The Children of Osten & Asse

Kari Sanderson
Margit Sanderson
Ellen Sanders
Harriet Sanders
Sondra Sanders, Sr.
Asse Sanderson
Ole Sanderson

 


Sondra Sanders, Sr.

The missing orphans of Osten & Aase Sondresson



Sondra Sanders is my direct ancestor, my great grandfather, and the father of Sondra Sanders Jr., my grandfather. He was born on Bakkajord in Tinn, Telemark, Norway February 6, 1829. He was just eight years old when he came with his family to America. Prior to his death in 1894 he dictated a personal history to his son. It is this history that gives us the details of the family coming to America and to Beaver Creek Settlement.

In the Beaver Creek Settlement he describes very primitive living conditions and tells of the death of his parents. He describes the orphaned children being given out to various families and his own experience of being given to a family he did not like. He ran away and went to LaSalle County where he lived with the Nels Fruland family. This is the same family that took in his sister Kari. He stayed in Mission Township (now called Norway, Illinois in LaSalle County) for the next few years. In 1842 he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints along with his two sisters. In l844 he took his two sisters and went to Nauvoo, Illinois and attended the Church Conference held in October. His sisters both stayed in Nauvoo and eventually married Apostle Heber C. Kimball.

Sondra returned to LaSalle County and stayed there until 1850. He worked for Jacob Anderson driving cattle to Wisconsin. In 1850 he signed on to drive a herd of cattle to California. He tells of hunger on the trail where they boiled the leather straps on the wagon for soup. He got to Salt Lake Valley on the 18th of July and paid his employer to release him so he could stay here with his sisters.

Sondra made his home in South Cottonwood. Contrary to the counsel of church authorities he went to California to participate in the gold rush and in 1852 went with friends to seek his fortune. He returned three years later and after many harrowing experiences in gold fields.

He married Anna Jorgenson, from Malmohus, Sweden, on December 1, 1857. With her they had eleven children. Their third child, Sondra Sanders Jr. was an early missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to New Zealand. He was called to translate the Book of Mormon into the Maori language along with another missionary Ezra F. Richards. Anna Jorgenson died on May 5, 1879 in South Cottonwood on the family farm located on what is now 5900 South and west of the old railroad tracks.

Sondra Sr. again married to Anna Marie Larson who also was born in Sweden. From this marriage two additional children were born into the family. Sondra suffered ill health during his last years. He died on September 21, 1894 in South Cottonwood at the age of sixty-five years. He is buried in the Murray City Cemetery.

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