Morgan 6 & 7: Marinus Christensen and Frances Ann Thomas Christensen

Marinus Christensen

b. 6 June 1863 Torslev, Hjørring, Denmark
m. 6 June 1883 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
d. 23 July 1927 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
b. 24 July 1927 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
Wife: Frances Ann Thomas
Father: Jens Christensen; Mother: Karen Marie Johannesen

Frances Ann Thomas Christensen
b. 4 May 1864 Nephi, Juab, Utah
d. 17 August 1950 Flagstaff, Coconino, Arizona
b. 19 August 1950 St. Johns, Apache, Arizona
Husband: Marinus Christensen
Father: David Nathan Thomas; Mother: Adeline Springthorpe

For information on the early life of Marinus Christensen, read the entry in the Tanner section on Mary Kjersten Christensen and family. Mary married Ove C. Oveson. Her mother and adopted brother Marinus lived with her family.

Marinus continued to live with the family, moving with them to St. Johns, Arizona, in the summer of 1880, and was considered by neighbors as the oldest child, being generally called Oveson, until his marriage, when he took his proper name of Christensen.

Marinus and Frances Christensen.

Marinus Christensen was married to Frances Ann Thomas, daughter of David Nathan Thomas and Adeline Springthorpe, June 6th 1883, at St. Johns, Arizona. She was born May 4th, 1864, at Nephi, Utah.

A page from the 1900 census of St. Johns, Apache, Arizona, showing the Christensen family. (Marinus was not born in Utah.)

David N. Thomas was a blacksmith by trade and owned a shop in St. Johns, where he died August 14th, 1888. His son, brother of Frances (Fanny) died there, too, and not long between the two deaths. Marinus Christensen took over the blacksmith shop and was caring for the mother (Adeline S. Thomas), but she decided to go to Utah, to do work in the Manti Temple. Not long after leaving St. Johns she was taken suddenly ill, and died, and was buried at Manti, April 6th, 1891.

(L to R) David, Marinus, Addie, Jessie, Frank, Fanny, Elmer.

Marinus Christensen and Frances Ann Thomas Christensen had the following children:

• Adeline, born July 1, 1884, St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona. Married Andrew Smith Gibbons. Died 1975, age 91.
• Anne, born July 26, 1886, St. Johns. Died 1887, age 1.
• David Thomas, born August 2, 1888, St. Johns. Married Iness Jolley. Died 1949, age 61.
• Marinus Elmer, born November 26, 1890, St. Johns. Married Hildegarde Garnatz. Died 1959, age 68.
• Jessie, born June 13, 1893, St. Johns. Married Harold Morgan. Died 1980, age 86.
• Francis Lee, born April 18, 1898, St. Johns. Married Nellie Vanetta. Died 1962, age 64.
• Paul Anthon, born November 26, 1901, St. Johns, died May 9th, 1908, St. Johns. Cause: Children built a bonfire. Paul’s clothes caught fire. Burns and shock.
• Joseph Laurence, born September 8, 1903, St. Johns. Married Susan Ellis. Died 1984, age 80.

The blacksmith shop. Marinus is standing on the right.

Marinus Christensen was a blacksmith all his life, and his shop was a place where the men of the town loved to gather and spend an idle hour. The blacksmith was always jolly and entertaining and his happy laughter was good to hear. He was a law enforcement officer many years, and was noted for his ability to deal with offenders, and his kindly yet firm stand for right. He was a leader in the Band, and also in the Sunday School Choir. He was Sunday School Superintendent in both Ward and Stake for many years, and dearly loved that work, and also the children. But the thing that he will be remembered by among the townspeople more than any other, was the Comic Recitations he used to give, and the Character parts he played in home theatricals. He was a splendid Comedian, and a great hit with his audiences.

Frances Christensen and children at Marinus' funeral.

He died at St. Johns, Arizona, July 23rd, 1927, and was buried there.

Frances Christensen, Jessie Morgan, Addie Gibbons.

His wife, Fanny, lived for many years after her husband’s death. She was in the Relief Society presidency for many years, and was one who was always on hand to help in sickness, take charge of making clothing and dressing and preparing the dead for burial. In those days we had no undertaker, and neighbors and friends attended to this work. The last few years of her life she visited among her children a part of the time, though she did not give up her home, and enjoyed to be alone there sometimes. She was visiting her children in Flagstaff when she had a paralytic stroke, from which she died August 17th, 1950 and was buried at St. Johns, Arizona.

[Note: the middle article seems to be from a Flagstaff paper rather than the Tribune, and why do two articles call her mother "Caroline"?]

