Niels Peter Pedersen

Niels is the oldest of six children born to Peder Pedersen and Mette Marie Andersdatter, both of Denmark.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Pedersen family immigrated to America sailing on the ship “William Tapscott.” After arriving in America, they traveled west to Nebraska where they joined the William Budge Company. On July 20, 1860, they and other Saints began their journey west to the Great Salt Lake Valley.

Exhaustive travel conditions, disease, injury, lack of food and medicine, premature birth, and extreme weather were some of the greatest threats to pioneers. Cholera, a bacterial disease caused from contaminated water, infected many of the travelers. While still in Nebraska, 6-year-old Niels passed away from undocumented causes. He is buried along the Mormon Trail.

From the journal of Niels C. Christensen: “Saturday, Aug. 18. We resumed our journey at 6:30 a.m. and traveled over good roads, though a little sandy in places. We crossed five small creeks with clear water, stopped to noon from 12 to 2 p.m., after which we assended the worst hill that we so far had encountered on our journey. After making our encampment for the night. A child belonging to Peter Peterson from Aalborg conference died in the afternoon.”