Close SMITH Family

 

1908 - aunt Ruby Ensign SMITH 1905-1960, nephew Luther Yates SMITH1905-1957, niece Virginia SMITH 1906-1998 

1917 - niece Lula Smith 1916-2011, niece Virginia Smith 1906-1998, aunt and 1/2 sister Ruby Ensign 1905-1960 daughter of Isaac and Harriet Camilla ENSIGN SMITH (Aunt Millie), niece Ruth Smith 1909-1984, 1/2 aunt and 1/2 sister Elva Fuhriman Smith 1904-1984 daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth FUHRIMAN SMITH.  

(The nephew and nieces are children of Ruby's oldest brother Isaac ['Ike'] Samuel SMITH)

The following was written by Elva:

I remember as I was growing up my father’s two families were congenial. Two of the boys of the first family, (Will and Theron) spent a lot of time with us, before and after they were married. I spent a lot of my summers at Father’s and “Aunt Millies”. I had a half sister one year younger than I, we spent a lot of time together. Dad’s business was in Logan, Utah. He would take me with him in the summer, until he passed away [in 1914]; but I still went to Logan, in the summers and stay[ed] at my half brother Isaac’s home. He was father’s oldest son. He and his brother Wesley were dentists and took care of my teeth. Wesley spent a lot of time at our house. Dolly, a daughter of “Aunt Millie” was always so good to Mother. After Dad’s death, both families were back and forth and we had our family reunions Dad had nineteen children in all, and I am still in touch with some of the family.

Christian Hans MONSON grandfather of Charles Horald MONSON

Christian Hans Monson

(Christen Hansen)

1837–96

Christian Hans Monson is standing third from right. President George Q. Canon is seated in the center.

These men were imprisoned for polygamy.

Residence: Richmond, Cache Co., Utah

Arrival date in Copenhagen: 20 November 1878

Missionary labors: Göteborg Conference

Departure date from Copenhagen: 5 July 1880

Name of departure ship: Cato

Birth date: 16 June 1837

Birthplace: Stora Boeplads, Tune, Østfold, Norway

Father: Monsen, Hans

Mother: Nielsdatter, Berte

Spouse: Kruetzback (Kredsbank), Nielsene Olsen, Marriage date: 29 June 1858, Marriage place: Lehi, Utah Co., Utah

Spouse: Peterson, Anna Catherine, Marriage date: 26 April 1861, Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah

Spouse: Mansson, Ellen Persson, Marriage date: 16 March 1867, Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah [grandmother of Charles Horald MONSON]

Spouse: Olsen, Karen Maria, Marriage date: 2 May 1870

Spouse: Jenson, Elna (Ella), Marriage date: 5 January 1874, Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah

Spouse: Jacobsson, Wendla (Vendla), Marriage date: 15 March 1883, Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah

Death date: 23 September 1896

Death place: Richmond, Cache Co., Utah

Burial place: Richmond, Cache Co., Utah

Christian’s father was a woodcutter by trade. He was industrious and hardworking, and he expected everyone around him to be the same. He had a violent temper, and Christian recalled being “mortally afraid” of his walking cane. However, when he was in good humor, Christian enjoyed sitting and talking to him as he smoked his long-stemmed pipe (see Skidmore, “Biographical Sketch of the Life of My Father Christian Hans Monson as I Knew Him,” 1).

Christian was baptized on 4 April 1853 by Svend Larsen. At the time, he was an employee of the Fredrikstad prison. He recalled carrying meals to the elders who were imprisoned for preaching. In this process, an elder asked him why he abused and tormented him, for “so persecuted they the Christ and his followers.” The prisoners set Christian to thinking. One night during the winter of 1852, he released his prisoners. Together they walked to the fjord, where Christian was secretly baptized, after which the elders returned to their prison cell (see Skidmore, “Biographical Sketch of the Life of my Father Christian Hans Monson as I Knew Him,” 2; Skidmore and Horne, “Immigrant Pioneers: Christian Hans Monson,” Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Lesson for October 1984, 41–53; Roberts, “Love Is Its own Reward,” New Era, February 1978, 6–7).

