The Sacrifice of a Mother Part 2

Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Wilford Woodruff Richards>Franklin Dewey Richards>Wealthy Dewey Richards

Wealthy and her family settled in Nauvoo, where they faced expulsion just a few years later. She spent a year living in a wagon as she crossed the dreary Iowa plains with family, grieving as children and daughters-in-law died along the way, including a three year old granddaughter named after her.

When the call was made for men to fight in the Mormon Battalion, her son, Joseph, was asked by his uncle, Willard, to go. He was too young to enlist so he joined as a drummer, even though he didn’t have adequate supplies. For several nights it rained as he slept on the ground without a tent. He became very sick and went with the sick detachment to Pueblo, Colorado. He died there and was buried on the banks of a river. His brother, Franklin, traveled to Pueblo years later to find his body, but it had been swept away by the flooding of the river.

When they finally made it to Salt Lake, she might have thought that times would get better, but her sons were often traveling, usually on missions for the church. On one of these missions to Europe one of her sons became extremely ill and Wealthy wondered if the Lord were going to take all of her sons, having lost four already.

After a long, full life of many trials and hardships, Wealthy passed away on 18 Oct 1853 in Salt Lake City at the age of 67, having sacrificed more than most for the gospel.

The Sacrifice of a Mother Part 1

 Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Wilford Woodruff Richards>Franklin Dewey Richards>Wealthy Dewey Richards

Wealthy Dewey Richards watched in horror and sorrow as her husband, Phinehas, and her children all became increasingly interested in Mormonism. In an attempt to investigate the Church more fully, Phinehas, Levi, Willard, Hepsy, and Wealthy’s fourteen-year-old son, George Spencer, departed for Kirtland. There, in 1837, Phinehas and George were baptized.

That fall, Phinehas returned to the East, carrying the gospel message back to his extended and immediate families, leaving George with Levi and Hepsy. Although Phinehas was able to baptize his three older children and other family members, his dear wife was still not converted. When the Saints in Kirtland left for Far West, Missouri, young George accompanied Levi and Hepsy, who settled on Shoal Creek. They were part of the thirty or forty LDS families living in covered wagons and tents and a few cabins surrounding Jacob Haun’s mill.

Haun's Mill Massacre by CCA Christensen

Phinehas Richards was in Holliston, Massachusetts, when he received word that his son George Spencer had been murdered at Haun’s Mill, Phinehas immediately wrote to Wealthy with the terrible news, followed by these poetic words:

 

George, strong in faith, is gone.

An early Martyr in the cause of Zion

(Though Babylon Rage).

Lay not this thing too much at heart,

But trust in Christ alone,

And realize that God is right,

In taking of our son.

 Oh, the sacrifice of a mother—to lose a promising son to a cause in which she did not believe. Why could not George have been laid to rest beside her first three infant children instead of being lowered into an unfinished well? However, in her grieving, the Lord blessed her with two things: a comforted heart and a believing heart. Soon, she entered the waters of baptism and united her family in strength.

-MAURINE CARR WARD

This was not the first sacrifice Wealthy was asked to make, and it wasn't the last. More about Wealthy tomorrow.

The Voyage of the Windermere

Margaret Carol Pond Thorpe>Stillman Harris Pond>Martha Caroline Harris Pond>Harriet Ann Craner Harris>George Benjamin Craner

On the 22 February 1854, George Benjamin Craner(age 54), his wife Elizabeth (54), and his children Harriet (19), Ann (15), John (11), and Martha (9) set sail from Liverpool to the United States on the ship Windermere with a total of 477 Latter Day Saints.The following is a short description of their voyage. 

WARNING: Reading this may cause you to become extremely thankful for airplanes and/or grateful you don't have to travel to Zion.

“As the vessel started in motion the songs of Zion blending in the soul inspiring harmony, thrilled the souls of the passengers and their many friends standing on the shore gazing at the departed vessel, shouting farewell, goodbye, with eyes streaming with tears; doubtless, recalling that only the night before seven vessels with all aboard went down in the depths of the channel.

As the land disappeared in the distance the sweet singing ceased and many began to feel sick.  All that night the wind howled fiercely, the sea was rough, the ship was driven from its course towards the Isle of Aton. About 11 p.m. off Holy Head, which is a most dangerous point, and the scene of frequent ship wrecks, was passed. On the morning of the 23rd the sea was still rough and the wind was blowing. During the day the Windermere sailed by the remains of a wrecked vessel. Masts, sails, and other fragments were floating around. Likely, a few hours previous, many departed souls had tenaciously clung to these same objects for relief that never came. All had been consigned to a watery grave, for no signs of life remained and the rolling waves swept over the bodies of the lifeless sleepers, while the wind howled its requiem for the dead.

