Person:Christina Lindau (1)

Christina Sophia Magadalena Lindau was born the 17th of July, 1821, in the little town of Deersheim (which is located in the county of Halberstadt, the State of Saxony and Kingdom of Prussia). She was the daughter of Christopher and Ann Maria Dorothea Pardey Lindau. She was the third child. She was preceded by a pair of twins, Anna Maria Catharina and Christoph Christian Andreas, who were born 3 November, 1819. The fourth child was Henrietta Maria Elizabeth, born 19 March, 1823. They were all born and reared in Deersheim.

When Sophia reached the age of 23, she met a tall handsome soldier from Dardesheim (just a couple of miles east of Deersheim). He looked so splendid in his uniform that she almost fell in love at first sight. (Sophia was 5'7" tall and weighted about 150 lbs) As was the custom in Germany at that time, every young man that reached the age of 18, had to serve a three year term in the army. Frederick William Fuhrmeister was no exception.

Frederick was the eight child in a family of 13. They were born and reared in the little town of Dardesheim (county of Halberstadt, state of Saxony and kingdom of Prussia).

Sophia and Frederick were married 24 August, 1844. She was a very frugal wife and could spin and weave and do all the other things a good German wife could do. They were very happy and on February 1, 1845 was born a pair of twins, little Henrietta Fredrecka and Maria Sophia, who was their crowning joy. Little Henrietta was not so strong so she didn't live long on this earth. She died 24 April 1845 and was buried in Dardesheim.

Maria Sophia was a strong healthy one and the "apple of her father's eye"; Life went on very pleasantly for another year. On November 26, 1846, they were blessed with a little son, whom they named Frederick Christoph Hennoch. I imagine Frederick was a very proud father and no doubt was very pleased to show him off among his many brothers and sisters as well as all the other relatives. But life cannot always be happy. We must learn to take the "bitter with the sweet". There were rumors of war in the air and it was very certain that Frederick would be called into service again, to serve another three year term. He was most terribly disturbed. How could he take that risk again with a wife and family to care for? If he didn't return or came back disabled, how would his family fare. He knew he must figure out some solution.

So he took his troubles to an uncle, who was captain of a ship. He must have presented his case very strongly, for his uncle gave him passports to go with his ship to England. Frederick hurriedly gathered his little family and their belongings and bidding their loved ones goodbye, they embarked on the ship to England. The ship was to go to England and then to America. In Maria Sophia's short history, she tells that when they reached England, she was quarantined with measles. Of course, they couldn't land and when the ship set sail for America, they were permitted to go along.

The voyage was a long one. Little Frederick Christoph Hennoch became very ill and died 25 April, 1848, and was buried at sea. Now all they had left was little Maria Sophia to pour out their love and affection on. And what a joy she was - such a dependable, good girl and she was so helpful all her days.

They landed in Virginia in the late spring of 1848. They had reached the promised land! Land of freedom and land of opportunity. But how frightening it must have been, in a strange land, far from their loved ones and among strangers unable to understand their languages. But they found that life here was not so different. They needed food, shelter and the necessities of life. So they took hold and did the best they could.

Frederick had a bad hand injury and was unable to work for about a year. Sophia had to go out doing house work in order to provide food for them and took little Maria along with her. She found that most people are kind and compassionate. When they learned about the poor circumstances the new immigrants were in, they brought them many necessities and many little luxuries. This gave them new courage and diminished their homesickness.

When Frederick's hand got well, he was able to work at his trade and conditions improved. He was a stone mason by trade and a good one. They stayed in Virginia for about four years, according to Aunt Mary's account. Then they moved on to (a couple of years) Milwaukee. There they made arrangements for a small house and garden plot, Frederick plowed and planted the garden and Sophia enthusiastically worked on the house to make it comfortable for her family. Frederick was unable to find employment here, so he went off to Beloit, Wisconsin. He had a relative there and left Sophia to care for herself and daughter, along with the garden.

