O
Susan Easton Black, Shauna C. Anderson Young, and Ruth Ellen Maness, section O in Legacy of Sacrifice: Missionaries to Scandinavia, 1872–94 (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, 2007), 321–43.
John Frederick Oblad
(Johan Fredric Åblad)
1841–1904
Residence: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 29 November 1873
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 27 August 1874
Departure ship: Cato
Birth date: 10 November 1841
Birthplace: Öfverhulla, Österåker, Södermanland, Sweden
Father: Åblad, Lars Petter
Mother: Lundberg, Sarah Pettronella
Spouse: Larsen, Mary Magdalene
Marriage date: 19 January 1867
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 17 June 1904
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
On 1 April 1859, John was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Gustaf A. Olson. He was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood in 1860 and was called on a local mission to the Stockholm Conference. During that mission, he was ordained an elder on 23 August 1862 by Nils C. Flygare. He labored in the Gotland District, which consisted of three branches (see Oblad, “Missionary Journal of John Oblad”).
John began his journey to America on 8 May 1865 aboard the Aurora with 558 Latter-day Saint emigrants. It was not until fall 1865 that he arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley. In the valley, he was ordained a seventy on 15 October 1873. For several years, he served in the presidency of the Tenth Quorum of the Seventy (see Oblad, “Missionary Journal of John Oblad”).
John accepted a mission call to his native Sweden in 1873. He arrived in Copenhagen on 29 November 1873 and was assigned to be a traveling elder and later president of the Stockholm Conference. He departed from Copenhagen on 27 August 1874 aboard the steamer Cato (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 216, 220). He died in 1904 in Salt Lake City at age sixty-two.
Charles Perry Okerlund
(Carl Peter Åkerlund)
1856–1936
Residence: Loa, Wayne Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 June 1890
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 13 October 1892
Birth date: 28 May 1856
Birthplace: Röstånga #3, Röstånga, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Åkerlund (Jeppasson), Ola
Mother: Pehrsdotter, Bengta
Spouse: Blackburn, Harriet Elizabeth
Marriage date: 3 May 1882
Marriage place: Loa, Wayne Co., Utah
Death date: 9 December 1936
Death place: Salina, Sevier Co., Utah
Burial place: Loa, Wayne Co., Utah
Charles’s parents were “among the first converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” in Sweden (Jakeman, “History of Ole Okerlund and Bengta Carlson Okerlund,” 2). Soon after joining the Church, his father accepted a mission call. Charles and his sister were often alone with their mother, who struggled to keep enough food in the house during that time.
On 16 May 1861, the family began the emigration process to America. They journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Monarch of the Sea and across the plains in the Samuel A. Woolley ox team company. During the trek to the Salt Lake Valley, Charles became ill and was allowed to ride in a wagon (see Jakeman, “History of Ole Okerlund and Bengta Carlson Okerlund,” 2–3).
After arriving in the valley, his family was called to settle in Salina, Sevier County. The first year, they lived in a dugout. It was trouble with Indians that caused them to leave Salina in 1866 (see Jakeman, “History of Ole Okerlund and Bengta Carlson Okerlund,” 5–6).
Charles was living in Loa, Wayne County, Utah, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1890. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 June 1890 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. He departed from Copenhagen on 13 October 1892 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 327, 329). Charles died in 1936 in Salina at age eighty.
Oley Oleson
(Olaf Nilsson)
1846–1907
Residence: Hooper, Weber Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 7 November 1883
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 15 October 1885
Departure ship: Bravo
Birth date: 14 November 1846
Birthplace: Åkarp, Reslöv, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Olsson, Nils
Mother: Anderson, Hanna
Spouse: Ridout (Rideout), Emma Elizabeth
Marriage date: 14 February 1870
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Carlson, Anna Matilda
Marriage date: 5 July 1905
Death date: 23 November 1907
Death place: Providence, Cache Co., Utah
Burial place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Oley was baptized on 14 March 1858 a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He immigrated to America in 1864 and settled in the Hooper Ward, Weber County, Utah (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 185).
In 1883, he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 7 November 1883 and was assigned to labor in the Stockholm Conference. He served in the Örebro Branch for a short time before becoming president of the Uppsala Branch. Later he served as president of the Stockholm Conference (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 274).
When Oley was summoned to appear in court on June 20, the charge against him of teaching Sunday School was “squashed, but . . . [he] was convicted . . . for having preached, after having been forbidden to do so by the Church council” (Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 185). After appealing the case to a higher court, he was fined 130 kroner, which he paid. He departed from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Bravo on 15 October 1885 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 287, 292).
Returning to Utah, Oley became “an ardent Sunday School worker,” and an active member of the Hooper Ward (Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 185). He died in 1907 in Providence, Cache County, Utah, at age sixty-one.
Andrew Christian Olsen
1861–1909
Residence: Mount Pleasant, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 12 November 1892
Missionary labors: Copenhagen Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 25 October 1894
Departure ship: Rona
Birth date: 20 August 1861
Birthplace: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Father: Olsen, Andrew Niels
Mother: Larsen, Bodil K.
Spouse: Johansen, Caroline
Marriage date: 30 October 1884
Marriage place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Spouse: Hansen, Hannah Elizabeth
Marriage date: 8 May 1895
Marriage place: Manti, Sanpete Co., Utah
Death date: 10 April 1909
Death place: Provo, Utah Co., Utah
Burial place: Provo City Cemetery, Provo, Utah Co., Utah
Andrew was baptized a member of The Church of Latter-day Saints on 19 August 1869. He received his endowments in the Endowment House on 13 April 1882. He married Caroline Johansen on 30 October 1884 in Logan, Cache County, Utah. Caroline died on 19 January 1889 a few days following the birth of their third child.
Andrew was residing in Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County, Utah, when he received a mission call to Scandinavia in 1892. He arrived in Copenhagen on 12 November 1892 and was assigned to labor in the Copenhagen Conference. After serving an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Rona on 25 October 1894 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 328–29, 337).
In February of 1895, Andrew moved to the Ferron Ward, Emery Stake. On 9 May 1895, Andrew married Hannah Elizabeth Hansen. To that union was born five children. In 1907, the family moved to the Theodore (Duchesne) Ward, Uintah Stake. Andrew died in 1909 in Provo, Utah County, Utah, at age forty-seven.
Charles Ludvig Olsen
(Carl Ludvig Olsen)
1856–1923
Residence: Payson, Utah Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 9 November 1891
Missionary labors: Copenhagen Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 4 January 1894
Departure ship: Milo
Birth date: 5 June 1856
Birthplace: Bjølseneiet, Vestre Aker, Oslo, Norway
Father: Olsen, Christian
Mother: Nielsdatter, Christine
Spouse: Holladay, Julia Antonette
Marriage date: 3 June 1880
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Heinz, Pauline
Marriage date: 9 September 1898
Marriage place: Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 8 March 1923
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
In 1861, his parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their home was used for weekly cottage meetings held by the missionaries. It also served as a school where Norwegian Saints were taught English. Charles was baptized on 28 September 1865 by his father, who also ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood. After his ordination, he was called to distribute Church publications on Sundays throughout Christiania and Oslo and to sing in the local branch choir (see Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 1).
Charles departed from Norway aboard the Excellence with his mother, three sisters, and a brother. After arriving in America, they journeyed across the plains by rail to reach the Salt Lake Valley. Once in Utah, they joined other family members who had previously settled in Santaquin, Utah County (see Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 1).
In Santaquin, Charles provided entertainment for settlers by playing his violin at many public gatherings and dances. In 1880, he was tried by a bishop’s court for “inviting townspeople to a public dance.” The case was appealed to the Utah Stake high council who reinstated him to full membership after his public confession (see Bitton, Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies, 262).