On the 12th of March from 7 to 8 in the morning an exceedingly fierce storm arose. The wind roared like one of our mountain winds. The masts cracked and the sails were cut to pieces. The Captain of the Windermere expressed fears that the ship couldn’t stand so heavy a sea, and in speaking to Daniel Garn, the President of the Saints on board said, “I am afraid the ship can’t stand this storm. Mr. Garn, if there be a God, as your people say there is, you had better talk to him if he will hear you. I have done all I can for the ship, and I am afraid with all that can be done, she will go down.”

Elder Garn went to the Elders, who presided over the nine wards in the ship and requested them to get all the Saints on board to fast and call a prayer meeting to be held in each ward at 10 a.m. and pray that we might be delivered from the danger. The waves dashed with white foam. The storm continued in all its fury but precisely at 10 a.m., the prayer meetings were held. The ship rolled from side to side. On one side the Saints were hanging by their hands and on the other they were standing on their heads. Then the ship would roll on the other side which would reverse their positions. About this time the large boxes which were tied with ropes under the berths broke loose and with pots, pans and kettles rolled with terrible force on each side of the vessel.
Although the prayers were fervent and earnest, as the pleading of poor souls brought face to face with danger and death, they ceased their prayers to watch and dodge the untied boxes and great confusion prevailed for some time. The wind roared like a hurricane. Sail after sail was torn to shreds and lost. The waves were very large and, as far as the eye could see, seemed to be one angry mass of rolling white foam. The hatches were fastened down. This awful storm lasted about 18 hours, and then abated a little, but it was stormy from the 8th of March until the 18th. Observation taken by the quadrant showed that the ship was in the same latitude as it was on the 8th.

On March 20th, which was two days after this terrible storm, the small pox broke out. One of three sisters was taken down with it. She had a light attack and recovered, but her two sisters then came down with it and both died. After that 37 others–40 in all, came down with it. 

Three days after the breaking out of the small pox the ship took fire under the cooking gallery. At this time, we had not seen land for three weeks or more. When the cry of “FIRE, the ships on FIRE” rang through the vessel, wild excitement and consternation prevailed everywhere. The sailors plied water freely. All the water buckets on board were brought into use and soon the fire was under control.

The passengers of the Windermere had passed through a terrible storm, the panic created by the ship taking FIRE, their number decreased by the small pox; still another fearful calamity threatened them. The fresh water supply was getting short and the stores of provisions were failing. The passengers were now limited to one hard small sea biscuit of a day’s rations.

New Orleans in 1852

On the morning of April 20th, the ship entered the mouth of the Mississippi River. The passengers were more glad to look upon the plantations of orange groves that bordered the banks of the river than the great strong surging waves of the Atlantic which they had left behind them.

They arrived at New Orleans the 24th of April 1854. During the voyage, there were six marriages, six births, and ten deaths.” (61 days on the water)

Sources: Histories, Vera McBride, Beth Sorenson

Book: Lewis John Bowen and Adelaide Honey, “Together Forever”, compiled and edited by Merlin Bowen, May 1996

You can read more about George Benjamin Craner HERE and HERE
You can read more about Elizabeth West Craner HERE
You can read more about Harriet Ann Craner Harris HERE and HERE

The Adventures of Samuel

  Margaret Carol Pond Thorpe>Chloe Judd>Joseph Judd>Samuel Judd

Samuel left his family in England to emigrate to the United States and Utah, planning to raise the funds for the rest of the family to emigrate. On his voyage across the Atlantic, however, he, with the other passengers, was shipwrecked. 

He worked his way back to England, and again embarked. This time the ship was quarantined for yellow fever and the passengers were banished to an island. Again he worked his way back to England and suffered a severe illness. 

The third time he took passage on the ship "The John Boyd", which left Liverpool April 23, 1862, under the direction of James S. Brown. Finally he had found a ship that would make it. The ship arrived at New York June 1st. He arrived in Salt Lake Valley in the fall of 1862 (2 Oct) and immediately traveled to St. George where he went to work to buy passage for his family and to provide a home for their arrival. What an adventure!

The Miracle of the Quail

Merrill Eugene Cook>Eliza Snow Bryson Cook>Samuel Bryson, Jr.>Samuel Cowan Bryson>Margaret Cowan Bryson

When the Saints were driven from Nauvoo, there was a group that was left behind. These were those that were too poor or too sick to make the journey. When Brigham Young realized that Hyrum Smith's widow, Mary Fielding Smith, was left behind, he sent wagons to fetch her and all her house. Our ancestor, Margaret Cowan Bryson, was working for Mary to pay back part of her passage from England. Mary had a very large household to take care of and Margaret did her best to help. She even drove one of the wagons across Iowa. But as these Saints gathered across the river from Nauvoo, knowing how hard the journey ahead was going to be and not having enough provisions, I'm sure the task seemed daunting. Then a miracle occurred.

