Next year we are studying the New Testament in seminary so I thought I'd get started reading the course work. Usually when reading Matthew I skip the begats, but this time I took a moment to reminisce over some of the names that we had just studied in the Old Testament. As I read each name I was impressed with the thought that the people who begat us are real people whose lives can greatly impact ours. I started to feel grateful to the ancestors who lived and died and bore children so that I could have my turn. That very day my daughter-in-law had asked who the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints were in our family. Propelled by these thoughts and questions I did a little browsing on familysearch.com through my family tree. Technically, "begat" is usually used with fathers as in "sire, but I will be using it for mothers as in " create" I read about the courageous and faithful women who begat my family and also begat traditions of religion and motherhood and perserverance and sacrifice and grit. Thanks to these women, I have been raised in a church which is the greatest blessing of my life. Because of them I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that my family is forever and living God's commandments is the surest way to joy and happiness. I read the scriptures that give me constant peace and sustenance and inspiration and I know to whom I pray for help and guidance. I have received the crucial saving ordinances which were performed by those holding the priesthood of God as authorized by Jesus Christ in his church on earth.
For Mother's Day (11 days ago) I would like to pay tribute to these women who were the first women in my family tree to be baptized as members of Jesus Christ's restored gospel.
ELIZABETH BARTLETT and her husband, Jeremiah Woodbury were living in Salem, MA when missionaries taught them the message of the restored gospel. They became interested and after studying the principles they accepted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and applied for baptism. They soon desired to join with the other saints. They sold their property at considerable sacrifice and traveled to Nauvoo, IL
ANN QUAYLE who was married to George Cannon was born on the Isle of Man, England. She recognized the missionaries who were sent by her brother in law as good men and listened to their message. This family joined the church and desired also to gather with others of their faith in America. However, Ann was pregnant and had a premonition that she would die at sea. Her husband had had a dream previously of her dying and was afraid to make the journey. She said, it did not matter. She wanted her children in America, if they stayed in England and she died there, her family would never allow her children to leave. They embarked on the journey and she did, in fact, die at sea. Her children traveled with their father and other family members until they reached UT. Ann Q. Cannon has a vast posterity.
REBECCA NICHOLSEN was born in in Thorne, England in 1819. She received a fair education excelling in needle work. At the age of 16 she met James Sylvester who was an apprentice in the cutlery business. After 3 years of dating they were married. The had 5 children, 4 of whom were living when they heard the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints being preached. They joined the church and started saving all that they could to move to America. They embarked on the ship, Zetland. They made money in America by buying second hand furniture and stoves, repairing and then selling. Rebecca also taught school. While crossing the plains, 2 widows requested she bring their children with her. So Rebecca left her feather bed, dishes and many other possessions behind in order to make room for the orphans.
MARY YOUNGER was born in 1792 in Chatham, NC. Mary was the granddaughter of Major John Nalls who fought on the side of the colonists in the Revolutionary war. When Major Nalls was coming home from the war he was assassinated. His wife offered a reward to find him, and his body was found in a well years later. Mary was a capable and independent woman who had been trained in carding, spinning, weaving and sewing. She married when she was 25. She and her husband, John Mayberry, had 6 children and had moved to a farm in Murray Co. TN. When the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came to preach the gospel they made their headquarters in the Mayberry home. The Mayberrys were converted and sold their property and moved to Jackson Co. MO. At that time a mob of several hundred men came to inflict abuse upon the Latter-Day Saints. Mary was among those who hid among the grove of trees and returned to find their homes and property destroyed. In November they were forced to leave. 1200 people camped on the banks of the MO river where the rain came down in torrents. Her husband became crippled at this time because of the hardships and exposure.They moved to Caldwell county and then on to Commerce, IL. There was much sickness among the people. She sewed to earn a living for her family and helped nurse the sick for charity. After the death of the prophet and continued abuse by mobs the saints started to leave IL to go to UT. Mary's son Gilbert went with the advanced company. She stayed behind with her ill husband and 3 youngest boys. Two of her sons were captured by the mobs and put in prison for 18 months. When they were released Mary tried to leave, but had no horses. Her sons, David and Joseph went looking for them and found them in a corral. David rounded up their horses, but the mobs caught him and hung him in front of his brother. Joseph was put in prison for 6 years before he was released with no charges. Mary traveled with her husband and youngest son and no horses. Mary's family arrived in Salt Lake in the fall of 1852. She found her son, Gilbert, and they began to make a home with Mary continuing to sew and nurse to provide for her family. Mary's husband died in 1857. Mary died in Hooper, UT in 1878 loved and honored by all.