Charles left Santaquin soon thereafter. He worked on railroad construction at Chama, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, the winter of 1880. By 1881, he had settled in Salem, Utah County, where he played the violin at dances and worked as a traveling salesman for the John Young Company. He also served as a justice of the peace (see Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 1).
By 1889, Charles was selling office supplies in Payson, Utah County. He ended this enterprise to accept a mission call to Scandinavia. Although he had some “serious health problems” and debts, he left his wife and five children to serve the Lord. He wrote, “The Lord opened the way for us so that, having agreeably arranged our financial affairs, I could leave honorably” (Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 1).
He arrived in Copenhagen on 9 November 1891 and was assigned to labor as a writer on the Skandinaviens’ Stjerne and as a translator at the mission office in Copenhagen. After serving honorably for two years, he departed from Copenhagen on 4 January 1894 aboard the steamer Milo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 320–21, 337).
Upon returning to Utah, his wife suggested that he study medicine. Despite his interest in the subject, he was unsure about the wisdom of such a course and sought advice from Church leaders. When he asked the First Presidency whether he should study medicine, Wilford Woodruff and George Q. Cannon replied that Latter-day Saint communities needed professionals and encouraged him to pursue additional schooling. They also advised him to come back and be set apart for the task if he should decide to go ahead with it (see Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 2).
At age thirty-nine, Charles was accepted into the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. He was set apart as a missionary and a student of medicine before he left Utah. He labored in the Northern States Mission from 1895 to 1898 and finished medical school in 1898, receiving the degree of doctor of medicine and surgery (see Olsen, Autobiography of Charles Ludvig Olsen, 24).
He practiced medicine in Brigham City, Box Elder County, and in the Salt Lake area. In 1905, he was appointed to the State Board of Medical Examiners. He died in 1923 at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City at age sixty-six. His funeral was held in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square (see Crowther, “Life Sketch of Charles Ludwig Olsen [1856–1923],” 2).
Christian Frederik Olsen
1859–1940
Residence: Hyrum, Cache Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 May 1884
Missionary labors: Copenhagen Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 21 June 1886
Departure ship: Otto
Birth date: 23 May 1859
Birthplace: Vesterbro #43, Frederiksberg-Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Father: Olsen, Frederik
Mother: Hendriksdatter, Boletta
Spouse: Anderson, Emrett
Marriage date: 7 November 1882
Spouse: Unsworth, Mary Ann
Marriage date: 20 October 1890
Spouse: Kjellberg, Hilda Christina
Marriage date: 7 June 1905
Death date: 15 December 1940
Death place: Hyrum, Cache Co., Utah
Burial place: Hyrum, Cache Co., Utah
Christian was born into a family that had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1853. Because of that, his name is not listed in the official Lutheran Church books—only the names of his parents and the fact they had a “child” is recorded. Strangely enough, however, his parents’ marriage on 28 December 1855 in the parish of Vor Frue-Copenhagen is recorded (see FHL #00481240. He was baptized at age eight. In 1870, his family immigrated to America and settled in Utah. He attended the University of Deseret and the Brigham Young College in Logan. In 1875, he moved to Hyrum, Cache County, Utah, where he taught school (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 297).
In 1884, Christian accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 May 1884 and was assigned to labor in the Copenhagen Conference. He is remembered as presiding over the Copenhagen Branch and Copenhagen Conference. He baptized forty-three converts. At the close of this mission, he departed from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Otto on 21 June 1886. Aboard ship, Christian was responsible for 290 emigrating Latter-day Saints and ten other returning missionaries (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 282–83, 297, 495). An account of the journey is as follows:
The voyage across the North Sea was quite stormy, a brisk wind blowing against the ship most of the way; consequently, seasickness became quite general, yet good cheer prevailed among the emigrants, who were not seasick, and they passed the time singing the songs of Zion and associating pleasantly together. . . . During the voyage across the Atlantic two children, belonging to Danish Saints, died and were consigned to a watery grave. As they had been sick almost from the beginning, their demise was not altogether unexpected. A little girl from Copenhagen died July 6th, of lung trouble and the same evening a lame sister (Andreasen) from Copenhagen, Denmark, was stricken with apoplexy, which ended her life. One of the stewardesses in the employ of the steamship company was also stricken with a fit of apoplexy and died on the 6th, and her remains, like the others, were lowered into the depths of the sea. Such mortality among the Latter-day Saint emigrants was something very unusual in the history of the emigration in recent years. Otherwise the condition among the Saints on board was good. Union and peace prevailed and the Saints were willing to abide by the counsel given them by those in charge. . . . Elder Chr. F. Olsen proved himself an efficient leader. (Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 297–98)
After returning to Utah, Christian again taught school. In addition to teaching for twenty-four years, he served two terms as a senator in the Utah legislature. He was later elected county assessor and director of the Agricultural College (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 297).
In 1900, he returned to Scandinavia to serve a second mission. He arrived on 2 January 1900 in Copenhagen and was assigned to labor in the Århus and Copenhagen conferences (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 380, 382). He died in 1940 in Hyrum at age eighty-one.
Frederik Christian Olsen
1871–1958
Residence: Preston, Franklin Co., Idaho
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 5 November 1892
Missionary labors: Ålborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 20 September 1894
Departure ship: Thorsa
Birth date: 30 March 1871
Birthplace: St. Johannes-Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Father: Olsen, Hans
Mother: Sørensdatter, Anna Margrethe Kirstine
Spouse: Atwood, Louisa Mariella
Marriage date: 13 September 1904
Marriage place: Grace, Caribou Co., Idaho
Spouse: Dearing, Helen L.
Marriage date: 8 July 1912
Marriage place: Pocatello, Bannock Co., Idaho
Spouse: Wheeler, Amelia
Marriage date: August 1919
Death date: 17 November 1958
Death place: Stockton, San Joaquin Co., California
Burial place: Rural Cemetery, Stockton, San Joaquin Co., California
Fredrik’s family immigrated to the United States sometime around 1881–82, settling first in the Cache Valley, then moving farther north into Idaho.
On 13 October 1892, Frederik received his endowment in the Logan Temple and left for his mission to Scandinavia the next day. He was residing in Preston, Franklin County, Idaho, at that time. He arrived in Copenhagen on 5 November 1892 and was assigned to labor in the Ålborg Conference. At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Thorsa on 20 September 1894 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 28l–82, 337).
In his later years, he lived in McCammon, Bannock County, Idaho. In the 1910 U. S. Census, he was listed as a farmer and in the 1920 U. S. Census, as a lawyer. He died in 1958 at Stockton, San Joaquin County, California, at age eighty-seven (see “Olsen,” Stockton Record, 18 November 1958).
Jacob Peter Olsen
(Jacob Peter Jensen)
1858–1930
Residence: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 October 1880
Missionary labors: Ålborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 16 June 1881
Departure ship: Albano (Bravo)
Birth date: 7 May 1858
Birthplace: Vor Frelser-Horsens, Skanderborg, Denmark
Father: Olesen, Jens Peter
Mother: Petersdatter, Kirstine
Spouse: Wilson, Isabella Ross
Marriage date: 12 October 1882
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 30 July 1930
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Wasatch Lawn, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Jacob immigrated to the United States in about 1865.
Jacob was a resident of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1880. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 October 1880 and was assigned to labor in the Ålborg Conference. After serving an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 16 June 1881 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 250, 252).