"This miracle was vividly described by Thomas Bullock, one of the last band of refugees
from Nauvoo. Bullock was later a secretary to President Brigham Young. In a letter
written from Winter Quarters to Elder Franklin Richards published in the Millennial Star,
Bullock wrote: 

"On the 9' of October, several wagons with oxen having been sent by the Twelve to fetch the poor Saints away, were drawn up in a line on the river banks, ready to start. 

But hark! What noise is that? See the quails descend; they alight close by our little camp of twelve wagons, run past each wagon tongue, they arise, fly round the camp three times, descend, and again run the gauntlet past each wagon. See the sick knock them down with sticks, and the little children catch them alive with their hands. Some are cooked for breakfast, while my family were seated on the wagon tongues and ground, having a wash tub for a table. Behold, they come again. One descends upon our tabard, in the midst of our cups, while we were actually round the table eating our breakfast. Which a little boy about eight years old catches alive with his hands; they rise again, the flocks increase in number, seldom going seven rods from our camp,
continually flying around the camp, sometimes under the wagons, sometimes over, and even into the wagons, where the poor sick saints are lying in bed; thus having a direct manifestation from the Most High, that although we are driven by men, He has not forsaken us, but that His eyes are continually over us for good. At noon, having caught alive about 50 and killed some 50 more, the captain gave orders not to kill any more, as it was a direct manifestation and visitation from the Lord. In the afternoon hundreds were flying at a time. When our camp started at 3 p.m., there could not have been less than 500 (some say 1500) flying around camp. Thus, I am a witness to this visitation."

"Following this manifestation of divine providence, so like the miracle of the quails in the Old Testament record of the exodus from Egypt, the refugees continued their journey to Winter Quarters, with much less trouble than among those who had gone before. They arrived on the 27th of November, and Thomas Bullock records they found a city of about 700 houses, containing more than 4,000 Saints, built in less than three months."

You can read more about Margaret. Click Here

Heber's Request

Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Emily Randall Richards>Alfred Randall

This is a true story about Alfred Randall. His daughter, Lucy wrote this and his son, David, recalls hearing it several times.

Alfred Randall

A TRUE STORY IN FATHER’S LIFE

Joseph the Prophet, our dear Father knew.

Brigham and Heber, were friends of his too.

With them he oft mingled, in worship and prayer,

And at all times, was ready their troubles to share.

Heber wanted some money, a big sum too,

But where to get it he hardly knew.

The boys were going out on the dreary plains,

To help their poor comrades their rest obtain

Too they must do something for that noble band,

Who so willing took their lives in their hands.

Heber’s duty it was to get their supplies

“But where is the money?” was his frantic cries,

He was about to give up in despair

When he caught this message as it came through the air,

“There’s Alfred, the trusted, the staunch, and the true.

Ask him and see what his help will do.”

Now father at home was toasting his shins,

Thinking of the financial straits he was in,

All the money he could gather had been spent for dyes.

What could be done for the factory’s new supply.

A loud knock sounded, a cheery “Come in.”

“Good morning, Brother Alfred, so glad you are in.

A favor I want and the spirit made clear,

That you were the man; I could get the cash here.”

“I want three hundred, but two fifty will do.

I must have the money, so God help you.

You know it all goes for the boys’ supplies.

Now don’t say you’ve spent it all for new dyes.”

“Now come, Brother Alfred, don’t look so shocked.

Put on your hat and we’ll walk as we talk.”

They talked of hard times, of money, of men.

Then Heber going in for a shave said, “I’ll see you again.”

Then father walked back and forth in front of the store.

Then turned around and walked back once more.

Heber’s faith in him - - in God father’s trust

Could he get the money?  Yes, he must.

 

As if in answer to his uttered prayer,

He beheld a stranger approaching near.

With smiling face, and full of grace

He seemed to shed sunshine about the place.

About the country and weather a few words were passed,

Then father out with the question he had to ask,

“Say, stranger, you don’t happen to have two fifty.”

His hand went to his pocket and back in a jiffy.

He unfolded the paper and handed to father

Not two hundred and fifty - - but three hundred dollars.

Take this if it will help you.  Not five minutes ago

It came through the mail, how it found me I don’t know.

It’s money I never expected to get;

Use it and some day send me the check.