HANNAH SMITH wife of Thomas Tew Sr. was born in End Row, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, 29 April 1811, daughter of William Smith and Catherine Jaundrell. She married Thomas Tew 30 January 1832 in Aston, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.
She was a fine loveable woman. She dearly loved her eleven children. She was a hard worker, skimping and saving in every way to make a comfortable home for her family, even taking in washing at times.
Shortly after her marriage, her husband became ill with rheumatism so sever he could not feed himself. He was in that condition eleven mouths. During this time she took a little shop, selling tea, coffee and notions. She could not leave the shop alone while she went to market, so she put her husband in a chair filled with pillows, and left him to watch. When customers came for groceries, they would take what they wished to purchase, and change their own money from the box near him.
They arrived in America in 1855, crossing the Great Plains as early day pioneers in the wagon train company of Milo Andrews to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Then going on south to Springville, Utah where they were united with their eldest son Thomas Tew Jr. This entire journey being by Ox team.
Hannah lived a long eventful and uncomplaining life, full of faith and love. She passed away 11 February 1881, and was buried in Springville City Cemetery, Springville, Utah.
(I hope my biography says "She lived a long eventful and uncomplaining life, full of faith and love." I'm starting right now.)
MAGDALENA PICKLE was born 6 June 1788 in Stone Arabia, NY. On 18 Oct. 1809 she married Edmund Durfee in Tiverton, RI. They settled in Lennox, NY and had 6 children. They moved to Amboy, NY where her husband worked as a carpenter and millwright. Magdalena tapped maple trees and made syrup. Later they moved to Ruggles, OH where they were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on June 1, 1831. Magdalena was soon left alone with the children while her husband served a mission. After his return in 1833 they moved to Kirtland, OH and helped build the temple. They suffered great persecution from the mobs and moved to Yelrome, IL, 27 miles south of Nauvoo. On Sept. 10 1845, armed ruffians rode to their home, ordered the family outside and set fire to their home. The mob allowed them to harvest their crops, but while doing so Edmund was shot and killed by an assassin's bullet. Magdalena crossed the Mississippi river on ice and spent the winter at Winter Quarters. She had married Edmund's brother and was making plans to leave from Council Bluffs when she died on May 17, 1850.
SARAH RASMUSSEN was born in Lystrup, Aarhus, Denmark, on September 6, 1827, the daughter of Rasmus Poulsen and Anne Jorgensen Poulsen. Want and poverty of the family at the time of Sarah’s birth, were intensified by the death of her father when she was one year old. This event forced Sarah to obtain employment at a very early age in order to aid her mother in providing the necessities of life. At the age of 14, an additional burden was thrust upon her by the untimely death of her mother.
Her employment, both during the years prior to and after her mother’s death, was somewhat varied but, of necessity, it was continuous. She did housework as well as other unskilled tasks, including that of working in the harvest fields. Although thrifty and energetic by nature, it was impossible, under the circumstances, for her to attend school regularly. Her education, therefore, was limited to the mere fundamentals of reading, writing and arithmetic.
When twenty four year of age, she was employed by my Niels Pedersen As a result of this employment, she met his son, Anders Nielsen and they were married on September 5, 1851. Through thrift and hard work, they were able to acquire a small home in Aarhus where their first three children were born—Caroline, Anthon and Peter.
A study of the Latter-day Saint gospel convinced them of its truthfulness and, on March 22, 1861, they, together with their daughter Caroline, were baptized by Andrew Frandsen. Their affiliation with the Church was strongly opposed by many of their relatives, including her father-in-law, who was considered well-to-do as a plantation owner. Their faith, however, was not to be shaken and, as a result, Anders was disinherited. Some relatives attempted to obtain legal custody of the two eldest children on the grounds that they should not be reared as “Mormons”. This attempt failed and, since the parents refused to voluntarily release any of the children, the efforts of those relatives were thwarted.
On April 9, 1862, Sarah and her family, consisting of her husband and their three children, together with 323 other converts to the gospel, embarked for America on the sailboat Hamburg. The trip across the water was rather uneventful and extremely monotonous. Perhaps the greatest relief from the boredom generated by six weeks on the slow ocean voyage was provided by the ship’s officers and crew, many of whom never tired of showing little kindnesses to the children of the party and attempting to keep them amused and happy. These little acts of kindness were never forgotten by my grandparents, and I am certain that other parents in the party were equally grateful. On May 20, 1862, the party arrived in New York, from which point began the long and tiresome trek across the continent to the land of Zion.
