Sally Forbush Hill was my great, great, great grandmother. Leonard and Sally Hill left
Nauvoo in the spring of 1846 headed for Utah. When the members of the church
were driven by mobs out of Nauvoo, the family headed west in a handcart
company. After crossing the Des Moines River, the sanitary conditions
were so bad that the family took sick. During this time, Leonard and his
baby son, Jasper died. The family was so poor that they did not have
enough money to bury them. A man seeing their plight took the family to
his farm, gave them one room in his home to live in, put their cattle in
his pasture and buried Leonard and baby Jasper in his family burying
ground. The family stayed there a long time because Sally and her oldest son, Charles, were so ill. In early February
1847 the remaining family members reached the east side of the Missouri
river. From lack of food and exposure to the cold, Sally again
took sick and died on February 17, 1847 in Council Bluffs,
Iowa. Her children pulled her body on a hand sled across the Missouri
river to bury her on a hill on the west side of the river in the Winter
Quarters Cemetery, grave #140. Then
tragedy struck again when their oldest brother, Charles, died on May 6,
1847. He is also buried in the Winter Quarters Cemetery – grave #146.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Chloris Hill... Jasper Franklin Hill... Heaman Alison Hill... Sally Forbush
Sunday, January 18, 2015
George Lee
George Lee was my great, great, great grandfather.
He was born September 27, 1824 in Kegby, Nottinghamshire,
England, son of John Shallcross Lee and Mary Olivant Lee.
As a young man, George moved from Nottingham to Sheffield, Yorkshire, and worked as an apprentice as a table knife grinder. He married Sarah Peaker in Sheffield on August 10, 1845. While in Sheffield, they accepted the gospel and immigrated with their three children to America with the Saints in 1853. Their oldest daughter, Mary Ann, was my great, great grandmother. They moved to Hanover, Connecticut in 1853 where he worked at his trade as knife grinder. Eventually, they joined the Saints in 1859 in Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha) and immigrated to Utah as part of Captain Edward Stevenson’s wagon company, leaving on June 26 and arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in September of 1859. One child was born to them while crossing the plains. Captain Stevenson asked permission to name this little one and he called the child Moroni. The baby died two days later and was buried on the plains, at a designated place on Elm Creek. George covered the grave with large rocks for protection from the elements and wolves.
After arriving in Utah September 16, 1859, they went to live near Neff Mill on Mill Creek. They also lived in Little Cottonwood where he worked as a farm laborer and gardener. While there he had a plow made from wagon tires of Johnson’s army wagons. The plow has been kept over the years in the Pioneer Relic Hall in Franklin, Idaho.
They moved to Farmington in the fall of 1860, living there and farming for two years. Then in 1862 the family moved to Franklin, which was considered part of Utah at the time, where they lived in the Old Fort. George Lee lived on the south side of the fort. It was a rectangular shape with 92 houses covering about 17 acres with public corrals and a log school house inside the Fort. This school house was the first in Idaho.
In December of 1863 a baby girl, Fanny Emma, was born to them while living at the Fort. George Lee and his wife, Sarah, had 12 children; however, only 5 daughters lived to adulthood.
Goerge was a member of the choir in Franklin, Idaho. His occupation was identified as Indian fighter. Those days were treacherous times for the settlers as they were the most northern settlers at that time. The settlers were always alert to Indian difficulties. Their stock was guarded constantly, but they lost many horses and cattle. To avert trouble many times they gave the Indians some of their food supply, flour and even cattle. There were no open hostilities until January 1863 when the battle known to historians as the Battle Creek Massacre was fought at the junction of Battle Creek and Bear River, which is about 12 miles north of Franklin. Over 300 Indian men, women, and children were killed. After the fighting was over, the men of Franklin took teams and sleighs and helped remove the wounded soldiers and Indians and also the Indian women and children. Because of the snow and cold, many had frozen feet. They were all brought to Franklin and cared for until they could be taken elsewhere. The settlers felt sorrow to think that peace had to come in such a tragic way, for many peaceful Indians including women and children had been killed in the bloody battle. It did, however, make it possible for the pioneers to move and begin to take up locations that had been unsafe until now.
The last major Indian trouble occurred on Sept. 1, 1864. Hundreds of Indians were camped north of town and some obtained liquor from two settlers. A drunken Indian tried to ride his horse over a white woman and one of the settlers shot him to save her life. Then, fearful of the consequences, the man escaped by horse. The Indians took another man captive, threatening to kill him if the offending white man was not delivered to them. Throughout the night, Bishop Hatch pleaded with the Indians, and messengers rode to other towns for help. The next morning 300 Minute Men arrived from Logan who held a conference with Chief Washakie. The settlers gave two yoke of oxen as peace offerings, and the Indians began to disperse. The Indians were stubborn about giving up their extensive lands, and so remained rather troublesome for many years. But their strength was primarily crushed with these two incidents.
Now that the Indian trouble had diminished to the point that they felt they were safe, the residents began moving to their newly surveyed lots. So the spring and summer of 1864 were spent building homes—this time on their community lots. As soon as they could, they moved from the fort to their homes. Thus began a new life for these people…out of the protections of the fort.
George Lee died October 29, 1868 in Franklin,
Utah, where he was buried. Under the Territorial Act of Utah in 1869, Franklin became incorporated and considered itself part of Utah until 1872 when it was determined that it was in Idaho, thus it turned out to be the oldest town in the State of Idaho.
As a young man, George moved from Nottingham to Sheffield, Yorkshire, and worked as an apprentice as a table knife grinder. He married Sarah Peaker in Sheffield on August 10, 1845. While in Sheffield, they accepted the gospel and immigrated with their three children to America with the Saints in 1853. Their oldest daughter, Mary Ann, was my great, great grandmother. They moved to Hanover, Connecticut in 1853 where he worked at his trade as knife grinder. Eventually, they joined the Saints in 1859 in Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha) and immigrated to Utah as part of Captain Edward Stevenson’s wagon company, leaving on June 26 and arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in September of 1859. One child was born to them while crossing the plains. Captain Stevenson asked permission to name this little one and he called the child Moroni. The baby died two days later and was buried on the plains, at a designated place on Elm Creek. George covered the grave with large rocks for protection from the elements and wolves.
