Interesting Family History research experience - Jens Andersen Pind

Anders Jensen Pind is one of our ancestors. I remember my father spending a lot of time sorting out this Pind line. In my recent efforts, I am going through my father's research notes from way back in the 1970s. Most of the work was completed at the time and the temple work done.

As I was going through one file, labeled "PIND," I saw that most of the records were from the 1600's. In reconciling my father's notes and charts with the current state of things in FamilySearch™ my experience is mainly to leave things alone in FamilySearch™for such older records (before the early 1700s). One reason is that there have been many others work on this line and the second reason is that a lot of the current state of things is a bit confused by the many people who unknowingly have combined a number of these people out of existence.  It is a battle I do not want to get mixed up in. Since there are so many similar names in these old records, people have mistakenly combined people where they should not have merged. Rather than try to get things back in the correct state, I am resolved to know that they have once been correct and their temple work done, so leave it be.

I hesitated on one particular sheet, however, and felt I needed to give it a little attention rather than throw out the entire file. Jens Andersen (sometimes referred to by the last name Pind) is in the system and some of his temple work is being done again. On my father's research notes sheet, he lists a wife and her parentage. This is not listed in familySearch™. I started working to get her connected to him and look for children. I researched his military records and am reasonably sure I have the correct information for him now, and the children attached to the couple. They already existed and were elsewhere in the system, but I was able to bring them together. They have four children I have found: Karen, who died in her twenties, apparently not having been married; Anders, who lived to adulthood; Magrethe (or Margrethe) who also lived to adulthood; and Kirstine who died as an infant. A couple of years after the passing of their youngest child, their father, Jens Andersen died, and then Ane Jørgensen died soon after that, but got married again shortly after Jens died, but (obviously) before she died. She ended up with a child from this second marriage, but the little girl died soon after birth. At the time, I searched quite extensively and could not find any information concerning marriages for Anders and Margrethe.

They did not leave me alone, however. I finally tried my last resort method: do a general Google™ search. As it occasionally happens, I found a hit! There is a web site where a person in Denmark has published his family information and he is related to Anders. I went through his information and verified the names and places there with published church records in the Danish State Archives and in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints genealogical images scanned from the original microfilms. When I was finished, I ended up with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for Jens Andersen and spouses of his posterity numbering about 46 people, most of who were previously not known in the FamilySearch™ records. I am attaching a scan that shows the original research sheet of my father's. The posterity can be found on FamilySearch™.

I must mention that I decided to not reserve these names for temple work (for the most part). I have found that I can come up with many, many names for the temple, but do not have the time to do them myself, and I do not have more than a few of my family who are able or willing to help, so I tend to get swamped in the work. I decided to instead just get them entered (along with source info) and leave them to see who might pick them up. So far a a handful of people have taken a few of these names, I assume they are cousins of some sort, most likely descended from Ane Pedersen Anderson Lovell, my great-great grandmother with a huge posterity (Jens Andersen Pind is her great-uncle).

I am monitoring the list to make sure no one gets lost in the end. I feel the influence from the spirit and from the spirits of these people driving me to find them and get them in the position to have their work done.

I love this work. It is so rewarding. I really love these Danish ancestors and their families. I hope to meet them in the next life.