The first leg of their trip, from New York City to Florence, Nebraska, was made partially by rail and partially by boat. At this point, they were detained for fourteen weeks waiting for teamsters from Utah who had been delayed due to high waters in streams to be crossed in the course of the long journey. On July 24, 1862, the emigrant train, under the leadership of John R. Murdock, left Florence with a feeling of thankfulness in their hearts and a great hope for their future in the Promised Land.
For their trek across the plains and through the mountains, arrangements were made for the family to share, with three other families, one of the wagons of a Danish driver who owned four ox teams. A young milk cow was taken along to provide milk and butter for the travelers. The task of churning was simplified by hanging a pail or can of cream on the wagon and permitting the jolting of the wagon to churn the butter. It proved to be an effective and easy method. As a means of partially paying the teamster for the family’s transportation, Sarah cooked, washed and mended for him. This, of course, she did in addition to caring for the needs of herself and the other four members of her family.
After completing approximately one half the journey from Florence to Salt Lake City, one of the women of the group gave birth to a child and, at about this same time, which was some time in August, 1862, Sarah was stricken with Mountain Fever, which left her in poor health until December of the same year. Under these conditions, the entire family suffered many privations and experienced many difficulties.
The group arrived in Salt Lake City on September 27, 1862, very poor in a material sense, but full of courage and determination to reap the benefits offered by the land which they had struggled so hard to reach. With none of their small fortune left, but only their hands, their courageous hearts and their faith in the gospel, they began to plan and build a home for themselves and their children.
After spending approximately one year in Salt Lake City, they moved to Fairview, Sanpete County, Utah, where they made a home in the form of a “dugout”, which is simply an excavation in the earth with a dirt roof over it. This served as their home for seven years while they went about their task of providing for their family and attempting to accumulate enough to provide a better home and a better and richer livelihood.
ANN PALMER was born 5 June 1813 in Staffordshire, England. She married Robert James Watkins on 24 January, 1836 in Byton, England. They were baptized in April 1842. In 1843 they emigrated to America and joined the saints in Nauvoo, IL. She died that year. Her daughter and husband traveled on to UT.
ISABELLA SOBERS was born Feb. 21, 1802 in Newport, VT. She met and fell in love with William Manning and they were married in Phelps, NY in 1820. The Mannings heard and accepted the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in 1827. They sold their property and moved to Moundsville, OH. Times were very difficult and persecution of all the saints in the area was very bad. The Mannings also suffered personal trial. Of the 8 children born to them, only 1 survived. They finally migrated to Illinois, but once again they were driven by the mobs. They traveled across Iowa to Winter Quarters. They were assigned to the Uriah Curtis Company. This company left late in June 1852. They arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley on October 1, 1852. Isabella was 50 when she traveled across the plains to UT. William Manning died in Alpine on January 28, 1868 at the age of sixty-six. Isabella, his wife, died ten years later in Richfield, Utah on February 28, 1878 at the age of seventy-six.
ELIZABETH DANIELS was born in 1824 in Chelsea, London, England, not too far from Buckingham Palace. Records show that her family worked for the royal family. She spoke of living in a moderately sized old house with a garden in the back. Her mother died when she was just a child. When Elizabeth was thirteen she saw Queen Victoria at the time of her coronation.
When Elizabeth was sixteen she became acquainted with the L.D.S. Church through missionaries from America. Her father was a very strong member of the Church of England and would have nothing to do with the Mormons. Elizabeth acquired a Book of Mormon and continued to read it. Her father told her she would have to find another place to live if she insisted on following the Latter-Day Saints. Later he apologized and allowed her to return. She was baptized when she was 17 and traveled to America with a group of Saints. Her father did not join the Church but did give her money to make the voyage.
She eventually traveled to Ohio where she married Matthew Galland Casto. They lived just east of the city of Nauvoo where they remained after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1844. They were forced to flee in 1847 when the mob attacked Matthew who lay ill with typhoid. His beating and exposure to the cold left him crippled and only with the help of Orson Hyde did they make it across the icy river, and finally to Winter Quarters, now known as Council Bluff, Iowa
They traveled across the plains in the company of Orson Hyde. When they arrived in Utah they moved to Manti and later Salina. Elizabeth made friends with the Indians there and they brought her buckskin which she made into gloves and moccasins. She used the education she received in England to get a job as a school teacher. Matthew cared for their youngest child, Emily, while his wife was away at school.
