Ida Fechser - Autobiographical Sketch

Autobiographical Sketch Written by Ida Fechser

Mt. Pleasant Utah January 30, 1914

I, Ida Christine Johnson Fechser, was born August 13^th 1846 in Resor, Norway.  My parents embraced the gospel there.  My dear parents were very religious and my father was very anxious to leave our native land and gather with the Saints in Utah, but as he didn’t have the means to go with the rest of the emigrants, so my father was a Sailor so we went on a sail ship on the 9^th of April 1860 and came to Quebeck, Canada and there we stayed one year, and my father and his oldest boys worked and gathered enough means to take us to Milwaukie, Wisconsin.  Then we lived there till in July 1863.   

Then we came to Utah.  We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 6^th of September that year.  We came in Johnson’s company with ox team.  Then we came here to Mt. Pleasant and settled.  My parents had eight children, the oldest on John E. Johnson and the next myself, Ida Christine Johnson, and the 3^rd, Even Johnson, then Christopher Martin Johnson, next Henry Johnson, then Ingar Elizabeth Johnson, then Abram Johnson and Josephine Maria Johnson.  She was born in Milwaukie, Wisconsin 1863.  Well we arrived there all safe and sound and felt very happy and thanked the Lord for his preserving care over us all. 

But it was hard for my dear father to support such a large family.  We lived in a dugout the first few months and it was pretty crowdy.  In that year the wheat was 5.00 per bushel but still we got a long and felt happy just the same.  Then I was married to John Frederick Fechser in the Endowment House in S.L. City January 2^nd 1864.  He was a miller by trade. 

My first child was a girl.  She was born on November 9^th the same year and died on the tenth the next night.  The next, a son, Joseph Fredrick, born January 29^th 1866.  He was drowned in Pleasant Crick on may 27^th 1869.  That certainly was a hard blow for us, as he was the only son in the family, but I expect the Lord wanted him on the other side.  He was often sick nigh unto death but we wouldn’t give up, so the Lord took him that way, so we must acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things, as He knows the best which is for our best good.

Well my third child was Sarah Maria born Feb. 8, 1868.  Then Ida Christine born Oct. 26 1869.  Josephine born Sept. 29 1891.  Rozina Evin born Aug. 6, 1843.  John Fredrick born Aug. 14 1845, James Christopher born March 24 1848.  Mary Regina born June 10 1880.  Inger Elizabeth born Aug. 29 1882.  Hyrum Fechser born Jan. 7 1885.  Ella Manetta born Feb 5, 1887.

1931: My oldest daughter living was married to Niels H. Jensen in Salt Lake Temple as second wife, with whom she had three children: Anna, Fred and Leo.  Ida Christine was married to Henry Carlston in the temple with whom she had children.  Josephine was married to Frank Carlston in the temple and had several children.  Rozina Evina married Andrew O. Madsen in the temple and has several children.  John Frederick married in the temple Florence Rogers and had several children.  James Christopher married in the temple Emelie Olsen. They have three children living: Ina, Elva and Estrela. (One boy dead). Mary married Angelo Christensen.  They have 8 children.