The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1964, Page 40

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1964
Kate J$eaxn3on Caxtex
by CLARA STEELE
personal secretary to Kate B. Carter
Kate B. Carter was born of humble
parentage in the town of Spanish
Fork, Utah county, Utah, July 30,
1892. She was christened Catherine
Vigdis for one of her mother’s foster
sisters and her great-aunt, who was a
midwife when she was born. While
she possessed few of the luxuries of
life, she was reared in a home filled
with love. Her father, Finnbogi
Bjornson (Bearnson) was born in Ice-
land, February 15, 1855, one of a large
family. He did not come to Utah as a
convert to Mormonism, but to visit his
aunt, Vigdis Bjornson Holt, who had
accepted the principles of the Church
of Jesus Ghrist of Latter-day Saints in
her native land and was now a doctor
having received her medical education
in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mr. Bearn-
son was a great student of history and
spent his leisure time reading and
studying good books. Fie was one of
the first seven Republicans in Spanish
Fork and continued through his life
to take an active interest in political
and civic affairs in the various towns
in which he lived.
Mrs. Carter’s mother was born in
Denmark, the first child of Christian
and Sophia Jenson. This family join-
ed the Latter-day Saints Church soon
for fifteen years.
after the gospel was introduced into
Denmark. In the fulfillment of a death-
bed promise made by her father to her
mother in 1860 the child, Mary, was
given into the care of the grandmother,
Christiana Pederson, and, in 1866, they
started the long journey to Utah. On
the way the grandmother died and
the child was left to be taken care of
by friends. She arrived in Utah Oc-
tober 8, 1866, where she signed a note
to the Perpetual Emigrating Fund for
sixty dollars with interest at 10 per
cent per annum which she paid in
full before her marriage in 1878.
(Note on file in Pioneer Memorial
Museum).
Throughout her life Mary remained
faithful to the Church and taught her
childen its principles. Both parents
encouraged their children to attend
school regularly and to read the best
books obtainable which they placed in
their hands as often as their limited
means would allow. Mrs. Carter says
of her early childhood that her father
taught her the history of nearly every
nation; told her stories from the sagas
of Iceland and had her repeat night
after night the lessons of the day. Thus
fired, with an appreciation of history