Family History, I am Blogging it...

Yale Avenue Home

2011-08-17T15:13:00.004-06:00

A long time ago Leslie McCullough Cates sent me this wonderful file to share. I am finally sharing it. Sorry for the long wait.

This document includes many pictures and stories about the home on Yale Crest where Verne and Irene McCullough lived. Leslie's dad, R.V., was one of their sons. Verne & Irene's children who lived here included: Pauline, Stan, Beth, Gerry, Joan, & R.V.

Here is the document she created: Yale Avenue Home

Enjoy!!!

Thank you Leslie!!!

Veteran's Day

2010-11-14T19:28:00.007-07:00

Here are the two veteran's from the family of which I am aware:

Jay Harold Henderson...served in World War II. He is my grandfather.

He and my grandmother were married as I understand when he was home on leave...if anyone knows the whole story...I would love to know it!

I only have this journal entry from my grandmother:

"As World War II was on at this time, Jay was called into the service. Our date was quite special, but I have to admit that marriage had not really entered my head. We had only gone together three months even though it was very often.

Yet, I definitely recall the thing that made this evening very special!!! I said goodbye to Jay and closed the door and started to walk up the stairs to my room. A voice said to me, as clear as could be, 'That is the boy you will marry!' Though I realize now that this message came from the Lord, at the time, I was spiritually immature and I wondered at this coming so strongly into my mind. But a seed was planted in my mind for sure.

All that next 9 months we wrote steadily and he sent me lovely gifts for Christmas. He was returning for a leave at the end of May and I resolved that I would really 'work on him' because 'that was the boy I wanted to marry.' He called me from the airport when he arrived in Salt Lake and I drove out to pick him up. All the way, I thought that these next two weeks I must really be at my best so that he might ask me to marry him.

Imagine my surprise when on the way in to town from the airport he asked me to marry him! The next two weeks were really hectic. I was not only planning for a big wedding, but I was in the process of graduating from the University of Utah....How grateful I am that we were able to marry in the temple--the most peaceful, quiet and beautiful time of the two weeks."

So I guess my grandmother was a "war bride". They were married 12 June 1945. I would love to know how long he was in the service. I do know he was in Okinawa for a while.

Guy Messiah Keysor...served in the Mexican American War with the Mormon Battalion...click on his name to learn more.

If you know of more veterans in our family let me know!

Jens Peter and Ane Pederson Jensen

2010-09-01T14:46:00.001-06:00

Here is some information & pictures of my 2nd great grandparents Jens & Ane Jensen.

They are the parents of Alice "Allie" Matilda Jensen who married Nicholas Thomas Henderson.
Allie & Nicholas Henderson are the parents of Jay Harold Henderson.

I am so excited to have found a picture of both of them! If anyone has more pictures of them, please share! E-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

Jens Peter Jensen

Ane Pederson Jensen (possibly holding Alice "Allie" Matilda Jensen)

The following is from the Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia Volume 1, Andrew Jensen, 1901, page 570-1

"Jens Peter Jensen:

Bishop of Crescent Ward (Jordan Stake), Salt Lake county, Utah, is the son of Soren Jensen and Nielsine Christine Neucuibing, and was born June 16, 1859, in Tommberby parish, Thisted amt, Denmark. In 1878 he was baptized into the Church by Elder Jens Christensen. He was ordained an Elder and sent out to labor as a local missionary. In June, 1879, he emigrated to Utah, and located in Draper , Salt Lake county. He was called on a mission to Scandinavia in 1894 and labored ten months in Denmark, when he was released on account of poor health. When the Crescent Ward was organized in 1895, he was chosen to preside as Bishop, and he is still laboring in the capacity."

Find of the day: Soren & Neilsine Jensen Picture

2010-04-21T22:54:00.005-06:00

I was searching around today and was totally thrilled to find these pictures of my 3rd Great Grandparents. I had never seen them before. I am so grateful for those who share their pictures with names & dates!!!

This is Soren & Neilsine Jensen.

Soren Jens Jensen: 1835-1919

Neilsine Jensen: 1836-1914/1916

And the other picture is Soren Jensen. This is from the Latter-day Saint Biographical Encylopedia Volume 3. There is a wonderful entry about him that you can read if you click here. You will need to go to page 127.

These are the only pictures I have been able to find on the "Jensen" line of our family. So if anyone out there has more of them, or their children...especially their oldest Jens Peder Jensen (my 2nd great grandfather). I would love to see them!

Note: Soren & Neilsine Jensen are the parents of Jens Peder Jensen who married Ane Pederson. Jens & Ane Jensen are the parents of Alice Jensen who married Nicholas Thomas Henderson. Alice & NT Henderson are the parents of Jay Harold Henderson.

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 3

2010-02-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

"It might be interesting to relate a little experience Grandfather had on an occasion. He was coming from Riverton to Granger one evening when suddenly, out of no where a man appeared by his wagon and asked for a ride, also for night’s lodging. Grandfather didn’t dare take him home, because at this time he was being watched by the U.S. Marshals. He didn’t know but what the stranger could be one of these. However, when he let the man from his wagon, he immediately and completely disappeared. This troubled Grandpa, he always thought he had been privileged to associate that short time with one of the 3 Nephites.

On another occasion, while he and Grandma were visiting Aunt Minnie and family in Riverton, he became very ill and requested all his children to come so he could bid them goodbye as he knew he was going to die. Shortly he seemed to have passed away. His family was all crying in deep grief, when he opened his eyes and said, “I’ve come back”. He told them afterward that he could see his body lying on the bed and all of them crying and it seemed that some great power brought him back.

In the spring of 1892 Grandpa bought a farm in Riverton or South Jordan and moved Grandma and her family there. Her Alma John was born 11 Oct 1894. Twins, Harvey and Earl were born 23 April 1896.

Grandpa and his boys worked harmoniously together. He was always considerate of their opinions. He believed that they should have time off for pleasures, and a reward for work well done on the farm. Uncle Clarence recently related how his father taught him early in life how to plow a straight furrow in the field. To select a goal ahead and plow straight for it, never look back, but always forward and straight ahead.

He taught his children the value of money by letting them select and pay for their own clothes. He believed in buying good clothing and shoes. He had a cobbling outfit and repaired the family’s shoes.

His daughters were very special to him too, in fact it could be said that he spoiled his little daughter Ella. He used to wash and dress her each morning. One morning he wanted to get an early start to Bingham, and went out without dressing her. She screamed so loud when her sister Rosa tried to dress her that her father stopped the horses, got down off the wagon and came back into the house and dressed her.

A friend, Oley Peterson, persuaded Grandpa to market his farm, garden and diary products in Bingham as he did. It was soon found that he did get much better cash returns to peddle his produce at the mines. So Grandpa continued this employment for years.

Grandma became seriously ill and died Nov. 29, 1896 at the age of 38. (She most likely died of appendicitis. See “Come After Us” by Melvin Banner, page 403-404 for more of this story.) This was a hard blow to the family. Grandfather was inconsolable. He closed her bedroom and wouldn’t let any one go in there thought they needed the room badly. It gave the children a strange feeling of death.

Of course, dear Aunt Minnie brought her 9 children and moved right in to take care of Grandma’s 11, the twins were just babies. It made 20 children for her to supervise and mother. In Jan of 1898 an epidemic of Black Measles hit the town, the twins and Aunt Minnie’s little Parley all died at the same time.

Time moved along and Aunt Minnie died in 1901. Again, Grandpa needed a mother for his children. He met a fine widow woman, Treena Christensen as he went about his work securing produce. She lived in Pleasant Grove. He presented his domestic problems to her in such a way that she was willing to marry him and help out the children yet at home. Their marriage date was 12 Feb 1902, the same as my mother and father’s, Rosa Henderson and Edwin Oliver.

I remember Grandfather as a good, kind man. He was very tender hearted. His bushy, curly hair of his younger years was thin and gray. He was quite hard of hearing, and we had to speak real loud in order for him to hear us. He didn’t take a very active part in Church affairs. His religion was not the Church going kind. He was very generous to his fellow men in need. He never turned anyone away from his door whom he could help. He taught his children honesty, industry and kindness, and many attributes pertaining to a good life. As a granddaughter I feel very proud to be numbered among his descendants. He died Feb 8 1917 at his home in Riverton at the age of 73 years. "

This history of Alexander Shillington Henderson was written by one of his granddaughters, Marie Oliver Winter. The original copy can be found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City. I have made some grammatical and spelling changes. Other additional information I have added is in italics. All of the pictures and graphics I have added as well.

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 2

2010-01-31T16:32:00.002-07:00

"Immediately Grandfather sought out the coal mines in Utah for employment. Finally he decided that it was not good for man to be alone; and he began looking for a nice girl to become his wife. He met and fell in love with Miss Hannah Taylor of Salt Lake City. They were married the 5th of July, 1870. He was twenty four years old. They were very happy together. They were great fans of the Salt Lake Theater. When a large troop from the east and abroad were going to put on a show, he appreciated the best and most cultured performance and attended these rather than the efforts of local talent. He was an aristocrat in dress as well as entertainment, proud as a peacock, one neighbor said of him. He had as many as four suits of cloths at one time. He dressed his wife Hannah in the most beautiful cloths obtainable; these also came from the east.

Their first child, Alexander Taylor, was born the 12 Mar. 1871. He lived only 12 days. Hannah never fully recovered in health from this birth. Grandfather bought a nicer home for her in Cottonwood, and gave her the best loving care, but she died the 2nd of June 1873. Heartbroken he sold his home in Cottonwood and went back to the mines, coming in often to visit his mother-in-law, and his wife's grave in the City Cemetery.

With the building of the canal from the point of the mountain to Riverton area, the water taken out the Jordan River at the narrows, Grandfather saw a chance to make himself considerable more money. He purchased a team of horses and equipment, and went to work on the canal. He went to Nicholas T. Silcock, a farmer living in Riverton to buy some hay and grain to feed his horses. As he paid for the feed, Nicholas Silcock was surprised at the large amount of money in this stranger's pocket book, indeed he never seen so much money in his life. It was on one of his purchasing trips, Grandfather chanced to meet lovely Miss Almira Silcock. However she was on the lookout for him, because she had previously been shown in a dream the man she was going to marry. They were married 30 Mar. 1874 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. He had previously received his endowments in 1867.

He purchased a tract of land joining the Silcock property in Riverton. Here he built a 3 room adobe house. When the Riverton Ward was organized he gave the land for the Meeting House and also helped to build it. To show that he built well, both of these buildings are still standing today in a good state of preservation.

Grandpa was pleased when their first child was born, Alice Sarah, 4 Feb. 1875. The Hannah Jane, 13 Feb. 1876. He was somewhat disappointed when my mother Rosa was born 13 June 1878. He did so want a boy. So when George Alexander came on the 29th of Jan 1880, his joy knew no bounds.

In these early days of the Church, plural marriage was being practiced and preached by the Authorities. Grandpa desired to take another wife, so with Grandma’s consent he married Minnie Sorenson, Oct 16, 1876. From all I have heard both wives lived very harmoniously together as a family unit. Each wife was just another Mother to the other’s children. Grandpa was a kind, peace-loving man, himself. He showed great love and understanding to all his children alike. He was a strict but wise disciplinarian; all his children and grandchildren loved and respected him very much.

About 1881 Grandfather moved to the 5th Ward in Salt Lake City. Here he built his own house and both of the wives lived in the same house for the first and only time. All through these years both were having children about the same time. Grandma gave birth to Harriet, 7 March 1882. Nicholas Thomas was born 4 July 1883. James Mormon was born 8 Dec 1884.

His wife Minnie had:
Minnie Sophia, Aug 19, 1877
Annie, Aug 2, 1878
Juliatte, Feb 11. 1880
Eliza Jane, July 3, 1881
William Edward, Sept 29, 1882
Henry Ether, Dec 14, 1883
Elizabeth Mary, Feb 17, 1885
Emma, May 6, 1887
Margaret M, Dec. 6, 1888
Orson, Feb 5, 1890
Clara, 29 Feb 1892
Edna, Aug 27, 1894
Parley Cecil, April 8, 1896
Orin Millard, Dec 14, 1897
Clarence, Feb 3, 1901.

Nine of these children from both families died by 1898.

His wife Almira moved to the 3rd ward on State Street and wife Minnie moved to Little Cottonwood. Then he built a large 2 story house in Farmer’s Ward (about 13th South and 17th Street) where both families lived, very closely associated with each other.

Then in 1885, the U.S. Government was cracking down on those men who had more than one wife. The local U.S. Marshals were, on the most part, Mormon-haters and delighted in seeking these men and putting them in jail, under the co-habitation law, if they were caught. True, Pres. Wilford Woodruff had been directed to issue the Manifesto, making it unlawful for men to take more than one wife. The Church Authorities instructed their men not to take anymore wives, but to take care of the ones they already had as well as possible.

Grandfather had taken Aunt Minnie in good faith and certainly she and her children were his responsibility. It was noised around that Aunt Minnie and her children had gone to St. George to live. But she went to Riverton and lived with Auntie Beb, Great Grandfather Silcock’s 2nd wife. Here Grandpa secretly looked after their wants. Later Grandpa built her a nice brick home in Riverton.

Eventually, with his growing family Grandpa decided he had to have more land, so he sold his property in the Farmer’s Ward in Salt Lake City at a sacrifice and bought a farm in Granger. Here Heber Charles was born 10 Oct. 1886, Hyrum Edgar, 11 Jun 1889 and Ella Almira, 10 Mar 1892.

