The mother of Annie Andersen Moore

Ane Catherine Jorgensen Andersen Babcock

Ane Catherine Jorgensen Andersen Babcock was the daughter of Jyrgen Hansen and Charlotte Amelia Pedersen. She was born February 8, 1830, at Sonder Tisem Sogn, Denmark. One of a family of ten children, she grew to womanhood in Denmark.

On December 28, 1855, she married Mons Andersen of Geslum, Jutland, Denmark. The practice in Denmark at the time was to announce a marriage by BANNS, three consecutive Sundays in a row. They would then live together and when the marrying Priest came through, he would then perform the marriage. To them, four children were born: Andreas (17 Apr 1852-8 Nov 1864); Jorgen (George) (16 Aug 1857-5 Jan 1858); a second son named Jorgen (George) (15 Jan 1859-28 Dec 1921); and Annie (30 Nov 1861-27 May 1939).

In 1861 she heard the Gospel message and accepted it; the only member of her family to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints at that time. So thoroughly was the knowledge of the truthfulness of the Gospel implanted into her very soul; so profound her conviction that she might gather with the Saints of God; her life unified in its purpose and with-"An eye single to the Glory of God-" she left her home, her native land.

Left kin and loved ones dear,

And guided by God's gracious hand;

Praised Him with dauntless faith and courage strong,

She'd sought and found God's work divine,

And started out as she had planned

Her journey to the promised land.

She with her two children small,

Dared to cross the ocean wide.

By kin-folk in her father land

Disowned and jeered and banned,

But jeering made her firmer stand,

And heed more closely God's command.

Her profound faith and undaunted courage have ever been a marvel to me, the knowledge she possessed and a fervent testimony of the Gospel reveal the strength of her character, the depths of her innermost soul.

On the 6th day of April, 1862, she left Aalborg with her son, George, and baby daughter, Annie, with a company of emigrating Saints. They left on the steamer 'Albion' which took them to Kiel. Along the way, they stopped the morning of the 7th at Aarhus to take on Saints from the Aarhus and Skive Conferences. Later the same day they picked up Saints from the Fredericia and Fyen Conference arriving in Kiel the evening of the 7th. There they were joined by a small group from Copenhagen and the journey continued on April 8th to Altona and Hamburg, Germany where Grandmother and her two small children boarded the sailing vessel 'Franklin' in the evening. Their L.D.S. leader was Elder C. A. Madsen and the Captain of the ship was Robert Murray. There were 413 Saints aboard, a much larger number of emigrating Saints from Denmark than ever before. They were divided and sailed on four vessels, sailing directly from Hamburg to New York. The food and water was of poor quality, consisting of dry cakes for bread, they were called,"ciks" and brought with them from Hamburg.

More than forty children had died on ship-board from measles. How thankful Grandmother was to be safely here with her two small children, both of them well and happy. However, when they arrived at New York on Thursday, May 29th, they boarded a transport steamer to be landed at Castle Garden. After arriving at the wharf, they were not able to go ashore because of some existing cases of the measles. Grandmother, with her two small children, had to return to the 'Franklin' while 18 of the sick were taken to a hospital. They remained on the ship until May 31st, then landing at Castle Garden, where they were met by Elders Charles C. Rich and John Van Cott.

Grandmother and her two children left New York on May 31st at 9 p.m. by train, traveling to Albany where they arrived June 1st in the morning. They continued by train to Quincy, Illinois; then boarded a steamboat to cross the Mississippi River to Hannibal, Missouri, arriving June 6th. The next day they left St Joseph on the steamboat 'Westwind.' The experience was anything but pleasant, as it was very crowded and poor accommodations for so many people on a small vessel. Grandmother arrived at Florence, Nebraska, on Monday, June 9th at 10 o'clock p.m.

They pitched their tents a short distance north of Florence on Tuesday June 10th to prepare for their trip across the plains. A few days before they commenced their journey, a terrible tornado, accompanied by rain, thunder and lightening hit Florence. Two of the brethren were killed and Elder Joseph W. Young was knocked unconscious when he was hit by a wagon box; but later recovered. The tents and wagon covers were badly torn and shattered. How fearful Grandmother must have been, with her two small children, in a new and strange land, experiencing weather like this. Grandmother traveled in the Joseph Horne Ox Company, leaving on July 29th and arriving in the Salt lake Valley on Wednesday Oct 1, 1862. Eleven people died in Florence and one young girl on the plains, making a total of 62 of the 'Franklin' Company who died between Hamburg and Salt Lake City.

