Aagaat (Østensdatter) Kimball (1823 - 1871)

Born 11 Apr 1823 in Tinn, Telemarken, Norway

Ancestors

Wife of Heber Chase Kimball — married 5 Nov 1844 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States

Died 22 Nov 1871 at age 48 in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: William Knowles [send private message]

Biography

Ellen (Østensdatter) Kimball was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Ellen became a member of the LDS Church between 1830 - 1848.

Ellen (Østensdatter) Kimball migrated from Norway to the USA.

Arrived in New York Harbor August 15, 1837 aboard the Ship Niord Ellen Sanders Kimball has an amazing life story. At the age of eleven. little Aagaat Ysteinsdatter, who would later be called Ellen Saunders, and her family immigrated with the Rue Party from Tinn, Telemark, Norway to America.

Bakkajord, Tinn, Telemarken

Osten Sondreson, Ellen's father, was born November 8, 1789 on Bakka farm in Tinn, Telemark, Norway. He was the 5th child of Sondre Gjermundson and Margit Oysteinson. As was the custom in Norway, he was known by the surname of Sondreson. The entire family took the surname of Saunders as an anglicized version upon arrival. ^[1]

America was an unknown and almost exotic place to these immigrants. Later, they would write letters back to tell of their discoveries which would encourage others to immigrate. These letters also portray some of their myths:

Letter from Ole Rynning

"It is a general belief among the common people in Norway that America was well populated some years ago, and that a plague -- almost like the black death -- has left the country desolate of people. As a result, they are of the opinion that those who emigrate to America will find cultivated farms, houses, clothes, and furniture ready for them, everything in the condition in which it was left by the former owners. This is a false supposition." ^[2]

Even though these families were not poor, America represented the promise of a brighter future. Here is an account of the Rue Party leaving for America:

1837, First to leave for America from Tinn, the Rue party. At Sandven at the shores of Lake Tinnsjø a crowd gathered on May 17. Fifty-nine from Tinn and Hovin were leaving. The minister and sheriff (lensmann H. A. Bernaas) made speeches. The emigrants wore old costumes, had trunks and supplies with them, and rowed down the river as family, left behind, waved. In the south end of Tinnsjø. The emigrants had to walk through Gransherad and Heddal down to Lake Heddalsvatn, then by boats along Lake Heddalsvatn and thereafter Lake Norsjø where they almost reached Skien. The last distance was made by foot. Five days after departure from Tinn, the group embarked, went onboard the sailing vessel “Paketten” in Skien (May 22) with Ole Halvorsen as Captain. ^[3]The ship arrived at Gøteborg/Gothenburg, Sweden a few days later. The emigrants changed ships and left for New York aboard the “Niord” about May 31. The ship arrived August 15 in New York after 10 weeks. From New York it was to Chicago (in early September) and the Fox River Settlement south-west of the City in Illinois. Most of them settled there, including Snowshoe Thompson. What happened on the shore of Sandven really was the beginning of a wave. The event was a sensation. Newspapers and magazines made articles. ^[4][5]

Aagot listed on the shipslist:

Line 28. Aagoth Østensdatter Bakka 11 f Steerage

Once they arrived in New York as part of this historic party, they were destined to become part of another historic event known as the Beaver Creek Tragedy: ^[6]

They traveled by canal boat and other means to Chicago. There they met other Norwegian immigrants and rather than proceed to the Fox River Settlements in LaSalle County, where the Norwegian settlements were located, they opted to go with a number of other families and settle on some land which they called Beaver Creek. This was located about seventy-five miles south of Chicago on the Illinois and Indiana border. It was in Iroquois County near the present town of Watseka, Illinois.

During the first winter of 1837/38, Osten, Aase, and at least one child died in the Beaver Creek Settlement. The malaria epidemic was the cause of most of the deaths of Beaver Creek Settlement. Because of the epidemic the settlement was abandoned early in 1838.

The Sondreson surviving orphans were farmed out to various families...Three of the orphans, Ellen, Harriet, and Sondra, eventually joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints....Ellen and Harriet both married Apostle Heber C. Kimball in January of 1846. He had 43 wives. ^[7]

Ellen's marriage occurred right before the Trek of 1846 when the Mormons started for Salt Lake, Utah. Yet Heber chose Ellen to accompany him in the first pioneer company which arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley in July of 1847. She was one of the three women in the first company:

...148 people, three of whom were women, 72 wagons, and a large collection of livestock made up this first group. ^[8]

Ellen's ability to survive and help others must have been evident after all of her experiences and yet she was only 23 years old. Ellen's image has been placed on the "This Is The Place Monument" in Emigration Canyon east of Salt Lake City. ^[9]

LDS Early Church Ordinance: Baptism in 1842 in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States (Reference: LDS Biographical Encyclopedia. Jenson, Andrew. 1951, Volume: 2 Page: 772 & Volume: 4 Page: 711)

Sources

1. ↑ The First Chapter of Norwegian immigration (1821-1840): its causes and results by Anderson, Rasmus Björn, 1846-1936, Published 1906, Topics Norwegian Americans - History, Norway
2. ↑ gilderlehrman.org Excerpts: Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History.
3. ↑ NAHA Norwegian-American Studies, Vol. 29, p. 53.
4. ↑ NAHA Emigration from the Community of Tinn, 1837-1907: Demographic, Economic, and Social Background by Andres A. Svalestuen translated by C. A. Clausen (Volume 29: Page 43).
5. ↑ Spring Government Heritage Center Norway to America Historical Timeline.
6. ↑ Norwegian Immigrants Die at Beaver Creek.
7. ↑ Saunders website The Beaver Creek Tragedy: the missing orphans of Osten & Aase Sondreson by C. Robert Saunders
8. ↑ NPS.gov Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail: The 1847 Trek
9. ↑ Wikipedia This is the Place Monument

See also:

• Our Norway Heritage The Rue-party from Tinn Parish
• Our Norway Heritage: Passenger list 1837 - bark Niord
• user.xmission.com Aagot (Ellen) Sanders Kimball, The missing orphans of Osten & Aase Sondresson
• Our Pioneer Heritage Kate B Carter Vol 8., pg. 177 by Mary Price Nelson, pub. 2011
• history.lds.org Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel 1846-1868
• LDS Pioneer Overland Travel 1847-1868 web site: https://history.lds.org/overlandtravel/pioneers/416/ellen-sanders-kimball
• Familypedia Ellen Sanders (1823-1871)
• Find a Grave Ellen Sanders Kimball, Memorial# 65768
• NPS.gov Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail: The 1846 Trek
• Membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints 1830-1848, Volume 38, RUS—SHE Compiled by Susan Ward Easton Black, Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. familysearch