Anna Maria Staalsen

Biography

Anna Maria Staalsen was born on November 16, 1857 in Stavanger, Norway. She was the first daughter of Serine Enochsdatter and Ole Johannes Staalsen. Her mother and father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shortly after Anna’s birth. Serine travelled to America with her children alone in 1863, as Ole had died in 1862. The Staalsens settled in Ephraim, Utah where Anna attended school. In school, she learned how to make hats, embroider, and sew.

Anna married Danish missionary Johan Frederik Ferdinand Dorius on May 11, 1864 as his third wife. Johan had been a missionary in Norway when Anna was a child. Anna spent the first several years sharing a home with Johan’s other wives. In 1885, Anna moved into her own house. In 1888, Anna’s husband was arrested for having more than one wife. Anna and Johan’s other wives were subpoenaed to testify against Johan in court. She travelled to Provo two separate times for this, but on both occasions the court was too busy to hear the case and the wives were dismissed.

In 1890 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints denounced the practice of plural marriage. As a result, Anna was forced to go into hiding when giving birth to her final two children, as no more children were allowed to be born into plural marriages. Additionally, Anna rarely saw her husband anymore, as he was expected to move in with his first wife.

After her husband’s death in 1901, Anna bought a new home with her mother, Serine, and opened a boarding house for students attending Snow College. She ran this boarding house for over thirty years. Anna died on March 19, 1939 in Ephraim, Utah and was buried in the Ephraim cemetery.