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Jens and Mary Emma Jensen papers, 1882-1965

Overview of the Collection

Title
Jens and Mary Emma Jensen papers
Dates
1882-1965 (inclusive)
Quantity
2 boxes, (0.75 linear feet)
Collection Number
UUS_COLL MSS 392
Summary
The collection chronicles the lives of Jens and Mary Emma Baker Jensen and their children along with the early history of Mendon, Utah.
Repository
Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division
Special Collections & Archives
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
Logan, UT
84322-3000
Telephone: 4357978248
Fax: 4357972880
scweb@usu.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

ens Nielsen Jensen was an early settler in Cache Valley and mayor of Mendon, Utah. Born in Denmark on November 3, 1858, to Niels and Karen Thorkelsen Jensen, he immigrated with his family to Utah after they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On the voyage across the Atlantic, Jens's mother died and when he was ten years old his father died. As a consequence, he was raised in Mendon by Ola Sonne. From 1881 to 1883, Jensen served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Southern States mission before marrying Mary Emma Baker in Mendon in 1885. They had eight children, seven of which survived into adulthood. Jensen remained an active member of the Church of Latter-day Saints and held many leadership positions in the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association and the Sunday School at his local Mendon congregation.

Mary Emma Baker was the daughter of George Washington Baker and Agnes Richards. She was born July 30, 1864, in Mendon, Utah, where she lived all of her life. Mary attended Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah and became a schoolteacher, teaching in Mendon and Hyrum, Utah, before she was married. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held local leadership positions in several of its organizations, including the Relief Society, the Sunday School, and the Mutual Improvement Association.

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Content Description

The collection contains materials pertaining to the lives of Jens and Mary Emma Baker Jensen and their children—especially their daughter Sibyl Jensen Smith and her career working in the Idaho State welfare programs. They consist of correspondence, family histories, histories of early Mendon, Utah, speeches, obituaries, patriarchal blessings, and reports.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Jens and Mary Emma Jensen papers must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives manuscript curator and/or the Special Collections and Archives department head.

Preferred Citation

Initial Citation: Jens and Mary Emma Jensen papers USU_COLL MSS 392, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah.

Following Citations: USU_COLL MSS 392, USUSCA.

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Administrative Information

Processing Note

Processed in July of 2012.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Janet Brigham Rands in 2009.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Letters, 1905-1965

    • Description: Jens Jensen to Sibyl Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1924 December 27 - 1941 May 27
      Container: Box 1, Folder 1
    • Description: Jens Jensen to Milton Jensen
      Dates: 1924 October 17 - 1941 October 31
      Container: Box 1, Folder 2
    • Description: Misc. Jens Jensen
      Dates: 1932
      Container: Box 1, Folder 3
    • Description: Mary Emma Baker Jensen to Sibyl Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1923 October 10 - 1940 March 24
      Container: Box 1, Folder 4
    • Description: Mary Emma Baker Jensen to Milton Jensen
      Dates: 1933 May 22 - 1939 July 16
      Container: Box 1, Folder 5
    • Description: Mary Emma Baker Jensen to Julia Baker Christensen
      Dates: 1940 January 12
      Container: Box 1, Folder 6
    • Description: Milton Jensen to Jens Jensen
      Dates: 1941 November 11
      Container: Box 1, Folder 7
    • Description: Milton Jensen to Agnes Jensen
      Dates: 1942 February 10
      Container: Box 1, Folder 8
    • Description: Milton Jensen to Olive, May, and Agnes Jensen

      Post-It note on first page r "Milton Jensen's abbreviated transcript of letters--dates not necessarily correct." Post-It note on p. 7 r "Year not on original--1932 not correct".

      Dates: 1961 February 18
      Container: Box 1, Folder 9
    • Description: Milton Jensen to Mary Smith
      Dates: 1965 August 8
      Container: Box 1, Folder 10
    • Description: Milton Jensen to Sibyl Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1941 August 21 - 1955 November 13
      Container: Box 1, Folder 11
    • Description: Sibyl Jensen Smith to Milton Jensen
      Dates: 1932 June 23 - 1941 December 29
      Container: Box 1, Folder 12
    • Description: Sibyl Jensen Smith to Milton Jensen
      Dates: 1942 January 13 - 1945 November 19
      Container: Box 1, Folder 13
    • Description: Sibyl Jensen Smith to Milton Jensen
      Dates: 1946 January 22 - 1952 February 6
      Container: Box 1, Folder 14
    • Description: Sibyl Jensen Smith to May, Milton, and Olive
      Dates: 1942 February 16
      Container: Box 1, Folder 15
    • Description: Sibyl Jensen Smith to Unknown
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1, Folder 16
    • Description: L. Tom Perry to Sibyl Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1942 February 17
      Container: Box 1, Folder 17
    • Description: J. Kenneth Thatcher and Seth H. Bills to Sybil Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1959 November 20
      Container: Box 1, Folder 18
    • Description: Letters to Clement Van Noy Smith on his LDS mission
      Dates: 1905 April 2 - 1907 February 23
      Container: Box 1, Folder 19
    • Description: Letters to Clement Smith to Sibyl Jensen Smith
      Dates: 1945 November 5 - 1945 November 17
      Container: Box 1, Folder 20
    • Description: Rexburg Citizens to First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1, Folder 21
  • Description: Family History

    Various histories recorded by Sibyl Jensen Smith, a typed recollection by Mary Emma Baker Jensen, and a spiral notebook containing important dates in the lives of the Jensen children.

