Frank & Ada Jensen
Eliza Kirstine & Neils Jensen

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Frank & Ada Jensen "I was born in a small country home in Mink Creek, Idaho, on March 22, 1894. I was the last child in a family of ten--six boys and four girls. A lovely lady by the name of Mrs. Zink (I learned to know her personally as the time went on) attended mother. Doctors in those days were unavailable for this chore, only in very exceptionally bad cases. I have been brought to understand that I was not a super strong baby, and for a time it was a question as to whether I would survive or not. But under the watchful eye of Mrs. Zink and mother, I was soon a healthy robust child, as the story goes. Mink Creek at that time was still in a rather primitive stage. Roads, especially in the springtime, were terrible. Preston, Idaho, was a small village just beginning to grow as irrigation water was brought to the desert flats from Cub River and Mink Creek. My early schooling was at what was then known as the "little yellow school house" situated about 2 1/2 miles from our home. My first teacher was a Mr. Weber. He was a most wonderful man, kind and very considerate of beginners. That was the school year of winter 1900 and 1901. I attended school there until I was 11 years old. In 1905 dad and mother built a new home in Preston and I attended school at the Central School building, the first year of its operation. This was considered a very fine school at that time. I completed the Page 1 eight grades at this school and attended what was then the Oneida Stake Academy for one year. Highlights of our 8th grade graduation exercises were first the address to the graduates, which was given by the then Governor of Idaho, Honorable James H. Brady, and second, he consented, and it seemed quite enthusiastically, to have his picture taken with the group. We were all impressed by his jovial mood and he seemed to enjoy the whole program as much as we. Life on the farm was about the expected routine. Dad at that time was figured a big cattleman. He loved the business and owned in the neighborhood of 200 head of cattle and 40 milk cows. Buyers would come to the ranch and deal with him every spring; generally about 100 head were included in the deal at approximately per head for three-year-old cattle. Religious conditions in the home were about on a par with an ordinary LDS family, except attending church as a family group. When dad and mother came to this country they were staunch members of the Church, but after making their home in Mink Creek it seemed, as I understand it, that friction between them and the ward authorities began to develop, at first mostly on local affairs and then as time traveled on, church issues and doctrines were included until, by their desire, they were excommunicated from the Church. The family continued to live a Christian plan of life outside the Church. Father remained out of the Church until death but the rest of the family came back. Mother was a most faithful member during her last years. After moving to Preston, dad leased the farm and cattle to the older brothers, James, Hans, and Daniel. As boys, Harry and I stayed on the farm in the summer months and went to Preston to live with mother and dad during the winter months. Soon after taking charge of the place, my brothers switched from cattle to sheep. I helped with the sheep, feeding in winter and grazing on the open public domain in summer. I enjoyed living out in the forest with the sheep and to this day I enjoy visiting my old campgrounds. I was alone much of the time as Hans, who was the sheep foreman, would go home and help with the haying on the farm. It wasn't long until getting summer range for the sheep was almost impossible and rather expensive, so in 1915 my brothers decided to sell the sheep and the farm was sold and divided between the five boys, James, Hans, Daniel, Harry and me. James and Hans operated their share independently while Dan, Harry, and I managed ours in partnership for some time until we were all married. In 1917 when the United States entered the World Ward and Uncle Sam began drafting soldiers for the Army, I was chosen on the first rattle of the box to serve from Mink Creek, which was then a Bannock County precinct. At first I wasn't too enthusiastic about it as I had always hated war, but as the urgent need became obvious, I was willing and felt the Army was the proper place for me. I served 19 months--10 months in the United States and 9 months overseas. I was assigned to the 347th Regiment, Battery D, Field Artillery. Training in the use and functions of artillery was slow and necessary equipment was scarce, so we did not get into action at the front although we were in what was considered combat area in the Argonne Forest four days before the Armistice came. After the Armistice, we were sent with the Army of Occupation into Germany proper. We were treated quite well by the Germans who seemed to be as happy as we that the war was over. A little might be said about our trip from Camp Lewis, Washington, where we were stationed, to France. The trip across the States was enjoyable. We were greeted along the way by enthusiastic spectators who happened to see us. Our trip was secret as much as possible. We came through Pocatello and Montpelier. If there had been some way to notify the folks, I could have had a good visit as we stopped in Montpelier about an hour for rail clearance. We were stationed at a camp in New Jersey, not far from New York City. Soldiers were given