In the 1851 Census, "Joseph Clayton" is listed as being 4 years old (born about 1847), born in Romiley, Cheshire, and residing with his parents, George Clayton (age 42) and Jane (age 42), and two siblings, at: Green Lane, Romiley, Cheshire, England.
History of Joseph Clayton and Grethe Jorgine (Margaret) Tollefsdatter (Olsen). Extracted from the book "George Clayton, 1810-1861, Roots and Shoots". by Gloria H. Jensen, 1983.
Joseph Clayton was born in Greenlane, Romily, Stockport, Cheshire, England, on 5 October 1847 to George and Jane Bingham Clayton. His parents had heard the restored Gospel taught in England and were baptized in 1842. Joseph’s father, George, left his family in England and came to Utah to help cut stone for the Salt Lake Temple. Joseph stayed with his Mother, sister Martha, and brother Edward until their father had established a home for them in Utah and saved enough money for them to come.
Joseph left England with his family in 1855. They sailed on the Charles Buck which arrived in New Orleans after six weeks at sea. They continued on to Atchison and there were outfitted for the trip across the plains. Jane and the children were in the Fourth Co. under Captain Richard Ballantyne. Joseph was only seven years old when he walked the long distance across the plains. They arrived in Salt Lake 25 September 1855. After one very hard winter in Salt Lake City the family moved to Lehi to homestead. Here Joseph was baptized 1 April 1857.
Margaret Olsen was born in Tronum, Norway 5 January 1853. She came to Utah with her parents, Toalf Hellikson and Laura Ann Olsen and her three brothers and one sister ub 1863. Their ship, the Atlanta, took eight weeks to cross the ocean and because of the long time the water became tank and food scarce. This caused much sickness and black canker. Just three days before they landed in America, Margaret’s only sister became ill and died. Her parent had such a dread of casting the little body into the sea that they asked the captain for permission to keep the child’s body until they landed and he agreed to let them.
Margaret was only nine and her girl friend, Julie Peterson, eleven when they walked across the plains a distance of one thousand miles. They walked most of the way barefooted because their shoes soon wore out or became too small. By evening most of the little children would have sore, bleeding feet. There were cows in this wagon train and so Margaret’s mother would take sweet cream from the milk and rub it onto the children’s sore feet. Margaret later recalled, “How it did smart, but it healed them up.”
One of the chores that Margaret and the other children had as they crossed the plains was to gather buffalo chips to keep the fires burning. One day as Margaret gathered chips, she strayed away from the other children and away from camp. Before she knew it, she was completely surrounded by buffalo! She couldn’t think of anything to do but she knew she didn’t want to see as the buffalo came to gore her so she picked up her apron and threw it over her head. That scared the buffalo and they turned and ran.
The Olsen family settled in Lehi where they lived for three years farming and working for other people. The Clayton family also lived in Lehi at this time and this is where Joseph Clayton and Margaret Olsen first met as children. One of the chores that Joseph Clayton had as a small boy was to herd the cattle. He would drive them up through Lehi’s main street every morning on the way to pasture. Margaret Olsen used to watch him and later told their children, “what an ugly little red-headed, freckled-face kid he was.” Both the Olsen and Clayton families joined the Saints who were homesteading in Franklin, Idaho. When they first arrived in Franklin they found that the Indians were hostile and troublesome to the Saints.
The first season that the Olsen’s were in Franklin their crops were looking very good when the grasshoppers came. They destroyed almost all the crops that the Saints had. A fast meeting was held and it was at this meeting that a sister spoke in tongues. One of the brethren arose and interpreted and said that the grasshoppers would leave. After the meeting the grasshoppers did begin to leave, flying so thick in the air that they were blessed to raise enough of their crops to get them through the winter.
Margaret’s mother was sick most of the time after they arrived in America which left most of the care of the family to Margaret as her father and brothers had to work to support the family. Margaret worked most of the time at home but also spent time working and spinning for other people. She braided straw and made hats. She made her own dyes in different colors, dyed the yarn, and had it woven into cloth for making her own dresses.
When Margaret was eighteen years old she was married to Joseph Clayton in the Endowment House on 17 October 1870. After their marriage they lived in Franklin for four years and then moved to Preston Flat in 1875. Preston at that time was a very lonely looking place with nothing but waving grass and rabbit brush for miles and miles. It wasn’t a very inviting place to live at that time. There were plenty of wild Texas cattle and nothing to hear but howling of coyotes, coo-coo birds and mourning doves.