For many years, he was an employee of ZCMI. He died at his home, 2430 Seventh East Street, on 30 July 1930 at age seventy-two, following a long illness. He had been an active worker for the Church in Forest Dale and Nibley Park wards until he became ill. He was survived by a wife, two sons, and four daughters (see “Jacob P. Olson Dies at Home,” Deseret News, 31 July 1930).
James Olsen
(Jens Christensen)
1839–1924
Residence: College Ward, Cache Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 May 1884
Missionary labors: Århus Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 15 October 1885
Departure ship: Bravo
Birth date: 27 March 1839
Birthplace: Hasseris, Budolfi Domsogn-Ålborg, Ålborg, Denmark
Father: Olsen, Christen Jensen
Mother: Nielsdatter, Anne
Spouse: Petersen, Mette Marie
Marriage date: 28 January 1862
Marriage place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Death date: 25 August 1924
Death place: Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah
Burial place: Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah
In 1851, his parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. Before immigrating to America with his parents, he was hired to tend cattle and sheep. Then, in 1852, he was sent with the first company of emigrating Latter-day Saints from Scandinavia to America. After traveling for eleven months and nearly eight thousand miles, he arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in September 1853 (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 1–4).
He and others in his company were assigned to settle in Brigham City, Box Elder County. James worked for John F. Forsgren in Brigham City for a year, receiving as wages the use of a team and seed wheat for two acres. With these meager provisions, he raised enough wheat to feed his family, who joined him in 1854 (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 4).
In 1856, when Johnston’s army threatened Utah, James enlisted in the Nauvoo Legion. The legion not only delayed the army but in the process explored the greater Utah area and built new roads. In 1858, Brigham Young called on many Saints to move to Utah County. James helped Elder Lorenzo Snow move his household to Provo, Utah County. He moved his own family to Goshen, at the south end of Utah Lake. By September 1858, he had returned to Brigham City, where he built more roads, bridges, and dugways (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 6–7).
In 1861, he joined the “minute men” to help defend settlers from Indian raids. He sold his best cow to purchase a $350 gun and other equipment needed to protect the settlers. When the Indian threat lessened in April 1861, James accepted a call to be a teamster to help immigrants reach Utah. It was a difficult journey to Missouri for him. At one point, he had to travel over snowdrifts twenty-five feet high that had covered the tops of tall quaking aspen trees (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 7–8).
In 1862, James married Mette Petersen. They began their lives together with the bare essentials: “Our cooking utensils consisted of a bake kettle and tin plate and basin. But we were young, healthy, and happy and the world before us,” he penned. While James herded cattle for the co-op, Mette spun wool. In 1864, they purchased a log house for three hundred dollars for their growing family. In 1871, James sold the property and moved his family to an acre lot, where he built an adobe house. The family lived there until 1880 (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 9–10).
Although he hauled charcoal and cordwood to support his family, the pay was low. To improve his economic circumstances, in winter 1880 he went to Logan, Cache County, and rented an uncultivated one-hundred-acre tract of land for seventy-five dollars a year and began farming. It was on this acreage that he found success. He built a log house and outbuildings and raised over 300 bushels of grain (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 10).
In 1884, James left his family and financial holdings to serve a mission in Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 May 1884 and after visiting relatives was assigned to labor in the Århus Conference (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 282–83). He felt overwhelmed by the assignment. His language skills were poor, and he was “modest by nature.” He overcame the difficulties by exercising his faith. He said: “I did as the Prophet Joseph did. I retired to the woods in prayer. I told the Lord what it was that was expected of me to do in my condition and I was depending upon his assistance to perform that mission. The Lord came to my assistance, not only then, but many times after that” (King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 12).
In August 1884, James became president of the Horsens Branch in the Århus Conference. “Things went along smoothly from that time,” he wrote. “The Priesthood and Saints gave me their entire support. Our attendance at meetings was increased. Our tithing and fast offerings were increased, and everybody worked for the improvement of the Horsens Branch. In a short time I had the branch out of debt and I sent money to Copenhagen every month for the erection of the Salt Lake Temple” (King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 12).
In spring 1885, persecution began. The local ministers enlisted the aid of lawyers, who concocted a scheme to rid the country of Mormons. Attorneys, knowing that the law allowed the expulsion of “any foreign element” that was “injurious to the country,” began claiming that Mormonism was injurious. Five elders, the conference president, and four branch presidents were banished, leaving the Århus Conference “crippled up for workers.” With four branches in the Conference, James had to travel monthly from one to another to keep them functioning. Later that fall, he was released from his mission “because of circumstances in the family and at home” (King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 13). He departed from Copenhagen on 15 October 1885 aboard the steamer Bravo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 292).
After this mission, James served as second counselor in a local bishopric and in the YMMIA and Sunday School. He also performed public service as a school trustee for two terms and as the first road supervisor for his district. He was ordained a stake patriarch in 1915. He died in 1924 at Brigham City, at age eighty-five (see King, “History of Grandparents of Hazel Olsen King: A Biographical Sketch of Elder James Olsen,” 14).
George Daniel Olsen
(Jørgen Danielsen)
1835–93
Residence: Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 4 May 1883
Missionary labors: Copenhagen Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 19 October 1883
Departure ship: Milo
Birth date: 2 September 1833
Birthplace: Høsterkjøb, Birkerød, Frederiksborg, Denmark
Father: Olsen, Daniel
Mother: Jørgensdatter, Anna Maria
Spouse: King, Delilah Cornelia
Marriage date: 14 November 1861
Marriage place: Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah
Death date: 9 May 1893
Death place: Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah
Burial place: Fillmore, Millard Co., Utah
As a young man, George Daniel Olsen was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1853. He immigrated to Utah in 1854. Three years later, on 12 February 1857, he received his endowments in the Endowment House.
He resided at some point in time in the Salt Lake Thirteenth Ward. While in Salt Lake, he was the conductor of the orchestra that opened the Salt Lake Theatre.
The 1870 U. S. Census of Fillmore, Millard County, Utah, lists George’s occupation as cabinetmaker. While residing in Fillmore, as was the custom of the time, he was rebaptized on 21 July 1877. In the 1880 U. S. Census, he is listed as a musician. He was a resident of Fillmore when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1883. He arrived in Copenhagen on 4 May 1883, and was assigned to labor in the Copenhagen Conference. He served faithfully until 19 October 1883, when he boarded the steamer Milo bound for England. From England he migrated to America (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 270, 273, 275). He died in 1893 in Fillmore at age fifty-seven.
John Neilson Jargen Olsen
(Jargen Nielsen)
1847–97
Residence: Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 June 1888
Departure date from Copenhagen: 17 October 1889
Departure ship: Cameo
Birth date: 28 August 1847
Birthplace: Skovsøe, St. Mikkels, Sor?, Denmark
Father: Olsen, Niels
Mother: Thomasdatter, Maren
Spouse: Keller, Lena
Marriage date: 8 February 1870
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 7 November 1897
Death place: Mink Creek, Franklin Co., Idaho
Burial place: Mink Creek, Franklin Co., Idaho
John, a resident of Brigham City, Box Elder County, Utah, accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1888. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 June 1888, accompanied by his wife Lena Keller. He served an honorable mission and departed with his wife from Copenhagen on 17 October 1889 aboard the steamer Cameo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 307, 310).
Returning to the United States, John and his wife moved to Mantua Valley and then to Mink Creek, Franklin County, Idaho. In that community, John made a living working with dairy cows. He started the first cheese factory in the area. The factory was so successful that he was able to hire community members to milk the cows. He sold cheese produced from the milk throughout the valley. During these productive years, he served as president of the YMMIA. He was much respected by the young people in the area, who sought his advice and viewed him as a peacemaker. John died in 1897, one year after the death of his wife, in Mink Creek, Franklin County, Idaho, at age fifty.
