Anders & Kristine Ipson Family — Angels on the Plains
Compiled By Wendy Kay Smith
After the death of her husband Anders, and daugthers Ane Marie and Josephine on the voyage across the ocean. Kristine, Marinda and Julia spent 2 months in Iowa getting the supplies they needed to go West. They started their journey across the plains on the May 19,1853 and arrived in Salt Lake on Sept 30, 1853.
Kristine and the two girls Marinda and Julia traveled with Christian Nielson and his family across the plains. This experience comes from a letter Christian wrote to his brother.
“In Iowa it was terrible; it is almost impossible to imagine it unless you have seen and heard it yourself; it was lightening constantly day and night, about every other night or day we had thunder storms the like of which is never heard in Denmark; as a rule it comes and begins with a terrible storm and a whirlwind. The thunder is approaching with awful booms and bangs, the air is one big blaze; the rain is pouring down and fills the tents with water, and many of the tents are blown down. In Nebraska we drove behind the company for a little while when a thunderstorm hit us; the lightning hit us. My wife felt a pressure on her head, my daughter in her chest, and Anders Nielson who was the driver one on his right arm; those in front fell to the ground. I walked around among them and saw the lightning among us, but didn’t feel anything. In the wagon were two children; we opened it very fast; they were lying well and safe. God had protected us.”
The two girls in the wagon that day were Marinda and Julia and their mother, Kristine no doubt was one of them that was walking alongside the wagon. There were angels on the plains that day that saved that lives of Kristine and her girls.
Sources:
Letter from Christian Nielsen to Carl Nielsen: