John Larson was born 15 October 1831 in Landenes, Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway. The Larson family came to the United States in 1836 on board the Den Norsk Klippe. The family immigrated under the farm name of Sandenaes. At the time of immigration Lars Sr was 41, Martha was 38, Lars Jr was 11, Tosten (Thurston) was 8, and Johannes (John) was 4 years and 6 months old. The family left Stavanger and sailed to New York City. Traveling with them were Martha's parents both aged 67 years at the time of arrival in NY. The destination for the family was thought to be Illinois in or near La Salle County where a Norweigian colony was organized. Martha's parents were Tosten Johannesen and Birgette Jacobsen. You will find the above information in a copy New World Immigrants Volume II. The article in the book that talks about this ship is called Four Immigrant Shiploads of 1836 and 1837.

Sometime before March of 1840 the family was in Whelby Or Scotland County, Missouri where his youngest brother, Thomas, was born. Two years later they moved to Ambrosia (Sugar Creek), Lee, Iowa Territory to live. John's father died sometime in 1842.

Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints baptized Lars and his mother on January 23, 1843. Thurston was baptized 12 February 1843 and John on November 8, 1843. Little Thomas was too young and had died in March of 1843.

Martha and her sons journeyed to Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois and met the Prophet Joseph Smith and soon moved there to be with the Saints. Soon after this meeting, the Prophet was martyred and the family was present when Brigham Young was transfigured and appeared as Joseph. Some saw the transfiguration, some heard Joseph's voice and some neither saw nor heard. Because of the religious persecution they were forced to flee from Illinois back to Iowa Territory. They camped first at Sugar Creek where Martha died in January 1846. Then the brothers moved from one small Mormon encampment to another across the Territory. The brothers were witness to the Miracle of the Quails. This took place in the Fall of 1846 on the Iowa side of the Mississippi.

Lars lived in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa for sometime. He married Mary Adelphia Hopper Bellows there and his first child, Martha Ann was born there 12 Sep 1849. John made his home with Lars. Lars served a mission to the Ponca Indians in northern Nebraska and Dakota with W.C. Stames in 1846.  He took his family and his brother, John, to Utah in 1850. He was in Salt Lake City in 1850 and later moved to Mill Creek and then to St. George Utah where he remained the rest of his life.

In Council Bluffs Iowa John's brother Thurston joined the Mormon Battalion. Even though Thurston was only 17 they gave him permission to join three months before his 18th birthday. Thurston marched with the Battalion to Santa Fe, New Mexico in Company C, ( the same unit as my great grandfather Joseph Shipley), where he was detached with the sick to Fort Pueblo. After wintering at the fort he migrated with the rest of that company to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving on 29 July 1847. See Thurston's Story here.

Amelia Weight was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, 07 November 1833, to James Weight and Ann FOWKES (FOUKES). The first place I found the family in America is on the 12th of June 1854 when her father died at Quarantine Island, St. Louis, Missouri. There were many that died of Cholera during their voyage and I assume he died of same.  

Amelia and her family came to America, after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The parents were baptized in 1848 as well as  Althahah and James. Alfred never joined the church. Frederick and Amelia joined in 1850. I am not sure when Martin was baptized.

The family traveled to America on the ship MARSHFIELD. The Marshfield was under the command of Captain Joseph H. Torrey. The Yankee ship Marshfield sailed from Liverpool on 8 April 1854 bound for America. Aboard were 366 Latter-day Saints in the charge of Elder William Taylor. Some of the emigrants came from the island of Jersey. During the fifty-one-day voyage there were two births, one death, and one marriage. A number of sailors professed conversion and were baptized, but some did so in the hope of easier access to the Mormon women. On 29 May the emigrants landed at New Orleans, Louisiana.

The members of Amelia's family onboard were:

WEIGHT, James, (father), <1789> Gender: M Age:65 Origin: Reading Occ: Engine Fitter.

