Hilda Erickson House, Grantsville UtahHilda Anderson wore this buckskin mask to protect her face when crossing the desert. Located in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum
Hilda Anderson Erickson was the last known surviving Mormon pioneer and celebrated frontierswoman.[1][2] She was six and half years old in 1866 when her family emigrated from Ledsjo, Sweden to Tooele County in Utah. She died at the age of 108 on January 1, 1968.[3][4]
Personal life
Erickson was known for her love of dance and horseback riding.[5]
After a 2 year long engagement, Hilda Anderson married John Erickson. Soon after their marriage they were called to serve a full time mission with the Gosiute Indians, near the Nevada border, in which they helped the Gosiute Indians farm in the desert environment.[6]
1922 Democratic Party Ticket for State LegislatureHilda Anderson Erickson statue, Grantsville, UT
Notable Achievements
Erickson served as one of the directors of the Grantsville Deseret Bank from its opening in 1910 until its closing in 1931.[5]
Erickson served as a dentist for her community and always carried forceps in case of emergency.[5] Sometimes children came into her general store with a toothache; she would extract the tooth in the back room and then send the child home with a bag of candy.[5]
^Merrill, Timothy G. (2010). "Remembering the Pioneer Legacy". Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel. 11 (2): 3 – via BYU Scholars Archive.
^Casey Paul Griffiths, Mary Jane Woodger "50 More Relics of the Restoration" page 123
