Matilda Olson

Biography

Matilda Olson was born on June 5, 1861 in Jern, Älvsborg, Sweden. She was the third of six children. Her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was young, and, in 1877, she left Sweden for Utah. Matilda traveled with her sister Anna, leaving the rest of the family until they could work and earn money for them to travel. They sailed on the steamship "Wisconsin", arriving in New York on September 19, 1877. From New York, they were able to take a train directly to Grantsville, Utah.
In Grantsville, Matilda and Anna lived with and worked for Swedish families, saving money to send for the rest of their family. Life was often hard for Matilda, and she went to bed hungry and slept on the floor. However, in 1878, Anna met and married Charles Johnson, who helped them pay for the rest of their family to make the journey. They joined Matilda in Grantsville.
On August 17, 1882, Matilda married Elof George Erickson, another Swedish immigrant. The couple settled in Grantsville and had seven children, four daughters and three sons, together. One of their daughters died in infancy. In 1888, Elof left his family for three years to serve a mission for the Church in Sweden. Matilda worked hard to provide for her family and keep them fed and clothed. She saw many miracles in her work for her family. Matilda was also an active teacher in her local Relief Society.
Matilda had to bury three of her children in her life. Her husband also died in 1925, leaving her a widow for twenty-five years. At the age of eighty-seven, she broke her hip in a fall. Despite much pain and suffering, she was able to heal and walk with help. For the last few years of her life, Matilda lived in Salt Lake City. Matilda passed away on November 15, 1950, at the age of eighty-nine. She was buried in Grantsville.