| Show JOURNEY TO UTAH Roxie Washburn Senior Third Place Personal Recollection This past summer July 1997 was privileged to visit Devils Gate Wyoming spent sometime there at the monument that is placed on the hill overlooking the MartinCove where the terrible tragedy occurred with Martin Handcart Company of 1856 Asquietly sat there many thoughts went through my mind asremembered the stories that had been told to me as well as the historieshad read little laterwalked to Devils Gate and again these stories came flooding back through my mind Lars and Bodil Madsen lived in Svinnenge Osherred Denmark in the old family homestead with surrounding cultivated fields along with their seven children five sons and two daughters Lars was born April 19 1795 His wife Bodil Nielson was born January 14 1808 They were devout Lutherans walking nearly two miles each Sunday to attend church in Asmindrup Then the Mormon missionaries called on them and became regular visitors teaching and converting the whole family to the LDS churchin 1854 In 1855 the family decided to sell the farm put some money in the Perpetual Immigration Fund and emigrated to the United States and Utah The farm was to be paid for in three yearly payments so only part of the family could come each year On November 23 1855 five of their children left Copenhagen for the long journey They were Neils Peter 23 Andrew Margrathe Jacobine and young Neils just 12 Lars and Bodilcourage and faith must have been very strong to watch their young family depart Some months later Lars Bodil and Christian their youngest child left for America leaving their oldest son Mads 28 |