After arriving in Utah September 16, 1859, they went to live near Neff Mill on Mill Creek. They also lived in Little Cottonwood where he worked as a farm laborer and gardener. While there he had a plow made from wagon tires of Johnson’s army wagons. The plow has been kept over the years in the Pioneer Relic Hall in Franklin, Idaho.
They moved to Farmington in the fall of 1860, living there and farming for two years. Then in 1862 the family moved to Franklin, which was considered part of Utah at the time, where they lived in the Old Fort. George Lee lived on the south side of the fort. It was a rectangular shape with 92 houses covering about 17 acres with public corrals and a log school house inside the Fort. This school house was the first in Idaho.
In December of 1863 a baby girl, Fanny Emma, was born to them while living at the Fort. George Lee and his wife, Sarah, had 12 children; however, only 5 daughters lived to adulthood.
Goerge was a member of the choir in Franklin, Idaho. His occupation was identified as Indian fighter. Those days were treacherous times for the settlers as they were the most northern settlers at that time. The settlers were always alert to Indian difficulties. Their stock was guarded constantly, but they lost many horses and cattle. To avert trouble many times they gave the Indians some of their food supply, flour and even cattle. There were no open hostilities until January 1863 when the battle known to historians as the Battle Creek Massacre was fought at the junction of Battle Creek and Bear River, which is about 12 miles north of Franklin. Over 300 Indian men, women, and children were killed. After the fighting was over, the men of Franklin took teams and sleighs and helped remove the wounded soldiers and Indians and also the Indian women and children. Because of the snow and cold, many had frozen feet. They were all brought to Franklin and cared for until they could be taken elsewhere. The settlers felt sorrow to think that peace had to come in such a tragic way, for many peaceful Indians including women and children had been killed in the bloody battle. It did, however, make it possible for the pioneers to move and begin to take up locations that had been unsafe until now.
The last major Indian trouble occurred on Sept. 1, 1864. Hundreds of Indians were camped north of town and some obtained liquor from two settlers. A drunken Indian tried to ride his horse over a white woman and one of the settlers shot him to save her life. Then, fearful of the consequences, the man escaped by horse. The Indians took another man captive, threatening to kill him if the offending white man was not delivered to them. Throughout the night, Bishop Hatch pleaded with the Indians, and messengers rode to other towns for help. The next morning 300 Minute Men arrived from Logan who held a conference with Chief Washakie. The settlers gave two yoke of oxen as peace offerings, and the Indians began to disperse. The Indians were stubborn about giving up their extensive lands, and so remained rather troublesome for many years. But their strength was primarily crushed with these two incidents.
Now that the Indian trouble had diminished to the point that they felt they were safe, the residents began moving to their newly surveyed lots. So the spring and summer of 1864 were spent building homes—this time on their community lots. As soon as they could, they moved from the fort to their homes. Thus began a new life for these people…out of the protections of the fort.
George Lee died October 29, 1868 in Franklin,
Utah, where he was buried. Under the Territorial Act of Utah in 1869, Franklin became incorporated and considered itself part of Utah until 1872 when it was determined that it was in Idaho, thus it turned out to be the oldest town in the State of Idaho.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Janice Gregory... Otto James Gregory... Lillie May Albiston... Mary Ann Lee... George Lee
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Sunday, August 3, 2014
George Gottlob Zimmerman
George Gottlob Zimmerman was my great-great-great grandfather. The son of Johann Georg Zimmerman and Rosine Margarete Pregizer, he was born in Ludwigsburg, Germany on July 23rd, 1781.
George was educated in the Universities of Germany. He spoke German, English and French so perfectly that he could pass as a native in all three. He was also a master of the Latin language. During the Napoleonic wars he was drafted into the services, and was soon taken prisoner to Paris. Here he was treated so kindly that he resolved not to re-enter the army against the French. When the two countries exchanged prisoners, instead of returning home he managed to escape on a vessel bound for America. Having no money to pay his passage, he was sold as an indentured servant for one year to a tanner in Philadelphia. After serving his time he remained several years with this tanner and then drifted into a little Dutch settlement near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Here he took up his profession of school teacher, his life’s work. While there he met Juliana Hoke. She was then 17 ½ years old, he was approaching thirty five.
George and Juliana married on April 4, 1816. They made their home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania for 27 years. They became the parents of 12 children, and raised seven of them to maturity. The family, with the exception of their son, John, joined the church when persecution was running high. Juliana, who belonged to the United Bretheren Church, was baptized first in January 1843. George, who was a Lutheran, was baptized two years later. The next year they went to Illinois. They then gathered with the Mormon fugitives in Garden Grove, Iowa in 1846. They remained there a few years in order to prepare to come to Utah.
On May 17, 1851 they left with the saints to cross the plains to Utah in Harry Walton’s company which consisted of 67 wagons and about fifty families. George Gottlob Zimmerman was 70 years old his wife Juliana Hoke was 53. They were accompanied by their widowed daughter Christina, age 33 and her daughter Sarah Julia Stevens, age 2, Julia Ann, 22, Elizabeth 19, Margaret 15, Susan 12, and Rosannah 10. They had one wagon, one yoke of oxen, one yoke of cows, and a horse, so they had to walk most of the way to lighten the load. Because of George's age and never having been around cattle it was impractical for him to drive his wagon to Utah. Their supplies consisted of flour, meal, beans, dried bread, crackers, dried apples, sugar and milk with some butter and bacon and a few dried parsnips. From time to time they had bison meat which they enjoyed very much. All of their experiences with the bison were not as enjoyable however. Oft times they could hear their roaring noise for miles away and could hear them as they would pass the camps on the way to the watering holes at night. More than once the wagon train was cut in two so that herds of bison up to 5000 or more could go rushing through. Stampedes among the cattle and oxen were common things.
