John Henry Tuttle and his mother, Eleanor Mills Tuttle

ON TO MANTI
Leah B. Lyman
Manti, Utah
First Place

Azariah Tuttle stopped his wagon in front of Fort Utah. The barking of dogs announced their arrival but the team paid no attention. The unexcitable oxen relaxed and drooped their heads in sheer exhaustion. The family was also tired. The mountain roads had been more suggestive than real and walking uphill and riding down had been the family custom. Whenever it was safe Azariah’s aging mother, Eleanor Mills Tuttle, drove the team so that he could walk with his wife, Ann Mabbot Tuttle, and their two children, thirteen-year-old Alexander and Elizabeth Ann age nine. Often they had to push with all their might to surmount a rough hill or cross a gully. Only when they came in sight of the fort did they all get into the wagon. Ann sat in the spring seat with her husband while his mother and the children sat just behind to catch the view.

The Tuttle’s had not been prepared to come west with the first company of 1847. Both Azariah and John had found work among the farmers of Missouri, taking their pay in produce, wagons and oxen. Now the summer of 1852 found them traveling with Bishop Howell’s wagon train. They had left their youngest brother, Luther Terry, busy but happy. After he was mustered out of the Mormon Battalion, he had joined some trappers for a season. From this he obtained enough means to assist in building a flour mill needed badly by the Saints. When the wagon train reached Salt Lake City, President Young directed some to Fort Utah in Utah Valley where the city of Provo was being settled.

John drew his wagon up beside his brother’s. “I guess this is home,” he exclaimed as he jumped from the wagon.

His wife and children remained silent as did those in the other wagon. All were enraptured with the scene before them. They breathed deeply of the fresh mountain air and looked about. The golden rays of the setting sun showed the valley at its best. It was mid-September, harvest time, and farmers were still in their fields. The steep mountains, such as they had never before seen, formed a protective custody. In spite of the fact that a fort had been necessary to protect the settlers from Indians who resented the white men moving in to take their lands, they felt serenity such as they had never known.

People from the fort came out to welcome them and they were guided to a camping place where there was wood for camp fires and water for their animals and camp use. Their simple evening meal was soon over and as they were packing their things again into the “grub-box,” their old friend, Isaac Morley, known to them as Father Morley, strode into camp. He it was who had taken them to his home after the mob had burned their little home at Lima.

Greetings over, Father Morley asked about their activities since they last met. “That is all in the past and can wait for a more fitting time,” said Azariah. “Our future is here and we would like to know what is going on.” “I have much to tell,” said Father Morley, and they all settled down to listen.

“I will make it brief and to the point,” he said. “On June 14, 1849, there rode into Salt Lake City a delegation of Ute Indians led by Chief Walker. At their request they were conducted to the office of President Young. With many grunts and motions the Mormon leader was made to understand that the Indians wanted some Mormons to come to Sanpitch Valley to teach the Indians how to build homes and till the soil. In August and exploration party of four men, with Chief Walker as guide, set forth. They found a beautiful valley through ran a creek of good water. They found the soil good and the surrounding mountains gave promise of plenty of timber both for fuel and for building. Within a few day they returned reporting that everything was favorable for the building of a community.”

For a moment the speaker hesitated. So far he had only told of things in general, but when he spoke again it was in a reminiscent mood, for he was recounting experiences in which he had played a major part. “A company of some fifty families,” he continued, “was organized as soon as possible, with Seth Taft, Charles Shumway, and myself as commanders. We three were set apart to govern in Church Affairs, keep law and order, and advise in the things pertaining to the building of a new town. It was late in the fall when we left Salt Lake. We had to clear roads and build bridges as we went. We reached the chosen valley November 22, 1849, too late to make much preparation for the winter that was upon us. We camped near the creek in our wagon boxes and in a few days it began to snow. Soon it was more than three feet deep and still coming down. We were forced to seek the shelter of the south side of the hill that projected out into the valley. Some of the saints made dugouts in the hillside, while others used tents and wagon boxes for shelter.”

The recounting of these events was painful, his voice choked and tears flowed down his cheeks. “I hope I never see another winter such as that,” he went on. “The men and boys shoveled snow daily, piling it into win rows to provide shelter for our horses and cattle, and also to uncover the dry grass for our starving animals. We even sharpened the horns of our cattle to make it possible for them to break through the crusted snow and find feed for themselves and also to help them to protect themselves from wild animals.

“We lost many of our horses and cattle that winter, but it was not a total loss. We gave them to the starving Indians camping nearby and they greedily devoured them to ward off starvation. Even they had never seen snow so deep. It was as if the almighty God was testing our faith in every possible way.

“Spring of 1850 arrived. With the warm weather came a new terror. Myriads of rattlesnakes came from crevices in the hill. Hissing their way into the homes of the saints, they wriggled and writhed about in their boxes, beds, cupboards, or anywhere they could get. With the aid of pine knot torches, we killed nearly five hundred of the reptiles in one night and soon had the country rid of this latest menace. The remarkable thing was that not a soul was bitten. In spite of everything we had endured we all came through the winter in good health.”

There was a sigh of relief but no one made a comment. When the narrative was resumed it was in a lighter vein as if the crisis was past.

“In August of that year President Young visited us and christened our town Manti, in honor of one of the notable cities told of in the book of Mormon. He also named the county, changing the name of Sanpitch to Sanpete. To make sure that we did not neglect the education of our children, he furnished part of the money for the erection of a school house. Jesse W. Fox was our first teacher. Our only method of making flour was with a huge coffee grinder which was passed from home to home. So President Young helped me to make possible the erection of a small grist mill in the canyon east of town.

“On the 9th day of September 1850, by an Act of Congress, Utah Territory was organized and Brigham Young was appointed Governor. Charles Shumway and myself represented Sanpete County in the First Legislative Assembly in Salt Lake City. On the 5th of February 1851, an Act was passed incorporating the three towns now existing outside of Salt Lake City. Brownsville on the Weber River was incorporated under the name of Ogden. The town here in Utah Valley known as Fort Utah was incorporated under the name of Provo. Third was our own town of Manti. We were proud when we returned home. Soon the city of Manti was laid off, ten miles square, and divided into city lots. The settlers soon chose their lots and moved from the hillside to start homemaking in earnest.” Father Morley looked about as if trying to read their thoughts. “Well, that is about all there is to tell, only that there are plenty of city lots left. How about joining us?”