Marinus Christensen and Frances Ann Thomas have a posterity of progressive and intelligent citizens, good neighbors and trustworthy friends.

From Margaret Godfrey Jarvis Overson. George Jarvis And Joseph George De Friez Genealogy. Mesa, Ariz: M.J. Overson, 1957.

[Note, February 15, 2014: changed the spelling of Inez Jolley to Iness, at the request of her granddaughter Laurel Christensen.]

Picture of the horseshoes from www.flickr.com/photos/tombothetominator/2792049406/.

LeRoy Parkinson Tanner Military Service

LeRoy Parkinson Tanner served in the Army during the Mexican border wars and during World War I. Here is his discharge certificate from his service in the world war.

As noted in this and his Enlistment Record, which I have not included here, he enlisted on May 26, 1918 (although he served earlier on the Mexican Border). He belonged to the American Expeditionary Force. He was one of 360,000 men belonging to the AEF who fell gravely ill during the Spanish Flu Pandemic, but luckily not one of the 25,000 who died.

His discharge papers give him an "Excellent" character, with no AWOL, no absence under G.O. 45 W.D. 1914, and noted that he was entitled to travel pay to Holbrook, Arizona. He was paid $136.56 upon his discharge on June 19, 1919, in El Paso, Texas, which included a $60 bonus.

Here is a description of the history of his regiment's participation in the Border Wars and France:

On May 10, 1916, the Second Texas Infantry was mobilized for Mexican Border service, when the entire National Guard was mobilized with stations on the southern border from Brownsville to El Paso. The regiment was federally recognized May 16, 1916, and sent to the Rio Grande Valley area of the border, where it trained until March 23, 1917, when the units were demobilized at their home stations. One week later, the regiment was called back into service because of the strained relations between the Central Powers and the United States. On April 5, 1917, war was declared on Germany. The regiment was again sent to the Mexican Border to release Regular Army troops. In September, 1917, the Second Texas Infantry and the First Texas Infantry were consolidated to form the 141st Infantry, which left the border and arrived at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Texas, September 23, 1917, where the entire 36th Division was mobilized and trained.
The regiment sailed from New York July 26, 1918, arrived at Brest, France, August 6, and was sent to the 13th Training Area at Bar sur Aube, where it remained until September 26, 1918, when it began its movement to the front lines, going into the Epernay-Chalons area as reserve of the French Group of Armies of the Center. On October 3, 1918, the 36th Division was attached to the Fourth French Army and on October 6 began the relief of the Second Division, U. S. A. The 71st Brigade (141st and 142nd Infantry) relieved the Ninth and 23rd United States Infantry.
On October 8, the regiment participated in the great offensive in the Champagne sector, writing a glorious page in the regiment's history. On October 28, after three weeks of front line service, the regiment was relieved by the French Army and marched back 150 miles to become part of the First Army Reserve, United States. The division and regiment were scheduled to be sent into the MeuseArgonne battle which was raging, but the signing of the Armistice prevented this. The regiment then moved to the 16th Training Area around Tonnerre, France, where it underwent intensive training for six months. On May 22, 1919, it returned to the United States, arriving in New York, June 3. Sent to Camp Travis, Texas, it was demobilized July 3, 1919. The regimental colors were decorated with the Croix de Guerre by the French at impressive ceremonies in France.
(http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/1940/141.htm)

A biographical sketch written by family members stated that he was going to be sent to the "Russian Front" when the war ended, but this record corrects the information, noting that the regiment was headed to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, also known as The Battle of Argonne Forest, when the armistice was signed.

For a comprehensive history of the 36th Division in the First World War, you can read the following on Google Books:

Chastaine, Ben-Hur. Story of the 36th; The Experiences of the 36th Division in the World War. Oklahoma City: Harlow Pub. Co, 1920.

The picture of the World War I recruits leaving on the train is from www.flickr.com/photos/freeparking/504876693/. I love all those cowboy hats!

Eva Margaret Overson Tanner Pictures

Here are some pictures of Eva:

She is in the upstairs bedroom of the Overson house (see this post). Her oldest son was later born in this room.

History of the Southern States Mission, Part 21: The Missionaries Arrive in Cane Creek

Such inhuman acts as were committed against the brethren in Mississippi were but the forerunners for greater barbarism to be displayed by brutish men in the succeeding month. Up to the 10th of August nothing of importance happened. Elder [B.H.] Roberts, however, felt quite uneasy for the welfare of the Elders. This feeling he expressed from time to time in letters to President Morgan, though no cases for such were apparent.