The family had good health throughout their journey and also had their share of narrow escapes. A number of deaths occurred on route as well as a few births. While traveling they came across many graves left there by the companies that had preceded them.
They arrived in Salt Lake City on September 25th, 1851. They were a family group of nine who had all their earthly belongings in one wagon. They ranged in age from a mere child of two to a courageous man of seventy. Through swollen rivers of late spring and dusty insect infested plains of summer, up the eastern slopes of the Rockies, down the precipitous ravines of the Wasatch they persevered. Oft times they had only the water of stagnant pools to quench their thirst. They boiled the water and then tried to cool it enough to satisfy their parched throats.
After staying in Salt Lake City a short time they then went on to Lehi. Lehi was settled about a year before and contained about 15 families in the town at that time. They lived in a rented room the first winter. George made and mended all their shoes and the girls did washing and milking. Juliana did lots of knitting. George got plenty of shoemaking to do. He learned the trade from his father who was a master shoe maker and had a number of men working for him back in Germany. There were good crops raised that summer. In the spring George obtained a lot and put a log house on it. Some of the children slept in a covered wagon for two winters.
George was an Elder in the church when he came to Utah, having been ordained December 19, 1847. He was ordained a High Priest in Lehi. George and Juliana went through the Endowment House March 31, 1852. Because of his advanced age, George gave up his profession as a school teacher and settled down in a little adobe house where he cobbled shoes for a livelihood.
In January of 1853 a toll bridge was built over the Jordan River in Lehi. It is now referred to as the "Old Iron Bridge" near 3150 West and 1500 North. George Zimmerman was the first toll collector of that now famous, historic bridge.
During his declining years George was cared for by his daughter Susan. He died in 1866 at the age of eighty five and was buried in Lehi near his wife, who although younger in years, had preceded him to the other side by some two years earlier, at the age of sixty-six.
Of their 12 children, five of them died under six years of age. Of the
seven who lived to adulthood only one, Christina preceded them
in death.
The six other children all lived to see a new century come in.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Janice Gregory... Elizabeth Sharp... Margaret Elsie Lamb... Elizabeth Zimmerman... George Gottlob Zimmerman
George was educated in the Universities of Germany. He spoke German, English and French so perfectly that he could pass as a native in all three. He was also a master of the Latin language. During the Napoleonic wars he was drafted into the services, and was soon taken prisoner to Paris. Here he was treated so kindly that he resolved not to re-enter the army against the French. When the two countries exchanged prisoners, instead of returning home he managed to escape on a vessel bound for America. Having no money to pay his passage, he was sold as an indentured servant for one year to a tanner in Philadelphia. After serving his time he remained several years with this tanner and then drifted into a little Dutch settlement near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Here he took up his profession of school teacher, his life’s work. While there he met Juliana Hoke. She was then 17 ½ years old, he was approaching thirty five.
George and Juliana married on April 4, 1816. They made their home in Franklin County, Pennsylvania for 27 years. They became the parents of 12 children, and raised seven of them to maturity. The family, with the exception of their son, John, joined the church when persecution was running high. Juliana, who belonged to the United Bretheren Church, was baptized first in January 1843. George, who was a Lutheran, was baptized two years later. The next year they went to Illinois. They then gathered with the Mormon fugitives in Garden Grove, Iowa in 1846. They remained there a few years in order to prepare to come to Utah.
On May 17, 1851 they left with the saints to cross the plains to Utah in Harry Walton’s company which consisted of 67 wagons and about fifty families. George Gottlob Zimmerman was 70 years old his wife Juliana Hoke was 53. They were accompanied by their widowed daughter Christina, age 33 and her daughter Sarah Julia Stevens, age 2, Julia Ann, 22, Elizabeth 19, Margaret 15, Susan 12, and Rosannah 10. They had one wagon, one yoke of oxen, one yoke of cows, and a horse, so they had to walk most of the way to lighten the load. Because of George's age and never having been around cattle it was impractical for him to drive his wagon to Utah. Their supplies consisted of flour, meal, beans, dried bread, crackers, dried apples, sugar and milk with some butter and bacon and a few dried parsnips. From time to time they had bison meat which they enjoyed very much. All of their experiences with the bison were not as enjoyable however. Oft times they could hear their roaring noise for miles away and could hear them as they would pass the camps on the way to the watering holes at night. More than once the wagon train was cut in two so that herds of bison up to 5000 or more could go rushing through. Stampedes among the cattle and oxen were common things.
The family had good health throughout their journey and also had their share of narrow escapes. A number of deaths occurred on route as well as a few births. While traveling they came across many graves left there by the companies that had preceded them.
They arrived in Salt Lake City on September 25th, 1851. They were a family group of nine who had all their earthly belongings in one wagon. They ranged in age from a mere child of two to a courageous man of seventy. Through swollen rivers of late spring and dusty insect infested plains of summer, up the eastern slopes of the Rockies, down the precipitous ravines of the Wasatch they persevered. Oft times they had only the water of stagnant pools to quench their thirst. They boiled the water and then tried to cool it enough to satisfy their parched throats.
After staying in Salt Lake City a short time they then went on to Lehi. Lehi was settled about a year before and contained about 15 families in the town at that time. They lived in a rented room the first winter. George made and mended all their shoes and the girls did washing and milking. Juliana did lots of knitting. George got plenty of shoemaking to do. He learned the trade from his father who was a master shoe maker and had a number of men working for him back in Germany. There were good crops raised that summer. In the spring George obtained a lot and put a log house on it. Some of the children slept in a covered wagon for two winters.
