Helena Larson

Biography

Helena Larson was born on May 6, 1846 in Sallerup, Malmöhus, Sweden. She was the seventh of eight children and the youngest daughter. In 1856, her parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and, on April 8, 1857, Helena was also baptized. The next month, her family left Sweden to join the other Saints in Utah. They sailed on the ship Tuscarora from Liverpool to Philadelphia.
Upon arrival in Philadelphia, they traveled on to Florence, Nebraska, where they stayed for two years as the family worked to earn money for the trip to Utah. In 1859, they finally made the journey to Utah, arriving on August 29, 1859. Helena and her family lived in Spanish Fork for two years before they moved to Moroni. Helena was said to be able to sing beautifully.
On March 4, 1867, Helena married John Lawrence (Johannes) Eliason, another young Swedish immigrant, in Salt Lake City. They lived briefly in Salt Lake City, where Helena had her first child, before moving to Moroni. Helena was a faithful member of the church, even attending the funeral of Brigham Young, and was well-known for caring for her neighbors during a smallpox epidemic.
After twelve years of marriage, Helena's husband deserted her, leaving her with their five small children to care for, the oldest being eleven and the youngest less than a year old. She took her children and moved to be with her family in Moroni. Soon her grief caught up to her health and she was left an invalid for five years. Her family and friends supported her during her illness, including her younger brother Peter. When she could, she would sing for those who visited her. After five years of living with illness and terrible pain, Helena died on May 1, 1884, just five days before her 38th birthday. She was buried in Moroni.