight Sun", Albert L. Zobell, Jr., pl 58.
"Of all the immigrating Saints of 1854, this large company of
Scandinavians suffered most from the Cholera epidemic. So great was
the mortality rate from the fever, which struck the children in
England, the deaths on board enroute, the cholera, and the deaths of
the march across the plains, that of the 680 persons who left
Copenhagen in December 1853, about five hundred reached their
destination, Salt Lake City, 5 October 1854."
Karen and Jens' infant daughter was among those stricken with
cholera. She died 13 April 1854 shortly after arriving in St. Louis.
Mette Christina Ericksen, who would later become the wife of Jens
Peter Benson, was also in this company, along with her 11 year old
sister, Elsa Marie. Elsa, too, became a victim of the cholera
epidemic, and died near Florence (Omaha), Nebraska.
In 1854, Peter was ordained a Seventy and bacame a member of the 39th


Quorum. That year, he also married MARY JANE SIMPSON, but they
divorced. A son, John Jeremiah, was born after the divorce. He
lived and reared a family in the Uintah Basin, Utah, USA.
On 15 April 1855, Peter Married METTE CHRISTINA ERICKSEN, who had
arrived from Denmark the year before. Quoting from his daughter
Mary's writing, then the grasshoppers came, food was scarce and there


was lots of suffering. Father was a good carpenter, having served a 5


year apprenticeship in Denmark. He was also a first class
wheelwright".
Peter's mother, Maren, died in Lehi in 1856. At this time, Martha
was working in Salt Lake City and, on arriving home to visit her
parents, found that her mother was dead and buried.
Peter and Mette's first child, Mary, was born in Salt Lake City in
1856. With Johnston's Army on the march to Utah in 1857, many left
the city and moved south. The Benson's moved to Lehi where they
lived for several years. There in November 1857, their daughter
Martha was born. In June 1859, Sarah joined the family, but was
taken by death in September 1860. Peter Ephriam was born in January
1861, Anna Kersten in January 1963. She died in September 1865.
John was also born in Lehi in June 1866.
Johnston's Army entered Utah in 1858, marched on through Salt Lake
City and down about 16 miles west of Lehi, where they founded Camp
Floyd. Many civilians were employed there and Peter was thankful for


the work he was able to do. He was also a cobbler and so kept busy
at one job or another. The women made barley beer for the soldiers.
On November 12, 1858, Peter entered plural marriage as he took to
wife Mette's younger sister, Kirsten, who had arrived from Denmark
the previous year.
While living in Lehi, Peter was called to go to Salt Lake and work on


the Tabernacle. His son, Marcus, says he worked on the roof and
daughter, Mary, records that he did some work on the organ pipes and
benches. Says Maud B. Jorgensen (grand-daughter), "I never enter the


building but what I think of him and thrill with the knowledge that
he was one of the many who helped with its construction".
Cache Valley was being settled, and in 1867 Peter went to Clarkston
and bought some land from George Davis and Bill Sparks, said his
daughter Mary. In the spring of 1868, he moved his first wife,
Mette, and family there. His wife, Kirsten, stayed in Lehi and
raised a garden. When fall came, she too, moved to Clarkston. Peter


and Kirsten's children born in Lehi were Alma Peter (August 1860),
Christina Martena (February 1863), Marcus Joseph (April 1865), and
Samuel (February 1867).
Peter was living in Clarkston when Martin Harris died, and he made
his coffin.
It was decided to make another settlement south and east of
Clarkston, so in the spring of 1869, Peter was one of the group that
helped to lay out the town site that became Newton. He then built a
log house, shed for the cattle and sheep, planted some grain, and
made irrigation ditches. In the fall, he moved Mette and her
children into the new home in Newton. It was in the south west
corner of the town. Drinking water had to be carried from the slough


