William Christensen was born January 18, 1881 in
the county of Wensusil, Denmark. He had one broth-
er, James. Their father and mother separated when
she joined the Mormon Church and she and her two
boys came to America and lived in Elsinore, Utah.
The church in Salt Lake City called people to go to
Alberta, N.W.T., Canada, to settle. At 18 years of
age, William and others of the first group left Utah by
train with machinery, horses, cows and all belong-
ings, to open up the prairies. At Great Falls they had
to transfer everything to the narrow gauge railroad
cars and they arrived at Stirling May 5, 1899. As the
horses were unloaded, they acted crazy with their
freedom. They would run and grab a bite of grass and
run again. There was no Raymond, but Magrath was
being established. They soon broke ground near the
coulee and planted potatoes and dug a well.

A second group of Saints came. James Chris-
tensen was probably one of those. The two brothers
were re-united with much joy and they began work-
ing together on the canal at Pot Hole, near Magrath.
With their pay and land scrip they soon started their
own farming projects.

A few years later, Bishop F. D. Grant called
William to serve a mission in the Northwestern
States. It was felt it was a real honor to go. His
brother James stayed home and farmed and helped
out, although some money had already been saved
up. It was in Washington, while on his mission, that
he met Nellie Barrow. He thought she was the pret-
tiest person he had ever seen and after serving two
years and being released they began to correspond.
In 1907 he went to see her and decided she was the
one for him. On October 3, 1909 they were married.
They continued their pattern of life on the farm.
Sometimes they would have complete crop failure
but always the spirit of hope and faith prevailed and
they would try again. To them were born four
children.

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