passes to visit New York, but my turn came at about the end of our stay. Although we got to the big city, it was not for long as one hour after we arrived, word came from headquarters for us to report back to camp at once as we were to board a ship for France the next morning. We crossed the ocean in a British convoy. The trip was uneventful, but the food, English rations, were rotten and we were sure happy to get back on U.S. rations again when we landed in France. We were stationed at Bordeaux for some time receiving training with the new equipment being issued to be used in combat. The trip from Bordeaux to the Argonne Forest was in boxcars, 40 men to a boxcar about one half the size of our boxcars in the United States. We traveled through Paris but did not see much of the city. Our trip through the Argonne Forest into Germany was by four-wheel-drive motor trucks as the road was very poor and the mud was deep. On the way we traveled through Luxembourg. It was very nice through there as they had not participated in the war and had not been damaged much. Our trip from the German border to Coblenz was through nice country as the Germans knew when to quit and their country was not hurt too much. We spent the winter of 1918-19 with the Occupation Army. There was not much to do and the time slowly passed in anticipation of our going home soon. In March the order came for us to proceed toward Brest, France, where we would embark for the United States. Most of the trip was again in boxcars and they were infested with lice. I guess when we arrived at Brest we were really lousy because we had to go through a delousing process before entering the camp for debarkation. We crossed the ocean in one of Britain’s most luxurious ships, the Acquatania, a sister ship of the Queen Mary. This was real luxury as compared with our trip from New York to France. We arrived in New York about April 1, 1919. We were all happy to see the Statue of Liberty again. We were stationed in New York for a short time but were not given much liberty. Most of Battery D was from California so they were sent to San Francisco for mustering out. We from Idaho were sent to Fort Russell, Wyoming. I was mustered out April 19, 1919, and was home in a day or two thereafter. After the wonderful realization of being home had become an enjoyable fact, I was soon caught in the social whirl of the Mink Creek Ward. In the fall of 1919 the MIA was reorganized with Horace Baird, a recently returned missionary, as president. He chose as counselors myself and Orlando Rasmussen. I was happy to be involved in the Ward Senior M-Men Basketball team. Other team members were Marinus Hansen, Norman Larsen, Elias Hansen, and Ervin Larsen. It was during this activity that my attention was drawn to a young lady by the name of Ada Geneva Petersen (also of early pioneer stock, the Petersen and Larsen families). I could hardly believe my good fortune when my attentions to her were met with favorable response. After a little more than one year, she accepted me as a prominent candidate to be her future husband. On the 23rd of June 1920, this romance became an actual fact. We were married in the Logan Temple, President Shepard officiating. Now I was faced with the fact that I had a small ranch in partnership with Daniel, Harry, and myself with few needed improvements and plenty debt (about the only thing we had accomplished for sure in the years we labored together). I hardly knew where I was going to get means to support my new wife. I can be thankful that she was economy minded and was willing to make the best of things as they then existed. We lived with Dan and Mahalia for about two years. During this time we were blessed with a lovely daughter. She was christened Ivonne. She was born March 2, 1922. I'll never forget the circumstances surrounding that night. In the first part of the evening - of March 1, I had traveled out on Capitol Hill where Sister Nancy Rasmussen, a community nurse, lived and brought her to our home when it was evident that the baby was on the way. Dr. Allen R. Cutler, Jr., was summoned from Preston. A very bad storm prevailed and the snow was deep. The doctor and a hired driver came by cutter. They said it was drifting on the sandy flat until the team could hardly get through. The doctor and nurse stayed all night, as progress with the birth was slow. Ivonne was born about 6:00 a.m. on March 2, 1922. Everyone was overjoyed at the safe arrival of such a lovely little girl. In three weeks the little girl became afflicted with some sort of skin eruption. This was terrible and all her skin peeled off and new came on. After this was over she was a healthy and lovely child, and has been a joy and pride with us to this day. It wasn't long now until all concerned decided that the best thing for us to do was to dissolve our farm partnership and each family branch out for itself. In the fall of 1922 we built a small home a short distance up the creek from where we had been living. We moved in with nothing but bare rough lumber walls--no window casings, blinds, or curtains--and proceeded to finish it a little at a time as we could afford it. Even so we enjoyed being to ourselves. Considerable debt in proportion to our meager income was heaped up on us as we assumed our share of the partnership debt and got the necessary equipment for our new venture. Dairying was our main source of income. We enjoyed working with the cows and the increase in calves as they came along. In the spring of 1925 we built a slope barn to shelter