Franklin Jacobsen Madsen

Franklin Jacobsen Madsen was born to his parents, Jacob Christianson Madsen and Dorothea Christine Jensen Madsen while they were living in Denmark. They had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and left Denmark when Franklin was just an infant. Sadly, travel conditions were so terrible on the way to Iowa that Jacob and Dorothea lost their infant son, Franklin, along the way. The balance of the way to the valley was difficult and heart rending. They arrived at the time of the coming of Johnston's army, so after several days, the Madsen's were sent south with the other saints. Three years later, their last son, Jacob Madsen, was born in Utah in 1860. They lived in Utah until about 1863 when they were sent by the church to help colonize the Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho area. Charles C. Rich, a church leader was one of the Mormon elders who helped the people settle in that area, which was thought at the time to be in Utah not Idaho.