Ola Jenson and Anna Carlsson

Ola Jenson was born on November 2, 1839 in Vittskolve, Kristianstadt, Sweden to Jens Svenson and Kjersty Trulson.  On November 30, 1866 he was married to Anna Carlsson.  Anna was born to Carl Svensson and Hanna Mansson on February 22, 1842 in Langarod, Malmohas, Sweden.  Ola and Anna were also married in Langarod. They were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints October 11, 1868, by 0. N. Bergen.  Crops in most of Sweden failed in 1868 and by 1869 there was a great famine and the people were starving.

A Mr. Ola Olssen was appointed president of a company that sailed from Copenhagen on July 10, 1869. They were bound for Utah and arrived in Hull, England on July 14.  Then is was on to Liverpool by railway where they arrived on July 15.  Here they transferred to a steamer, the "Minnesota" and sat sail later on the same day.  There were about 1200 passengers and 125 members of the crew on board.  After 13 days at sea, they arrived in New York on July 28, 1869 without incident.  The following day they left by train for the west and arrived at Taylor's Switch near Ogden, Utah.  They were the first Scandinavian Company to travel from New York to Utah by train.  Their entire journey only took 27 days.  They were taken to Salt Lake City by teams as the railroad had not been laid yet. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on August 1, 1869. When the Jenson family arrived in Utah, they were advised by President Brigham Young to go to the higher valleys where there was plenty of water, good soil, timber for building homes and fire wood, and good pastures for livestock. The Jenson family settled in Peoa which is near present day Park City and Deer Valley.

The following account was written by Ola Jenson’s daughter, Emma Christine Jenson: “Ola and Anna Carlson Jenson settled in Peoa. Their first home was a one room log cabin. They arrived in Peoa without any means of transportation or animals to work with. Father walked to Salt Lake City, where he got work. He walked back to Peoa on Saturday nights to spend Sunday with his family. Many times he would carry a sack of flour on his back. He walked back to Salt Lake to go to work on Monday.  Father built a good five room log house with logs from the canyons. It was hard work. He supplied his family with a good living in Peoa. Their first baby girl, Anna, was born in Sweden. She died when she was two and one-half years old (on September 4, 1869, not long after arriving in Utah). Five boys were born in Peoa - Joseph, Nelse, Swen Albert, James William and Carl. Carl died as a child. In 1875, Father returned to Sweden for his parents, but his mother died in Omaha, Nebraska, and is buried there. His father settled in the Sugarhouse district and made his home there. Anna Carlson Jenson died giving birth to a baby girl who also died. Anna was a good woman and a hard worker, taking good care of her family. She was very sincere in her religious belief."

Anna and her baby girl died on October 7, 1879 and were buried near her first daughter, Anna, in the Peoa Cemetary. 

Ola remarried on October 27, 1881.  He married Christena Peterson, also from Sweden.  She had three young boys, had lost her husband, and had moved to Peoa to live with an aunt.  She and Ola joined their families and went on to have six more children.

This was his official missionary portrait.

In 1890, Ola returned to Sweden as a missionary where he served for two years returning in 1892.

A closeup of his face from the above portrait with his sons.

Ola's oldest son with Anna Carlsson, Ola Joseph Jenson would marry Nancy Morrell and their oldest son would be George Lawrence Jenson.  George Jenson was Glen's grandfather and husband to Della Maretta Clement.

Ola Jenson died on August 9, 1921 of bronchial pneumonia at 82 years of age in Peoa, Utah.

He is buried in the Peoa Cemetery.