Life Sketch of NORMA OLIVE BENSON CHRISTENSEN

My grandfather's name was Ole Larsen, born 2 May 1827 in Tulstrup,
Denmark and died 1 March 1910, in his home in Newton. He was a
stalwart, good-natured man who was friendly to everyone.
Grandmother's name was Johanna Larsen, born 31 October 1827 in
Bjeverskov, Denmark and died 1 December 1897 at her home in Newton.
They had five children born to them in Copenhagen. Their names were
Olive, Elizabeth, Amanda, Magna, and John. Magna was my mother.
Grandmother was a devoted and lovable mother. Her ambition was a
blessing to her family, for through her hard labor she was able to
send her children to Zion and later come herself. Grandfather was
very much opposed to this, but when they departed to America, he
became so lonesome for his family that he joined the church and came
a year later. His occupation was farming and carrying the mail and
also the town cowherder.
Grandfather and Grandmother Benson came from Denmark also. His name
was Peter Benson, born 26 April 1831 in Aaker, Denmark and died 21
June 1898 in his home in Newton, Utah.
Kirsten Erickson Benson, my grandmother, was born 23 February 1836 in


Aalborg, Denmark and died 22 October 1910 in her home at Newton.
They too joined the Church in Denmark and came to America.
Grandmother came with one of the first handcart companies as a young
girl and endured many hardships. Later she married Grandfather and
seven children were born to them: Alma, Christine, Marcus Joseph,
Samuel, Alice Marie, Isaac, and Rastus. They lived in Clarkston and
later moved to Newton. His occupation was farming, and he was a fine


carpenter. He made Martin Harris' casket.
I am the second daughter of Marchus Joseph Benson and Magna Olga
Larsen Benson.
Father was born in Lehi, Utah 23 April 1865 and was indeed a
hardworking, kind and patient man and was well respected by all who
knew him. He died 13 June 1949 at his home in Newton.
Mother was born 11 Aapril 1868 in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was a
wonderful mother, but she was too ambitious for her strength. She
was always thinking of others and doing for them. She died 19
December 1921 at her home in Newton.
I have two sisters, Hazel Rigby and Mildred Sutherland, and one
brother, Mark Royden Benson. We all live in Newton. I was born 17
May 1893 in Newton. We had a happy home life and enjoyed all the
pleasures of childhood. When I was eight years of age, Father
baptized me in the Bear River. I thought the water was very cold and


I was frightened.
We learned young to work and help with the chores on the farm.
Father loved to take us with him to the farm and we liked to go. One


day he placed Hazel and I in klthe spring-seat of the wagon and told
us to held the lines until he climbed in, and we said "get up" to the


horses and away we went around the lot with father running after them


until he caught them.
We drove the cows to the rance pasture and when there was a scarcity
of feed there, we drove them to and from the river pasture trotting
through the deep dust. Later we helped with the milking and
separated the cream from the milk by turning the separator and the
skimmed milk was used to feed the pigs. Our job was to keep the
separator clean and also the milk house. My job was making the
butter which was sold at the store. I loved to make the butter and
mild it into pounds.
When the feed was scarce in the pasture, we herded the cows along the


back street, so in order to pass the time, we sewed and ate our lunch


and sometimes, our friends would come along. We had many playmates
and did our share of having a good time playing house, riding horses,


fishing and hiking. Father always kept a good horse to ride and a
cart we would hitch to the horse. Sometimes we would have a spill. I


can almost tast the luscious apples, pears, and plums that grew in
our orchard.
Mother took care of a fine garden and we helped by doing the work in
the home. She loved flowers and especially the early spring flowers.