and was not very good. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in
Clarkston in October 1868.
LaZina was born in Newton in November 1870 and died in 1875. Elmira
was born February 1873 and on 28 March 1876, their tenth child, a
son, Tenus, was born and died. Mette passed away, just a few days
after Tenus' birth, on 8 April 1876. She left six living childrn,
two of whom were married.
The home in Clarkston was sold to a Mr. Loosle, and Kirsten and
family moved to Newton where she took over the care of the motherless


family. Her children born in Clarkston were Alice Marie (February
1870), Isaac (May 1972) and Rastus (September 1875) who lived only 11


days.
Farming was very hard in pioneer times, grubbing sage brush, using
hand plows, homemade harrows, and rakes. Winters were very sever,
almost covering some of the log cabins. The pioneers worked hard and


played hard. There was no time for idleness. Peter built many
houses and repaired many wagon wheels. The harvest was reaped with a


cradle or scythe and threshed with a flail. Then he bought a dropper


where five men were kept busy binding behind it. Later he purchased
a binder. The women gleaned in the fileds, for every bit was
precious. They fought drought, frost, grasshoppers, and storms.
While they lived in Clarkston the wheat for bread was crushed with
one of Johnston's Army's cannon balls. Wood for fuel had to be
hauled from the hills and chopped by hand. Wool was washed, carded
by hand, then spun into yarn on a spinning wheel, dyed, and then knit


into socks, stockings, and mittens. Grand-daughter, Maud, remembers
seeing her mother spin yarn on the big old spinning wheel made by her


grandfather, Peter Benson. It was in the upstairs of her old home
and burned when the house caught fire about 1928. Most of the
clothing was made in the home. Even straw was braided (seven
strands) and made into hats. From wood ashes they made lye, with
which to make soap. Starch was made from potatoes, and candles from
tallow.
Peter helped with many of the buildings and homes in Newton. He made


benches for the church house that were used until it burned down.
From Mr. Atkinson, he bought the north half of the block just south
of the public square, and on the north east corner he built the rock
house.
Alma's youngest son Isaac and wife, Lucy Atkinson Benson, lived in
the rock house for a number of years, after which it was rented to
several families. Ivan Benson and wife, EllaRee, then occupied the
house until Ivan passed away. EllaRee remarried and sold the rock
house in 1963. It was purchased by Alma and Annie's grand-daughter,
Katheryn Tubbs Rasmussen, in 1981.
Peter was arrested for polygamy in 1887. He was fined $100.00 and
sentenced to six months in the Utah State Penitentiary (located in
Sugarhouse, in Salt Lake City). That was a sad Christmas for the
family for he left on 23 December 1887. He was discharged from
Prison on 24 May 1888, having served five months.
He was ordained a High Priest and set apart as 2nd Cousnelor to
Bishop Funk on 23 June 1884 and he occupied that position until the
death of Bishop Funk. He served as 1st Counselor to Bishop William H.


Griffin from 5 February 1898 until his death on 21 June 1898. He
fell from the roof of a building and died soon after from the
injuries. He was 67 years of age. He was survived by two wives,
eight sons, nine daughters, and a number of grandchildren. He was
buried in the Newton Cemetery. One history says of Peter Benson, "He


was honest and a good neighbor, kind to the poor, always willing and
ready to lend a helping hand in public affairs, a diligent temple
worker, and filled several home missions.

This history is a compilation of information from several sources:

Histories written by:
Maud B. Jorgensen, grand-daughter of Jens Peter Benson
Mary Benson Larsen Goody Griffin, daughter of Jens Peter Benson
Marcus Joseph Benson, son of Jens Peter Benson
Alice Marie Benson Jacobson, daughter of Jens Peter Benson
Vilate Sharp, niece of Jens Peter Benson (Christina's daughter)
Sarah Harris, niece of Jens Peter Benson (Martha's daughter)

