Johan Nicolai Christensen

Johan Nicolai Christensen (1836-1914)

Much of this information is taken from his daughter, Leolette Christensen, daughter of John Nikoloy Christensen from Treasures of Pioneer History: Vol 4, Pioneer Dentists and Druggists, Provo, page 124

His mother, father and siblings 

John Nikoloy Christensen, pioneer dentist of several Utah towns was born December 28, 1836, in Gjerringe, Thested, Denmark, the son of Kristen Pedersen Knattrup and Ane Johanne Nikoloydatter. 

Johan Nicolai Christensen had three sisters and one brother Peder Christensen, who was born 2 Oct 1828 in Hoerdum, Thisted., Denmark. A sister Ane Christensen born 24 March 1826 also of Hoerdum., Thisted, Denmark, she married Christen Sorensen. His second sister Ane Katrine Christensen, born 2 Apr. 1832, Gjerringe, Thisted, Denmark, married John Peter Holm.
The third sister Kirsten Christensen came with their parents from Denmark. She was born 8 May 1843, at Sunby or Stagstrup, Thisted, Denmark,and died 30 Nov. 1866 in Utah. She was 22 years old when they sailed from Denmark,on the ship Kenilworth,on 25 May, 1866 this according to the Emigration records. John's parents came to Utah with a company of Saints in 1858.
John and Emma's daughter Johanne also came to America with her grandparents (Kristen and Ane Johanne) on the ship Kenilworth. She was 4 3/4 years old. This was the ship that Andrew Jensen sailed on in 1866. It is told that this daughter, Johanne Christensen was left with strangers until her father, John, came two years later.

His wives and children

John's marital affairs with their various children can seem complicated so I am listing who he married and his children in list form rather than story form.

John first married Emma Nicoline Dahl in Denmark, June 10, 1858. She never came to America and eventually remarried Mr Anderson. She died in Denmark 1907. John and Emma had three daughters,
1. Margrethe born 1858 in Alborg, Thisted., Denmark. She died in Denmark 1905.
2. Johanne born Sept. 1860 at Alborg., Thisted, Denmark. Johanne married first James Chauncey Carter in Utah they had six children. They eventually divorced and she married second Stephen  J Adams. She died in Colorado in 1937.
3. Louise Nelsine (our ancestor) born March 28, 1862, Alborg, Thisted, Denmark. Louise married Charles Eli Williams, we know this marriage was not a happy one but still they managed to have seven children all in Utah. She died 1945.

John married as his second plural wife Maria Jensen about 1864 in Denmark. Once they were in Utah and several children later, they too divorced and she remarried Andrew Christopherson.  Their children were,
l. Albertine Christensen., born 1866 in Denmark. She died on board ship Emerald Isle 1 July 1868.
2. Atlantic, born 22 July 1868 on the Atlantic Ocean. Died 1951.
3. John Christensen died young.
There may have been other children by this marriage.

John married as his third plural wife Christine Charlotte Johnson on June 3, 1872. They were married in the Salt Lake Endowment House. The two plural wives and John could not get along and Christine Charlotte's marriage to John was eventually annulled and she remarried James Hansen, her children were willed to John Nicolai. Their children were,
l. Leolette Josephine Christensen, born 17 Aug. 1874 at Spring City, Sanpete, Utah. She never married and died in 1963.
2.Carl Albert Christensen born 1876 and died 1879.

John lastly married Phebe Carter as his fourth wife on September 22, 1877 in Salt Lake City. Not in polygamy this time. Their children,
1. Herbert Christensen 1878-1879
2. Ruby Christensen 1879-1940, she married Herald B. Crandall
3. Harold D Christensen 1888-1955, he married Catherine Needham.

To America

Johan or John Nicolai, his second plural wife Marie Jensen, and their daughter Albertina came on the packet ship Emerald Isle which left Liverpool June 20, 1868 with Hans Jensen Hale as captain. During the ocean voyage little Albertina died and a son, whom they named Atlantic, was born July 22nd. During that fateful voyage thirty-seven persons died and were buried in the ocean, and others died after landing in New York. The company docked in New York harbor August 11th and on the 25th they arrived at Benton on the Union Pacific Railroad seven hundred miles west of Omaha.

When John left Denmark, he took with him his second and pregnant wife Marie Jensen and their infant daughter Albertine. John promised Emma Nicholine Dahl, his first wife, that they would send for her after they got settled in Utah, planning to live in polygamy. But for whatever reason, they didn't ever send for Emma. John did try to live in polygamy with his second (Marie Jensen) and third (Charlotte Christina Johnson) wives but they couldn't agree. Eventually both of these wives left him, legally divorced him and he came alone to Provo to live.

Here, Johanne, John's oldest daughter in America introduced her father John to her soon to be sister in law, Phebe Carter.  John married Phebe Carter as his fourth wife. John and Phebe Carter and Johanne Christensen and James C. Carter had a Utah double wedding  in 1877. Phebe was sixteen years old at the time of her wedding to the forty-one year old doctor. Three children were born to them in Provo, Utah.

Interest in medicine and dentistry

John N. Christensen had served with the Danish army in the war between Denmark and Germany. He was wounded and so was forced to stay in the rear ranks where he assisted the army doctors with other wounded men. In that way he became interested in medicine and surgery which served him well during the pioneering period in Utah.
He settled first in Richfield where he followed the trade of tinsmith and did any other odd jobs he found to make a living for his family. From Richfield he moved to Mount Pleasant where he met Dr. Van Nocken, a dentist from whom he learned the profession. He practiced in Spring City, Lehi, Springville, Payson and Provo. He moved from Spring City, Sanpete County to American Fork in 1876, and remained there for several years before finally settling in Provo. He not only practiced dentistry, but surgery and medicine as best he knew, and became known as Dr. Christensen. He also learned Ventriloquism also Hypnotism. When a Doctor he cured people thru Hypnotism as well as medicine. He was mechanically minded, industrious, of an inventive nature and never idle. He instilled in his sons a love of his profession and both Atlantic Christensen of American Fork and Salt Lake City, and Harold Christensen of Lehi and Provo, became dentists.

Dr Atlantic apprenticed under his father and after practicing in American Fork for a few years went to the University of Denver Dental College where he received his DDS. Three of John N. Christensen’s grandsons are also in the dental field; Dr. Scott A. Christensen, Hollywood, California; Dr. Harold Crandall, Salina, Utah, and John C. Christensen, a dental technician, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Interesting facts

One of his granddaughters, Florence Williams, recalls, "He was a handsome man, large in stature. I think he was 6 feet 4 inches tall and he wore a size 14 shoe. He used to go to Salt Lake to order his shoes because they didn't have any that size in Provo."

One thing long remembered by the people of Spring City was John N.’s treatment of the family of Apostle Orson Hyde during the typhoid epidemic. He had the sick children wrapped in wet sheets, gave them plenty of water to drink, and all recovered. He had some knowledge of ventriloquism and used it more than once when Indians threatened trouble. The Indians credited him with supernatural powers.

He died in Provo January 16, 1914.

Obituary of Johan N. Christensen

, January 29, 1914 "Herald" Extra" page 94

Provo City Cemetery, Provo Utah