WEIGHT, Ann, (mother), <1792> Gender: F Age:62 Origin: Reading

WEIGHT, Esther, (James Jr.’s wife) <1825> Gender: F Age: 29 Origin: Bristol

WEIGHT, Martin, (brother) <1831> Gender: M Age: 23 Origin: Bristol Occ: Engine Fitter

WEIGHT, Eliza F., (Martin’s wife), <1832> Gender: F Age: 22 Origin: Reading

WEIGHT, Amelia, (self), <1834> Gender: F Age: 20 Origin: Reading

WEIGHT, Ellen, (Esther and James Jr. child), <1849> Gender: F Age: 5 Origin: Bristol

WEIGHT, Alfred. (Esther and James Jr. child), <1851> Gender: M Age: 3 Origin: Bristol

Another sister Althahah didn't immigrate until March 26, 1857. The ship was the George Washington and she sailed with her husband Richard Gilbert and a James Gilbert. I don’t know the relationship, if any, of James to Althahah and Richard.

Amelia’s brother Alfred never came to America. He lived his life out in Reading, Berkshire, England.

Amelia's  brother Frederick Weight and his wife Charlotte Burgum sailed on the ship North Atlantic leaving England on the 3rd day of September 1849 and arriving at New Orleans Louisiana in November 1849

John and Amelia were married 08 October 1855 in Salt Lake City Utah. They were endowed and sealed 16 May 1856 in the Endowment House. Extraction from The Deseret News lists the marriage as, "Married, Salt Lake City, 29 Oct 1855, John LARSON and Amelia WEIGHT. 07 Nov 1855 FHL US/CAN Film 0026587, item 3 ." The actual record from the newspaper says, "In this city Oct 29, by Bishop John Lytle, Mr. John Larson and Miss Amelia Weight, of this city." The year was 1855 and listed under marriages.

At the October conference of 1861 they were called to move and help settle Dixie, by President Brigham Young. They arrived in St. George Utah January 1, 1862. The lot given them was the one where Ephraim Foremaster lived later. They lived there several years then bought the lot East of the Court House where they lived as long as they stayed there.

In 1866 John, with George Fawcett, Jap Bird and Al Elmer went to Fort Laramie to meet and help some immigrants who were coming to Utah. It took three months to make the round trip.

John's occupation was that of farmer, road supervisor and butcher. At the time there was no butcher shop in St. George so the Government gave him a permit to kill the wild cattle at Diamond Valley. After skinning the cattle he would take the hides and tan them to make quirts, hackneer, ropes and many other things.

They endured all the hardships of the pioneering of Dixie. Their bread was made of cane seed as the cost of one hundred pounds of flour was a good cow and calf or $25.00 in money. Alfalfa and pig_weed greens were eaten also. They had to cover their live coals at night or borrow some from neighbors to start their fires each morning. They also borrowed their neighbor's grease_rag when baking day came. At one time John took his one large red rooster to Pymn's store to trade it. He received one pound of sugar in exchange for the rooster.

In 1871 John took the contract to build the railroad from Lehi to Sandy. While working at Draper in the month of August 6, 1871 he died.

Amelia was very talented as a singer and organist and was a member of the Tabernacle Choir, (I have not verified this yet). She died at the age of 83 in Murray Utah September 2, 1918. At the time of her death they had forty two grandchildren and sixty-five great grandchildren.

Her Granddaughter Amelia Malloy Holst Petersen had this to say about her. "Childhood memories were very pleasant ones. My Grandmother Amelia Weight Larson George came across the plains. She was nineteen years old. She joined the L.D.S. church in London, England. She was very talented in music, spent many happy days with all of us children, told us very interesting stories of her experiences. One pleasant memory was when she hitched the horse to the surrey and would take us all to the Lagoon. We never tired of hearing her tell of the many blessings she’d enjoyed after settling in Salt Lake City, Utah. She told us many times that the L.D.S. Religion was true. She did much Temple work, and was a very wonderful person."

From Frederick and his wife's histories I find that she did do much temple work, played the organ for her church unit for many years and spent time singing in choirs and with her brother's band. Also in Frederick's history he tells of traveling from one church to another playing and singing with his brothers and sisters all day Sunday. They also played other places together. You can read parts of Frederick's history here.

My Sister Clare Ann said she was told Amelia had calluses on her feet from her walking across the plains until her death.