our cows. On November 21, 1925, a new baby boy came to join our happy family. This created a condition that I shall never forget. When announcing his intentions to come, he lost no time in presenting himself. I was alone with Ada when he arrived as the nurse and doctor had not arrived yet. I ran down to Harry's house and told them, and Harry summoned Aunt Dora. In the meantime Mahalia had come. They were busy reading in a doctor book what to do when Nancy Rasmussen arrived. Dr. Cutler came soon thereafter. I was a nervous wreck about what could have happened, but the guarding angels were sure with us and everything came out fine. The boy was named Varon and has always been a wonderful source of pleasure to us. My church activities after leaving the MIA consisted of being a ward teacher and secretary of the Elders Quorum. In 1924 Bishop William E. Crane let it be known to me that he desired me to be his Ward Clerk. I was worried about how I could ever find time to attend to this big job, but accepted it and it seemed that I was somehow blessed with the necessary time. I held the position for eleven years, 1924 to 1935. Thereafter I was stricken with a severe hearing impairment, which pretty well curtailed my church activity. In 1927 we could plainly see that the small farm could not bring us the income we needed, so as the Mink Creek Cream Association was accepting bids to handle the cream hauling job, Marinus Hansen and I placed a bid for the job. Our bid was accepted but through some controversy between Mr. Hansen and the board of directors, he was rejected by the board. They, however, wanted me to see if I could secure another partner and take the job. After some time elapsed, I secured Elias Hansen as a partner. We started out February 27, 1927, with the gathering and hauling by team and wagon. As our association was selling cream to Armour and Co. of Pocatello, it was necessary for us to deliver our loads to Preston by team and then we hired a delivery truck to deliver it to Dayton, Idaho, where it was sent to Pocatello by railroad. In the spring of 1927 Mr. Hansen purchased a truck and for one year he did the hauling to Dayton and I did the local gathering with the team. In the first part of 1928, Mrs. Kloa Bell, who was doing the testing and writing the association checks, resigned and I was asked to take her part of the job also. Mr. Hansen and I worked together at this too. In the spring of 1928 we made a deal with Armour to deliver the cream to Pocatello so I purchased a new Chevy truck and we together gathered and delivered our produce to Pocatello. As a side issue we hauled livestock to Ogden. My brother-in-law, Alvin Petersen, joined us in the endeavor to a small extent. This program continued to early 1930 as the great depression was in full swing at that time. Armour could no longer pay the extra hauling charge in getting our cream, so the association made a deal with the Idahome Creamery at Preston and we began delivering our cream there. It wasn't long until the Association changed to selling our cream to Sego Milk Products Company in Preston. This continued until 1936 when the Association was urged to sell fluid milk. As this, at that time, was a job for only one man, Mr. Hansen resigned. He afterwards was elected sheriff of the county. I handled the milk job, which consisted of part milk and part cream because some customers did not desire to sell their skimmed milk. I would gather and deliver the milk everyday and gather the cream from customers selling cream every Monday. On these days, I would take the milk in and come back and gather the cream and deliver it that evening. This generally constituted a long hard day. During this period we hired most of our farm work done. My nephews, Mark, Leeral, and Freeman Jensen worked for us as hired help. On December 2, 1939, our home was again blessed with a lovely girl. She was christened Lael by Taylor Nelson, then President of Oneida Stake. She, like the preceding children, was blessed with a lovely personality and brought much joy and comfort to our home. On June 6, 1936, another happy, lovely little boy came to join us. He was christened George F. Jensen by his father, Frank G. Jensen. We as parents are pleased that all our children were blessed with an urgent desire for higher education and we were happy to be able to help them with funds they needed above what they could earn themselves. All did very well in school and always gained good marks as they progressed in their chosen fields. Three have been very fortunate in their choice of life companions. George has not made the venture yet but we sincerely hope he will be as well blessed as the others when that step is taken. Health conditions have not been the best for me. Along with the severe hearing impairment I have been afflicted with arthritis until I can hardly get around and the need for crutches is very apparent now. Doctors seem to be able to do very little to help this condition. After health conditions made it impossible for me to do the farm work we leased the place to Freaman Jensen. We still live on the farm and I doubt we will leave as the city life, it seems, is not for us and the children enjoy coming back to the old home to spend their vacations and that probably is our greatest pleasure when they do that." (Frank Jensen passed away quietly at the Veteran's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the morning of June 17, 1963, after a long illness. He was buried on one of his beloved Mink Creek Hills on Friday, June 21, 1963.)