Christian was whipped by his father for being baptized and told never to return. He left home and labored as a local missionary in Drammen, Buskerud County, Norway. At that time, he was five feet nine inches and weighed 190 pounds. He had blue eyes, a fair complexion, brown hair, and a beard (see Skidmore and Horne, “Immigrant Pioneers: Christian Hans Monson,” Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Lesson for October 1984, 41–44).

He was ordained an elder on 8 September 1856. He began his emigration to America on 9 August 1857. He voyaged from Liverpool to the United States aboard the Westmoreland. He crossed the plains in the Christian Christiansen handcart company to reach the Salt Lake Valley (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 236). Christian settled in Lehi, Utah County, before moving to Logan, Cache County, and finally Richmond, Cache County. He was called from Richmond to serve as a guard in Echo Canyon during the Utah War (see Esshom, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, 1042). After the threat of war passed, he was endowed on 26 October 1861 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

He married Nielsine Kruetzback, a widow fourteen years his senior. This marriage ended in divorce. After the divorce, Christian accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1878. He arrived in Copenhagen on 20 November 1878 and was assigned to labor in the Göteborg Conference. After completing an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 5 July 1880 aboard the steamer Cato with 346 emigrating Latter-day Saints and other returning missionaries (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 243).

On 23 June 1888, the First District Court of Ogden sentenced Christian to six months’ imprisonment and a one-hundred-dollar fine for unlawful cohabitation. He was discharged from the penitentiary on 23 December 1888 (see Jenson, LDS Church Chronology, June 23, 1888; December 23, 1888).

After his discharge, he served as president of the Thirty-ninth Quorum of the Seventy and as a temple worker in St. George. He is remembered as being a pioneer builder and lumberman. He is credited with assisting in the construction of the Salt Lake, St. George, Manti, and Logan Temples (see Skidmore and Horne, “Immigrant Pioneers: Christian Hans Monson,” Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Lesson for October, 1984, 49–50).

In his later years, he moved to Franklin County, Idaho, where he set up a lumber mill. He operated the mill until his health failed. Christian died in 1896 from jaundice and gallstones in Richmond at age fifty-nine (see Skidmore and Horne, “Immigrant Pioneers: Christian Hans Monson,” Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Lesson for October 1984, 51).

(Brigham Young University, Religious Studies Center Bibliography - M)

Unlawful Cohabitation 1887

right is Elizabeth FUHRIMAN SMITH third wife of Isaac SMITH:

Elizabeth's father was Jacob FUHRIMAN (1831-1914) he is pictured below with President George Q. Cannon (1827-1901) f the First Presidency and Apostle Francis M. Lyman (1840-1916) having been convicted of unlawful cohabitation. Jacob FUHRIMAN eventually had three wives. 1) Anna Barbara LOOSLI m.1856, 2) Anna Maria (Mary) Loosli m.1869, 3) Caroline Bollschweiler m.1897.

right: Jacob FURIMAN

Imprisonment

In the fall of 1887, Jacob was arrested and charged with unlawful cohabitation. He was tried in the First District Court in Ogden, December 10, 1887. He was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison and fined $50 by Judge Henderson. He actually served about three and a half months in the Old Sugarhouse Penitentiary.

"From Prison: Bro. Jacob Fuhriman of Providence was released from the Penitentiary today having served a sentence of three months and paid $50 and costs amounting to $30, in all $80. He was convicted of unlawful cohabitation on his own plea of guilty."

("From the Alps To The Rockies: The History and Descendants of Jacob Fuhriman," Keith W. Waatkins and Sons, Inc. 1987 pp 32-33.)

Other family members imprisoned for unlawful cohabitationwere Charles Oscar DUNN and (Judge) Samuel SMITH.