Soren M. Nielsen ~ Mayor of the Month ~ January 2012 ~ Serving as Mayor 1948 -1950

Soren M. Nielsen was born is Visborg Denmark on June 4, 1886.  He was the son of Soren Christian Nielsen (Gade) and Johanna M. Jensen.  He was the third child in a family of four.


While his father was working in America, an LDS missionary from Mt. Pleasant called on Soren's mother.  The missionary was her sister's son.  Soren's mother, brother and sisters joined the LDS church, sold their home in Denmark and sailed to America.  They arrived in the United States on November 6th, 1895.  They made their way across the United States and settled in Mt. Pleasant, Utah.


In the fall of 1896 Soren started school in the building which later became the Mt. Pleasant City Hall and later Ursenbach Mortuary.  Soren attended school for one year and then went to work for Peter Jensen and occasionally returned to school for the next two years.  This was the end of his formal education.  At the age of 12 it was necessary for him to work alone in the Utah desert, herding sheep.  Later he worked as a miner, then back to livestock in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.


In 1908 Soren went to work for Ericksen Meat and Grocery on Main Street in Mt. Pleasant.  He managed the store until 1925 when he returned  to the livestock business having large sheep herds and later, cattle in both Millard and Sanpete Counties of Utah.


In 1911 Soren enlisted in the Utah National Guard, along with several other businessmen, to help keep the unit in Mt. Pleasant.  He served seven years and helped patrol the Mexican border as captain of Troop E., First cavalry.


In 1913 he married Florence Ericksen in the Manti LDS Temple.  They had five children:  Forence (Charles E. Peterson), Howards. (Lorine Uhlig), Don E. (Carol Braithwaite), Grant E. (Verna Aiken) and Marjorie (Joseph Beck).


In 1915, Soren became the city marshal, For ten years Soren served on the Utah State Water Storage Commission.  Soren was elected Sanpete County Commissioner in 1932 and served for two years.  During that time he was elected Chairman of the Board of Sanpete County Commissioners.


In 1914 Soren was called to be the Ward Superindendent of the YMMIA in the Mt. Pleasant South Ward.  During this time he was called to be the scoutmaster.  Later he became Scoutmaster in the North Ward.  A short time later he was appointed Scout Commissioner for the North Sanpete Stake.  In 1923 Soren was sustained as President of the North Sanpete Stake after serving as Stake Superintendent of the YMMIA for two years.  He served as Stake President ofor 13 years.  During these years, scouting was organized on a council basis and the Bryce Canyon Council was formed with Soren as President.  Soren received his Siolver Beaver in 1935.  In addition to his church work, Soren was also serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors of Snow Junior College.


Soren later went to work as a bank examiner and was assigned to the liquidation of the BeaverState Bank at Beaver and the Bank of Iron County at Parowan.


Soren was elected Mayor of Mt. Pleasant and served in that position from 1948 to 1950.  During this time Mt. Pleasant saw the addition of Sanpete Valley Hospital and the first street lights were installed.


In 1950, Soren, with two of his sons, transferred his ranching operations to Meeker, Colorado, incorporating under the name "Nielsen Land and Livestock Company.  He spent every summer in Meeker until his health prevented further trips to "the ranch".


He was able to return to his beloved homeland in 1960 while his son, Don and his family were stationed in Germany with the United States Air Force.  His final years were spent living in Salt Lake City with his daughters, Florence and Marjorie.  He died April 14, 1975 at the age of 89.

Mayor of the Month ~ June 2010 ~ Ferdinand Ericksen

Ferdinand Ericksen, son of Lars and  Stena, was born in Mt.  Pleasant, September 30, 1863.  He attended the district schools and took a two year course at B.Y. Academy at Provo.

He taught school for four years in Mt. Pleasant and then entered the Ann Arbor Law College, studying one year.  He was admitted to the bar of Michigan, June 5, 1890 and opened an office in Mt. Pleasant.


He was elected County Prosecuting Attorney in August, 1890 and County Collector in 1892.  In 1897 he was elected mayorl.  He was cashier of the Mt. Pleasant Bank from January 1893 to July 1895, and was a member of the board of directors.  He also had an interest in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery Company.


In 1894, he was elected Major of the National Guard of Utah, and in 1896 was appointed Judge Advocate, with the rank of Major, on Brigadier-General Willard Young's staff.  He was appointed a school trustee in 1896, to fill a vacancy, and in 1897 was elected to that position.

Addendum

He was one of the influential persons to bring about the construction of the Pioneer Monument that stands in front of the Carnegie Library today.



His Speech

"Judge Ferdinand Ericksen, in his presentation speech, gave a brief history of all that had been done by the committees and the source of obtaining the necessary funds for the erection of the monument on the beautiful spot on which it stands, and thanked the ecclesiastical authorities for the privilege of locating it there without cost or consideration for an indefinite period of time. He explained in brief, the inscriptions upon the Monument, the names of the persons inscribed, he said, being representative of many nationalities, and among them were names of noted scholars.. musicians, artists, teachers, etc. Men who would, because of their skill and ability, have achieved distinction in any community. He stated in brief that this determined band of fearless and God-fear¬ing men, together with their wives, who shared their labors and who had come here under most adverse conditions; he said that the now vast rich fields with growing crops, were then covered with sage brush, and that the roads, bridges and canals were yet to be constructed, the churches and temples of learning had not then even been planned. The Opera Houses and Amusement houses were unknown. In fact, there were none of the attractions, or features of civilization to induce those pioneers to come, but on the contrary, the existing conditions at that time were such as to discourage."

"Not only were the elements to be subdued and the arid soil made to produce a livelihood, but the roving and uncivilized Indians had to be met and conquered. In conclusion he stated that it was indeed fitting that we perpetuate the names and deeds d such worthy ancestors, and that this was the underlying and controlling thought and desire in erecting the Memorial. He said that he took great pleasure in performing the duties his commission imposed, and presented the Monument to the community in behalf of all those who had in any manner aided in its construction, to honor of all the pioneers, both men and women, who settled in Mt. Pleasant, as a memorial of the esteem in which the pioneers who had made the present Mt. Pleasant possible, were held."

from Mt. Pleasant History pp 188-189; Hilda Madsen Longsdorf
He died on April 20, 1927 in Salt Lake City.
He married Clementina Marion Morrison in December of 1885, a daughter of William and Mary Margaret Farquhar Morrison. New Family Search shows them to be the parents of three children, Clementina Beatrice, William, and Clementina Marian.  His wife, Clementina died while giving birth to Clementina Marian.

He was also a partner to Henry Ericksen in the Ericksen Meat and Grocery for short time.  Henry was a brother-in-law.  Ferdinand had a law office on the second floor of the grocery business.


"In 1898, during the time Ferdinand Ericksen was mayor of the city, the city purchased the north brick schoolhouse, (the now mortuary) corner First North and First West, and in due time, after remodeling it, placing in a heating plant, vaults and cells, suitable furniture, etc.,it became an up-to-date and creditable city hall, and was the first real home the Mt. Pleasant city council had ever known.

The north Public Square was cleared of the brush and burrs, and trees and grass were planted for a city park".  from Mt. Pleasant History pp 179-180 by Hilda Madsen Longsdorf

Picture taken at the dedication of the Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Monument