I can just see her working in her flowers, always wearing a pretty
little apron.
We loved to go to Sunday School and Primary.
Mother's sisters and brother: Aunt Libby, Aunt Amanda and Uncle
John, sang in the choir. We always went along with them, and how we
loved it! I feel that I have always belonged to the choir.
When I was very young, an epidemic of typhoid fever struck Newton and


I was a victim of it and was very ill. Mother said it was through
faith and prayer that I recovered. It took a long time for me to
recover. I lost all my hair and I was a sad little girl.
Father was called to go on a mission then to the North Central
States. It was a great struggle for us all to care for the farm and
it seemed the money was a scarce item and we all worked so hard, but
we were blessed for Father fulfilled a successful mission and we were


proud of him.
An outstanding event in my childhood was the time the Sunday School
sponsored the operetta "Cinderella in Flowerland" and I was chosen to


be Cinderella. It was a colorful production and all the children of
the town were in it. We all loved it. Hazel and Iva Nelson (Rigby)
were the big sisters.
Another thrilling event was an excursion to Saltair, planned by the
Sunday School. We rode on the train and our parents went with us to
make our fun complete. Royden was a baby and he wore a dainty long
blue silk dress. I will never forget the Scenic Railway and the Fun
House.
Father and Mother would not let a circus go by but what they would
take us. We would leave very learly in the morning to get there for
the parade. The main streets were crowded with onlookers to watch
the colorful procession and then all would lhurry down to the big
show at two o'clock.
We rode in a white top buggy which was the best way of traveling
then. We had the first white top buggy in Newton. We were proud of
it. We enjoyed the traveling shows that came to town especialy the
tent show, "Uncle Tom's Cabin". How we cried, for it was so sad.
High school days came along and Hazel and I attended the Brigham
Young College at Logan. We rented a room and furnished it with our
own furniture and cooked our own meals. We stayed over there six or
eight weeks when the weather was bad and we became so homesick.
Money was a scarce item, but Father managed to keep us in school
until we graduated.
Another ourstanding event came into my life when I was seventeen.
Every county in Utah were asked to select a queen and four maids to
be a special feature at the State Fair. I was one of the maids.
Lewston, Logan, Wellsville, Hyrum and Newton were represented. It
was a gala display of costumes. Our float was drawn by four white
horses. Every county had its place in the cloiseum and the names of
all the girls in the different groups were called out and each one
walked across the stage; Cache County was given third place. We
stayed in Salt Lake for four days in Hotel Utah and were chaperoned
by Dr. and Mrs. D.C. Budge, Mr. and Mrs Hyde of Logan, Mr. and Mrs.
John Anderson of Lewiston, and my Aunt Libby. We ate dinner with
Governor Spry and others. It was a wonderful time of my life.
I was teaching in Newton at this time and I hired another teacher to
take my place while away. I taught for five years. Hazel and I sang


for many funerals and entertainments. Hazel taught for two years in
Honeyville and on several week-ends I boarded the train to go and be
with her. The people were so friendly to us and I had many wonderful


times.
Fon came into my life while I was teaching. We courted for about a
year and then we were married in June, 1918 in the Salt Lake Temple.


We made our home in Newton and lived in the Christensen home. Fon's
father lived with us several years and I will say he was a dear old
man and I was happy to have it that way.
My desire was to have a large family, but it was not our lot, but we
felt that we were blessed to have our daughter Cleo, who has been a
blessing and comfort to us. Cleo longed for a sister and after a few


years Fon's brother and wife had family trouble and separated, and
their daughter, Ortel, came to live with us, which we were happy for.


Cleo felt she had a sister. They had happy times together and still
do.
We had the pleasure of having two others from this family to live
with us: Leon and Dorcus, and I learned to love these children.
Joan, another sister, lived with Fon's sister, Gean Alvis.
I havew always loved to welcome people into my home, and Fon was more


so than I. I admired Fon for his integrity, honesty, love for his
family and fellowmen. he was thrifty and avoided debt as much as
possible. In his early life, his mother and father were very poor
and he grew to appreciate the smaller things in life, which I think
is very important.
In our early married life, a group of friends and their families
would come together a night evey week and be entertained by one of
the group--children and all--serving a lovely supper. This went on
until the families became too large. As and Della Griffin have
always been our close friends. It was a happy group at one time.
Along with Amos and Della, there were Evelyn and Royal Griffin, Hazel


and Junius, Erma and Wilford Christensen, Fon and myself and other
invited guests.
Della and I took a trip to California for two weeks and had a
wonderful time. We had many fine trips together. Della and Amos and
family and Hazel and Grant went with us to Yellowstone the first time


we went. Camilla, Emil (Wennergren) and family, Hazel and Grant went


along when we went to Glacier Park. We also enjoyed trips to Mesa
Verde Park (Colorado Cliff-Dwellers), Grand Canyon, Southern Parks of


