Erastus Jensen was born 19 March 1868 in
Logan, Utah, the eldest of the family of [nine] children born to Anna Fredrika Peterson and Frederik Nielsen Jensen. Erastus learned
the building trade, very early. His father taught him the fundamental [principles] of
neatness and dependability. If he promised to do something, “his word was his
bond.” If there was ever an honest man in the world Erastus was the man.
He went to school until he was big enough
to work. There were few jobs to be found when he was a young man. For several years he
went into Wyoming and helped to build the railroad through Wyoming and Utah. He never
gambled, drank or smoked or spoke filthy words. He was sociable and made friends very
easy, but never learned bad habits that many men fall into living with a group of rough
men month after month. He spent much of his time cooking for the men, which he did after
he married and had a large family. He made good wages for that day and time and helped his
mother financially. He saved some. He had the gift of thrift and management.
Erastus Jensen married Barbetta Gessel [1]
[2]
12 July 1893, in Logan, Utah. Father bought [five] acres of land on the east side of 2nd
East at 9th North in Logan, Utah, where he built a two room home and as the
family grew he built a room on and modernized it as he carefully built. After their
marriage they lived in a small home on 4th [?] East in Logan about where the
Nelson Funeral Home now stands. They lived next door to Bishop John A. Anderson, who got
father very active in church activities and three years after their civil marriage their
marriage was sealed in the Logan Temple. They had much respect and appreciation for John
A. Anderson and his family who had much influence for good for Barbetta and Erastus.