In May 1854 at the age of 32, he immigrated to the United States with his family and settled in St. Charles, Illinois before moving to Geneva.
He later met Dr. Eric Norelius at a synod meeting in Waverly, IL in 1855 and became close friends with Rev.
[2] Carlson was ordained in Chicago on September 13, 1859, and helped found the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Synod on June 5, 1860.
[3] [4] Carlson left the Carver congregation in August 1879 to serve as a missionary in the Pacific Northwest.
Both Peter and Christina Carlson were buried at the Moscow Cemetery in Latah County, Idaho.