My great grandmother, Laurine Dorthea Knudsen, was born in Hjorring, Denmark in 1855 to Lars Christian Knudsen and Karen Marie Nielsdatter Grontved.  Lars and Karen were not married.  Lars wasn’t part of Laurine’s life and Karen went off to work in another part of Denmark, leaving Laurine to be raised by her grandparents. 

When Laurine was about 14 she was taught by missionaries,  joined the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and emigrated to Utah.  Laurine did her mother’s temple work, as well as many other Danish family members.  In Laurine’s personal history and in her genealogy papers there was no mention of what happened to her mother.  It kind of bugged me not to have a death date for her, but I knew that there was no way that I was going to look through the records of every parish in southern Denmark for Karen Marie Nielsdatter,  just to find her death date.  

One day, just for fun, I entered Karen Marie’s name into the Family Search search page, and she showed up in a record for a marriage.  Someone had indexed her marriage record to Martin Volmer, a man I’d never heard of.  I knew it was her because it listed her date and place of birth and her parent’s names.  Based on this new information I was able to search the parish record indicated by the marriage record, and found two children I didn’t know about.  I found her husband’s first wife and their three children as well.  I was able to do ordinances for all of them.  In my research, I also found Karen Marie’s death date. 

It made me wonder if my great grandmother, Laurine, even knew that she had two half siblings.  This thought made me sad, but at the same time, I was glad that I was able to complete their temple work so they would be connected in heaven.

 A few years ago, I was finally scanning all the photos my mom had been saving in a box.  When I placed one old Danish photo on the scanner, I saw that on the back was the name “Karen Volmer”.  That was the name of Laurine’s half sister!   I know now that Laurine and Karen knew about each other, and wrote letters to one another.  I’m sure they are so happy to be part of their eternal family.  

If it wasn’t for someone taking the time in index this Danish parish, I would have never found this marriage and the rest of the family. 

–Beth Ann Hammer, Willow Creek Stake Temple and Family History Consultant