Don’t I want your note, you’re a stranger you say;

I trust you, stranger, please give me my way.

Heber came out, by this time he was through.

“Now let’s get busy, that money, there’s lots to do.”

Now father was happy and chuckled with glee.

“Here, Heber, is the money, three hundred you see.”

Now it was Heber’s turn to look amazed.

With shining countenance at father he gazed.

“Now Alfred, I want you to understand

That our Father in Heaven, has laid out this plan.

When doing his duty, God’s spirit guides man.”

                                                                Lucy Randall Koford

You can read more about Alfred HERE.

Wilford's Missionary Journal

Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Wilford Woodruff Richards

The following is copied in full from Elder Richards’ missionary journal while he served in Virginia. It shows his faith, obedience, and bravery.

“After dinner we were down by the stable talking when along came seventy-five men on horses.  Two of them came down and one said to the other, ‘That’s them. You stay here,’ while he rode his horse on a run to tell the crowd.  Up went a yell and here they came and surrounded us, some screaming, ‘Bring them out.  Whip them,’ while we stood there unconnected and asked them what was wrong.  All was silent till their noble (?) leader, Page, came up and asked why we did not leave when they notified us and I told them our president told us to remain.

“’Well,’ said Mr. Page, ‘we are able to run our own county.  This is ours and you must leave and never come back again or we will string you up.  Now mark this.’  They then ordered us to march out in front while they sent in for our satchels.  I asked them what law they had for the action they were taking and several of them shouted, ‘We are the law, and if you want any more we will send and get a rope.’

“After marching us to Mitchel’s corner, about a quarter of a mile from John W. Harris’, they called a halt to determine where they should take us west over the line between Hanover and Louisa counties, the president and secretary, John Page and John Moody, left the mob giving them orders to drive us out of the county.  We were ordered to march and while going along, they said they were going to whip Elder Cardon for insulting Page a few days previously when he came with the order for us to leave.

“One man said there were only two in the crowd who had heard us preach, so I asked the privilege of preaching them a farewell sermon, which was denied.  When we reached the line they called another halt and one man did the talking.  His speech was as follows:  ‘Gentlemen, we have now put you over the line and we are determined you shall not preach any more in our county.  We turn you loose unhurt, but if you ever come back we will hang you to the first tree, and we want you to promise not to come back.’

“I then, full of good wishes for all said, ‘Gentlemen, we make this promise on condition that you take a solemn oath to take all responsibility of driving us out,’ and asked God to be witness of it, which they did.  And nearly all came up and shook hands.

“I then asked God to forgive them as they knew not what they were doing, but commanded them to repent.  They then ordered us to start, and they went back, giving one loud whoop, reminding us of reading of the Indians’ war whoop.  We then retired to the woods and offered up thanks and gratitude to God for softening the hearts of the mob insomuch that we received no injury from them.”

You can read more from his mission journal, and more about his life Click Here

Margaret's Butterflies

Merrill Eugene Cook>Eliza Snow Bryson Cook>Samuel Bryson, Jr>Samuel Cowan Bryson>Margaret Cowan Bryson

 

 

Here is one version of the Butterfly Dream. It includes why Margaret had the dream and what it meant to her.

Margaret Cowan grew up in Ireland and was married to John Bryson.  Before long, he was called to fight for England in their struggle against Napoleon and like many others gave his life for his country.  He was killed in June 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo.

In August, after a son and only child was born to the grieving mother, she called him Samuel after his grandfather Cowan.

He was a blue-eyed vigorous lad filled with the spirit of adventure, which spirit led him to enlist in the Spanish Civil War at the age of 17.  He served for five years and fought in seven major battles, earning a gold medal for bravery.

His mother naturally worried over him while he was away, wondering if he would ever come home to her.  As she was a believer in God and his mercy, no doubt she prayed for him many times, at least an event happened which gave her hope and assurance.

One night when she was unusually disturbed, she had an unusual dream.  She thought she was given a lone butterfly which she was to cherish in her bosom.  Before long, another butterfly came out, then another and another till they came so fast she could not count them.  This she was sure was a sign given to her that her son would return and become the father of a numerous posterity.  This literally came true for many are his descendants, and to his children’s children, each new baby is another butterfly.  