Azariah had been toying with the thought all during the recital. Turning to his brother he said, “What do you say, John?”
After a quiet conversation with his wife, John said, “Let Mother decide.”

Mother Tuttle was proud that her boys still sought her counsel, but she was not ready to commit herself yet. Instead she said, “This narrative reminds me of one of Christ’s stories. One of the last parables he gave was shortly before his crucifixion. He wanted his disciples to know that he would not be with them much longer and they would be sorrowful, but their sorrow would turn to joy when he triumphed over death, and he likened it to the most common thing in the world, the birth of a baby. Birth pains would be forgotten when the mother realized that a man had been born into the world. Likewise, the people of Sanpete went safely through their travail and a city is born. I think they need us to help care for this child. I say, ‘ ON TO MANTI’.”

Source: http://sanpete.com/downloads/saga/Saga_of_the_Sanpitch_1.pdf

The Home of William and Elizabeth Cullimore

The application to put William and Elizabeth (Powell) Cullimore's home (396 West 1600 North, Orem, UT 84057) on the National Register of Historic Places:  http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/98000643.pdf

William and Ann Greenwood Keetch

Information comes from Zelda K Wursten in the History of Bear Lake Pioneers

William Keetch was born September 3, 1811 in Kempston, England, the son of Richard and Elizabeth (Inkley). When he was twenty-four, he married Ann Greenwood, the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (White) on 30 Aug 1835. Ann was born 17 Dec 1811 in Newport, England and died 12 Sep 1856 in Florence Nebraska. Eleven children blessed their home in Kempston.

Children of William Keetch and Ann Greenwood
1. Charles Greenwood Keetch b-2 July 1837; m-Mercy Truth Barker; d-3 Sep 1896 in St Charles
2. Alfred Greenwood Keetch b-13 Jan 1840; d-27 July 1925 in Lindon Utah
3. Elizabeth Emma Keetch b-7 Apr 1842; m-Samuel Matthews 12 Oct 1864; d-11 Apr 1893 in Liberty
4. Emma Keetch b-11 June 1844; m-John Reed; d-18 May 1901 in Omaha Nebraska
5. Martha Mae Keetch b-1 Mar 1846; m-Elam Hollingsworth; d-19 Mar 1899 in Preston Idaho
6. Mary Keetch b-1 Mar 1846; d-25 June 1849
7. William Keetch b-6 Mar 1848; d-11 Oct 1856 in Florence Nebraska
8. Nephi Keetch b-10 Mar 1849; d-21 Oct 1849
9. Joseph Hyrum Keetch b-2 Dec 1850; d-30 May 1855
10. Alma Keetch b-14 Feb 1853; d-10 July 1854
11. Ann Maria Keetch b-25 Feb 1855; m-John Stevenson; d-16 Aug 1902 in Omaha Nebraska

The LDS missionaries found them in England and the parents and the four oldest children, Charles G, Alfred G, Elizabeth and Emma joined the church. William did missionary work for some time and was a branch president. On May 4 1856, William and his family immigrated to American, sailing on the ship Thornton from Liverpool England. They arrived at Iowa City June 26 and from there went to Florence Nebraska. The company had a lot of trouble and several were sick with chills and fever. William's wife and son William died there. They were in debt so much, it took them a long time to get out. After Charles sweetheart, Mercy Truth Barker, joined them from England, they left in 1861. William crossed the plains with his daughter and husband in 1875 and arrived in Bear Lake in March of 1875. He remained in Bear Lake the rest of his life living with his son in St Charles in winter and with his daughter, Elizabeth in Liberty in the summer. He died 30 July 1888 and was buried in the Liberty cemetery.

Source: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~idbearla/williamkeetch.htm

Ashton family

William and Sarah Ann Barlow Ashton (parents), Mary Ann Ashton (daughter) and her siblings

(Artist representation of Mary Ann and Sarah Ellen Ashton by Julie Rogers, titled "Orphans.")

William and Sarah Ann Barlow Ashton brought their four daughters, Betsy (11), Sarah Ellen (7), Mary (4) and Elizabeth Ann (2), from England in 1856 with the Martin Handcart Company, leaving behind the grave site of another little daughter, Esther, who had died in infancy. As the ship Horizon docked at Boston Harbor on July 2, Elizabeth Ann died and the bereaved family left behind another never to be visited grave.

The Ashton family bore their grief in the summer heat and crowded train as they traveled from Boston to Iowa City where they waited and worked for three weeks, preparing handcarts and tents to continue their journey. On the next leg of their journey through Iowa, the Ashtons successfully walked and drew their handcart 300 miles to Florence, Nebraska. Sarah Ann bore the extra burden of an advanced pregnancy.

For three days at Florence, the Martin Company regrouped, repaired their carts, and prepared for their 1,000-mile march through the wilderness of the Nebraska plains and Rocky Mountains to reach their Zion. On August 26, one day after leaving Florence, Sarah Ann died in childbirth. William named their precious baby girl Sarah Ann, then took up his march again, caring for his daughters as best he could through the searingly hot days and increasingly frosty nights. He would dig one more grave on September 11 for his new baby girl, less than three weeks old.

Upon reaching Ft. Laramie on October 9, William left the care of his three little girls with the Martin Company as he enlisted in the U.S. Army. It was not uncommon in those times for a widowed father to turn the care of his young children over to others, in order to secure employment for their support. On an unknown date, William returned from Ft. Laramie to England and lost touch with his children. On another unknown date, the Martin Company would attend to the burial of Betsy Ashton. Sarah Ellen lost sight in one of her eyes as the cold weather arrived in October, but she and Mary survived the rest of the journey and arrived in their Promised Valley on November 30, 1856, completely dependent on others for their care.

Sarah Ellen married Thomas W. Beckstead at the age of 15 and gave birth to 10 children, 6 of whom lived to adulthood. Mary married Isaac Wardle, a man who had also been in the Martin Handcart Company. Mary died after giving birth to her first child, William Ashton Wardle, in 1869.

Bereft of family once more, Sarah Ellen put her energies into hard work, serving others and raising her children. She pioneered in Whitney, Idaho, where she lived to be 92 years old. She also worked as a midwife and insisted that her posterity receive a good education. Her descendants fondly remember her for many good things, but perhaps one secret to her success in overcoming her trials and handicap was her love of beauty. "Her flower garden on the old place was so lovely . . . the Sweet Williams, pansies and old-fashioned flowers she had growing there. . . . She was so clean, neat and orderly - always had her windows filled with blooming plants, even in the winter time, and carefully covered them with paper each night so they would not freeze." She made "exquisite samplers" as a girl, and even "her aprons always had handwork across the bottoms."

