Dates

• Existence: 1846 - 1934

Biographical History

Peter Gottfredson (1846-1934) was an immigrant farmer, veteran of the Black Hawk Indian wars and county commissioner in Sevier County, Utah.

Peter Gottfredson was born in Sonderby, Denmark, on April 17, 1846. After spending his childhood in Denmark, he journeyed across the Atlantic with his family and other immigrants.

The immigrants arrived in New York February 16, 1856 and the Gottfredson family went from there to Alton, Illinois, where Gottfredson's mother died in July 1856. Shortly after her death the family went to St. Louis, Missouri, where his father remarried.

The family then travelled to Florence, Nebraska, in the spring of 1857 and later to Salt Lake with a handcart company, arriving in September 1858. As a young man, Peter Gottfredson served in the Black Hawk Indian wars and in later years recorded his experiences in the book "Indian Depredations in Utah." It was largely through his efforts that many Indian war veterans in this state received pensions from the U. S. government for service. When the Black Hawk Indian war veterans organized he was made state adjutant, and held this position until the organization with its few surviving veterans was changed to the Sons and Daughters of Pioneers and Indian War veterans.

Gottfredson was active in many pioneer enterprises of San Pete and Sevier counties. He was a county commissioner in Sevier when the court house was built. While he resided at Sigurd he was justice of the peace being regularly employed at that time as station agent for the D.& R. G. Railroad. He surveyed canals, canal in Sevier county, and was among the workers on the railroad, when it was built in this part of the state. He was for years a successful farmer, sheepman and blacksmith. Gottfredson served for 20 years as bishop of the Sigurd-Vermilion ward.

He married Amelia Gledhill on April 22, 1872 in the endowment house in Salt Lake. After her death in March 1893 he was married on July 18, 1893 to Alice Keeler Hatch in the Manti temple and together they had 12 children.

Gottfredson passed away on February 20, 1934 in Richfield, Utah.

Citation:

FamilySearch, via WWW, 11 March 2015 (Peter Gottfredson was born in Sonderby, Denmark, on April 17, 1846; spent his childhood in Denmark, he journeyed across the Atlantic with his family and other immigrants; arrived in New York February 16, 1856 and the Gottfredson family went from there to Alton, Illinois, where Gottfredson's mother died in July 1856; went to St. Louis, Missouri, shortly after her death where his father remarried; then travelled to Florence, Nebraska, in the spring of 1857 and later to Salt Lake with a handcart company, arriving in September 1858; served in the Black Hawk Indian wars and in later years recorded his experiences in the book "Indian Depredations in Utah;" it was largely through his efforts that many Indian war veterans in this state received pensions from the U. S. government for service; was made state adjutant when the Black Hawk Indian war veterans organized and held this position until the organization with its few surviving veterans was changed to the Sons and Daughters of Pioneers and Indian War veterans; was active in many pioneer enterprises of San Pete and Sevier counties; was a county commissioner in Sevier when the court house was built; resided at Sigurd; was justice of the peace being regularly employed at that time as station agent for the D. & R. G. Railroad; surveyed canals, canal in Sevier county, and was among the workers on the railroad, when it was built in this part of the state; was for years a successful farmer, sheepman and blacksmith; served for 20 years as bishop of the Sigurd-Vermilion ward; married Amelia Gledhill on April 22, 1872 in the endowment house in Salt Lake; after her death in March 1893 he was married on July 18, 1893 to Alice Keeler Hatch in the Manti Temple and together they had 12 children; passed away on February 20, 1934 in Richfield, Utah)

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