At a young age, Hannah was sent to Copenhagen, Denmark to become a painter and was later employed painting tablecloths. When Hannah was seven years old, missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints baptized her parents and were converted to the religion.

The exact date as to when Pehr and Hannah were married is unknown. While working in Denmark, Hannah came home to prepare for the birth of their first child when she found Pehr dead. Pehr commented suicide on April 21, 1850. Ellen Persson Mansson was born on Sep 5 of the same year.

Hannah continued to work in Denmark and her parents cared for Ellen while she was gone. The family made preparations to move to Utah on April 2, 1862. They bordered the Humbolt and sailed to New York City, New York. When they reached Florence, Nebraska Territory, they joined the John R. Murdock Co. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 28, 1862.

The same year as the family entered the valley, Hannah met John Halgren and the two would marry on June 12, 1871 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sometime before their marriage, they moved to Richmond.