One day a copy of the Church publication Millennial Star was brought to Sarah Ellen's home. It contained an inquiry concerning anyone who might know of relatives of William Ashton, pauper, in England, who had emigrated to America previously and left his children on the plains. Sarah Ellen sent passage money to England for her father to come to Idaho and join her family. Thomas and Sarah Ellen cared for William until his death. He is buried in the Whitney cemetery a short distance from the grave sites of Thomas and Sarah Ellen Beckstead.

http://www.tellmystorytoo.com/art_imagepages/image19.html


Ashton, William Albert (33 or 34) father, b. England, turned back and left surviving daughters

Ashton, Sarah Ann Barlow (33), mother, b. England, d. Aug. 26 in childbirth at Cutler’s Park, Nebraska
Ashton, Betsy (11), b. England, died on plains
Ashton, Sarah (10), b. England
Ashton, Mary (4), b. England
Ashton, Elizabeth Ann (1 or 2), b.England, d. July 2, 1856, on ship docked in Boston
Ashton, Sarah Ann, daughter, born on Aug. 26, 1856, Cutler’s Park, Nebraska, d. Sept. 11, 1856

http://www.musicforthetrail.com/tmst_names2.php




Sarah Ellen Ashton

Born: July 8, 1846 in England

Age: 10

Martin Handcart Company

Sarah Ellen's family was converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and they made plans to sail for American. Sarah's parents, William (33 or 34) and Betsy Barlow Ashton (33), their children Betsy (11), Sarah Ellen (10), Mary (4), and Elizabeth Ann (1 or 2), left Liverpool, England in may 1856 on the ship "Horizon".

While at sea (or in Boston), Sarah's sister, Elizabeth, died. The family arrived in America and traveled to Iowa City, Iowa. They had to wait there nearly a month for their handcarts to be finished. they then joined with the Martin Company.

They traveled several weeks and on August 4, 1856, a baby girl, Sarah Ann, was born on the plains in Nebraska. A short time later on August 26, 1856, Sarah Ellen's mother, Betsy, died. Two weeks later on September 11, 1856, the new baby, Sarah Ann, also died.

After this sad tragedy, Sarah's father became discouraged, left his three little girls with the company, returned to New York, and later went back to England. The Saints cared for the little girls as well as they could. They all suffered greatly from food shortages and the lack of warm clothing. Sarah Ellen's oldest sister, Betsy, froze to death. This left Sarah and her sister, Mary, to continue walking on to the Salt Lake Valley. They arrived on November 30, 1856.

They were met by a group of Saints who took them in and cared for them. Later, they found a home with the Hatfield family in Farmington, Utah. They remained there until Sarah married Thomas W. Beckstead when she was 15. Sarah and Thomas had 10 children, four of whom died as infants.

Sarah devoted her life to her children, her husband, and her church. In 1887, the Beckstead family moved to Idaho. Sarah read in the paper where her father was advertising for his family. Sarah Ellen sent to England for him to come and join her family. Sarah's father accepted her invitation and Sarah cared for her father until his death.

Sarah Ellen lived a good life helping the sick and needy. Surely, she learned to trust in God and be forgiving. She lived to be 92.

http://alpine10trek.com/Stories/sarah_ellen_ashton.html


MARY ANN ASHTON (2nd Wife of Isaac John Wardle and mother of William Hasten Wardle)

Mary Ann Ashton Remembered

Mary Ann Ashton, age 4, of England. Martin Company. [Out of their family of two parents and four daughters, Mary Ann and one sister are the only ones who made it safely to the Valley. Her sister Sarah Ellen lost the sight in one eye because of experiences of the handcart trek.
Online Source: (http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:cPZuXUOsB2QJ:www.oldjuniper.com/trek/female%2520pioneers.rtf+


mary+ann+ashton+martin+handcart+pioneer&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari)

My Handcart Memories, (http://www.journeyoftheheartbook.com/files/JakeNotes.pdf)
 I had an experience this summer that I can’t explain. I was with a handcart company for several months. Like I said, I can’t explain it, but it was real and it was powerful. My biggest fear now is that I’ll forget those I met and came to love. I also worry that I’ll forget what they taught me. In this notebook I plan to write all I can remember and learn about them. I don’t know if it will ever matter to anyone else. But to me, they matter. I won’t forget them. -Jake

Betsy, Sarah Ellen, and Mary Ashton
What I Remember:
The three little girls that joined my tent at Ft.Laramie. Their father left the company and joined the army.
 What Happened to Dad? Sarah Ellen’s Granddaughter wrote:
A man by the name of Clark came to grandmother’s door with a copy of the Millenial Star which contained an inquiry concerning anyone who might know of relatives of William Ashton, pauper, in England, who had emigrated to America previously and left his children on the plains. Grandmother recognized this man as her father who had left when she was seven…Now she was the only one of the children living. She…got in touch with the authorities where her father lived, sending passage money for him. He arrived withsome missionaries from England and spent the rest of his years with [his daughter Sarah Ellen].
 What I’ve Learned:
- Daughters of William and Sarah Ann Ashton
- Their sister, one year old Elizabeth, died while the Company was in Boston
- Their mother, Sarah Ann died while giving birth to another daughter one day out of Florence. “She was buried in an old wagon box, wearing a dark red cashmere dress and wrapped in a white bedspread.”
- The new baby died two weeks later.
- Father was so sad he left the Company in Ft. Laramie and enlisted in the army. He later returned to England.
- The girls were taken in by other members of the Company. Betsy, the oldest at 11, died someplace in Wyoming.
- Sarah married Thomas Beckstead in 1864 they had 10 children, 4 died as babies.
- Mary married Isaac Wardle in 1867. She died two years later while giving birth to her only child.
- Sarah lived to the age of 62.
Online Source: Olsen, The Price we Paid, pg 301, 434
http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneercompanysearch/1,15773,3966-1,00.html
Online Source: (http://www.journeyoftheheartbook.com/files/JakeNotes.pdf)

http://www.wardle.us/IsaacJohnWardle.html

Harriet Raynor and John Fowlke

John Fowlke was born 26 December 1803, in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the son of John Fowlke and Hannah Mee. He married Harriet Raynor in 1823 in Nottingham. Harriet Raynor was born in Nottingham on 10 September 1803, the daughter of Catherine Frost Raynor.