He built a nice frame house for his family in Granger. Then he later bought more land joining his farm on the West. This farm had a hewn log house on it to which he made a sizable addition, which housed his large family comfortably. He raised good crops and had all kinds of livestock on the farm. He was a great lover of horses and owned some fine animals. "

TO BE CONTINUED...

Alexander Shillington Henderson--Part 1

2010-01-24T16:20:00.007-07:00

This history of Alexander Shillington Henderson was written by one of his granddaughters, Marie Oliver Winter. The original copy can be found at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in Salt Lake City. I have made some grammatical and spelling changes. Other additional information I have added is in italics. All of the pictures and graphics I have added as well.

"My Grandfather, Alexander Shillington Henderson, was the 6th and youngest child of James and Ann Jane Shilling Henderson. His paternal grandparents were: Isaac and Jane Askin Henderson. Those on his mother's side were: James and Ellen Anderson Shillington.

Grandfather was born, 31 October 1844, in Syerla, Tryone, Ireland. Other members of the family were: Eliza born 1831; Mary Ann born 1835; Thomas in 1837; James H. in 1841; and Mary 1842. Mary Ann died young, but the others five grew to maturity.

About 1848, my Great Grandmother Ann Jane Henderson died, leaving her little family who needed her so much. Young Alex (as he was called) especially missed her. Great Grandfather had to have help with the children. So he courted and married Mary Ann Murphy. Sometimes it is hard to replace a mother in a family, and Alex began to dislike his step-mother. The tension in the home grew so tense, that at the age of eight he left home and went to live with his older brother Thomas. From this time on he worked in the coal mines. They later left Ireland and moved to Glasgow, Scotland. Grandfather had a life long dislike for the Irish, but he loved Scotland and its people. After he came to America, I think he just let people suppose he was born in Scotland, because his published Obituary from Riverton, gave his birth place as Scotland.

In Scotland he continued to work in the coal mines. But he did work by contract, his brother Thomas was a weaver of fine Irish linen.

It was some time in 1858, when Mormon missionaries from America taught the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the Henderson's and converted them. Thomas and his wife were baptized early in 1859, Grandfather a little later on. I don't know if James was baptized or not. From the time they became affiliated with this unpopular religion, their way of living changed they were shunned by their friends, and work was harder to get.

The spirit of gathering was upon them and they started saving money to immigrate to America and to Utah. At the Church History Archives, it gives the sailing date for Thomas Henderson as May 30, 1862, from Liverpool England, we know that Alex and James came at the same time, however they arrived in New York, James decided to stay there. While on the ocean Tom's little son, Alexander, died and was buried at sea. Grandfather's sister Eliza married a man by the name of Turner who lived in Illinois. The records show that the Henderson's (Thomas and Alexander) made the trip across the plains to Utah in 1863, arriving in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake in the fall. (Alexander was about 18 years old at the time. See Perpetual Immigration Fund records).

TO BE CONTINUED...

I am back

2009-10-21T14:25:00.000-06:00

I hope I haven't lost too many of you in the long break that I have taken from this blog. The biography "Come After Us" is now being printed. Most of the harvest from my garden has been preserved. So now I can think about family history again.

I hope you enjoy the little bits I find here and there.

Please, please share any stories, pictures, etc that you may have. Please don't assume I already know something or have something...I would rather have multiple copies then none, you may be surprised at what I don't know and how exciting your little pieces of information may be!

Thanks!

WE NEED YOUR ORDERS NOW!

2009-10-03T12:39:00.003-06:00

If you want a copy of "Come After Us" the biography Nicholas Thomas and Jane Heath Silcock, you need to contact me ASAP. Click on the link to learn more about the book and the amazing church history/pioneer stories it contains.

The deadline for the money now!

We want to get the order to the printer this week so the books can be published in time for Christmas.

We are still a few orders shy of the 100 we need to have the book printed. Please, take advantage of this opportunity! The book is $35 and that includes shipping. If you would like us to ship to multiple addresses we can.

I have seen the book go for $90-$100 on e-bay and other sites!

Again, any descendants of Nicholas Thomas Silcock and Jane Heath Silcock will love to have this book.

A special call is out to the descendants of their daughter Almira Heath Silcock who married Alexander Shillington Henderson.

Their children who lived were:

Alice Sarah Henderson (Louis Peterson)
Hannah Jane Henderson (Lucius Curtis Peck)
Rose O Henderson (Isaac Edwin Oliver)
George Alexander Henderson (Ethel Garside)
Nicholas Thomas Henderson (Alice Matilda Jensen)
James Mormon Henderson (Malinda Freeman)
Heber Charles Henderson (Rhoda Carlin Smith)
Hyrum Edgar Henderson (Alice Bills)
Ella Almira Henderson (Joseph Brigham Harrison)
Alma John Henderson (Janett Smith)

The book has Almira & Alexander's story as well and pictures of them and their family.

Please contact me right away!

Marie Arnold
funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com

Bitter Creek Painting

2009-07-26T20:34:00.004-06:00

I just found out that the picture that I thought was so perfect for our family story in the Martin Handcart Company IS our family!! Click on the link or go to the Wylie label post to see the painting and story.

The artist, Clark Kelley Price, is a descendant of Elizabeth Wylie Steele! He painted a scene from his own family history. (Click on his name to read his story about the painting)

I just think it is so amazing that I found the picture months ago and thought it was perfect for our family...and it was because it is our family being depicted!

Pioneer Story of the Day: Nicholas Thomas & Jane Heath Silcock

2009-07-23T21:40:00.000-06:00

It is time for 3rd Great Grandparents.

I have shared much about Nicholas Thomas & Jane Heath Silcock already in other posts (see the side bar and click on Silcock to read more). Here is a little summary and a few additions:

Nicholas Thomas went by Thomas. He and Jane had 16 children, one born in England, 2 in Nauvoo, 2 in St. Louis and the rest in Utah. Four of their children died before the age of 10.

Text in Italics from "Come After Us" by Melvin Banner:

When Nicholas Thomas was 10 years old his mother died. Before her death she called him to her bedside. She told him, "Thomas, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is not on the earth, but will be brought back by an angel. If it comes in your day, I want you to join it." He always remembered what his mother said and when he was 13 years old he "knelt down and told the Lord that if the truth every came in my day, I would embrace it."

Nicholas relates that upon hearing Wilford Woodrfuff and Alfred Cordon declare the restoration of Christ's gospel by an angel, the spiritual stirrings in him said, "that is the truth!". Likewise, as Jane listened to the LDS interpretation of the Savior's baptism by immersion she declared, "I was immediately converted." Elder Woodruff later confirmed her a member of the Church. Nicholas and Jane never faltered in their commitment to their testimonies they received.

Nicholas Thomas came across to America alone at age 23 on the ship EMERALD with Parley P. Pratt. He earned money on the ship by remodeling the captain quarters. He worked in St. Louis to save up money and sent for his wife Jane, who was only 16 years old, and their 17 month old son Alma. She crossed on the ship the CHAMPION. They lived in Nauvoo, Illinois on the corner of Wells and Young Streets. Nicholas Thomas was a carpenter who built Parley P. Pratt's home.

He worked full time on the Nauvoo Temple and stayed until its completion. He and Jane received their endowments and were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple in January 1846. When the saints were driven from their homes, the Silcocks did not have means to travel west with the main group and instead they went to St. Louis where Nicholas Thomas searched for work and where they endured many hardships.

Jane's mother Barbara Heath and her brothers traveled west to Winter Quarters with Bishop Edward Hunter. Grandma Barbara Heath passed away not long after arriving at Winter Quarters. Jane's teenage brothers were taken in by the Hunter family.

Cholera hit St. Louis hard at this time. In the LDS community “Nicholas had been appointed to preside…he spent his time among the sick and dying. For a time it looked as if the whole city of St. Louis would be wiped out.” Jane said. “I was called to administer to the afflicted,” Nicholas recorded. Then the dreaded disease struck home for the Silcocks. On April 10, 1849, seven-month old Barbara Ann “was sick at two p.m. and at ten p.m. she was laid out a corpse.” This was another blow to sadden the Silcock family…

“There was sickness and death at every turn,” Jane told her daughter Martha. “Nicholas spent his time helping with the sick and carrying the dead to the sidewalk.” There they would be picked up by wagons to be buried in accordance with the city officials’ specifications…After July, the number afflicted began to diminish...

Nicholas recorded that “In the fall as the cholera abated I received work in a sugar refinery.” He was blessed in several ways. He was alive. His wife and Alma were alive, and he had full-time employment at good wages. “I felt I had much to be thankful for,” Jane told daughter Nina Etta, “as my husband and my son Alma were spared…though the sad blow (of Barbara’s death) was one from which I did not recover.”

After the birth of their son, Thomas, Jane had an attack of ague chills causing milk leg (phlebitis) to set in. “I was sick all winter and well into the spring of 1850,” Jane told daughter Martha. Nicholas recorded additional problems that added to Jane’s misery with milk leg. “My wife being confined caught cold and was very sick and could hardly walk.”

In 1850, Bishop Edward Hunter came to St. Louis with wonderful news. Thanks to the new Perpetual Emigrating Fund established by Brigham Young, the Silcock family could finally make the journey to the Salt Lake Valley. Nicholas Thomas, Jane, their eight year old son, Alma, and their infant son, Thomas, joined the Edward Hunter Company even though Jane could not walk. Jane would have to ride in the wagon and could not do any of the chores so they arranged with a widow to take care of the cooking and washing in exchange for transportation for the widow, her son and their belongings.

Bishop Hunter conveyed on to Jane Silcock and others with illnesses in the company, a promise from President Brigham Young that “if this people will hearken to counsel they will have good health. Women that cannot walk a mile will walk twenty by the time they get to the tops of the mountains.” Jane saw this fulfilled. Daily she gained ability to use her legs. Jane began to help the widow with the cooking until she “took turns of every other time.” She found it increasingly easy to fully care for baby Thomas. Jane told her granddaughter Eva, “by the time we arrived at the end of our journey, I recovered my health.”

They arrived in Salt Lake in October They were the first of many who were blessed by the the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. They settled eventually in Riverton area where they raised their children and welcomed more. They lived faithfully and served honorably in many callings in the church.

Martha their daughter recorded of Jane's passing at age 75, "Her last hours were quiet and full of prayer and concern for the welfare of those around her." Jane had been molded and defined in the furnace of affliction. Thus, by the close of her life those close knew they were in the presence of a pure person with a pure spirit....Mary Green, who was with Jane when she passed away reported "All was peace and quiet when the end came as she was prepared to go."

A grandson, Mahonri M. Dansie later said of his grandfather Nicholas Thomas Silcock, "I have heard him bear his testimony many times in fast and testimony meeting. He was one of the stalwarts of the day. He was true and faithful to the end. He was a honest and hard working man. I am proud to be one of his grandchildren."

Nicholas Thomas Silcock passed away at the age of 86. Both he and Jane are buried in the Riverton Cemetery.

Certainly they both walked with "Faith in Every Footstep" as many others did.

Pioneer Story of the Day: Mathais & Ann Cowley

2009-07-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

Ann Quayle Cowley and Mathias Cowley were another set of 4th Great Grandparents of mine.

They were the parents of Ann Cowley, who married Edward Callister. They had a son named Edward Callister who had a daughter named Irene Callister, who married Raymond Verne McCullough. They are the parents of Beth Maurine McCullough Henderson.

Mathias Cowley was born in 1794 on the Isle of Man. His wife, Ann Quayle was born in 1799 also on the Isle of Man. They were married in 1817. They had six children while living on the Isle of Man. This is a picture of Peele, Isle of Man where most of their children were born.

In 1840, John Taylor, then one of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Clark came to the Isle of Man and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Cowleys heard them and were convinced that the principles they taught were true. In November, 1840 they were baptized and immediately made plans to come to Illinois.

Mathias sold his small farm "The Glen Ellen" and herds of sheep to raise money to make the journey. They had been well off and had enjoyed many luxuries, but there was great persecution of those that followed the "dippers" (Mormon Missionaries) and so they left their homeland forever.

They went to Liverpool, England and set sail April 2, 1841 on the ship Rochester. Ann's brother John Quayle, his wife Catherine and their children also came on the ship at this time. Additionally, the ship carried Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff and other church leaders returning from their first mission to England and about 200 new church members on their way to Illinois.

The Cowley's purchased a farm about four miles from the city of Nauvoo. Unfortunately, their baby, Eleanor, died in August. Another baby girl came in May 1843. They named her Ellen...probably after their homestead on the Isle of Man..."The Glen Ellen".

At one time, Mathias paid a hundred dollar fine so that the Prophet Joseph Smith could be released from jail after false charges had been brought against him.

On another occasion, Mathias Cowley was asked by the prophet to give to the Church six hundred dollars he had in the bank as the Church was in dire need of money. Mathias quickly obliged the Prophet's request and was subsequently given a blessing by Joseph Smith, and a promise was passed down to the Cowley posterity, that "as long as his posterity remained faithful to the Gospel they would never want for bread."

As persecutions grew, men would take turns protecting the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family. Ann Cowley Callister, one of Mathias & Ann Cowley's children, remembers one night, Mathias hid his family in a corn field for the night, while he went out to help protect the Prophet.

