The Baptism of Ane Marie
Johansen’s boat never got the messages. It was ten days before Ole jumped from the side of the ship onto the dock. Rasmus was there, waiting for him.
“What’s wrong?”
Fourteen year old Juliane blurted out, “Alma’s gone. She died ten days ago.”
“What? No!” Ole grabbed Rasmus by the shoulders. Juliane hugged them together, sobbing. Ole went on, “She was much better before I left. I would never have left if I had known there was anything wrong. What happened? Is Ane Marie ok? What about Sophie and Amanda? Are they ok?”
“Ane Marie and the girls are fine. They are staying with my mother and father. Everyone is fine. It was her heart. The doctor said that her heart was weak. We burried her on the farm, out in the space by the orchard.”
Suddenly Ole took flight. “I’ve got to see my wife. I’ve got to go.” He left his bag and started running down the dock.
Rasmus picked up the bag and shouted after him, “We have the cart. Do you want a ride?”
Ole stopped and walked back towards them. His face had lost its color and his eyes were full of tears. He was muttering to himself, “What have I done? What am I going to do?”
When they arrived at the Olesen farm, Ole jumped from the cart and ran to find Ane Marie. He started calling her name. “Ane, Ane Marie!” He went through the house, calling her name. His mother-in-law pointed at the back door. It was raining, but Ane Marie was on the back porch, peeling apples. When she heard his voice she put down the bowl and stood up.
He grabbed her and hugged her to him. “I’m so sorry. I should have been here.” They hugged in silence for a moment. “How are you?”
She bent back, still locked in his embrace, and said, “Our little Alma is gone. We’ll never see her again.” Then she began to sob again and he joined her, rocking from side to side.
After a several minutes, he asked, “Where are Sophie and Amanda?”
“Upstairs, asleep.”
“I better go let them know that I’m home.”
“Here, wash up first. I’ll get you some clean clothes.” She poured water into the basin.
“I’ll be right back.” And he stepped off of the porch and into the rain. She quickly stepped down and took his hand.
“I’ll go with you.” Together, in the rain, they walked to the spot near the orchard. The path was well marked by the family’s many trips. “She loved to sit in the orchard with us as we picked apples. Her smile was always bright and cheery.”
“Sophie and I come, and sit here. We pray for her every day. Sophie talks as if Alma will be right back, as if she has just gone somewhere. She can’t wait to tell Alma about the cat or the dog, or the flowers.”
“Doesn’t she understand that Alma’s dead?”, he asked.
“I’ve told her, but she’s only five. She thinks that she’ll see Alma in a little while.” She thought quietly for a moment. “I wish that I could believe that too. My heart is so heavy. If I knew that I’d see her again, I might be able to bear it.”
He hugged her to his side. The rain had slowed to a drizzle but then began to speed up, so they left and went back to the porch. They were soaked by the time they got there. Mama had brought out some more towels and set them on the chair.
Their somber mood lifted as Sophie opened the door. “Daddy!” she squealed. She had heard his voice and came running through the kitchen looking for him.
“Hi, sweetheart. I thought that you were asleep.” She jumped into his outstretched arms.
“No. I was just waiting. You’re wet.”
“Waiting for what?”
“For you, Daddy. I overheard uncle Rasmus and aunt Juliane say that they were going into town to bring you home. But it took so long that Mommy made me go to bed. So I laid there, but I kept waiting.”
“Well, here I am.” He put her down and took a towel to dry himself off a bit more and then, “Now, give me a hug and I’ll tuck you in bed.” He picked her up. “I’m so glad to see you!” He kissed her on the head as he hugged her. He walked her to and up the stairs and put her back in bed. “Now you go to sleep and we’ll have breakfast in the morning. I love you.”
A disappointed, “Ok.” Came from her lips, but she was already beginning to nod off.
“I love you.”, he said quietly as he backed down the stairs.
“I love you, Daddy. Good night.”
“Good night.”
He walked quietly back into the kitchen. Rasmus had already gone home. Juliane and her parents were sitting by the table while Ane Marie was stirring a pan hung in the fireplace. “Would you like some soup. It’s still warm and we saved you a piece of meat.”
Suddenly, the fact that he had not eaten since a breakfast of a tough biscuit and a cup of coffee, made his stomach growl so loud that everyone heard it.
Papa laughed. “I think that is a ‘Yes’ to the soup.”
“That would be great!”
Mama got up and cut him a piece of fresh, dark bread.
Everyone laughed at the timing, but then they returned to their somber mood. He walked over and stood behind the empty chair. Papa broke the silence. “When do you have to go out again?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to the captain. When I saw Rasmus and Juliane, I just jumped off of the ship and when they told me the news, I started to run home.”
“He was half way down the dock before Rasmus could stop him.” Juliane giggled.
“I’ll have to go find the captain tomorrow and get my pay.”
Papa nodded. “We can put the marker on the grave after you get back. We need to finish it. Ane Marie thought that it should say, ‘Beloved daughter’”
“That sounds good.” He sat and Ane Marie brought him a cup of soup. He took a spoonful to put to his lips and said, “I have to quit.” He put the spoonful in his mouth while everyone else digested what he had said. “I’ll have to find something else to do. I missed Amanda being born and now this. It’s too much.”
No one said anything, but Papa shook his head. “What will you do?”
He drank the soup from the cup and Ane Marie came up behind him and hugged him around the neck. “He can find something.”
“Maybe I can get a position with one of the fish merchants. I don’t know. I think that I would be a good salesmen. I just know that I can’t stand not being with Ane Marie and the girls.”
Ane Marie whispered in his ear, “Thank you.” He turned and moved her to his lap and held her as she kissed him.
“Come on, Papa, let’s go to bed. You, too, Juliane.”
“But, I.” Her father ended her protest by placing his hand on her shoulder and nodding towards the living room. She left with them.
Ane Marie stood up and took the empty cup from Ole’s hand. “Do you want some more?” He shook his head no and she took the cup to the sink and rinsed it out and set it on the cupboard. Then she came back and sat again on his lap, her arm around his neck and her mouth on his. They kissed a long time and then she put her head on his shoulder. “What are we going to do?”
“For now, we’re going to bed. In the morning you and I will go back into town, to our apartment and then I’ll go talk to the captain. I’ll begin to make the rounds of the shops and see if I can find a position. We may have to give up the apartment, but we’ll see how things go, first.”
They stood up and stepped quietly through the living room where Juliane was pretending to sleep and they climbed the stairs. It was as if they were climbing out of a pool. The chill hit them as they quickly undressed and climbed under the comforter. They held each other to get warm, but he soon fell asleep. She raised herself up on her elbow to look over him at her daughters. Amanda had barely stirred when Sophie had gotten back in bed. Now she was snoring away, just like her sister, and their father. She lay back down and snuzzled into his arm with her head on his chest and fell asleep.