George was an Elder in the church when he came to Utah, having been ordained December 19, 1847. He was ordained a High Priest in Lehi. George and Juliana went through the Endowment House March 31, 1852. Because of his advanced age, George gave up his profession as a school teacher and settled down in a little adobe house where he cobbled shoes for a livelihood.
In January of 1853 a toll bridge was built over the Jordan River in Lehi. It is now referred to as the "Old Iron Bridge" near 3150 West and 1500 North. George Zimmerman was the first toll collector of that now famous, historic bridge.
During his declining years George was cared for by his daughter Susan. He died in 1866 at the age of eighty five and was buried in Lehi near his wife, who although younger in years, had preceded him to the other side by some two years earlier, at the age of sixty-six.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Janice Gregory... Elizabeth Sharp... Margaret Elsie Lamb... Elizabeth Zimmerman... George Gottlob Zimmerman
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Leonard Hill
Leonard Hill was my great-great-great grandfather. He was born May 2, 1800 at Dublin, Cheshire, New Hampshire, the oldest of six children.
When Leonard was 26 years old he married Sally Forbush. They became the parents of 10 children. They began their married life in Peterborough, building a home there. Leonard was a carpenter by trade, and their home was very comfortable and convenient for that period. In 1841, they were contacted by Mormon missionaries and converted to the Gospel. They were the only ones of their families to join the church and were ostracized from both their families and their friends.
In 1843 they decided to leave their comfortable home and move to Nauvoo to be with the main body of the church. Their families simply regarded them as lost. Adding to their sadness of being rejected by their families, in September of 1843, their youngest child at that time, Justus Franklin, age 5, died in Nauvoo.
After their arrival in Nauvoo, Leonard helped build many homes in that area. He built a new home for his family near the edge of town. It was never completely finished before they were forced to leave.
The Hill family rejoiced in being with the Saints. They were grateful for their association with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and were diligent in accepting and following his leadership and counsel. They were firm and true to their faith. As with the other faithful Saints, their grief was heavy when the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were martyred. In connection with this event, their daughter, Maria, related the following, "One day I was sitting on the doorstep of our home when the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum stopped at our home and came to the well to get a drink. The cup they used was kept in the family for a long time."
The family was driven from Nauvoo in May of 1846. Dreadful indeed were the sufferings of these forsaken beings on this trek west. Leonard Hill became very ill. Being a Priesthood father, undoubtedly he did without, that members of his family might have his meager share. He had endured strenuous labors and persecutions, but endurance has its limits. He passed away September 10, 1846, the exact location unknown. Records show that the baby, Emerald Jasper, passed away 20 days later. Daughter Maria stated, "The Lord blessed us, for a man came to us and seeing our plight, took us to his farm. He gave us one room in his home, put our cattle in his pasture, and buried our father and baby brother on his private burial ground. We stayed there a long time because our mother and older brother Charles were very sick."
Later that year, the Hill family moved on with a group of Saints. By February 1847 they reached the Missouri River in the winter months so they could cross on the ice. Sally Forbush Hill became very sick again, and passed away on the east side of the Missouri River. A hand sled was fashioned by her children, and it is said that her 10-year-old son, Heamon Alison, pulled her to the west side of the river so they could bury her on a hill on the opposite shore.
Only three months later, the oldest brother, Charles, age 18, died, and was buried along the wayside. Out of a family of eleven, only three girls and two boys remained. Sara, the oldest, was sixteen. They had no home, no parents, and no food. The children were left in a settlement, separated into different homes.
Their sister, Sara, soon married a widower by the name of Bingham Bement. He gathered all of the children together to live with him in his one room house. They worked diligently trying to prepare to continue their journey to Utah. In the spring of 1850 they finally continued their trek. They arrived in Salt Lake City in October with only the worn out clothes on their backs. Undoubtedly their parents, Leonard and Sally, were with them along the way.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Chloris Hill... Jasper Franklin Hill... Heaman Alison Hill... Leonard Hill
When Leonard was 26 years old he married Sally Forbush. They became the parents of 10 children. They began their married life in Peterborough, building a home there. Leonard was a carpenter by trade, and their home was very comfortable and convenient for that period. In 1841, they were contacted by Mormon missionaries and converted to the Gospel. They were the only ones of their families to join the church and were ostracized from both their families and their friends.
In 1843 they decided to leave their comfortable home and move to Nauvoo to be with the main body of the church. Their families simply regarded them as lost. Adding to their sadness of being rejected by their families, in September of 1843, their youngest child at that time, Justus Franklin, age 5, died in Nauvoo.
After their arrival in Nauvoo, Leonard helped build many homes in that area. He built a new home for his family near the edge of town. It was never completely finished before they were forced to leave.
The Hill family rejoiced in being with the Saints. They were grateful for their association with the Prophet Joseph Smith, and were diligent in accepting and following his leadership and counsel. They were firm and true to their faith. As with the other faithful Saints, their grief was heavy when the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were martyred. In connection with this event, their daughter, Maria, related the following, "One day I was sitting on the doorstep of our home when the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum stopped at our home and came to the well to get a drink. The cup they used was kept in the family for a long time."
The family was driven from Nauvoo in May of 1846. Dreadful indeed were the sufferings of these forsaken beings on this trek west. Leonard Hill became very ill. Being a Priesthood father, undoubtedly he did without, that members of his family might have his meager share. He had endured strenuous labors and persecutions, but endurance has its limits. He passed away September 10, 1846, the exact location unknown. Records show that the baby, Emerald Jasper, passed away 20 days later. Daughter Maria stated, "The Lord blessed us, for a man came to us and seeing our plight, took us to his farm. He gave us one room in his home, put our cattle in his pasture, and buried our father and baby brother on his private burial ground. We stayed there a long time because our mother and older brother Charles were very sick."