Joseph Reuben Olsen
1864–1937
Residence: Grantsville, Tooele Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 1890
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 14 April 1892
Birth date: 7 November 1864
Birthplace: Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Father: Olsen, Bengt
Mother: Petersen, Nicoline Wilhelmine
Spouse: Jefferies, Mary Francis
Marriage date: 19 June 1889
Marriage place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Spouse: Josephson, Josephine Christina
Marriage date: 15 September 1897
Marriage place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Death date: 13 April 1937
Death place: Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah
Burial place: Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah
Joseph was born in Big Cottonwood, Salt Lake County, Utah. After he had grown to manhood, he moved to Tooele County, where he was engaged in the cattle business (see “Former Box Elder Sheriff Dies Tuesday,” Box Elder Journal, 14 April 1937).
Joseph was a resident of Grantsville, Tooele County, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1890. He arrived in Copenhagen and was assigned to labor in the Stockholm Conference. After serving for almost two years, the conference president wrote of him, “Your labors in this mission have been satisfactory to the Presidency and will doubtless result in good to the people among whom you have labored presenting the Gospel truths” (letter to Joseph Olson from President Anderson, 12 April 1892). He departed from Copenhagen on 14 April 1892 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 316–17, 327).
After returning to Utah, he became a farmer and a sheepherder. He later worked as a livestock inspector for Box Elder County and as a local sheriff for two terms. He served as the deputy sheriff until his death.
He died at his family home after an illness of three and a half months at age seventy-two. His funeral services were held in the Brigham City Fourth Ward chapel on Sunday, 18 April 1937 (see “Former Box Elder Sheriff Dies Tuesday,” Box Elder Journal, 14 April 1937).
Peter Olsen
1861–1938
Residence: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 1 December 1885
Missionary labors: Copenhagen and Århus conferences
Departure date from Copenhagen: 29 September 1887
Departure ship: Bravo
Birth date: 23 May 1861
Birthplace: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Father: Olsen, Peter
Mother: Andersen, Ane
Spouse: Sorensen, Helena
Marriage date: 8 November 1883
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 12 November 1938
Death place: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Peter was baptized on 30 June 1871 a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 186). In 1883, he was ordained an elder. He was living in Moroni, Sanpete County, Utah, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 1 December 1885, and was assigned to labor in the Copenhagen Conference (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 294–95). After eight months of serving in that conference, he was transferred to the Århus Conference. He was then called to preside over the Horsens Branch for six months (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 186). Peter departed from Copenhagen on 29 September 1887 aboard the steamer Bravo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 303).
In April 1889, he was called on a second mission, this time to the northern states. He labored in Chicago. Returning to Utah, he became known as an “ardent Sunday School worker” in the Moroni Ward (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 186).
Peter was a prominent farmer and stock grower in Moroni, Sanpete County. He served as a school trustee and member of the Moroni city council as well as director in the Moroni Mercantile Institution (see “Peter Olsen,” Deseret News, 14 November 1938).
Peter died on 12 November 1938 at his home in Moroni at age seventy-seven. Funeral services were held in the Moroni West Ward chapel (see “Peter Olsen,” Deseret News, 14 November 1938).
Rasmus Olsen
1811–1900
Residence: Draperville, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 16 May 1881
Missionary labors: Copenhagen Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 16 June 1882
Departure ship: Albano (Bravo)
Birth date: 24 April 1811
Birthplace: Ersholt, Kirkerup, Sørø, Denmark
Father: Rasmussen, Ole
Mother: Olsdatter, Ane Margrethe
Spouse: Hansen, Sidse
Marriage date: 31 August 1842
Marriage place: Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Death date: 10 July 1900
Death place: Draper, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Draper, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Rasmus and his wife joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1853. In 1868, he came to the United States, crossing the plains with a mule train (see “Death of Rasmus Olsen—A Faithful Veteran of 90,” Deseret Evening News, 13 July 1900). He first moved to Bear River City, Box Elder County, and then to Draper, Salt Lake County. He owned four acres of land in Draper (see correspondence from LaRue Pitts, 27 July 2001).
Rasmus was a resident of Draper, Salt Lake County, Utah and was seventy years old when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. In order to finance the mission, he sold half of his property. He arrived in Copenhagen on 16 May 1881 and was assigned to labor in the Copenhagen Conference. He participated in the funeral of President Wilhelmsen on 7 August 1881. After serving faithfully for thirteen months, he departed from Copenhagen on 16 June 1882 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 257, 262–63, 265). Rasmus died in 1900 in Draper at age eighty-nine.
Andrew Olson
(Andreas Olofsson)
1845–1923
Residence: Gunnison, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 18 November 1884
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 7 October 1886
Departure ship: Milo
Birth date: 14 November 1845
Birthplace: Bärkö, Börstil, Stockholm, Sweden
Father: Andersson, Olof
Mother: Olsdotter, Maja Stina
Spouse: Madson, Christina Kathrina
Marriage date: 3 January 1872
Marriage place: Sweden
Spouse: Olson, Marie
Marriage date: 1881
Death date: 25 January 1923
Death place: Gunnison, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Gunnison, Sanpete Co., Utah
Andrew embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ in his native land. He immigrated to America in 1880 and settled in Gunnison, Sanpete County, Utah. He assisted in building the first roads in the area and spent time logging and conducted a freighting business between Gunnison and Juab (see “Valley Pioneer Is Called to Reward,” Gunnison Valley News, 1 February 1923).
Andrew was a resident of Gunnison when he accepted a mission call to Sweden in 1884. He arrived in Copenhagen on 14 November 1884 and was assigned to labor in the Stockholm Conference. After completing an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 7 October 1886 aboard the steamer Milo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 282–83, 298).
He returned to Gunnison, where he was a farmer and freighter. He died at the home of his daughter in Gunnison. He suffered a paralytic stroke about a month before his death and his health deteriorated after that. Death came on 25 January 1923 at age seventy-seven (see “Valley Pioneer Is Called to Reward,” Gunnison Valley News, 1 February 1923).
Andrew Olson
1856–97
Residence: Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 1 May 1891
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 27 October 1892
Birth date: 7 July 1856
Birthplace: Varakärr, Vittskövle, Kristianstad, Sweden
Father: Nilsson, John
Mother: Nilsdotter, Margretha
Spouse: Anderson, Emma Charlotte
Marriage date: 23 November 1882
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 2 April 1897
Death place: Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah
Burial place: Beaver, Beaver Co., Utah
Andrew came to the United States in 1866 with his parents, one sister, and two brothers, John Nils and Charles Frederick. His mother died in Nebraska while they were crossing the plains in the Joseph S. Rawlins company. They temporarily resided in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, and then moved to Kaysville, Davis County.
Andrew was a resident of Beaver, Beaver County, Utah, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1891. He arrived in Copenhagen on 1 May 1891 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 27 October 1892 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 319–21, 326).
Andrew became “well off” financially in the sheep business. They drove the sheep on horseback. On one trip, the axle of the wagon that holds the wheels together fell on his neck. He was badly hurt, but they went on the best they could. His neck was broken and grew stiff. All of his life, he could not turn his neck (see Almond, A Journey Back in Time—A History of Ancestors, 94). He died in 1897 at age forty.