"Under the Midnight Sun", Albert Zobell, Jr.
"History of the Scandinavian Mission, Andrew Jensen
"The Contributor", Vol. 13, p. 508-509.
Information from Church Historians Office, Salt Lake City, Utah
Compiled by Annette Hancey Lunceford (phone: 375-9145)
459 East Stadium Avenue
Provo, Utah 84604

Newton-----Cache Valley----October 24, 1876

A Patriarchal Blessing Given by John Smith, Patriarch, upon the head
of PETER BENSON, son of Jeppa Benson and Maren Christena Benson, born


in Aaker Sogn, Bornholm, Denmark, April 26, 1831.
"Brother Peter, by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, I lay my hands upon


your head and pronounce and seal a blessing upon thee as the spirit
may direct. Thou art of the House of Israel and have embraced the
gospel with an honest heart, of which thou art entitled to any
blessings which thou shalt receive in the tribe of Ephriam, this
being thy lineage which is also the lineage of thy fore fathers, for
whom thou hast a work to do. Therefore, live up to thy privileges
and thou shalt have great joy and rejoicing when thou shalt meet thy
kindred and friends behind the vail.
Be prudent, seek wisdom in humility and thou shalt find favor in the
eyes of the Lord, thou shalt be strengthened in body and mind.
Thou shalt have the spirit of council, and be an instrument in the
hands of the Lord, of doing much good among the Saints, thou shalt
assist also in gathering the honest in heart out from Babylon. The
Angel, who has watched over thee in the past shall, not forsake thee
in the future, but he will whisper in thy ear and warn thee of
danger. Therefore, be upon thy guard and thy days and years shall be


prolonged until thou art satisfied.
Thou shalt be blessed in thine out goings and in thy comings and in
thy basket and store, thou shalt give unto the needy and feed the
hungry, and as a father in Israel, thy name shall be handed down in
honorable remembrance with thy posterity from generation to
generation, and thou shalt have an inheritance among the Saints, for
the Lord is pleased with thine integrity and will give unto thee as
thou shalt merit, and thy last days shall be thy best days. This
blessing I seal upon thy head and I seal thee up unto eternal life,
to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, evenso.
Amen."

Transcribed by Carrie Milligan.

A sketch on the life of Jens Peter Benson, by his grand-daughter,
Ester Paul
Benson Dame.
Jens Peter Benson was born at Arnager, Bornholm, Denmark, 26 April
1831. He was the son of Yeppa and Maren Christine Hanson Koefoed
Benson. His father, Yeppa Benson, was born 20 October 1795, the son
of Bendt and Kersten Pederson Jensen. His mother, Maren Christene
Hansen Koefoed, was born 21 January 1795, the daughter of Hans
Clausen and Kersten Didericksen Koefoed. Peter's father and mother
were married 5 Jun 1819. To this union were born eleven children,
six boys and five girls; however, six of these children died young,
leaving two boys and three girls. They were Karen Kristine,
Christina, Jens Peter, Martha Kristina,and Christian Peter Ipsen
Benson.
At an early age, Peter learned the trades of carpentry and
wheelwright service. He served as an apprentice for five years in the


old country and became very efficient at this trade. His father
owned a small acreage of land, which he farmed, and there, Peter was
born and grew to young manhood.
24 August 1850, Peter's sister, Christina, was baptized into the
church by Elder George P. Dykes, one of the first missionaries sent
to the Scandinavian countries. At the time of her conversion, she
was living in the city of Copenhagen, where she was engaged in
tailoring and dressmaking. She was a very faithful member and
assisted the Elders in their missionary work. She was called by the
President of the mission, Elder Erastus Snow to accompany the Elders
and act as an interpreter. When the Elders were called to do
missionary work on the island of Bornholm, Christina accompanied them


to her home town and took them to her parents home. Here they were
made welcome and established their headquarters in this humble home.
When Peter heard the wonderful message fromt the Mormon Elders, he
was greatly impressed and became thoroughly convinced and was
converted to the gospel message. The Spirit bore witness to him as
to the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon and of the mission
of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Peter was baptized 18 July 1951 by
Elder Aagren Aldreas and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day-Saints 27 July 1851, by Elder Hans Peter Jensen.