On the Ist of February, 1851 they were blessed with another son, Franz Fredrick. They had high hopes now for their family. He was so welcome - little Mary, now six years of age, was so delighted with her baby brother. Sophia was afflicted with a cramp in her stomach after the birth of this child, which continued the rest of her life. It no doubt would have been diagnosed as ulcers in this day and age. She suffered intensely at times. The pain being so severe at times in her later years, that she often would lie on the floor and ask her daughter to sit on her back to relieve the pain.

Frederick had worked in Beloit for more than a year and now was able to pay for his home in Milwaukee. So after making arrangements to purchase a place in Beloit, he returned to Milwaukee and sold out. He moved his family to Beloit where he had work making culverts for the railroad. They traveled by wagon and were soon well situated in Beloit. Sophia made herself busy making their new home comfortable. But sorrow again struck the family. Little Franz passed away the 26th of September, 1852, and was buried in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Soon after this a group of 12 men from Mecklenburg, Germany, came to their home and asked for board and lodging for several days as they were on their way to California to the gold strike. I don't suppose the Fuhrmeisters hesitated long in letting them stay. It must have been music to their ears to hear their native tongue again and have an opportunity to hear about the Fatherland. I suppose Sophia was more than willing to care for them and little Mary was enraptured with their many tricks they could perform. One man especially she was attracted to; a man by the name of William Albrant. He was a tall, well built man, with light hair that fell in ringlets on his shoulders. He had blue eyes and a mustache and whiskers and a very pleasant face.

After a few days rest, they moved on towards California to get rich "quick". William Albrant asked Frederick to take care of a bundle of clothes and a violin and case for him till he returned - which Frederick promised to do, not dreaming that he would be moving again.

Two years after this, Sophia gave birth to another baby boy on the 9th day of January, 1853. They named him Albert Charles. He was a big raw-boned baby with blue eyes and red hair. He looked as if he would be capable of coping with this world's trials and tribulations. He was a welcome addition to the family and little Mary was so delighted with her new brother that she began right away to mothering him and kept a careful look out for his welfare from then on until she reached Utah.

There seemed to be sane force that was at work, pulling them ever westward. The next move was to Dubuque, Iowa in 1856. Frederick wished to get a farm instead of working at his regular employment, so he procured a piece of farming land and planted it to grain, potatoes, corn and a garden. Later this responsibility feel on Sophia and Mary.

This was a new community and most of them belonged to the Methodist Church. They were in need of a church house. When they found that Frederick was a master mason, they pled with him to build their chapel. He employed other masons and built a beautiful chapel. But the Fuhrmeister family was in need of a house of their own. As was the custom at that time, Frederick got up a house raising bee. All the able-bodied men of the community came to help raise the house. This also required much work on the part of Sophia for she must cook and feed the workers. They built a comfortable one-story log house. For the carpenter work, Frederick traded his skills in masonry.. he doing the mason work for the carpenters he had working for him.

Since the community members were mostly Methodists and he had built their chapel, Fred felt that the Fuhrmeisters should join the Methodist Church. They had always been very devoted members of the Lutheran Church - honest, God-fearing people. The chapel was five miles away but this didn't prevent than from attending church regularly.

And so life proceeded on as pioneer life goes, for Sophia and her little brood. On the 4th of July, 1856, Sophia gave birth to another son, which they named Wilhelm. No doubt Sophia had great plans for him. Since he was born on this country's birthday, he doubt would be a choice spirit who would become a wise patriot - or he could well be the president of the United States! But little Wilhelm was only permitted to live with them for two weeks when he died and they buried him in Dubuque, Iowa. This was another tragedy in the life of Sophia. In 16 years she had given birth to six children and only to were left to show for her pain, suffering and sorrow. Sophia like all other pioneer women, had the fortitude to meet life's problems "head on", and she carried on in her quiet determined way to make the best of everything.