Carl Magnus Olson
1834–1910
Residence: Mayfield, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 2 June 1877
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 23 June 1879
Departure ship: Cato
Birth date: 27 May 1834
Birthplace: Tingård, Västra Nöbbelöv, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Månsson, Ole
Mother: Zarkrisdotter, Anna (Hanna)
Spouse: Petterson, Maria Lisa
Marriage date: 4 October 1862
Marriage place: Lehi, Utah Co., Utah
Spouse: Lundstein, Johanna
Marriage date: 7 January 1865
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Ekelof, Johann (Anna Maria)
Marriage date: 31 July 1879
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 17 May 1910
Death place: Mayfield, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Mayfield, Sanpete Co., Utah
Carl was the son of a poor farmer. Being the eldest of six children, he often took care of his younger siblings. This responsibility greatly limited his education. In his youth, he left familial responsibilities to become a sailor. For a time, he made money with excursion cruises and by ferrying people between Denmark and Sweden. On one of the ferry trips, he met Latter-day Saint elders who persuaded him to investigate the Church (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 1–2).
Fearing that his family might oppose his interest in the faith, he studied Church publications secretly at night. His father discovered him reading the materials and gave him an ultimatum—his home or his new religion. Choosing his religion, Carl was forced to pack his meager belongings and leave home (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 1–2).
After his baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he accepted a local mission call as a traveling missionary in Scandinavia. He often traveled alone, “without purse or scrip.” His territory ranged as far north as the borders of Finland. On one occasion, he visited his family and found his mother glad to see him, but his father was distant (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 2).
Like most of his Latter-day Saint countrymen, Carl was eager to join the Saints in Zion. He departed from Sweden bound for America in 1861. After arriving in Utah, he helped quarry rock used in the construction of the Salt Lake Temple before Brigham Young called him to settle in Lehi, Utah County. It was in Lehi that his family cares became heavy. He married Maria Petterson, whom he had met in Sweden. In 1865, he married Johanna Lundstein, Maria’s best friend (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 4–6).
He eventually moved his wives and children to Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County. From Mount Pleasant, they moved to Richfield, Cache County, and then to Gunnison, Sanpete County, in 1871. By 1874, he and his family were living in Mayfield, Sanpete County, and had joined the United Order. Carl served as secretary and treasurer of that order (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 2–4, 7–10).
He left the order in 1877 to accept a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 2 June 1877 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. After serving faithfully for two years, Carl departed from Copenhagen on 23 June 1879, along with Anna Ekelof and other emigrating Saints (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 230–31, 240; Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 14–15).
His first two wives had difficulty accepting Anna Ekelof as his third wife. Adding to his problems, he was imprisoned for polygamy in Utah. After his release, his first two wives demanded that he stay with his third wife and help raise her young children and not be part of their lives (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 18).
In 1890, Carl and Anna moved to Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua County, Mexico. Although they suffered from starvation, Carl never turned hungry Mexicans away from his home. As a consequence, he converted many native Mexicans to the Church. Carl and his family returned to Utah in 1896. He died in his home at Mayfield at age seventy-six (see Willison, “Carl Magnus Olson and Three Wonderful Women,” 18, 20–21, 23).
Charles Wilhelm Olson
(Karl Olsson)
1864–1937
Residence: Grantsville, Tooele Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 23 May 1890
Missionary labors: Göteborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 28 April 1892
Birth date: 11 July 1864
Birthplace: Gunnebyn, Jarn, Älvsborg, Sweden
Father: Olsson, John
Mother: Olsdotter, Maja Kajsa
Spouse: Hjert, Emma Katrine
Marriage date: 1 August 1894
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 29 May 1937
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Murray City Cemetery, Murray, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Charles immigrated to Utah with his parents, and the family settled in Grantsville, Tooele County. He accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1890. He arrived in Copenhagen on 23 May 1890 and was assigned to labor in the Göteborg Conference. At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 28 April 1892 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 316–17, 325). In the course of the two years that he served, he traveled 8,231 miles by sea, 10,208 miles by rail, and 1,656 miles on foot. He held 294 meetings and met with very gratifying success. He published the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in several Swedish newspapers and reported that the gospel was making rapid progress in that part of the mission field (see Jenson, Journal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: April 6, 1830–December 31, 1972, Historical Department, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, 1906; Deseret Evening News, 25 May 1892).
Charles joined the Salt Lake City police force in 1902. He served continually as a law enforcement officer until he retired on 1 February 1928. He was appointed first sergeant during the term of police chief B. F. Grant from 1916 to 1920. He had resided in Cottonwood since 1929. He died on in a local hospital on 29 May 1937 of a prolonged heart illness. He was survived by his widow, three sons, and two daughters (see “Retired Officer Is Called by Death after Illness,” Deseret News, 31 May 1937).
Christian Olson
1841–1915
Residence: Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 30 September 1879
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 20 June 1881
Departure ship: Cato (Hero)
Birth date: 23 February 1841
Birthplace: Qvarne, Vamlingbo, Gotland, Sweden
Father: Olsson, Christian
Mother: Jacobsdotter, Brita Stina
Spouse: Nilsson, Christine Olofsson
Marriage date: 15 March 1869
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Hansen, Marie
Marriage date: 2 October 1907
Death date: 7 July 1915
Death place: Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Fairview Lower Cemetery, Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah
Christian was named in honor of his older brother, who was lost at sea. He was raised on a farm and in the Lutheran faith until the death of his father. Due to the poverty of his mother, “he had to shift around a good deal to make an existence” in his youth (“History of Christian and Christina Olson,” 1).
At age eighteen, he joined the Baptist Church because he felt baptism by immersion was essential. On 1 January1864, he joined Mormonism by being baptized in the Baltic Sea by John F. Oblad. At that time, Christian wrote a common expression in Sweden: “I’d rather see my child or any of my relations buried than see them join the Mormons.” Ignoring the expression and anti-Mormon sentiment, Charles was ordained an elder and served as a local missionary in Gotland from 1864 to 1868 (see “History of Christian and Christina Olson,” 2).
In 1868, he immigrated to America aboard the John Bright. Of his voyage, Christian wrote, “We were lucky that it came across the Atlantic because I heard that on the trip back she went under” (“History of Christian and Christina Olson,” 2).
Once in America, he traveled by mule team to Echo Canyon. He stopped in the canyon to accept employment on the railroad. In this employ, he operated a wheelbarrow ten hours a day. After acquiring the means to continue his journey, he traveled onto the Salt Lake Valley. He resided for a time in Santaquin, Utah County, then Pond Town, Utah County, and by 1869 in Fairview, Sanpete County. In Fairview, he worked as a farmer, a lumberman, and a salesman (see History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah, 378).
In 1879, he interrupted these enterprises to accept a mission call to Sweden. He arrived in Copenhagen on 30 September 1879 and was assigned to labor as a traveling elder in the Stockholm Conference. Of this mission, he wrote, “I held 271 meetings and visited 8 cities, baptized 18 converts and confirmed 20 members.” At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 20 June 1881 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 238–39, 255).
Returning to Fairview, he was elected to the city council. He became president of the Fairview Irrigation Company and director of the Empire Creamery Company. He was also “an active worker and teacher for twenty years” (History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah, 378). He is remembered as helping to build the Manti and Salt Lake Temples, the Fairview Elementary School, and the Gooseberry Reservoir. He left a few words of counsel: “Never deny your God, your Maker. Never go back on the Prophet Joseph Smith and your religion” (“History of Christian and Christina Olson,” 2). He died in 1915 in Fairview at age seventy-four.
James Peter Olson
(Jöns Olasson/
1850–93
Residence: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 November 1882
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 25 August 1884
Departure ship: Panther
Birth date: 25 July 1850
Birthplace: Valby, Kyrkheddinge, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Persson (Auburn), Ola
Mother: Andersdotter, Bengta
Spouse: Frandsen, Mary
Spouse: Nielsen, Anna Mary
Marriage date: 29 June 1874
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Nielsen, Karen Marie
Marriage date: 15 July 1885
Marriage place: Logan, Cache Co., Utah
Death date: 6 August 1893
Death place: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
James’s parents were among the first to accept the gospel in Sweden. They worked hard to save the funds to immigrate to Utah. The family of father, mother, and at least four children left on the ship Westmoreland in April 1857 and landed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May of that year.
