BIOGRAPHY & LIFE OF PETER ADOLPH FORSGREN

These two portraits hang in the DUP Museum on Capital Hill in Salt Lake City.  In the late 90's they were located in the lobby of the 2nd floor.  Now they can be seen in what is called on the DUP "map" the "Jenson Bedroom" (in the NE corner of the 2nd floor, just before the doll collection)  The display room has no label identifying it as the Jenson room, but probably is so called because it contains many artifacts in the room and in the display case outside the room donated as part of the Andrew Jensen collection.  Mr. Jensen was church historian and a friend who traveled from Salt Lake to attend the funeral of Peter Adolph Forsgren.

BIOGRAPHY OF PETER ADOLPH FORSGREN

This is only one of several available accounts that have been published over the years and are available in the Forsgren Family Assn. archives.  The author is not listed.  It could have been written by Oluff Peterson who was a contemporary and good friend of Peter Forsgren and an associate with him in Scandinavian acitivies. Though the opening statement refers to "grandfather Forsgren", so many paragraphs are familiar sounding as though it were written by a grandchild, that grandchild quoted heavily from other accounts (for instance farther into the history Peter is referred to as "Bro. Forsgren" instead of "Grandfather Forsgren.")

"Peter A. Forsgren was born at Gefle, Sweden on July 20, 1826 Jul 20. As to his early childhood little is known, but in later years the history of his life is interwoven with the early history of Utah, and especially Box Elder County.

We all know that grandfather Forsgren was a great lover of flowers and shrubbery, probably being the first grower of peonies in the district, having brought the start with him direct from the kings garden in Sweden. We would naturally infer that his love for flowers was with him from his early childhood.

While Sweden is noted for their beautiful flowerbeds in the parks, in the congested residential district there is little or no room for flowers or shrubbery.

Grandfather Forsgren, as a small boy, obtained a little twig from a near by nursery which he planted in the back yard of his home which through his tender care grew to be a mighty tree. When his son Elias P. was on his mission in 1912, he located the old homestead and took a picture of the home and the tree. He also obtained permission to take a branch of the tree from which he had made several souvenir chests, made by a local member of the church.

As a young man grandfather learned the trade of weaving, which profession was of great value to him and to other pioneers in early days. With only a saw, a hammer, a drawing knife, and hatchet; he set out to build a loom. In order to get the material of the right size, shape, and strength. He had to scour the near canyons. Some parts came from the canyon east of Calls Fort, while other parts were taken from Box Elder and Devil's Gate canyons.

With this crude instrument he wove cloth blankets and carpets. Some of the carpets which he wove were used in the Logan Temple, while some of the silk cloth woven on this loom was taken by his wife Eliza Forsgren to the World's Fair at Chicago and won a prize for demonstration of home made silk cloth.

It must have been a picturesque scene to see grandfather weaving carpets, with a clothes basket suspended by ropes from either side of the loom in which was a little baby, which he would rock with his hand while weaving.

John E. Forsgren, grandfather's older brother left Sweden for the seas at the age of 9 years. For about 18 years, most of his life was spent on the mighty ocean. He visited nearly every important seaport on the globe. In the spring of 1843, while at Boston, Mass. he became acquainted with the Latter Day Saints, was convinced of the truthfulness, accepted the same and was baptized by Elder William McGhee. July 16, 1843 he went to Nauvoo where he became acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Brigham Young and other leaders. Suffered many of the persecution of the early days at Nauvoo.

John E. was the only Scandinavian in the Mormon Battalion, sharing in the sufferings and enduring the hardships of this memorial march. After being mustered out in Calif., John E. and other members of the Battalion started out to find the saints in the Salt Lake Valley arriving October 1, 1847.

At the General Conference held at Salt Lake City in October 1849, John E. was among the elders called to go on foreign missions, being called to go to Sweden.