    Dates: undated
    Container: Box 1, Folder 22
  • Mendon History, undated

    • Description: Mendon History

      Includes: "Founding of Mendon Cache County, Utah" by Jens Jensen, a history of George Washington Baker (1837-1924) by his daughter Mary Emma Baker Jensen written around 1923 but before July 1, 1923 (according to Post-It note which was on document), several drafts of "Charles Shumway" by Jens Jensen, several drafts of "The Settlement of Mendon, Cache Co., Utah" by Jens Jensen, "Hans Peter Larsen", several drafts of "Mary Sorensen Sonne" by Jens Jensen, "Autobiography of Jens Jensen", "Niels Jensen" by Jens Jensen, "Captain James Jack" by Jens Jensen, several drafts of "The Settlement of Mendon Cache Co." by Jens Jensen, several drafts of "Incidents In Early Mendon Affairs" by Jens Jensen, "Journal of Jens Jensen" (written in the 1930s), an early map and legend of Mendon, and a composition book.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 1, Folder 23
    • Description: The Scriblin Book

      Various notes and recollections

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 2, Folder 1
  • Life Sketches, 1933-1941 September

    • Description: Life Sketches

      Includes: several drafts of "Neils Jensen" by Jens Jensen, "Brief Sketch Of My Life As I Remember" by Jens Jensen, several drafts of "Incidents in Life of Jens Jensen", "Personal History of Jens Jensen and Notes On The Early Life Of Mendon, Utah" written by Jens Jensen, "History of: Jens Jensen" written by him in August 1933, handwritten draft of an autobiography of Jens Jensen, and a composition book.

      Dates: 1933-1941 September
      Container: Box 2, Folder 2
  • Blessings, 1882 July 2-1925 February 6

    • Description: Blessings

      Includes: "Missionary Blessing Pronounced upon the head of Elder Clement Smith by Elder J. G. Kimball, of the First Council of Seventies in the Annex of the Salt Lake Temple", "A blessing given under the hands of Anderw J. Hansen, Patriarch, upon the head of Sibyl Jensen Smith", "A Patriarchal Blessing given by Henry Hughes, Patriarch, upon the head of Jens Jensen", "A Patriarchal Blessing by C.W. Hyde", "A Blessing given by John Smith, Patriarch, upon the head of Clement Smith", "A blessing given under the hands of Andrew J. Hansen, Patriarch, upon the head of Harold Jensen Smith", "Mary..Daughter of Jens and Mary Emma Baker Jensen", "Lillian, Daughter of Jens and Mary E. B. Jensen, "Ether, son of Jens and Mary E.B. Jensen", "Sibyl Jensen", "Agnes, Blessed by Patriarch Henry Hughes", "Milton, Blessed by Patriarch Henry Hughes", and "A Patriarchal Blessing given by Patriarch Henry Hughes upon the head of Mary Emma Baker Jensen".

      Dates: 1882 July 2-1925 February 6
      Container: Box 2, Folder 3
  • Speeches, undated

    • Description: Speeches

      Includes: A tribute to Sibyl Jensen Smith by her daughter Mary Smith, a speech delivered by Sybil Jensen Smith on the Idaho State Hospital South newspaper article reporting on said speech, and a draft of a speech by Sibyl Jensen Smith.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 2, Folder 4
  • Notes, undated

    • Description: Notes

      Notes taken by Sibyl Jensen Smith on various topics.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 2, Folder 5
  • Tributes, 1941 January 11-1956 December 20

    • Description: Tributes

      Includes: The obituary of Jens Jensen, several drafts of "In Remembrance of Mary Emma Baker: A Tribute of Love and Esteem" by her husband, Jens Jensen; "Tribute to Sister Mary E. Jensen" by Jens Jensen, a poem "My Grandmother" (possibly for the funeral of Mary Emma Baker Jensen), and a funeral program for Clem Smith.

      Dates: 1941 January 11-1956 December 20
      Container: Box 2, Folder 6
  • Funerals, 1940 December 18-1941 September 6

    • Description: Funerals

      Includes: Receipts for funeral expenses for the funeral of Mary Emma Baker Jensen and Jens Jensen's funeral requests.

      Dates: 1940 December 18-1941 September 6
      Container: Box 2, Folder 7
  • Reports, undated

    • Description: Reports

      Includes: Report of the Dora Perry Family by Sibyl Jensen Smith, "To Members Of Medical Care Interim Study Committee" by Sibyl Jensen Smith.

      Dates: undated
      Container: Box 2, Folder 8
  • Miscellaneous, 1912 February 11

    • Description: Miscellaneous

      Includes: Jens Jensen's priesthood ordination certificate and a famly record sheet of the Jensen family genealogy.

      Dates: 1912 February 11
      Container: Box 2, Folder 9

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Home and Family
  • Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
  • Mormons--Colonization--Utah--Mendon.
  • Mormons--Geneology.

Geographical Names

  • Cache County (Utah)--History.
  • Mendon (Utah)--History--Sources.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Autobiography.
  • Patriarchal blessings (Mormon Church).
  • Speeches, Addresses, etc.
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