James married in Salt Lake City in 1874. By 1882, he was residing in Ephraim, where he accepted his mission call. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 November 1882 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. After completing an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 25 August 1884 aboard the steamer Panther (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 268–69, 486).
James was a freighter by trade. He was hauling a load of logs to the canyon when he attempted to cross an unsafe bridge. He was thrown from the wagon and struck the back of his neck on a brake block. The wagon dragged him for some distance before the team could be stopped. He was paralyzed on the left side, and he died on 6 August 1893 in Ephraim at age forty-two.
John Olson
(Johannes Svensson)
1845–96
Residence: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 November 1882
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 25 August 1884
Departure ship: Panther
Birth date: 24 September 1845
Birthplace: Bångstorp, Halmstad, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Olsson, Sven
Mother: Persdotter, Anna
Spouse: Henrie, Myra Elizabeth
Marriage date: 12 December 1870
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 3 May 1896
Death place: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah
John was one of the early settlers of southern Utah. He fought in the Black Hawk War and in the Salina Canyon engagement (see History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah, 431). The 1880 U. S. Census lists his occupation as farmer.
In 1882, he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 November 1882 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. At the close of this mission, he boarded the steamer Panther in Copenhagen on 25 August 1884. Aboard the vessel were many converts whom he helped shepherd to Zion (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 268–69).
Arriving in Utah, John was elected to the Moroni city council. He was active in several local enterprises before his death in 1896 in Moroni at age fifty (see History of Sanpete and Emery Counties, Utah, 431).
John Frederick Olson
(Johan Fredric Olofsson)
1838–1903
Residence: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 27 November 1877
Missionary labors: Göteborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 30 August 1879
Departure ship: Albion
Birth date: 29 June 1838
Birthplace: Kalmar Landsförsamling, Kalmar, Sweden
Father: Gustafsson, Olof
Mother: Johnsdotter, Maria
Spouse: Johansen, Eva Charlotta
Marriage date: 16 March 1867
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Olsen, Anna
Marriage date: 13 October 1881
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 10 April 1903
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
John was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 28 April 1859. He immigrated to the United States in 1865.
John was a resident of Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, when he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1877. He arrived in Copenhagen on 27 November 1877 and was assigned to labor in the Göteborg Conference. After serving an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 30 August 1879 aboard the steamer Albion (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 230–31, 240).
The 1880 and 1900 U.S. censuses list John’s occupation as a woodturner. He died on 10 April 1903 at his home in Salt Lake City at age sixty-four.
John Nils Olson
(Nils Johnsson)
1850–1930
Residence: West Jordan, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 5 November 1881
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 24 August 1883
Departure ship: Bravo
Birth date: 22 September 1850
Birthplace: Segerholm, Vittskövle, Kristianstad, Sweden
Father: Nilsson, John
Mother: Nilsdotter, Margretha
Spouse: Ranck, Harriet Irene
Marriage date: 18 June 1877
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 18 July 1930
Death place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Burial place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
On 12 July 1865, John and his siblings were baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by P. Pehrson. At that time, he had no formal schooling and was a tailor by trade (see Jenson, “History of John Nils Olson,” 1; Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 3:476).
In 1866, he and his family immigrated to America aboard the Kenilworth. They crossed the plains in the Joseph S. Rawlins company. Sadly, his mother died on the journey. After arriving in Utah, other family members settled in Salt Lake City. In the city, John was hired out to live and work for the Smith family. The Smiths paid John’s father a year’s wages for his labor. It was a difficult year for John. He recalled having to wait until the family finished eating before he was permitted to eat their leftovers (see Jenson, “History of John Nils Olson,” 1).
He left this employment and moved to Kaysville, Davis County. In that small community, he worked on the railroad. He was at Promontory Point the day the Golden Spike was driven—10 May 1869 (see Jenson, “History of John Nils Olson,” 1). After seeing the railroad line completed, he moved to West Jordan, Salt Lake County. His claim to fame in that area was becoming the first man to bale hay and sell it in Salt Lake City (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 3:476).
John accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1881. The call came while he was seated in the Tabernacle on Temple Square at General Conference. His name was read aloud by President John Taylor. He accepted the call, leaving behind his wife and two children (see Jenson, “History of John Nils Olson,” 1). He arrived in Copenhagen on 5 November 1881 and was assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. He served as president of the Kristianstad Branch. After completing this mission, he departed on 24 August 1883 from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Bravo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 262, 264, 270).
He returned to the States and moved his family from West Jordan, Salt Lake County, to Garfield County, Utah, where they lived for three years. In Garfield, he was ordained a high priest on 29 March 1913 by Hyrum Goff. In 1917, he moved to Salt Lake City, where he remained until his death in 1930 at age seventy-nine (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 3:476).
Lars Magnus Olson
1851–1919
Residence: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 25 September 1878
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 29 August 1881
Departure ship: Pacific
Birth date: 17 May 1851
Birthplace: Kyrkebyn, Arvika, Värmland, Sweden
Father: Ceder (Seder), Olof Eliasson
Mother: Stalgren, Lena Larsdotter
Spouse: Olsen, Birdie Pauline
Marriage date: 16 May 1891
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 17 April 1919
Death place: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
In September 1865, Lars was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Christiania, Norway, by Ole Hansen. Three years later, he immigrated to America and settled in Ephraim, Sanpete County, Utah (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 184).
While residing in Ephraim, he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1878. He arrived in Copenhagen on 25 September 1878 and was assigned to labor in the Stockholm Conference. He labored as a traveling elder before being appointed president of that conference (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 235–36). Lars wrote from Uppsala on 19 February 1879:
In this branch within the last three and one-half months, our brethren have had fourteen notifications to appear before the Kyrkoråd (Church Council) for speaking in public. For non-appearance the first time, the fine was only 1 krona [27 cents]; hence, we think it best not to attend thus avoiding the warning and the fine is so small that it is never collected. For disregarding the second notification, the fine is 5 kronor and the person summoned is brought in by the police; hence we attend by compulsion and receive the warning but never promise to stop our labors as messengers of the truth. (Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 237).
On 2 January 1880, Lars wrote from Uppsala that “two local brethren had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel. One of them, although a cripple walking on crutches, had to suffer 10 days in jail. The other one had a family who suffered for the want of daily bread during his imprisonment but the officers paid no attention to that. The brethren were happy because they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ” (Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 242).
In spite of the persecutions, his letter dated 18 August 1881 is filled with optimism:
While the clergy have . . . shown us unnecessary attention, we have been liberally paid in the joy which we have experienced because of the many honest and upright people who have willingly listened to our testimony, . . . and many have embraced the truth and been thankful to the Lord for the opportunity. Thus 493 persons have been added to the Church by baptism of which number 95 have been baptized during the past three months. . . . Our financial condition is good, only a little money is outstanding and the conference has no debt. We have Relief Societies in the various branches where regular meetings are held bi-monthly, and in praise of the sisters I will say that much has been done to assist the poor, for which may the Lord bless them. (Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 258)
After serving in Scandinavia for nearly three years, Lars returned home on 29 August 1881 aboard the steamer Pacific. On the vessel, he was responsible for emigrating Latter-day Saints (see Lund, Scandinavian Jubilee Album, 184).