When Grandmother reached Spanish Fork she had met her goal, after having walked across the plains. She had no relatives, no friends to meet her and was unable to understand or to speak the language, but her unfaltering faith and wonderful courage again sped her on.

Soon she found work to do, and did it; believing in the statement - "God has put an upward reach in the soul of man."

Struggling, toiling, striving
Without stress or strife;
Always upward climbing,
This is the zest of life.

On October 20, 1862, she married George Babcock. To this marriage were born three daughters and two sons; Lovisa (14 Jan 1865); Rosilla Amalie (27 Apr 1867); George Henry (22 May 1870); Mary Ellen (25 June 1873) and Rufus Daniel (20 Feb 1875).

Grandmother was thrifty and a good manager. She made the living for the family because her husband was elderly and in ill health. They had a large city lot where they raised a garden and feed for their cow and some sheep. Grandmother always had a spinning wheel and a loom. She would shear the sheep herself, wash and clean the wool, then card and spin it and weave it into cloth. She wove linsey, cotton warp and wool filling, flannel, and all wool; plain, stripes and plaids, also yard wide goods of skirt length with a bright robe of many colors about a quarter of a yard wide about half-way up the skirt. The skirt was then pleated onto a plain waist and when it began to show wear, the front could be turned to the back and it could be turned upside down. After making the cloth, she made it up into clothing by hand for the entire family. She, as all the pioneers of those days, knit all the socks, stockings, hoods, mufflers, and mittens. Besides doing all this and her own weaving, she wove cloth and carpet for other people.

She spent one day each fall in making up her candles for the year. She would clear the room of her loom and all the furniture, and then bring the scaffolding and sticks from the garret; they filled more than half the room. She would leave spaces between the scaffolding to walk. The candle wick was doubled and twisted; the sharp end of the stick was run through the loop at the top. Each stick held about one dozen candles. After melting the tallow to the right temperature, she would take a stick in each hand, dip the wicks into the tallow and hang them on the scaffolding; this process was repeated until the candles were of the required size. The next day they were taken down, put into boxes and stored away for future use.

A friend of hers, Mrs. Emma Evans Little, describes Grandmother as she had often seen her on her way to Church. She said, "I remember Mrs. Babcock passing our gate going to Church with a pretty shawl worn three cornered, her full robed skirt over hoops and every article she had made by her own hands, excepting the shawl; I suppose she brought that from her native land."

All the ladies of that period wore about the same costume. In the summertime, they wore sun-bonnets and shakers, until Aunt Eliza R. Snow met with the Relief Society and told them to learn to braid straw and make for themselves, their children and yes, for their husbands, hats; which they did.

Grandmother was a kind woman; her life was filled with deeds of service and devotion to her family, her friends and to the religion which she dearly loved. She gave freely of loyalty, kindness, love and service; every one who needed her help was her neighbor. She never complained of her lot or spoke of what she might have had under other conditions and circumstances. She said, "I have lived, seen God's hand through a lifetime and all was for the best,"

She did not lack in gracious gifts; a gleam of humor brightening care-worn hours, a clear intelligence of mind and heart. Her life knew burdens, hard to bear. For her no luxury or careless ease, but patient still and cheerful, she worked on and gave but little thought of herself to please. Hers was the gift of charity that suffers long and still is kind.

Grandmother's brothers and sisters were:

Karesten Viborg, Denmark July 21, 1821

Peter Jyrgen November 10, 1822

Anna Maria March 17, 1824

Hans July 31, 1825

Anna May 21 1827

Niels 1829

Catherine February 8, 1830

Christina 1832

Johan December 4, 1834

Andreas January 16, 1836

Of these children, four came to America, Anna Maria and Andreas came to Michigan. Christine and Catherine, my Grandmother, came to Utah.

Grandmother died in Spanish Fork, October 22, 1895, and was buried in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery.

This poem was written as a tribute by her Grand-daughter, Mrs. Phillis Andersen Hone of Blackfoot, Idaho.

To My Grandmother

When I think of my dear old Grandmother

Who crossed the ocean wide,

Along with two small children

And faith in God, her guide.



Gained did she a wealth of knowledge,

Reading and learning her Bible by heart,

Brought to her the joy of living

And the courage to do her part.



Always shall I love my Grandmother,

In loyalty and trust sincere,

Who has cherished the true Standards.

Of a NOBLE PIONEER.

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Life History Based on Compilations By:

Emma E. Little (a friend of Ane Catherine Babcock)

Thomas Meason Andersen (poems)

Dallas B. Hatch

Sandy M. Clark