Storms Coming

I have just finished a painting for a Whiting family reunion project about some Danish relatives in the Isaacsen line of the family. Maren Christensen was a Danish woman in the 1800's where husbands in families along the coasts made their living in the fishing industry. The country is in the region of the snowy lands of Scandinavia so the weather contributed to a harsh existence for families of fishermen. Maren's father was lost at sea in his work. When Maren and her husband had six children in their home, he was also lost at sea in his fishing labor. Without her husband Maren was too poor to keep all of her children home with her. As young adolescents, they were indentured as laborers, making very little money for themselves and for the family. One of Maren's daughters, Mette was involved in an unfortunate accident as she worked for a farmer binding wheat. A man cutting wheat with a scythe cut too close to her, cutting her leg. Without any way of helping her, she bled to death.

Maren was the first person on her Danish island to join the LDS church. She made the difficult decision to emigrate to America to join a larger group of the Mormon people. Two of her daughters refused to make that sacrifice, making such a monumental journey across strange cultures and lands. Feeling the strength of God-given faith she and three of her children left the generational Danish familiarity for the journey which was harrowing just making it to England. After a 3 month ocean crossing with meager living arrangements, they arrived at the port of New Orleans and booked passage to sail up the Mississippi. Her journey ended prematurely. Brought on by malnutrition and harsh exposure to the elements, Maren contracted cholera and perished in the circle of her brave children's care. It would seem that she had failed in so many of life's challenges. Perhaps being welcomed and warmed in the embrace of Heavenly beings, her husband, her daughter Mette and her parents, she could then keep loving watch as her children continued on their way to her coveted destination. From her eternal perspective it was a triumphal reward as her posterity grew and prospered and at present that her family members number in the thousands.

The name of the painting is "Coming Storm" and represents a day when Maren would have come face to face with harsh realities. Her face shows the fatigue and worry that her circumstances would have produced. Under those circumstances her son is becoming an adult. Her daughters still have the carefree interaction of sisters but that will change dramatically as the storms come into all of their lives.