The Standard Examiner Said...
By Trent Toone
Standard-Examiner staff
ttoone@standard.net
TREMONTON - What started out 10 years ago as a desire to know more about a pioneer ancestor will culminate today in a special family event, and the community is invited.
A 40-minute film titled, "Walking in Obedience: The Ole Madsen Story," will premier at 7 p.m. in the Bear River High School auditorium. Admission is free.
"Walking in Obedience" is the story of a common man who was devoted to God and sacrificed everything to bring his family to Utah in 1856.
Madsen's family reached Utah, but he did not. The Denmark native was a member of the ill-fated Willie Handcart Company that became stranded on the high plains of Wyoming in winter weather. While many of the pioneers were rescued by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Madsen was buried in a mass grave at Rock Creek Hollow.
In 1997, Madsen's great-great-grandson, Mike Ericksen, of Farmington, and other family members felt inspired to start compiling his history. With the help of documentary filmmaker Lee Groberg and director Mark Goodman, the film, sponsored by the entire family, was produced.
Originally,the movie was made for family, not commercial gain. But because the message is so strong, Ericksen said, the family felt it should be available to others. "Walking in Obedience" debuted in July at Bountiful Handcart Days. Showings have also been planned for Sept. 9 in Mount Pleasant and Ephraim, areas where Ole Madsen's family settled.
"What started all this was our desire to know who he was and what he did. There is a really great legacy there for our family," Ericksen said. "We won't recoup the enormous cost of the film, but I think the message will live for a long time."
The film found its way to Tremonton when another great-great-grandson, Jeff Madsen, learned of it. Jeff, who has a grandson named Ole, had known he was a descendant for about six years, but was not aware of other family members in Utah.
In July, a friend noticed the Madsen name in a Deseret Morning News article about the film. Jeff's wife, Karen Madsen, called Ericksen. When Ericksen learned that more than 30 Ole Madsen descendants lived in the area, arrangements for a showing were made.
"I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, regardless of one's religious background," Karen Madsen said. "I think it's important to find out what your heritage is. It helps good people to be better."
When the DVD is made available to the public on Sept. 15, Karen hopes everyone in her family gets a copy. She hopes it will inspire her family to live their lives equal to the sacrifice made by their ancestors.
Madsen's story is told from personal journal accounts and traditional stories that have been gathered through the years. Footage was captured by film crews on location in freezing-cold snowstorms. Groberg, who also produced a film documenting the Willie and Martin Handcart tragedy, added shots not previously used.
Ericksen said there are many great messages in the film.
"It's not a story of a prophet, a leader or someone who was considered a prominent man in the community; it's the average guy. Real heroes are the mothers and fathers who sacrifice everything for their families," Ericksen said.
"The bottom line of this whole experience for us is to understand where you came from, how you got there and pass that on. History submits a tradition into our lives." ¤¤¤
Buy the DVD now!
Walking in Obedience contains dramatic scenes and incredible scenery depicting the journey of a Danish family traveling with the Willie Handcart Company. It is told through the words of those that lived through the experience with both the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies.
Walking in Obedience is visually spectacular, historically accurate, and reverently told. Both touching and faith promoting, it is recreated and told through Ole Madsen’s daughter, Ane Marie.
Approximate running time: 40 minutes
Price: $20.00 + $4.00 shipping
