“Hey dad…when did the Hansens immigrate to Mink Creek? Did they help build any chapels there?”
This story begins a few years ago when our son Chad asked me these questions. The reason he asked is that the CEO of his company was heading to a family reunion in Mink Creek, Idaho to tell the story of a grandfather that painted the mural of the Salt Lake City’s Temple Square in the Mink Creek Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel. First, I’m thinking what? Your boss is from little Mink Creek? But my response was, “About 1885 [Hansen immigration], my grandpa and several uncles dug the basement of I think the remodeled chapel with plow horses…probably about 1925.”
To understand the significance of this story to me, let me share some background about a career change that Chad went through. A couple of years prior to the Covid pandemic, Chad had an overwhelming impression that he should change careers. His children were getting older and along with that, his family had increased needs. He felt his current situation was too precarious. With no training or background, he transitioned from an on-line English teacher to the software industry and became a Business Analyst. Kudos to Chad for the faith, courage and a lot of hard work to make this change. Yet coincidentally, the company that gave him this opportunity had a CEO and founder with ancestors from Mink Creek! This was not discovered until a few years later when Chad heard his boss say he was going to Mink Creek for a reunion. And, there’s even more to the story that I’ll share.
Choir loft wood floor breaks in the Old Rock Church
The history of the meeting places in Mink Creek starts with a bowery that was built as soon as possible after the saints settled there. This would have been in the 1870s.
Presiding Elders were Mads Hansen and Ramus Petersen. A bowery was built to meet in at first, but as soon as possible, logs were cut and a twenty-by-twenty-foot, log church was built. The tithing office was erected close to the church building. In those days produce of all kinds was taken in for tithing. This building was later to house those families who were in need of a home—rent free. It was finally dismantled in the early thirties. A special meeting was called in 1878 at the home of Hans Larsen. President Brigham Young and P. M. Musser of Salt Lake City were present. They officially organized the little community and gave it the name of “Mink Creek Branch.” Shortly after, Rasmuss Rasmussen became the first LDS bishop in Mink Creek, presiding for twenty-three years.
In 1889, the people of Mink Creek started building a new chapel. They laid a foundation with the intention of making a log building. After the foundation was completed, they decided to build a chapel of rock, since rock was quite abundant in Mink Creek. The rocks were gathered by the wagon load and hauled to the building site. Sandstone was hauled out of Birch Creek Canyon. Carl Peterson was the rock mason. The carpenters who did the interior and finishing work were Lehi Olsen, David Miles, and Adolph Bergquist. The planning of the lumber was all done by hand. The people of the little town contributed labor and funds. In service from 1890 to 1928, the building stood just north of the present Mink Creek chapel.
MINK CREEK – http://www.franklincountyhist.org/mink-creek.html
It was in this Old Rock Church, where my grandmother Johannah Elizabeth Hansen sang in the choir. The story I have is that one day the choir loft wood floor started to slant when the choir was singing so they decided to remodel with a basement made of concrete. My grandfather John Hansen and his older sons dug out the basement using a plow horse and probably a big scoop shovel they attached to the horse.
See Interview of Harvey Hansen by nephew Darrell Hansen
John Hansen and older sons haul bricks for new Mink Creek Chapel
It wasn’t long until the church decided to build a brand new chapel. Based on the information I found, this new chapel was built in 1928-1929. The chapel was constructed during a time when the church was actively building many new chapels in rural areas of the western United States.
It’s amazing to think that this chapel has stood for almost a century, serving the Mink Creek community and its members for generations! It’s a testament to the durability and importance of these buildings in the lives of their communities.
According to my cousin Larry Hansen, grandfather John Hansen and his older sons helped build the chapel and hauled the brick from nearby Preston to Mink Creek for the chapel.
Old Rock Church
An old rock church was built in Mink Creek in 1889 for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint ward. It had only one big room with a big potbelly stove to heat the building. Curtains were drawn to separate the classes. Sunday School was in the morning, and sacrament meeting was always in the afternoon. The sacrament meeting was two hours long, and the children thought they had long speakers. One Sunday after church, one of the foundation corners slid out from the building, causing the corner to collapse. The building had to be torn down in 1928. The new church building was started in 1928 and completed in 1929. It was dedicated by President Heber J. Grant, who was President of the Church. John and his older sons helped build the new chapel. John hauled the brick from Preston with his old Model TT Ford truck. It was thirty miles to Preston round trip, and he could only make two trips a day. The truck would only go fifteen miles per hour.
Life History of John and Johannah Hansen By Larry Jed Hansen, a grandson, in 2018 pg 15-16
Here is the donated cash and labor receipt signed by the Mink Creek Bishop.
(my Grandfather)
A grandfather of Chad’s CEO was responsible for the mural in the Mink Creek Chapel
Anyone who has been in the Mink Creek Chapel will attest to the beautiful mural of Salt Lake City’s Temple Square on the wall. Originally it was behind the pulpit but the pulpit was moved so as to not have the main focus be the mural.
Initially, my understanding was that the artist was Johan Johansen Hammersmark. However, I was not able to substantiate this in any of his life histories. I found that Mr. Hammersmark was a blacksmith and had a blacksmith shop in Mink Creek. He was likely very influential as a blacksmith and was involved with the building. It’s likely he contracted someone, not that he himself was contracted to do the work.
On reading a history of Mink Creek by Elma W. Keller, I discovered the artist’s name: Harold Helgensen.
On the wall behind the pulpit is a painting of Temple Square by the late Harold Helgensen.