Now something new and different was to take place, something so new and different and unexpected, but which they seemed to have unconsciously been preparing for all along. One fine February morning, as Sophia was busy with her household tasks and Frederick was busy in the yard making a wood rack, Mary looked up the road saw a stranger approaching about a half mile away. She called out to her father that here was that man who had left his bundle of clothes and his violin and case with them. Fredrick couldn't believe it for he didn't think the fellow would ever come back; they had moved and he had disposed or the man’s things. Mary insisted that it was him and Sophia, who was looking out of the upstairs window, verified what Mary had said, When the stranger came through the gate, Frederick recognized him and invited him in, He asked William how he fared in California. He replied that he hadn't been to California and explained that on the way, they had stopped in Utah and he had been taught the Gospel which Christ established when he was on the earth. He said he had been converted to the Latter Day Saint church and had remained in Utah. Now he had been sent on a mission for the church and was on his way to fulfill that mission.

Fredrick told him that if he would stay with them for two or three days he would give him a lift to the city since he was going there with a load of cord wood to sell. Sophia and Mary prepared dinner and invited their guest to eat. William immediately began explaining the gospel as the LDS Church taught it. Sophia and Mary were very interested and listened with an open mind. But Frederick wasn't interested. He felt that he had found the true church in the Methodist religion so he didn't pay any attention,

Mary and Sophia continued to listen to the missionary and they felt that what he had told them was true. When the three days were up, William left his blessings with the family and went with Frederick to the city. On the way, he made good use of his time and preached the gospel to Frederick. When the wood was sold at a good price, Frederick bought William a pair of trousers, a pair of boots, a hat and save him a five dollar gold piece, thus hoping to make up for the things William had left in his keeping.

On the way home, Frederick had time to mull over the things the missionary had told him and he compared them with the doctrine which he had heard in other churches. By the time he reached home, his mind was all upset. He told Sophia if he knew William's address he would send for him to return. Sophia quickly replied, "He left his address with me.” So as soon as Frederick could, he sent $25 to William to pay his expenses in returning to the Fuhrmeister home. They all were converted and ready for baptism. Frederick and his daughter, Mary, were baptized Feb. 1857, Sophia was ready, but was pregnant and had to wait until the baby came. Martha was born the 25th of March, 1857 and Sophia was baptized the 18th of May 1857. Then, of course, as soon as they were baptized, the urge to move west with the saints in Zion fell upon them. But Satan was on the job right away. Those that had been friendly were now their enemies and they tried to block their every move in preparing for their journey.

Sophia went about with a determined air to make preparation to move to Zion, because she knew they had chosen the right way. She knew the gospel was true for she had done much praying to her Heavenly Father about it. She was constantly at work with her loon and needles and sewing trying to outfit her family for the long hard journey ahead. Now she had three children to care for, Frederick was also busy getting two wagons in shape for their long hard trip across the plains.

They started their trek in April, 1858. It was April and their spirits were high but the spring rains had made the roads “bottomless.” What an undertaking, what a conviction to the truthfulness of the gospel they must have felt, what faith, and perseverance to have brought them on such an undertaking with their little brood. Mary was 13, but what a comfort and help she was to her mother, and Albert was 5, with Martha, a babe in arms. It was lucky, too, that William Albrant had been recalled from his mission, on account of Johnston's Army, for he was able to drive one of the teams for Frederick. There had been much talk about tar and feathering the missionary so when asked where they were going, Frederick always replied, "To California." Everyone was excited about the gold rush at that time too.

How happy they were, when they reached Iowa City, to learn that there were Fuhrmeisters living there. They turned out to be relatives from Germany. They were not LDS so Frederick told them he was bound for California. They stayed for several days in Iowa City, resting and getting acquainted with their relatives, then they moved on. Finally, they reached the Missouri River, which they had to cross to get to Florence, Nebraska and then went on to Genoa, Nebraska. Here they were advised to stay and grow a crop before moving on to Zion. This must have been a great disappointment for they were so anxious to get to Zion. However, they listened to the those in authority and so Frederick purchased a lot, fenced it and built a two story frame house. He also purchased 10 acres of farming land, which he cultivated and put in a crop of corn and buckwheat. It must have been rather nice for Sophia to again be in a home of her own.

