JULIA OLSEN (1838-?)
sister to Gideon Elias Olsen (1844)
Written by Mary Jean Garrison

     Julia Olsen was born on 21 February 1838 in Budolphi Parish, Aalborg, Aalborg,
Denmark to Jens Olsen and Marie Dorthea Berg. She was the second daughter and the
fourth child in the family. Julia was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints on 22 January 1851, two months after her mother had been baptized.
Julia was fifteen years old when her mother died in September of 1853. Before the
end of the year she accompanied her father and younger brother Gideon to Norway
where they settled in Fredrickshald, a city located near the childhood home other father
Jens.
     In spite of the fact that the father Jens was not affiliated with the Mormon Church,
Julia and Gideon continued to attend. Perhaps their records of baptism did not follow
them to Norway, for they were baptized again in 1861. (It was not unusual for early
members of the Church to be baptized several times. Every time they wanted to recommit
themselves, they would be baptized.)
     Gideon left Norway in 1863 and emigrated to Utah. Julia elected to stay in Norway,
perhaps to care for her father, perhaps because other contemplated marriage. She was
married 20 November 1863 to Carsten Edvard Nilsen who was a baker. (It is doubtful
that he was a member of the Mormon faith.) She was twenty-five years old at the time of
her marriage.
     Julia dropped into inactivity in the Church after her marriage and eventually became
totally disassociated from it. Little else is known about her or her family. The only
reference found concerning her was taken from the missionary journal of the son of her
brother Gideon. He had been laboring in Denmark, but took leave to visit with relatives
in Norway and Sweden. He made the following entry:

     On 20th of June (1899) I left for Norway and Sweden to visit some of my relatives,..
My nearest relatives (in Norway) live in a city by the name of Sarpsberg (in Ost fold).
This is my father's sister's family and hone, her husband being a baker by trade and does
a very good work.The oldest son is a captain on a ship that sails to England. All the
others have a good occupation. They treated me very nice and were pleased to see and
talk with me.

It is hard to tell from the entry if Julia was still living at that time. Family notes
indicate that she had died by 1890, but at the writing of this book neither her death date
nor birth entries other children have been found.

Sources of Information:
Research notes of Mary Jean N. Garrison. 

Source of Information
The foregoing biography is an excerpt from the following and is used here by
permission of the author
A Family History
Gideon Elias Olsen (1844 - 1919)
Scandinavian Immigrant
Compiled by Mary Jean Garrison (1983) (email: maryjgarrison@earthlink.net)
[vii. 381p.: ill., facsims,; geneal. tables, maps, ports.] 
pp.  367 - 368 
(JSMB FAMHIST Book 929.273 OL8g)
(FHL US/CAN Film 1035727 Item 10)    
 
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Marie Dorthea Berg Olsen (mother)
Barbara Jensine Dorthea Olsen (sister)
Christopher Marinus Olsen (brother)
Christian Waldemar Olsen (brother)
Gideon Elias Olsen (brother)