There were three families that went to Preston with Joseph and Margaret Clayton: David Jensen, Charles Spongberg, and the Lundgreens. There was no water to cultivate the land and so to make a living the families took cattle to herd through the summer months. At times the herding took them through the summer months. At times the herding took them some distance from home and this would leave the women to look after the cows, pigs, and chickens at home. As there was not water on the flat, the cattle had to be taken to Bear River for water. While Margaret was out hunting the cows between her home and Bear River one day, she saw a great number of cattle and as they drew nearer they commenced to form in a circle, and completely surrounded her. She thought that she would surely be killed for there seemed to be no chance to escape. All at once she was prompted to take her apron and throw it over her head. This she did and the cattle became frightened and stampeded in ever direction. She then sent up a thankful prayer to God for sparing her life so that she could return home safely to her three small children whom she had left home alone.* (*This story has been told in two versions, both are presented here. Submitted by Linda S. Leavitt, 903 W. 1020 S., Provo, Utah, 84601, 30 October 1977.)
Joseph and Margaret struggled along as best they could and finally water was brought from Cub River onto the flat and from then on Preston began to look brighter. They then began to raise wheat, hay and all kinds of food.
Joseph and Margaret Olsen Clayton were the parents of then children all born in Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho.
• Anna Maria, born: 12 Mar 1872
• George Joseph, born: 23 Nov 1874
• Martha Jane, born: 18 Oct 1876
• Myron, born: 15 Jan 1877
• Marinda, born: 31 Aug 1878
• Francis, born: 30 Sep 1880
• Mahala, born: 10 Jan 1885
• Nessie, born: 1 Jan 1888
• Arvilla, born: 11 Sep 1890
• Lila, born: 11 Sep 1898
Besides caring for her own family, Margaret was busy helping with the sick in the neighborhood. She was an excellent hand in sickness. At the time of the diphtheria epidemic, Margaret was very busy. She was a practical nurse and a midwife. There were hardly any and babies born around the whole valley that she didn’t help deliver. Whenever anyone was in need of help for the sick, Grandmother was always sent for. Because of this, she was gone from home many hours. Grandmother’s home was always open to travelers who needed a place to spend the night before continuing on their way. As many as 20 people at a time would surround their table. Grandmother was a great friend to the poor and needy and could comfort those in distress. She worked in Relief Society all of her married life.
Margaret’s real name was Grethe Jorgine Helliksen. When her family came to America they took their mother’s maiden name, Olsen, and Margaret also changed her given name as she didn’t like Grethe Jorgine. Whenever Joseph wanted to tease Grandmother or make her angry, he would call her Grethe Jorgine.
Joseph was a happy man. He always looked on the cheerful side of every situation. He loved to build things for his children and take them on camping trips. He loved to play jokes and pranks on his children. He also enjoyed teasing other. Once he had been away working for several months and came home unannounced. He disguised himself as a tramp and knocked on his sister’s door asking for a meal. He was able to fool her for quite a while before she discovered who he was.
Joseph did much toward helping Saints immigrate. He also helped find homes for those who came to Utah during hard times. Margaret and Joseph Clayton were always ready to help in building churches and other public buildings. Joseph donated land in Preston for a school and also for the first chapel built there. He also helped in the building of both Salt Lake and Logan Temples.
Margaret was only forty-six when she passed away shortly after her tenth child was born. She was called to rest 21 April 1899. In 1901 Joseph remarried but he was never happy after Margaret died and he was only fifty-seven when he passed away 5 October 1904. Both Joseph and Margaret are buried in Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho.
Grethe Jorgine Tollefsdatter (Olsen)
The gravestone of "Margaret Olsen" is posted on FindAGrave website, Memorial # 54198164, which gravestone inscription states that "Margaret Olsen" was born in "1853" and died in "1898". Information attached to her FindAGrave memorial states that "Grethe Jorgine 'Margret' Olsen Clayton" was born on "Jan. 4, 1853" in "Vestfold Co., Norway", and died on "April 21, 1898" in Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho". She was buried in the Preston Cemetery in Preston, Franklin, Idaho. In addition, family records state that Margaret Olsen was born on 5 January 1853 in Hof, Vestfold, Norway.
Research Note: If Grethe's last child, Lila Clayton, was born on 11 September 1898, then Grethe probably died on 21 April "1899" and not on 21 April "1898" as her gravestone states.
