William Christian Willumson

William Christian Willumson

LIFE SKETCH OF WILLIAM CHRISTIAN WILLIAMSON, also known as WILLIAM CHRISTIAN WILLUMSEN and WILLUM CHRISTIAN LARSEN

William C. Williamson was the son of Lars Christian Willumsen and Sene (Zinne or Sine) Christensen Williamson (Willumsen). He was born December 13, 1813, at Milbak, Lendum Parish, Hjorring Amt., Denmark. He attended the village school in his youth and also learned to be a farmer.

His first wife, Elsie (Elsa) Maria Nielsen, was born in November 1818, and died in December 1850, having three children: Sina Maria who was born July 22, 1843, in Denmark; Neils C., born 1846 and died in October 1855; and Lars C., who was born October 3, 1847.

His second wife, Nekolene (Nikkoline) Carlsen, was born September 9, 1818, in Hermested, Hjorring, Denmark, and died in 1853, in Denmark. They had one child, Thomas C., who was born September 7, 1851.

His third wife was Christena (Christine) Sophie Helesen, who was born July 19, 1833, in Favrholt, Hjorring, Denmark. She married William C. Williamson in 1858. They had seven children. They were naturally very religious and belonged to the Protestant or Lutheran Church. When the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints came to their village preaching the Gospel the Williamsons were converted and joined the Church. They were baptized on April 30, 1859. Quite a number of people from their little town joined the Church and they were all glad to emigrate to America to be away from the ridicule that they had to endure in their homeland.

William and Christena and their three children, Margrethe Dorothy born December 7, 1859, Christine, born March 22, 1862, and Sena Dena, born February 19, 1865, together with the families of Christian Hebertson, Mrs. Frederickson, and young Andrew Jenson (later Church historian), left Denmark for America. They crossed the Atlantic on the ship “Kenilworth” which sailed from Hamburg, Germany, on Friday, May 25, 1866, and was fifty-six days on the ocean. There were 684 European Saints on board, under the direction of Samuel L. Sprague. Twelve were buried in the ocean, during the voyage. They landed in New York on July 17, 1866, and then traveled on the railroad via Montreal, Canada, part of the time in cattle cars, until they reached the station in Wyoming where church members from Utah with wagons and teams awaited them.

They left the Wyoming camp on August 8, 1866, with forty-nine wagons and about three hundred emigrants. Andrew H. Scott of Provo was the captain of the company. About thirty people, including the infant daughter (Sena Dena) of Brother and Sister Williamson died on the journey and were buried along by the side of the road. It was certainly a very great trial for the Saints to leave their loved ones in the crude unmarked graves and pass on with a “Good-bye forever.” They arrived in Salt Lake on Monday, October 8, 1866, and came directly to Pleasant Grove where they established their home. The family of John and Carlotte Wright from England, whom they had met in Wyoming, and also the before mentioned Hebertsons, Fredericksons, and Andrew Jenson, all joined the Williamsons in settling Pleasant Grove.

The first home of the Williamsons was a dugout, partly above ground. It was here that William Christian Williamson was born September 19, 1867, and later Elinora Williamson was born August 25, 1870. They later had a much better home. Emily was born September 7, 1873, and Ane Sena on March 10, 1878.

They engaged in all of the pioneering activities there. Giving freely of their means and labor in every community activity. It took just such people as these to build this great state of Utah. People who could toil many hours of the day, endure hardship and privations, while living on the plainest of food. Through their industry and frugality they gradually became the possessors of good farms and comfortable homes.

Brother Williamson held the Melchizedek Priesthood and faithfully performed every required duty. He and his wife did the work in the Temple for all of their dead, whose records were available. He was a great lover of books and he kept a daily diary all during his adult life. He died in Pleasant Grove on March 25, 1890.

He kept up correspondence with his Brother, Niels, who came to America and remained in the Eastern States. His half-brother, Christian Williamsen, came to Utah and also lived in Pleasant Grove, where he married Louise _______. They had one son, Thomas who was blind, and a daughter, Christancy, who married a Mr. Shimmins.

William C. Williamson’s son, Thomas C., also came to Utah, married and reared a family in Pleasant Grove. Sena later came to Utah and married Niels Larson. They lived in Vineyard Ward south of Pleasant Grove, Utah.

William C. Williamsen died at the age of 77 years on March 25, 1890, and was buried in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Pleasant Grove, Utah County, Utah. Christena, his wife, lived on in Pleasant Grove for 36 years after her husband’s death and died at the age of 93 years on January 1, 1926, and was buried by the side of her husband.