Life Sketch of Matilda F. Larsen by Marilyn Schneider

Life Sketch of Matilda F. Larsen

originally hand written by Marilyn Schneider (granddaughter in law)

Pauline Emile Matilda Frederiksen was born April 23, 1872 in Sindal, Denmark, a daughter of Christian Frederiksen and Flora Spaanheden.  Her father served in the Danish Army and passed away while she was a baby.  Her mother married again and to this union was born a sister May (a half sister.  Their mother  was left a widow again and had to work hard to support her two little girls and had to hire someone to take care of them.   Matilda stayed with her grandmother until she was eight years old and her grandmother died.  She was then sent to live with the Peter Eriksen family where her sister May had been living since she was 6 months old. 

Matilda worked hard as a young girl, often walking 10 miles to hoe weeds and pick berries.  She attended school in Bagterp and Hjorring and was warned often by the people she was living with to avoid "those awful Mormons" and "never to go to Utah".  Nevertheless, she was very much impressed with the singing of the Mormon missionaries who were holding meetings near their home.  She wondered how such beautiful hymns and singing  could come from bad people. 

She asked her mother's permission to be baptized and to go to Utah with the missionaries.  Her mother wanted her to have a good place to live, and to be brought up in a Christian home, so she consented.  A baptismal service was held at night, so that no one would see it--to avoid persecution--in the Park which had a beautiful lake with swans swimming in it.  This was May 18, 1885 at Hjorring, Denmark.  She was baptized by MM Jenson and confirmed by C. Knudsen.

One morning shortly after her baptism as she was walking along a lonely country road, she found a $20 gold coin.  There was no purse or any way to identify the owner and no one claimed it.  This made a very deep impression on her, because it looked as though the money was put there to help her prepare to immigrate to Utah.

On June 13, 1885 Matilda, age 13 and her sister May age 11,left their mother, relatives and friends, and their native Denmark, and along with some missionaries who had been released to go home and some other converts, sailed from Hjorring, Denmark for the United States.  May arrived at Ogden Utah on July 8, 1885 and went directly to Bishop Jensen's home in Mantua, Utah.

Matilda lived with the Jensen family where she worked hard to pay for her immigration to Utah for 5 years.  She was under very strict supervision in this home, where she milked cows, fed the pigs and calves, chopped wood, carried water from the spring to the house, cooked the meals, washed the dishes and helped make clothing from wool.

She attended school in Denmark for 5 years and now went through the grades in Mantua as far as it was possible to go

For recreation she was allowed to attend a dance and to go sleigh-riding occasionally and always enjoy the 4th of July and 24th of July celebrations.  But the most enjoyment came from attending and taking part in Sunday School, Primary, Mutual, Sacrament Meeting and other church functions.

In her own words "it wasn't easy for two little girls to come to a strange country, learn a new language, learn a lot of new things we weren't used to doing, and not a relative in this country, but we were blessed, and our Heavenly Father has been our best friend."

She first saw Neils J. Larsen, who also came from Denmark, on July 18, 1886 at Christina (Aunt Steenie) Larsen's home in Mantua.  She wondered who the tall handsome man was.  He owned the best horse and cart in town.  Later she enjoyed many pleasant rides in this horse-drawn cart and also a fine buggy.  On one trip down Brigham Canyon this high-spirited horse went so fast that all the tugs came unhooked, nearly causing a bad accident.

Her courtship with Neils lasted for a year and a half.  They were married Oct. 1, 1890 in the Logan LDS Temple.  They lived in Mantua for one year, then moved to Hyrum, Utah in 1891 where they established their home, reared their family, worked hard and were successful at farming and in the coal business.  Nine children were born and eight of them lived to have families of their own.  They were Leonard, Flossie (died at age 6), Lytel, Lola, Rosabelle, Delores, June, Lamont and Lorin.

Through all the hardships and trials of rearing a large family and making a living, she never lost sight of the values of honesty, thrift, hard work and above all the testimony of the Gospel that came to her as a child.  She believed in doing good unto others as she would like to have them do unto her, and of "loving her neighbors as herself".  No one was ever turned away from her door.  The wants and needs of her neighbors were sometimes considered at the sacrifice of her own family. 

Her service and assistance to the Relief Society in Hyrum 3 Ward extended over a period of 39 years, 7 of which she served in the Presidency.  In this capacity she had a determination to do her duty and to serve to the best of her ability and the Lord blessed her with much success and happiness.  She was always ready to help in sickness and death, some nights sitting up sewing clothing for the dead until early morning.  She would visit the sick and older people of the Ward, caring for their needs, cheering them up and bringing happiness to their homes with the belief that "we should never let our left hand know what our right hand is doing" and that the Lord loved a cheerful giver.  She always remembered the words of our Savior "in as much as ye have done it unto the least to these, ye have done it unto me".

She was a generous contributor to the various church organizations and to many projects undertaken by the church.  Her faith and testimony of the Gospel increased each day she lived, and it can truly be said of her that she was one of God's chosen people.

Death came quietly at age 81, May 16 1953.