All of his father's family accepted the Gospel, except his brother,
Christian. At that time, the mormon religion was very unpopular and
people would go out of their way to persecute those who did accept
it.
It was in 1850 that the first Mormon Elders were sent to the
Scandinavian countries, to open up a mission there.
Elder Erastus Snow, leader of the Scandinavian mission, arrived in
Copenhagen 4 June 1850 accompanied by George P. Dykes and John E.
Forsgren. Numerous converts were made in Denmark at this time. The
new members became very earnest in their desires to emmigrate to
Zion. Arrangements were made for a large company to leave for America


by the latter part of December of 1852, and nearly three hundred
persons living in the Scandinavian countries were ready to say
goodbye to their native land. Elder John E. Forsgren was placed in
charge of this large company of emmigrating saints.
In the early part of December, Peter and part of his father's family
joined this company of emmigrating saints in Copenhagen, and on 20
December 1852, they boarded the steamship "Obitrit" at Copenhagen for


Kiel in Holstein. When they arrived there, the company proceeded by
rail to Hamburg, Germany, and on Christmas morning they boarded the
steamship "Lion" bound for Hull, England. After encountering a
furious storm on the North Sea, the "Lion" arrived in Hull, England,
28 December 1852. More than one hundred ships had been destroyed by
the fury of this storm and the "Lion" caused surprise among the
people of Hull when it steamed into the harbor. It was a terrible
storm; seamen said it was the worst they had ever experienced. The
people were really astonished that this little ship had weathered the


storm, and that no great damage had been done to the ship or its
occupants. From Hull, the emmigrating saints took the train to
Liverpool, where they arrived 29 December 1852.
While they were in Hamburg, Germany, Peter's father was bitten on the


leg by a mad dog, and upon arriving at Liverpool, his leg was so
badly infected and swollen that he had to receive medical treatment
before he was able to continue his journey.
On 31 December 1852, the company went on board the packet ship
"Forest Monarch", but owing to the very stormy weather, the ship
could not leave Liverpool unitl 16 January 1853. The rough, long,
and tiresome journey was filled with trying events. The provisions
were poor, the fresh water gave out, four deaths occurred, and three
children were born. The "Forest Monarch" arrived at New Orleans in
safety, and after a few days, the company left for St. Louis,
Missouri by river boat. At St. Louis, the company remained for
nearly one month and then proceeded up the Mississippi River, by
steamboat to Koekuk, Iowa. Here the Saints purchased 34 wagons and
130 oxen, crossed Iowa and reached Council Bluffs on the Mississippi
River, and after a long and tedious journey reached Salt Lake City,
Utah 3 October 1853. They had been ten months on the way. What a
lot of faith and courage these brave souls must have had, to
sacrifice their homes, friends, relatives, and all the comforts of a
normal life for their religious convictions; to go into a strange
land thousands of miles away, where they would have to begin life
over again, master a different language, and accept the customs of a
strange people. Yet, how happy they were to be in the land of Zion,
with the Saints and Prophet of God.
Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, Peter found work as a carpenter and
wheelwright. In 1854, he was ordained a Seventy and was a member of
the 39th Quorum of Seventies, which was organized 5 February 1854.
Daniel McIntosh was the Senior President.
In 1854, Peter married Mary Jane Simpson, and on 13 November of that
year their son, John Jeremiah Benson, was born. But Peter and his
wife separated, and on 9 April 1855, Peter married Mette Christine
Erickson. Mette was a convert to the LDS Church. She was born 15
September 1833, at Mov, Aalborg, Denmark, and she was the daughter of


