Sarah Ellen Olson Langford

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Sarah was born on December 30, 1854 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was the first child of Shuredale Olsen and his second wife, Sarah Ellen (Nellie) Jacobs. Shuredale was married to Nellie’s older sister, Elizabeth. The Olsens were early pioneers to Utah that had emigrated from the Isle of Skudenes in Western Norway. The Olsen family came to Utah on the Ezra Taft Benson Company that left from Kanesville, Iowa on July 15, 1849 arriving in the Salt Lake Valley on October 25, 1848. Shuredale and Nellie were married on November 30, 1851 in Salt Lake City.

After Sarah’s birth, she was followed by her brother Jacob (1858), Melinda (1863), Isaac (1866) and Emma (1869). Shure had seven other children by his wife Elizabeth. The families lived at the same address in west Salt Lake City. An early map of Salt Lake City shows the Olsen property located on the northeast corner of Fourth West Street and Firth South Street. Elizabeth and her family lived in the front house. Nellie and her children lived in a home in the rear.

Sarah was a gifted vocalist and sang in several operas at the Salt Lake theater. She also was a member of the Tabernacle choir for many years. The LDS Biographical Encyclopedia states that she held the position of Stake chorister and was an active Relief Society worker for many years.

Sarah married Jeremiah Euchlet Langford on March 18, 1880 at the age of 25 years. Sarah and Jeremiah were sealed later in the Salt Lake Temple after its dedication in 1893. Their first children were twins, Sarah Ellen (Nellie) and Mary Ann born in October 29, 1880. The daughters contracted scarlet fever at the age of 11 months. Mary Ann died on September 30, 1881. Nellie suffered physically from the effects of the illness for the rest of her life.

A son, Jeremiah (Jay) Euchlet Langford III was born on March 1, 1884 in Salt Lake City. Three years later a daughter, Estella (Stella) was born on January 16, 1887. A son, Lester Olson followed on November 14, 1890. Florence (Floss) was born on December 22, 1892. Their last child, Ralph Jackson was born on December 23, 1896.

In 1908 the family built a large home located at 687 Second Avenue on the northwest corner of “J” Street. Prior to that the family lived across the street on the northeast corner of those streets. Florence recalled that the family employed a cook/house keeper to help with the care of the large home.

Jay married Florence Emma (Flory) Tuddenham on October 14, 1908. The Tuddenhams were neighbors on Second Avenue. Stella was married on April 25, 1911 to Albert Leroy Taylor. She died of influenza 18 months later during the Spanish Flu epidemic on September 9, 1912 at the age of 25 years. Albert later married the daughter of LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith.

Lester married Emma Anderson on March 7, 1913. Florence married Keith Royal Jensen on December 10, 1914 in the Salt Lake Temple. Ralph married Mary Matilda (Tillie) Wardle on July 14, 1916.

In 1916, Jeremiah invented the metal railroad tie and on June 16, 1916 the Utah Security Commission issued License #21 for the Metal Safety Railroad Tie Company. In 1918 the Langfords sold their home on Second Avenue to help finance the venture. The moved to a very modest home at 818 East 21 st South in Sugarhouse.

Jeremiah died on November 13, 1919 in Salt Lake City at the age of 71 years. Ten years later, their son Jay died unexpectedly on January 21, 1929 in New York City. Sarah and her daughter, Nellie went to California to live with Florence. That arrangement did not work out so well with Florence’s divorce from her husband Keith. So Sarah and Nellie returned to Salt Lake City and lived with their daughter-in-law Florence Tuddenham Langford on Second Avenue.

Sarah died in Salt Lake City on November 11, 1934 one month shy of being 80 years old. .