A couple of hours later, she could hear her mother in the kitchen and gently crawled across her husband with her nightgown in her hand. She put it on at the top of the stairs and then climbed down. Juliane was also stirring in the candlelight coming from the kitchen. They both entered and asked Mama what they should do.
“Same as always. Stoke the fire and get some water.”
Juliane grabbed the bucket and headed for the back door while Ane Marie stirred the embers of the fire and added tinder and some pieces of wood. Juliane grabbed a heavy coat to slip on her shoulders while she slipped her feet into her shoes.
Juliane asked, “So, did you two decide what you’re going to do?”
Ane Marie joined her and grabbed her husband’s coat as they went out the door. “We’re going back into town today and he’s going to see if he can get a job at one of the shops.”
“Well, I wouldn’t tell the captain until I had a position lined up. Else tells me that work is hard to find work these days. Her boyfriend, Gunnar, has been trying for months to get a position so that they can get married and he has had absolutely no luck.”
“Else Gundershon? She’s thinking of getting married? She’s only 17.” Juliane dropped the bucket into the well and began pulling it back up.
“What’s wrong with getting married at 17?” She poured the water from the bucket into the pale they had carried. “Not everyone wants to be an old woman of twenty when they get married.”
“I was only 19. And who said that I was old?” Juliane smiled at her and Ane Marie took a handful of water and splashed her little sister. They ran quickly to the house, giggling and laughing.
Mama was pleased to hear their laughter. Life was moving on, despite the sadness of it. “Let your husband sleep. Papa has gone to town to trade some apples for some meat. He should be back soon. Come, sit, we can drink our coffee in peace. What shall we have for dinner?”
They talked for several minutes about adding some garlic and meat to the soup stock on the hearth. Mama went on, “You know, Ane Kjerstine brought those Mormon missionaries up to the gate yesterday and I had to make them go away. They were talking about ‘Eternal Life’ and they made me nervous. I wish she wouldn’t be so involved in that church.”
Ane Marie stared off in silence for a moment and then repeated, “’Eternal Life’, I wonder what that means.”
Juliane piped in, “Oh, it means that there is life after death, that...” She stopped. Mama’s gaze was burning holes in her. Finally, when she saw that Ane Marie was watching her intently, she said, “I’m sorry, Mama. I’m just telling you what they meant. Ane Kjerstine is always talking about it. She said that Ane Marie wouldn’t feel so bad about Alma if she knew about ‘Eternal Life’.”
“Well, I don’t like it! They keep getting people riled up and wanting to leave. Rasmus and his family are convinced that they want to go to the Americas and leave us all alone.” Her voice was trembling from the anger and fear. “How could anything so far away be any good?”
“Mama, Mama, you don’t have to worry. Ole and I will always be here with you. We won’t leave you, will we Juliane?” Ane Marie’s promise and stern assertions seemed to put Mama at ease, until she saw Juliane’s head turned to the west as she half-heartedly agreed.
“No, Mama, we won’t leave you, ever.” Juliane slowly turned back to look at the other two. “Never.”
Mama wasn’t watching Juliane, but Ane Marie knew that wistful look that past quickly over Juliane’s face and then disappeared. She knew that the next time they were alone she had to hear more about this ‘Eternal Life’ idea.
“Speaking of Ane Kjerstine, I need some more of her potatoes and carrots that she promised. Juliane, I want you to go over and fetch them. We'll be needing them for the stew."
“Mama, is it ok with you if I go with her? The children are asleep and I don’t think that they will be up for a while. I do want to see Ane Kjerstine before we move back into town.”
“Sure. Those little ones of yours are as sweet as butter.” With that Mama got up and went to the stove. She threw in another log and began to get her bowls down for making bread.
Ane Marie and Juliane went into the living room as Juliane gathered her bedding and they folded it. Soon they left for Rasmus and Ane Kjerstine’s farm.
They were on the road before Ane Marie spoke. “All right. Tell me more.”
“More about what?”
“Eternal Life.” The tone in Ane Marie’s voice made Juliane quit teasing her.
“The Mormons believe that our life here on Earth is only a part of our whole life, our eternal life, and that before we came to Earth, we were spirits living with our Father in Heaven. In order to become like our Heavenly Father, we had to get a body, so He created the Earth and sent us here to gain the body. But Eve ate the fruit and Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and death and sin came into the world. That’s why Christ had to come. He died for our sins and then he conquered death, when he was resurrected. If we believe in Him and do what He says, you know, get baptized and love one another, then we can have Eternal life and live with our families, forever.” Juliane should have been out of breath, but she wasn’t. Her calmness made it easy to see that she believed what she had just said.
“How do you know all that?”
“I’ve been listening to the missionaries. I want to be baptized, but Rasmus says that I can’t breathe a word about it to Mama and Papa.”
“Well, I want to know more. How do they know these things? How do you know that it’s true?”
Juliane stopped and looked at her. “I read their Book of Mormon.”
“Juliane, you know that Papa forbade us from reading that book.”
“I know, but I read it anyway. Partly because he said not to. And then I prayed about it, alone, in the barn.”
“You what!”
“I prayed about it. And a feeling came over me and told me in my heart that it was true. “
“What? You had a feeling come over you? What do you mean?
“It was a warm feeling burning in my heart that the Book of Mormon was true. After that I had to know more. That’s when I went to the Missionaries and asked them to teach me.”
Ane Marie began to stomp off towards Ane Kjerstine’s house. “You know that Mama and Papa will not be happy when they find out.” And then her tone softened, “Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely!”
“Ok, then tell me more about this ‘Eternal’ life. Do they believe that I will be wih my little Alma again?”
“Yes. The Mormons believe in the resurrection and they believe that when we are resurrected we will be able to be with our families forever.”
“How do they know all of this?”
“Joseph Smith told them. He received revelations and the gold plates. His visions are amazing. He’s the one that translated the Book of Mormon.”
“So, where does this Joseph Smith live?”
“He lived in the United States, but he was killed by a mob in 1844. Brigham Young was the next President of the Mormon Church. He received revelations too. He led the Mormons across the United States back in 1847.”
“I don’t know if I can believe any of this. Visions, gold plates, prophets. It’s just too, too...”
“Amazing?”
“Unbelievable.”
“Well, nobody else has ever been able to tell us where we came from, why we are here and where we are going. Not the Lutherans, not the Catholics, none of them.”
“You’re right, but I just don’t know...”
“Well, don’t make up your mind yet. At least try and read the Book of Mormon.”
“We’ll see. We’ll see. But, please, don’t tell anyone that I promised to read it.”
