JOHAN LEONHARD MEYER
1758 - 1826
The Father of Carl Frederick Christian Meyer
Johann Leonhard Meyer, a young graduate from a German Agricultural
College was sent
to Denmark from Ansbach Germany. Early family believed he was part
of a reciprocal trade
agreement that had been made between Germany and Denmark in about 1777
that stated if
Germany would send their expertisee in farming and especially in the
field of growing Irish
potatoes to Denmark, then Denmark would sell all of their surplus produce
to Germany. (Story
from J. R. Meyers )
A Brother Anderson who worked at the desk in the Family History
Libraryin Salt Lake
City told a cousin, Maurine Spratling Beardall, that a group of Germans
were invited by the King
of Denmark to come into a farming area in Denmark and raise potatoes.
This was the same time
that Johann came to Denmark. The Germans raised the potatoes and the
Danes called them "The
Potato Germans". This is an historical event because another Danish
man was found, still living in
Denmark at the time. This man told the same story about the "
Potato Germans " as Brother
Anderson. Both men said they were hard workers. Another cousin while
doing research spoke
with a man working on a research paper at Brigham Young University
who found the list of the
so called " Potato Germans " and Johann Leonhard Meyer
was not on that list. Perhaps
Huettenmeyer was.(see below)
The Danish King was pleased with Johann"s work and asked him to
landscape his palace
grounds. There was no shortage of work for Johann. The King had three
palaces in or near
Copenhagen City. These were; Christensborg where the Congress met;
Amaliensborg, which was
the Royal Residence and Fredericksberg, another Royal Residence. There
were also properties and
homes in other areas of Denmark. It is possible that some of the trees
that Johann planted are still
living. The King later transferred Johann about thirteen miles to Ledoje
to do more landscaping.
The King had a summer home and property which he visited from time
to time in the Ledoje area.
Johann married Thyra Nielson who was born in Malmohus, located
in the lower part of
Sweden near Malmo. They made their home in Ledoje and had a family
of six. Johann Leonhard
Meyer passed away in Ledoje on October 24, 1826 at the age of 68.
We found film # 1732661 (LDS Family History Library) of Ansbach,
Bavaria. It is the
only place found so far that has a Johann Leonhard born the correct
year, 1758 . His father's
occupation was given as riding groom for the Crown Prince's stable
which was an honorable
position in the 1700's. His son would have been able to go to college.
His fathers name was
recorded as Johann Leonhard Huettenmeyer and his mother, Margaretha
Fishl. (# 1732742 ) The
film records their marriage date 24 May 1737. It is also believed when
Johann went to Denmark
he dropped the Huetten from his name which was a common practice. More
work is progressing.
Carl Frederick Christian Meyer was one of our emigrant ancestors. He
was born on the 29th of
June, 1819 to Carl Frederick Meyer and Marie Elizabeth Mogenson in
Ledoje, Copenhagen,
Denmark. He was also a grandson of Johan Leonhard Meyer who came from
Ansbach, Germany
and among other duties, was a gardener for the King.
Carl's parents owned a small farm and it was there he spent his early
youth. With special training
from his father, he became proficient in farming and gardening, a profession
he followed all of his
life. His education was above average for the time since he attended
school in Copenhagen after
having finished the village school. His Danish writing was well
written, very legible and
interesting.
Carl Frederick Christian Meyer married Ane Jensine Casperine Jacobsen
daughter of Ivan Thule
and Sophie Amelia Krogh Jacobsen of Rodaare, Copenhagen, Denmark on
December 6, 1839 in
Ledoje, Denmark. They became the parents of nine children. The first
three children died at the
age of three and the next six left Denmark with their parents. Two
daughters died on the way to
Zion. The remaining four, Jacob, Sophia, Bene Marie and Carl Peter
settled in Utah where they
married and raised families.
Carl Fredrick Christian Meyer`s mother Marie Elizabeth Mogensen Meyer,
was the first of her
family to hear the gospel preached, and after studying the gospel for
a short time, asked for
baptism, which took place October 16 1852. Her son Carl Frederick Christian
Meyer was baptized
on February 6 1853. For ten years, he was clerk of Ledoje Branch and
was an excellent record
keeper. Carl was also a very good speaker and preached many sermons
in his branch in Denmark.
The minutes of the Ledoje Branch of the L.D.S. Church February 1,1858
state that Elder P.C.
Christensen was honorably released from presiding over the Ledoje Branch
to emigrate to Zion,
and Carl Frederick Christian Meyer was appointed to fill the vacancy.
When the decision was made for ten members of the Meyer family to emigrate
to Zion, brother
Meyer was released and they prepared to leave for America on the ship
Athena, which sailed from
Hamburg Germany on the 21 of April 1862. Sailing was very smooth until
they reached the
Atlantic Ocean where the weather became stormy and many people became
sea sick. The progress
of the Athena was much slower than expected so strict food rationing
soon became necessary.
A quote from the diary of Ola Liljenquist, the leader of the company,
follows, "We learned before
we reached New York, to our sorrow, the difference in German laws and
English laws in
fitting-out an emigrant ship for it`s long voyage. In the first place,
the water for use on shipboard
was taken in on the Hamburg Elbe River and was rotted long before we
reached our destination.
