Alma "Alice" Elvira Pålsdotter

Biography

Alma “Alice” Elvira Pålsdotter was born on November 25, 1872 in Caroli, Sweden. She was the third daughter of Johanna Christina Pålsdotter and Jim Jensen. Alice’s parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was a child. Her father was eager to move to Utah after joining the church. So, they sold off enough possessions to pay for Jim’s passage to Utah, with the plan that Jim would save money and send for Johanna and his children later. Alice’s mother never heard from Jim again so she began to work to pay for her family’s passage herself. Through a miracle, a generous man from Bear Lake, Idaho donated money to pay for the Pålsdotters journey to America.

Alice traveled to Utah from Norway with her mother and sister in 1878 when she was four years old. Upon arrival in Utah, Alice’s mother married their benefactor, Phineas Wolcott Cook. It was in Phineas’ household that Alice grew up. Alice married George Washington Shurtleff on July 3, 1888 in Logan, Utah. George immediately took Alice to Payette, Idaho, where they ran a farm and ultimately had five children together. Alice lived in Payette for the rest of her life. She died on April 19, 1918 in Payette, Idaho at the age of forty-six. She is buried in Payette, Idaho.