Zions and Bryce. We toured Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New
Mexico,California, Mexico City (with Mr. and Mrs. Erickson), Nebraska


to a convention at Omaha, Council Bluffs (Fon and I went by train).
We toured Canada, Montana, visited Craters of the Moon, Lava Hot
Springs many times and other swimming resorts.
We went to many lions' convention in the state of Utah and many
circuses and rodeos. Fon was a lover of a good circus and a good
musical show. He loved a show we saw in Council Bluffs called "The
Great Waltz" by Johann Strauss.
Our daughter, Cleo, loved school from the start and did very well.
She attended Newton School, North Cache and graduated from Utah State


University. She entered dancing school at six and continued on
through school. She danced in many programs and recitals and in the
college operas. She graduated in Physical Education from there and
taught in Smithfield Junior High, Preston High, and Senior High at
Idaho Falls, Idaho. She sponsored several dance reviews which I
thought were outstanding, especially the one at Idaho Falls. She
introduced the marching group at Preston and Idaho Falls. She joined


the All-State Band when it was in Logan and played with the Logan
Band, going with them to play at the rodeo in Calgary, Canada. Her
Daddy was a promoter of the band and went along wherever they went.
Emil, Camilla, Hazel, and Fon and I would follow the band wherever
they went. Cleo was the drum major at North Cache.
Fon and I had the joy of living to see Cleo and Lewis married and
enjoy their four sweet girls: Norma Christie, Dixie Lou, Veda
Kathryn, and Hazel Jacalyn. We are happy that they settled in Newton
and that Lewis took up farming.
I have enjoyed working in the ward since I was very young. I have
served in the following positions:
Member of the Newton Choir - Secretary of Newton Sunday School three
years - Chorister in Primary twenty years - President of Y.L.M.I.A.
two years - Captain of Daughters of Pioneers twice - Visiting Teacher


Leader in Relief Society three years - Member of Genealogical
Commitee - Drama Director of MIA - Sunday School Board Member two
years - Sunday School teacher three years - Relief Society Chorister
fifteen or more years - Member of Relief Society Singing Mothers
also:
Farm Bureau Class Leader- Committee member of P.T.A. (North Cache) -
President of Literary Club - Vice-President twice - Red Cross Worker
for many years.
Fon never discouraged me, but was a great supporter of all the
callings that came to me, which made it easy for me to accept them.
Sadness came into our home 6 January 1956 when my dear husband, Fon,
passed away suddenly while we were attending a show in Salt Lake
City. It came as a severe shock to us. He was a devoted father and
husband and has left many happy memories. Faith in my Heavenly
Father and help from my dear daughter and folks and friends has made
my burden lighter and I have been able to carry on.
I am a visiting teacher in the Relief Society and enjoy it.

Norma B. Christensen

ADDENDUM:
Norma and Fon Christensen lived in the old Christensen home in
Newton, located on the southwest corner of 200 West and Main Street.


They enhanced the home and yard, which included a beautiful barbeque
area and an artistic fish pond under beautiful trees. She grew
pretty flowers and a garden, canning fruits and vegetables from it
and from the Brigham City area. Norma was a beloved "Aunt" who
bestowed generous praise and encouragement upon her nieces and
nephews and made the world a whole lot kinder in her corner.
Norma was a creative, lovely homemaker and truly enjoyed her home and


using her artistic talent to beautify it. She painted in oils and,
during the years after Fon died, she painted many landscapes and
still life pictures. She found great joy in her posterity.
She cherished her association with Cleo and Lewis and their children
and was so happy they lived next door where she could help with the
family, and Lewis and Fon could farm together.
Cleo has been a remarkable woman herself and was a loving, caring
daughter. She took care of Norma's big yard and home after she was no


longer able to do those things. She looked out for Norma in every
way and cared tenderly for until her death in 1983.