During the persecutions that followed the martyrdom of Joseph & Hyrum Smith, a cannon fired on the city tore out one wall of the Cowley home. The Cowley's watched the exodus of friends and family in the years that followed. Not being able to afford to go west they moved to St. Louis where Mathias worked in a packing house. Here their youngest daughter, Ellen, died in 1849. A few years later in 1853, Mathias died at the age of 59 years old (most likely in one of the cholera epidemics).

In April 1854, Ann, at age 58, and her children left St. Louis. They were part of the William Field Company. They had trouble with Indians, bad water, and many died along the way.

You can read more about their journey at: http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/source/0,18016,4976-2680,00.html

Many in the company didn't care for the way Captain William Field led the company. Isaac Groo said, "All who will follow me, come now, I will lead you." Nineteen wagons followed his lead including the Cowleys. They arrived in Salt Lake on September 19, 1854, the first company of the season, and two weeks before those arrived who remained with Captain Fields.

Ann lived in the 7th Ward in Salt Lake City the rest of her life and died at the home of her son John, May 9, 1877 at the age of 81 years old. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, I_19_10_1W.

I would love to know more about Mathias and Ann personally. From the tiny Isle of Man, to Nauvoo, to St. Louis, they traveled far. And then Ann went on across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to Salt Lake. I have yet to find any of their own words, but I assume that like many others they went quietly forward in faith through the trials they faced and they were true to their testimony of Jesus Christ.

Mathias and Ann Cowley...pioneers, generous and brave, my grandparents, I am grateful for them.

Sources include: Life History of Beth Maurine McCullough, "Our Pioneer Heritage" Vol. 16, http://isle-of-man.com/manxnotebook/mormon/mcowley2.htm Please contact me if you would like more specifics.

Pioneer Story of the Day: Maria Billings Linney Morris

2009-07-21T20:30:00.001-06:00

Another 4th Great Grandmother of mine was Maria Billings Linney Morris.

She is the mother of Louisa Morris, who married John McCullough. Louisa & John McCullough are the parents of William Morris McCullough. William married Ruth Susan Independence Keysor and they are the parents of Raymond Verne McCullough. Raymond married Irene Callister and they are the parents of Beth Maurine McCullough Henderson.

Maria Billing Linney was born in South Witham, Lincolnshire, England. The black and white picture to the right is an old photograph of the village.

Maria married John Morris in 1832. They lived in a little village about 20 miles away called Barrowden, Rutland. They had eight children. The picture is of wat Barrowden looks like today...not much different than it did almost 200 years ago when they lived there.

The following is taken from a short history written by Arlene Pulsipher Hemsley:

"About the year 1845 or 1846 an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints whose name was Thomas Smart went to work in Barrowden to take charge of Dyeing wool mats. Soon after he arrived he began to preach the new faith and Maria accepted the gospel with gladness and was baptized on 10 Dec. 1848, with her two sons Charles and John. Emma was baptized in 1849, in 1854 Harriet, Robert and Louisa were baptized. They had to go in the dark to the river that ran by the village so they might not be observed."

Maria's family began saving money and one by one made their way to America. In the spring of 1866 her son Robert sent money to her for her journey. Her husband John, according to family stories, stayed behind with his daughter Sara who had not accepted the gospel. Sara was his daugther from his first wife.

So alone at the age of 59, wanting to be reunited with her children, she sailed on the ship "John Bright" on April 30 from Liverpool, England.

She probably traveled from New York by rail and steam ship to the town of Wyoming, Nebraska Territory. There she joined the John D. Holladay company. They left on July 19th and arrived in Salt Lake City on September 24th. It is likely she walked most of the way (from Nebraska to Salt Lake).

In Salt Lake Maria earned her living going out to nurse sick people and doing the washing for families. She lived in Salt Lake City the rest of her life. On 1870 and 1880 Census records, we find her living with her youngest son Robert in Salt Lake City. She had very good health and it was said she never had a headache. She was about 83 years old when she died. She is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery P_8_8_5E.

Pioneer Story of the Day: Mary Ann George Wylie

2009-07-20T21:47:00.007-06:00

Mary Ann George Wylie was another 4th Great Grandmother of mine.

(She was the mother of Ruth Wylie Keysor, who was the mother of Ruth Susan Independence Keysor McCullough, who was the mother of Raymond Verne McCullough who was the father of Beth Maurine McCullough.)

Mary Ann George was born in Ireland in 1790. Sometime in the 1820s she married Oliver Wylie. In 1847 she was baptized. I assume that Oliver passed away before they came to America. I am not sure. By 1856 she was in America and she joined the Edward Martin Handcart Company at age 66. Her daughter, Elizabeth(28) and her husband James Steele(29) and their two little boys ages 3 and 1 were also a part of the company.

With a late start, and early snows tragedy came along the trail. When hope was almost gone, rescuers came to help. On October 28 the first rescuers arrived with a few supplies and helped the people as best they could to carry on. At the Sweetwater River, we know three eighteen-year old boys belonging to the rescue party carried nearly every member of the handcart company across the ice cold stream. I can imagine them carrying our Grandma Wylie, and then her daughter, son-in-law and their two little boys.

They moved on. Each day they were getting closer to the Salt Lake Valley. However, on November 10, James died. He had literally starved to death giving all his food to his children and wife. I believe when he realized help truly was there for his family, he was able to let go and move on. He held on until he knew for sure they would be cared for. He was buried at Bitter Creek.

The painting known as, Martin Handcart Company in Bitter Creek, Wyoming, 1856 (in the Gospel Art Kit #414) is an illustration of this terrible moment for their family.

The artist, Clark Kelley Price, is a descendant of Elizabeth...and this is his rendition of the scene! It really is our ancestors!!!

Grandma Wylie standing behind her daughter Elizabeth who is holding her one year old son, William. He didn't add little James (age 3) clinging to his mother's skirt, while the men bury his father, James Steele, in a cold shallow grave.

Mary and Elizabeth and her two boys carried on. They made it to the Salt Lake Valley. When the Logan Temple was completed in 1884, James(now in his 30's) went to the temple and did the work for his father.

Francis Webster, a member of the Martin Company, stated, in a Sunday School class:
“I was in that company and my wife … too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but … we became acquainted with [God] in our extrem[i]ties.

“I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it. … I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there.

“Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company” (as quoted in David O. McKay, “Pioneer Women,” The Relief Society Magazine, Jan. 1948, 8).

President James E. Faust said this in July 2002, Ensign:
"I hope that this priceless legacy of faith left by the pioneers will inspire all of us to more fully participate in the Lord’s work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children.

You who are among the descendants of these noble pioneers have a priceless heritage of faith and courage. If there are any of you who do not enjoy fellowship with us in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we invite you to seek to know what instilled such great faith in your ancestors and what motivated them to willingly pay such a terrible price for their membership in this Church. To those who have been offended or lost interest or who have turned away for any reason, we invite all of you to join in full fellowship again with us. The faithful members, with all their faults and failings, are humbly striving to do God’s holy work across the world. We need your help in the great struggle against the powers of darkness so prevalent in the world today. In becoming a part of this work, you can all satisfy the deepest yearnings of your souls. You can come to know the personal comfort that can be found in seeking the sacred and holy things of God. You can enjoy the blessings and covenants administered in the holy temples. You can have great meaning and purpose in your lives, even in the profane world in which we live. You can have strength of character so that you can act for yourselves and not be acted upon."

When stories are shared of the Martin Handcart Pioneers, remember our ancestors. It is in our blood to be strong in face of tragedy, to walk on in the cold, to not be turned bitter by the Bitter Creek moments in our lives. Grandma Wylie carried on for us...let us carry on for her!

Pioneer Story of the Day: Barbara Hulme Heath

2009-07-19T07:55:00.011-06:00

Barbara Hulme Heath was one of my 4th Great Grandmothers.

(Her daughter was Jane Heath Silcock, who was the mother of Almira Heath Silcock Henderson, who was the mother of Nicholas Thomas Henderson, who was the father of Jay Harold Henderson)

Barbara was born in England to John Hulme and Lady Jane McDonald Hulme.

The vocation Barbara chose to follow was cooking. "Barbara worked for years in that profession, not marrying. She saved her money wisely. When she was twenty-nine years old Barbara met a very pious gentleman six years younger than herself, by the name of John Heath and fell in love. They were married in 1825...Both John and Barbara brought substantial savings accounts to the marriage, an unusual circumstance for the working class of the times. Barbara and John were well suited for each other, and were very happy in their marriage.”

Her husband John passed away in 1841. Barbara joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England in 1845; she was about 49 years old. She and her sons decided to come to America. In October 1845 they arrived aboard the ship “Oregon” in New Orleans and then came up the Mississippi River to the boat dock in Nauvoo. Her daughter Jane met her at the dock. On the ride home Barbara found that her long journey was not yet over. "Nauvoo would be a temporary respite" as the Saints were preparing to go West.

"Barbara, being financially sound, was able to supply capital to purchase the iron and wood for her wagon. Nicholas (her son-in-law) with the help of the teenage Heath boys, provided the labor."

Before leaving she was endowed in the Nauvoo temple on January 8, 1846.

"Barbara Heath and her sons were assigned to Bishop Hunter's company." They had planned to leave February 16th with the main group of Saints. However, Bishop Hunter was counseled to wait and see if he could sell more of his property first.

"In April, discouraged over bleak sales of his property, Edward Hunter's family and Barbara's family prepared their wagons to move across the Mississippi. By now the grass was growing and the trail west was well traveled."

"Barbara’s sons...had not yet joined the Church. Bishop Hunter had a valuable influence on them through their close association during the months of preparation. The Bishop and his wife, Ann only had one daughter...and no sons. Barbara was grateful for the Bishop's mature and fatherly example. As they were saying goodbye, Barbara's last words to Jane were, "If it was not for the salvation of my boys, I would not leave you."

"By the end of August the Hunters and Heaths had reached Council Bluffs on the Missouri River. It was now the 'sickly season.' Bishop Hunter and his family were so sick they could not continue. Bishop Hunter recorded, 'I suffered with sickness, also seven at a time.' Ann Hunter told Jane later in Salt Lake City of this trying time. She explained the Barbara was the Hunter family's life saver. Barbara (who had been sick earlier in their travels) had regained strength but was still sick. Sister Hunter explained that Barbara cooked the meals and nursed those too ill to leave their beds. Ague symptoms include serious thirst. Sister Hunter said there were times when Barbara was too ill to walk but she crawled from bed to bed of those more ill and gave them water. Finally with that devoted care, they regained health enough at the end of September to cross the Missouri River to Winter Quarters."

"Barbara developed other complications in addition to the ague...Sister Hunter told Jane later in Salt Lake City that Barbara became ill with black canker and lay ill for fourteen weeks. Before Barbara died, she told a dear Sister, Elizabeth Melroy, "Write to my daughter in St. Louis and tell her that I am no more, but I have died in hopes of a bright and glorious resurrection." She passed away at Winter Quarters, October 20, 1846 at age 50.

Text in "quotes" is taken from the book "Come After Us" by Melvin Banner (a biography of Nicholas Thomas Silcock and Jane Heath Silcock)

Text not in quotes and italic additions within the quoted text were added by Marie Arnold.

Our Pioneers

2009-06-27T22:15:00.006-06:00

I will be posting about each of the pioneer ancestors that I am aware of over the next few days, so check back regularly and enjoy!

What now?

2009-06-03T14:03:00.003-06:00

I want to know, what you want to know!

What stories would you like to hear?
What pictures would you like to see?
What information would you like to have?

Comment or e-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com

Come After Us

2009-05-25T22:00:00.002-06:00

"Come After Us" is a wonderful book. It is a biography of Nicholas Thomas Silcock and Jane Heath. The time & research that Mr. Melvin Banner put into this project is praiseworthy. I have enjoyed the portions I have been able to read so far.

When Mr. Banner began this project, he and others searched for the descendants of Nicholas Thomas & Jane Silcock. He would like their story to be in the hands of as many of their descendants as possible. However, they were only able to locate 3 Hendersons. So this book has not been seen by more than 3 of Alexander & Almira Henderson's descendants. (And they had 13 children!) If you are interested in having your own copy or finding out more about the book, please comment or e-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T22:34:00.009-06:00

Are you headed to the cemetery this weekend?

If so, this list might be of interest to you.

A few months ago I thought it would be interesting to find out where our ancestors are buried. I had some information, but I started seeking out more. Many of our ancestors are buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery, but as that is an enormous cemetery, I found out the grave “addresses” as well.

I aspire to taking my children up there this summer to find and take pictures of all of the grave markers…but if any of you get there first…send me the pictures!

Here I have listed all of the names of our grandparents in each generation, some of which I have yet to find out exactly where they are buried. If you know…PLEASE let me know, so I don’t have to try and research it all.

I have changed the font to Green for Salt Lake City Cemetery Information.

I have much more information about all these people, but here I have only included Burial Information that I have. I have also linked some of the names to other posts I have made about them. So if you click on a name that is underlined, it will take you to more information about that person.