Eleven children were born to John and Harriet in Nottingham: Catherine, John, Harriet, Drucilla, Eliza, Emma, William, Louisa, Frederick, Sarah, and Clara. Harriet and Emma died before becoming adults

1851 English census, Nottingham
The Fowlke family are found at 34 Island Street in St. Mary's parish, Nottingham in the 1851 census. The census shows:

John Fowlke, head, married, 50, Engeneer, born in Nottingham Harriett Fowlke, wife, married, 49, born in Nottingham Elizabeth Fowlke, daughter, 26, Lace mender, born in Nottingham Drucilla Fowlke, daughter, 20, Lace mender, born in Nottingham William Fowlke, son, 15, Coach builder, born in Nottingham Loisa Fowlke, daughter 11, Lace mender, born in Nottingham Fredrick Fowlke, son, 8, scholar, born in Nottingham Sarah Fowlke, daughter, 6, scholar, born in Nottingham Clara Fowlke, daughter, 3, scholar, born in Nottingham

The Latter-Day Saint missionaries contacted the family. John and Harriet, and five of their children embraced the gospel. Louisa was the first to be baptized in 1854. She was only fourteen years old at the time. Her father John was baptized in 1855. It is not known when Harriet was baptized. Of the other children, Eliza and her husband, Elias Aston, were baptized in 1856; Frederick, Sarah, and Clara were also baptized. Like thousands of other British converts, the family was "waiting for the missionaries to find them, and when they heard the message, they believed, were baptized, told their friends, adored and cared for those who had brought the message. and prepared to leave the Babylon of the world for the kingdom of God being built in America...Beside being willing to accept the missionaries' testimonies about the restoration of the original Church of Christ spoken of in the Bible, these British Saints also obeyed the counsel to gather to Zion. Before the end of the century, some fifty-five thousand had crossed the ocean and the continental U.S. to make their homes in the West. Not all were enthusiastic to come, but most, perhaps the most converted, scrimped and saved until they had enough to pay passage for a family." ("Truth Prevailing"; Douglas F. Tobler; Ensign, July 1987)

To aid the immigrants in their desire to join the Saints in Zion, the Church in 1849 created the Perpetual Emigration Fund. The fund helped the costs of the trip, but the family was expected to reimburse the fund after settling in Utah. John and Harriet, and the younger children immigrated to America on the ship Underwriter. The European Emigration Card Index shows:

Foulkes, John (57) Turner
Harriet (57) Wife
Frederick (18) Joiner
Sarah Ann (15)Spinster
Clara (13)
Louise (20)
Arthur* (2) *Louise's son

The ship sailed from Liverpool on April 23, 1861. On board ship "the agent appointed a president and two counselors (usually missionaries returning to America) to preside over the company. After receiving the sustaining vote of the group, the presidency divided the company into wards or branches, usually along the lines of the travelers's home districts. Each ward or branch was then provided with presiding officers and assigned a separate portion of the ship...Once underway, the emigrants were expected to rise at an early hour, clean their quarters, assemble for prayer, and then eat breakfast. Contemporary observers were impressed by the prevailing order, cleanliness, and decency aboard Mormon ships. Charles Dickens described the Mormon emigrants in a chapter of The Uncommon Traveler:

"They had not been a couple of hours on board when they established their own police, made their own regulations, and set their own watches at all the hatchways. Before nine o'clock the ship was as orderly and quiet as a man-of-war...there was no disorder, hurry, or difficulty...I afterwards learned that a Despatch was sent home by the captain, before he struck out into the wide Atlantic, highly extolling the behavior of these Emigrants and the perfect order and propriety of all their social arrangements."

Converts often arrived on the American frontier with only a short time to prepare for the trek to Utah...To economize, emigrants were expected to purchase cotton fabric for the wagon covers in England and stitch it during the voyage." (The Mormon Experience; Leonard J. Arrington). The Fowlkes's ship took six weeks to cross the ocean. Another passenger on the Underwriter, Charles W. Penrose awoke one morning to find that a mother rat had given birth in his shoe during the night. (Life on Board a Mormon Emigrant Ship; David H. Pratt and Paul F. Smart). Sometimes the ship made no progress because of the lack of wind to fill the sails.. They rejoiced when they arrived in New York on May 22.

From the Millennial Star: “The clipper ship Underwriter cleared on the 22nd instant, and sailed on the evening of the 23rd, from this port for New York, having 624 Saints on board, under the presidency of Elder Milo Andrus, assisted by Elders Homer Duncan and C.W. Penrose as counselors. Presidents Lyman, Rich, and Cannon visited the ship on Sunday, the 21st, as she lay in the river, and held a meeting, giving the Saints their parting blessing and many choice instructions relative to their journey. The unanimity and good feeling which pervaded the deliverance having arrived, tended to make a fine and intelligent looking company double interesting; and we have no doubt that, under the wise direction of President Andrus their ocean trip will prove both agreeable and instructive. May God bless them in their journeyings onwards to the home of the Saints in the valley of the mountains!” (Millennial Star, May 4, 1861)

“The clipper ship Underwriter sailed from Liverpool, with 624 Saints, under the presidency of Milo Andrus, Homer Duncan and Charles William Penrose. The company arrived at New York May 22nd, and at Florence (Nebraska) June 2nd.” (Millennial Star, Apr 23, 1861)
The family then proceeded to the outfitting station at Council Bluffs, Iowa. At the outfitting station the immigrants were provided with "one wagon, two yoke of oxen, two cows, and a tent." (The Mormon Experience; Arrington). The Journal History of the Church shows "John Foulke and family" joined Capt. Ira Eldredge's ox train to travel over the plains to Salt Lake City. (Journal History, Sept. 15, 1861). The Fowlkes family was unaccustomed to the hardships and way of life that lay before them. They were city people and used to city life. They cared for and drove an ox team across the plains. The family walked alongside the wagon most of the 1500 miles. When at Florence, Nebraska, the Saints suffered much from the severe rain and thunder storms. They arrived at Salt Lake City on 15 September 1861.

