Rebecca Hansen and her Marriage to Einer



Einer and Rebecca Wedding Day September 28, 1910



The Early life of Rebecca Karen Christina Hansen

Rebecca was born in Spanish Fork, Utah on April 8, 1887 and the first girl in her family other than a sister who died at birth.[1] Peter’s mother wanted the girl named after her and Olena’s mother wanted her named after her. Both parents wanted to avoid any problems they decided to give her two middle names in honor of her grandmothers both hardy pioneer women. Peter wanted to name his daughter Rebecca after an old girl friend so they named her Rebecca Karen Christina Hansen. Rebecca grew up in Spanish Fork, Utah as it was changing from a territory to a State. Rebecca also saw the turn of the century in her early years, which brought many changes to the country and especially to Utah.[2]

When Rebecca was six weeks old her father moved the family from Spanish Fork up to a homestead in Spanish Fork Canyon. Spanish Fork Canyon had a large amount of rattlesnakes and the homestead had many snakes around it. Rebecca just two years old tried to kill a rattlesnake one-day with just a garden hoe. When her mother saw this she ran to her daughter and took her to safety. When Rebecca was six, her parents moved their families back into town to start school. Rebecca was very excited about being baptized her dreams were realized on September 5, 1895. She was baptized by A.R.M. Beck and was confirmed the same day by George Snell.[3]

Rebecca enjoyed school and found school easy and she did well in her classes. She claimed that she only had to read her books on the way to school and could easily pass her subjects. Thelma Christensen her daughter-in-law claimed that Rebecca had a photographic memory. Rebecca excelled in school and when she reached the 8^th grade she graduated from school, as this was the highest grade one could achieve in Spanish Fork. Rebecca loved math and was forced to stop because she was better than the teacher. Her classes motto was “excelsior” which means “moving upward” in Latin and their class colors were blue and gold.[4] Rebecca was not happy with stopping at the 8^th grade and decided to further her education by attending the BYU Academy.

Rebecca loved her time at BYU Academy and was active in school and student activities. She roomed with a girl from Spanish Fork and she climbed the mountain to put “Y” above BYU being the first class to whitewash the “Y”. She graduated from BYU in 1906 after just two years majoring in Arts and Industries. Rebecca had decided to take up a career in teaching and was asked to teach dressmaking. She never had the chance to teach as her father Peter Petersen Hansen died on June 12, 1906 from pneumonia.[5]  

Rebecca’s mother was devastated by her husband’s death and according to Thelma Christensen, Rebecca’s daughter-in-law, Olena was a very domineering woman who would not allow Rebecca to leave her to teach. She made her stay with her and help her run her household and to keep her company.

Rebecca had an experience not long after her father’s death that made her believe that her father was all right and did not want her mother to worry. Rebecca was in the same room as her mother one night when she saw a personage appear in the room. This personage looked at her mother and never spoke. Rebecca took this as a sign that her father was all right and desired his wife to stop grieving him. Rebecca told her mother about this occurrence in the hope that she would overcome her grief and move on with her life. [6]

Rebecca was meant to be a teacher and if she was not to pursue a profession in teaching the Lord certainly planned on her being a teacher, according to Thelma Christensen. Rebecca was home with her mother for only a short time when she was called to be a religion teacher and was made the 1^st assistant to Kate Skinner on October 17, 1906. She later was made superintendent of the religion class on August 23, 1908 by Sydney Corey of Payson, Utah. Emily Miller was her first assistant and Ella was her second assistant. She was also made a primary teacher for the Second grade in November of 1907 and Sunday school teacher for the 2^nd intermediate B on March 10, 1907.  She was also made the leader of the trail builders and held this position until 1938.

Trail Builders was a primary class for young boys 10 years of age. Primary is a Church program for young children age’s 18 months to 11 years old in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Rebecca was the teacher for these trail builder boys teaching them a mixture of religion along with outdoor scouting skills. In later years they changed the named to Blazers which the author participated in as a young boy. There is no longer a boys only class. This is now a mixed class of 10-year-olds boys and girls called Valiants.

 The young boys would wear bandoleers and as Thomas Monson, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recalls they would sing a song with the following lyrics:

“Oh we are the boy trail builders,
Out west where the sunsets glow;
Where the brooks flow down like silver
From the heights of the virgin snow. …
Our light is the light of virtue,
Our strength is the strength of youth;
Our trails are the trails of honor,
For we build with the stones of truth”.[7]

       President Monson has wonderful memories of these days and how they helped him grow as a young man. He recalls how a teacher in the Trail Builders class called him aside one day to help her keep the boys under control. He explains that he was the problem in the class and from then on out there was no more problems.

                I am sure that Rebecca was a great teacher and taught trail builders in the Spanish Fork, Fourth ward primary program for many years.[8]

Left to Right Peter P. Sarah, Jens, Isaac, Karen, Mary & Joseph Hansen

Rebecca was well acquainted with a young man in the Spanish Fork, Fourth ward named Einer Christensen and she was interested in him and he was in her. They began dating around this time. Occasionally, like many couples do, they would get in arguments and Einers younger sister Christina, or Stena as she was known, would pass notes back and forth to each of them until they reconciled and got back together. Einer and Rebecca fell in love with each other and one day Einer proposed to Rebecca. According to Thelma Christensen Rebecca said, “I am very flattered, but I can’t marry you until you quit smoking. You know how important it is to me to be married in the temple”[9].

Einer went through a long hard process to give up cigarettes but was rewarded when Rebecca finally agreed to marry him and they married on September 28, 1910 with three other couples. [10]

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     [1] Rebecca Hansen, Death Certificate, State of Utah  LL 01683255, Spanish Fork 4^th Ward Church Records, LDS Church archives, film # 0027315.

     [2] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p. 1,  In Authors Possession.

     [3] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p. 1-2. Larry Christensen, Oral History  Interview, 12-27-05, Spanish Fork Ward Records Archive # 0027315.

     [4] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p.3.

     [5] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p.2.

     [6] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p.2.

     [7] Thomas S Monson, Primary Days,” Ensign, Apr. 1994, 65, Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice: Love,” Friend, Feb. 2002, 2

     [8] Joleen Meredith, Friend to Friend, Friend, Nov. 1982, 6.

     [9] Thelma Christensen, History of Rebecca Christensen, p.3-4.

     [10]  ibid.