Caren Ericksen Wilcox

Hello Kate:

Thank you for your message.  I am curious whose granddaughter you are in Alberta?  I had the wonderful experience of going to Lethbridge a few years ago when I had to be in Banff on business.  I drove down and met first cousins who I barely knew existed!  It was a wonderful day and family reunion.  I probably met your grandmother there.  I am also copying this message to Ms. Trautwein who is also related to us, because I could not respond when she contacted me.

When I was in Canada, Bea's daughters kindly gave me a book from the Procter family and the copy I have has information about Lars and Stine in it.  I also went to Denmark in 1991 and went to Kolle Kolle and Fjarreveijle where they lived originally.  It was fun to see it.

As you may know Lars came here with his first wife, Birthe Marie Pedersen.  In Denmark the families lived not far apart, and I would think that they all may have been converted at about the same time.  Lars and Birthe Marie also lived in Copenhagen where they did missionary work (as far as I understand it.)  Then they came across to Utah.  Apparently Stina or Stina came across alone, but in the same company of pioneers as Lars and Birthe Marie.  Stine's mother also came to Utah and died in Mt. Pleasant, but I don't know if she came in the same pioneer company.

Anyway when they were in Salt Lake City on June 22, 1861 Stina and Lars were married at the Endowment House.  Of course, this was a polygamous marriage, and eventually when the U.S. Marshall's were sent to Utah to attack polygamy, it is my understanding that Lars was one of the men prosecuted or indicted or something.  I have never looked at the whole incident thoroughly.

I think this was a happy marriage, and I believe that after Louis - Lars' and Birthe Marie's last child was born, that Lars took good care of them, but I know no more children were born to that part of the family.  Stina went on to have 8 children, the oldest was Ferdinand.

She died at a fairly early age because of an internal injury when she was hooked by a cow.  Tough way to go, but there was no care at that time for injuries like that.

I have all their dates in my files if you need them.

I am attaching a copy of a picture from my copy of the book that was supposedly taken on the wedding day of Stina and Lars.  It shows Camilla and her sister with Birthe and the new couple.  Camilla or "Milla" as she seems to have been known in the family was a much beloved figure in the whole Ericksen family.

So enough of what I know.

Do you live in Canada?  I live in Washington, DC.

I am always glad to hear from cousins, which is why I post.  I apologize for not replying to Ms Trautwein when she kindly replied.  I have been in a job transition and not doing family history much right now.

Best regards,

Caren Ericksen Wilcox