Grandparents

Jay Harold HENDERSON
buried 15 Jan 1977 in Salt Lake City Cemetery West 13_149_1E
Beth Maurine MCCULLOUGH
buried 12 Jan 2002 in Salt Lake City Cemetery West_13_149_2E

Great Grandparents

Nicholas Thomas HENDERSON
buried in Wastch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
Alice Matilda JENSEN
buried 29 Jul 1980 in Wastach Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah,

Raymond Verne MCCULLOUGH
buried 21 Apr 1970 in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Park_41_25_4W
Irene CALLISTER
buried 20 Jul 1976 in Salt Lake City Cemetery Park_41_25_3W

2nd Great Grandparents

Alexander Shellington HENDERSON
buried in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah
Almira Heath SILCOCK
buried 1 Dec 1896 in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah

Jens Peder JENSEN
buried in Cresent Cemetery 27_4_4, Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah
Ane PEDERSON
buried in Cresent Cemetery 27_4_3, Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah

William Morris MCCULLOUGH
buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery PARK_41_25_4E
Ruth Susan Independence KEYSOR
buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery PARK_41_25_5E

Edward Henry CALLISTER
buried 27 Nov 1917 in Salt Lake City Cemetery C_13_15_1_S 2
Louisa Jane EDDINGTON
buried 16 Sep 1948 in Salt Lake City Cemetery C_13_15_2_S 2

3rd Great Grandparents

James HENDERSON
Ann Jane SHELLINGTON

Nicholas Thomas Cook SILCOCK
buried 12 May 1906 in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah
Jane HEATH
buried 30 Apr 1902 in Riverton, Salt Lake County, Utah

Soren Jens Christiansen JENSEN
buried in Cresent Cemetery 27_1_2, Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah
Neilsine NYKOBING
buried in Cresent Cemetery 27_1_1, Sandy, Salt Lake County, Utah

Jens Peder LARSEN
Ane Marie CHRISTENSEN

John Samuel MCCULLOUGH
buried 29 Apr 1909 in Salt Lake City Cemetery E_6_2_1E_N2
Louisa MORRIS
buried 18 Apr 1915 in Salt Lake City Cemetery E_6_2_2E_N2

Guy Messiah KEYSOR
buried in Richfield City Cemetery A.20.05.08, Sevier County, Utah
Ruth WYLIE
buried 27 Mar 1891 in Salt Lake City Cemetery E_5_4_5E

Edward CALLISTER
buried in Salt Lake City, Cemetery C_3_1_4W
Ann COWLEY
buried 25 Mar 1915 in Salt Lake City Cemetery C_3_1_2E

William EDDINGTON
buried 6 Mar 1913 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Louisa Sarah BARTON
buried 3 Sep 1891 in Morgan City Cemetery UK_1_9_42

4th Great Grandparents

Isaac HENDERSON
Jane ASKIN.

James SHELLINGTON,
Ellen Ann ANDERSON

John SILCOCK
Anne COOK

John HEATH
buried 8 Sep 1841 in Hanley, Staffordshire, England
Barbara HULME
buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Florence, Douglas County, Nebraska
She died at Winter Quarters 20 October 1846

Jens Christian CHRISTENSEN,
Metti Marie JENSEN

Anders PRAESTIGAARD
Kirstine or Kristine Annie LARSEN.

Laurs PEDERSEN LARSEN
Anne JENSEN

Christen Pedersen MUNK
Ane Marie or Maren CHRISTENSEN.

Samuel MCCULLOUGH
Janet HAMILTON

John MORRIS
buried 1 Jun 1882 in Barrowden, Rtlnds, England
Maria Billings LINNEY
buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery P_8_8_5E

Henry Bernard KEYSOR
Elizabeth SCOVILLE

Oliver WYLIE
died in Ireland
Mary Ann GEORGE
buried in Salt Lake City

John CALLISTER
buried 11 May 1827 in Kirk German, Isle of Man, England
Ann SHIMMIN

Matthew COWLEY
buried 1 Sep 1853 in St. Louis, Missouri
Ann QUAYLE
buried 12 May 1877 in Salt Lake City Cemetery I_19_10_1W

James EDDINGTON
buried 10 Jun 1852 in Mile End Cemetery, Protsea, England
Eliza SEATON
buried in Mile End Cemetery, Protsea, England

William BARTON
Charlotte Maria HAYLES

Taking a vaction

2009-05-13T13:47:00.008-06:00

I am taking a small vacation from this blog. I recently acquired a large box of family photos from my husband's side of the family. I need to scan them all and get them back to his grandparents as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you have a photo or story that you would like to share, e-mail me and I will post it. I am especially interested in finding out more about the Keysor, Wylie, Eddington, and Barton & Morris families.

Otherwise check back in June!

Picture & Story of the Week: Maria/Mary Billings Linney Morris

2009-04-29T13:50:00.008-06:00

This is a picture of my 4th Great Grandmother Mary or Maria Billings Linney Morris.

She was married to John Morris. They are the parents of Louisa Morris who married John McCullough.
Louisa & John McCullough are the parents of William Morris McCullough.
William married Ruth Susan Independence Keysor and they are the parents of Raymond Verne McCullough.

I found the following story about her:

Maria Billings Linney Morris Story

Written by Arlene Pulsipher Hemsley
Compiled from autobiography of her son Robert Morris, Histories of her daughter Harriet and grandson Fred.
Transcribed by Anjanette Stone Lofgren

Maria Billings Linney was born 12 Nov. 1806/1807 at South Whitham, Lincolnshire, England. She was the only child of John Linney and Sophia Billings...Her parents followed a common tradition of giving a child for their middle name the maiden name of the mother.

Nothing is known of her childhood until her marriage to John Morris in 1832. This was his second marriage and he had a small daughter named Sara. They made their home in Barrowden, Rutlandshire, where their eight children were born: five sons and three daughters. Their second son, John, only lived one year, so the third son was also named John. Their other sons were Charles, Robert, and William. Their daughters were Emma, Harriet, and Louisa.

About the year 1845 or 1846 an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints whose name was Thomas Smart went to work in Barrowden to take charge of Dyeing wool mats. Soon after he arrived he began to preach the new faith and Maria accepted the gospel with gladness and was baptized on 10 Dec. 1848, with her two sons Charles and John. Emma was baptized in 1849, in 1854 Harriet, Robert and Louisa were baptized. They had to go in the dark to the river that ran by the village so they might not be observed. William was baptized in 1857. Nothing further is known of William. John Morris, the father of the family was not baptized while living, although he was a friend to the elders and never objected to their presence in his home until an elder brought small pox into the home and had to stay there until he was well. Every member of the family had small pox at that time.

They lived in a very poor neighborhood in Barrowden and all had to work to make a living. They cleaned and sold many pans of tripe in the more wealthy district. Tripe is made from the cow’s or pig’s stomach lining, cleaned, washed, cooked and seasoned, it was considered a very palatable dish.

There were many factories in the area and all, even the children, were allowed to work in them, Robert went to work in a leather dressing establishment when he was 13 years old. Possibly John and Charles worked there also as that is the work they did after they came to America. The children were also compelled to go to school part time.

Maria and her daughter Harriet were seamstresses. Maria was a good cook and housekeeper and taught her children to do things proper.

It must have been very difficult to save enough money to pay for their emigration to America but they did and John and Charles came to America in 1855 and 1856. They stayed in Cincinnati where they found employment. In the spring of 1860 Charles sent the money to England to pay for passage to America of Robert, Emma, and Harriet. Emma and Harriet had to stay in Brooklyn doing house work to earn enough money to finish their journey to Utah. Harriet worked for two years. Robert had enough money to go onto Cincinnati where his two brothers were working.

Even though the proprietor of the factory favored Robert he still had a difficult time financially to earn enough over his board and room to go on to Utah. At one time the only job available was something that was very difficult to do without practice and Robert had never been able to do it successfully. One morning on his way to work he felt very impressed to get on his knees and pray that the proprietor would offer him a job. He knew if he could get the job he would be able to use the money to go on to Utah. He prayed and was offered the job and did it successfully, and was the first member of the family to make it to Utah.

John married in Cincinnati and nothing more was heard of him. Charles married and had a family before starting for Utah. He with his family made the journey to Utah later. Harriet and Emma arrived in Utah in 1862. Nothing is said of Louisa but she was in Salt Lake City when she married in 1862. (I found records of Louisa coming in the William H. Dame Company in 1862.)

In the spring of 1866 Robert sent the money to England to emigrate Maria to Utah. She arrived on September 24th (in the John D. Holladay Company). Her husband, John chose to stay in England, family tradition has it that he did not want to leave his daughter Sara who never accepted the gospel. She was the daughter of John and his first wife.

Maria was 60 years old when she arrived in Salt Lake City, and she still earned her living going out to nurse sick people and doing the washing for families. She lived in Salt Lake City the rest of her life. She had very good health and never had a headache.

Maria died 17 November 1889 in Salt Lake City. John Morris died in 1882."

Words in Italics were added by Marie Arnold.

Pictures of the Week: Ruth Wylie Keysor

2009-04-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

These are pictures of Ruth Wylie Keysor. She is my 3rd Great Grandmother.

She was born April 30, 1829...it would be her 180th birthday this month! (Another source says her birthday is May 1, 1830, I am not sure which one is correct)

She was married to Guy Messiah Keysor (See the post from 10-4-2008 for more information about him). They are the parents of Ruth Susan Independence Keysor who married William Morris McCullough.

Soren Jens Christiansen Jensen: Part 2--Marriage, War and Mormon Missionaries

2009-04-01T14:31:00.006-06:00

"After being home for a short time he went to work for some very rich people as a coachman. This job he held for a number of years. It was at this place he became acquainted with Neilsine Christine Nykobing who was employed at the same place. Two years later they were married. Three months of each year he returned to Fred-rixian's training camp to be prepared if war should come. It came in 1866.

He was called to leave his wife and four children. His daughter Alice was born during his absence. After some years Soren was on of the fifty men who drew a lucky number and was released from service and allowed to return to his family. Upon arriving home he saw two of his little boys playing outside. he asked them their names and where their father was. They answered his questions but did not know who he was.

After being home for some time he became interested in brick lime making. He made a very good business for himself. In order to make the brick he had to move to St-Olai, Hjorring, Denmark. It was while living at this place the Mormon Elders called. They were made welcome, although his wife did not like it, as it was considered a disgrace to join those people. Therefore she would not even listen to their preaching. Soren was convinced from the first that they had the truth. He did not join at once but waited praying that his wife would join with him.

During this time their daughter Alice was taken sick. The doctors said there was great danger of her losing her right arm. One night about eleven o'clock there came a knock on the door, it was two Mormon Elders--strangers to Soren. They told him they had been directed there by the Lord. They did not know what for. Soren told them he had a very sick child in his home and he wanted them to administer to her. They did and the child was almost instantly healed."

See Post on Marcy 25, 2009 for first half of this story.

Soren Jens Christiansen Jensen

2009-03-25T14:52:00.006-06:00

The following is a short biography that my Great Grandmother, Alice "Allie" Matilda Jensen Henderson, wrote about her grandfather. If anyone has pictures of the Jensens I would love to seem them.

Part 1--Early Life and Military Training

"Soren Jens Christiansen Jensen was the son of Jens Christian Christensen and Mette Marie Jens.

Soren was born 4th of Dec. 1835 at Hormested, Hjorring, Denmark. He was one of seven children. Soren had four years of schooling and two years at a minster's school as there were no high schools or colleges at that time except in the larger cities.

He was always somewhat confused in regards to the religious teachings of the day-especially to their conception of God and infant baptism and many other things.

His parents were God fearing people and belonged to the Lutheran Church and were anxious that their son and daughter should join the same church.

His forefathers were contractors and builders of bridges. His father's special work was bridge
building. The father was anxious that his sons would follow the same occupation, but after Soren had been working day after day planing logs and never getting any farther, he became discouraged and told his father he had learned all about logs that he cared to know, so he left his father's employment and went to work for a farmer until he was eighteen years old.

Then in order to comply with the law he was compelled to take military training. Soren was sent with a group of boys to the training camp at Fred-rixian where they were to pass inspection and be vaccinated for yellow fever, smallpox and all insect bites. He was three years in training and was made a cavalry man. After three years he was allowed to go home with the understanding that should Germany try to seize a certain island they were anxious to get, he was be called back to service.

Next week: Marriage, War and Mormon Missionaries

Note: Soren Jensen was the father of James Peter Jensen, who was the father of Alice Matilda Jensen who married Nicholas Thomas Henderson.

Picture of the Week: Henderson Cousins

2009-03-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

We thought this would be a fun trip down memory lane...

Never a dull moment with Verne...

2009-03-18T14:16:00.003-06:00

Paul Callister's account the "South Seas" is 22 typed pages in length. The following is the last excerpt I am going to include on the blog. Most of his writing describes scenery and things he and his wife did on the trip. If any one is interested in reading the entire "South Seas" trip, e-mail me and we will get you a copy as I haven't transcribed it all.

This excerpt comes from their time in Honolulu where they stayed at the famous Moana Hotel.

"Sunday we attended Sunday school. It was one of the most interesting classes I have ever attended. Although the teacher, who was a medical man, didn't agree with everything Verne said, the class ended in a beautiful spirit. There is never a dull moment with Verne. He can get excited and into an argument quicker than any man I ever knew. The manager of the Moana was told off last night and told how to run a hotel but Verne is Verne and will meet all comers in an argument. Yesterday at breakfast he got the waitress so confused she dropped her tips in his bran flakes; boy did that liven things up.

St. Patrick's Day...do you know your Irish Ancestors?

2009-03-17T14:34:00.013-06:00

Have you ever wondered on Saint Patrick's Day...is there any Irish in me?

If you are a Henderson the answer is yes!
Here is our Irish Ancestor:

Alexander Shellington Henderson

Perpetual Emigration Records show that he came to Utah from Ireland about 1863. (The Civil War was going on at this time.)