Eliza Kirstine & Neils Jensen by Lillie Christina Jensen Kofoed "Neils Christian Jensen was born March 18, 1868, at Rom Albeck, Hjoring,Denmark. He was the son of Jens Hansen and Annie Marie Hansen. He took the name of Jensen because he was the son of Jens, as was the custom. He was one of four children, having two sisters and one brother, Hans, who died when he was four and one-half years old. His mother died when he was four years old. His older sister, Hansine Marie, took care of the family. His sisters were Hansine Marie and Margaret. They lived in a beautiful red brick house with their father. My father was baptized June 8, 1876. The family all joined the Church in Denmark. They were happy there in their home. Then their sister, Hansine Marie, met and married Thomas Jensen who was a missionary there in Denmark. They set sail for America that same day, June 21, 1876. His father and sister, Margaret, came with them. They settled in Richfield, Utah (Sevier County). They moved to Mantua (sometimes called Point Look Out) Box Elder County, the 4th of February 1878, and from there to Mink Creek, Oneida County (now Franklin County), Idaho, in 1880. My mother, Eliza Kirstine Jensen, was born in Richfield, Sevier County, Utah, August 1, 1877, a daughter of Thomas Jensen and Hansine Marie Hansen Jensen. She was blessed 15 May 1881 by R. Rasmussen and baptized in Mink Creek, Idaho. She grew up in Mink Creek, Idaho, with five brothers and two sisters, one sister and one brother having died in infancy. She was sealed to her parents 9 July 1884. When she was 18 years old, she married Neils Christian Jensen who was her mother's brother or, in other words, her uncle, in 1895. Page 1 They lived in a little log house on the farm father had homesteaded. There Irene Eliza was born June 3, 1896. Then June 21, 1898, Pearl Hansine was born, and on May 13, 1900, Lillie Christina was born. Mother seemed to be getting along fine. Her sister, Christina, was staying with her. Then something happened, and she suddenly died on May 24, 1900. She had been up and eaten a good dinner and then gone back to bed with me on her arm. Aunt Stena, as she was called, was outside hanging clothes when she heard a noise and hurried in to see what was the matter. She found mother was already dead. Aunt Stena ran the mile or so down to get Grandma Jensen. I, of course, didn't even know my mother, but knowing all her brothers and sisters, and her parents, who cared for me, I am sure she was good and kind and did all she could for loved ones. Irene and Pearl were cared for by uncles and aunts. After my mother died, dad had a hard time of it. He hadn't any education so worked for some men (mostly herding their sheep-along with his own). He had a good farm and quite a few sheep of his own, but through some crooked work, these men got his sheep herd away from him. He became discouraged and left to go up in the Teton country to herd sheep for a man named Mecham, and we only heard from him once. He sent us a picture of him on a white horse. In later years we have tried and tried to find out what happened to him, but have never been able to find out anything at all. I was told by a man from Mink Creek who knew my father and he said that father was a very kind and gentle man.