1956 History of Mink Creek, Idaho by Elma W. Keller Wife of Claude D. Keller
There is a Harold Helgensen of Bergen, Norway who had moved to Salt Lake City. He and Hammersmark were from Bergen, Norway and likely knew each other. Also, a Bishop Keller of Mink Creek was from Bergen, Norway and knew the Hammersmarks.
Johan Hammersmark oldest citizen of Mink Creek when he passed away
When I saw that Serena Christensen was Johan Hammersmark’s daughter, it piqued my curiosity because my Dad’s mother’s side are Christensens from Mink Creek and were among the first settlers there. Also, my Dad’s father’s side are Hansens from Mink Creek and helped to settle Mink Creek. Was there a relationship?
I don’t know exactly how Chad’s CEO is related to Johan Johansen Hammersmark, but I am guessing it is through Serena Christensen. This is because Johan’s son Jacob was from Preston and also lived most of his life in Pocatello. Serena, on the other hand, lived her adult life in Mink Creek. She married Lars Henry Christensen, shown below with their children, brother Jacob and parents Engel and Johannes J. Hammersmark.
Lars Henry Christensen (Serena Hammersmark’s husband) and Anna Christena Christensen are half brother and sister
The connection to my family is through Anna Christena Christensen whom we read about in Chapter 5.
Lars Henry and Anna Christena Christensen’s father was Carl Christian Christensen. Lars is through Carl’s first wife Ane Marie Nielsine Mikkelsen. Anna is through Carl’s second wife Ide Marie Mortensen.
Carl Christian Christensen was from the same area of Denmark (Hjørring) that my Christensen family was from and so they likely knew each other prior to immigrating to the United States.
There is a distant relationship between these two Christensen families, but the significant connection to my family is with Anna Christena Christensen. In Chapter 5 we read that Anna married Thomas Jepsen, who initially was married to my great aunt Julia Hansen (my grandfather John Hansen’s younger sister) before Julia died.
Matchmaker Anna Christena Christensen
It turns out Anna Christena Christensen was somewhat of a matchmaker for her friend Julia Hansen.
What’s that story? Julia’s father Hans Hendrik Hansen’s wife Anna Kathrine Mikkelsen died at a fairly young age in her 40’s. He remarried and the children weren’t that happy with their new step mom. The older children went to live with other relatives, and Julia the youngest went to live with the Jepsens, who were also good friends with the Hansens. Lars Henry Christensen and his brother John C. Christensen were friends of Thomas Jepsen. The brothers had a half sister Anna Christena Christensen who was a friend of Julia’s and, well, was sort of a matchmaker as she told Thomas that Julia was a very nice girl*. When Julia was old enough, Thomas ask her to marry him.
*See The Story of Thomas Jepsen
Lars Henry Christensen herds sheep for my grandfather John Hansen
John Hansen had two hundred head of ewes with twins. I herded for him on the hills. I laid out with just a little bedding. I had a hard time to keep them out of Fred Egley’s fall wheat. Later I was moved up to Peterson Hollow with the rest of the herd. I got one dollar a day. John liked me to stay with them.
MEMORIES OF LARS HENRY CHRISTENSEN
Lars Henry Christensen and Thomas Jepsen were business partners for over 30 years
About the time Thomas and Julia started their life together, Thomas entered into a business partnership with Lars Henry Christensen*.
Thomas Jepsen and Dad [Lars Henry Christensen] became interested in the same land and decided to form a partnership. Nothing suited Dad now until he found my mother. They were married in the Logan Temple 29 March 1911. They made their first home on the hill where Uncle Ferd is living now. After five years this house burned down. By this time Mother’s parents came over from Norway. Dad fixed the old house which Thomas Jepsen had moved from. About the year of 1940 they split up their partnership, which was a good thing, the children were all getting older and wanted to know what was what.
HISTORY OF LARS HENRY CHRISTENSEN
The parents referred to that came over from Norway, were Johannes Johannesen Hammersmark and Engel Jacobsdatter.
*See also The Story of Thomas Jepsen
Coincidence?
Our son Chad Hansen changed careers and was given the opportunity with a company whose founder and CEO had ancestors from Mink Creek, Idaho. The population of Mink Creek and the surrounding area in the early 1900’s was around 500 (what are the chances?). These two had no idea at the time that their ancestry went back to Mink Creek.
The CEO’s ancestor, a direct line grandfather (probably 2nd or 3rd great grandfather) was Johannes J. Hammersmark. Given the small population size, it’s likely that Mink Creek was a close-knit community where everyone knew each other and worked together. This may have made it easier for Johan Hammersmark to commission artwork for the Mink Creek Chapel, as he likely knew many people in the area who could help him find a suitable artist. For example, Bishop Keller of Mink Creek was from Bergen, Norway and so were the Hammersmarks. The artist for the chapel mural, Harold Helgensen was from Bergen, Norway.
Chad’s great grandfather, John Hansen and sons, hauled bricks for the same Mink Creek Chapel. The chapel has stood the test of time and is now almost 100 years old.
The CEO’s great or 2nd great grandfather was (likely) Lars Henry Christensen, who tended sheep for Chad’s great grandfather John Hansen. Lars Henry Christensen was also a 30 year business partner with Chad’s relative Thomas Jepsen who married Chad’s great grandfather John Hansen’s younger sister Julia. The matchmaker for Thomas and Julia was Lars Henry Christensen’s half sister Anna Christena Christensen, who later married Thomas after Julia passed away.
I think this is a pretty tight connection and an amazing ‘coincidence’!