This anxiety, nevertheless, was but the warning of the Lord that some great catastrophe was about to transpire. It was but the whisperings of the spirit to have the safety of the brethren at heart and to be fortified against the enemies of righteousness. The gloomy clouds were beginning already to gather themselves together to shed tears over two of the noblest martyrs that ever fell before the ax of religious bigotry. These fearful forebodings were none too true, as subsequent history proves.

This spirit did not exist long before it was turned to one of actual horror and deepest regret over one of the bloodiest scenes ever witnessed by any nation, barbarous or civilized. [Ed.—I don't want to minimize, in any way, the crimes that occurred at Cane Creek, but what a preposterous statement.]


View Larger Map

For some time Elders W.S. Gibbs [sic; John Henry Gibbs] and Wm. H. Jones had been traveling through the different States delivering lectures for the purpose of enlightening the people concerning the real motives of the Latter-Day Saints. In their rounds they came to Cane Creek, Lewis county, Tenn., and there met, unexpectedly, Elders W.S. Berry [William Shanks Berry] and Henry Thompson. Here the Elders had met with great success, previously having baptized several into the Church. One of these members was James Condor, at whose house the Elders gathered. On Sunday morning, the 10th of August, there having been a meeting appointed for 11 o'clock, Elders Gibbs and Thompson left the home of Brother Thomas Garrett, where they had stayed the previous night, and went to Brother Condor's where they met Elder Berry, and where they expected to hold the meeting.

Elder Jones had remained at Brother Garrett's to read a sermon and expected to go down to the appointed place of meeting later on. Having finished this, however, he started out to meet his brethren. To reach them he had to go about a mile down the creek. He had not proceeded more than half a mile when he was rushed upon by some twelve or fourteen men who were disguised completely by masks and old clothing. They came from the surrounding fields and woods and appeared to be much incited, both by their actions and looks, to deeds of deviltry. He was ordered to throw up his hands, which he did, shotguns and other weapons being presented at his body. This done they forced him to climb a fence, cross the field it enclosed, and to enter some woods lying at the further side. Having searched him they began to question him regarding the whereabouts of the Elders, especially of Elder Gibbs; but Elder Jones was not inclined to answer the men in full. Chagrined at this they determined to find out for themselves, so leaving a guard of four over Elder Jones the rest proceeded in the direction of Brother Condor's house. They had not gone far, though, before they returned, asked more questions, and soon left again in the direction of Brother Condor's. This time they left but one to guard Elder Jones, and told him to shoot to kill as soon as signs showed that the Elder was desirous of escaping.

Being thus alone with his guard Elder Jones immediately fell into conversation with him. The probable result of this exhibition of friendliness was the saving of his life. The guard informed him that he might escape without being hurt, and then ordered him to start through the woods in the direction of the road. They had not gone far before they heard a shot from in the direction of the house to which the mobbers had gone. This was followed, after a short pause, by several other shots, and then shortly after some eight or ten more.

"My God," cried the guard, "they are shooting among the women and children."

This exclamation on the part of the guard showed that the mob had gone to the house for the purpose of taking the Elder's lives. The guard then ordered the Elder to run for his life; this he did, the guard following behind, pistol in hand. Reaching the road, the Elder was informed by his now friend how to reach Shady Grove, where he could find safety. Here he arrived Monday morning.

(To be continued.)

Latter Day Saints Southern Star, Vol. 1, No. 25, Chattanooga, Tenn. Saturday, May 20, 1899, p 193.


Picture of the barn in Tennessee from www.flickr.com/photos/8272102@N04/497186679/. Picture of the trees in Tennessee from www.flickr.com/photos/rickbradley/1244624450/.

History of the Southern States Mission, Part 20: More Mob Violence

In the last installment of the History of the Southern States Mission, it was June 1884 and the missionaries and members in the Southern States Mission were facing increasing violence and threats in the period before the Cane Creek Massacre of August 10, 1884. John Morgan still held his position as President of the Southern States Mission, but he was living and working in the Western United States, and B.H. Roberts was the on-site Acting President of the Southern States Mission. Once again, here is the history of the Mission as compiled and written by the editors of The Latter Day Saints Southern Star in 1899.

June had passed attended with some persecution in different parts of the mission. July's first three weeks went by with no disturbance of any moment. Reports from different fields bore the same message, "no interest." But at the closing it was to have an awakening.