Marcus and Kirsten Christensen Erickson. That year proved to be a
very hard winter, and a famine was threatened, as the grasshoppers
were so numerous. They did serious damage to the crops, destroying
nearly everything green, and much suffering was prevalent among the
Saints. The next winter was excessively severe on account of drought


and early frost. The heavy snows covered and burried the grazing
lands, causing starvation of beef, horses, sheep. Snowbound and
unable to get firewood from the canyons, the people were forced to
burn their fences for firewood. The arrival of destitute immigrants
exhausted the meager food supplies, and by spring many people were
reduced to eating segoes, thistle, and other wild roots. Peter and
Mette suffered for food and clothing that year. Their daughter,
Mary, was born 27 February 1856. In the spring of 1857, Peter, with
his wife and baby, moved to Lehi, Utah. Here they shared the
hardships and sacrifices of the early settlers, took part in the
activities and were willing contributors to the building of that
community.
There were five children born to Peter and Mette while they were
living in Lehi. There weer Martha Ann, Sarah, Peter Ephraim, Anna
Kersten, and John. Sarah and Anna Kersten died and were burried in
Lehi.
11 November 1857, Peter married Kirsten Erickson, a sister to Mette.


To them four children were born in Lehi, their names were Alma,
Christina Martena, Marcus Joseph, and Samuel.
In 1868, Peter moved his family to Clarkston, Utah, where he took up
farming along with carpentry. Here Mette's seventh child, Elizabeth,


was born. Kirsten's three oungest children were born in Clarkston.
They were Alice Marie, Isaac, and Rastus. Rastus died in infancy.
On 4 March 1869, Peter with William F. Rigby and others went to
Newton to survey the town and lay off the township. That same
spring, Peter built a home, sheds, and stables, for his cattle and
sheep, and planted a garden. Then he moved his wife, Mette, and her
family to Newton. Theirs was a busy life, with plenty of hardships
and trials; here they experienced real pioneer life. The ground was
so heavy and soggy in the spring they could hardly get around for
mud. The water was poor, travel slow, and climate was very cold.
Peter helped to dig ditches, build roads, and he was ever ready and
willing to improve the living conditions. Peter and Mette's three
younger children were born in Newton. They were LaZina, Elmira, and
Tinas. LaZina died when she was five years old, on 5 November 1875.


Tinas was Mette's tenth child, born 28 March 1876. He died soon
after he was born. Mette passed away 8 April, just 12 days after her


baby was born, leaving a family of six children, Mary, Martha, Peter
Ephraim, Elizabeth, John, and Elmira. The two older girls were
married. Mary married Peter Larson, and Martha was married to Maroni


Jenkins. After Mette's death, Peter moved his wife, Kirsten and her
family to Newton.
Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, was
living in Clarkston at that time, and Peter becvame well acquainted
with him. He heard him bear testimony as to the truthfulness ofthe
Book of Mormon. When Brother Harris passed away, 10 July 1875, Peter


made the coffin in which he was buried.
On 11 November 1879, Peter married Christina Neilson. She was born
in Aanager, Bornholm, Denmark, 15 April 1850, and was a convert to
the church. To this union was born two boys and three girls, Nephi,
Margaret, Caroline, Annie Marie, and Joseph, who died in infancy.
Peter was industrious, honest, a wonderful neighbor, and kind to the
poor. He was a faithful Latter-Day-Saint, filled several Home
Missions, was a diligent temple worker. He was ordained a High
Priest on 23 June 1884, by Orson Smith and was set apart as Second
Counselor to Biship Hans Funk. He held this position until the death


of Bishop Funk, which occured 25 October 1892. At that time, William


H. Griffin was sustained as Bishop of the Newton Ward and Peter was
made First Counselor to him. This position he held until his death,
21 June 1898. he was a willing donator to all Church and civic
affairs, always willing and ready to lend a helping hand to those in
need. He was honored and loved by all who knew him.
He was the father of twenty-three children, eleven sons and twelve
daughters. Surving him wer eeight sons and nine daughters, and a
numerous posterity, bequeathing to them a wonderful heritage and a
name that should be honored until the last generation of time.