1883: Where Is Elsa Dutton Buried?

1883 was the first prequel show of the Yellowstone Universe, which began with the epic Yellowstone series led by Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III. The series and its prequels follow the Dutton family and their ranch in Montana, which was founded by Elsa Dutton’s parents after she passed away. So, where was Elsa Dutton buried in 1883?

Elsa Dutton was buried in the Dutton Cemetery, right where the Yellowstone Ranch was founded. She was the first person to be buried there, and her death was actually the reason why the Duttons chose Montana as their place to settle instead of Oregon, as they initially planned.

Elsa was a beloved character, and that 1883 finale got us all in the feels. But that wasn’t the last we heard from Elsa – literally. Here’s everything you need to know about Elsa Dutton, her final resting place, and the Dutton family Cemetery on their Yellowstone Ranch in Montana.

Who was Elsa Dutton in 1883?

Elsa Dutton was the only daughter of James and Margaret Dutton, the first-generation Duttons that embarked on a journey out west from Texas in 1883 during the great western expansion. Elsa also had two brothers – John and Spencer, who were much younger than Elsa, and both of whom we saw in the second prequel series, 1923.

Elsa was a vibrant young lady full of life and joy, and she enjoyed horse riding, adventuring, and living in general. When her family set out to travel west, Elsa joined them, alongside several other family members and friends.

She first fell hard in love with a cowboy who was a part of the convoy, but then he sadly passed away due to a gunshot wound. A while later, Elsa met a Comanche warrior named Sam, who took the name of a man who killed his wife after killing the said man as a constant reminder of what he had lost.

Eventually, the two fell in love and got married; not traditionally, but considered each other spouses. They were unfortunately separated, however, as the Duttons continued their journey, Sam stayed behind to protect the land of his people. Elsa promised to return after her family was situated, and Sam promised to wait for her.

That, unfortunately, never happened, as Elsa would tragically perish on their journey. She was fatally wounded by a poisoned arrow from the Lakota tribe. The wound didn’t kill her immediately, but the poison would, in the end.

Where was Elsa Dutton buried?

As we mentioned before, the Duttons planned on going all the way to Oregon to find land and peace. However, as Elsa’s condition got worse and worse, they realized they would never get to Oregon before she passed away.

In the end, as they were passing through the Paradise Valley in Montana, Elsa picked the spot where her parents were to bury her. After her tragic, emotional death in the finale of 1883, her parents granted Elsa her wish and situated her right there in Monta, where Elsa chose her final resting place.

On that very spot, the Dutton family founded their Yellowstone Ranch, and Elsa Dutton was the first person to be buried in the Dutton Cemetary, which is located on the ranch. Her gravesite is right between her mother and father, who died ten years later, as we learned in the second prequel series, 1923.

Does Elsa Dutton appear in the 1923 series?

Over the years, all Dutton family members were buried on the same site, as we see in the Yellowstone series. The finale of 1883 was the last we’ve seen of Elsa, naturally, due to her premature demise. However, it wasn’t the last we heard of her.

The character, portrayed by Isabel May, appeared in the 1923 series as well – at least her voice did. Over the first few episodes, Elsa Dutton served as the narrator of the story, leading us through what happened with the Duttons between 1883 and 1923.

She explained how her parents died ten years after her, only days apart from each other, leaving her two young brothers alone at the ranch. Before she died, Margaret Dutton sent a message to her late husband’s brother, Jacob, asking him to come to save them on the ranch.

Jacob (Harrison Ford) and his wife Cara (Helen Mirren) couldn’t arrive on time, as they found Margaret’s body, which perished in a snowstorm. Luckily, the boys were still alive but half-starved to death. They took over the ranch and raised the boys as tier own. The rest is history.

Although the 1883 series is done, and Elsa Dutton won’t return in any of the future shows, 1923 Season 1 is currently on a mid-season break and will return with Episode five on February 5, 2023, exclusively on Paramount Plus.