Did you know that 150 years ago today, some of our ancestors, traveling with the Willie Handcart Company were traveling between Chicago and Pond Creek.
The story of the Willie Company is quite amazing. I recommend two websites to learn more about those stories. http://www.ldsep.org/denmark/lfm/sp/55pmort.htm tells the story of Peder and Lene Mortensen. http://handcart.byu.edu/ gives a wonderful chronology of that infamous journey.
Did you know that this family of 10 was promised they would all reach the Salt Lake Valley if they left their oldest son, Morten, behind in Copenhagen to serve a mission? Did you know that our great, great grandfather Hans Jorgen Mortensen, almost gave up and died while climbing Rocky Ridge? Or did you know that just 3 days after reaching the Salt Lake valley they were sent to help settle Parowan, UT, 300 miles to the south!!
If you want, you can subscribe to a daily email about the Willie Company and their trek west. Get to know the Mortensens, and you get to know yourself.
