Biography of Marinus Falslev

Marinus was the third child of Marius and Mariane Jensen Falslev. The first two children died as infants. Marinus was born September 16, 1897 In Randers Denmark. He had a sister born two years later, She only lived a month. When Marinus was almost eight years old his family immigrated to Benson Utah. His parents felt that if they waited until Marinus was older he would not choose to come with them to America.

The first home in Benson was the Toombs home they rented and shared with another Danish Family. It was a one room house that had a blanket to separate the space for the other family. The other family was H. P Hansen family.

Marinus started school in the upper Benson school, which was located on the S curve of upper Benson. Currently where Kenton Reese home is now. In 1909 the family bought a farm owned by Peter Frost, who was a missionary in Denmark and had borrowed money from Marius.

There were very little neighbor kids to play with growing up. So the Falslev kids played together. Some of the games they would play was "Annie I over" , "Run my Sheepie Run", tag, kick the can, and of course baseball.

Birthdays was treated as special. They would make cake and homemade Ice cream. Homemade ice cream was a treat in the summer with no freezer or refridgeration. to enable this they would cut blocks of ice from the river in the winter and put it in pits with saw dust to give them the ice for summer.

Winter time they would go over the hill and go Ice skating. They did not have skates for everyone so they would share. Sleigh riding was also a option with the most used hill by the school where Devar Balls had a farm. Sometimes they would just have the horse pull the sleigh.

Marinus was very musically talented. He had a beautiful singing voice and loved to play the violin. Marinus taught the other children to sing and would often initiate singing for family home evening. Marinus would compose songs and the girls would sing with Lydia at the piano. They would actually travel around Cache Valley performing. Marinus enjoyed participating in School Musicals and was very good.

The Falslev family would have picnics on the east side of their house. They played horseshoes often and Marinus excelled at that game. Marinus fished a little, but was more into hunting. Duck hunting was the best. They had a black shaggy dog named Jack. He resembled a bear. They taught Jack to do many tricks, like climbing a ladder.

In the winter time, the children liked to go ice skating below the hill. They had to share the skates, so some slid on the ice with their shoes. Sleigh riding was also popular. The best place was on the hill by Devar Balls (now the the Andrew Shaw home). However being pulled on the sleigh by the horse was also funtimes.

Marinus worked away from home to earn money because he did not enjoy farming.

Marinus excelled in sports. He played baseball for a county team and was the best in the valley. He was the pitcher for the team. Marinus also was good at bowling, football and boxing

In 1917, Marinus and his friend Bert Riggs were the first boys in Cache Valley to enlist in the army. Both were sent to Quantico, Virginia for training. It was here that he learned of his brother's Harold death and returned to the funeral. Carrie remembers sitting on his lap. She was so proud because he was so handsome in his uniform.

Marinus was later sent to France during the first world war. During the battle of Bello Woods, his family was notified he was missing. He was wounded by machine gun attack. He spent considerable time in the hospital and was later awarded Purple Heart for Bravery.

Mette Marie, Marinus's grandmother in Denmark, wrote a letter dated November 21, 1918. She was concerned about his being in the war and asked if anyone had heard from him. She expressed her hope the war would soon end.

Marinus used to reminisce about the war. He recalled how bad the "mustard gas" was and driving through the Arch De Triumph in an ambulance on Liberation Day in Paris.

When Marinus returned home after the war, he attended Utah State Agricultural College (USU) in Logan. He met Marjorie Annie Francis while they were both participating in school musical productions. He married Marjorie in the Logan temple on June 29, 1921. Marjorie was born in April 25, 1898 in Covingtry, England. She immigrated to the United States and lived in Pocatello, where she studied music at Idaho State College.

Marinus was ordained an Elder on June 19, 1920 and was endowed on his wedding day at the age of 23. He and Marjorie lived in Pocatello when they were first married. In Pocatello, he worked for Union Pacific railroad designing steam engines. This was during the depression when jobs were hard to find.

They later moved back to Logan, Utah where he worked for the WPA as a civil engineer. He designed the USAC'S (USU) first football stadium and adjoining athletic building.

Marinus and Marjorie had a son and then a daughter born in Logan. William Francis was born May 11, 1922 and Hannah Barbara was born October 12, 1923. Harold Spencer was born June 8, in Pocatello, Idaho.

Marinus the moved to Omaha Nebraska when Spence was a baby because Marinus was designing steam engines there. The depression interfered with this job with the additional of diesel engines replacing steam engines.

Marjorie amd Marinus divorced in May of 1936.

Marinus worked for Ford Motor as a salesman and a police offecer for Logan City.

Marinus married Julia Nielsen January 13,1938. They had one child Maureen Joie Falslev. They lived in New Jersey and then in 1945 moved to Hawthorne, California. They also lived in Altadena and Fountain Valley, California.

Marinus was a engineer. He designed the rock retainer wall on center street in Hyrum and the rock wall at the football stadium at North Cache. In California he worked for the Naval weapons designing guided missiles on the submarines. He had high security and designed many top secret projects.

Marinus died on June 10,1970 at Fountain Valley, Orange County, California at the age of 72. He is buried June 12, 1970 at Pacific view - Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, California.