Sine Olene Jensen
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Sine was the oldest of nine children born to Dorthea Marie Jensen and Niels Christian Jensen. The family joined the church in Denmark with the desire to come to Zion. Although they had enough to live comfortably where they were, immigrating to a new land with family was hard to do. A missionary was returning to Utah and offered to take Grandmother (age 11) and her little sister Andrea with him as they could go half-fare [Grandmother turned 12 on the boat].
This was a hard time for Grandmother. She could not speak English and her clothes were so different. She was to help the family she lived with in the fields and in the house. She liked to clear the dishes so she could eat the left over food, not that the family would not give her all she wanted but she was too timid to ask. She was teased a lot by others. She was placed in the third grade to learn the language, which was the last of her formal education. She learned to speak English very well but never got the skill to write her letters well. The parents and rest of the family came the next year. Her parents were having a hard time, so Grandmother persuaded them to let her go to work. She traveled to Salt Lake City in a wagon with friends of the family. If she had not found work then they returned to Spring City she was to return with them. She found a place as a maid and went to work for twenty-five cents a week. She never lived at home again. Grandmother was 17 years old when she was swept of her feet by a dashing, handsome young Danish man, Carl Emil Nielsen. What a gay, happy times they had. Lots of friends and parties, square dancing and picnics. In 1892, Carl and Sine and their four children moved to the Mormon Colonies in Mexico. There followed years of pioneering and hardship. Seven more children were born. Two young sons were buried there. In 1912, because of the Mexican Revolution they were forced to flee to the United States leaving everything they had behind. Regardless of where Grandmother lived or what the circumstances, her first objective was to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach it to her children. In 1916, they were able to move back to Mexico. There was no Doctor so she was set apart as to help with the sick. Her patriarchal blessing said she would be "as an angel in the sick room." When anyone was sick, Grandmother was there. She would receive five pesos for ten days care of the Mother and the new baby. Often times she served for nothing which was fine. Remembrance by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth (granddaughter)
My first memory of Grandmother was when she would rock me to sleep humming a tune. I was age four. Grandmother lived with us many times to take care of Mother and me. When I was a freshmen in high school we moved to Mesa, Arizona. Daddy was doing road construction and Mother was teaching. Grandmother, age 76, came to live with us. It was during these last seven years of her life that Grandmother had such a good influence on me.
Grandmother had a strong testimony of the Gospel and expressed and taught this belief to me. Grandma always knelt and said her prayers and was concerned that I always said mine. She would call us together for our family prayer. She would tell me stories of the power o prayer. When Grandfather was gone from home working in the mountains or the interior of Mexico, she would pray for her children when they were sick or hurt; and her Heavenly Father took care of them. Grandma paid a full tithing on everything she received. The only money she had was what her children sent to her. During the time that the General Relief Society was asking for donations to build the Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City, Grandma received $5.00 as a gift from one of her family. She planned on donating the money. Mother said, "Mama, you are not expected to donate when you have so little." Grandma wanted to be part of that special building. Her name is included on the list of donors and sealed in the corner stone. Sunday we always attended our Sunday meetings. Thursday was Grandma's day at the temple. When finished with a session at the temple, she would go home with some of her friends she had known in the Mexico colonies. She would have lunch, visit and we would pick her up after school. Grandmother liked Reed (Ellsworth, whom I later married), telling me what a fine young man he was and how important it was to marry someone that held the priesthood. She urged me to wait for him while he was on his mission in Uruguay. She talked to me often about the importance of marrying in the Temple. Grandma was always busy. After doing the house work, she would sit in her rocking chair humming a little tune, knitting socks, crocheting tablecloths, doilies, etc. She had the habit of giving a little sigh on a regular beat as she rocked the chair. Grandma could not be wasteful. She had Mother buy a few chickens just so she could feed the table scraps to something. She baked our bread. Her one bit of pure luxury was sucking a hard round white peppermint candy. Grandma was thankful for everything. She often said to my mother something that expresses how completely unselfish she was, "Do not ever think about what I have done for you. Think about what you have done for me." She was always pleasant and cheerful. I can not remember of her ever being cross or bossy with me. She used the phrase, "tus coo ha," which was Danish for "thank you." Daddy loved Grandma and was always happy to have her live with us. He often said that she came nearer to being perfect than any person he had known. Grandmother had a great influence on my life. My hope is that I can be as kind and sweet in my old age as she was in hers. Grandmother went to stay with her daughter, Josephine, in California because she was not feeling well and we were gone all day to school. Grandmother died of heart failure on April 13, 1951. She is buried by my mother (Clea) in Mesa. I love and have a deep gratefulness for Grandmother because of her goodness and the example she gave to all of her family. Written by Alice Jo Cluff Ellsworth: 1998
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