Clipping from newspaper name of unknown:

Death of Utah Pioneer

The death of Mrs. Amelia (Weight) Larsen George occurred Monday morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. E. L. Scott, 81 Fifth Avenue, Murray.
Mrs. George was in her eight-fifth year, being born in Bristol, England, Nov. 7, 1833, and came to Utah in 1851, walking most of the way across the plains with the Martin company.
In 1855 she married John Larsen and settled in Murray. They moved to Dixie in 1862., where they endured many hardships. While there Mr. Larsen died, leaving her a widow with seven children. In 1875, she married John George.
Mrs. George was a faithful Latter-day Saint, having joined the church in her childhood. She was the mother of eight children six of whom survive. They are Mrs. H.S. Cahoon of Deseret, Utah; Mrs. Charlotte Birch of Murray; Mrs. E.L. Scott of Murray; James A. Larsen of Marion, Idaho; Martin Larsen of St. George, Utah and Heber Larsen of Nevada.
Impressive funeral services were held Thursday at 1:00 from the Murray First Ward Chapel. Chilion L. Miller, an old time friend and neighbor paid the highest respect to the deceased and spoke of her sterling qualities. Bishop D.B. Brinton also spoke. The singing was furnished by Mrs. Ada Mc Donald, Miss Russell and W. F. Robinson. The pallbearers were James A. Larsen; Martin Larsen; John Malloy; Owen Larsen; Thomas Birch; Carl Hammond; The floral tributes were numerous and beautiful. The internment took place in the Salt Lake City Cemetery undertaker George Jenkins in charge.

Descendants of John and Amelia Weight Larson

First Generation

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1. Amelia Weight was born on 7 Nov 1833 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. She died on 2 Sep 1918 in Murray, Salt Lake, Utah. She was buried in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. She was sealed to her parents on 19 Jun 1895 in the Salt Lake temple. She was baptized 21Feb 1849. She was endowed on 16 May 1856.

 

Amelia married (1) John Larson son of Lars Larsen and Marthe TOSTENSEN on 8 Oct 1855 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. They were sealed on 16 May 1856 in the Endowment House. John was born on 15 Oct 1831 in Landenes, Avaldsnes, Rogaland, Norway. He died on 6 Aug 1871 in Murray, Salt Lake, Utah. He was buried in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. He was sealed to his parents on 16 Jul 1931 in the Logan Utah temple. He was baptized on 8 Nov 1843. He was endowed on 16 May 1856.

 

John and Amelia had the following children:

+	2	F	i	Amelia Ann Larson was born on 3 Aug 1856 in Big Cottonwood-M, Salt Lake, Utah. She died on 26 Dec 1929 in Deseret, Millard, Utah.  She was buried 29 Dec 1929 in Oasis, Millard, Utah. She married Hyrum Spencer CAHOON.
+	3	M	ii	John Martin Larson was born on 18 Feb 1857 in Murray, Salt Lake, Utah.  He died on 6 Jul 1937 in St. George, Washington, Utah. He was buried there also on  8 Jul 1937. He married Isadore ANDRUS
+	4	M	iii	James Alfred Larson was born on 3 Feb 1860 Mill Creek Ward, Salt Lake, Utah. He died on 9 Nov 1943 in St. George, Washington, Utah. He was buried 12 Nov 1943 in Logan, Cache, Utah. He married Judith Marilla Larson.
	5	M	iv	William Thomas Larson was born on 1 Dec 1861 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. He died on 3 Mar 1906. William married Rosetta Margaret Morgan
+	6	F	v	Charlotte Athelia Larson was born on 28 Apr 1864 in St. George, Washington, Utah. She died on 20 Jun 1939 in Murray, Salt Lake, Utah. She married Walter Edgar MALLOY and Thomas Robinson Birch
+	7	F	vi	Esther Louise Larson was born on 22 May 1867 in St. George, Washington, Utah. She died on 4 May 1943 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah. She married George Scott.
	8	M	vii	Heber John Larson was born on 22 Jun 1869 in St. George, Washington, Utah. He died on 14 Mar 1932. I have no record of a marriage.

Amelia married (2) John George in 1875. John was born about 1819.

 

John George and Amelia had the following child:

9

F

viii

Cecelia George was born on 19 Feb 1876 in Murray, Salt Lake, UT. She died on 15 Oct 1883 in Murray, Salt Lake, UT.