She was never real well and was also pregnant again. She had a real struggle and depended a great deal on the help of her blessed, capable, oldest daughter, Mary. Isabella Henrietta was born 14 April 1859.

All that winter, they were preparing for their long hard trek to Utah. They commenced the last leg of the journey in May, 1859. Their daughter, Mary, described their hardships along the Mormon Trail. How grateful they were to arrive safely at the foot of Big Mountain just one more day's journey. There was a hustle and a bustle in the camp that night. Everyone was washing and putting on clean clothes and fixing themselves as presentable as they could to meet the Saints in Zion. And the next morning, 3 August, 1859, how they rejoiced as they came off the bench and beheld the beautiful city, the end of the rainbow. I can imagine Sophia sighing with relief. At last they were now in the mountains where they could live in peace with the Saints of God.

They camped at Union Square until they could get located. Frederick, being the good provider that he was, immediately purchased a home with a small orchard. Now Sophia could rest and rear her little family as the Lord wanted her to do and teach them to be good Latter Day Saints. Their home was in the 12th Ward and as soon as she entered the Chapel, she recognized it as the same place she had dreamed about years ago before she left Germany, so she knew for a fact that she had made the right decisions in joining the church and moving to Zion.

Life for Sophia was a busy one, especially now that her oldest daughter was not there to help her (Mary had gotten married by now to Henry James Maudsley). She was happy and contented here in this new home, in this blessed land. She soon busied herself with the garden and the fruit and spinning and weaving and knitting and caring for her family. Her husband worked on the Salt Lake Temple for two years, from 1861 to 1863, and they managed very well.

On 29th of February, 1861, a little girl was born to them, whom they named Elizabeth Louise. They didn't enjoy her for long, as she passed away the 5th of September, 1861. They buried her in City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Then came the call to settle Dixie. Mary and her newly acquired husband, Henry Maudsley, were called to go which nearly broke her heart. She didn't think could stand leaving her parents and go so far away to Dixie. But her father promised her if he ever moved, it would be to the south, so the Maudsleys moved to Dixie in November 1862.

After they arrived in Dixie, their little daughter, Agnes died. With the death of her little daughter Mary felt so heartbroken that her husband got a way for her to travel to Salt Lake City to visit her parents. Sophia was so pleased to have her daughter home once more. And she was so grateful to have her help at this time, since little David was on his way and there was so much work to be done. David arrived on the 11th of March, 1863. This increased the family membership to five children. Mary remained with her mother until November, helping with the fruit, the knitting sewing. Then she went home to Dixie with a company headed by Capt. Daniel McArthur, who had been back east to help the immigrants to come to Salt Lake City.

Now again, Sophia was to be tested. The Church Authorities had been asked by the Lord to practice and preach the law of Plural Marriage. In order to comply with all the commandments, Frederick must get the consent of his first wife. Sophia must have been a true and faithful member. She must have felt that she had be obedient to all of the Lord's commandments, for she accepted this testing and gave her consent. Frederick married Marie Rich on the 7th of November 1863.

Then Frederick decided to move to St. George, where his daughter lived and he made arrangements to sell his place. But since he couldn't get paid for it until spring, he took his son, Albert, with him and went to St. George to look for a place to make his family comfortable. I imagine Sophia dreaded another move and hoped this would be her last. She was glad, of course, to be near her eldest daughter again, but what of the rough roads and the many trying circumstances these pioneer people had to contend with, She knew the gospel was true and she had faith in her Heavenly Father. She also had faith in her husband. She felt that he would be able to furnish a good comfortable home for her and he had always provided well for his family. She spent all winter making preparations for the long hard trek to Dixie. In March, 1861 her son-in-law, Henry Maudsley, and her eldest son, Albert, came back to Salt Lake to move the family down. Frederick had remained in St, George to make things as comfortable for them as he could.

