Jacob Dastrup Stories about his life from an interview with his granddaughter, Arda Jean Warnock Christensen By Rachel Christensen Clark

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Jacob Dastrup was born in 1865 in Utah. He was the son of pioneers. His father, Hans Lorentz Dastrup and mother, Ane Marie Olsen were both Danish immigrants that had come to Utah to be with the Latter-day Saints. Ane Marie Olsen was Hans Lorentz’s second wife. Jacob was born in Mount Pleasant, Utah territory. The oldest three brothers were named for the apostles. Peter Jacob and John. Jacob is the Danish name for James.

These boys were the oldest of a large family. They were trying to grub out a living in rough country. The boys were put to work early. When Peter was just 8 years old and Jacob only 6 years old they were sent with the wagon to the foothills to gather wood. As they were working some Indians came upon them, little Jacob was so frightened all he could was cry. Peter, trying to be brave, just kept working. The Indians left them unharmed. The next day the boys saw the Indians in town. Obviously they were friendly. The Indians looked at the boys and told everyone in town the story, in simple terms. They pointed to Peter and said chop, chop! Then they pointed to Jacob and said boo hoo! This must have insulted Jacob a bit.

Hard work was a way of life, when Jacob was a young man he and other boys ran a freight team. With a wagon and a team, they would move things from one town to another. This was a valuable service as they was no mail or other delivery service at the time. Jacob had his 15th birthday on the trail. Some of the other boys on the trail used tobacco and teased Jacob about not smoking. They would say things like; “why don’t you smoke? Did your daddy tell you not to smoke? Did your mommy tell you not to smoke? Did your Sunday School Teacher tell you not to smoke? Can’t you think for yourself?” Jacob tried to ignore them. One day out on the trail away from any town they ran out of tobacco. The boys were pretty worked up. They wanted tobacco and they wanted it now! They decided that someone, on a fast horse would ride to town purchase the tobacco and return. Jacob had the fastest horse so they decided he should go. Jacob looked at them and said, “Who told you to smoke? Did your daddy tell you to smoke? Did your mommy tell you to smoke? Did your Sunday School Teacher tell you to smoke? Can’t you think for yourselves? I do not smoke and my horse does not go for tobacco!”

When on the freight trail the boys did not like to wash their dishes. So they made a rule that if they could remember what was in the dish last they did not need to wash it. If they could not remember what was in the dish last they would put their foot in it, problem solved, now they could remember what was in it last and did not need to wash it!

Jacob’s father had been a carpenter or cabinetmaker in Denmark. He taught his son this skill. Jacob made himself a grub box for the freight trail. His granddaughter, Arda Jean remembers seeing it at her Aunt Louise’s home years after Jacob’s death. It was not a crude wooden box. It was a well-made chest that opened and had trays in it that could come out so the box could be stocked in layers.

Jacob was always good with horses. He treated his animals well. He had no patience for those who whipped or abused their animals in anyway. He had an eye for a good animal. He often would return home with a different team in an effort to trade up.

Jacob was a farmer by trade and homesteaded land in Sigurd, Utah. This land he later divided up for his children. They each received about a square acre for home plots. This land is where they raised their families and lived their lives.

In about 1945 Grandpa Jacob moved in with his daughter Lexia’s family after his wife, Pauline, died. Arda Jean, his granddaughter, remembers him well. He lived with them until his death in December of 1951. He lived in the main floor bedroom that was an addition to the Warnock’s family home.