My Swedish Great-great Grandparents: John A. Larson and Hilda Ostlund
This is part of a series of stories about my Swedish-American ancestors. A century before I was born, they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and left their homeland for the American West.
John’s Early Life
My great-great grandfather was born Johan Larsson on October 8, 1854, in the village of Brödda, Slimminge Parish, Malmöhus County, Sweden to Lars Andersson and Elna Jöransdotter. He was christened in the Lutheran church in Slimminge on October 15, 1854.
Johan joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on November 19, 1876. He was baptized by Nils Bengtson.
Johan left Slimminge to emigrate to America on June 1, 1877. He made his way with other Scandinavian Latter-day Saints to Liverpool, England and from there departed (with a group of even more European converts) aboard the steamship Wisconsin on June 27, 1877. The party arrived in New York City on July 7 and then journeyed by train to Utah. They arrived in Salt Lake City on July 14, 1877.
After he arrived to the United States, Johan Larsson came to be known by his anglicized name of John A. Larson.
Hilda’s Early Life
My great-great grandmother was born Hedda Hilda Helena Östlund on September 27, 1855, in Lund, Sweden. She was christened on September 30. Her parents were Eric Östlund and Hannah Olasdotter Danielsson. Although she was born in Lund, Hilda’s family lived in Karlshamn, Blekinge County at the time of her birth. Her father was a master rope maker there.
Hilda was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 16, 1870. After converting to Mormonism the Östlunds faced persecution and in 1869, moved from Karlshamn to the city of Karlskrona (also located in Blekinge County).
Hilda left Europe for the United States when she departed Liverpool with her mother, younger sister Anna and other Mormon converts aboard the steamship Wyoming on September 2, 1874. The ship arrived in New York City on September 14, 1874. The party arrived by train in Salt Lake City on September 23. The Ostlunds (as their name was anglicized) made their home in Sandy, Utah. They were among the first settlers of that town.
John and Hilda’s Marriage and Family
John A. Larson and Hilda Ostlund were married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on January 1, 1880. They made their home in Sandy, Utah, and John was a farmer by occupation.
The couple had eight children:
John Henry Larson (born March 24, 1881, in Sandy, Utah — died April 12, 1937 in Beaver Mines, Alberta, Canada) married Mary Jane “Jennie” Semple. They obtained their marriage license on October 9, 1916, in Brigham City, Utah. John Henry died of heart failure while working on his property in the Canadian Rockies. He’s buried in Glenwood, Alberta, Canada.
Hilda Florence Larson (born January 20, 1883, in Millcreek, Utah — died December 1, 1943, in Ogden, Utah) married Charles Alphonso Watkins on May 6, 1908, in Salt Lake City. They made their home in Brigham City, Utah and later Ogden, Utah. She’s buried in Brigham City.
George Walter Larson (born June 5, 1884, in Sandy, Utah — died March 4, 1945, in Idaho Falls, Idaho) married Laura May Bateman on August 1, 1906, in Salt Lake City. They lived in Basalt, Idaho, where George farmed and worked as a mail carrier. He’s buried in Shelley, Idaho.
Joseph Hyrum Larson (born June 27, 1886, in Sandy, Utah — died July 1, 1895, in Murray, Utah) drowned at the age of 9 while catching tadpoles in a pond at the Hanauer Smelter where his father was employed. He’s buried in Sandy, Utah.
Carl Oscar Larson (born May 7, 1888, in Sandy, Utah — died December 12, 1888, in Sandy, Utah) died as an infant at the age of 7 months. He’s buried in Sandy, Utah.
My great grandfather Valdemar Johann Larson (born August 13, 1890, in Murray, Utah — died December 5, 1924, in Rich, Idaho) married Almina Elizabeth Wight on November 12, 1913, in Salt Lake City. Valdemar died at the age of 34 from a heart attack while delivering mail in Rich, Idaho. He left behind five kids and a pregnant wife. He’s buried in Sandy, Utah.
Angus Ostlund Larson (born December 27, 1893, in Sandy, Utah — died September 24, 1894, in Murray, Utah) died as an infant just short of 9-months old. He’s buried in Sandy, Utah.
Nephi Moroni Larson (born December 19, 1895, in Murray, Utah — died June 23, 1967, in Sandy, Utah) married Eliza Pearl Mattson (known by her middle name, Pearl) June 11, 1919, in Salt Lake City. He served in the Eastern States Mission starting in 1915. He worked as an accountant for Utah Power and Light. He’s buried in Sandy, Utah.
Upon the founding of the Jordan Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 1900, in Sandy, John was made a high counselor. Hilda was called to serve in the stake Relief Society.
Sometime around 1905, John lived in Taber, Alberta, Canada for a few years. There he filed for a homestead. According to information from the 1910 U.S. Census, Hilda remained in Utah. By 1916, John returned home to Sandy.
John and Hilda celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1930. Four years later, Hilda died in Sandy on April 30, 1934. She was buried in the Sandy City Cemetery. On March 2, 1935, a year after the death of his wife, John died at home at the age of 80. On March 5, he was buried next to Hilda.
Note: For a list of genealogical sources about John A. Larson and Hilda Ostlund click here.