He was born in Syerla, Tyrone, Ireland on 31 October 1844.

His father and grandfather were also born here.

The pictures are of places in Tyrone County, Ireland.

Note: Alexander Shellington Henderson was the father of Nicholas Thomas Henderson. NT Henderson was the father of Jay Harold Henderson. So Alexander is my Great, Great Grandfather.

The South Seas-Purchases

2009-03-04T15:40:00.003-07:00

This is an another excerpt from Paul Callister's writings about their trip to the South Seas. They were on the Fiji Islands at this point:

"Verne and I hired a cab to take us to the L.D.S. meeting house. It is by far the most beautiful church on the island and it only has one hundred and twenty-four members. It is new and the stone work is of coral, modern in every way with a steeple extending into the blue.

On our way back we stopped off in town to do some shopping. Verne is a great help to one trying to make a purchase. He loves an argument and would get into one with every shop keeper over their prices. The stores are mostly run by natives of India. As the Chinese were the shop owners in Tahiti and controlled the wealth, here in Suva the Indians are the wealthy class. You can bargain with the Chinese, but the Indian is different, he has one price an that is it..."

Ancestor of the Week: William Eddington

2009-02-25T14:24:00.012-07:00

I "Googled" my 3rd Great Grandfather's name this weekend and found a great picture of him!

This is William Eddington. He was born in 1821 in England.

Thanks to the Perpetual Emigration Fund he was able to come from England to Utah. The very ship he sailed on, the "Ellen Maria", and the departure, (January 1853), was painted by Ken Baxter. I have included the painting here. His future wife Louise Sarah Barton also sailed on this ship thanks to the PEF.

Hannah Cornaby, who also sailed on the Ellen Maria wrote the following poem about the departure day. This poem I am sure describes the feelings of William Eddington & Louise Barton as well:

In January, Fifty-three, we left our English home,
Determined for the Gospel’s sake, to Zion’s land to come.
Our family was very small, its members numbered three,
Yet strong in faith of Israel’s God, and full of hope were we.
’Twas not to us an easy task to bid old friends adieu,
To take a long farewell of those who always had been true,
To leave for aye, the cozy home we made but just before,
And take a last fond look of things we should behold no more;
The wind blew keen, as out we went into the cold gray dawn,
But keener far the chill we felt within our hearts that morn.
The stars were shining over us, but brighter in our breast
Was the star of hope that lured us on to the distant West.

Hannah L. Cornaby, “Crossing the Atlantic Ocean: A Reminiscence,”
Autobiography and Poems (Salt Lake City: J. C. Graham & Co., 1881), 65.

William crossed the plains at age 31 in the company of Joseph W. Young. Lousie Sarah Barton was also in the company. They were married a year later.

He was elected the first mayor of Morgan City in 1868.

That's all I know for now...

How we are related:

William Eddington had a daughter named Lousie Jane Eddington who married Edward Callister. Louise & Edward are the parents of Irene Callister who married Raymond Verne McCullough. They are the parents of Beth McCullough who married Jay Harold Henderson.

The South Seas by Paul Callister Part 1

2009-02-18T14:31:00.003-07:00

It is time to tell a story again.

The following was written by Paul Callister, Irene Callister McCullough’s brother, about a trip they went on to the South Seas. As it is quite a long story…here is Part 1….

The South Seas

Getting Ready to Leave and a Funny Moment on the Train

Anticipation often leads one into the far corners of the earth and I had often thought of traveling to the South Seas where I had been told that palms and ferns grew profusely. In the winter time I have longed for the warmth of ocean sands and warm ocean breezes and anticipation has now given birth to reality for here Mary and I are on the S.S. Monterey with Verne and Irene (McCullough) and Walter and Margaret Latshaw.

In August, when the trip was first mentioned, I was confined at home from a condition brought on by not keeping the Word or Wisdom. Mary loves such trips as much as I do and was for it from the start. Preparing for a vacation of this magnitude gave her much joy in things she loves to do, shopping and more shopping. When we made our reservations, January 11^th seemed so far away and I wondered at the time if I would be strong enough by then to make the trip for I could hardly make my way around the house. The body soon mends if given a chance and strength returns where it has been dissipated away. Health is such a precious thing and yet we think little of it until suddenly deprived of the precious gift. Days, weeks, months passed fast. Mary had all of her bags packed before Christmas.

On January 7^th we left Ogden for San Francisco. Paul (my son) and his wife Elenore drove Verne, Irene, Mary and I to Ogden to catch the train. We had decided to leave Salt Lake at 5 o’clock to give us plenty of time to make the thirty-eight miles to Ogden, but when we called to pick up the McCulloughs, Verne was just repacking one of his suit cases, looking for a pair of gloves, here we lost fifteen minutes. I had forgotten my rubbers so another five minutes was squandered going back to our house and then we had to go to the Kearns Building for Verne’s rubbers. We lost more than thirty minutes of precious time but we made it to the Ogden Depot just in time to get aboard the train; thanks to my boy Paul’s good driving.

No trip was ever taken that didn’t have its funny parts. Verne started this one out by leaving his ticket home. He is so meticulous how others do, that he often forgets about himself. On the train he put his watch on backwards and read from the illuminated dial in his upper berth 7:30 AM instead of 1:30 AM. Out of his berth he climbs and shaves, washes, dresses, eats an apple and hurries Irene out of her berth, fearful he would be too late for breakfast.

He walks into the club car, all dark with the brake man dozing in a chair. He wakes the brakeman and asks where all the people are and was told in their berths asleep where they should be, but Verne, in his mild manner, says they should be up as it is after eight o’clock. The brakeman looked at Verne and then his own watch and told Verne that his watch read 2:30 AM. When Verne saw his mistake he went back to his room and told Irene of his mistake. Irene said she thought it was one of the shortest nights she had ever slept through. They both undressed and went back to bed.

To be continued...

Nicholas Thomas Henderson and siblings

2009-02-11T15:01:00.006-07:00

This is a picture of Nicholas Thomas Henderson and his 3 younger brothers....James Mormon, Heber Charles, Hyrum Edgar.

Nicholas is top center; I believe Heber is on the left, James is on the right, and Hyrum is bottom center.

Their parents were Alexander Shillington Henderson & Almira Heath Silcock Henderson.

This next picture is also of Nicholas Thomas Henderson with some of his family...though they are only identified as "NT & family". If anyone knows which siblings are in the picture I would love to know.

Also, for anyone interested we are trying to get another printing done of the Silcock Book "Come After Us" which is a biography of Almira's parents: Nicholas Thomas Silcock and Jane Heath Silcock. It is full of pictures, and is beautifully written and is full of inspiring stories. It is about 400 pages long. If we can get 100-200 orders then we can get another printing done.

Picture & Story of the Week: February 11, 2009 Irene Callister McCullough

2009-02-11T14:26:00.009-07:00

The following was written by Gerry Ebert about this picture. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

"I don't know where the picture of my mother was taken. I assume it was in front or on the side of her house on G Street. I'm not even sure if she was married or not. I keep getting the feeling that it might be her on her wedding day. She also said that she weighed 98 pounds when she got married...She told me that to let me know and for her to remember that she was not always overweight. "

Items of note:
Irene & Verne were married 27 Sept 1917
Irene was almost 25 when she got married.

Happy Birthday Grandma Beth McCullough

2009-02-04T15:08:00.006-07:00

February 5th is Beth McCullough Henderson's birthday! She was born in 1924. Here are some pictures of her when she was a baby.
This first picture is with her mother Irene Callister McCullough.
The next picture is with her Grandmother Ruth Susan Independence Keysor McCullough.

"Pictures of the Week" Nicholas Thomas Henderson

2009-01-28T14:11:00.008-07:00

This is a picture of my great grandfather Nicholas Thomas Henderson. He went by N.T. He was a dentist.

He liked golf quite a bit I have heard, so this is a great picture. My uncle Mark recently told me the following about him:

When he came to visit them, he always took the boys out for a golf lesson, "whether they wanted to or not".

As the years went on he didn't like to have to pull his golf clubs around. So he fixed up a gasoline powered engine to attach to his golf club bag. It had a throttle to control it. Mark said that it often looked like the bag was going faster than he was. I sure wish we had a picture of that!

The other picture is N.T. with some of his golf trophies. This picture was taken in front of his home on Military Drive in 1932.

I would love to hear more stories about him...hint, hint, all my aunts and uncles. If you don't know how to leave a comment, have one of your children teach you...otherwise, e-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

"Thoughts from Grandma Beth" Family, Friends & Time

2009-01-10T09:21:00.008-07:00

January 8, 1984 Sunday

I have decided in this New Year I shall try and write in my journal at least once a week. Hopefully someday I shall find time to write a little every day.

Today Dianne played the organ in sacrament meeting--the prelude and postlude and all the Hymns. She did very well and I was proud of her. There is nothing like good practical experience. All the lessons in the world are not enough. One needs the opportunities to use what talents one has. Our church is so wonderful in this respect that it gives a member a chance to serve and use what talents he has and thus develop them. I will always appreciate the opportunities I had to use my musical ability in the various organizations of the church. Also to teach the gospel has been a real joy for me.

My very dearest friend, Kathryn Kirk has cancer and it breaks my heart. She has always been so healthy. It really makes one wonder what on earth one can do to avoid that awful disease. I feel sure Kathryn ate good healthy food. She had been working very hard on a book that contained the history and story of the lives of all her ancestors. She had been working on it for about two years. I got after her several times, to not spend so much time on it, as she was missing so many other things in her life. She told me several times that she did not know what it was that seemed to give her a sense of urgency to get the book finished. She said she just felt like she had to keep at it and finish it. I feel sure that was the Spirit urging her on.

I know the Lord can easily make her better if her mission here is not finished, but perhaps she is needed on the other side. I shall really miss her. She was a great example to me in many ways. I never heard her swear or tell a dirty joke. She really lived the commandments as far as I could see and put the church first in her life along with her family. I did get a chance to see her when they first brought her home from the hospital. She really wasn't having any visitors, but they did let me in to talk to her for a little while. We did cry together for we both knew how serious her condition was. It was significant to me that she said, "From now on I must get my priorities straight." Coming from one who gave so much time to the church and her family, I was somewhat surprised. She did give much service also to worthwhile community things. I can only guess that perhaps she felt that she tried to do too much at the expense sometimes of the things that matter most.

That is true in my life for sure. I am too busy and I don't do the compassionate service I should be doing. By that I mean, visiting with my sick friends, taking in food. I do some of that but not enough. I know if I knew that I was going to die in a short period of time, I would let all my clubs go and spend that precious time with my family, letting them know I loved them so much. All my clubs are really worthwhile and I learn a lot and develop my talents because of the things I do in the groups, but we still have to choose in life among many good and worthwhile activities. That is the real test, I am convinced, to learn what one must eliminate when there is just so much time. I know my husband often thinks I am too busy to spend time with him. Well, I shall try and do better, before it is too late!!

Beth

Picture taken on a camping trip to Colter Bay that the Henderson & Kirk family went on together. Kathryn Kirk and Beth Henderson standing next to each other in the middle.

Sir Ralph de Scoville

2008-11-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for Marene Ebert who a few years ago sent us a copy of her family history file. Today I was investigating how far back it goes...and WOW!!! My 25th great grandfather's(yes, say great 25 times) name was Sir Ralph de Scoville who lived in England in 1194 AD.

That means he lived in the time of King Richard, Prince John, and Robin Hood.

The two pictures are of the Scoville Family Coat of Arms.

The following was taken from the book "A Survey of the Scovills in England and America; 700 Years of History & Genealogy" by Homer Worthington Brainard.

"...court record...designates Ralph de Scoville as a knight,--not a knight by the mere virtue of possessing land... or solely as a knight of the shire (member of parliament), but a true knight of England in both the civil and military meanings, or, in words more specific, a man owning a knight's fee of land or who had received the honor of knighthood from the king, by being touched upon the shoulder with a sword held in the hand of the the king; hence we have judged, and may continue to judge, of the quality of the men of the Scoville family in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries by this fact of knighthood. Ralph de Scoville may have been even a crusader-knight in the third crusade of 1189-1192 under Richard I."

"Ralph de Scoville was one of those manorial lords who joined with the great barons of England in forcing their King John to sign the Magna Charta, the great declaration of independence by Englishmen."

Yes, we have pretty cool ancestors!!!

If you are wondering where the connection comes:
Beth McCullough--Raymond McCullough--Ruth Susan Independence Keysor--Guy Messiah Keysor--Elizabeth Scoville--Ebenezer Scoville--Stephen Scoville--John Scoville--John Scoville--Arthur Scoville (He came to America before 1662 and settled in Connecticut, so he is our pilgram)--Richard Scoville--Louis Scoville--Robert Scoville--Andrew Scoville--Thomas Scoville--William Scoville--Robert Scoville--Henry Scoville--Thomas Scoville--John de Scoville--Phillip de Scoville--Robert de Scoville--John de Scoville--John de Scoville--William de Scoville--Sir Ralph de Scoville

Photo of the week: Edward Callister

2008-11-16T16:34:00.008-07:00

This is a picture of my 3rd great grandfather, Edward Callister. He was born November 12 or 20, 1824, Peel, Isle of Man, England. He was baptized in 1843. He married Ann Cowley November 1, 1851 in St. Louis, Missouri. They travelled in the William Field Company in 1854 to Utah. They were sealed in the Endowment House 14 Aug. 1857.