After returning to Utah, he resided in Price, Carbon County. He established the Emery County Mercantile Company and was later appointed the postmaster of Price. In February of 1905, he returned to Ephraim and was elected mayor of the city. Lars was appointed postmaster of Ephraim in 1915 and served in that capacity until he died in 1919 at age sixty-seven.
Ola Olson
(Ola Knutsson)
1842–1915
Residence: Millville, Cache Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 16 November 1886
Missionary labors: Skåne Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 17 October 1889
Departure ship: Cameo
Birth date: 10 December 1842
Birthplace: Hviderup, Skeglinge, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Olsson, Knut
Mother: Jönsdotter, Elna
Spouse: Jonsson (Jensson), Elna
Marriage date: 24 June 1866
Marriage place: aboard ship
Spouse: Nielsson (Jonsson), Elsa
Marriage date: 11 October 1878
Marriage place, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 9 May 1915
Death place: Millville, Cache Co., Utah
Burial place: Millville, Cache Co., Utah
When Ola was eighteen years old, he and his family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After his baptism, he served a local mission. Although most of his family immigrated to America in 1864, he stayed in Sweden to continue his mission. It was while performing missionary duties that he met Elna Jonsson, the woman he would later marry. They both left Sweden in May 1866. They were married aboard ship in June. It was not until September 1866 that the newlyweds arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. One month after their arrival, they settled in Millville, Cache County, where they joined Ola’s family (see Olson, “Ola Olson & Elna Jonsson Olson,” 1).
Ola is credited with serving three missions in Scandinavia after becoming a resident of Utah. The first began in October 1876. He labored as a traveling elder in the Skåne Conference until his departure on 24 June 1878 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 226–27, 232–33). On this mission, he was assigned to deliver one thousand crowns to the mission headquarters in Copenhagen for emigration purposes. To safeguard the money, he put it inside a book. Unfortunately, the money was stolen. Ola questioned two men about the theft, but they denied it. He then told them that if they did not confess they would never reach Utah. The money was returned, but each still denied taking it. On the journey to America, the culprits became ill and died (see “History of Ola Olson,” 1).
Ola’s second mission began on 16 November 1886 with his arrival in Copenhagen. He was again assigned to labor in the Skåne Conference. From 1887 to 1889, he served as president of that conference until his departure on 17 October 1889 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 299–300, 310, 483).
His served his third mission from 1898 to 1900. He was once again assigned to the Skåne Conference. He served as president of the conference from 1899 to 1900. Ola departed from Copenhagen for the last time on 23 July 1900 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 267–68, 369, 379, 483).
Returning to Utah, he served as a local tithing clerk. He served in that position for nearly twenty years. During these years, he also served as a high councilor and assistant recorder in the Logan Temple. He is remembered for helping build the Millville water system and purchasing the local gristmill. He was the first president of the Millville Town Board (see Millville Memories, A History of Millville, Utah from 1860–1990, 337). Ola died in 1915 in Millville at age seventy-two.
Ola Olson Jr.
(Olof Olesson)
1857–1909
Residence: Smithfield, Cache Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 29 October 1889
Missionary labors: Göteborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 20 August 1891
Departure ship: Guion Lines
Birth date: 25 December 1857
Birthplace: Östra Torp #6, Östra Torp, Malmöhus, Sweden
Father: Olsson, Ole, Sr.
Mother: Andersdotter, Hannah
Spouse: Toolson, Leah Priscilla
Marriage date: 18 November 1880
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 4 September 1909
Death place: Smithfield, Cache Co., Utah
Burial place: Smithfield, Cache Co., Utah
In 1866, Ola and his family immigrated to America. When they reached Utah, they settled in Box Elder County. Their first winter in the county, they lived in a chicken coop. The following summer, Ola herded sheep in the foothills. Four years later, he and his family moved to Smithfield, Cache County. In that small community, Ola helped his brother cut cordwood in the Cottonwood Canyon (see Olson, “Biography of Ola Olson, Jr.,” 244).
In 1889, he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 29 October 1889 and was assigned to labor in the Göteborg Conference. At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 20 August 1891 with the Guion Lines. Aboard the vessel, he was responsible for a company of Latter-day Saint emigrants (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 311, 313, 319).
Leonard, the son of Ola, recalls his father’s return from his mission:
Orson Heath carried the mail and took any passengers who wanted a ride. He brought father home. Father stood behind a tree that stood in front of the house. Orson went to the door and knocked and mother went to the door. He said here are Ole’s valises. He will come a little later. After father see [sic] the reaction he soon was in the house with a happy reunion. I was a little past 5 years old at that time and well remember it. (Olson, “Biography of Ola Olson, Jr.,” 247)
Leonard also reported that after this mission, Ola was “approached on several occasions” to serve in public office. He had no desire to do so. Still, he was “a willing worker, a kind husband and a good father and an honest citizen. He was respected by all who knew him. He was blessed with good, sound judgment. Always kept out of debt and bought only what he could pay for” (Olson, “Biography of Ola Olson, Jr.,” 245).
He supported his family by working as a farmer and logger. He held various callings in his local ward, including first assistant to the Sunday School superintendent for twenty years. He was also a school trustee and served on the tabernacle building committee. Leonard remembered him as “about six feet tall, weighed 200 pounds, dark brown hair and blue eyes and was very strong especially in the arms.” He died in 1909 in Smithfield at age fifty-one from a farming accident that occurred while he was hauling grain (see Olson, “Biography of Ola Olson, Jr.,” 245).
Olof Requel Olsson
(Olof Olofsson)
1859–1932
Residence: Oxford, Franklin Co., Idaho
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 21 March 1891
Missionary labors: Göteborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 9 June 1892
Departure ship: Volo
Birth date: 16 July 1859
Birthplace: Klockartop, Österåker, Södermanland, Sweden
Father: Pehrsson, Olof
Mother: Larsdotter, Kjerstin
Spouse: Olson, Betty Adelia
Marriage date: 7 April 1884
Marriage place: Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 22 December 1932
Death place: Oxford, Franklin Co., Idaho
Burial place: Oxford, Franklin Co., Idaho
Olof was raised on a family farm until he was old enough to be apprenticed to a shoemaker. He then lived with a shoemaker’s family in Vingåker. In this small community, he met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized on 11 May 1879. After his baptism, he took the missionaries to his parental home. His family was not interested in the Church at first. However, when police arrested his father for allowing missionaries to teach in his home, the family did express interest. In 1882, they joined the Church, and Olof served a local mission. In June of that year, the family began emigrating to Utah (see “Olof Requel Olson, Resident of Oxford, Idaho,” 1).
Two years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, Olof married Betty Adelia Olson and settled in Oxford, Franklin County, Idaho. There he built a home and established a shoemaking shop. He farmed during the day and made shoes at night. His boots were so well made that “men came from miles around to have him make boots for them” (“Olof Requel Olson, Resident of Oxford, Idaho,” 1).
In 1891, Olof accepted a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 21 March 1891 and was assigned to labor in the Göteborg Conference. He “presided over the Vingåker Branch until the fall conference of 1891. He was then sent to the Värstervik Branch and was released in June 1892 to proceed home on account of the severe illness of his wife” (Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 319–20, 322). Betty suffered from arthritis, and a fall that left her a cripple. Olof returned home to care for her (see correspondence from Dale G. Olson, 14 July 1999).
In addition to caring for his wife, he was “very interested in building up the community” of Oxford. He held stock in the Oxford Reservoir Company and served as a trustee of the school district for many years. He liked progress, as evidenced by his purchase of one of the first automobiles in Oxford. He also liked serving in the Church. He served in the YMMIA, as a stake missionary and a ward teacher. During this service, he owned three farms: eighty acres in Oxford, eighty acres north of town, and sixty acres “north on the divide, and 5 acres downtown Oxford where the home was” (“Olof Requel Olson and Britta Adelia Olson,” 1).
