Family History Research

Discovering, Gathering and Connecting with Helene

It has been the most wonderful and educational journey to discover, gather and connect with a member of my husband’s family.  

Researching my husband’s paternal line, I discovered his grandfather’s cousin’s temple work had not been completed nor had a spouse been added. So, I got to work. Because of the date being in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the records were plentiful and very accessible. It wasn’t long before the vital information and many sources were added to the husband along with his wife and two daughters.  

When we reserved these ancestors’ temple ordinances, we made quite a unique discovery that we hadn’t run across before in his family. The wife, Helene, born in 1892, had been baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1913 just a year before her marriage. She had met and was taught by LDS missionaries and accepted baptism for herself. This was absolutely thrilling and very unusual!

Wanting to confirm this information, I tried to research her original baptismal records. I went to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City but had no results there. They recommended contacting the Church History Library, which I did (Church History Library Ask Us Service askus@chl.libanswers.com).

In a few short days, they indeed found her records and emailed the information. Although they were unable to supply photographic images of official membership records, a worker there transcribed the baptismal entry from the Scandinavian Mission for 1913, which included the missionaries who performed the baptism and confirmation. The information was added as a source to Helene in FamilySearch. It was an absolute joy to think of another ancestor who embraced the gospel just as my husband’s parents did. Since then, I have found the records of the two missionaries in the Church History Biographical Database. That was a delight as well! (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/chd/landing?lang=eng)

Unfortunately, further research showed that she was never able to receive her temple ordinances. She died in childbirth with her second daughter just six years later, in 1919, and there were no temples in Europe until 1955. It has been an incredible experience to complete those ordinances for her and offer them to her husband, too. One day we will have the joy of meeting them and rejoicing with them and their family!

This is the blessing of family history work – discovering, gathering and connecting to our ancestors and their stories! May you continue in this amazing work and realize the blessings that have been promised to us and our ancestors.

-Janet Helland, Asst. Director of Patron and Consultant Services, Granite Family History Center