Here's another telling of the dream:
Before the birth of her son, Margaret had a dream that has been handed down to us. She dreamed that from the front of her open dress flew a butterfly; and from the one, twenty more arose. Then from the twenty arose such a large number that the entire room was filled with butterflies. She did not live to see the fulfillment of her dream; but her son, Samuel, married two wives and had twenty children and it would be difficult to count the posterity of these twenty
children. For many years every new baby in the family was counted as one of “Aunt Margaret’s butterflies.”
You can read more about Margaret. Click Here

Elizabeth Neibaur Cook

Merrill Eugene Cook>Joseph Wolcott Cook-Elizabeth Neibaur Cook(wife 1)

This is a short bio on Elizabeth Neibaur Cook. I wish I knew more about her. Samantha saw this picture when she was 3 or 4 and exclaimed, "Oh, it's Mary Poppins!"

 
Elizabeth Neibaur was born January 9, 1859, at Salt Lake City, Utah; she was the daughter of Joseph William Neibaur and Elizabeth (Cranshaw) Neibaur.  Both of her parents were pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley, her father coming in 1848 and her mother arriving in 1854.  

Elizabeth was married October 4, 1883, in the Salt Lake Endowment House to Elder J. W. Cook.  On January 15, 1884, they moved to Border, Idaho, and on January 22, 1885, she gave birth to a son whom they named Joseph Wolcott Cook.  Elizabeth passed away shortly after on January 30, 1885, and her little son passed away the following spring.  They are both buried in Paris, Bear Lake County, Idaho.  

You can read more about Elizabeth. Click Here

Wyatt Pictures Stolen!

Dean Wyatt Thorpe>Antoinette Leavitt Wyatt Thorpe>John Horsecroft Wyatt>John Moses Wyatt-Sarah Caroline Horsecroft Wyatt

Okay, so I didn't really steal them, but I found these on another distant relative's blog (it's amazing what you can find on the internet). It is from someone's Book of Remembrance. The first picture is of John Moses Wyatt and his wife, Sarah Caroline Horsecroft, with all of their adult children. Our ancestor is the first one to the left of the parents.

This second picture is the same family but with pictures of their spouses included. Our ancestor, John, is now in the middle. His first wife, Sarah, died, and he remarried Julia, who is our ancestor, and later took Julia's sister, Betsy, as a plural wife. John, Julia, and Betsy are all buried next to each other sharing a headstone.

You can learn more about John Moses Wyatt HERE.
You can learn more about Sarah Caroline Horsecroft Wyatt HERE.
You can learn more about John Horsecroft Wyatt HERE.

Stillman's Faith

Margaret Carol Pond>Stillman Harris Pond>Martin Pond>Stillman Pond

Stillman Pond lost more than most when the Saints were expelled from Nauvoo. He, his pregnant wife, Maria, and their seven children were forced out of their home at the point of bayonet. They had few provisions for their journey across Iowa. As a result, one by one the children became ill and died, including the twins that Maria gave birth to in a wagon. Maria, weighed down by sorrow, and ill with consumption, finally died after standing at the gravesides of all of her children. Through all of this Stillman's faith never seemed to waver.

James E Faust spoke of Stillman Pond several times. He admired Stillman's courage and faith in the face of great adversity. Here is what he said:

“Having lost these nine children and his wife in crossing the plains, Stillman Pond did not lose his faith. He did not quit. He went forward. He paid a price, as have many others before and since, to become acquainted with God” (This account of the experiences of Stillman Pond was related by James E. Faust, “The Refiner’s Fire,” Ensign, May 1979, p. 54).

Stillman was blessed for his faith. He remarried and had fourteen more children. He served in many different callings, including Senior President of the 35th Quorum of the Seventy,  being an officiator in the Endowment House, and working on the St George Temple.  He was a farmer in Richmond, Utah, and was able to invest in ZCMI when it came there. He was honest, generous, hardworking and a great example of the kind of person I want to be.

You can learn more about Stillman HERE.

PDF Files Are Up!

The PDF files are now up. These are the posters that were hanging up at the family reunion in Nauvoo. Each person has a PDF file. Just click on their name and it will take you to a printable and downloadable page for them. Please forgive any spelling or other errors. For example, on Phineas Wolcott Cook's PDF his birth and death dates are wrong on the bio sheet but they are correct on the front side. I'll try to fix those as a future project.

Pedigree Charts Are Up!

I finally got the pedigree charts up. The link is on the left under "Pages." Everything on this site is listed under family line, starting with my great-grandparents. So, my grandfather is Dean Thorpe. His parents are Lorenzo Riggs Thorpe and Antoinette Leavitt Wyatt. On the left, under "Pages," there is a "Thorpe" page and a "Wyatt" page. The Riggs line is listed on the "Thorpe" page and the Leavitt line is listed on the "Wyatt" page. Does that make sense? If not, explore and you'll find who you're looking for eventually.
Oh, and all the pedigree charts are linked to the line they go with. Just click on the name under the picture.
Hope that helps!

Six Generations in One Picture!

