Biographical Sketch of Kirsten Marie Sorenson Jensen

Voices from the Past

Biographical Sketch of Kirsten Marie Sorenson Jensen

Interviewee: Kirsten Marie Sorenson Jensen

May 12, 1970

Tape #35

Oral Interview conducted by Harold Forbush Transcribed by: Natalie Shaw May 2008 Edited by: Lisa Blaylock February 2010

Brigham Young University- Idaho

Harold Forbush: It's my pleasure this day to be at the LDS Hospital in Extension Care Division that I might interview a lady who is well over a hundred and two years of age, and whose name is K. Marie Jenson. The date is May the twelfth, 1970. It is in the afternoon of that day with the sun shining rather brightly through the south window, though with a very, very heavy strong wind blowing, making outdoors rather coolish; for as on the inside under the influence of the sun as it shines through the window, one is very comfortable in this little relaxing room where Mrs. Jenson will be interviewed by Harold S. Forbush.

HF: Sister Jenson, I would like to ask you to give me your full name and the date when you were born, and where.

Kirsten Marie Jenson: My name is Kirsten Marie. Mother's name was Kirsten; K-I-R-ST-E-N I believe that's spelled in English Marie.

HF: And you were born when, and where?

KMJ: I was born in ...what did they call that little place? I but near forget it--In Denmark, anyhow.

HF: Was it near the sea?

KMJ: No, I didn't see the sea. I don't think.

HF: I see. And what date?

KMJ: The twelfth of January...

HF: 1868? Is that correct?

KMJ: 1868.

HF: Uh-hmm. And how did you come to America?

KMJ: I was five years old when we come to America. I remember being in New York seeing the people hurrying around. I saw my first car drove there. We didn't have anything like that where I lived in Denmark. We were poor people.

HF: Were you?

KMJ: Yeah, we were poor.

HF: Did you come with your mother and dad?

KMJ: Yes.

HF: And some brothers and sisters? KMJ: Eliza is...she married a [inaudible], she was the youngest. But some of the boys have come before. HF: Some of your brothers? KMJ: Yes. So they could get work over ... HF: Over here in America? KMJ: In America. HF: Were your people converts to the Church? KMJ: I don't know. I've always been a Mormon. HF: I see. Do you think the missionaries came over there and converted your mother and dad? KMJ: I believe they did. HF: Uh-hmm. You don't know who they were; you don't remember the names of the missionaries? KMJ: Don't remember the names. HF: Let's see, your maiden name was what? KMJ: Huh? HF: Your maiden name? What was your maiden name? KMJ: Kirsten Marie Sorenson. HF: Sorenson was your maiden name? KMJ: Yeah, my maiden name. HF: I see. Now, you were married here in America. KMJ: Yeah. HF: In Salt Lake? KMJ: No, in St. George.

HF: You were married in St. George in the St. George temple? KMJ: Yes. HF: Do you remember the date when you were married? KMJ: I was married in December something. December...I was eighteen years old. HF: You were eighteen years old? KMJ: Yes. HF: Okay. And you married Brother Jenson? KMJ: Yes. HF: Yes, and how large of a family did you have? KMJ: We had quite a big family. HF: Were you his only wife? KMJ: Huh? HF: Were you his only wife? KMJ: Yes. HF: Just one wife? KMJ: They did...some of them had more than one, but he never had only one wife. HF: I see. And how many children? KMJ: How many children did they have? HF: Did you have? KMJ: Did I have? HF: Uh-hmm. KMJ: Did I have eight or ten? Which was it? HF: Eight or ten?

KMJ: Yes. HF: Can you remember their names? KMJ: [inaudible] I can't remember all their names. HF: I see. Now, Sister Jenson, was your husband a farmer? KMJ: Yeah, he was a farmer. HF: And where did he farm when he came to Idaho? KMJ: In Idaho. HF: Where did he settle? KMJ: He settled in the [inaudible]. How we came to Idaho was horses. HF: Did you? KMJ: In southern Utah. We had two to fifteen, we thought we had to take good care of them, and they made adobe there. We had a kind of adobe barn for them. I don't think they call it great. HF: Did you come with other families? KMJ: Huh? HF: Other families came with you? KMJ: Yeah, my sister from Riverside came. Her name was Sacro--Liza Sacro. They had traveled quite closely by us. They settled in Blackfoot. HF: Where did you settle? KMJ: Basalt. HF: Basalt? Was this before 1900? KMJ: Huh? HF: Was this before 1900? KMJ: Yeah.

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