Mette Marie Sandersdatter

Født 25 Jan 1848 Lildfrost Mark, Bredsten Sogn, Tørrild, Vejle

Død 22 Apr 1910 Washington County, Utah, USA

Fødsel 25 Jan 1848 Lildfrost Mark, Bredsten Sogn, Tørrild, Vejle

Udvandring 1867

Vielse/Ægteskab 28 Oct 1867 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA

Død 22 Apr 1910 Washington County, Utah, USA

Begravelse 24 Apr 1910 Washington County, Utah, USA

Daughter of Sander Andersen and Johanna Catherine Hansdatter. On the 1867 manifest of the ship Manhatten she is 'Mette M. Andersen.' Her death date is from her death certificate.

Metta Marie Sanders Life History
Written by Marva Crawford (Grand-daughter)

Metta Marie Sanders, daughter of Sander Anderson and Johanna Hansen, was born January 25, 1848, in Lildfrost, a little country village in Bredsten County, Denmark. In 1862, at the age of fourteen years she joined the 'Mormon' Church. With her parents and their other children, she came five years later to America to join a company of saints on their way to Utah. They came in the company of Captain Christian Christiansen in the Steamer Waldemar. Upon their arrival in America they joined an ox team company lead by Captain Leonard G. Rice and started across the plains.

At North Platte, Nebraska, many of the company became ill, and for some time their progress was checked. While here Metta's father, mother, sister and brother became stricken. On the seventh of August her father died. Her mother was so ill that she was not told of her husband's death. Andrew, Metta's fourteen year old brother, who was also sick, was so low that he was not told of his father's death until the following day. Five days later Metta's mother died. The only coffin their bodies had were quilts in which they were wrapped and then placed in the graves.

As soon as the people were able to travel, beds were made in the wagons for those who were still ill, and the company continued its journey. Adel, Metta's seventeen year old sister, was one of those unfortunate ones. She died in Wyoming on the twentieth of September and was buried by the roadside in a crude box. Of the little family of five that left their home for the sake of the gospel only two, Metta Marie and Andrew were left when the company entered Salt Lake City in the fall of 1867.

Johanna Bastian, Metta's older sister, who had come to Utah ten years previous, and her husband, Jacob Bastian, came to Salt Lake and met Metta and Andrew. Although Johanna was glad to greet her brother and sister, her joy was outweighed by the disappointment and sorrow of not meeting her parents and sister, Adel, of whose deaths she had not heard.

About three weeks after her arrival in Salt Lake City, on October 28, 1867, Metta was married to Jacob Bastian in the Endowment House. After the marriage to Jacob Bastian he and his two wives and their brother started for their home in Washington, UT. In those days the journey was long and tiresome, for it had to be made by team. Therefore, it is not surprising that Metta was glad to reach her new home.

For some time Metta made her home in a wagon box. Here she had her bed and her few personal belongings. Her meals she cooked and ate with Jacob's other wives. They each had a one room adobe house. These were connected by a bowery which served as the family kitchen.

For eleven days after her first baby was born, Metta was totally blind. Each day Niels Sorenson, commonly known as 'Grandpa Sorenson', came and administered unto her. Her sight was gradually restored, but her eyes, from that time on, were weak.

Her first home was a two room adobe building. It was furnished with homemade furniture which, however, was good and durable as her husband was a carpenter. Stoves were unknown. All of her dishes were made from wood by her husband; among these were wooden bowls.

Food was scarce and consisted chiefly of molasses and corn bread. Flour once cost twenty five dollars per hundred. Metta's husband, Jacob, made frequent trips to northern and central parts of Utah with dried fruit and molasses to trade for flour and potatoes. In those days they never bottled or canned fruit. Their preserves were made chiefly with molasses. Occasionally, grape juice was used but this was considered a luxury.

Early one morning Jacob and Johanna went to the field to pick cotton. Metta and Christine, his second wife, were to prepare breakfast and take it to the field. They tried to get something to make bread from, but being unsuccessful they returned home, boiled some whole wheat and took it to the field for their husband and Johanna.

One night before retiring, Metta wanted something to eat but there was nothing but dry bread and a few raw onions, besides molasses in the house. She was tired of molasses and she did not like onions, but rather than go to bed hungry, she decided to eat some of the bread and onions. Taking a piece of each, she went to the woodpile, sat on a log, and ate her supper while the tears, caused by the strong juice of the onion, coursed down her cheeks.

The greater part of the year 1864, Jacob had typhoid fever. During his illness his family lived almost entirely on cornmeal mush. The children became so tired of eating this that one of Johanna's small boys broke his dish, thinking that if he had no bowl he would have to eat no more mush. His act did not help matters, however, for dishes were scarce and this broken one only had to be replaced by another and the child had to continue eating cornmeal mush.

Many times Metta and Jacob's other wives went to the field and with garden rakes raked up the grain, and then bound it, while their husband went before them and cut it with the cradle. Many a long hot day they were spent in the cotton fields picking cotton.

The clothing was made from home raised cotton or wool which was hand carded, spun on homemade spinning wheels and woven on hand looms. Later the Washington factory was constructed. For some time this was run both day and night in order to supply the cloth that was in such great demand. Metta worked there at night and cared for her family during the day.

Her shoes were made from home tanned leather, furnished by the town shoemaker. Sometimes wooden shoes took their place. As a girl Metta never knew what it was to be without shoes, but after moving to Dixie, she was forced to go barefoot. Their drinking water was obtained from a nearby spring. Metta would watch until there was no one on the street, then she would take her bucket and go to the spring. If anyone passed while she was there, she would sit down, cover her bare feet with her dress and wait until he had gone, then take her bucket and go home. Very seldom was a child fortunate enough to have a pair of shoes.

Metta had learned to knit when she was a small girl and practice had made her an expert knitter. Her knowledge was very useful to her. Often she would sit up at night and knit, not only for her own family but also for other people. She would sit before the fireplace and knit in the dark. When she dropped a stitch she would throw a chip from the pan by her side on the dying fire, and continue her knitting.

Spinning, cording, quilting, and rag bees furnished a large part of the amusements. Dancing was enjoyed by both old and young. In this, however, Metta did not take very much part as she was not fond of dancing. Often the person who was fortunate enough to own a good pair of shoes would lend them to his friend for a few dances while he sat and looked on.

As money was scarce, often one article was traded for another. The boys often took squash or a pan of potatoes to pay their dance tickets. The first store in Washington was a co op store. This was formed by the people appropriating dried fruit, molasses, and other Dixie products. These were taken north and traded for the things that the Washington people needed, which in turn were taken back and sold to the people or given as dividends to them for their interest in the store.

The first meeting house was a large bowery. Here the people met in their religious services and partook of the spirit of God just as though they had been seated in some beautiful building.

One day when Metta was on her way home from the farm, a number of large Indians with bows and arrows rode up on horses. To frighten her they began shooting arrows all about her. As she knew the wisest thing to do was not let them know that she was frightened, she continued on her way, paying little head to the Indians. Although she did not think they would hurt her intentionally, yet she feared that in their sport they would let fly a carelessly aimed arrow, which might strike her. She was, therefore, greatly relieved when they left her and went whopping into town.

She was loved and honored by all who knew her, especially her nine children, of whom only four lived to be married. Her last years were spent with her son, Hans and his young wife at her old home on the farm. She spent all day on April 20, 1910, visiting with her old friends in Washington. That evening she spent in merrymaking with the young couple. Early the following morning she was found by her son dead in her bed as if in the midst of a peaceful sleep. Her spirit and body had parted without a struggle. She died April 21, 1910 at washington, UT.