Morten's Story
Birth: January 27th, 1854 | male | in Ålborg, Vor Frue, Århus, Århus, Denmark
Death: June 18th, 1855 | 1 year old | at the South Fork of the Platte River in Nebraska
Memorial: Stone 5 | left column
Morten Poulsen was born to Morten Poulsen and Maria Nielsdatter Thomasen, both of Denmark. Morten's father passed away in Denmark in 1853. Maria and their two children, Caroline and Morten, immigrated from Denmark to America. While crossing the ocean, Morten became ill. After they arrived in America, the family and other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined the Jacob F. Secrist / Noah T. Guymon Company June 1855. As they traveled west toward The Great Salt Lake Valley, 6-month-old Morten’s health continued to worsen. Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers.
In Maria's history, it was thought that the hardness of the journey over the ocean and over the plains was the cause of Morten’s death. He is buried near the Platte River in Nebraska.