”Ok.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence. When they got to the farm they found that Kjerstine was over at her sister’s. Rasmus was glad to see his sisters, but he had to get back out in the barn while the weather was still good. They got the potatoes and carrots and walked back home. When they got there Juliane quickly got her copy of the book and buried it in the children’s clothes.
Ane Marie went in the kitchen and found Ole eating breakfast by himself. He had Amanda in his arms and she was squirming, but he held her tight, like a fish. Sophie was over helping Grandma with the morning dishes. Grandma washed a dish and handed it to the happy five year old. She dried each dish and set it carefully on the table.
“Good!”, said Ole. “I need some help to finish this plate of food before your mother takes it from me.” With that he handed the little one to Ane Marie and began to scarf down the rest of his breakfast. Then he got up and handed the dish to his mother-in-law.
She looked at it and then at Sophie. “If he had licked it just a bit more we could have just put it away!”
“Ewwwe, Grandma. That’s yucky!” But then she laughed almost as hard as her grandmother.
Ole stuffed the rest of the girls clothes in his bag. He didn’t even notice the book that Ane Marie had already placed in the bottom, under some clothes. When everyone was ready, they all said goodbye and Ole led the way back into town, to their apartment.
It was dark when they arrived and Ole and Ane Marie got the children ready for bed. Sophie was very glad to be able to sleep in her own bed. She hardly undressed before she was nodding off. Her father tucked her in and she was out. Amanda was a little fussy. Ane Marie gave her nibble of a cracker and she quieted down. He mother laid her down next to Sophie and she fell right to sleep.
“What are we going to do?” Ane Marie’s question caught Ole a little off guard.
“Well, in the morning, I’ll go see if I can get a position ....”
“I mean about us, about our life.”
A confused Ole looked over at her, sitting by the small table. “What do you mean?”
“Well, what are we going to do to give our girls an education and a safe place to live? We can’t live here for the rest of our lives.”
“What’s wrong with this place?” Ole was becoming defensive. He stood up to face her. “I’ll get a job and we’ll do just fine. If I have to, I can go back to fishing. They always need a good hand on the boats. For now, I’ll get ...”
Ane Marie interrupted him, “Oh, I don’t mean now. I mean, I mean... I don’t know what I mean.” She got up and went and placed her arms around him and her head on his chest. “I don’t know what I mean. I’m just worried and I feel ‘unsettled’, like something is missing.” She paused. “I really miss our Alma.” She began to sob again.
He encircled her and held her close, tears in his own eyes, wanting to console her when he too felt the loss. He whispered, “I know. I know. I miss her too.”
Finally she stopped and turned her head to look at the table and bags of clothes. “Can we just leave it until the morning? I am so tired.”
“Of course. We can do that in the morning.”
She let go of him and began to get ready for bed. He too started to undress, but then stopped to watch her. Her red hair was always something to look at, especially when she brushed it. She slipped out of her clothes and his eyes settled on her full figure. She didn’t even notice him stop to watch. When she finally had her nightgown on and she sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair, she looked at him and laughed. “What?”
“I just love to watch you. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Now, come to bed.”
He went around and climbed into his side of the bed and then reached for her. He pulled her down to his chest and kissed her. "I mean I really love you. You are so beautiful. I love your hair.”
She kissed him and then sat back up to finish brushing it. When she turned to look at him again, he was asleep. Amanda began to fuss a bit so she stood and went to her. Ole rolled over at the noise and was snoring before Amanda quieted down. Ane Marie went to the table to blow out the light, but sat instead. She pulled the bag of clothes to her and reached into the bottom and pulled out the book. She began to read to herself. “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents...”
She read until the candle burned out. She got up and placed the book on the shelf by her bed. She climbed under the covers and snuggled up next to her husband, placing her arm around him. He didn’t move. She laid there, her eyes closed and her mind going over the story she had read. “How could a family become so divided over something so wonderful as visions from God?”
When Ole stirred at the first light of day, she was still awake, pondering the things that she had read. At his first movement she climbed out of bed and lit the fire. It was cold. She climbed back into bed for a moment. Ole rolled over and put his arm around her. She enjoyed his embrace and the comfort that it brought.
Then she heard Amanda cry and it was morning. She climbed back out of bed and went to Amanda. The baby quickly quit crying and started reaching for her mother. Ane Marie picked her up and whispered “Good morning.” to her. “Are you hungry?” With that she placed the baby in a position to nurse while she one handedly stirred the fire and got a pan down to cook food for the rest. The baby sucked quietly on her breast as she worked.
After a few minutes, Amanda was done and nodding back off to sleep. Ane Marie placed her back on the bed next to Sophie and went back to making breakfast. Thankfully they still had some oats for making porridge and a bit of coffee for a cup or two. The water boiled and she poured some into the coffee pot, over the ground coffee she had scooped from its container. She placed the pot on the hook above the fire and stirred a couple of handfuls of the oats into the remaining boiling water in the pan. She stirred them and added a bit of salt. She remembered that they had no milk, but she did have butter and a bit of sugar. She placed them on the table. She got down the three bowls and spoons and set them on the table.
“Ok, everybody, breakfast. Time to get up.”
Sophie popped out of bed like a jack-in-the-box. She grabbed her blanket and climbed down, careful not to disturb the sleeping Amanda. Ole rolled over onto his side and looked at Ane Marie and Sophie. “Can I have mine in bed?”
Sophie and her mother both chimed in, “No!”
“Well, give me a minute.” He rolled back over and sat up on the edge of the bed. He pulled his pants on and stood up, grabbing his shirt before coming around the end of the bed to sit with Sophie at the table. “Coffee?”
Ane Marie poured him a big cup. It was steaming in the morning air. He looked at the candle in the middle of the table. “I would have sworn that candle was bigger last night. Did we forget to blow it out?”
Ane Marie just smiled and said, “Yes.”
“We can’t afford to do that very often.” Then he took a sip of his coffee. “The porridge smells good. Do we have any bread, I’m hungry?”
“Sorry, no bread. I’ll make some today. I’ll put some more water on so you can shave before you start looking for work?”
“Good idea.” He finished his oatmeal and took another drink of coffee. “I think that I’ll start with the fish mongers. Gustav really liked my act with the fish. He might give me a chance to show what I can do.”
He looked at Sophie and then took his right hand and made a fist with the thumb on the outside, for the lower lip of a mouth. He took two dabs of oatmeal from his bowl and placed them on his hand for eyes. He showed the ‘face’ to Sophie, moving the thumb as a lower lip and throwing his voice. “And what will you be doing this day, young lady?”
Sophie giggled out loud and then talked to the hand very seriously. “I’m going to help mommy make bread and take care of the baby.”