One of Edward & Ann's sons was Edward Henry Callister who married Louise Jane Eddington. They are the parents of Irene Callister. She married Raymond Verne McCullough.

All I know of him was that he was a tailor. If you know more...please comment or e-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

Edward died on the 16th of January 1888 in Salt Lake City, Utah and was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Here is a link to the death notice from the Deseret News. http://www.eancestry.org/docs/003786.pdf It is in the fourth column towards the bottom. It will be in an adobe file and you can zoom in to read it.

Irene Callister McCullough

2008-11-07T16:00:00.002-07:00

This picture is of my Great Grandmother Irene Callister (before she was a McCullough). She was about 18 years old in 1910.

Life is full of contrasts! The following is from the "Life Story" that Marene Ebert put together about Irene. It shows a different side of her than this picture depicts.

“As a teenager around Halloween, Mother and her best friend would dress up in their fathers' pants (girls did not wear pants in those days) and after dark would run through the neighborhood and tip over all the ‘out houses’. She and her friend wore their fathers' pants on other occasions...Mother said that she and her friend learned to jump the six foot fences as fast and as well as any of the boys in the neighborhood and never did get caught. One night Mother was dressed in one of her father’s best suits and as she and her friend, also dressed in her father’s clothes, were walking down the hill, she saw her father coming home from work. He had got off the street car and was walking up the hill from South Temple. As he was going on a trip the next day, he had gone to the bank and had quite a bit of money on him. As he was walking up the hill, he saw these “two bums” (actually Mother and her friend) walking toward him. Thinking they were going to rob him, he gave them a shove, knocking them down into the mud as he ran past them. Later that evening, when Mother came home with his best suit on, dirty and torn, he was so glad that he had not hurt her, that he wasn’t even angry with her.”

Gerry McCullough Ebert

Irene's birthday is November 8th. She was born in 1892. It would have been incredible to know her from her "out house tipping" days to those that the following was said of her:

“I remember that three months before she died at the age of 84, she gave a book review to a group to which I was invited. She spoke for about 45-60 minutes, not using a note. She had a tremendous memory and a thirst for knowledge of things of worth. She was not interested in reading trivial things. She was a peacemaker. My father had many good qualities, but he also had a bad temper and would blow up often. My mother was never a doormat, but at the same time, she would never lower herself to shout or argue. I admired her for this and I’ve always wished I could be more like her. I loved to talk to her about the Gospel and the scriptures. I know of no woman and very few men as well read and versed in the scriptures as my mother.”

Beth McCullough Henderson

Alexander & Almira Henderson

2008-10-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

I am so pleased with what I have to share today!!! A few months ago a woman who was doing research for a friend of hers found my blog. Her friend is also a descendant of Nicholas Thomas & Jane Silcock. She e-mailed me and directed me to another descendant, Melvin Banner, who has written an amazing book (over 400 pages) about Nicholas Thomas & Jane Heath Silcock! I was able to obtain the LAST COPY he had! It is full of pictures and amazing stories from their lives AND the lives of their children. He has given me permission to digitize some of the book to share. So in honor of Alexander Shillington Henderson's birthday this week...

The meeting and marriage of Alexander Shillington Henderson and Almira Heath Silcock, from "Come After Us" by Melvin Banner.

Note: Alexander & Almira's 6th child was Nicholas Thomas Henderson, whose son was Jay Harold Henderson. So Alexander & Almira are my Great Great Grandparents.

"In 1874 a young gentleman, Alex (Alexander) Shillington Henderson, contracting work to dig the South Jordan canal came to Nicholas Silcock's farm to purchase hay for his teams. He was thirty years old and had been married, but his wife and only child had died. Henry Silcock said he was "flabbergasted at the large amount of money in this stranger's pocket." To Nicholas, it was just and ordinary visit from another customer and he was grateful for the cash. For sixteen year-old Almira, however, the visit from the man was electrifying. Alex was no stranger to her! She had seen him in 'a dream where it was shown to her the man she was to marry.' She told no one but 'was on the look-out from him' on his return trip. She made sure Alex had the opportunity to meet her. He fell in love with this tall, lovely young woman with 'black curly hair and flashing brown eyes.' They were married March 30, 1874, in the Endowment House. 'Alex purchased a tract of land on the bench adjoining the Silcock property and built Almira a home."

Jay Harold Henderson

2008-10-14T11:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday!

Dr. Jay Harold Henderson was born October 14, 1918.

He was my grandfather. He died when I was only 18 months old, so I have no memories of him.

I would love to hear your favorite memory of him.

Thanks for sharing!

funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com

Raymond Verne McCullough

2008-10-12T14:10:00.000-06:00

I just love this picture of my Great Grandfather, Raymond Verne McCullough.

He was born October 12, 1892. He would have been 116 this week! He went by his middle name, Verne.

Raymond Verne McCullough was an accomplished lawyer.

Here is a case my mom & I have heard family share. If we have any details mixed up...or if you know some more stories that would be fun to share, e-mail funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

One case he had involved a murder charge against a woman for killing her husband with a butcher knife.

The pathologist for the prosecution explained how she must have stabbed him at close range in the kitchen. However, she said she threw the knife at him from across the room.

During the trial, Verne (the defense lawyer) led the patholgist through a series of questions about things that will bring the heart to the surface--such as when a person is breathing heavily, raising ones arms or if one is yelling.

His final demonstration was piercingly convincing! He brought a similar knife to show the jury. Suddenly from across the room he threw the knife into the wall near the jury. With the knife sticking into the wall, he told the jury to think about it. (He had practiced for some time throwing the knife in his basement to be sure he could throw accurately and have a chance to convince the jury.)

The jury was convinced, she was declared "not guility" was released.

To read more about this trial go to: http://www.carbon-utgenweb.com/history7.html#powell
Thank you to Leslie Cates for e-mailing this information!

Who was this "Guy"?

2008-10-04T09:32:00.000-06:00

Guy Messiah Keysor

(He would have been 192 this week!)

Born: October 6, 1816 in Black Rock, New York

Guy Messiah Keysor is my 3rd Great Grandfather.
He is the father of Ruth Susan Independence Keysor. She married William Morris McCullough. Ruth & William McCullough are the parents of Raymond Verne McCullough. Raymond Verne & Irene Callister McCullough are the parents of Beth McCullough who married Jay Harold Henderson.

Guy Messiah Keysor was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and baptized April 1, 1843. He helped to build the temple in Nauvoo and participated in the exodus with the Saints in 1845.

When they reached the Missouri River in July 1846, he enlisted in the Mormon Battalion (see http://www.mormonbattalion.com/history/roster.html) and marched as a private in Company B (Jesse D. Hunter, captain) to San Diego, California.

It was on this march that he lost 90% of his eye sight. His journal tells of marching as long as one week without any water. Yet they would dig wells every day trying to find water. In most cases this work was in vain, for very few of the wells came in, in time to be of use to them. He also tells of building roads over trails which mountain goats could scarcely travel. They had nothing but hand tools to work with. Because of all these hardships that he endured, he lost his eye sight.

He was at Sutter's Fort in 1848 when gold was discovered (see http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=10303510), and remained in California until 1850, when he came to Utah and settled in Salt Lake, where he lived for many years. During this time he petitioned the Government many times without success for some compensation for the loss of his eyesight.

He worked on the Salt Lake Temple in spite of his blindness as a stone mason.

He went to Richfield about 1878 at which place he died October 3, 1885, a faithful Latter-day Saint.

There is a marker for him at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

He is buried in Richfield, Utah.

If you know more about this wonderful man please let me know! I would like to hear what you know about him! E-mail me at funseekerfamilyhistory@gmail.com.

Thoughts from Grandma Beth: "Bide Your Time"

2008-09-10T21:17:00.000-06:00

Grandma Beth typed the following on March 22, 1978.

Today I decided that I must write in my journal for I heard something today that really touched my heart that I knew to be true, because while Sister Jasmine Edmunds was relating to me the incident, the Holy Ghost witnessed unto me the truthfulness of what she was saying.

I gave the lesson today in Relief Society and part of the lesson was on Adam and Eve. I was stressing that just as it stated in the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, Adam was the first man and the first flesh upon the earth. I quoted from Joseph Fielding Smith, Pres. Joseph F. Smith and an official statement of the First Presidency of the Church that this was the case and that Adam and Eve were born of parents and did not evolve from earlier flesh via the evolutionary route.

After the lesson Sister Edmunds came up and told me of something that happened to her brother, President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency of the church.

It was at conference and he was slated to be the last speaker in the morning session. He had his talk all prepared, but because time ran out, President McKay said that Brother Romney would be the first speaker in the afternoon session. Brother Romney, between sessions, prayed about his talk that he had prepared and felt strongly that he should not use it and that he should talk on something else.

When he was called on to speak, Brother Romney said that the Lord literally put words in his mouth and that he spoke how Adam was the first man, the first flesh of the earth. (This was in the days before the general authorities had to turn in a copy of their talk ahead of time) He said afterwards that many of his friends that felt that this did not harmonize with the scientific theories of the day called him and said “Did you really mean what you said about Adam being the first man on the earth?”

I have found just in the years that I have lived that man’s theories come and go, but God’s words---whether in the scriptures, or through the mouth of his prophets are truths that will live forever.

I can remember so well that when I attended the University and took quite a number of anthropology classes, that all the books and all the professors stated most definitely that the only way men came to America was by way of the Bering Strait. Since that time there have turned up so many evidences of the Vikings, Phoenicians and other peoples that came to America by ship, that I’m sure there is no scientist today that would dispute this.

Therefore if the theories of men are not in harmony with the revealed truths of God, bide your time, the truths will stand, many theories of men will not. I have found this to be so.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Beth M. Henderson

McCullough Family Reunion

2008-09-10T15:48:00.000-06:00

Thank you to all who came to the McCullough Family Reunion in August at the Sandy Skating Rink. It seemed like all who attended had a great time. In the next two weeks Mom (Lael) will be sending out the picture CDs to those who signed up.

Enjoy some pictures of this fun event.

Some of the Girls

From Left to Right
Marene Ebert, Dianne Bailey, Marie Arnold (holding Hyrum Arnold), Lael Henderson (holding Sadie Henderson), Peggy McCullough, Pam McCullough, Gayle Sundberg, Pat McCullough, Grace Henderson, Vicki Henderson

Some of the Boys

From Left to Right
David Henderson, Robert McCullough, Lee McCullough, Rick Ebert, Scott Henderson, and
Craig McCullough

Story of the Week: 7-11-2008: Settling West Jordan-Conclusion

2008-07-11T14:50:00.000-06:00

Note: This is the final section of the Jane & Thomas Silcock History

Move to West Jordan
The 7th of May 1865, the family left Grantsville and located in West Jordan Ward. They endured more pioneering hardships and privations. They reached their destination the 18th of May 1865 and the 25th of July she had a daughter, Nina Etta, born.

The following winter was a very hard one and very lonely. They lived far from any neighbors and Thomas was away from home to work. Most of the time Jane did not despair, but did all she could to help in such isolation by sewing, spinning, weaving, taking milk cows on shares. They had taken up a quarter of land on the banks of the Jordan River. They lived for the time being in one log room and a dug out. At this time there were only six families from the Jordan Narrows to West Jordan. Later Thomas took up a homestead. During the summer of 1868 Jane had a spell of sickness that lasted two months. On the 25th of January 1869, her oldest daughter, Martha, was married to Robert Pixton. On the 8th of September 1869, Jane had another son, William Hulme, born and still it was a struggle in their surroundings to keep the wolf from the door.

A New Home
In 1870 and 1871 they had quite a number of cows on shares and by this helped her daughters. Jane got three adobe rooms added to their one log room that had been their only shelter for more than six years. Just before the house was ready to move into a son, Samuel Ephraim, was born on the 5th of September 1871. The baby was born in the dugout, which was a great disappointment at the time, but she made the best of it and when she was able to get up her daughters moved her and the baby to the new house. One girl wheeled Jane in the wheel barrow and the other carried the baby. They did this to surprise Thomas when he was away from home. They suffered no inconvenience from this journey. When the baby was a month old they went to Salt Lake to get shoes and supplies for the family. They were caught in a cold fall rain storm on the way home. They sat down in the bottom of the wagon and covered up until they reached home with the supplies. Neither Jane nor her babies caught cold.

In the winter 1872 Jane had a very severe spell of sickness, but she regained her health and planned how she would get work for herself and daughters. In the summer of 1873 the house was plastered inside, having been without plaster for two years. During the summer of 1873, when the threshing was under way they found they needed more room to store grain. Jane said she would clear out one of the bedrooms for the grain. It seemed so good to have a good crop after so many years of waiting and struggling to get along with a big family. Now, they had their homestead and the water to it and part of it was under cultivation. On the 12th of October 1879, their daughter Rosena Silcock Dansie died leaving two children. Jane took them home with her and cared for them for nearly a year.

Jane’s Callings in the Church
About this time South Jordan Ward was organized. Jane was called to act as a visiting teacher in the South Jordan Relief Society. On the 1st of February 1880, a branch was organized and called Riverton. When the Sunday School was organized Jane was appointed teacher of the Book of Mormon class. Soon after this she was called to act as President of the Relief Society of the Riverton Branch. She served faithfully in this office for sixteen years.

