Fredrick Wilhelm Andersen

• GIVN: Fredrick Wilhelm
• SURN: Andersen
• Sex: M
• Born: 11 Feb 1851 in Falkerslev, Falster Island, Maribo, Denmark
• Christened: 13 Apr 1851 in Falkerslev, Falster Island, Maribo, Denmark
• Died: 19 Jul 1922 in Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States
• Buried: 23 Jul 1922 in Manti, Sanpete, Utah, United States
• AFN: 3V4G-C4¹
• _UID: 19563E159C644CB49FFA0E3F7E09659A2ECB
• Baptised LDS: 14 Oct 1860 8 Jan 1872
• TEMP: EHOUS
• Record last updated: 30 Nov 2013
• TIME: 11:39
• Notes:

  Treasures of Pioneer History
  Treasures of Pioneer History: Vol 2
  The Story Book
  page 137
  Frederick Anderson, my father, was born in Falster, Denmark February 11, 1851, a son of William and Henrietta Berntzen. It was customary in Denmark for every young man to learn a trade no matter how well-to-do his parents were, so Grandfather became a blacksmith by trade. It was while working in his shop that he first met and fell in love with the girl he later married. A group of girls was passing the shop and was so interested in watching the sparks fly that one of the young ladies accidentally tripped and fell. Grandfather gallantly helped her to her feet and lost his heart then and there to the lovely girl. He always said that from that moment he knew she would someday be his wife.
  The Andersons after their marriage, and now the parents of four children, embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bidding adieu to all that was near and dear to them, set sail for America, December 1, 1853 on the ship Nonark. It took them nine weeks to make the voyage. They came to Utah in a company under the direction of John Forsgren and settled in Manti.
  Father never talked much of his boyhood days or what happened in his teen age years. He attended the schools they had in those days and worked on the farm with his father. When the Black Hawk War broke out he had to take his turn in guarding the cattle and giving alarms if the Indians came. He was then fourteen years of age and he disliked this duty very much as during these troublesome times several of his boyhood friends were killed by the Indians.
  I can write of Father only as I knew him. He met, loved and married Sarah Ann Cox. To them were born nine children, seven girls and two boys. One little girl, Henrietta, died in infancy. He [p.136]was a devoted father working hard to provide comforts and privileges for his family. After a long day of plowing in the field nothing was more enjoyable to him than the home evening when he could call his girls to play and sing his favorite songs. He was an ardent politician and a fine student of history.
  Father lived in three eras. The first was the period of the ox team when everything moved slowly–but surely along. His first work on the farm was done with oxen. He used a cradle to cut the grain and he bound and shocked it all by hand. He drove three yoke of oxen at a time, bringing huge loads of lumber from the mountains. I remember the names of the oxen–Rob, Lep, Pad, Brin, Stub and Ball. Rob was a white ox, Lep a spotted one. One of the best sleigh rides I ever had was with father and the oxen. It was in the latter part of the winter and plenty of snow was on the ground. In the afternoon mother had gone to visit her mother. Toward night it began to snow. When father came home at evening time and found mother away, he decided to go after her. He said, "Come on, children, we'll all go and get mother." It didn't take long for us to get wrapped and all tumbled into the bob sleigh. We huddled together with a quilt over us to keep us warm and off we went. Mother was glad to see us and find she didn't have to walk home through the snow. When we started back home, father, by coaxing and snapping his whip actually got those oxen to run so fast they loped. When we went down hill it was so swift it fairly took our breath away and we all cried, "Father, do it again–oh, do it again!" Imagine those clumsy oxen on the run with their big, awkward bodies. But it was really a swift ride–going round the blocks and up the streets until we reached home feeling that we had never had such a happy time.
  Now the days of "gee" and "haw" were going out and time was bringing a faster period. The horse came as a friend to man. Father never bothered with cayuse ponies. He went in for blooded animals and Old Molly and Fan were his dependable pets. He took many young animals and broke them in to be valuable work horses. He never profaned or used a whip on them. With horses he could plow and harrow more acres of land in a day than he could in several days with the oxen. There was more machinery coming into use. Father, with three other men bought a threshing machine, and after his own farm work was done he worked on the threshing machine from the last of August until sometime in November. They worked early and late to get the grain threshed before the heavy storms came.
  Now a much faster period dawned. The automobile was here and one had to move or get off the road. While father never drove a car there were plenty in his time. I remember going with Father and Mother for a trip in a brand new Ford. We took the day off and went as far south as Salina. We visited friends along the way, [p.137]had a wonderful day and were home before dark. Just before reaching home Father stretched his legs out in the car and said, "Well, these things are fine. They can cover a lot of ground if everything goes all right, but if it doesn't you could sure go "a hellin'."
  –Zella Anderson Dalby