Christian Willardsen

BIOGRAPHY OF CHRISTIAN WILLARDSEN

By Marie Willardsen

Christian Willardsen, one of the pioneer settlers of Ephraim, Sanpete County, Utah, was born near the city of Skiva, Viborg amt, Denmark, April 6, 1811. Being left an orphan when very small and compelled to rely on his own resources, he started life without money, but soon obtained a farm and made himself quite comfortable. Becoming a convert to “Mormonism,” he was baptized in 1852 by Elder Christian Christiansen and left Denmark in December 1852, immigrating to America, together with his wife Karen Sorensen whom he had married in Denmark April 2, 1851. They crossed the Atlantic in the ship “Forest Monarch” and the plains in John E. Forsgren’s company, which arrived in Salt Lake City September 30, 1853. Together with others of the same emigrant company, Brother Willardsen and wife first located in the so-called Allred Settlement (now Spring City), but were driven away by the Indians and spent the winter of 1853-54 in Manti. In the spring of 1854 he settled permanently at Ephraim, being one of the first settlers of that place, where he helped to build the first forts erected as a protection against the Indians. He was a member of that community the remainder of his life, becoming one of the most prosperous citizens of the town. He had an interest in the first burr mill at Ephraim, and finally organized a company, which built the Climax Roller Mill, of which he was president and the principal stockholder till the time of his death. Later he bought a burr mill in Mayfield and changed it to the present roller process; that mill is now owed by the family. Brother Willardsen also engaged in merchandizing at Ephraim at an early day, his store being later incorporated as the Ephraim Co-op. He constructed a tannery, carried on farming and freighted produce to market. He took an active part in the Black Hawk War and passed through all the trials of grasshopper and Indian incidents in early days. In 1871 he filled a short mission to Scandinavia. Returning home he assisted quite a number of poor Saints to immigrate to Utah, he being a man of means. On many other occasions he contributed very liberally to the Church and for public purposes. Being the founder of home industries, he gave employment to many people. When he passed to his final rest at Ephraim, June 29, 1897, he left three wives and fourteen children. His first wife (Karen) bore him five children, namely Willard, Christian, Erastus C., Joseph and Marie. His second wife (Mary Larsen) bore him four children - Christian, Caroline, Andrew and James; she had two children, Mary A. Allred and Mena Oviatt by a former marriage. His third wife (Anna Katrine Sorensen) bore her husband four children, namely Annie, Lorinda, Peter and John.
Mary Larsen Willardsen, wife of Christian Willardsen, was born August 2, 1836, at Greis, Vejle amt, Denmark, the daughter of Lars Johansen and Anna M. Sorensen. She was baptized in December 1851, by Knud H. Bruun and immigrated to Utah in 1854-55. In crossing the North Sea from Frederolsjavn to England she was exposed to one of the worst storm that ever made the life of the emigrant company upon waters miserable. During the fury of the storm the ship was compelled to seek shelter at Nandal, Norway and Frederikshavn, Denmark, but the emigrants finally arrived in England and sailed from Liverpool on board the ship "James Nesmith," January 7, 1855, and arrived at New Orleans February 23, 1855; thence the journey was continued to Salt Lake City, where the emigrants arrived in September. After residing temporarily in Weber Valley and Odgen, Sister Mary located at Ephraim, Sanpete County, where she was married in 1868 to Christian Willardsen.
Anne Katrine Sorensen, wife of Christian Willardsen, was born in Gudemlund, Aalborg Denmark, November 10, 1849.
Ephraim, Settled in 1854, Treasures of Pioneer History, Vol. 4, p. 17-18, Daughters of Utah Pioneers
A number of families, who had spent two winters in Manti because of Indian troubles, located a new settlement on Pine Creek in 1854. They immediately proceeded to survey, build a fort and organize a military capacity under the command of Capt. Reddick N. Allred. This fort, which gave occasion to name the new settlement Fort Ephraim, contained 1 ½ acres of land in what is now the center of Ephraim. They also built a number of small adobe and rock houses inside the wall as well as a meetinghouse in the center of the fort. This fort was subsequently known as the Little Fort to distinguish it from the larger fort built later. The brethren who were settling on Pine Creek commenced to move their families into the fort in March 1854.
Augusta Dorius Stevens said, "All the cows, horses and oxen were corralled within the fort wall at night and carefully herded in the day. Log and mud houses were built within the fort wall to provide for the settlers, many of whom also lived in wagons and tents. The arrangement of the houses and cattle yard on the inside of the wall, as well as the meeting and schoolhouses, was that the cattle were corralled in the center and the houses, camps and wagons closer to the walls."
Among the first settlers of Fort Ephraim were James Allred,.. Reuben W. Allred, Wiley P. Allred, James T. Allred, Isaac Behunin, who had returned from Manti with the others, Alexander Justeson, Eleazer King, Fred C. Sorenson, James Farmer, Charles Whitlock, Peter Madsen, Thomas Thorpe, Andrew Thomsen, Sen., Niels Petersen, Christian Willardsen, Peter Lund, Rasmus Johnson, Henry Beal,.
The first presiding Elder at Fort Ephraim was Reuben Warren Allred, who had formerly acted as Bishop of the Allred Settlement on Canal Creek, now Spring City.