Lovina Fannie Henson Born: December 26, 1864; Stratford, England Married: Christian Monson Died: February 9, 1920; Franklin, Franklin, Idaho Immigration Date: Approximately 1866-69

Lovina Fannie Hensen

Lovina Fannie Hensen was bom Dec. 25, 1864, at Willehall South Stafford, England, daughter of Alfred Hensen and Mary Ann Sewell.

The family sailed for America when Lovina was six years old in a sail boat.

Measles was on the ship. She often told about her baby brother who died from measles, how they tied a weight to his body and lowered it in the Ocean.

The water supply did not last for the Voyage. Children cried for water, they tried to use sea water. This did not work very good, but most of the Company survived the trip.

The family made there home at Hyde Park, Utah and Franklin, Idaho.

Lovina was baptized by James Durrent. Eight years later when Lovina's sister Livina was baptized she borrowed Clara Hatch's dress and was baptized again, not because it was necessary but because she wanted to and the Elders in charge let her be baptized.

She often worked for other families helping earn a living. While working Tillie Head there was a show in town, Tillie wanted to take Lovina to the show but did not feel rich enough to pay for a extra ticket, so Tillie tucked her under her hooped skirt and they both enjoyed the show.

Lovina took part in home plays and was a member of the ward choir going in company of Aunt Martha Hensen Robinson.

At the age of sixteen, she married Christian Monson son of Christian H. Monson and Nielsine Hansen at Richmond, Utah. They made the trip from Franklin by team and wagon. At this time the Temple was not finished. They homesteaded land on Spring Creek one mile south of Whitney sugar factory, built a one room house from dobbies and faced hardships together.

Christian oftimes went to the Canyon for wood leaving Lovina home to care for the farm.

At one time Lovina, her sister Livina and Grandma Monson walked a distance of three miles to Franklin carried their son Alfred.

She picked fruit, saved eggs, enough to buy sugar and was very proud of the three gallon of jar of preserves she had made.

It became necessary for the family to leave home for a few days so they asked a neighbor to care for the chickens. When they returned home, Lovina was surprised to find that the preserves was gone and the jar filled with water.

In spite of hardships she was very jolly. She could always smile. She did much entertaining at surprise parties, she always had one more game or joke. After the Whitney Ward was organized she served on the Missionary and Amusement Committee, for she knew how to show every one a good time.

Later when the Temple was finished they received their endowments and had their children sealed to them on Nov. 26,1885.

She was Relief Society teacher for a number of years in Whitney Ward traveling for miles in a white top buggy hauling sacks of grain, give them for the Relief Society store house.

Lovina had a wonderful testimony of the gospel.

The young people at that time in Whitney Ward still remember hearing her bare her testimony of how the Lord had blessed her family, when she promised the Lord if he would save her children from the dreadful disease of diphtheria that she would never drink tea or coffee again. This she did and the children lived to help her in her last days.

She was a good seamstress. It was easy for her to make a dress in three hours. She was handy making other needle work. She could knit lace and stockings without watching her work. She was good at painting.

In the fall of 1913 the family moved to Preston, Idaho, second ward. There Lovina was chorister and block teacher of the Relief Society. Here she had many friends.

She learned to play the organ from a book she sent for using numbers to help learn notes.

She was blessed with eight children, four girls and four boys.

She died Feb. 9, 1920. Buried Feb. 12, 1920 in the Franklin Cemetery.

Written by her daughter Hazel Monson Kofoed.

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