“That sounds like a lot of work. Are you going to have any fun today?” The smile on Ole’s face was getting bigger as his audience of one was so enthralled.
“Oh, yes. I’m going to play with my doll, too.” Sophie’s joy at being the sole audience for her father’s act was enough to make anyone’s day.
“Why thank you for being such a great audience. I hope you have a wonderful day.” With that Ole stood and grabbed Sophie up and gave her a hug. Then he re-made the face and made as if to give his daughter a kiss.
She kissed the hand puppet and then threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you, too.” He put her down and patted her head. “Now, I’ve got to get ready. I have to go find work.“ She sat back on her chair and began to finish her porridge.
Ole used some of the hot water that Ane Marie had prepared to wash his face and then used his straight razor to trim his beard. He looked rather presentable when he finally kissed his girls and walked out the door.
Ane Marie cleared the table and set the bread dough she had made to begin rising. The baby was quiet and Sophie was playing with her doll, so Ane Marie had a few minutes. She took the book down and began to read to herself. Suddenly Sophie was looking at her over the top edge of the book.
“Mommy, what are you reading?”
“A story that Aunt Juliane gave me.”
“Read it to me, Mommy.” Sophie climbed into her chair in anticipation.
“Ok, but no one else is to know that you’ve seen this book. This will be our secret. Ok?”
Now Sophie was even more excited. “Ok, Mommy.”
Ane Marie looked back at the book to find an appropriate place to start reading. She found it. “For behold, it came to pass that fifty and five years had passed away from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem; wherefore....” She read several pages before the bread had risen enough to be pressed down.
Sophie looked at her mother, “Look, Mommy.” She pointed at the dough in the bowl. “Can I do it?”
“Are your hands clean?”
Sophie said “Yes!”, but her mother made her wash them again, anyway. Then she dried them for her. “Now?” She asked.
“Yes.” Ane Marie smiled as Sophie patted the pile of dough. She was ecstatic. Her mother’s smile was just as wide. “Not too hard.” She cautioned. “Ok, that’s enough. Now we let it rise once more and then we will put it in the pans.”
Amanda began to fuss so Ane Marie put the book back and tended to her little one. Sophie watched the bread for another moment and then went and got her doll and began to play.
When Ole finally got home it was already dark, but the smell of the fresh bread was still strong in the home. As he came in he looked at Ane Marie and she knew that he was not happy. But then he smiled at her and said, “The bread smells great. I’m starving.”
She was holding Amanda on her hip. She pulled off a piece of bread for him, and set if on a plate in front of him, on the table. The butter and cheese were already there.
He sat and began to spread the butter on the bread. Then he cut himself a slice of cheese that covered the bread. ”Tomorrow, I’m going back to the packing house. Johansen said that they always need day workers. I’ll have to go real early.”
“I’ll get up and make you a lunch.”
Sophie came up and climbed on his lap. She was already dressed for bed. She had been brushing her hair. He set his bread back on the plate and took the brush from her hand and began to brush her hair for her. “And what have you been doing today? Did you help your mother?”
She basked in the attention. “I helped Mommy make bread.”
“Well, it’s very good. Thank you.” He picked up the rest of the bread and stuffed it in his mouth, “Verrry good.” He mumbled.
Sophie laughed at the face he made. “Daddy, you’re funny.”
He swallowed. “Thank you. You are my favorite audience.”
“And what about me?” Ane Marie asked, as she came around the chair. He stretched out the leg that Sophie wasn’t sitting on and she sat upon it.
“There’s always room for all my girls.” He said, as he hugged them and made faces at Amanda. “I love all of you.”
The next day, after sharing a moment with Ane Marie as she passed him a sandwich of bread and cheese wrapped in paper, he was off to the packing house. He did find a job cleaning dried fish and boxing them for shipment to the rest of Europe and the Americas. This work would only last until the end of the fishing season. It didn’t pay much, but it was enough to keep his family together.
Meanwhile, Ane Marie was teaching Sophie about cooking and cleaning and reading. Reading was Sophie’s favorite thing to do. Her mother would hold her on her lap and they would go over the sounds and what the words meant. This went on for several weeks.
“Be...hold, my bre..ther..n, do ye not re..mem..ber to have read the words of the pro..p..het.”
“Prophet.”
“Prophet. Mommy, what is a prophet?”
“I’m not sure. I think that a prophet is a man that talks with God. You remember the story about Noah and the animals. Noah was a prophet.”
They both jumped when a knock sounded at their door. They hardly ever had any visitors, specially on Mondays. Sophie climbed down and Ane Marie stood and checked her clothes, then her hair. As she reached the door, Sophie grabbed her other hand. They opened the door to be greeted by two men, strangers, but familiar. They both wore dark suits and hats.
The shorter of the two asked, “Mrs. Andreasen?”
“Yes?” she answered. Sophie clung to her hand tightly.
“Your brother, Rasmus, asked us to stop by. We’re the Mormon missionaries. I’m Elder Johnson and this is Elder Anderson. Your brother wanted us to introduce ourselves and see if we can visit with you for a while.” Sophie’s grip eased. “We just saw him and his family yesterday at a meeting and they told us where you lived. May we come in?”
As she opened the door wider to let them enter, she asked, “What happened to Mr. Johansen and Mr. Andersen?”
“Elder Andersen is over in Kalund. Elder Johansen has returned home with a group of Saints. They left two weeks ago. They should be in Zion soon.”
“Elder Johansen told me about his family. I’m sure that he was happy to go home.” She smiled and offered them the two chairs by the table. They continued to stand.
“He served a good mission and he baptized hundreds of people. He’ll be missed here, but it was time for him to go.” He paused for a moment. “We wanted to ask if you have had a chance to read the book that you sister, Juliane, gave you?”
Surprised, she answered, “Juliane told you? She wasn’t supposed to. Yes, we have been reading it.” Sophie raced over and got the book off the table.
“We’re not done with it yet!” Sophie did not want to give up their secret book. She hugged it to her.
Elder Anderson sat down. “Oh! Don’t worry. We’re not here to take it back.” Sophie looked at him and began to smile. “In fact, we’d like to talk to you more about it. What is your favorite part?”
Sophie’s grin went ear to ear. “Well, I don’t like all the fighting, but the story about the tree and the rod was exciting.” She didn’t sound like a five year old when she was speaking.
“I like that part, too.” Sophie began to climb up on his lap and he helped her get a seat. She opened the book to where she and her mother had been reading.
“Mommy was telling me what a prophet was.”
He looked gleeful. “Oh? What did she say?”
“That a prophet was a farmer named Noah and that God talked to him, and that he saved all the animals from the flood.”
“Well, that’s pretty good.” Elder Anderson turned and smiled at Ane Marie and then back at Sophie. “Did you know that this book was translated by a prophet?”