Later that year, the Hill family moved on with a group of Saints. By February 1847 they reached the Missouri River in the winter months so they could cross on the ice. Sally Forbush Hill became very sick again, and passed away on the east side of the Missouri River. A hand sled was fashioned by her children, and it is said that her 10-year-old son, Heamon Alison, pulled her to the west side of the river so they could bury her on a hill on the opposite shore.
Only three months later, the oldest brother, Charles, age 18, died, and was buried along the wayside. Out of a family of eleven, only three girls and two boys remained. Sara, the oldest, was sixteen. They had no home, no parents, and no food. The children were left in a settlement, separated into different homes.
Their sister, Sara, soon married a widower by the name of Bingham Bement. He gathered all of the children together to live with him in his one room house. They worked diligently trying to prepare to continue their journey to Utah. In the spring of 1850 they finally continued their trek. They arrived in Salt Lake City in October with only the worn out clothes on their backs. Undoubtedly their parents, Leonard and Sally, were with them along the way.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Chloris Hill... Jasper Franklin Hill... Heaman Alison Hill... Leonard Hill
Margaret Ann McBride Crandall
Margaret Ann McBride is my great-great-great grandmother. She was born June 1, 1794 in Chester, New York.
Margaret was the fifth child and oldest daughter of Abigail and Daniel McBride. In 1811 when she was 16 years old, she was married to David Crandall. She became the mother of 12 children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
Three missionaries found the McBride family in New York. The missionaries were: Evan Green (secretary to the Prophet Joseph Smith), Amasa Lyman, and William Cahoon. These men toured New York state as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The McBrides were very kind to the elders who were traveling without purse or script. They were good listeners, believed the religion, and were baptized in June 1833. They shared their shelter and urge to gather with the Church, and sold at great sacrifice (as many converts did) their farms and homes and moved to Kirtland, Ohio one hundred thirty-five miles away.They assisted in the building of the city and gave of their means for the building of the Kirtland temple, they also went through the trials and tribulations of Kirtland and Nauvoo.
When her youngest son, Nelson D Crandall, was 11 years old, Margaret died at age 51 at LaHarp, Hancock county, Illinois in August 1845. LaHarp is just a few miles from Nauvoo. Her husband, David Crandall, married again and remained in Illinois where he died in 1861.
One of the greatest tributes to Margaret McBride Crandall is the loyalty of her children. They did what their mother would have them do. They came to the Salt Lake Valley with the Saints, and they came together and stayed together. Her daughters were skilled in the arts of homemaking which involved many arts in those days, they in turn passed their skills on down to their daughters.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Fred Lewis Kindred... Luanna Mariah Bird... Emeline Crandall... Margaret Ann McBride
Margaret was the fifth child and oldest daughter of Abigail and Daniel McBride. In 1811 when she was 16 years old, she was married to David Crandall. She became the mother of 12 children, eight of whom grew to maturity.
Three missionaries found the McBride family in New York. The missionaries were: Evan Green (secretary to the Prophet Joseph Smith), Amasa Lyman, and William Cahoon. These men toured New York state as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The McBrides were very kind to the elders who were traveling without purse or script. They were good listeners, believed the religion, and were baptized in June 1833. They shared their shelter and urge to gather with the Church, and sold at great sacrifice (as many converts did) their farms and homes and moved to Kirtland, Ohio one hundred thirty-five miles away.They assisted in the building of the city and gave of their means for the building of the Kirtland temple, they also went through the trials and tribulations of Kirtland and Nauvoo.
When her youngest son, Nelson D Crandall, was 11 years old, Margaret died at age 51 at LaHarp, Hancock county, Illinois in August 1845. LaHarp is just a few miles from Nauvoo. Her husband, David Crandall, married again and remained in Illinois where he died in 1861.
One of the greatest tributes to Margaret McBride Crandall is the loyalty of her children. They did what their mother would have them do. They came to the Salt Lake Valley with the Saints, and they came together and stayed together. Her daughters were skilled in the arts of homemaking which involved many arts in those days, they in turn passed their skills on down to their daughters.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Fred Lewis Kindred... Luanna Mariah Bird... Emeline Crandall... Margaret Ann McBride
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Benjamin Freeman Bird
Benjamin Freeman Bird is my great-great-great grandfather. He was born January 19, 1778 in Rahway, Essex County, New Jersey.
He was the fifth of
eleven children of Jeremiah Freeman Bird and Elizabeth Marsh. He had four
sisters and six brothers. He spent his whole childhood in that
same area as all his brothers and sisters were born in New
Jersey.
In the winter of 1832, Benjamin Freeman Bird and his wife Marabah Reeves lived in a comfortable home in Southport, New York with eight of their nine living children. As the snow blanketed the New York countryside, a single Elder from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints knocked at their door. He asked for admittance and keep since he was a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was preaching without purse or script. Benjamin and Marabah were touched by the testimony that he bore. Over the next few weeks, by reading the Book of Mormon, they became convinced that his message was true. Because the Church was in its very early infancy, having been only 31 months since the church was organized, the Bird family had nowhere to turn for additional information.
Benjamin wrote a letter to leaders of the church which read, “I have received your papers almost one year; and because I held the Book of Mormon as sacred as I do the Bible, the Methodist Church (though I had been a regular member almost 37 years)., turned me out; but I bless God for it, for though they cast me out Jesus took me in." He further added, "I do not know as I shall ever have a privilege of uniting with this church, as I never saw but one Elder, whom I solicited to preach twice; and it caused a great stir and noise among the people. If any of the Elders are passing near, would they not do well to call?"
Before a team of Elders could respond to Benjamin’s request, he lost his sweet-heart Marabah in the winter of 1833, leaving him with a heavy heart and the responsibility of raising eight children. As he shared his testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ with his friends, many mocked, but a few hearts were touched.