More losses of children
October 5, 1881, her youngest son, Samuel Ephraim, died at the age of ten with diphtheria and on the 7th of November another son, John Walter, eighteen years old followed of the same dreaded disease. This was indeed a sad blow from which Jane never would have recovered if it had not been for the great faith she had in the gospel. She said as Job of old, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In October 1890 their daughter, Sarah Silcock Bowld, died leaving five children and Jane was still able to minister to the motherless for she did her best to care for the helpless and those in need. April 1893, they attended the dedication services of the Salt Lake Temple. In November 1896, their daughter, Almira Heath Silcock Henderson, died leaving thirteen children. The two oldest were married and the other eleven were at home. The two youngest were twin boys seven months old. After burying this daughter, Jane remarked to Thomas as they returned home, that they had lived to lay the biggest half of their family away.

In 1899, Jane had a grandson, Seth Pixton, son of Martha & Robert Pixton, go on a mission to England, her native land. Jane continued her labors in the Relief Society until some time in 1900, when she was released. In July 1901, she had the pleasure of welcoming her returned missionary home again. Although the only grandson, he was the only one of her family to go to the nations of the earth to preach the Gospel and Jane felt to rejoice in having this privilege.

Early in January 1902, Jane met with an accident. The horse she had been driving started too quick and consequently Jane was dragged a short distance and was shaken up and bruised. Jane got up and un-harnessed the horse and put him in the stable. She walked to the house, but the end came and she failed more rapidly.

Thomas Silcock was the first Presiding Elder of Riverton and served as a home missionary all over the county. They had fifteen children and one stillborn, thirteen living past the age of 8. They were Alma, Thomas, Martha, Esther, Rosena, Almira, Sarah, Paulina, John, Nina, Nicholas, William, and Samuel.

Jane died April 27, 1902 and Thomas died May 10, 1906.

When Thomas said grace or family prayers he would always say, “Hasten the day of they Judgment, Lord, and he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Originally typed by Jewell Dansie
Feb 25, 1966

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.
Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.

"Thoughts from Beth Henderson"--October 11, 1980--Forgiving & Priorities

2008-07-06T11:14:00.000-06:00

Today my neighbor died who lived across the street. She died of cancer. Unfortunately, she had smoked quite heavily for a good part of her life and so she had cancer of the lung.

The reason I am writing today is that her death has reminded me of two important lessons I have learned in life that were really reinforced in my mind today.

The first one was that years ago I heard Steven Covey give a lecture reminding us to be the first to ask someone’s forgiveness, or to apologize whether we think it was our fault or not. There is a scripture that states something to the effect that before we come to the lord asking for something, to make it right with our brothers if we have had some disagreement etc.

Years ago this particular neighbor would bring her dog over to my grass parking to do his “duty” each day. Actually she would not bring him right to my lawn but just wait while he came over and did it. This really upset me because many times I would have my mother and mother-in-law to dinner and they would park in the front and have to walk across my parking to get into the house. Sometimes it would be dark and they would not see what was on the grass. So I went to the expense of putting in a cement sidewalk across one section so at least they could walk there in safety.

One winter day I happened to look out the window and saw her dog doing his business on the cement walkway as snow was on the lawn. I did not see the neighbor on the other side of the street and I went out the door to shoo the dog away and also threw a snowball at him to get him to move. I missed him by about 20 ft as I did not have my glasses on, but on looking up I did see her across the street. I went back into the house feeling rather foolish and debated what I should do. At the time I did not think they were Mormons. As I mulled the events over in my mind I thought if the missionaries ever came to her house some day, she probably would not let them in because of my bad example (of long suffering). So the next day I went over to her house and apologized to her for throwing the snow ball at her dog and the I told her as nicely as I could about that I did not want my mother and mother-in-law and other guests to step in it and her dog sort of had a habit of coming to my parking area. She was very nice and from then on she took her dog to the field and we became good friends. I shall always be grateful that I took that right step of apologizing first to her.

The second lesson that her death brought to my mind was that I should really put service to others before I do the many things that are pressing on me each day. I am grateful that two weeks before she died I did take her for a couple of rides up the canyon. The fall leaves were breathtakingly beautiful and I think she really appreciated the rides so much. I took her some pine nuts and bought her a bath mat that I heard her say she needed. But oh how I wish that I had done much more and I should have. The week before she died I was terribly busy and also Dianne and I and Grace, David and their children went for a two day trip in the motor home. I can honestly say my every minute on arriving home on Friday afternoon until Sunday morning was taken, but my neighbor died Sunday morning. And so the second lesson I felt was reinforced in my mind is that no matter how busy we are, we still have to set priorities and service to others should be right at the top. Some things just should have to wait, death does not. A chance to help or cheer someone doesn’t always come a second time.

I look at my messy home and I remember that God said, “My house is house of order.” Mine is not always, probably seldom in some areas and practically never in the library. But even among the good things that we could be doing with our time, we still have to set priorities and I honestly feel that God would forgive me my messy house sooner than neglecting someone in need. I hope I might always remember this. Harmon Rector once said, “Keeping your eye single to the glory of God” means doing what you ought to do when you ought to be doing it whether you want to do it or not.

Picture of the Week: July 4, 2008

2008-07-04T06:44:00.000-06:00

Born on July 4, 1870--138 years ago today--here she is:

Ruth Susan Independence Keysor,

who married William Morris McCullough.

They are the parents of Raymond Verne McCullough

who married Irene Callister.

This was Ruth Susan Independence Keysor McCullough's home in Salt Lake City.

It is on 11th East between Harvard & Princeton Streets.

Thank you to Gerry & Dick Ebert who took this picture in July 2007.

Story of the Week: 7-2-2008: Settling in Salt Lake & Tooele

2008-07-02T08:35:00.001-06:00

After arriving in Salt Lake, they went direct to home of Doctor Sprague. Jane spent two or three days visiting with the Doctor and Mrs. Sprague. After which they camped on the lot Henry Heath, her brother, had secured for them. It was located north toward the warm springs in the 19th Ward. Her brother had a lot adjoining and they made preparation to build a house.

Soon Thomas had a building under way. It consisted of two rooms and an entry built of adobe. They were able to live in the house during the coldest weather. In February 1851 Jane’s eldest brother married Sarah Ann Bird.

Move to Tooele
About the last of March, Jane, Thomas and their two sons and Jane’s two younger brothers moved to Tooele. Tooele was just a small Fort near the mouth of the canyon, but in consequence of trouble with the Indians the Fort was moved during 1851 so that it would be further from the mouth of the canyon. This would enable the white people to guard the Fort from the Indians more successfully. The family resided here for one year and six or seven months. After the Fort was moved, Thomas built a one room house of hewn logs, had it finished and made very comfortable, with home-made furniture, consisting of table, cupboard and bestead. It was all so nice for the little daughter Martha, who was born 30th of April 1852.

Back to Salt Lake and Grasshoppers
In October 1852 the family moved back to Salt Lake and located in the 6th Ward, on 6th South between second and third and third west. They resided here for over five years. During this time Jane’s two younger brothers were married. Jane had two daughters born, Esther on March 25, 1854, and Rosena January 27, 1856. They passed through the scarce time caused by the visit of the grasshoppers. This was the summer of 1856, and it was a very trying time until harvest.

Jane was able to minister to her husband as Sarah of old, for in April 1855 she gave her husband another wife under the new and everlasting covenant. This was Harriet Bebbington. Harriet was too old at the time to have any children, but she was a godmother to all of the girls by Jane. The first baby that was born to Jane after Harriet came into the family was named Rose Harriet, (Rosena) after her in order to show that there was no hard feelings.

Adapting to frontier life
All this time Jane was adapting herself to frontier life. She could cut and make men’s clothes and was quite an expert seamstress. Jane made all her baby shoes and would make shoes for her friends and neighbors and this prevented many from going barefoot. She would make shoes for herself and her daughters so that they did not have to go to meeting barefoot. Jane made soap and candles and would scour yarn and dye it. Although she never spun or wove Jane became quite a supervisor of such work, under her roof.

In the fall of 1857 Thomas was called to go to Echo Canyon. He was gone three months and left on short notice. Jane had herself and five children to provide for. When she found that she could not collect some of his summer earnings she just turned her hand to work and earned such things as she needed and on his return from the canyon Jane had not run her husband into debt. Thomas helped build the Lion House, the Beehive House and the Salt Lake Temple. The children all helped to clear sage brush for farming.

Move to Grantsville and the coming of Johnston’s Army
In February 1858 the Silcock’s family moved to Grantsville, Tooele County. On the 4th of April 1858 a daughter, Almira Heath (who later married Alexander Shellington Henderson), was born. About the first of May, Jane had to leave her home once more with just what they could put on the wagon. Everything else was packed and ready for the torch if such a sacrifice was necessary at the coming of Johnston’s army. Jane stayed for some time at the old English Fort in Taylorsville. From there they went to the Jordan River three miles below Lehi, Utah. Thomas moved a boat from Salt Lake to Utah Lake for Dan Jones. From here they went to Provo and camped on the Provo River not far from Utah Lake until Thomas finished the boat. On the 4th of July word came to the travelers to return home. They turned their faces homeward.

Life on the frontier-Hard times
Jane assisted in every way she could in order to get a start in a new country. She got a start of sheep and took care of cows on shares. On the 5th of November 1859 another daughter, Sarah was born. Again milk leg set in, so that Jane was in doors all winter. Even then she was not idle. When not suffering too much Jane would knit as she lay in bed and when able to sit by the fire she would gather her children around her and teach them the alphabet and to count. By this means she helped to pass the time away and be useful. In the later part of the summer of 1860 Jane’s ten year old son, Thomas, was run over with a very heavy wagon loaded with hay. He was seriously injured, but recovered in a short time. On the 4th of October 1861 another daughter, Paulina, was born. Soon after this Thomas started with a load of freight to Ruby Valley, Nevada. He was gone six weeks. During this time Jane took a relapse and was very seriously ill. She was nearly recovered by the time her husband returned.

On the 2nd of August 1863 their oldest son, Alma was married to Mary Ann Hudson. On the 17th of August 1863, a son, John Walter, was born to Jane & Thomas. On the 29th of May 1864 their first grandson, was born. Three months later their oldest son, Alma, was killed, having been accidently shot with the new baby in his arms. He died twenty hours after the accident. He was buried in Rhodes Valley, about 50 miles from Salt Lake.

In Grantsville the family farmed and hauled timber from the canyon. There is still a canyon named Silcock Canyon at Tooele. Thomas was presiding elder for seven years while they lived there.

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.

Next Week: Settling West Jordan

Story of the Week 6-24-2008: Making their way west

2008-06-24T08:17:00.000-06:00

Taking only such things as could be taken aboard a steamboat Thomas and Jane Silcock and their two children also turned west. They took a steamer up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers to St. Joseph, Missouri. They expected to continue to Fort Leavenworth, but while in St. Joseph they learned of the Mexican War. They heard that the government intended to discontinue their improvements at Fort Leavenworth, consequently it would have been useless for them to continue their journey there in search of work. What could they do? Where could they go to obtain employment in order to live and also to get an outfit to cross the plains? This was the great object in view, always. After counseling together Jane proposed to go back down the river to St. Louis. Worn and weary from useless wandering and with a sick child in her arms that had to be nursed on a pillow, they arrived in St. Louis. Here they found food and shelter, but before Thomas could find work, the baby, Elizabeth Jane, died August 17, 1845. Alone in a strange city without friends or work and little money left, they were indeed in sore straights. But they had friends raised up to minister to their wants in time of need. Jane soon found friends who gave her work and in that way she was able to earn enough money to supply their needs until Thomas could get work.

In the fall of 1846 (Oct 20th) they received a letter from a friend in Winter Quarters, informing them of the death of Jane’s mother, Barbara Heath. She and her three sons were in Bishop Hunter’s Company and were on their way west. This was indeed a sad blow and Jane felt that she could not be reconciled to this great loss.

On Sept. 6, 1847, the second daughter was born, Barbara Ann. During their sojourn in St. Louis they had to live on high land away from the river or Jane had chills and fever. Jane was never in good health and could not do hard work. She was a good needle woman, however; and could always get sewing to do and in that way made friends and earned means to help toward an outfit to cross the plains.

At last Thomas went to work at the boat yard and served his time to learn to be a ship carpenter and then he followed the river for some time between St. Louis and New Orleans. Jane would be alone with her children for weeks at a time. All this time she would fill in with her sewing.

On April 10, 1849, their little daughter, Barbara Ann, died very suddenly. She was taken sick at 2 p.m. and an hour later she was laid out a corpse. This was another blow and one from which they thought they could not recover.

The summer 1840 was destined long to be remembered, for during that summer an epidemic of cholera broke out in St. Louis and its surrounding area. There was sickness and on every hand. During this trying time Thomas was out of work. He had been appointed to preside over the six wards in St. Louis and he spent his time among the sick and dying and when the plague was stayed, they found they had need to be thankful indeed and they took courage once more.

After the plague had passed, grandfather (Thomas) got work at a sugar refinery where he worked until the following spring. On December 4, 1849 they had another son, Thomas, born. A few days later Jane took a chill and milk leg set in and she was sick all winter of 1849 and 1850. Bishop Hunter, in passing through St. Louis, called to see them and said to grandfather (Thomas), “you must get her (speaking of Jane) out of this or you will have to leave her here. Get her to the mountains where she can bathe in the Salt Lake and breathe that mountain air.”