“Really?” Sophie looked at him in amazement. She turned the book over to look at the cover and then went back to the page they had been looking at.
Elder Johnson answered this time, “Really!”
Ane Marie relaxed a bit and turned to her cupboard and them back to them, “Can I offer you gentlemen something to drink? Maybe a bit of bread?”
Elder Johnson answered, “I could use a drink, thank you.” She poured him a glass.
When she looked at Elder Anderson, he shook his head and went back to looking at the book with Sophie. He continued, “Let’s look at that vision of Nephi.” He turned the pages until he found what he was looking for. “See, here it says that Nephi wanted to see what his father, Lehi, had seen. He wanted to understand what it meant. So he, ah, here it is, ‘...desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart...’ Do you know what it means to ‘ponder in your heart’?”
“No.” Sophie looked at him with real intent. “What does it mean?”
“It means to think about it and to pray about it.” Elder Anderson looked at Ane Marie. “Do you know how to pray?”
Sophie answered, “Yes! My Mommy taught me. We pray for Daddy every day.” A smile crossed everyone’s face.
“Good. Well, that’s what Nephi did. He prayed. And you know what his answer was?”
There was a pause, but Elder Anderson went on, “His answer was that the vision his father had seen was real and then he got to see it for himself. He saw the rod and the tree and his family.” Again Elder Anderson turned to Ane Marie. “Have you prayed about this Book of Mormon? Do you believe that it is true?”
Ane Marie hesitated and then answered, “I, uh, we haven’t finished reading it yet.”
Elder Johnson then spoke. “We want you to know that it is true. We believe it. May we come back when you have finished reading it?”
“You may always come back. I don’t know how long it will take us to read it, but we’ll let you know. I’ll tell my brother when I’m done.” She had already read most of the book, getting to the part where Christ had appeared to the people after His resurrection.
“Well, when you have a chance, please pray about the truthfulness of the book. The Spirit will answer your questions, just like he did Nephi’s” Elder Anderson put Sophie on her feet and he and his companion stood to go.
“I do have one question. It’s about this ‘Eternal Life’ that my sister was telling me about. Does that mean that I will see my little girl, Alma? She was never baptized.”
Elder Johnson answered her as he sat down in the chair vacated by Elder Anderson. “Yes, you will see your little girl again. We are taught by the prophet that, through the blessings of the Priesthood, our families will be sealed together for all eternity. That’s why Christ came to this earth and why the gospel has been restored. That’s why we are here on our missions. Our Savior wants you to know about Eternal Life, to know Him.”
“I do not understand it all.” Ane Marie was shaking her head. “Our priest said that Alma was gone forever, because she had not been baptized. Now you two tell me that she is not lost. How am I to know the truth?”
“Pray, Mommy. We can pray.” Sophie’s words stunned even the Elders.
“She’s right.” Elder Anderson was beaming down at little Sophie.
Elder Johnson asked, “Before we go, can we leave say a word of prayer and leave a blessing on your home?”
She nodded and then the Elders kneeled down. She and Sophie joined them and Elder Anderson began the prayer. “Our father who art in Heaven, please hear out prayer for these sisters....”
When he finished, they all said, “Amen.” As they stood, Elder Anderson held out his hand and Ane Marie grasped it in hers. “Thank you,” she said. “I actually feel better. Can you come by next week?”
“We’ll be here.” He let go of her hand, but not before asking, “Can you come to your brother’s house next Sunday? We’re holding church services there.”
“We’ll try.” She escorted them to the door. Sophie was about to follow them, but Ane Marie held her by the shoulder. “Good bye!”
Elder Johnson looked back up the stairs and said, “Good bye, little sister Andreasen.”
Once the door closed, Sophie turned to her mother, “Can we really go see them on Sunday?”
“We will see what your father has to say about it. But please, let me ask him. We do not want him to be overwhelmed. He might say no, just because of the pressure.” She looked at her daughter and realized that she was committing to learn more about this church.
She thought about it all afternoon and came up with several opening remarks. But she discarded all of them. After dark, as Ole was coming up the stairs, it settled on her what she should say. With Amanda in the crook of her arm and Sophie at her skirt, she kissed her husband hello. “You seem to be in a good mood. Did something change at work?”
He looked at her and then the girls. “No. I’m just glad to be home.” He knelt down on one knee and reached for Sophie. “Come and give Daddy a kiss.”
Sophie jumped into his arms and then pushed her head back. “Ewee! Daddy, you smell terrible.”
He put his chin on her cheek and said, “Yes, I do. But it puts food on the table.” With that he reached back through the open door and dragged in a huge chunk of fresh salmon. “How about this?”
“Oh, my! How did you get that?” Ane Marie knew that all the fish Ole worked with were already salted. To get fish as fresh as this would mean that someone brought it in off one of the boats that had just landed.
“Rasmus brought it to me.” He was smiling, but she did not see the twinkle in his eye.
“Rasmus?”
He went on quickly, “Yes. Apparently he went to see Olafsen and they threw him a fish.”
“But why didn’t he come home with you?”
“He did!” And with that he reached around one more time and dragged his laughing brother-in-law into the room. Both men were chortling like schoolboys after playing a prank.
“Hi, Ane Marie.” She hit him in the shoulder with her free hand. “Hello, Sophie!” He took her from her father. “How’s this big girl doing?”
“I’m fine. You’re funny!” She giggled and gave him a big hug.
Ane Marie feigned some irritation for a moment, but then the smile on her face erased that feeling. “How are Kjerstine and the children? We miss them so much.”
“They’re fine. Why don’t all of you come and see them on Sunday? We’re having some friends over and they’d all love to see you.”
“Can we Daddy?” Sophie looked imploringly at her father.
“Sure.” He looked back at Rasmus. “What time do you want us to be there?”
“You should come for lunch. The others will be coming around two.” He looked at his sister and winked, “You can bring your apple pies.”
“I’ll do that. Will you come in and have some diner with us? We have this big piece of fish and we can never eat all of it by ourselves.” She took his hand to lead him to the table, but he didn’t budge.
“I’d love to, but I have two more chunks to deliver, one to Mom and Dad and one to my own family. I have to be going. So, everybody, give me a hug.”
Sophie put her arms around his neck and squeezed as tight as she could. “Thank you, Uncle Rasmus. I love you!”
“I love you too!” Then he put an arm around his sister and chucked Amanda under the chin. “She’s getting bigger every day.” Then he hugged his sister. When he let her go, he looked in her eyes and smiled. “You seem to be much,..” he paused.
“Happier?” said Ane Marie.
“...more at peace.” He looked a moment longer and then turned to Ole. They shook hands. “I’ll see you on Sunday.” With that he went to the door and swung his sack over his shoulder.