One who came to know by the Spirit that Benjamin’s testimony was true, was a woman named Margaret Crain. After a short courtship they were married on the 25th day of April, 1833. A year later, Margaret bore Benjamin a daughter. Finally in June of 1834, a team of Mormon Elders came to the area and having the necessary authority, Benjamin, his wife Margaret and several of the married children of Benjamin and Marabah, with their spouses, were baptized.
Shortly after the birth of their next child, Benjamin, his unmarried family and his three married sons with their families, moved to Kirtland, Ohio as part of the gathering of Israel. By commandment from the Lord, this camp of Saints, who were faithful to the Lord’s Prophet, took the wearisome trek to Jackson County, Missouri, ending their seven month march by camping at the site of Adam-Ondi-Ahman.
In January, 1839, the Bird families were residing at Far West, Missouri, and were aggrieved participants in the maleficent scenes which have since proved to be one of the worst persecutions ever imposed upon any people. As they left Far West, the Bird families looked back and saw their homes in flames. They left Missouri with only the clothes on their backs in the dead of the winter, with nowhere to go.
While at Kirtland and Far West, the Bird families became personal, close acquaintances with the Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife Emma. They gathered at Nauvoo with the rest of the Saints. In January 1840, Benjamin purchased the property now known as the Bird-Browning on Main Street from the Prophet Joseph Smith for $300.00 They built a nice two room log cabin with a root cellar, which has been restored by the Church, and dug a well.
Benjamin and his family lived in the log cabin for three years. During this time they enjoyed all of the special cultural events that have come to mark the Nauvoo period as being one of the most unique in history. Since converts from all over the world came to Nauvoo and established their homes during those years, there was a great mixing of culture and arts. Bound by oneness, all being Latter-Day-Saints, there was a friendly blending of a variety of cultures and a feeling of personal pride and friendliness. The people, who had been persecuted and driven from Ohio and then Missouri, now lived in relative peace. They enjoyed a pronounced zest for life, which enabled them to live and appreciate the unique cultural advantage that was theirs. The Bird families traded at the store of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and often attended parties and socials at the Mansion House. There were several occasions where Benjamin played a friendly game of croquet with his friends and neighbors, which included Joseph, Hyrum, Wilford Woodruff and Heber C. Kimball.
While living in the log cabin, Benjamin and Margaret were blessed with a baby daughter, who being born at this time of relative peace and prosperity, brought a great deal of joy and happiness into their lives. Also at Nauvoo, Benjamin enjoyed the association of several of his children and many of his grandchildren. His sons Phineas, Charles, James and Samuel all had their families at Nauvoo. He still had living at home two sons by Marabah and three children by Margaret.
In the fall of 1843, disruptions, both internal and external to the Church were caused by John C. Bennett and William Law, who were at one time counselors to the Prophet Joseph in the first Presidency. Benjamin with his home on Main Street was in the middle of all the excitement and persecution. Because Benjamin was now 65 years old and had three children at home under the age of 9, he desired to move to a quieter location. He sold his property and purchased a large 50 acre farm on the outskirts of Nauvoo.
Benjamin and all of his sons participated in the building of the Nauvoo Temple. One of his sons, Richard, was called on a mission to the Wisconsin Pineries. While on his mission Richard was involved in cutting down pine trees, which were then floated down the Mississippi River to Nauvoo where they ultimately were used in the building of the Temple.
After the death of the Prophet Joseph, the Birds along with the other Saints worked under armed guard to complete the Temple. Most of the Birds received their endowments on the third floor rooms of the Nauvoo Temple. They were sealed to their spouses in the large rectangular room beneath the Gable. In fact, Nauvoo Temple records indicate that Charles Bird was an ordained Temple worker, which means that he worked night and day to assist those Saints who desired to receive their special endowments to do so, before the mob could destroy their Temple or drive them out. In two months (December 10, 1845 to February 5, 1846) Charles assisted the more than 5,000 Saints who were endowed in the Nauvoo Temple in the twelve and a half hour ceremony. This included washings and anointing’s, the endowment and the sealing of families. The ceremony was basically the same as it is today except it was acted out on platforms, sheets were hung from the ceiling to make rooms or compartments and there were several lengthy discussions instructing the candidates on the covenants they were entering into.
Benjamin and his sons and their families were present after the martyrdom when Sidney Rigdon claimed that he was the guardian of the Church. They witnessed President Brigham Young transfigured into the voice, appearance and personality of the Prophet Joseph Smith and felt the Spirit bear witness to their souls that the Twelve should preside.
In January 1846, the presiding Brethren decided to move west. President Brigham Young, knowing that Charles had one of the best teams of horses in the City of Nauvoo. He asked Charles if he would be the first person to cross the Mississippi River on the ice. On February 25, 1846, Benjamin Freeman Bird stood under the old tree at the end of Teardrop Lane and watched his son drive his loaded wagon across the frozen river to see if the ice was firm enough to cross. Because several of the Birds’ were weavers by trade, Benjamin and his sons and their families were asked to remain at Council Bluffs and Winter Quarters and assist in the outfitting of the emigrant Saints. Many had been driven out of their homes without an opportunity to take the necessary clothing and other items that they would need to make the long trek into the wilderness to they knew not where. The Bird family set up a woolen mill, of sorts, similar to the one that they had at Nauvoo, and thereby assisted in the emigration of the thousands of homeless Saints. In 1850 the Brethren invited the Bird families to come west. They emigrated with the Milo Andrus Company. There were 206 persons and 51 wagons in the Company. On this train with Benjamin Freeman Bird were his wife and small children and Richard and James with their families. This was the first company of emigrating Saints for the season, leaving Missouri in June of 1850. They took the pioneer trail on which the year before trains had passed which had been stricken with cholera. As the pioneers moved along they saw the bones of their dead comrades, as their bodies had been ripped out of their shallow graves by wolves and other scavengers and scattered over the country side.