About May 1, 1850, they left St. Louis after a sojourn there of nearly four years. They were going to join the saints in the Rocky Mountains. When they started on this journey with their other things they had a small wooden box which contained a zinc coffin containing the remains of their second daughter, Barbara Ann, who had died so suddenly more than a year before. They had buried her out in the country where they had friends living. When the time came for them to resume their journey they took the body along, in order to bury it with her grandmother, Barbara Heath, in Winter Quarters. When they reached Winter Quarters they were unable to find the grandmother’s grave, so this dear child after being carried so far was laid to rest in the Kanesville Cemetery. The reason for them carrying the body with them was that when their first little daughter, Elizabeth Jane, died soon after they reached St. Louis they buried her St. Louis cemetery and measured and marked the spot as best they could, so later they could mark it with a head stone as soon as they could earn the means to do it. To their dismay when they went back to mark the grave they were unable to find it. It was never marked with a stone and that is the reason why they carried the other little body with them when they left St. Louis.

When they were crossing the Platte River the wagon started to sink and they had to unload some of the heavier things in the river. Among them were Thomas’s valuable tools and a fur coat of mole skin. In due time they arrived at Council Bluffs. There had been a very hard winter, dry and cold, and a very late spring and the companies were late starting out for fear of finding no feed for the stock. After waiting for some weeks the drought continued. A special meeting was called by Apostle Orson Hyde who was presiding there at the time. The meeting was called for Sunday afternoon for the saints to exercise faith for rain to be sent, that the grass might grow and the saints might take up their journey. The people assembled and after meeting was called to order, Elder Hyde explained the object of the meeting and told the people to pray with him. Then he led in prayer and it was a prayer long to be remembered by those who took part. After the prayer the services were continued for some time. At the close of the meeting clouds were gathering and before all the people reached their wagons and tents the rain drenched the parched ground. July 4, 1850, Edward Hunter’s Company left for the west and Salt Lake. In the company traveled the Silcock family, as well as a widow and her son. The widow acted as a helper and cook, because when Jane left St. Louis she was unable to walk but very little. Travel improved Jane’s health so that by the time they arrived at the end of their journey she had recovered her health. Abut three days journey from Salt Lake, Jane’s eldest brother, Henry Heath, met the company. He had brought with him a fresh yoke of oxen and by this help they arrived in Salt Lake October 4, 1850, some days ahead of the company.

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.
Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.

Next Week: Settling in Salt Lake & Tooele

Pictures of the Week: 6-17-2008

2008-06-17T17:11:00.000-06:00

"Then"

Summer 1904

This is the Edward Callister home on 7th Avenue and G Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. Edward Callister was the father of Irene Callister, who married Raymond McCullough, who are the parents of Beth McCullough.

Irene is sitting on the middle porch step and is the 2nd girl from the right. Edward Callister is the man standing alone on the left.

Edward Callister is my Great, Great Grandfather, Irene McCullough is my Great Grandmother.

"Now"

Summer 2007

103 years later!

Here is the same home on 7th Avenue and G Street in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I hope my house looks this good in 100 years!

Thank you so much to Gerry & Dick Ebert taking and sharing this picture.

Story of the Week 6-10-2008: Marriage & Journey to Nauvoo

2008-06-10T18:02:00.001-06:00

On April 14, 1841, Jane Heath became the wife of Nicholas Thomas Silcock. After they were married, they continued to live with Jane’s family and Jane still helped her mother with the business. During the summer, her father’s last illness came and lasted for many weeks and all during that time her father clung to her and thought no one could lift or wait on him like Jane. On 8 September of 1841, John Heath passed away, having been an invalid for twelve years. Jane continued to help her mother with the business.

On February 6, 1842, a son was born to Thomas and Jane and they named him Alma. On October 6, 1842 Thomas bade farewell to his wife and child, his friends and country in order to immigrate with the saints to Nauvoo. Jane continued to live with her mother, but in October 1843 Thomas sent for her to join him in Nauvoo, Illinois. Consequently she bid her friends and kindred goodbye and started her long journey across the Atlantic Ocean with a child one year and eight months old in her arms.

Amos Fielding was the President of the Company of Saints. They sailed from Liverpool and went to New Orleans on the ship Champion which arrived in New Orleans 6 December 1843. They had a pleasant voyage of six weeks and three days. Arriving, in New Orleans the saints changed steamers and proceeded up the Mississippi River to enroute to Nauvoo. When Jane landed in New Orleans, she received a letter from her husband informing her that he had come down the river to meet her that she was to land at Island 69, Dickle County, Arkansas. On December 22, 1843 Jane reached her destination and found her husband in good health and he had employment for the winter. They spent their first winter among the planters on the plantations near the Mississippi River.

Prior to this time in September 1842, Nicholas Thomas Silcock started on his long and tedious journey to the new world, covering a period of eleven weeks. On landing in America, Thomas and a fellow passenger, who had also left a young wife and child in England, found employment in New Orleans before proceeding up the river to St. Louis. When work started on the Nauvoo Temple, Thomas was employed there. His specialty was stair building and he built the spiral staircase in the temple. In the summer of 1843 Thomas sent for his wife to join him in America, during the voyage Jane’s baby had the measles. Thomas and Robert Pixton, who was also expecting his wife to arrive on the same boat with Jane, went down the river to meet their wives and obtained work making a kill of brick for a planter. Their wives arrived in December and they remained with the planters until spring.

In May 1844, they took a steamer for Nauvoo where they arrived about May 15, 1844. They lived in a room in Parley P. Pratt’s house until they could build. They built a small one block from the temple. The change of climate broke Jane’s health and she never regained her health while she sojourned in the states. Soon after their arrival in Nauvoo they had the pleasure of meeting the Prophet Joseph Smith. They were in Nauvoo when the Prophet and Patriarch went to Carthage Jail and were martyred. They had the privilege of being present at the memorable meeting when the mantle of Joseph fell upon the Prophet Brigham Young and they testified with many others that verily he spoke with the voice of Joseph and looked like Joseph. This they testified to the rest of their lives.

Jane said, that the happiest time of her life was while she was watching the workman hurry the temple to completion. Jane sold spare clothing to buy food so that Thomas might do his part in the great building. Thomas was chosen to help do the hand carving on the finishing of the temple. During their sojourn in Nauvoo they met the Prophet’s mother. Jane had the pleasure of spending an afternoon in her company with other sisters in the home of Parley P. Pratt. They had a very pleasant visit and each one present gave the guest of honor some token of remembrance. They also were at a meeting one Sunday afternoon when President Young had Sister Lucy Mack Smith speak from the pulpit. She said her heart was with the saints, but she was so feeble she would like to stay and be buried with her dead.

On August 2, 1845, Thomas and Jane had a daughter born and named Elizabeth Jane. Late in the fall 1845 Jane’s mother, Barbara Hulme Heath, and her three brothers, Henry, Thomas and Fredrick came from England. January 1846 they received their endowments and were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple.

They witnessed the westward march of the church authorities, who crossed the river on the ice and turned their faces westward and started in search of a resting place for the saints. They were at the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple. They said over the pulpit in large gold letters was written, “THE LORD HAS BEHELD OUR SACRIFCE, FOLLOW AFTER US.” Shortly after the completion of the temple, they bid adieu to the beautiful city of Nauvoo, leaving everything standing in the house.

Taken from a biographical sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton.
Italics indicate text added by Marie Arnold.
For a copy of the "Champion's" Passenger List showing Jane & her son Alma e-mail me.
(See previous story of the week for more information)

Next week: Making their way west

Pictures of the Week 6-10-2008

2008-06-10T15:09:00.000-06:00

John McCullough
John McCullough was born in Dollar, Clackmannon, Scotland. He was baptized there 9 February 1849. He came to Utah with the Willie Handcart Company in 1856. He later spoke of the difficult crossing and how he had to bury bodies by covering them with snow. He was between 20 and 22 years old at the time, travelling alone as far as we know. He was described in one source has a "short dandy legged Scot with broug too thick to understand."

John McCullough is the father of William Morris McCullough, who is the father of Raymond Verne McCullough, who is the father of Beth Maurine McCullough who married Jay Harold Henderson.

A view of John McCullough home town Dollar, Scotland from a castle above the town.

The church in Dollar, Scotland.

The cemetery in Dollar, Scotland. Most likely this is where John McCullough's ancestors are buried. Unfortunately, no one is allowed into the cemetery because the stones are in danger of falling over.

Thanks to Lee & Pam McCullough who took shared these pictures they took on their trip to Scotland last year.

"Thoughts from Beth Henderson"--May 26, 1980--Memorial Day

2008-06-03T17:36:00.001-06:00

I didn’t get to my mother’s and little sister’s grave today, but I would like to pass on to my posterity a few things about my wonderful mother, Irene Callister McCullough.

I did look up to her with respect and admiration for her marvelous intellect, for her sense of humor, and her great kindness to her children, grandchildren & friends. And she did have many friends. Her children and grandchildren all loved her dearly.

I remember that three months before she died at the age of 84 she gave a book review to a group to which I was invited. She spoke for about 45-60 minutes not using a note. She had a tremendous memory and a thirst for knowledge of things of worth. She was not interested in reading trivial things.

She was a peacemaker also. My father had many good qualities but he also had a bad temper and would “blow up” often. My mother was never a “doormat” but at the same time she would never lower herself to shout or argue. I admired her for this and I’ve always wished I could be more like her.

I loved to talk to her about the gospel and the scriptures. I know of no women and very few men as well read and versed in the scriptures as she. Many, many people said this about her too. Just the other day (4 years since she died) a friend who lived in her ward told me again what a wonderful teacher she was and yet so humble despite her vast knowledge.

I remember when we were children she would take us to Yellowstone, to Long Beach. She taught us how to swim at old Warm Springs on Beck Street.

Because I lead a very busy life, I don’t often stop and think about her. When I do, I cry for I do miss her. I loved her with all my heart. What a privilege it will be some day to associate once again with my mother.

Within 6 months, two of the dearest people in my life died a painful death (cancer)-my husband and my mother. But I shall always be grateful and realize how blessed I was to have been so close to such outstanding people as they were.

From the Journal of Beth Henderson

Picture of Irene Callister McCullough and her daughter Joan McCullough born 1928

Picture of the Week 6-3-2008

2008-06-03T14:07:00.001-06:00

The Henderson Boys

Scott, David, Jim, Brent, and Mark

Story of the Week 6-3-2008: The Conversion of Jane Heath

2008-06-03T13:47:00.000-06:00

Informational Notes:
Jane Heath is my 3rd Great Grandmother. Here is the break down:
Jane Heath is the mother of Almira Silcock, who was the mother of Nicholas Thomas Henderson, who is the father of Jay Henderson--the greats depend on you!

Jane Heath was born November 6, 1826 in Handley, Staffordshire, England. She was the eldest daughter of John Heath and Barbara Hulme. Her father was a decorator of china by trade. When she was about two years old her father was stricken with typhus fever, which left a nerve disability from which he never fully recovered. As a means of support her mother bought a baking business, which she personally conducted. After school and in holiday time, Jane worked in the shop or ran errands. At a very early age Jane would assist her mother when hired help would fail. She was a strong, healthy girl and matured early. She was educated in the schools at Handley and received a good common schools education together with plain and fancy needle work. She also learned knitting, plain and fancy stitches and shoe binding. She learned button hole making from a tailor. Dancing was one o f her many accomplishments.

In the winter of 1840 and 1841, the Latter-day Saints came to Staffordshire, preaching the gospel as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. A great many people in the different towns and cities of Staffordshire investigated and embraced the gospel. One of the first families in Handley to accept the gospel was Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Poole. Mrs. Poole was a patron of the bakery shop. She would often stay and chat with Jane when she found her not busy. The gospel had made so much difference in their lives that Mrs. Poole interested Jane in the new faith. Mrs. Poole was anxious for the young girl to hear her husband read the Bible for she was sure that it sounded much different since the new gospel had come to England.

One day Jane went to hear Mr. Poole read in company with Thomas Silcock, a young man who had made his home with the Heath family for the past six years. His mother died when he was a small child. He and five other brothers and sisters lived with their father until he died, then Thomas went to live with the Heath family and worked at carpenter work and any kind of labor he could find to make a living. When Mr. Poole read of the Savior’s baptism, Jane was converted to the necessity of baptism by immersion. It was necessary for the Savior to go down into the water and be baptized by John it was also necessary for her. Thomas Silcock, was a convert and was baptized, but Jane was young and had to wait for the consent of her parents.

John Heath was strictly moral religious man and Jane did not dare go to meetings or apply for baptism without her father’s consent. When thoroughly convinced that it was her duty to be baptized, she asked her father’s consent and he replied, “Jane, you are too young to think of religion.”

She said, “No father, I am not.” In her soul Jane felt she was right, but she adored her father, so would not oppose him. In solitude she besought her Heavenly Father, asking him to soften her father’s heart to the new creed. Jane returned to her father and asked for his consent, but was again refused. Not wholly disheartened Jane waited until along in the afternoon when she for the third time made the question a matter of prayer. The third time she asked, her father said, “Yes, Jane you may go.”

That evening early in the month of March 1841, Jane in company with Mrs. Poole, went to Burslem, an adjoining town. Jane went down into the water and was baptized by one who had authority to perform that ordinance in this dispensation of the Gospel. Later on in the same evening she was confirmed a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Elder Wilford Woodruff.

Taken from a Biographical Sketch by Martha Silcock Pixton

Next Week: Marriage & Journey to Nauvoo