As he started down the stairs, Ane Marie and Sophie stepped out on the landing. “Tell Mama and Papa that we love them and we’ll see them soon.”
“Of course. Love you!” and he was off into the fast approaching night. They went back in and shut the door.
Ole was already at the fire, putting some more wood on and getting ready to cook the salmon. Ane Marie put Amanda on the bed and got her knife and cut the pink chunk of salmon into four slices. She grabbed her pan and put some butter and onions in it and set it on the hearth. She grabbed two potatoes and sliced them into the pan. When the butter began to sputter, she flipped the potatoes and onions. In a few moments the potatoes were cooked and she slipped them and the onions onto a plate and put two of the salmon steaks in the pan. She put the other two in a bucket and poured salt over them. Then she got down the bread and set it on the table while the steaks browned on one side. She took down a sprig of tarragon and some chives and crushed them over the fish.
“Sophie, get the plates and forks.” But Sophie was already doing that. She set them on the table like a trained waitress from some fine restaurant.
Ole just stood and watched. “She is a lot of help, isn’t she?”
Ane Marie turned and smiled. “Yes, she is.” She turned back to the steaks, flipped them and they sizzled. “Ok, you two, sit down.” Just before the salmon was ready, Ane Marie took a handful of dried shrimp and threw them in the butter and seasoning. Finally, she took down the largest plate they owned and put the salmon on it and then poured the butter and seasoning over the top.
When she brought the plates of fish and potatoes to the table, both Ole and Sophie ‘ooohed’ their appreciation. This was indeed a wonderful ending to an interesting day. Neither Sophie nor her mother mentioned it, but they both were pleased to be going to Rasmus and Kjerstine’s home on Sunday, without having to explain why.
It was a noisy meal as Ole recounted how he had worked all day only to see Rasmus at the door when he was leaving. That was a miracle to him, since he did not know what he was going to take home to his girls for dinner. At the mention of the word miracle, Ane Marie looked over at her daughter who was smiling back at her. It was their miracle, too.
Amanda awoke and began to fuss. Ane Marie went over and picked her up. She brought her back to the table and began to feed her from her own plate. The baby wasn’t interested in the fish, but she gummed the potato happily. When she was finally placed to her mother’s breast she sucked for only a moment and then fell back to sleep. Ane Marie put her back on the bed. By then Ole and Sophie had already cleared the table. Ane Marie took over for Ole and she and Sophie finished washing and drying the dishes and the pan and placed them back in their places.
Ole sat at the table, watching these two, beautiful women of his life. “So, what have you two been doing all day?”
Sophie answered before looking at her mother, “Reading.”
“What did you read today?”
Ane Marie answered quickly, “Stories about people traveling.” She looked down at Sophie and Sophie giggled. They finished the dishes and Sophie sat and played with her doll for a few moments.
After a while, her mother helped her change for bed and then helped her climb into bed. Ane Marie checked on Amanda, who was still sleeping soundly. She sat down on the edge of her bed and brushed her hair and then looked over at Ole. He was asleep in his chair, his head resting on the back of the chair. She pulled back the covers on his side of the bed.
She went over and gently kissed his forehead. He awoke and pulled her to his lap. “You were sound asleep,” she said.
“And awakened by the kiss of an angel.” He looked at her face and smiled. She did look happier than he had seen her in the months since Alma’s death. She stood up and blew out the candle on the table. Then she took him by the hand and gently pulled him to his feet. He let her lead him to the bed where she sat him down and then bent to take off his shoes and then his pants and then his shirt. She pushed him back on his pillow and he did not resist. Then she took a quick look at her children who were fast asleep and she pulled off her dress and climbed into bed with her husband. They made love and then he held her close until they both fell asleep.
In the next three days of that week, Ane Marie finished reading the book for herself while she and Sophie continued to read for several hours each day. On Friday, the two missionaries knocked at her door. To her surprise, Kjerstine was with them. Kjerstine explained, “The Elders were walking down the street and I was on my way to see you when I met them, so here we are.”
Elder Johnson asked “May we come in?”
Ane Marie was pleased and perplexed. “Yes.” Sophie was sitting at the table with the Book of Mormon open in front of her.
“I see,” said Elder Anderson, “that you have been reading the Book of Mormon. What do you think of it?” He was addressing Sophie.
“It is a really good story. I like the parts about Jesus and how he loved the little children.”
“My goodness.” said Elder Anderson, “You have been reading it.”
Sophie answered for them both. “Every day.”
Her mother broke in. “I’ve read the entire book. And I’ve prayed about it a great deal.”
“Then we need to talk with you a bit about what it will mean to be a member of this church.”
“I’ve read it, but I don’t know about joining your church.” Her concerns were evident in her voice.
Elder Johnson pressed, “Can we use the kitchen table for a bit?”
“Sure.”
Elder Johnson motioned for Ane Marie to have a chair. He remained standing and began, “In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. They came here because they needed a body to become like their Father in heaven. He gave them commandments. Because they disobeyed one of His commandments, they were forced out of the garden. Physical death became a part of every man’s life, but, more importantly, the separation of Man from God also became part of man’s life on earth. Prophets were called of God to teach Man how he could return to God’s presence. Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob taught about a Savior, Jesus Christ, who would come to save the world.”
Elder Anderson then said, “And He did come. We testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He came and took upon Himself our sins, if we believe in Him and are baptized. When we obey him, our sins are washed away and we become clean again. Then we can be with Him forever.”
Elder Johnson went on, “Sophie, do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
“Yes.”
“Good. How about you, sister Andreasen?”
With no hesitation, Ane Marie answered, “Of course.”
Elder Johnson went on, “When Christ bowed down in Gethsemane, He took upon himself our sins. When He hung on the cross of Golgotha, and died for us, it was to overcome death for everyone.”
Elder Anderson again spoke, “After three nights in the tomb, Jesus Christ arose. He was resurrected. He overcame death, and because He did, we are promised that we too will be resurrected, to stand before Him and be judged by Him.”
Ane Marie interrupted them, “But what about my little Alma. She was not baptized? What about her?”
Elder Anderson answered her, “The prophet has told us that little children, before the age of eight, are already holy and do not need baptism.”
“And,” said Elder Johnson, “they enter directly into our Father’s kingdom. Like Christ said, ‘blessed are the little children, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.’ ”
That was the answer she had been waiting to hear. Ane Marie’s response was immediate, “Then I want to be baptized.”
“Me too.” Sophie chimed in, “Me too.”
“Well, sister Sophie, you will have to wait until you are eight.” Elder Johnson saw the tears well up in the little girl’s eyes, but Kjerstine stepped in.
