Gjerson Sander Bastian

Residence: Washington, Washington Co., Utah

Arrival date in Copenhagen: 20 June 1888

Missionary labors: Århus Conference

Departure date from Copenhagen: 24 April 1890

Name of departure ship: Cameo

Birth date: 1 July 1860

Birthplace: Moroni, Sanpete Co., Utah

Father: Bastian, Jacob

Mother: Sander, Johanne Marie

Spouse: Paxman, Emily Susanna

Marriage date: 3 April 1885
Marriage place: St. George Temple, St. George, Washington Co., Utah

Spouse: Bramwell, Sofronia Tucker

Marriage date: 15 December 1930

Death date: 8 November 1934
Death place: Riverton, Salt Lake Co., Utah

Burial place: Wasatch Lawn Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., Utah

At age eight, Gearson was baptized on 5 November 1868 in Washington County, Utah. Due to his father's poor health, he was employed on farms and in mining camps in his youth to provide for his family (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:344).

By age twenty, he had attended school only a short time. Then in 1881 he enrolled in the Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah County. Karl G. Maeser, an eminent professor at the academy, took a personal interest in the education of Gearson, helping to make up for his previous educational gap (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:344).

In 1884, he was elected to the city council of Washington, Washington County. He served in that position for two years until he sold his interest in Washington to acquire the Horse Valley Ranch in Loa, Wayne County. It was while in the negotiation process for the ranch that he accepted a mission call to Scandinavia (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:344).

He arrived in Copenhagen on 20 June 1888 and was assigned to labor in the Århus Conference. During the mission, he presided over the Randers Branch. Although he had a difficult time learning the Danish language, he preached the gospel plainly in one meeting for an hour and fifteen minutes by the power of God (see Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:345). He departed from Copenhagen on 24 April 1890 aboard the steamer Cameo (see Jenson, History of the Scandinavian Mission, 307, 313– 14).

After returning to Utah, he labored as a home missionary in the Sevier Stake. He also served as first counselor in the bishopric of the Loa ward until being chosen as first counselor in the presidency of the Wayne Stake. His biographer said of him, 'His greatest ambition in life is to honor his calling in the priesthood' (Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:346). Gearson died in 1934 in Riverton, Salt Lake County, at age seventy-four.

http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/legacy-sacrifice-missionaries-scandinavia-1872-94/b