It was with relief and joy that the family found that "whether they arrived by wagon, handcart, or railroad, the immigrants were greeted warmly in Utah...The already established Saints were under instructions to take the new arrivals into their homes, care for them, and provide employment until they could begin to farm or practice their own occupations. The sense of gathering was confirmed by the food and festivities that welcomed immigrants in Emigration Square. Soon afterward they dispersed to the colonies scattered throughout the Great Basin. The dispersal began with a "placement meeting" attended by all local bishops. Each was asked how many families could be absorbed into his ward for the winter and what special skill were desirable." (The Mormon Experience; Arrington).

John Fowlke's skills as a machinist and engineer were needed in Zion. Leonard Arrington in The Mormon Experience tells us, "Suffused with a desire to promote economic independence, the church became involved in nearly every important industrial development during the first two decades of settlement...Most American-born Mormons were lifelong farmers possessing few industrial skills. Foreign converts, on the other hand, tended to be craftsmen and mechanics, reflecting in the variety of their skills the higher stage of industrialization Europe had achieved. Quick to recognize the importance of this expertise to his dream of building an independent commonwealth, Brigham Young instructed church agents and missionaries in Great Britain to seek out skilled workers, especially iron manufacturers, metal workers, textile manufacturers, and potters. Such persons were to be encourage to "emigrate immediately...in preference to anyone else." Each of the major industrial enterprises attempted by the church during the first decade drew upon European converts for technical expertise."

The family settled in Pleasant Grove in 1861. It was a peaceful farming community in the Utah Valley, founded in 1850, with groves of cottonwood trees, and sparkling streams of fresh water. It appears that John married a plural wife, Elizabeth Carlin in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City on 8 July 1865.

In the 1870 census of Pleasant Grove, John and Harriet are found living next to their son Frederick and his family, along with Elizabeth Fowlke, age 57:

1870 census, Pleasant Grove, Utah County, Utah
In the 1880 census of Pleasant Grove, John and Harriet Fowlke are shown living in Pleasant Grove next to their son, Frederick and his family, and their daughter Clara, now married to James Cullimore. Elizabeth is shown as a boarder and is using her maiden name.

1880 census, Pleasant Grove

James and Clara’s daughter, Elizabeth, remembers that when just a small girl she loved to go to her grandmother’s house and wash off all the chairs with a rag. Daughter Eliza and her husband Elias Aston were near neighbors. John worked as a machinist and engineer, and a farmer. John and Harriet, like other British Saints, "most of whom gained no fame except that chiseled into the lives of a grateful and expanding posterity, became part of the bedrock of the growing kingdom." (The Mormon Experience; Arrington). John was active in the priesthood, and was ordained a High Priest. His photograph in Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah shows a man of determination and courage. The description which accompanies the photo states:

"FOWLKE, JOHN (son of John Fowlke and Anna May, both of Nottingham, Eng.). Born Dec. 26, 1803. Came to Utah Sept. 17, 1861, Horace S. Eldredge company.

Married Harriet Raynor about 1823 at Nottingham, Eng. (daughter of Mr. Raynor and Catherine Frost, of Nottingham, pioneers Sept. 17, 1861, Horace S. Eldredge company). Their children: Catherine Elizabeth b. Sept. 24, 1824, m. Thomas Windle; John b. April 20, 1826, m. Susannah Bonner; Harriet b. Sept. 20, 1828, died; Drucilla b. Dec. 22, 1830, m. William Aston; Eliza b. April 20, 1832, m. Elias Aston; Emma b. Aug. 4, 1836, died; William b. Nov. 11, 1837; Lueza b. May 26, 1840, m. William Marrott; Frederick b. July 21, 1842, m. Elizabeth Cook; Sarah Ann b. Feb. 15, 1845, m. John Truscott; Clara b. Dec. 28, 1847, m. James Cullimore. Family home Lindon, Utah.

High priest. Machinist and engineer; farmer. Died at Lindon." (Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah; Frank Esshom).

He died 9 March 1886, at his home in Lindon, and was buried in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Harriet lived two more years, and died in Mt. Pleasant on 13 September 1888. She was buried in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery with her husband.

ANCESTRY OF JOHN FOWLKE
From "Genealogy of William Marrott and Louisa Fowlke, LDS Pioneers" By Kenneth C. Bullock
JOHN FOWLKE, son of John Fowlke and Hannah Mee (May), was b. 26 Dec. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 1823, HARRIET RAYNOR, at St. Mary's, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; d. 9 Mar. 1886, Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah; bur. Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. Harriet was b. 10 Sept. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; chr. 25 Sept. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; dau. of Samuel Raynor and Catherine Frost; d. 13 Sept. 1888, Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah; bur. Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. John and Harriet had the following children:

1. Catherine Elizabeth Fowlke, b. 24 Sept. 1824, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. Thomas Windell; d. 1912.
2. John Fowlke, Jr., b. 20 Apr. 1826, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. Susannah Bonner; d. Apr. 1901.
3. Harriet Fowlke, b. 20 Sept. 1828, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; d. 25 Mar. 1842; unmd.
4. Drucilla Fowlke, b. 22 Dec. 1830, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 22 June 1856, William Aston; d. 28 Jan. 1877.
5. Eliza Fowlke, b. 20 Apr. 1832, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 5 Jan 1851, Elias Aston; d. 31 Jan. 1917.
6. Emma Fowlke, b. 4 Aug. 1836, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; d. 10 Aug. 1839; unmd.
7. William Fowlke, b. 11 Nov. 1837, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 25 Mar. 1860, Rachel Chapman.
8. Louisa Fowlke, b. 26 May 1840, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. (1) 9 Feb. 1862, William Marrott; md. (2) 8 Feb 1901, Lorenzo Waldram; d. 29 Jan. 1913.
9. Frederick Fowlke, b. 21 July 1842, Nottingham, Nottingham, England, md. 17 Nov. 1866 Elizabeth Cook; d. 8 Apr. 1905.
10. Sarah Ann Fowlke, b. 14 Feb. 1844, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 22 Feb. 1862, John Truscott; d. 20 Aug. 1919.
11. Clara Fowlke, b. 28 Dec. 1847, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 10 Feb. 1864, James Cullimore; d. 13 Nov. 1927.