Elizabeth died 17 Feb. 1903 in Monroe, UT
CHRISTINA PETERSEN KNUDSEN was born in Randers Denmark in 1837. She married Henrik Buchholz Christensen 11 June 1862 in Randers Denmark. They had one little girl, Emma Annette Agnes Christensen. The Christensens belonged to the local Lutheran Church until they heard the Latter-Day-Saint missionaries. They were convinced of the truth and joined the Church in Denmark. Once the minister called on Christina to try and persuade her return to the old church and leave the Mormon faith. but she was firm in her new faith. The family left Denmark to gather with other saints in UT in 1874. Henrik was a talented painter and painted the inside of the Manti temple. Christina had worked as a nurse in Denmark when Henrik was a soldier. She died December of 1885.
CAROLINE MARGRETHE CHRISTINE LARSEN was eleven years of age when she heard some religious talks that were different from those of the Lutheran Church to which she belonged. These talks seemed clearer and more reasonable to her young mind. A year later, 1852, with her parents’ consent, she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. She was twelve years old. She had been quite a favorite of the Lutheran minister in her home town, and he not being quite happy at the turn of events, wanted her to come into his own home as a daughter to be educated befitting her station that he and his wife could give her. But she steadfastly refused and for ten years suffered the jibes and enmities of former acquaintances and friends. During these years, the thought of immigrating to the America was uppermost in her mind, as it was with most of the LDS converts of the day. .Caroline worked on a large country estate where women did much of the farm work. She milked cows, strained the milk into large crockery pans and put it in the cool cellars and she churned it into butter. She washed clothes, rubbing the soiled clothing between her hands or beat it with a stick. She ironed and she scrubbed the floors. She helped with the meat in the fall, salting and placing it in brine. She wore wooden shoes, and
In spite of toil of various kinds, she was happy during the ten years she prepared for migration to America. She was gaining many skills that were of definite benefit during the first years of pioneering in Utah. In mid-nineteenth century Europe, people who owned great estates were often capable of performing many homely and difficult tasks. The Lady of Elebe was one of these. She could spin and weave and sew. She liked Caroline who showed a disposition and a willingness to learn the arts of homemaking and housekeeping. She taught Caroline how to spin and weave and sew, to do plain cooking and many other arts. Caroline became very apt and expert in these arts. She made her own clothing from the raw materials to the finished garment. Caroline made a linen shirt for herself from the flax she grew herself to the last stitch in the cloth. Later, she made a petticoat for one of her daughters out of that shirt.Years later in Utah, when the clothing of her husband was worn out, she washed, carded, spun and wove wool into cloth, then cut it and sewed it into a suit for him to wear. She also made her children’s clothing the same way.
Caroline learned English after her arrival in Utah, but always had a strong accent.
On the trek she met Hans Peter Moller. Owing to a serious illness Hans Peter had, they married near Omaha on June 22, 1862. That way, Caroline could better care for him.
Caroline walked most of the way from Omaha to Salt Lake City.
In UT Hans Peter taught school with a salary of a few potatoes, a few carrots, a little wheat for flour, and little of this and that as people could pay. He was often paid late. He made shoes at night when he could find and purchase leather.
Both Hans Peter and Caroline believed most sincerely that they must do for others what they could. Many people stayed with the Millers for various periods of time. Especially immigrants who were converted to the LDS Church in Europe or Mexico. They were fed by the Millers until they could find employment and get out on their own. One family lived with the Millers off and on for several years.
Caroline spent the last four years of her life with her daughter Eleanora in the “old home” in Richfield. During a visit to her daughter Caroline in Gunnison, she died on June 23, 1923.
Caroline was honest, earnest, courageous and benevolent.
MARY COWAP was born in the cathedral town of Northwich, in Cheshire County, England on 27 July 1796, the eldest of two daughters of William Cowap and Phoebe Burroughs. At age 20 she married Richard Worthen about 1816. They were the parents of 10 children, 8 boys and 2 girls. Two of their children died in England.
In 1840, the Worthen family joined the LDS church and by the year 1844 they were in Nauvoo, IL. In 1845 Richard died in Nauvoo. In 1849 three of their boys died. Two were swept off a ferry in the Des Moines River. By the year 1850, when Mary Cowap Worthen set out from Nauvoo to go to UT she was a widow with just two sons John and Samuel. Her other daughter, Jane, had died in New Orleans.
Mary and her sons came to UT and settled in Salt Lake City. Samuel was a member of the brass band and served as a bugler during the Echo Canyon Campaign. He was a mason by trade and was called to help colonize Southern UT in 1882.
Mary with her other surviving son, John, remained in the Salt Lake area, and in 1872 she died.
Thank you lovely great-great-great-great grandmothers and Happy Mother's Day
We all gathered back at the house for a very nice lunch that Mallory prepared and even got to watch the streaming BYU track race from CA. This was exciting because Mal's brother Marcus was running, and although he isn't related to me, he's related to my relatives so I was still proud.