Benjamin’s son William marched with the Mormon Battalion in the historic trek that has come to be known as the symbol of dedication and patriotism of the Latter-Day-Saint people. To show the magnanimity and noble characters of the Birds' and their spouses, and the love the Birds' felt for their spouses, the sacrifices of Charles’ wife Mary Ann Kennedy, is illustrative. Mary Ann, after leaving her comfortable home in Hampton New York (she was the daughter of a doctor) experienced the apostasy of the Kirtland era and of the Far West War with six children under the age of 11 and at the time was six months pregnant. She bore a child while destitute in the wilderness before reaching Nauvoo, bore three children at Nauvoo, one at Winter Quarters, one while crossing the plains at Council Point and another at Salt Lake City. This means that she bore children at or near every major church historical site during these periods of driving’s and persecutions. She was pregnant and had a small family to care for during those times of serious trial when so many people of less character left the church. Mary Ann recalled having seen her home being burnt to the ground by the mobs four times during her lifetime as she was fleeing with her family for their lives.
On one occasion, Charles and Mary Ann and their small family found themselves in the middle of the wilderness in the snow. They had to abandon their wagon containing all that they owned in this world. Mary Ann, pregnant, so over-extended herself in the care of her small family that her toes on one foot became so seriously frost bitten that she had to have them amputated without anesthesia. When the Charles and Mary Ann Bird family eventually arrived in Salt Lake City, they had only the clothes on their backs as possessions, but were grateful to be alive. The Bird families had paid a dear price indeed, to be gathered in the tops of the mountains to worship the God of Abraham.
Soon after arriving in Salt Lake City, Benjamin had the privilege of being present when Apostle George A. Smith called his son James Bird to be the first Bishop of the Provo Second Ward and was also present when Elder Smith ordained him to that Office. Because of his advancing age and the trials he had been subjected to for the last 14 years, Benjamin found the peaceful seclusion of the Rocky Mountains particularly delightful. Several of the Bird families settled in the beautiful area of Springville and there Benjamin enjoyed the association of many of his numerous grandchildren and watched them wax strong in the Gospel. Benjamin crossed over into the Spirit world a content and happy man in 1862 and is buried near the home of his dreams in Springville, Utah.
Ancestral Line: Janeal Kindred Smith... Kent Lewis Kindred... Fred Lewis Kindred... Luanna Mariah Bird... Richard Bird... Benjamin Freeman Bird
In the winter of 1832, Benjamin Freeman Bird and his wife Marabah Reeves lived in a comfortable home in Southport, New York with eight of their nine living children. As the snow blanketed the New York countryside, a single Elder from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints knocked at their door. He asked for admittance and keep since he was a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and was preaching without purse or script. Benjamin and Marabah were touched by the testimony that he bore. Over the next few weeks, by reading the Book of Mormon, they became convinced that his message was true. Because the Church was in its very early infancy, having been only 31 months since the church was organized, the Bird family had nowhere to turn for additional information.
Benjamin wrote a letter to leaders of the church which read, “I have received your papers almost one year; and because I held the Book of Mormon as sacred as I do the Bible, the Methodist Church (though I had been a regular member almost 37 years)., turned me out; but I bless God for it, for though they cast me out Jesus took me in." He further added, "I do not know as I shall ever have a privilege of uniting with this church, as I never saw but one Elder, whom I solicited to preach twice; and it caused a great stir and noise among the people. If any of the Elders are passing near, would they not do well to call?"
Before a team of Elders could respond to Benjamin’s request, he lost his sweet-heart Marabah in the winter of 1833, leaving him with a heavy heart and the responsibility of raising eight children. As he shared his testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ with his friends, many mocked, but a few hearts were touched.
One who came to know by the Spirit that Benjamin’s testimony was true, was a woman named Margaret Crain. After a short courtship they were married on the 25th day of April, 1833. A year later, Margaret bore Benjamin a daughter. Finally in June of 1834, a team of Mormon Elders came to the area and having the necessary authority, Benjamin, his wife Margaret and several of the married children of Benjamin and Marabah, with their spouses, were baptized.
Shortly after the birth of their next child, Benjamin, his unmarried family and his three married sons with their families, moved to Kirtland, Ohio as part of the gathering of Israel. By commandment from the Lord, this camp of Saints, who were faithful to the Lord’s Prophet, took the wearisome trek to Jackson County, Missouri, ending their seven month march by camping at the site of Adam-Ondi-Ahman.
In January, 1839, the Bird families were residing at Far West, Missouri, and were aggrieved participants in the maleficent scenes which have since proved to be one of the worst persecutions ever imposed upon any people. As they left Far West, the Bird families looked back and saw their homes in flames. They left Missouri with only the clothes on their backs in the dead of the winter, with nowhere to go.
While at Kirtland and Far West, the Bird families became personal, close acquaintances with the Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife Emma. They gathered at Nauvoo with the rest of the Saints. In January 1840, Benjamin purchased the property now known as the Bird-Browning on Main Street from the Prophet Joseph Smith for $300.00 They built a nice two room log cabin with a root cellar, which has been restored by the Church, and dug a well.
Benjamin and his family lived in the log cabin for three years. During this time they enjoyed all of the special cultural events that have come to mark the Nauvoo period as being one of the most unique in history. Since converts from all over the world came to Nauvoo and established their homes during those years, there was a great mixing of culture and arts. Bound by oneness, all being Latter-Day-Saints, there was a friendly blending of a variety of cultures and a feeling of personal pride and friendliness. The people, who had been persecuted and driven from Ohio and then Missouri, now lived in relative peace. They enjoyed a pronounced zest for life, which enabled them to live and appreciate the unique cultural advantage that was theirs. The Bird families traded at the store of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and often attended parties and socials at the Mansion House. There were several occasions where Benjamin played a friendly game of croquet with his friends and neighbors, which included Joseph, Hyrum, Wilford Woodruff and Heber C. Kimball.