JOHN FOWLKE, son of William Fowlke and Lydia Cowley, was b. abt. 1767, Darley Abbey, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; md. 5 Mar. 1792, Hannah Mee (May), at St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; d. 7 Sept. 1846, Nottingham, Nottingham, England, Hannah was b. abt 1770, Darley Abbey, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; dau. of Jacob Mee and Catherine Abbot; d. 25 Jan. 1849, Nottingham, Nottingham, England. John and Hannah had the following children:
1. Mary Fowlke, b. 2 Oct. 1792, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. John Fry; d. 25 Jan. 1854.
2. Hannah Fowlke, b. 3 Dec. 1793, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 21 Dec. 1817, Griffin Cant.
3.Catherine Fowlke, b. 26 Apr. 1796, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.
4. William Fowlke, B. 26 Oct. 1797, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 17 July 1825, Catherine Wilkins.
5. Elizabeth Fowlke, b. 1 Sept. 1799, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 4 Feb. 1822, George Ellis.
6. Alice Fowlke, b. 3 Feb. 1801, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 14 Feb. 1819, John Hinton.
7. Sarah Fowlke, b. 14 Aug. 1802, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; d. in infancy.
8. (X) John Fowlke, b. 26 Dec. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 1823, Harriet Raynor; d. 9 Mar. 1886.
9. Sarah Fowlke, b. 17 May 1805, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. Mr. Bywater.
10. James Fowlke, b. 1 Nov. 1807, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.
11. Rebecca Fowlke, b. 18 July 1809, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 18 Aug. 1839, Griffin Cant.
12.Samuel Fowlke, b. 24 May 1811, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.

WILLIAM FOWLKE, was b. abt. 1726, of Quarn, Derby, England, md. 1751, LYDIA COWLEY, at Duffield, Derby, England. She was b. abt. 1730, of Quarn, Derby, England. William and Lydia had the following children:
1.(X) John Fowlke, b. abt 1767, Darley Abbey, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; md. 5 Mar. 1792, Hannah Mee (May), d. 7 Sept. 1846.
2. Martha Fowlke, b. 26 Aug. 1769, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England.
3. Lydia Fowlke, b. 11 Sept. 1772, Quardon, Derby, England.
JACOB MEE, was b. abt. 1731, of St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; md. 1756, CATHERINE ABBOT, at St. Alkmunds, Derby, England. Jacob and Catherine had the following children:
1. Phoebe Mee, chr. 22 May 1758, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England.
2. John Mee, chr. 20 May 1763, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England.
3. (X) Hannah Mee (May), b. abt. 1770, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England; md. 5 Mar. 1792, John Fowlke; d. 25 Jan. 1849.
4.Jacob Mee, chr. 19 July 1772, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England.
5. Josiah Mee, chr. 5 Feb. 1775, St. Alkmunds, Derby, England.

SAMUEL RAYNOR, b. abt. 1772, of Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. (1) Sarah; md. (2) 30 Oct. 1797, CATHERINE FROST, at Nottingham, Nottingham, England; d. abt. 1800. Catherine was chr. 2 Aug 1778, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; dau. of Thomas Frost and Sarah. Samuel and Catherine had one child, Elizabeth, then he died. Catherine had four children after his death. These children are as follows:
1. Elizabeth Raynor, chr. 1 Apr. 1798, Nottingham, Nottingham. England.
2. Samuel Raynor, chr. 11 Apr. 1802, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.
3. (X) Harriet Raynor, b. 10 Sept. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; chr. 25 Sept. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 1823, John Fowlke; d. 13 Sept. 1888.
4. William Raynor, b. 1804, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; bur. 14 Dec. 1804; unmd.
5. William Raynor, chr. 16 Feb. 1806, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.

THOMAS FROST, b. abt 1752, of Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. Sarah. She was b. abt 1756, of Nottingham, Nottingham, England. Thomas and Sarah had the following children:
1. (X) Catherine Frost, chr. 2 Aug. 1778, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; md. 30 Oct. 1797, Samuel Raynor.
2. Joseph Frost, chr. 20 Aug. 1782, Nottingham, Nottingham, England.
3. Hannah Frost, b. abt. 1784, Nottingham, Nottingham, England; bur. 9 Feb 1786.

FAMILY GROUP RECORD OF JOHN FOWLKE AND HARRIET RAYNOR
JOHN FOWLKE, son of John Fowlke and Hannah Mee, was b. 26 Dec. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England He married 1) Harriet Raynor 14 July 1823 at Radford, Nottingham, England, and 2) Elizabeth Carlin 8 July 1865 in Salt Lake City, Utah. John died 9 Mar. 1886 in Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah. Harriet was born 10 Sept. 1803, Nottingham, Nottingham, England, and christened 25 Sept. 1803, in Nottingham, Nottingham, England. She was the daughter of Catherine Frost. Her father is listed in family records, however she was born after the death of Samuel Raynor, and was listed as illegitimate on the parish records. Harriet died 13 Sept. 1888, in Mt. Pleasant, Sanpete, Utah. John and Harriet had the following children:
1. Catherine Elizabeth, born 24 September 1824, in Nottingham; married. Thomas Windell; died in 1912.
2. John, born 20 April 1826, in Nottingham; married Susannah Bonner; died in April of 1901.
3. Harriet, born 20 September 1828 in Nottingham; died 25 March 1842.
4. Drucilla, born 22 December 1830 in Nottingham; married William Aston 22 June 1856; died 28 January 1877.
5. Eliza, born 20 April 1832 in Nottingham; married Elias Aston 5 January 1851 in Nottingham; died 31 January 1917 in Lindon, Utah.
6. Emma, born 4 August 1836 in Nottingham; died 10 August 1839.
7. William, born 11 November 1837 in Nottingham; married Rachel Chapman 25 March 1860.
8. Louisa, born 26 May 1840 in Nottingham; married William Marrott 9 February 1862, then Lorenzo Waldram 8 February 1901; died 29 January 1913.
9. Frederick, born 21 July 1842 in Nottingham; married Elizabeth Cook 17 November 1866; died 8 April 1905.
10. Sarah Ann, born 14 February 1844 in Nottingham; married John Truscott 22 February 1862; died 20 August 1919.
11. Clara, born 28 December 1847 in Nottingham; married James Cullimore 10 February 1864; died 13 November 1927.
SOURCE: IGI, “Genealogy of William Marrott and Louisa Fowlke”, Kenneth Bullock, 929.273 M349b; 1841 English census, St. Mary, Nottingham; 1870 census, Pleasant Grove, Utah; 1880 census, Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Source: http://www.boydhouse.com/alice/Aston/aston08johnandharrietfowlke.htm

Simeon Aykroyd Shaw

From Aspects of ceramic history, Volume 1 By Gordon Elliott:

Anyone who had had reason to research the origins of ceramic production in North Staffordshire will be familiar with the work of Simeon Shaw. His History of the Staffordshire Potteries (1829) is one of the earliest chronologically-based surveys of the area's development from the late medieval period to the industry of Shaw's own times.