His brothers and sister had long since given him up as dead. His sister Erika was a very spiritual minded woman, but could not receive consolation in listening to her minister preach, in fact she said she couldn't understand him. So one Sunday before going to church, she made it a matter of prayer, praying to Heavenly Father to enlighten her mind that she might understand what her preacher was saying, during the service of the church. She enjoyed the singing of the choir very much, but as the minister arose to preach, she felt a queer sensation coming over her, feeling as though she was going numb, starting from her head and going through her body to the tips of her toes. She could not move a limb. While she was pondering on how to get home, suddenly a man stood before her, holding three books in his hand in which he stated contained the everlasting gospel. When the minister sat down and the choir began to sing, she felt her feeling coming back into her body through her toes. She went home pondering greatly over what she and seen and heard, so when on the 5th day of July, she beheld her brother John E. on the threshold of her home with the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants it didn't take long for him to convince her and her brother Peter A. of the truths they contained. Baptizing grandfather, Peter A Forsgren on the 26th day of July 1850, being the first baptized convert in the Scandinavian Countries.

Peter's ordination certificate to the office of Priest, dated Dec. 15, 1852...about the time the emigrating company was to start their journey to America.  The original is in the possession of LeJune Forsgren Maughan, Peter's granddaughter thru his son Elias.

Grandfather at this time was suffering from the dreaded disease "consumption". The doctors had given him only a few months to live, but through his conversion to the gospel and its healing powers, and faith and prayers, was healed and lived to the good old age of 82 years.

Through affiliating himself with the Mormon Church, he was banished from Sweden and knew not where to go. His brother John E. was persecuted greatly for preaching the gospel, and was finally arrested. Upon being brought before the magistrate he was asked to show them a picture of his wonderful "prophet". Elder Forsgren gave them a picture of Joseph Smith.

Peter A. Forsgren was born to John Olaf Forsgren and Anna Holstrum on July 20, 1826 in Gefle, Sweden. As to his early childhood little is known, but in later years the history of his life is interwoven with the early history of Utah, and especially Box Elder County. My grandfather Forsgren was a great lover of flowers and shrubbery, probably being the first grower of "peonies" in this district, having brought the start with him direct from the King's garden in Sweden. We would naturally infer that his love for flowers was with him from his early childhood. While Sweden is noted for its beautiful flowerbeds in the parks, in the congested residential district there is little or no room for flowers or shrubbery.

Peter Forsgren, when a small boy obtained a little twig from a nearby nursery which he planted in the back yard of his home which, through his tender care, grew to be a mighty tree. When his son, Elias P. was on his mission in 1912, he located the old homestead and took a picture of the home and the tree; he also obtained permission to take a branch of the tree from which he had several souvenir chests made by a local member of the church.

As a young man he learned the trade of weaving, which trade was of great value to him and to other pioneers in early days. With only a saw, hammer, drawing knife, and hatchet, he set out to build a loom. In order to get the material of the right size, shape and strength he had to scour the nearby canyons; some material come from the canyon east of Calls Fort, while other parts were taken from Box Elder and Devils Gate Canyons. With this crude instrument he wove cloth, blankets and carpets. Some of the carpets that he wove were used in the Logan Temple. His 2nd wife, Eliza Forsgren took some of the silk cloth woven on this loom, to the World's Fair at Chicago and she won a prize for demonstration of homemade silk cloth. They grew their own silk worms to make the cloth. It must have been a picturesque scene to see Grandfather weaving carpets, with a clothes basket suspended by ropes from either side of the loom in which was a little baby, which he would rock with his hand while weaving.

John E. Forsgren, Grandfather's older brother, left Sweden for the seas at the age of 9 years. For about 18 years his life was mostly spent on the mighty ocean. He visited nearly every important seaport on the globe. In the spring of 1843, while at Boston, Mass., he became acquainted with the Latter-Day Saints, was convinced of the truth, accepted the same, and was baptized by Elder William McGhee, July 16, 1843. He went to Nauvoo where he became acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Brigham Young, and other leaders. He suffered many of the persecutions of the early days of Nauvoo.

He was the only Scandinavian in the Mormon Battalion, sharing in the sufferings and enduring the hardship of this march.

After being mustered out in California, John E. and other members of the Battalion started out to find the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley, arriving October 1, 1847. At the General Conference held at Salt Lake City October 1849, John E. was among the elders called to go on foreign missions, being called to go to Sweden.

His brothers and sister at home had long since given him up as dead. His sister Erika was a very spiritual-minded woman, but could not receive and consolation in listening to her minister preach, in fact, she said she couldn't understand him. So one Sunday before going to church, she made it a matter of prayer, praying to Heavenly Father to enlighten her mind that she might understand what the preacher was saying. During the services of the church, she enjoyed the singing of the choir very much, but as the minister arose to preach, she felt a queer sensation coming over her, feeling as though she was going numb, starting from her head and going through her body to the tips of her toes.