The provisions were very inferior and the way they were cooked was
even worse, and there was
not enough to feed every one. The Captain, D. Shilling said that he
had carried emigrants across
the Atlantic for twenty five years. He showed me the irons and hand
cuffs used to put on
emigrants when they were not observant of his will and said he would
treat us the same if we did
not honor him as sole Chief and quit finding fault with the treatment
we had. One Sunday, after
we concluded our afternoon services, and I suppose through jealousy
and not having any influence
with the saints, he threatened to throw me overboard. I suppose he
would have carried out his
threat had he dared to. There was much illness and poor food resulting
in several deaths at this
time".
After reaching New York City, the Ola Liljenquist and the Soren Christofferson
Companies
boarded a train for St. Joseph. One source said, they traveled in cattle
cars. This was a common
means of travel for emigrants during the Civil War(1806-1865), which
caused a shortage of
passenger cars. From St. Joseph they traveled by steamer to Florence,
Nebraska. From this point it
was ox team and wagon all the way to Salt Lake City. Many families
did not have enough money
to pay for the wagon and oxen necessary which caused a long delay in
their departure for the west.
It was haying season in the area and the men obtained employment with
the farmers to help in the
hay hauling. At that early date, the town of Omaha had not been founded
and most of the hay was
hauled from fields where the city is now located.
Captain Joseph Horn's wagon train had arrived at Winter Quarters from
Salt Lake City on June 19
to bring emigrants to Salt Lake City. This was one of the wagon trains
they called the "Down and
Back Wagon Trains". Brigham Young asked Utah wards for loans of wagons
and teams for the six
month round trip to Florence, Nebraska to bring needy Saints west.
Seventy five wards, nearly
every ward in Utah, donated a fully outfitted wagon and yoke of oxen
and most sent two or more
outfits. Those sending wagons and oxen received additional tithing
credit.
They had fair weather most of the way and the trip was made without
any unusual incidents. Jacob
Meyer, now a boy of fifteen years, drove one of the ox teams most of
the way from Florence to
Salt Lake City.
The Carl Fredrick Christian Meyer family arrived in the Salt Lake valley
on either September 24
or October 1, 1862. Carl homesteaded south of 6400 South.(now called
Winchester St.) and West
from the railroad right of way to beyond 340 West. Carl finished an
adobe house and prepared his
land for spring planting.Carl's brother William, who also came with
them, left his sweetheart in
Denmark because of a lack of funds. He went to work at the Midvale
Smelter. He sent money to
Ane Marie Meyer and in 1864 (two years later) she emigrated to Utah
so they could be married.
Eleven days before her arrival, William was buried, having died of
Typhoid Fever.
Upon Ane Maries arrival in Salt Lake, she was met by William's brother
Carl and was told the
heart breaking news. Carl offered to pay her way back to Denmark, if
she wanted to go, or would
help her find a job if she wanted to stay. She decided to stay and
three years later Carls wife urged
him to take Ane Marie as a plural wife, which he did. She was known
to family members as Mary
or Aunt Mary to the extended family. The two wives got along very well.
His first wife was
afflicted with dropsy(an accumulation of fluid in the body tissues
and cavities) for eight years,
which confined her to bed or a wheel chair. Ane J.C. Jacobsen Meyer
died November 19, 1875
and was buried in Murray City Cemetery. Ane Marie, the second wife,
took over the care of the
family.
Young Will met and fell in love with Caroline Rebecca Jenkins and Married
her on the 20th of
December 1890. They were blessed with 13 children.( Nine grew to maturity,
seven sons and two
daughters).William, who died in infancy, Earnest Vivian, who married
Selma Catio in 1911 and
had one son and two daughters. Ellen Drussilla, who married Henry Knebelau
in 1917 and had six
daughters, two of which were adopted. Carrie Jeneva, lived a year and
four months. Heber Leroy,
married Ann Adamson in 1917 and had four sons and two daughters. John
Leonhart, married
Stella Peterson in 1920 and had two sons and one daughter. Vera Evellyn,
lived a year. Violet
Leone, married Stanley Glen Davies in 1921 and had one son and four
daughters. Samuel Arthur,
lived about two months. Harold Edwin, married Louie De St Jore in 1928,
had two sons and then
was divorced. Harold then married Mildred Chatterton and had two daughters.
Carl Fredrick,
married Maggie Parker in 1930 and had two sons and two daughters. Ronald
Harlow, married
Mary Parker in 1930 and had three sons. Melvin Franklen, married Lola
Ann Stott in 1936 and
had two sons and two daughters.
Farming could not supply his family needs, so William worked at the
Power and Light Company in
Salt Lake and the last few years at the Midvale Smelter until he retired.
Williams mother Ane Marie died on the 4th of December 1922.
William was an avid fisherman and he went fishing every chance he got.
This left his wife with a
lot of responsibility. He liked to read and many times he could be
found reading aloud to his wife
as she did her house work. Will spoke in a loud clear voice. He was
a man of great integrity and he
lived the gospel and obeyed Gods commandments to the best of his ability.
He was a High Priest,
paid an honest Tithe and was a regular temple worker in his later life,
and Rebecca did temple
work as often as she could. He and his wife both died of pneumonia.
She died at age 63 and he
followed her 19 years later, age 82.