The United Order and Second Marriage
Mouritz and Annie struggled in the new land.
In 1874, after more than 4 years in Utah, he makes the following notation in
his diary:
"In the year 1874, in the month of March
began the United Order. I went into this association with all that I had.
My little property, which I transferred consisted of 2 oxen, three-year olds
and 1 two-year old, 1 heifer, two-year old, 1 cow, which received the valuation
of 35 dollars, some 18 dollars in Co-op Store (credit), the total amounted
to 100 dollars, and I began to work in the association on the 5th of May,
1874"
Much of Mouritz' diary after this is taken up with recording
labor and debts. For example, here's the entire year's entry for 1876:
January 1876 I did 5 days; hauled hay to Salt Lake and
worked in the coal mine.
February 1876 Did 4 days; loaded manure for P Larson; hauled husked corn.
April 1876. I did 7 days -- plowed; sowed; and planted corn.
May 1876, I did 16 days -- plowed and planted corn and cane
June 1876 . I did 20 days and 1hour mowing clover and lucerne
July 1876 I did 17 days in various places at plowing (cultivating) corn
and cane. on the 29th, began to bind up wheat.
August 1876, I did 26 days of 8 hours at binding up about every day, until
the 25th, -- then I began to mow hay with the machine.
September 1876, I did 22~ days, part of which was hauling wheat and hay.
October 1876, I did 17 days and 13 hours at hauling hay, corn, and lumber.
November 1876,1 did 3 days and 4 hours hauling on the road; hauled gravel.
It was interesting that he failed to make mention of one
of the most important times in his life - at least as far as we were concerned.
He and Annie hadn't been able to have children. Mouritz was
to take a second wife, much like Abraham had. I don't know when or how they
arrived at the decision, but I'm sure it wasn't easy. I'm also sure that when
they made the decision, there wasn't a candidate in mind, but fate intervened.
In 1874, a 20 year-old girl was baptized and left Denmark
for Utah. Her name was Mariane Christena Nielsen. She had been disowned by
her father when, a few years earlier, she'd announced her intention to join
the Church. Eva Proctor apparently had a diary written by Mariane.
Sometme between 1874 and 1876, Mouritz met the young woman
in the home of a mutual friend, Boos Peterson, where she was helping with
Boos' wife during childbirth.
Mouritz called Annie "Stena" and Mariane's family
and friends all called her "Stena" too. In order to differentiate,
Mouritz called Mariane "Mary Chrstena".
Mouritz married "Mary Chrstena" 28 October, 1876
in the Endowment House. Mariane was 25 years younger than Mouritz.
Some accounts claim that she lived with her Grandmother Ane
Thomasen until Ane died, before Mouritz and Christena met. Other accounts
tell us that she took care of her grandmother for about a year after she and
Mouritz were married. That last is more than likely what happened. Grandma
died sometime in 1877.
Eva Proctor tells us that Mouritz and Mary lived in Grandma's
house for awhile after her death. Mouritz built a house for Mary Christena
on the southwest corner of the block just to the east of the Pleasant Grove
cemetery. Mouritz was the Sexton and undertaker, and he used part of the cemetery
to grow crops on. That house is still in existence, although doubtlessly changed
a lot from the two room house that Mouritz built.
The house is at 100 East and 400 North
Eva tells us that "Annie Stena" lived
just south of them.
In March, 1878, Mouritz records in his journal:
29 I got Blacksmith Hansen to fix me up my
brand M_A, which cost 2 dollars. I branded my animals. I spotted two-year-old
heifer branded on the left side. and on left hip. 1 brindlefaced yearing heifer
calf branded in the same manner. 1 red yearling branded on the left side and
A_P on the right shoulder.
On October 22, 1878, a son, Alma Andrew, was
born to Mouritz and Mary. Interestingly, Mouritz doesn't record these events
in his diary, although he does record the days he worked for the Order, and
what kind of work he did, what church meetings he attended and who the speakers
were. In fact, one of the few entries relating to his own families is on March
18, 1880 when he records that "my boy took sick".
Eva tells us that a Brother Peterson and Mouritz
administered to him and that Brother Peterson blessed him that he would grow
up to be a great leader. He became the bishop of the Rigby, Idaho ward for
12 years, and very active in the scout program of the Church. He served as
a general authority in the scout program for several years.
On January 26, 1880 a dark-haired girl, Tena
Christena, was born. In typical Mouritz' fashion he records in his diary
25 Sunday, to meeting: Hayes and Richards [spoke].
26, 27, 28, 29, at home.
30 I bought a cow from Blacksmith Hansen for 10. dollars in labor; 2 dollars
for an acre of old ground, 3 dollars for an acre of new ground; besides
to feed a cow for two months, from the 30th of January to the first of March,
which was valued at 5 dollars; hence a total of 15 dollars for the cow.
On October 10, 1882 Edwin Mouritz was born. Edwin was my
grandfather.
A family friend died leaving her children motherless. Annie
Stena and Mouritz took her daughter Tora in. Soon after, Tora's father died
too. Anie and Mouritz decided to raise the girl as their own.
Eva tells us that Mouritz "was working as sexton, and
along with his good wives they pretty well kept care of the dead in Pleasant
Grove. Mary sewed the clothing, Annie helped to layout the dead and he cared
for the graves and helped to build their caskets." Many entries in Mouritz'
diary relate to this work.
Eva's story continues "On the 21st day of August, 1885,
Mouritz had not come home for dinner. Mary walked over to the Cemetery to
see why. She found him unconscious in the grave he had been digging. She called
to Andrew and he ran as fast as his little 8 year old legs could carry him
and brought Peter Larsen and Annie. They got him over to his home, but he
died a few hours later."
There is a family legend that Mouritz was digging a grave
when he accidentally dug into the coffin in the next grave. The body in that
grave (one of his best friends) fell on him and he died either from some disease
contracted from the body or the shock and trauma. Another legend attributes
his death to an on-going medical condition from wounds suffered either in
the war in Denmark or some indian raid. It seems unlikely that Mouritz saw
any indian raid since the Blackhawk war had pretty well ended in 1867 and
Mouritz didn't come to Utah until 1869.
On the fourth of February, 1886, five months after Mouritz'
death, Mary gave birth to another girl, Annatta Mirrintha Anderson. Just a
year later a Small Pox epidemic struck the small community. Annata Mirrintha
died October 9, 1887.
For some reason Mouritz changed the spelling of his surname
from AndersEn to AndersOn. I heard a family legend that there was another
Mouritz Andersen and their mail was constantly getting mixed-up. They tossed
a coin and our Mouritz was the one who had to change his name.
The new.familysearch.org website shows a Johanne Christiansen
as one of Mouritz' wives. There aren't many more details of this person, including
a marriage date, good birth and parent information, etc. While this person
may have been a third wife, she's not mentioned in Eva's history or Mouritz'
diary. There may have been some confusion about Annie's sister who emigrated
from Denmark with Mouritz and Annie.
I don't have a picture of Mouritz, at least none that I've
found yet. I do have two pictures that are very dear to me:
Tena, Ed, Mary and Andrew
Ed, Mary and Ed's wife, Laura.
