Israel Israelsen

Israel Israelsen is the fourth of 12 children born to Tellef John Israelsen and Maren Dorthea Marcusdatter, both of Norway. The family immigrated to America and traveled to Nebraska where they joined the Soren Christoffersen Freight Train. It was their desire to cross the plains to the Great Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. The Company was a week from entering the Salt Lake Valley, when going over the Rocky Mountains, 2-year-old Israel became ill. He passed away as they approach Emigration Canyon and buried along the roadside of the Mormon Trail.

Before leaving Norway, Tellef had a dream that his family would all be safe and arrive in Utah except one. “That he had arrived in Zion and was gathering up his family and found all but one."