...
In conclusion, I feel it is appropriate that I say something about the personal life of Simeon Shaw. For much of this information I am indebted to the paper already cited by Eva and Donald Beech.

He was born on the 17th of April, 1785 at Salford, Lancashire. His father, Edmund Shaw, apparently owned a cotton spinning mill located in the town’s Cable Street. By 1809 he was already in Staffordshire, for on the 13th of June in that year he was married at Bucknall, then a small village near Hanley in Stoke-on-Trent. If we set aside a short period of apprenticeship as a printer he was practicing, according to an entry in a baptismal register, as a teacher. There is conflicting evidence at this time regarding the scene of his teaching activities because Pigot and Dean’s Manchester and Salford Directory for 1819 to 1820 records him as a schoolmaster at Wellmeadow Buildings, Salford. It appears that at this early stage in his career he was experiencing serious financial problems, for on the 15th April, 1820 he was summoned to appear before the Lancaster Quarter Sessions. Although imprisoned for an unrecorded period his release was made possible through the generosity of family and friends. The events that followed were to probe even more traumatic for Shaw because on the 7th November, 1820 his young wife, Elizabeth died leaving him with the responsibility of raising five children, all of whom were under ten years of age. Whether for reasons of practical expediency or a newly found love, Shaw remarried in 1822 to Harriet Marsh Broad of Burslem. In the same year he is listed as being the ownder of a Commercial Academy in Piccadilly, Shelton, Stoke-on-Trent. By 1834 we find the Shaw family living some two and a half miles away at the town of Tunstall.

The 1830s were for Simeon a busy and productive time for in 1838 we find him involved with plans to publish a History of the Borough of Stoke-on-Trent which was to be issued in monthly parts. The project was carried out with the assistance of John Ward, a Burslem-based solicitor. Ward was apparently the owner of an important collection of historical documents to which he agreed to give Shaw access on the condition that any work based on this evidence was submitted to him for editing. Publication of the resulting manuscript took longer than expected because of problems in getting illustrations engraved on time. Possibly because Shaw was concurrently experiencing other problems the planned history was taken over by and published under the name of John Ward.

Unfortunately, one domestic and professional crisis followed another. Like so many families of the times bereavement was for the Saws a common experience. Other losses for Shaw were less traumatic but in their effect significantly distressing. One son, Osmond, much to Simeon’s disapproval, became a Mormon and compounded his new allegiance by emigrating, in 1852, with his wife and children to the United States, settling in Salt Lake City.

The later years of Simeon’s life are not well documented but it would appear that they were, to say the least, not exactly joyful. He appears to have experienced a sharp decline in his mental state, culminating in being committed to the County Asylum where he died on the 8th April, 1859. His obituary, which appeared in the Staffordshire Sentinel on the 16th April, 1859 reads;
“After a life chequered by prosperity and adversity, his intellect gradually gave way, his strong memory failed, and his outer man decayed. He was not cut down, but gradually withered, dropped and died.”

According to the Beeches he was not quite sevently four. I feel it especially fitting that he was laid to rest in the burial ground of Bethesda Chapel; fitting because the chapel lies within yards of the entrance to the Potteries Museum. The appropriateness of their proximinity is, surely, a relationship that Shaw would have appreciated.

-------------------------------------------------

Simeon Ackroyd Shaw (b1785 d1859), schoolmaster and author
1785
Born 17 April 1785 in Lancashire. Son of Edmund Shaw (millowner) and Betty (nee Ackroyd).
Simeon Shaw cam to the Potteries to work as a printer for the 'Potteries Gazette and Newcastle under Lyme Advertiser'.
1809
Married his first wife, Elizabeth Simpson, on 13 June 1809.
1818
by 1818 Shaw was running an academy in Northwood for young gentlemen.
1821
Married his second wife, Harriet Marsh Broad, on 25th December 1921.
1822
by 1822 Shaw was running a commercial academy in Piccadilly, Shelton.
1823
published a 6 volume work 'Nature Displayed'.
1826
Shaw was partly instrumental in the founding of the Pottery Mechanics' Institution in Frederick Street, Shelton. (although Ward does not include Shaw in the list of founders).
1829
published 'History of the Staffordshire Potteries'.
1834
by 1834 Shaw had a large academy in Market Place, Hanley.
1837
published 'The Chemistry of Pottery'.
1838
Shaw began to publish installments of a local history work 'The Borough of Stoke upon Trent in 1838'.Eight parts had been issued when Shaw had financial problems with his printers (W.Lewis & Son) - Shaw had to mortgage his book and the rights.John Ward completed the work in twelve more parts and the whole work was published as a book in 1843.
1859
Ward died on 8th April 1859 in the County Lunatic Asylum, domestic and financial worries and overwork led to his mental breakdown.Shaw was buried in Bethesda churchyard.

(Bethesda Memorial Chapel, Albion Street, Hanley, England, where Simeon Shaw is buried)



Sources:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jJ837TN6S5cC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=%22harriet+marsh+broad%22&source=bl&ots=nruYdVdhhy&sig=X7Y3RvBQnbB3wRng5sZHEDHihqg&hl=en&ei=0hetS7fxCo34sQOuz4jPDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22harriet%20marsh%20broad%22&f=false
http://www.thepotteries.org/people/shaw_simeon.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=jJ837TN6S5cC&lpg=PA71&pg=PA71#v=onepage&q=&f=false
http://www.thepotteries.org/buildings/bethesda.htm

Levi North

Levi was born 17 July 1817 in Rising Sun, White County, Illinois, “near Carmi”. His children had listened to their father explain his birthplace as “near Carmi” in southern Illinois. This was his way of saying that while he had indeed been born in Rising Sun, the place was no longer existed and was not shown on any maps. His parents had moved from Rising Sun, Indiana to this spot on the Illinois side of the Wabash River, just a few miles upstream from its confluence with the Ohio River. Having come from Rising Sun, Levi’s father, Sidney, had named the place Rising Sun. But the North family lived there just a few years and after they left the little settlement became obscure.

