Johan(John) Anderson and Nilla Hakensdotter

 

Johan Anderson and Nilla Hakensdotter

Johan Anderson was born on April 4th, 1829 in Ljunga, Kronoberg, Sweden to Anders Pettersson and Stina Joransdotter. Johan was the third Child born to the family, but the only child to live past 4 years of age.  As a young man, Johan worked as a traveling salesman. He would travel from county to county in Sweden taking orders for clothing and having them filled by a manufacturer. While traveling he met his bride, Nilla Hoken Hakensdotter, and they married about 1852. After they married they made their home in Kronsberg county in Sweden. He made his living as a bricklayer. Here he bought some land, but during the war between Germany and Denmark(1864) times became very hard and he was unable to keep up the payments on the land and lost it. So the family moved to Denmark (Vedslet, Vedslet, Skanderborg, Danmark). 

At this time they were blessed with 5 children. This was in the spring of 1867. The following winter was very cold and Johan made his way back to Sweden to straighten up some business. He was forced to travel on land as the water was frozen (this seldom happened). Johan wasn’t heard of for some time, causing Nilla much fear for his safety. Their second child, a daughter Hannah, seeing the sorrow of her mother, went to the Lord in prayer for comfort to her mother. And it was made known to her of her father’s safety. Hannah told her mother that father would return safely on a certain night and that he would be carrying a sack over his shoulders and he would say that he was tired. So on the night he came Hannah would not go to bed because she knew he would come, and that night he came and said the things she had foretold. 

They could not find employment, but Johan and Nilla were expert weavers, so they purchased a loom and went to work in their own dwelling. The two of them kept the loom running 24 hours a day, each operating for 6 hours at a time. Nilla did both the spinning and weaving to make the cloth. John(Johan) made suits and sold them. There were now 8 children in the family and after they became old enough to work it wasn’t long before they had a home paid for in Denmark. 

It was later the same year when Hanna heard of the Mormon missionaries. She had a desire to hear them. When she heard their teachings the spirit bore witness of the truth to her and Hannah came home with the testimony that she knew they had the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This caused the family to investigate the Gospel and this is how they heard and received the Gospel. Although Hannah was not the first to join the church, she did later because of working away from home. Hannah also had it made known that she would never come to Zion and she died with typhoid fever before she had a chance to come to America. 

After joining the Church they were encouraged to come to Zion so they started to prepare to come to America, and in the years 1878 and 1879 John and the living 6 children were able to immigrate to America. They sold their home, but it only provided funds for 4 of them to travel, so John, Niels, Annie and John Jr. were the first to cross the ocean. They left June 19, 1978 and arrived in SLC on July 19, 1978.  Johan, Neils, and Anna were all employed by Mr. James Gordon in Mill Creek. Johan and Niels each received $20.00 a month and Anna received $10.00 a month, they were given free board and room. They sent their earnings to Nilla and the other children. 

When spring came, Johan and Niels went into Spanish Fork Canyon cutting ties, while John Jr. was left with old lady Jepperson to herd cows. By June they had saved enough money for two more fares, and this time Nilla and Johanna came to Utah. They arrived July 19, 1879. Two months later they sent for Alfred and Emma. Johan didn’t have enough money for their fares, but he borrowed from a friend. By November, 1879 they were all together in Utah.

They settled at Spanish Fork. A year later they bought land in Benjamin and moved there. Their first home was a dugout, but it wasn’t long until they were able to build a good home. They were all very ambitious and had been very successful. 

All the children married members of the church. Niels went on a mission to Denmark. John(Johan) became careless in the church for a few years. He attended the Josephite Church. Seeing the faith and prayers of some of his children and also seeing one of his grandchildren restored to health through an administration by the Elders, he received a testimony of the gospel. He became interested in the Church again and was re-baptized. He was a faithful member the remainder of his life. 

John and Nilla were sealed in the temple and had most of their children sealed to them. John Anderson died in Benjamin 10 March 1905 and was buried in the Spanish Fork Cemetery. Nilla went to Alberta Canada with some of her children. She lived in Taber with daughter Anna until She died and was buried in Taber, Alberta on 19 April 1909.