In the 1870 Census, "Margaret Oleson" is listed as being 17 years old (born about 1853), born in Norway, and residing with her apparent parents, Tolof and Annie Oleson, and three apparent siblings, in Franklin, Cache, Utah Territory.
History of Grethe Jorgine (Margaret) Tollefsdatter (Olsen)
History of Joseph Clayton and Grethe Jorgine (Margaret) Tollefsdatter (Olsen). Extracted from the book "George Clayton, 1810-1861, Roots and Shoots". by Gloria H. Jensen, 1983.
Joseph Clayton was born in Greenlane, Romily, Stockport, Cheshire, England 5 October 1847 to George and Jane Bingham Clayton. His parents had heard the restored Gospel taught in England and were baptized in 1842. Joseph’s father, George, left his family in England and came to Utah to help cut stone for the Salt Lake Temple. Joseph stayed with his Mother, sister Martha, and brother Edward until their father had established a home for them in Utah and saved enough money for them to come.
Joseph left England with his family in 1855. They sailed on the Charles Buck which arrived in New Orleans after six weeks at sea. They continued on to Atchison and there were outfitted for the trip across the plains. Jane and the children were in the Fourth Co. under Captain Richard Ballantyne. Joseph was only seven years old when he walked the long distance across the plains. They arrived in Salt Lake 25 September 1855. After one very hard winter in Salt Lake City the family moved to Lehi to homestead. Here Joseph was baptized 1 April 1857.
Margaret Olsen was born in Tronum, Norway 5 January 1853. She came to Utah with her parents, Toalf Hellikson and Laura Ann Olsen and her three brothers and one sister ub 1863. Their ship, the Atlanta, took eight weeks to cross the ocean and because of the long time the water became tank and food scarce. This caused much sickness and black canker. Just three days before they landed in America, Margaret’s only sister became ill and died. Her parent had such a dread of casting the little body into the sea that they asked the captain for permission to keep the child’s body until they landed and he agreed to let them.
Margaret was only nine and her girl friend, Julie Peterson, eleven when they walked across the plains a distance of one thousand miles. They walked most of the way barefooted because their shoes soon wore out or became too small. By evening most of the little children would have sore, bleeding feet. There were cows in this wagon train and so Margaret’s mother would take sweet cream from the milk and rub it onto the children’s sore feet. Margaret later recalled, “How it did smart, but it healed them up.”
One of the chores that Margaret and the other children had as they crossed the plains was to gather buffalo chips to keep the fires burning. One day as Margaret gathered chips, she strayed away from the other children and away from camp. Before she knew it, she was completely surrounded by buffalo! She couldn’t think of anything to do but she knew she didn’t want to see as the buffalo came to gore her so she picked up her apron and threw it over her head. That scared the buffalo and they turned and ran.
The Olsen family settled in Lehi where they lived for three years farming and working for other people. The Clayton family also lived in Lehi at this time and this is where Joseph Clayton and Margaret Olsen first met as children. One of the chores that Joseph Clayton had as a small boy was to herd the cattle. He would drive them up through Lehi’s main street every morning on the way to pasture. Margaret Olsen used to watch him and later told their children, “what an ugly little red-headed, freckled-face kid he was.” Both the Olsen and Clayton families joined the Saints who were homesteading in Franklin, Idaho. When they first arrived in Franklin they found that the Indians were hostile and troublesome to the Saints.
The first season that the Olsen’s were in Franklin their crops were looking very good when the grasshoppers came. They destroyed almost all the crops that the Saints had. A fast meeting was held and it was at this meeting that a sister spoke in tongues. One of the brethren arose and interpreted and said that the grasshoppers would leave. After the meeting the grasshoppers did begin to leave, flying so thick in the air that they were blessed to raise enough of their crops to get them through the winter.
Margaret’s mother was sick most of the time after they arrived in America which left most of the care of the family to Margaret as her father and brothers had to work to support the family. Margaret worked most of the time at home but also spent time working and spinning for other people. She braided straw and made hats. She made her own dyes in different colors, dyed the yarn, and had it woven into cloth for making her own dresses.
When Margaret was eighteen years old she was married to Joseph Clayton in the Endowment House on 17 October 1870. After their marriage they lived in Franklin for four years and then moved to Preston Flat in 1875. Preston at that time was a very lonely looking place with nothing but waving grass and rabbit brush for miles and miles. It wasn’t a very inviting place to live at that time. There were plenty of wild Texas cattle and nothing to hear but howling of coyotes, coo-coo birds and mourning doves.