Levi’s parents were Sidney North & Mary Hawthorne. Sidney’s family was from the Hartford, Connecticut area, recently from Ohio County, Indiana, where he spent his youth and early adult life. Mary’s family was from the Carolinas with a period of time spent in Kentucky. Sometime in the 1820s Sidney moved his family to central Illinois, near Effingham. Here, Sidney and Mary would live there remaining years.

Levi met Arriminta Howard in Effingham, her family having moved there from Madison County, not far from East St. Louis, Illinois. The two were married in Effingham in November, 1837. Levi had joined the LDS Church (then called the Mormons) sometime before the spring of 1832. He had been baptized in the Presbyterian Church as a three year old and his father was upset at Levi’s choice of religions. There were some heated discussions between father and son on this. Arriminta had joined the Mormons with her mother and family before moving to Effingham. It was there that their first child, a son they named Charles Addison, was born.

Soon after his birth, Levi and Arriminta decided to join their church’s movement to gather to Nauvoo, Illinois, on the east bank of the Mississippi River. They, however, chose to settle in a smaller, Mormon community on the Iowa side of the river. This is where some of Arriminta’s family had settled. The tiny settlement was called Sugar Creek, named for the small river which ran through there.

This was not to be an easy period for this family, nor for the ever increasing members of their church, who were gathering from all over the earth. Within a year or two it was decided that the members living in Sugar Creek should move across the river into Nauvoo. There were several reasons for that. The Church was growing at a tremendous rate, bringing to the area several thousand people a month. This alarmed those who did not agree with the Mormon beliefs. There were incidents of violence which threatened to increase. But the more important reason for Levi moving his family into Nauvoo was his work on the construction of the Mormon Temple there. This had become a high priority for the church members. It was completed the first of 1846.

But the problems between the LDS and their neighbors had increased. A number of them had become serious enemies of the church which eventually led to the martyrdom of the church’s prophet Joseph Smith and his brother.

By 1846 it had been determined that the whole church membership would move west to the Rocky Mountains. Levi would pl ay an important role in this movement for he had learned carpentry while living with his father and had specialized in the building of wagons, which was, of course, the major conveyance for both people and freight. He helped build hundreds of wagons for the Saints in their exodus to the West. So, while the majority of the church at Nauvoo reached the Salt Lake Valley, Levi and Arriminta moved west only to the Kanesville area of western Iowa. There they would live, supplying wagons for the rest, until 1852. They then joined the body of Saints (which included many of Arriminta’s family) in Utah.

Brigham Young, the new church leader had saved a homesite for Levi’s family. It was just west of the fort where the Salt Lake City & County Building would later be built. The lot was located between 4th & 5th South between Main & State streets. It was a great place if you wanted to be right in the middle of everything. But that wasn’t at all what the Norths wanted. Levi quickly determined that they liked an area south-east of Salt Lake in what would later be called Millcreek. There he built a nice, comfortable home for Arriminta and the children which now numbered six. He acquired several acres of land on both sides of the country road which served as the main highway through the south-east part of the valley. He built barns, sheds and fences; he planted flower and vegetable gardens, crops and trees (both shade and fruit). He constructed a pond to hold fresh, cool water produced by a nearby spring and taught his children all he knew about the natural and spiritual realms that he loved and enjoyed.

Levi soon became involved in many of the construction projects, building roads, bridges, canals, mills, etc. He had the spacial ability to see how these things ought to be done and was respected for his work ethic and integrity. He served his community and his church in many capacities, never slacking on providing for his family’s needs.

The family did not record the events surrounding Levi’s & Arriminta’s decision to participate in their church’s principle of Polygamy. But on 2 March, 1865, thirteen years after arriving in Utah and 27 years after their marriage, Arriminta & Levi received into their home a second wife. Her name was Maren Kirstine Pedersen, a native convert from Denmark. She had immigrated to Utah to be with the Saints a few years earlier and had found employment and housing with Arriminta’s sister and family. Levi built her a home on the west side of the Country Road, across from Arriminta. There Levi and Maren would have the sweet joy of bringing nine children into the world (two would die in infancy, a third would die at age 3). Levi & Arriminta would also have nine children . Levi’s children would provide him with almost 100 grandchildren.

But the United States Government, at the insistence of some congressmen and many church enemies, did not look upon polygamy, even based on strong religious beliefs, as being morally or socially acceptable. The opposition did not start on the legislative level however. If fact, it would probably have been upheld by the laws of the land (however repulsive it is to many people) if the dissident, apostate ex-members of the LDS church had not continued to foment ill feelings among the neighboring communities. And that agitation continued, eventually spreading across the East, long after the Mormons left to settle in the Rocky Mountains, which at that time was far removed from the jurisdiction of the United States. Nevertheless, after almost 30 years of strong and bitter debate in congress and in the courts, and under the prejudicial governing of a few “anti-Mormon” governors and judges in the Utah Territory, it became law that polygamy, as practiced by the Utah Mormons, was illegal and it was ordered that all polygamous men either renounce the polygamous wives and the children of those marriages; or they would be arrested and remanded in the Territorial Prison. In 1887, under that law, Levi and his son, Hyrum, served six month sentences and were fined for their “crime”. A lot could be said about the justice system that imprisons someone who “righteously” lives a principle that has no detrimental effect on society and overlooks the actions of individuals who engage in adulterous and salacious activities which clearly cause health and social problems. At least one of the Territorial governors and several of the judges who were sent to Utah to prosecute the “lawbreakers. One of them even kept a mistress while serving in Utah, all the while having a wife and children back in the more “faithful law and church-going” East. Levi returned home after the prison term saying that it taught him a good lesson. . . in basket weaving and stitching; which is what the men did while serving their time.

He returned home just in time to be with Maren for the birth of their last child. They named him Levi Edward, but sadly the little boy lived a short three years, dying in the summer of 1990. Levi, himself lived only another three-and-a-half years, dying in February, 1894. Fortunately, he had lived a very healthy, active life all of those seventy-seven years. We have no record of the cause of his death. He left Maren with a ten year old boy, a fourteen and a seventeen year old girls. Otherwise, his other 14 surviving children were grown and most married; leaving his two wives in the capable and loving care of the children. Arriminta died in March, 1903, 9 years later, at the age of 84. Maren, who was much younger, died in September, 1939, a long 45 years after Levi. These three true “pioneers” had lived to witness the taming and the settling of the Western United States. They had begun their move to Utah in a day when Indians were the only permanent inhabitants of Utah.

Source: http://www.levinorth.com/?view=levi_north_story_1