It was a long, hard trip and I imagine that Sophia was glad to arrive, no matter what it looked like, Their first home was a sod house built on land Frederick had purchased from Oliver Huntington on the block between 4th & 5th South and Ist & 2nd West. This was the entire west side of the block. Also, he owned a part of the west end of the block north of him and same property on the west side of 2nd West. Oliver and his sons and sons-in-law had been called to settle Dixie, but it was a bit too rough for them. They sold out and moved to the Sprinqville area. Oliver had built a sod house like many of the early settlers had done and this was what the Fuhrmeisters moved into.

Just as soon as possible, Frederick began to build a large rock house. He used black lava rock for the foundation and trim and the red sandstone for the walls. During this same time, he would work on the Tabernacle and the Social Hall all day and when he returned home at night, he worked on his own house with the help of his own sons. It was a long time in the making but when it was completed it was a monument to his workmanship. (It is still standing and being lived in at the present time)

Marie, Frederick’s second wife, tried hard to make the best of everything but a sod house, poor food, and all the hardships they had to go through were more than she could take so she moved back to Salt Lake City.

Sophia had always known hardships and she made the most of everything. She knew how to garden and the soil was rich on their lot. She could irrigate it with the water from the West Springs. They dug a well in front and planted weeping willow trees around, which kept the water cool at all times. The well was filled with water from the irrigation stream. They planted fruit trees and grapevines which bore fruit long after their deaths. When the new house was completed, they gave a big house-warming party and their friends and neighbors rejoiced with them. Sophia was a splendid cook and she served them her best.

On the 7th of October, 1865, another son was born to them - their first child born in St. George, Utah - their permanent home. They named him Ephriam Joseph. He was an added joy to Sophia and the children were delighted with the new baby, And life went on very much as all pioneer families experience. They made friends with their neighbors - the Everetts, the Sanders and the Wiltbanks. They also had many friends on the Swiss Block that was close by, for there were many German people in this area too.

On the 5th of December, 1867, her last child was born. It was a daughter and they named her Josephine. And, oh, what a joy she proved to be to her mother. In Sophia's later years, she went to live with her youngest daughter and the rest of the family contributing to her expenses.

Sophia was always very active in her Church duties and always did her best. She was quiet and unassuming - a truly gentle person. When the Temple was completed in April, 1877, she became a dedicated worker and went as long as she was able. She did work for hundreds of people who will call her 'blessed'.

In the history of the St. George Relief Society, Sister Ella J. Seegmiller wrote about the Second Ward being organized on May 23, 1877, with Margaret Moody as Pres., Mary B. Eyring as Ist Counselor and Mary Ann Woodward as Second Counselor, Eleanor C. W. Jarvis as Secretary and Annie Wells as Assistant Secretary, with Barbara Mathis as Treasurer. At the second meeting, held on May 26, the visiting teachers were chosen and Sophia Fuhrmeister and Madalene Bryner were to act as teachers of the German population on the Swiss Block. (The block in the extreme southwestern part of the ward was called the Swiss Block, as the population on it was composed mainly of Swiss and German people.)

She was full of faith and wished to serve her maker. She had a wonderful blessing pronounced on her head by Patriarch B. J. Johnson on June 9, 1886. (Copy)

She was loved and respected in her community, as it was manifested in the account of her death and burial, found in the Deseret Weekly of March 19, 1898. (Copy)

She endured to the end and she died at the age of 77, which was a ripe old age for pioneer people to live at that time. She was buried in the St. George Cemetery. She was a credit to her Maker and an example to her family and friends. GOD BLESS HER MEMORY!

                                                             Written by granddaughter, Florence Foremaster 1974