“That’s ok, Sophie. You can be baptized when your cousin Peter gets baptized. We’ll make him wait until warm weather and you can be baptized as the same day. Ok?”
“Now, sister Andreasen,” Elder Anderson waited for the child to nod, “Will that be ok?” She nodded again and he turned to her mother. “And you, sister Andreasen, we will need to wait for your husband’s approval. We never baptize married women without their husband’s consent. Besides, he might want to join you.”
“He hasn’t read the book yet. I don’t know if he will. I’ll have to ask him.” She looked worried.
“I recommend that you ask him when you are in a comfortable situation. We will talk to you all on Sunday.” And with that, they excused themselves and left Kjerstine to visit with her sister-in-law.
Ane Marie did not mention anything about the visit to Ole when he got home that night. It was late, so she fed him and the children and put them all to bed. Then she sat at the table an did some sewing while her mind was going over the things she needed to pray about. The next morning, Ole left for work before she even knew it.
On Saturday, Ole got to come home early. Ane Marie already had the water boiling for his bath when he arrived. She fed him some fresh bread and coffee and went back to her pies. She had used the last of their apples to make two special pies. She hoped her mother would let her have a few more.
Sophie was outside, playing dolls with a neighbor girl, so Ole shucked his clothes and stepped into the washtub in the middle of the floor. It was already half full of cold water. Ane Marie came over and poured some hot water into the tub and he sat down and began to scrub himself clean. She placed the pan of hot water on the floor next to him. He used the lye soap to peel back a layer of dirt that had built up in the month since his last bath. He poured more hot water into the tub and rinsed off. Ane Marie brought him his razor and held the mirror for him as he trimmed his beard. When he finished, his skin was as pink as a new born baby, and he smelled almost as sweet. Ane Marie handed him a towel and he quickly dried himself off. He was all dressed when Sophie came back in from playing.
Ole said, “Ok, Sophie, your turn.”
“But, Daddy, I want to go back out and play with ...”
Her mother interrupted her. “Sorry, young lady. The water is warm now and it won’t be later. Take off your clothes and get into that tub.”
“Yes, mother.” The dejected child was soon splashing water at her father who leaned down to help her wash her back.
Ane Marie had taken the pies off the hearth. They were baked to perfection and only had to cool. She came to her daughter’s tub and told Ole to set the table. “Now, young lady, let’s wash your pretty hair.” Carefully, she took some scented oil she had and mixed it with the lye soap to raise a bit of a lather and then she gently washed her daughter’s hair. Ane Marie had Sophie stand and, using the last of the warm water in the pan, she rinsed the soap from Sophie, starting at the top of her head. Then she dried her off and told her to get dressed for bed.
When Sophie came back to her mother, she smelled sweet and her mother kissed her on the top of her head. “Now, sit down and eat your bread.”
The next morning they all arose and began to get ready to go to Rasmus and Kjerstine’s home. Sophie was excited to see her cousins and Aunt Kjerstine. Twice, her mother had to tell her to finish eating her porridge before she could get down from the table. Ane Marie was also excited, but she didn’t want Ole to know just how excited she was, or why.
By the time they arrived at Rasmus’ house, it was about ten. Kjerstine hugged her sister-in-law and dragged her and her pies into the kitchen. “So tell me, what have you been doing?”
Ane Marie knew the real question, so she answered it. “Yes, I finished reading the Book of Mormon.” The smile on her face answered the next question before it was asked.
“And you did get an answer to your prayer. Good!”
“Yes, and no. Ole does not know yet. I’ve got to tell him today, before the church service starts. I just don’t know how.”
“Well, you better figure it out before the Elders arrive, because they are going to ask you some questions, questions that will change your lives.”
“I know, I..” She was interrupted by her husband’s cough. She looked at the door and at his smiling face.
“I’ve known for weeks that you were doing something that made you happier. I just didn’t know what it was. Now I know.” She looked at him, a little fearful, but he looked back smiling. “I asked Sophie what she was reading and she brought me the book. Apparently you have read it all the way through.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t put it down. Are you angry with me?”
“Of course not. If this church of theirs makes you as happy as I’ve seen you, then I’m all for it.”
“Good, because I want to be baptized.” There it was, out in the open and with no yelling or screaming. “Will you let me?”
He did not hesitate. “Of course, if that will make you happy.”
She ran to him, threw her arms around him and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“We’d better not tell Mama and Papa.” They both looked behind Ole and saw Rasmus standing there. “They are mad at me as it is. Papa told me that unless we leave this church, he will never speak to me again. He will not let Juliane come to church with us anymore.”
“What?” Ane Marie was amazed.
Kjerstine answered her question with, “He even made Juliane promise to never come here again, but Mama made him change his mind about that. She just can’t come on Sundays.”
“Why?” This time it was Ole that asked.
“I think that he believes that the Church has stolen his family from him, first me and now Juliane. If he finds out about you he might disown you as well.”
Ole’s answer to that was a jovial, “Well, I’m not joining any church, so he won’t disown me!”
Rasmus chuckled a bit, and then added, “It’s ok. We will be leaving soon, anyway.” Everyone stopped, waiting for him to finish. He looked around at them, very pleased with himself. “I’ve found someone to take the farm and that will give us enough money. We will be leaving in September. We’re going to America! We’re going to Zion!”
The mood of the discussion was suddenly much more lively. Kjerstine looked at her husband and asked, “Did Hans agree?”
“Yes. He is going to pay us after the crops are in and sold. With that and what we’ll get for ours, we can afford the passage and have a litle to spare.”
“Yes! Yes!” was all that Kjerstine could say. They did a group hug around Rasmus and Kjerstine. There was laughing and crying, all at once.
A few moments later there was a knock at the front door. “I wonder who that is?” said Kjerstine, as she took her apron and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Rasmus went to the door and opened it and then shouted back at the rest, “It’s the Elders.” He turned back to Elder Johnson and Elder Anderson. “Come in, come in. We’re just celebrating.”
“We like celebrations,” said Elder Johnson. “What is this celebration for?”
“We have made arrangements to sell our farm and so we are planning to go to Zion in September.” Rasmus said excitedly. And then, before the missionaries could congratulate him, he turned towards Ane Marie, “And my sister wants to be baptized.”
“Now that,” said Elder Johnson, “is a real reason to celebrate.” He looked at Ole and wasn’t exactly sure what he saw in the man’s face. “How about you, Mr. Andreasen? Do you want to be baptized too?”
“No. Your church is not for me. But my wife is very happy to become a member of your church. That’s enough for me.” He looked down at his wife and hugged her. Her smile was enough to make him grin from ear to ear.
She looked back at the missionaries. “When can I be baptized?”