She could not move a limb. While she was pondering on how to get home, suddenly a man stood before her, holding three books in his hand, in which, he stated, was contained the Everlasting Gospel. When the minister sat down and the choir began to sing she felt her feeling coming back into her body through her toes. She went home pondering greatly over what she had seen and heard, so when on the 5th day of July, she beheld her brother John E. on the threshold of her home with the "Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants," it didn't take long for him to convince her and her brother, Peter A. , of the truths they contained. Baptizing Peter A. Forsgren on the 26th day of July 1850 made him the first baptized convert in the Scandinavian countries.



Grandfather Peter A. at this time was suffering from the dreaded disease "consumption." The doctors had given him only a few months to live, but through his conversion to the gospel and its healing powers and faith and prayers, was healed and lived to the good old age of 82 years. Through affiliating himself with the Mormon Church, he was banished from Sweden and knew not where to go. His brother, John E. was persecuted greatly for preaching the gospel and was finally arrested. Upon being brought before the magistrate, he was asked to show them a picture of his wonderful "prophet”. Elder Forsgren gave them a picture of Joseph Smith. The magistrate received it and held it over the lamp, and as it was slowly smoldering and burning, John E. had a vision in which he saw the city of Gefle in flames. John E. related this vision to Grandfather and their sister Erika. They were greatly concerned as to what would become of them, but he told them not to fear, as they would be in America at the time of the catastrophe. Nineteen years from the date of the burning of this picture, fire broke out in the very place and almost totally destroyed the city of Gefle. Grandfather's home was the only house not burned on that side of the river. The church has since purchased the home and is keeping it up. Grandfather and his sister were safely in America, as had been prophesied, having left their native country on December 20, 1852, arriving at New Orleans on March 6, 1853, having been driven about on the ocean in a sailboat for two months.

[Insert:
EMIGRATION: ancestry.com's Emigranten Populär, 1783-1951 (Swedish Emigration Records, 1783-1951)
Name: Pehr Adolf Forssgren
Place of Origin: Gefle, Gävleborg Län, Sverige
Destination: Dannemark
Record Date: 1852
Database Name: EmiPass
Occupation/Title: Segelduksarb [found no translation of this in any on-line dictionaries]
Archive Call Number: A 118:482
Ship Type: Skepp ]

John E., Peter A. and their sister, Erika Forsgren stopped at Keokuk, Iowa, for some time, preparing to make the weary trip across the plains. On the boat, Grandfather had met a lovely young girl, Anna C. Knudsen, who had left Denmark and was one of the companies. He married her in Keokuk on May 8, 1853. As an interesting sidelight a quote from the Forsgren Company Pioneer Journal containing the 1st Danish company to emigrate to Utah:

At Keokuk, Iowa, Sunday, May 8, 1853: "The morning meeting was opened with prayed by Elder J. E. Forsgren, who then spoke to our enlightenment and edification... In the Afternoon meeting Elder Forsgren bore powerful testimony and spoke words of encouragement. The spirit of God was with us and all was well. After closing prayer, the brethren and sisters met again. Elder Forsgren said there was a couple who wished to be married, namely Peter Adolph Forsgren and Kirsten Knudsen. If anyone had anything against this marriage, they should show it by uplifted hand. No hands were raised, and it was unanimously sanctioned for the ceremony, which Elder J. E. Forsgren then performed."

They crossed the Missouri on June 27, 1853, and started for the west. The trip was long and tiresome; several died on the way. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on September 30, 1853, being three months on the way.

John E, Grandfather Peter A. , and their sister Erika continued on to Box Elder County, arriving in the late fall. These in connection with a few other Scandinavian Saints, were the first to settle north of Salt Lake. Their first home was in the old fort. As the Indian troubles were over, they set about building log houses in other parts of the city; these were naturally very crude, having to use an umbrella in the house to keep the rain off the babies. The life of grandfather Forsgren was very much like that of other pioneers, building bridges and making roads. He didn't take up agriculture extensively, but kept at his trade, that of weaving, which perhaps was just as essential as agriculture. When the report came that Johnston's Army was coming the Saints were ordered south. Grandfather and his wife left their home, walking the greater part of the way to Salt Lake. With them they took three children, the youngest a babe of 10 days.

