Randine Gunderson was born 6 Sept 1848 in Rognstad, Nes, Hedmark, Norway. Her parents were Antonette “Tonetta” Poulsdatter (Poulsen) and Gunder Larsen. Her father, Gunder, was 37 years older than her mother, who was 20. They were tenant farmers.
Randine was the fourth of five children. Her brothers were Johan Gunderson, born 28 Jan 1841, Poul Gunderson, born 11 Jan 1843; Mathias Gunderson, born 4 Dec 1845; and Gulbrand Gunderson, born 15 Dec 1853.
Six weeks before Gulbrand was born, her father, Gunder, died 6 Nov 1853 at the age of 71.
Randine heard and accepted the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was baptized in 1862 at the age of 14. Her mother, Antonette, was baptized two years later in 1864. Her husband, Lars, was also baptized in 1862
Randine married Lars Larson Olsen, Sr., in Christiana (Oslo), Norway in May 1866. She was 17 and he was 34. Lars Larsen Olsen was born 18 June 1832 in Yttermalung, Sweden. He was a farmer and went to Norway to work as a salesman and met Randine.
Lars owned his own farm, which he sold at a loss and paid for them, Randine, Lars, her mother, Antonette, and Antonette’s sister, Johanne Poulsen Johnsen, to come to Zion. Antonette’s left her sons in Norway with relatives. Johan was already married.
They sailed 7 weeks on the ship, “Humboldt” from Hamburg, Germany on 2 June 1866 with 328 Scandinavian Saints on board. The ship arrived in New York City on 18 July. Their drinking water was from the River Elbe in Germany. After 17 days on the train and rivers to the Missouri River, they joined an oxcart company led by Captain Andrew H. Scott. They encountered a severe snowstorm on the Sweetwater on 18 Sept. They traveled seven weeks on the plains and arrived in Salt Lake City 8 Oct 1866. The family went to Provo, and were early settlers of Santaquin.
Later, Randine’s brothers came to America around 1872.
Randine’s first child, Lauritz, was born in Provo, Utah 30 Nov 1867 and died 17 June 1868. Ten other children were born to them in Santaquin: Joseph Ludwig Olsen was born 24 Jan 1869; Thea Christina 26 May 1871; Lars Larsen, Jr. 14 May 1874; Olof Gilbert 28 Oct 1876; Amanda Josephine 13 Jan 1879; Dena Louisa 29 March 1881 and died 16 Nov 1895; Alvin Edward 5 Aug 1883; Clara Marinda 20 Sept 1885; Anna Pearl 7 Sept 1888; David Martin 11 Jan 1891.
Randine and Lars lived in Provo just over a year and Lars wanted to settle in southern Utah. She wanted to stay in Provo. They settled in Santaquin in 1868.
Randine and Lars purchased a small farm in Santaquin where they had plenty to eat but little money. Randine supplemented the family income by weaving carpets which were colorful in design. The women in the neighborhood always enjoyed the weekly “rag bees.” She made potato flour and starch to sell. She took in washing and sheared sheep. She enjoyed making cakes for brides. She took care of her ailing mother, Antonette, for eight years. There was no leavening to purchase so they walked 7 miles to scrape saleratus from the ground near Goshen.
Three of their sons returned to Scandinavian countries on missions. Randine was an industrious woman, up at 4 a.m. each morning to care for her family and home, do chores and weave. She was a faithful member of the Relief Society all her life and was a counselor in Relief Society. One evening she was doing her visiting teaching in the rain and took a chill. She died of pneumonia 4 June 1906 in Santaquin, Utah. She is buried in Santaquin.
On Randine’s death certificate someone wrote her name was Randina Pleson, because they did not read the cursive Randine Oleson.