Merrill Eugene Cook>Eliza Snow Bryson Cook>Polly Tryphena Fairchild Bryson

This is a news article we found among Grandma Cook's things. Tryphena is the one in the front middle. She died a year and a half after this picture was taken at the age of 96.

 And now, here's a picture of her when she was much younger.

 You can learn more about Tryphena HERE.

Cousins Everywhere!

Margaret Iva Richards>Emily Randall Richards>Alfred Randall

This is Alfred Randall's family group sheet with his wife, Margaret Elizabeth Harley. Today I found out that a member of our ward comes from Alfred and Margaret's 4th child, Margaret, while we come from Alfred's 7th child, Emily. Last month I found another family in the ward is related to us on Dad's side. It is a small world!

You can learn more about Alfred HERE.
You can learn more about Margaret HERE.

Margaret's Travels

Margaret Carol Pond>Chloe Judd Pond>Margaret Moffitt Judd>Margaret Easton Moffitt 

Margaret Easton was 15 when she traveled with her twin sister, Jane, her brother, Matthew, and her mother, Elizabeth, to the Valley in 1850. They left Liverpool 2 Mar on the ship, Hartley, and arrived in New Orleans 3 May. The following is a summary of her voyage. The captain reminds me of a terrible pirate in an adventure story.
"FORTY-EIGHT COMPANY. -- Hartley, 109 souls. The ship Hartley, carrying one hundred and nine souls of Latter-day Saints, bound for the Valley, sailed from Liverpool, March 2nd, 1850, under the presidency of Elder David Cook. This closed the emigration from Great Britain until the following September. After a passage of fifty-nine days the company arrived in New Orleans May 2nd, 1850, the emigrants generally enjoying good health. During the voyage there was but a very little sickness, but the Saints were much annoyed by the Irish passengers and the conduct of Captain Morrell was shameful, as he did all in his power to make their situation as miserable as possible; and when they were holding their meetings, he took particular pains to annoy them. But while he acted as a demon to the rest of the company, he was exceedingly kind and attentive to two or three females, whom he on different occasions invited into his cabin. These, however, were not members of the Church. Otherwise the voyage was a pleasant one, and the weather was fine and agreeable, so much so that not one of the ship's sails was ever reefed from the day the vessel sailed from Liverpool until its arrival in New Orleans. Only a very few of the passengers suffered from seasickness; no births or marriages occurred during the voyage, but one child died coming up the river on the first of May, and was buried in New Orleans. At New Orleans the company was met by church emigration agent, Thomas McKenzie, who accompanied the Saints up to St. Louis, Missouri, where they arrived about the middle of May. From thence a part, or all, of the emigrants continued the journey to the Bluffs. -- (Millennial Star, Vol. XII, pages 89, 216, 217, 252, 300.)" 

You can learn more about their voyage HERE. 
You can learn more about Margaret HERE.

James Davenport Accused!

Dean Wyatt Thorpe>Antoinette Leavitt Wyatt Thorpe>Julia Ann Leavitt Wyatt>Antoinette Davenport>James Davenport

A common source of merriment for the pioneers was to hold “mock trials” for various trumped-up charges. One account described such a trial one night in May 1847 “Under a full moon which made the campsite nearly as bright as day.... The members of the camp were gathered around listening to the strains of the violin. Then we had a mock trial in the case of the camp vs. James Davenport. He was charged with blockading the highway and turning ladies out of their course. We laughed until our sides split at R. Jackson Redding acting as presiding judge.” 

You can learn more about James HERE.

Thomas Leavitt's Encounter with the Indians

Dean Wyatt Thorpe>Antoinette Leavitt Wyatt Thorpe>Julia Ann Leavitt Wyatt>Thomas Rowell Leavitt

I found this story about Thomas on the blog of a distant relative. I hope he doesn't mind that I snagged it.

The family settled in Toole and Thomas worked for a few years with his brother in law William Hamblin. He worked a lot with the Indians and learned their language. When Thomas was 23 years old he met Ann Eliza Jenkins and they were married March 1, 1857. They settled in Cache County Utah. During their first year of marriage they had a pretty scary experience with the Indians. Thomas's sister Betsey was living with them because her husband was on a business trip to California. She tells the story in her own words.

"The morning had been chilly and clear with a stiff breeze blowing off the snow-capped mountains. Gleaming in the distance seven new log cabins stood proudly in a clearing near the point of a hill. Around the hill a rough trail wound its way. which had its beginning at Salt Lake City. Seven pioneer families had come with all they possessed to spend the spring and summer making butter and cheese. This was a profitable business. Instead of hauling their products regularly into Salt Lake City, they were assured a steady market and a good price from emigrant trains en route to California gold fields which eagerly bought up all the dairy and farm products they could supply. This was the beginning of Wellsville, Cache Valley, Utah. Salt Lake City was fast becoming an oasis in a desert to these weary travelers.

