Lauritz's Story
Birth: September 14th, 1858 | male | in Denmark
Death: September 7th, 1859 | Infant | in Emigration Canyon, Utah
Memorial: Stone 9 | center column | 6th name
Lauritz’s parents are Niels Peter Larsen and Karen Kirstine Svendsen both of Denmark. Lauritz was the second of 9 children.
After coming to America from Denmark, they joined the Robert F. Neslen Company to travel to Utah.
When the company was in Wyoming, little Lauritz passed away. Almost 1 year old Lauritz is buried in Emigration Canyon.
In Karen’s history it says:
“On the trek to Utah her infant son Lauritz died. She could not part with the child or bear to leave him on the open plane so she carried his dead body for two days. Finally she was forced to bury him over 100 miles from their destination.”
In Lars Christian Pedersen journal of the journey, he says:
“On the evening of the 7th as we were camping on the “Big Moore” [Lauritz Larsen] a child, 1 year old, of N[iels]. P[eter]. Larsens died and next morning elder P[eder]. A[ndersen]. Fjelsted died after a long illness both being buried in the same grave on the 8th of September, after which we started for Great Salt Lake Valley where we arrived on the 15th [September] 1859 at 6 o’clock P.M. and camped on the [“]Union Square” that night.”
In Johanne Mariah Petersen journal, she writes:
“Several in this company died on the road, among them was P[eder]. A[ndersen]. Fjeldstad and a baby
belonging to N[iels]. P[eter]. Larsen, the elder from Pleasant Grove was who baptized me into the Church. These two were buried in the same grave."