For some time Elders Joseph Morrell [later President of the Cache Utah Stake] and J.W. Gailey [John William Gailey of Kaysville, Utah] had been visiting in Meshaba county, Mississippi. [There is no Meshaba County. The editors probably meant Neshoba County, which was also the site of the infamous murder of three Civil Rights workers.] Here they had met with encouraging success, holding a number of meetings and arousing thoroughly an interest in the Gospel among the honest in heart. A good field from which abundance seemingly could be reaped, had been tilled earnestly and, strange to say, without much disturbance from their enemies. Some talk of mobbing had been heard, but only as ripples on the surface. Satan, however, was not inactive. On the night of July 21 a mob of several men armed with shotguns and clubs, visited the house where the Elders were stopping, demanded the gentleman of the house to make a light. When this was done the mob ordered the Elders to go with them. This the Elders refused to do, but the mob, determined, leveled their shotguns upon the defenseless men and roughly marched them to the depths of some dense woods.

The Elders had not the remotest idea of what the intentions of the mob were, but presumed that it was to be a demand only for them to leave their fields of labor and go elsewhere. In this opinion they were correct; but when they thought to parley with the miscreants; that the mob was not determined in their actions they found their mistake. They imagined this uprising was but local in preparation, so on the following day they traveled some eight miles distant to fill an appointment. The spirit of opposition was widespread and at their new field they found a similar spirit to that of the other neighborhood; moreover, in this place it was more pronounced, as evidenced from the cruel torture which followed the threats. It was on the morning of the 24th of July that the opposition assumed a determined character. A mob of some twenty-five men visited the house where the Elders were then stopping and dragged them from the place amid shouts of fiendish delight, which ascended from the rascals' murderous hearts. To them it appeared to be glory to have the bravery while armed with every weapon of defense obtainable and supported by each other's ignoble encouragement, stirred up by satan's [sic] desires, to capture two Mormon Elders; despised by all, and as defenseless, as far as weapons were concerned, as new-born babes. They gloated over their honors and forced the brethren to accompany them to a secluded spot about a quarter of a mile into the woods, and there prepared to carry out the designs of the majority of the mob. Some cried, "Hang them!" others "Whip them!" They were divided as to what to do; the more they tried to come to a unity the nearer they approached quarreling, but this was averted by the Elders acting as peacemakers and restoring order. But still the ruffians were not satisfied; they thirsted for blood. At last they decided to whip them, so laid hands upon the Elders and with stout ropes bound them fast to great trees. Doubling a halter strap, members of the mob then unmercifully plied stripe after stripe to the quivering backs of the innocent men until fifteen had been administered to each. Then their fiendish desires seemed to be quenched somewhat; they loosed the brethren and skulked from the scene of their dastardly deeds as wolves from the gnawed bones of their victims.

It was only through the power of the Lord that the Elders stood the trying ordeal, but as is the case with all who suffer unjustly, the wounds were soothed by the Spirit of God and no great bodily harm came upon them.

The people, however, were turned by this action, from friends to enemies, and the Elders were coldly informed that they might seek other fields for prosecuting their labors. It is needless to say they did so.

Latter Day Saints Southern Star, Vol. 1, No. 24, Chattanooga, Tenn. Saturday, May 13, 1899, p 185.

Picture of the old church in Neshoba County, Mississippi from www.flickr.com/photos/nataliemaynor/149312252/.

Harold Morgan: I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

A memory of Harold Morgan as related by Letty Patterson:

Horace H. Cummings a very orthodox and strict member of our church was the head (or some important executive in the academy management) of the Church School System. He was to visit us, so we made a great effort to have everything ship-shape.

For the assembly program (Devotional) Grover Brown and Harold were asked to sing a duet and I to accompany them. It's a wonder Brother Cummings' [strict] personality and expression didn't dissuade them. But they stood up bravely, Harold's pant leg caught above his hose supporter. Soon came forth the strains of "I wonder who's kissing her now... I wonder who's teaching her how... Wonder who's looking into her eyes, breathing sighs, telling lies. I wonder who's buying the wine for the lips that I used to call mine. I wonder if she ever tells him of me, I wonder who's kissing her now."

My word! I wonder who chose this song! I hope I didn't! No wonder Brother Cummings' face congealed. I'd like to laugh with Harold over this once more. 

As told in Holmes, M. S. T. (1971). A study of the newspaper career of Harold Morgan. Provo: Brigham Young University, 20. The picture of the St. Johns Stake Academy is from Udall, D. K. (1959). Arizona Pioneer Mormon; David King Udall: His Story and His Family, 1851-1938.