The cabin farthest from the point of the hill belonged to Betsey and William Hamblin and the one beside it belonged to her brother Thomas Rowell Leavitt and his wife Ann Eliza Jenkins. Betsey had come to live here while her husband William Hamblin was on a business trip to California. She came alone with her two children Billy, two-an-a half years and Jane, only two months. She brought a few milk cows, also her two white oxen which had drawn her wagon from Salt Lake City.

"On the morning our story begins Betsey and Ann were washing in Betsey's cabin when Thomas, having nothing more to do, sat on the hearth making bullets for their guns. Beside him lay a powder horn and bullet mold. On the glowing coals he held a frying pan in which a large bar of lead was slowly melting. It was now near noon and Betsey decided to build up a fire in the huge fireplace and prepare dinner. Needing wood and not wanting to disturb Thomas she ran to the wood pile a short distance from the house. As she bent to pick up the wood her ear caught the sound of horses' hooves. Her heart pounding in sudden fear, she glanced toward the trail just as the first of a band of Indians appeared around the point of the hill. Filled with the pioneers' dread of the Redskins She snatched the two keen-bladed axes and raced for the house. "Indians" she screamed. "Lots of them," By this time the Indians had been seen by the settlers. Ann had been sitting on the bed resting and thinking as she held baby Jane. It would not be long, only a few short months before she would be holding her own child in her arms. A glow spread over her sweet face and she smiled to herself happy anticipation.

Startled, she looked- up. She caught that one word "Indians". All the color drained from her face and her dark eyes reflected the horror of this word as no other instilled in her. "Dear Lord have mercy upon us," she cried, and fell in a dead faint. the baby slipping from her arms to the bed. Thomas sprang to her side and took her gently in his arms. Meanwhile Betsey snatched BiIly off the floor and placed him beside the baby on the bed saying, "Thomas, put Ann beside the children. Then help me move the bed into the corner so that the foot will be behind the door. Now I am going to prop the door wide open and you talk to them. If they are the Ute tribe you can talk to them if they give you a chance and I'll keep running bullets. We might need all we can make. So saying, Betsey quickly busied herself at the fire. She took a long thin pole sharpened at one end and stirred the fire. Then picking up the pan which held the lead Thomas had started to melt, she sat down on the hearth and went to work.

At almost the same instant Betsey had sighted the Indians, others had also seen them. Amid cries from women and children and hoarse shouts from the men, all rushed to their cabins. Doors were shut and bolted and guns snatched from brackets over the beds. Now grim-faced men watched the approach of the band through the cabin portholes.

Strange to say the Indians did not stop when they reached the first cabins, but silent, grim and forbidding, as their chief who led them, they filed past, not stopping until they reached Betsey's cabin where they quickly formed a semicircle. They quickly dismounted, securely holding their horses by the lariats which were tied around the horses' necks. Their bows and arrows were held in the other hand. The chief took his place in the center facing the white man Thomas, standing in the door. The picture they formed as they crowded their horses together was one to chill the heart of a much older and harder man than Thomas who was only twenty-three. There must have been a hundred savages, their bodies, save for a loin cloth, were naked and painted, their hair had been plastered with mud and feathers were stuck in the back, but the most horrible picture of all was the scalps dangling from their waists. Beautiful brown tresses of some unfortunate girl and long, grey hair of some elderly lady, were reminders of recent savage brutality.

It seemed to Thomas he lived a lifetime when waited for silence among the Indians. When the last horse was quieted he stepped into the circle and called a greeting to the chief. A grunt was the only answer as the chief glowered at him, hate and lust to kill in his black eyes. Thomas went bravely on with his speech. Speaking slowly and weighing ever word carefully, "We are peaceful people. We have never harmed you or your people. We ask you not to harm us." "Ugh," grunted the chief. "White men liars. We kill all white men. My braves want blood revenge for brothers killed." In his hand he held a long thin pole sharpened to a point at one end, not unlike Betsey's poker. Now he raised his hand and threw it to the ground with such force it stood; upright, buried in the earth deep enough to hold the rest of its weight. Immediately scores of arrows from his warriors encircled it. His brain; working with lightning rapidity, Thomas slipped quickly back into the cabin. Going up to Betsey he said "Do you know what that means?" Betsey answered, "Yes, I know, but Thomas we will not give up here."

