On August 21, 1855, a daughter was born to Jens Frandsen, a blacksmith, and his wife, Kjersten Marie Jensen, in a village called Femmöller in Agri Parish, Randers County, Denmark. They called her Johanne Marie. She had two sisters, Mette, born December 7, 1845, and Karen Marie, born April 19, 1850, and two brothers, Frants Peter, born March 13, 1854, and Jens Christian, born November 25, 1858. Her parents had had three other children, including twins, who died in infancy. Karen Marie died at the age of ten on August 6, 1860.
Jens Frandsen was born 8 October 1822, at Grundfor, Hjorring, Denmark, the son of Frands Peter Jensen and Johanna Marie Laursen. He died at Huntsville, Utah
He embraced the gospel in his native land and emigrated, with his wife, two sons and a daughter, to Utah in 1868 or 1869. They made their home in Huntsville, Weber County, Utah. He was a blacksmith by trade, an expert workman. He had the best equipment, neatest, best looking shop in town. Their comfortable home, on a town lot, was always well kept. A short distance from town was their small farm. As grandfather grew older, he quit blacksmithing and spent his time caring for his farm and a small dairy herd.
Since we moved away from Huntsville when I was a child of twelve years, after which I saw grandfather only once, I know very little of his history. He was tall, well built, making a very good appearance. I remember his beautiful dark curly hair. Grandmother had remarked, when she married him, that she hoped the Lord would forgive her for marrying such a handsome man. He was a man of some education of very gracious manner. It is my impression that before joining the Church he gambled, drank, and used coffee. Mother has described how elegant he looked smoking his long-stemmed pipe. He quit all these habits.
My mother adored him. She had a constant prayer in her heart that he would obey every commandment of the lord, so that he would lose not blessing that might be in store for him; and he accepted and obeyed all of them, including the law of plural marriage.
Mother says that after her father’s death he came to her, at a time when she was greatly in need of guidance, and told her what was right for her to do. By Johannah S. Halls Smith, grand daughter.