John Morgan's Children

Here is a page out of Harold Morgan's Book of Remembrance. It shows:

Harold Morgan

His parents:
John Hamilton Morgan
Mary Ann Linton Morgan

His grandparents:
Garrard Morgan III
Eliza Ann Hamilton Morgan
Samuel Linton
Ellen Sutton Linton

His full brothers:
Linton Morgan
Mathias Cowley Morgan

His half brothers:
Nicholas G. Morgan
Earl Morgan
Jack Morgan
John Morgan
Joseph Morgan

I have John Morgan's children listed as follows. Please contact me with any corrections.

John (1842-1894) m. (1868) Helen Melvina Groesbeck (1852-1930)
Helen Melvina (1870-1952) m. Andrew Burt and later George Austin
Elizabeth (1872-1874)
Eliza Ann (1875-1952) m. James Frank Smith
Ruth (1878-1949) m. Berke Kunkel
John (1881-1881)
Flora Groesbeck (1882-1885)
Nicholas Groesbeck (1884-1971) m. Ethel Tate
Gail (1888-1984) m. John Clayton
Bessie (1891-1938) m. Percy Harold Rex
Gerard Earl (1892-1957) m. Merin Engman
John Hamilton (1894-1982) m. Lucile Lloyd

John (1842-1894) m. (1884) Annie Mildred Smith (1863-1935)
Annie Ray (1884-1972) m. Lawrence Hensen Heiselt
Myrtle (1887-1890)
John Albemarle (1889-1935) m. Eva Block
Ivy (1892-1940) m. Luther Grantham
Joseph Smith (1893-1948) m. Violet Dutler or Dudler

John (1842-1894) m. (1888) Mary Ann Linton (1865-1951)
Linton (1890-1952) m. Eudora Eggertsen
Harold (1892-1963) m. Jessie Christensen
Mathias Cowley (1894-1964) m. Mildred Pearce

The Morgan children died at the ages of: 82, 1, 76, 70, <1, 2, 87, 96, 47, 64, 88, 87, 3, 45, 48, 54, 61, 71, 70. An average of 55 years. If you remove the four deaths of small children (Elizabeth, John, Flora, Myrtle) and the five that lived more than 80 years (Helen, Nicholas, Gail, John H., Annie), the other ten lived an average of 46.5 years.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Happy Pioneer Day.

Robert Lang Campbell

Here are some sources on Robert Lang Campbell (1825-1874), the man who befriended and baptized John Morgan. He was from Renfrew, Scotland.

Here is his pioneer diary. Make sure you have some time and be ready to read a very touching story of the pioneer journey, 1846 in particular. (You can scroll down to the bottom of the page index and download a typed version of the diary.)

A BYU Studies Article on Campbell (downloadable)

Robert Lang Campbell Papers at the University of Utah

Robert Lang Campbell Collection at BYU

The item at BYU is a Great Salt Lake City tax record book.

The information on Campbell is thanks to a conversation on my favorite Mormon history blog, and a kind fellow reader and commenter from Scotland who serendipitously mentioned Robert Campbell in a conversation about something else.

Photo of Barshaw Park in Renfrewshire, Scotland, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_cantwell/2421989892/.

John Morgan Diary, December 19-23, 1888

December 19

Rode over to the ditch and found the teams gone to the Pinions for wood. In company with Henry Huffaker rode to the Mexican town of Rinconus and from there home. At work about the corral.

December 20

Started to go to the ranch. Met Jackson and turned back. At work making troughs for the houses the balance of the day.

December 21

Arranged to get J.F. Thomas to survey some lines on our land and in the afternoon killed a pig. Have been reading for the last few days at odd times of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith, by Geo. Q. Cannon. It is a very fine work and gave a better idea of the life and character of Joseph than anything yet published.

December 22

Started early this a.m. with J.F. Thomas and H. Huffaker to survey the ranch property. At work all day and found all the principal corners as surveyed by governor surveyors.

December 23

About home during the forenoon. Attended meetings at 2 p.m. President Smith read a set of rules adopted by the High Council which the people accepted, but which will be difficult to carry. I spoke one hour. Brother and Sister Holt spent the evening with us.

[That's all of this part of the diary. Thanks again to Bessie S. for sending the scans. It's been an interesting adventure learning about the trip and some of the people John Morgan mentions in the diary.]


Photos of Conejos County, Colorado from http://www.flickr.com/photos/slvnative/collections/72157611927412458/. In the first photo, the mountains in the near distance are identified as Saddleback and Little Flat Top and are right in front of the Rio Grande River. To the right in the photo is the town of Sanford.