Brita Eulalia Larsdotter

Biography

Britta “Betty” grew up in Sweden with 10 siblings. She grew up in a farming community and her family was well off. They owned 40 acres, an orchard, a barn with lots of farm animals, a bathhouse, and a greenhouse surrounded by lilac bushes. Betty and the other children would play in a pond nearby and skate during the winter.

When she was young, her older sister joined the church. Betty’s parents strongly opposed, but her sister immigrated to Utah anyway. In the coming years, Betty and many of her family members joined the church as well. Her father passed away when she was 17 and a year after that, she immigrated to Utah.

At 27 she married James Quayle in Logan, Utah, where she spent the rest of her life. Betty was one of seven plural wives and she had three sons and a daughter with James. After Betty’s sister-in-law died in childbirth, she also took in the baby and raised her as one of her own.

Betty was beloved by her family. Many knew her as “Pete” or “Grandma Pete,” a nickname given by her grandson's friends when she wanted to be “one of the gang,” like them. Known for her wit and humor, Betty/Pete had a great ability to make people feel at home. She loved serving in the temple and Relief Society. Some of her hobbies later in life were reading and gardening because it helped her feel closer to her Creator. She also took care of her mother for 17 years until her passing. Betty died in 1954 at age 88.