Niels Jacob Hansen

Niels Jacob Hansen is the sone of Hans Jørgen Pedersen and his mother is Ane Kirstine Larsen, both from Denmark. Before the family left Denmark, Hans passed away. Ane and her five children immigrated to America on the ship “Cavor.” Upon arriving in America, the family traveled to Nebraska where they joined the Abner Lowry Company. Along with other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the company left Nebraska on August 13, 1866 bound for the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, prematurity, and weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Company journals recorded that cholera (a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water) infected the camp and took the lives of many Saints. It is likely that 9-year-old Niels was among the victims of this dreaded disease. He passed away, only six days after beginning the journey west and is buried on the plains of Nebraska along the Mormon Trail.