Neeltje Olivier

Neeltje Olivier is the fifth of 12 children born to Olievier and Neeltje van Leuven, both of the Netherlands. The Olivier family immigrated from Holland to America by sailing on the ship “Hudson.” When they arrived in America, they traveled to Nebraska and joined an “unknown company” to journey west to the Salt Lake Valley with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (According to a history of one of the parents, it mentioned they traveled west with the William Hyde Company.)

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Shortly after beginning their trek, 1-year-old Neeltje became ill and passed away of undocumented causes. She is buried in Nebraska, on the Mormon Trail.