Unfortunately, like so many others during the Great Depression, he lost his farms when the bank foreclosed. As the years passed, he suffered from a stroke that affected his speech. After a second stroke, he was confined to bed and died from a cerebral hemorrhage in December 1932 at age seventy-three (see “Olof Requel Olson, Resident of Oxford, Idaho,” 2).
Jonas Ostlund
(Jonas Jönsson)
1850–1926
Residence: Elsinore, Sevier Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 8 November 1887
Missionary labors: Stockholm Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 7 August 1890
Birth date: 19 March 1850
Birthplace: Hängsta, Torp, Västernorrland, Sweden
Father: Ostlund, Jöns Larsson
Mother: Elofsdotter, Anna Brita
Spouse: Anstrom, Brita (Bertha) Christina
Marriage date: 4 December 1870
Marriage place: Albert Lea, Freeborn Co., Minnesota
Death date: 8 April 1926
Death place: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Burial place: Stirling, Alberta, Canada
According to their biographer, in 1874, Jonas and Brita Ostlund heard the message of Latter-day Saint missionaries in Sweden. They were baptized in Sweden before immigrating to America with their five children. They settled in Elsinore, Sevier County, Utah, where Jonas owned and operated a mercantile store (see Babb, “The Jonas and Bertha Ostlund Family,” 1; Stirling–Its Story and People, 1899–1980, 456–57).
While in that community, he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1887. He arrived in Copenhagen on 8 November 1887 and was assigned to labor in the Stockholm Conference. At the close of this mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 7 August 1890 in charge of 107 emigrating Latter-day Saints and four returning missionaries (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 304, 315, 465).
In 1901, Jonas moved his family to Stirling, Alberta, Canada, where he is remembered as “a successful farmer [who] enjoyed growing flowers and various types of berries.” He is also remembered for his service as chairman of the town council of Stirling from 1907 to 1910 (see Babb, “The Jonas and Bertha Ostlund Family,” 1; Stirling—Its Story and People, 1899–1980, 456).
In 1919, he returned to Copenhagen to serve a second mission. He arrived on 5 June 1919 in the port city and was assigned to be president of the Sundsvall Conference (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 486). Jonas died in 1926 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, at age seventy-six.
James Ottesen
1857–96
Residence: Ephraim, Conejos Co., Colorado
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 14 June 1887
Missionary labors: Ålborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 29 September 1887
Departure ship: Bravo
Birth date: 18 January 1857
Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Father: Ottesen, Jens Christian
Mother: Christensen, Elice Hurst
Spouse: Heiselt, Annie
Marriage date: 29 December 1877
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Death date: 14 August 1896
Death place: Sanford, Conejos Co., Colorado
Burial place: Sanford, Conejos Co., Colorado
James moved his family to the San Luis Valley in Colorado, when his father-in-law was called by Brigham Young to settle in that area. The climate in the valley proved harsh and led directly to the deaths of his two daughters, who died a year after their move (see correspondence from Joyce Valentine).
In 1887, James accepted a mission call to Scandinavia leaving his wife with three small children in Colorado. He arrived in Copenhagen on 14 June 1887 and was assigned to labor in the Ålborg Conference. On this mission, he became ill. He was released to depart from Copenhagen aboard the steamer Bravo on 29 September 1887 (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 303–4).
James never fully recovered from the illness. A local doctor prescribed the remedy of a teaspoon of sand each day, which “probably hastened his death.” His last child was born seven months after he died in 1896 at age thirty-nine (see correspondence from Joyce Valentine).
Lars Henry Outzen
(Laust Heinrich Outzen)
1855–1920
Residence: Richfield, Sevier Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 12 September 1882
Missionary labors: Ålborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 9 June 1884
Departure ship: Milo
Birth date: 6 July 1855
Birthplace: St. Morten-Randers, Randers, Denmark
Father: Outzen, Jens Christian Falk
Mother: Albeck, Martha Marie Christensen
Spouse: Ramlose, Wilhelmina Ramiase
Marriage date: 25 March 1874
Death date: 15 September 1920
Death place: St. Louis, St. Louis Co., Missouri
Burial place: Richfield, Sevier Co., Utah
In 1863, Lars was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his parental family emigrated from Denmark in July 1870. They traveled by ship to Hull, England. From Hull they rode a train to Liverpool where they boarded the steamer Minnesota and crossed the Atlantic Ocean. After arriving in New York Harbor, they traveled by train to Utah (see Flake, Portrait, Genealogical and Biographical Record of the State of Utah, 360–61).
Lars and his family settled in Parowan, Iron County, before moving in 1873 to Richfield, Sevier County. In that community, he worked as a farmer, a lumberman, and hotel owner for eleven years, gaining an “enviable reputation.” He also had an interest in a store and the Annie Laurie mine. His stock in the mine proved valuable. From selling shares in the mine, he acquired real estate and became one of the area’s wealthiest men (see Flake, Portrait, Genealogical and Biographical Record of the State of Utah, 360–61).
In 1882, he left his wealth to accept a mission call to Scandinavia. He arrived in Copenhagen on 12 September 1882 and was assigned to labor in the Ålborg Conference. At the close of an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 9 June 1884 aboard the steamer Milo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 267–68, 279).
Returning to Richfield, he was elected mayor of the community in 1900. He served for two terms as mayor and for ten years on the city council. His portrait is still displayed in the Richfield City Hall (see Flake, Portrait, Genealogical and Biographical Record of the State of Utah, 360–61). He died in 1920 in St. Louis, Missouri, at age sixty-five.
Lars Peter Ovesen
(Lars Peter Jensen)
1852–1943
Residence: Ephraim, Sanpete Co., Utah
Arrival date in Copenhagen: 6 November 1882
Missionary labors: Ålborg Conference
Departure date from Copenhagen: 25 August 1884
Departure ship: Panther
Birth date: 25 October 1852
Birthplace: Steenbroen, Tårs, Hjørring, Denmark
Father: Ovesen, Jens Andreas
Mother: Pedersdatter, Kirsten Marie
Spouse: Otterstrom, Louisa
Marriage date: 18 May 1874
Marriage place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah
Spouse: Christensen, Isabell
Death date: 6 January 1943
Death place: Manti, Sanpete Co., Utah
Burial place: Castle Dale, Emery Co., Utah
On 10 December 1861, Lars was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Jens C. Frost. He emigrated from Denmark in 1863 to America. He resided in Ephraim, Sanpete County, from 1863 to 1886. In Ephraim he served guard duty during the Black Hawk War (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 2:93).
He accepted a mission call to Scandinavia in 1882. He arrived in Copenhagen on 6 November 1882 and was assigned to labor in the Ålborg Conference. After completing an honorable mission, he departed from Copenhagen on 25 August 1884 aboard the steamer Panther (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 267–68, 279).
Returning to Utah, he settled in Huntington, Emery County, from 1886 to 1890. There he served as a president of the Eighty-first Quorum of the Seventy. Then, in 1890, he accepted a settling mission call to Cleveland, Emery County. In that small community, he was ordained a high priest and a bishop on 12 August 1890. He served as bishop of the Cleveland Ward in Emery County (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 2:93).
Lars served as a selectman of Emery County from 1893 to 1894. In 1896, he was elected to the Utah State House of Representatives. He was a carpenter by trade as well as a farmer and stock raiser (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 2:93). He died in 1943 in Manti, Sanpete County, at age ninety.