Abstract
The Verna Mortensen Papers (1966-1979) document the work of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Clark County chapter to preserve and restore the Las Vegas, Nevada Mormon Fort. The collection contains newspaper clippings, notes, and a grant application for the Mormon Fort. It also includes an undated article about the history of the Las Vegas area and two eulogies given for Verna Mortensen.
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Scope and Contents Note
The Verna Mortensen Papers (1966-1979) document the work of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Clark County chapter to preserve and restore the Las Vegas, Nevada Mormon Fort. The collection contains newspaper clippings, notes, and a grant application for the Mormon Fort. It also includes an undated article about the history of the Las Vegas area and two eulogies given for Verna Mortensen.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Teacher Verna Mortensen (1904-1979) was born to Frank and Elthera Cox in Bunkerville, Nevada. The family relocated to St. George, Utah in 1910. Verna Mortensen went on to graduate from Dixie State Junior College in St. George. She served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Eastern United States.
In 1929 she married James Mortensen and the couple moved to a ranch in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. They couple had four children. Verna Mortensen moved back to St. George, Utah in 1949 and worked as a teacher at the local elementary school. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1960 and taught at Mountain View Elementary School and Crestwood Elementary School before retiring in 1969.
Following her retirement, Verna Mortensen became active in the Clark County chapter of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers (DUP). In 1971, members elected her president of the Clark County DUP, and went on to reelect her four times. With the DUP, she led efforts to preserve and restore the Las Vegas Mormon Fort. She served on the board of the Preservation Association of Clark County and received commendations for her work with the Las Vegas Mormon Fort. Mortensen passed away on April 26, 1979.
Preferred Citation
Verna Mortensen Papers, 1966-1979. MS-00163. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1979 to Special Collections; accession number 79-203.
Processing Note
Materials were processed by Special Collections staff.
In 2016, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Angela Moor revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards.