Lars Peter Larsen

Lars Peter Larsen is the oldest of eight children born to Christian Larsen Thorpe and Anna Marie Madsdatter, both from Denmark. In 1863, the Larsen family immigrated from Denmark to America by sailing on the ship, “Bellewood.”

After arriving in America, the family traveled to Nebraska where they joined the John F. Sanders Company with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On July 6, 1863, the Company left Nebraska bound for the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Somewhere along the trail, 8-year-old Lars Peter Larsen died from undocumented causes. He is buried along the Mormon Trail.