Laying his hand on her shoulder he said, "That kind of courage always wins the day." He seized the poker from beside the fireplace, then standing in the doorway he raised to his toes and threw it with all his strength close beside the chiefs spear. The makeshift spear stood just as proudly as the Indian chiefs in the circle of arrows. A surprised grunt came from the chief and he eyed Thomas with his hostile eyes. The white man walked boldly to where the chief stood beside his horse. Immediately the silence was broken as the savages, keeping time with their moccasined feet, started a low weird chanting of their war song. Thomas joined his voice with those of the warriors, singing as he had never sung before in his whole life. After the song ended each warrior, placing his hand over his mouth, gave I blood curdling war whoop. The chief, laying his hand over Thomas' heart said, "White man brave, white man not afraid."

Thomas spoke again, "My sister and I and the other people in their cabins do not want to die, we want to live and be friends to the red man. Do you want to die? Do you love your warriors?" At once the chief swept the circle with his hand and then placed his hand over his heart. "Yes, I love them very much. They are all brothers to me." Thomas took advantage of this. "We may die, but some of your warriors that you say you love will die also—maybe even you, their chief will die first, for inside every cabin are white men with guns watching you through little holes in the wall. lf you start to kill us they will kill many of you with the guns that are all loaded and pointed at you right now."

At this point the Indians began their war chant again. To Thomas it seemed to hammer at his brain and the whole thing seemed like a horrible nightmare closing in on him. The stench from the Indians' bodies, the horses and scalps made him deathly sick. With an effort he pulled himself together. He stepped back into the house and went quickly to Betsey's side. "Betsey," he said in a steady voice, "the chief says we are brave people and because we are so brave he will be good to us and those in their cabins if we will give them all of our cattle, food and clothing, they will let us go peaceful over the mountain to Salt Lake City."

As the full import of the proposition struck home to her, she jumped to her feet. standing straight and bravely before him she said, with deep feelings, "No, Thomas, no. We will not do that. It would only mean death in the end, if not from cold then from starvation. We could not hope to get over the mountain. There is still snow in the pass. We will die fighting first."

"You are right." said Thomas. "I'll go and see what the others say. The chief has granted me permission to talk to them." He was back in a few minutes. "Most of them say accept the terms. They say maybe they will take everything."

"Thomas," said Betsey thoughtfully, "if the Lord has made these Indians merciful enough to suggest terms at all when they can take everything by killing us and the price would be just a few warriors, then I feel He is opening the way to spare our lives. Go tell them they can have the two white oxen and that is all. Tell the chief I have my gun aimed at his heart and he will be the first to die, but tell him this as a last resort."

Again Thomas stepped out into the semi-circle. He strode up to where the chief stood waiting, stopping only a few feet from him. He drew himself up and looking the chief full in the face he spoke swiftly in the Indian dialect. "My sister and I cannot accept your terms because we would all die anyway. We could not get through the deep snow in the mountain pass, with no covering for our bodies, for we are not tough like your warriors. My brave sister says for you to take the two white oxen because they are the best we have and are fit even for an Indian chief. Take these and go in peace."

Thomas held his breath while the chief gave him a grim solid look. Suddenly the chief seized Thomas in his strong, brawny arms. He hugged him as though he could not restrain his admiration for this white man's bravery. Betsey, watching from the cabin, almost fainted. She thought surely her brother was being killed. Then she breathed again as she saw the chief release Thomas. This broke the silence. "White man and squaw talk brave, very brave. We no kill. Take oxen and go."

Map of Wellsville
You can learn more about Thomas HERE.

Sarah Leavitt Statue

Dean Wyatt Thorpe>Antoinette Leavitt Wyatt Thorpe>Julia Ann Leavitt>Thomas Rowell Leavitt>Sarah Studevant Leavitt

How about another statue today. This one is of Sarah Studevant Leavitt. It is located in Southern Utah in a small town outside of St George. Surrounding this statue is a bust of each of her children with a short bio for them. Sarah was an amazing woman!

 You can learn more about Sarah HERE.

Statue of Willard

Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Wilford Woodruff Richards>Franklin Dewey Richards-Mary Thompson Richards-Willard Richards




Brigham Young with his counselors Heber C Kimball and Willard Richards







You can read more about Willard HERE.

A young Margaret Richards

We found this in a box of Grandma's stuff. It's amazing how young and innocent she looks. I love the glasses!

1949

Emily with eleven of her children.

Back row: Franklin, Carol, Pearl, Helen, Margaret, Ross
Front row: Ireta, Mary, Wilford, Emily, Laura, Ruth

Family History - I am doing it!

To start things off, I thought I'd share a little piece of our history:

Timo's birth announcement