There were three families that went to Preston with Joseph and Margaret Clayton: David Jensen, Charles Spongberg, and the Lundgreens. There was no water to cultivate the land and so to make a living the families took cattle to herd through the summer months. At times the herding took them through the summer months. At times the herding took them some distance from home and this would leave the women to look after the cows, pigs, and chickens at home. As there was not water on the flat, the cattle had to be taken to Bear River for water. While Margaret was out hunting the cows between her home and Bear River one day, she saw a great number of cattle and as they drew nearer they commenced to form in a circle, and completely surrounded her. She thought that she would surely be killed for there seemed to be no chance to escape. All at once she was prompted to take her apron and throw it over her head. This she did and the cattle became frightened and stampeded in ever direction. She then sent up a thankful prayer to God for sparing her life so that she could return home safely to her three small children whom she had left home alone.* (*This story has been told in two versions, both are presented here. Submitted by Linda S. Leavitt, 903 W. 1020 S., Provo, Utah, 84601, 30 October 1977.)
Joseph and Margaret struggled along as best they could and finally water was brought from Cub River onto the flat and from then on Preston began to look brighter. They then began to raise wheat, hay and all kinds of food.
Joseph and Margaret Olsen Clayton were the parents of ten children all born in Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho.
• Anna Maria, born: 12 Mar 1872
• George Joseph, born: 23 Nov 1874
• Martha Jane, born: 18 Oct 1876
• Myron, born: 15 Jan 1877
• Marinda, born: 21 Aug 1878
• Francis, born: 30 Sep 1880
• Mahala, born: 10 Jan 1885
• Nessie, born: 1 Jan 1888
• Arvilla, born: 11 Sep 1890
• Lila, born: 11 Sep 1898
Besides caring for her own family, Margaret was busy helping with the sick in the neighborhood. She was an excellent hand in sickness. At the time of the diphtheria epidemic, Margaret was very busy. She was a practical nurse and a midwife. There were hardly any and babies born around the whole valley that she didn’t help deliver. Whenever anyone was in need of help for the sick, Grandmother was always sent for. Because of this, she was gone from home many hours. Grandmother’s home was always open to travelers who needed a place to spend the night before continuing on their way. As many as 20 people at a time would surround their table. Grandmother was a great friend to the poor and needy and could comfort those in distress. She worked in Relief Society all of her married life.
Margaret’s real name was Grethe Jorgine Helliksen. When her family came to America they took their mother’s maiden name, Olsen, and Margaret also changed her given name as she didn’t like Grethe Jorgine. Whenever Joseph wanted to tease Grandmother or make her angry, he would call her Grethe Jorgine.
Joseph was a happy man. He always looked on the cheerful side of every situation. He loved to build things for his children and take them on camping trips. He loved to play jokes and pranks on his children. He also enjoyed teasing other. Once he had been away working for several months and came home unannounced. He disguised himself as a tramp and knocked on his sister’s door asking for a meal. He was able to fool her for quite a while before she discovered who he was.
Joseph did much toward helping Saints immigrate. He also helped find homes for those who came to Utah during hard times. Margaret and Joseph Clayton were always ready to help in building churches and other public buildings. Joseph donated land in Preston for a school and also for the first chapel built there. He also helped in the building of both Salt Lake and Logan Temples.
Margaret was only forty-six when she passed away shortly after her tenth child was born. She was called to rest 21 April 1899. In 1901 Joseph remarried but he was never happy after Margaret died and he was only fifty-seven when he passed away 5 October 1904. Both Joseph and Margaret are buried in Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho.
The information on this family group record was provided by Mona Petersen Merz (457 East 570 North, Orem, Utah, 84097) to Clayton Brough in August 2004.
The information on this family group record was provided by Mona Petersen Merz (457 East 570 North, Orem, Utah, 84097) to Clayton Brough in August 2004.
Gunther Eugen Karl Albert Pirner
Gunther Pirner was married and divorced before he married Margaret Peterson. Their only daughter, Silvia, was born in Peru in 1941. As of September 2004, Silvia's address is: Silvia Kelly, 27112 Via Noveno, Mission Viejo, California, 92691.
Marriage Notes for Gunther Eugen Karl Albert Pirner and Francis Margaret Peterson-18
No children.
Marriage Notes for Evan Grant Peterson and Maxine Waite-27
No children.