Elsie Nielson

This weekend was busy-crazy! I can't believe how much we had to do. What am I talking about? It wasn't just this weekend, it was this past week! Anyhow . . . Sunday was quite comical. Erik had a ward audit, spoke in another ward, and gave a Priesthood blessing. I spoke at a meeting right after church for Activity Days, had a meeting later at LDS Family Services, which I had to leave early so that I could be at the Trek 2009 Fireside. Erik and I were a Ma and Pa for the last Pioneer Re-enactment Trek back in 2005. Hard. It was hard, and dirty, and uncomfortable, but it is also one of my favorite memories. We gained a whole new family of friends, gained a new understanding for each other (Erik & I), discovered I'm a lot tougher than I ever thought I was, gained a deeper love for my children, and gained a new found respect for those pioneers who endured the journey, the discomfort, and heartache for a much longer time than our 3 day walk with the handcart. For the fireside on Sunday, I was given the privilege of speaking as if I was Elsie Nielson, a Danish convert, who with her husband Jens, her 5 year old Niels, and their friend's young daughter Bodil Mortensen crossed the plains with the Willie Handcart company. Though they had enough money to purchase a wagon and horses, they bought a handcart, the needed supplies, and then donated the rest to others who were in need of a handcart. Jens, a large man, could walk no further after his feet became mis-shapen and useless with frost. He urged Elsie to go on without him, but she refused. Instead she pulled Jens in the handcart to the camp at Rock Creek. There they would await their rescue. After the 27 hour climb up Rocky Ridge, in the freezing temperature, Niels and Bodil passed away and were buried in a common grave along with 11 others. Jens and Elsie would travel on to Zion, and had 3 daughters there, but they would wait some 150 years after death for their son Niels to be sealed to their family. The first rescue saved their lives. The second rescue saved their family! That was really neat to be a part of the fireside, and to portray such a wonderful, courageous woman.