While living in the log cabin, Benjamin and Margaret were blessed with a baby daughter, who being born at this time of relative peace and prosperity, brought a great deal of joy and happiness into their lives. Also at Nauvoo, Benjamin enjoyed the association of several of his children and many of his grandchildren. His sons Phineas, Charles, James and Samuel all had their families at Nauvoo. He still had living at home two sons by Marabah and three children by Margaret.
In the fall of 1843, disruptions, both internal and external to the Church were caused by John C. Bennett and William Law, who were at one time counselors to the Prophet Joseph in the first Presidency. Benjamin with his home on Main Street was in the middle of all the excitement and persecution. Because Benjamin was now 65 years old and had three children at home under the age of 9, he desired to move to a quieter location. He sold his property and purchased a large 50 acre farm on the outskirts of Nauvoo.
Benjamin and all of his sons participated in the building of the Nauvoo Temple. One of his sons, Richard, was called on a mission to the Wisconsin Pineries. While on his mission Richard was involved in cutting down pine trees, which were then floated down the Mississippi River to Nauvoo where they ultimately were used in the building of the Temple.
After the death of the Prophet Joseph, the Birds along with the other Saints worked under armed guard to complete the Temple. Most of the Birds received their endowments on the third floor rooms of the Nauvoo Temple. They were sealed to their spouses in the large rectangular room beneath the Gable. In fact, Nauvoo Temple records indicate that Charles Bird was an ordained Temple worker, which means that he worked night and day to assist those Saints who desired to receive their special endowments to do so, before the mob could destroy their Temple or drive them out. In two months (December 10, 1845 to February 5, 1846) Charles assisted the more than 5,000 Saints who were endowed in the Nauvoo Temple in the twelve and a half hour ceremony. This included washings and anointing’s, the endowment and the sealing of families. The ceremony was basically the same as it is today except it was acted out on platforms, sheets were hung from the ceiling to make rooms or compartments and there were several lengthy discussions instructing the candidates on the covenants they were entering into.
Benjamin and his sons and their families were present after the martyrdom when Sidney Rigdon claimed that he was the guardian of the Church. They witnessed President Brigham Young transfigured into the voice, appearance and personality of the Prophet Joseph Smith and felt the Spirit bear witness to their souls that the Twelve should preside.
In January 1846, the presiding Brethren decided to move west. President Brigham Young, knowing that Charles had one of the best teams of horses in the City of Nauvoo. He asked Charles if he would be the first person to cross the Mississippi River on the ice. On February 25, 1846, Benjamin Freeman Bird stood under the old tree at the end of Teardrop Lane and watched his son drive his loaded wagon across the frozen river to see if the ice was firm enough to cross. Because several of the Birds’ were weavers by trade, Benjamin and his sons and their families were asked to remain at Council Bluffs and Winter Quarters and assist in the outfitting of the emigrant Saints. Many had been driven out of their homes without an opportunity to take the necessary clothing and other items that they would need to make the long trek into the wilderness to they knew not where. The Bird family set up a woolen mill, of sorts, similar to the one that they had at Nauvoo, and thereby assisted in the emigration of the thousands of homeless Saints. In 1850 the Brethren invited the Bird families to come west. They emigrated with the Milo Andrus Company. There were 206 persons and 51 wagons in the Company. On this train with Benjamin Freeman Bird were his wife and small children and Richard and James with their families. This was the first company of emigrating Saints for the season, leaving Missouri in June of 1850. They took the pioneer trail on which the year before trains had passed which had been stricken with cholera. As the pioneers moved along they saw the bones of their dead comrades, as their bodies had been ripped out of their shallow graves by wolves and other scavengers and scattered over the country side.
Benjamin’s son William marched with the Mormon Battalion in the historic trek that has come to be known as the symbol of dedication and patriotism of the Latter-Day-Saint people. To show the magnanimity and noble characters of the Birds' and their spouses, and the love the Birds' felt for their spouses, the sacrifices of Charles’ wife Mary Ann Kennedy, is illustrative. Mary Ann, after leaving her comfortable home in Hampton New York (she was the daughter of a doctor) experienced the apostasy of the Kirtland era and of the Far West War with six children under the age of 11 and at the time was six months pregnant. She bore a child while destitute in the wilderness before reaching Nauvoo, bore three children at Nauvoo, one at Winter Quarters, one while crossing the plains at Council Point and another at Salt Lake City. This means that she bore children at or near every major church historical site during these periods of driving’s and persecutions. She was pregnant and had a small family to care for during those times of serious trial when so many people of less character left the church. Mary Ann recalled having seen her home being burnt to the ground by the mobs four times during her lifetime as she was fleeing with her family for their lives.
Benjamin Bird Home in Nauvoo
On one occasion, Charles and Mary Ann and their small family found themselves in the middle of the wilderness in the snow. They had to abandon their wagon containing all that they owned in this world. Mary Ann, pregnant, so over-extended herself in the care of her small family that her toes on one foot became so seriously frost bitten that she had to have them amputated without anesthesia. When the Charles and Mary Ann Bird family eventually arrived in Salt Lake City, they had only the clothes on their backs as possessions, but were grateful to be alive. The Bird families had paid a dear price indeed, to be gathered in the tops of the mountains to worship the God of Abraham.
Soon after arriving in Salt Lake City, Benjamin had the privilege of being present when Apostle George A. Smith called his son James Bird to be the first Bishop of the Provo Second Ward and was also present when Elder Smith ordained him to that Office. Because of his advancing age and the trials he had been subjected to for the last 14 years, Benjamin found the peaceful seclusion of the Rocky Mountains particularly delightful. Several of the Bird families settled in the beautiful area of Springville and there Benjamin enjoyed the association of many of his numerous grandchildren and watched them wax strong in the Gospel. Benjamin crossed over into the Spirit world a content and happy man in 1862 and is buried near the home of his dreams in Springville, Utah.
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