Elder Johnson looked at her and her family. “How about,” he looked up at the ceiling and pretended to be in deep thought for a moment, “today?” He looked back at them, now very seriously. “We already have a baptism scheduled for two o’clock at the pond on the Grieg’s farm. Would that be ok?
She looked up at Ole and his face was pleased. She turned to her brother and Kjerstine and they were nodding. “That would be wonderful. What do I need to do?”
Kjerstine spoke up, “I’ll help you get ready. I already a white dress you can wear.”
“And I,” said her brother, “would like to be the one to baptize you.” He turned to Elder Anderson, “Is that ok with you, Elder?”
“Of course. You have the Aaronic Priesthood and you hold the office of a Priest. Will that be ok with you, Sister Andreasen?”
And so it was that Rasmus baptized his sister, Ane Marie Andreasen, on Sunday, the first of August, 1880. Her daughters, Ane Sophie and Amanda Petra, and her husband, Ole Andreasen, were there.
Then life went on. Ole continued to work at the packing plant and every Sunday they would travel to the church meetings, where ever they were being held that week. The missionaries continued to try and talk with Ole, and he was cordial at first, but then, after a few months, he tried not to be home when they would come by.
Meanwhile, Ane Marie got pregnant again. As best as she could figure, it happened in September, around the time that Kjerstine and Rasmus took their boat to England. That meant that the new baby would be born about May or June. It would be good news at the Oleson’s home, and she wrote to Kjerstine as soon as the first letter from America arrived.
Meanwhile, at the Ole Rasmussen home, Ane Marie’s mother was excited to have another grandchild. She had been very upset when her son took all of his children and moved to America. “It’s not right, you moving my grandchildren so far from me.” That was all that Maren Rasmussen could say. Then they were gone and, after that, she did not talk of Rasmus or Kjerstine. Even when her husband received a letter, she would not acknowledge it. If she could not cuddle the grandchildren, then it was better for her that they did not exist.
In March Ane Marie got a new letter. Everyone at her house got very excited. She took the letter to her parent’s home to let her mother read it, but her mother wouldn’t have it and huffed back into her kitchen. Ane Marie was now six months pregnant and the cold March wind had tired her. She sat on the good chair to catch her breath, but Juliane couldn’t wait. “What did she say? What is it like there?” So Ane Marie handed Juliane the letter and she started to read.
“January 1st, 1881. Dear Ane Marie and family, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Winter in the mountains is a lot different than in Denmark. From our valley here on Mink Creek, they rise up and up and up. The mountains are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. When we arrived a couple of months ago, the mountain tops were already covered in snow. Now that white blanket has come down and covered the valleys.”
“I remember the snows in Denmark being swept along by the wind, making drifts everywhere, but it never got as deep as it does here. We are told that the temperatures here are colder than at home, but the air is dry. If you bundle up, the cold doesn’t get inside your bones like it did at home. The air is so dry that my lips crack and my skin is rough. The paths to the barns and sheds are almost tunnels, the sides are almost as tall as I am. Our animals all have to have sheds and barns and the feed has to be gathered in before the snows come.”
“Christmas was unbelievable this year. Our first Christmas in America. The presents from Peder and his family were mostly for the children, since we had to leave so many of their toys behind. Who would have thought last year how different this one would be. English is going to be a hard language to learn. But the celebration of the birth of the Savior has been very special for us this year. Rasmus gave me a beautiful box to keep tokens and memories in of our new life here. The Bishopric and their families held a party the night before Christmas and as a new family we got to attend. We sang carols and had wonderful goodies. We are now safely gathered to a place where everyone believes as we do. It is a wonderful feeling.”
“Peder and a lot of the brethren in the area had most of the crops harvested by the time we got here. Peder lives quite a ways away, but he left his oldest son, John, to help us. We now have two milk cows and some sheep. Our house is smaller than our old farm, but it is wonderful to be here.”
“How are my two favorite nieces? Tell Sophia that we think about her a lot. Every time I look at my Peter I remember her and him playing together. I’m sure that little Amanda isn’t so little anymore. I hope that Sophia takes care of her for you. At two years old, I bet that Amanda is giving Sophia a run for her money. Our Maren tries to help, but Hannah runs her ragged.”
“It’s great news to hear that you are going to have another baby. We are so proud of you and happy for you. What are you going to name the baby? What do you want, a boy or another girl?”
“Is Ole still listening to the missionaries? How is the Church since we left? I know that more than half of the members came with us, but we hope that it is still growing strong.”
“January 10th, 1881. Sorry. I did not get this sent because we have been so busy. A blizzard hit and we’ve been working very hard to take care of everything. I hope that you will forgive me.”
“Rasmus and some of his friends went hunting yesterday and left me alone with the children and the chores. I know that we need the meat, but I hate milking cows twice a day. Our Ole has been a great help, but he’s still only six. Well, he’ll be seven in March, but still, a 70 pound boy trying to push an 800 pound cow into her stall is something to see.”
“Please tell your mother that we all love her and miss her. And that her grandchildren are safe and growing like weeds.”
“I have to end this now as our neighbor has come by on his way in to Preston and he’s promised to take any mail that we have going out. We all love all of you. Kjerstine, Rasmus, Peter, Maren and Hannah.”
The two sisters were disappointed that there wasn’t any more to Kjerstine’s letter, but it was still great news. Then they heard the sniffing in the kitchen and they realized that their mother had been listening. They both smiled.
Ole had been out of work for a bit and they had to give up their apartment and move in with his mother to allow them to get on their feet while Ane Marie was down with the baby. He did find another job, back on the boats. There wasn’t any other kind of work to be had in the town and he had to bring in food.
The time passed quickly for others, but for Ane Marie, the hotter the days got, the harder the pregnancy was, until, finally, in June, she could not even get out of bed. Alma Heelvig Andreasen was born on June 13th, 1881 at mother Andreasen’s home in Copenhagen. Even though she was named Alma, after the baby that had died, everyone called her Alice.
Ole’s mother was very pleased to have her son and his family in her home. Her youngest daughter had gotten married a couple of years before and she had been alone. Now, with a newborn to care for and with little Sophie and Amanda as constant companions, she was back in charge, teaching and taking over, day by day.
That summer, another letter arrived from America. With it came the news that Kjerstine was pregnant and due in November. Ane Marie had written about the birth of Alice and that they were now living with Ole’s mom. She was not happy with the arrangement. Giving up being the lady of the house was not an easy thing for her. Before she had the freedom to go and do when she pleased but now she was always on call for her mother-in-law. It was not easy.
Kjerstine had written back about her family and how the summer had gone. Rasmus and the neighbors were busy irrigating and weeding. She and Peter and Maren were busy with the garden and the house. Her pregnancy was apparently an easier one.
