Tilbake | Søkefunksjon | Nettstedskart / innhold

Olena Hansdatter

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Olena Hansdatter was born 4 May 1816, in the village of Strømsø, Norway across the river from Drammen. The year 1816 was called the “Year without a Summer” or the “Poverty Year.” The entire earth was put into turmoil and starvation because of a volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia. Crops failed all over the world. Europe was no exception and there was a lot of hunger.
Olena’s father Hans Gundersen, was a "høker", a shopkeeper/salesman. He was married to Dorthea Larsdatter. They had 10 children with the last born in 1815. Only one child of the ten from their union lived past infanthood. Hans hired 38 year old Anna Olsdatter for his shop. They had Olena out of wedlock. She would have been one of Hans's only living posterity. On Olena's baptismal record it stated, "tjente hos Høker Hans Gundersen Pigen" Hans Gundersen young unmarried girl" This meant her mother was a young unmarried girl (pigen) who worked (tjente) for the shopkeeper/salesman (høker). Anna could have been a widow.
Olena was a servant before getting married on 10 December 1841 in Bragernes. She was 25 and Torger was 21. Torger, her husband described her as "very beautiful and as being fair as a lily with cheeks like a rose."
They had 10 children including a set of twins & 2 other children that were not given names before they died. Soon after their 5th child (Edward) was born, the famous LDS missionary, Canute Petersen, taught them in 1853 in Christiania. The Gundersens were among the 1st to hear the message. When Olena heard the Gospel, she testified that she knew at once that it was the truth.
On a Tuesday, July 26, 1853 her and her husband Torger courageously registered with the priest and put their name on the dissenter list dissenting from the Lutheran church as the law required. They were 9th and 10th on the list in Fredrikstad, Norway. This put them in danger of severe persecutions. Even though the Norwegian Constitution gave religious freedom, the Norwegian Supreme Court in November 1853 declared Mormons to be non-Christians. Therefore, they could be legally persecuted and jailed. The government, priests, and police gathered names of people who were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They kept a record of these people in the archives and police in Oslo.
Even with the persecution, they were baptized 2 Aug 1853 by Karl Windeborg. Torger felt sure that it was right but had a bad habit of profanity and told the Elders that he felt he was a wicked man and not worthy to join the Church. The Elders promised him that if he would be baptized that the desire to swear should be taken away from him. He was baptized in the river Glomma. He testified that as he came up out of the water saw an angel standing on the bank of the river. This angel placed his hands on his head & stroked him from head to foot. He never swore again.
In Norway young men were drafted into the army. Antone, the 2nd son, was going to be taken. He hated army life so he ran away & went to sea. This was a deep sorrow to his parents. His mother suffered greatly for the rest of her life. Even after she came to Utah she was often heard to say. “Ohen er Antone?” (Where is Antone?)
In 1866 they sold & gave away their property. Getting to Zion was the most important thing in their lives. After 6 weeks on the ocean they landed in Quebec on the Saint Lawrence & traveled to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. They worked there for a time to get money to get to Zion. They started early in the summer & arrived in Salt Lake City September 25, 1868 in the last wagon train of the church.. The Transcontinental Railroad was connected that next spring, May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah and new immigrants came by train. After arriving in Utah, they suffered many hardships and hunger. Olena tells how there was no sugar to sweeten the dried fruit they had purchased. They thickened it with a little flour and water.
Thomas (Torger) became a polygamous & had 6 children with his other wife, Maren. Olena was not so well pleased & never divorced him but decided to live with her son Thomas the rest of her life. They always remained good friends. He visited her every day. It was common sight to see him walking down the road slighted stooped over with his hands clasped behind his back. Olena lived to age 84. Both remained faithful Latter Day Saints to the end of their days.