When Brigham City was divided into four wards in 1877, Brother Forsgren was chosen as first counselor to Bishop Henry Tingey of the First Wand. This position he held until Bishop Tingey's death. In the year 1879, he married Eliza C. Thomassen as a plural wife. In July 1902 the Scandinavians of Utah met at Brigham City to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his baptism to the Latter-Day Saints Church. There were over 5,000 visitors, at which time the presented him with a gold-headed walking cane and also upon this occasion he was ordained a Patriarch of the Church. He served in the bishopric of the First Ward for several years: he also served a foreign mission to his native country. He died in 1908 at his home in Brigham City."

This is the gold-headed cane given to Peter Forsgren on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of his baptism. (1902) It was donated by LeJune Forsgren Maughan (his grand daughter) to the DUP Museum in Salt Lake City.  It can be viewed in the foyer of the 3rd floor in display case #2.

In 1998 I had a personal visit with LeJune at her home in Rupert, Idaho. She showed me the cane and a chair made by Peter Adolph on that occasion (along with other wonderful artifacts). I touched the cane with great reverance. It was a story I had heard all my life and I was so excited to know where it was located. (I had visited the DUP museum earlier that year and was sure it would be there. It wasn't and I was mystified. So though some of LeJune's own children are disappointed in her decision to donate the cane, I, for one am thrilled that more people will be able to see it. I wish it were displayed a little differently, but at least it is visible to the public and to the thousands of Peter's descendants who might want to see it).

In this photo Peter Adolph Forsgren  is holding the gold-headed cane.  I suspect the photo was taken on the day of the baptism anniversary celebration - or shortly after.  His wife Anna Christena Knudson is inserted in this family photo as a photograph since she passed away in 1895.  So the photo was taken sometime between then and 1902.  Peter passed away just a few years later in 1908.

The biography above fails to mention that Peter Forsgren (or Fosgreen as the surname seemed to be pronounced more commonly) was called to serve a mission to Sweden in 1885 at 59 years of age.  I have often thought it odd that more is not mentioned about that mission, where he served, how long he was there and if he also had a chance to see his own son that he had left behind.  The following two documents, one in English and one in Swedish, are his mission "permission" papers identifying him as a missionary.  (The originals are in the possession of LeJune Forsgren Maughan)

MISSION: Peter Adolph Forsgren arrived in Copenhagen 24 June 1885.  Missionary labors:  Stockholm Conference.  Departure from Copenhagen 21 June 1886 on ship "Otto"

PATRIARCHAL BLESSINGS: 

#1 - Brigham City Apr 25 1855 - A blessing by Isaac Morley on the head of Peter Adolf Fosgreen son of John Oloph and Anie Christina Fosgreen born July 26, 1826 in Sweden,Gavely

#2 - Received at the hand of Patriarch John Smith, in Brigham City, Box Elder County, Dec. 18th, 1872.  "A blessing given by John Smith, Patriarch, on the head of Peter Adolph Forsgreen son of Johnn Olof and Anna Steen Forsgreen born Gefele Sweden, July 22, 1926."

It is inappropriate to quote the entire blessing here, but one or two things should be noted.  Peter was told that the "eye of the Lord has been upon thee from thy youth," that the Lord had given "thine angel charge concerning thee who hath preserved thee from many of the evils of the world and brought thee out from Babylon that you might partake of the blessings in Zion and do a work for thy Kindred."  Though Peter had seen many changes and passed through trials he was admonished  to "slacken not thine endeavors to good for thy mission is not yet finished. . . "   He was told "thy name shall be handed down with thy posterity in honorable remembrance and written in the Lambs book of life."   Peter is of the blood of Joseph.

Recorded Book F, Page 713.   (Photocopy in possession of the Forsgren Family Assn.)

ANOTHER BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH - no author listed.



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH #3:  A more personal flavor contributed by his son Oscar Forsgren:



Peter Adolph's loom shuttle - location:  Brigham City Museum

Oluff and Rose Peterson, good friends of the Forsgrens.  Oluff wrote at least one biographical sketch of Peter A - probably on the occasion of either the 50 yr. anniversary of Peter's baptism or the Scandinavian Jubilee.