Lars Julius Larsen

Lars Julius Larsen is the youngest of six children born to Peder Larsen and Ane Kirstine Nielsdatter, both from Denmark. The family immigrated to America with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After arriving in America, they joined the James Willie Handcart Company to journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Lars was born just before they were scheduled to leave on July 15, 1856.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera, a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water, infected many of the travelers. Furthermore, the handcart company departed late in the season, putting them in the path of snowstorms and frigid temperatures. When the Saints were in Wyoming, food rations were cut and snowstorms delayed their travel. It was under these conditions that 3-month-old Lars passed away and is buried by the banks of the Sweetwater in Wyoming.

From the Willie Company Journal: “A great many are sick. Our teams are also failing fast, and it requires great exertion to make any progress. Our rations were reduced last night, one quarter, bringing the men to ten ounces and the women to nine ounces. Some of the children were reduced to six and others to three ounces each.”

From another company journal: “Lars Julius Larsen, who was born July 5th, 1856 in camp at Iowa City died. The camp rolled on, roads hilly & sandy, nooned after travelling about 5 miles; rolled on & camped on the banks of the Sweetwater. Many of our company are failing in health.”