Verland & Emory Smith

Verland & Emory - Sunday Brunch 1948

Verland & Emory - Barbuecue 1958

Verland & Emory - 1957

Emory & Verland

Phyllis Louise Smith Stewart's Obituary

Emory Clarence Smith's Sister

August 27, 1920 ~ February 07, 2010


Phyllis Smith Stewart, age 89, died peacefully in her home on February 7, 2010.
Phyllis was born on August 27, 1920 to Moroni Alma Smith and Blanche Beck Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah. She married Richard L. Stewart on January 2, 1940, and they celebrated their 70th anniversary January 2, 2010. They had known each other for 75 years, having met at the sophomore ball at Cyprus High School when they were teenagers.
Phyllis went to Stewart Training School on the University of Utah Campus, was a graduate of East High School, attended the University of Utah and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Phyllis was born into a ranching family and spent many summers in the Fruitland, Utah area on the family ranch, working along with the rest of her family. As with her parents, brothers and sisters, she learned the ethic of hard work and perseverance. These traits were passed to her children and grandchildren, treasured by those who know how valuable that attitude is.
Phyllis worked for years for the cause of developmental disabled children and adults. She was a prime mover for the construction of a group home in Riverton, Utah along with Project Turn and other related organizations. A private person, she always showed great poise and dignity when facing life’s problems. Even though she had health issues that she endured for forty years, she never complained. She was an ardent reader and watcher of public television and she maintained a meticulously clean home and dress. A passionate cook, she provided delicious home cooking and baking for her family as her children were growing, and she explored more contemporary cuisine in later years. She would start discussing the dinner menu at the breakfast table.
She enjoyed bridge and golf with her friends and husband at Hidden Valley Golf Club during her 52-year membership. When asked how she could have been married to her husband, Richard, for seventy years she stated she was never bored.
Phyllis was loved and respected by her family and many friends who knew her to be open-minded, fair, and generous. Her courage was inspiring.
A special thank you to her neighbors who provided friendship and help for many years. The family so appreciates the Relief Society Sisters of the Monument Park 9th Ward, and wishes to thank the staffs of Life Path, Love Care, and Rocky Mountain Hospice for the care and compassion they gave to Phyllis and her family.
She is survived by her husband, Richard, a son, Richard Scott Stewart, a daughter, Leslie Elliot, three grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. A daughter, Martha L. Stewart, preceded her in death in 2008. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Project Turn.
Services will be held at Larkin Sunset Lawn located 2350 East 1300 South in Salt Lake City on February 13, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Friends may call at the mortuary from 9:45a.m.to10:45 a.m. Following services, internment will be at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1342 East, and Fifth South in Salt Lake City.

Mary Jones Evans

Verland Edith Evans Smith's Paternal Great Grandmother

Mary Jones Evans 1827-1895

Mary Jones Evans was born August 1, 1827, at Carmarthenshire, South Wales. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about the year 1849 in her native land and emigrated to America in 1850, and while on the way became acquainted with Abel Evans, to whom she was married on their arrival in America. She lived in Council Bluffs two years and in the spring of 1852 started to Utah. Their team consisted of one yoke of cattle, one cow and a two-year old heifer. They arrived in Lehi in the fall of the same year.

Mrs. Evans went through all the hardships pertaining to pioneer life. She was left a widow in 1866, her husband having died on a mission to Wales, leaving a family of six children, three boys and three girls, the oldest twelve years old. Although she had the care of raising her family, she was never known to complain and was always cheerful. She was known for her hospitality. She died April 3, 1895.

Abel Evans

Verland Edith Evans Smith's Paternal Great Grandfather

Abel Evans

Abel Evans, one of the Latter-day Saint Elders who died while filling a foreign mission, was born June 24, 1813, at Carmarthenshire, South Wales. His boyhood and early life were spent in the coalmines of his native land, and he never joined any of the religious
denominations, although he always lived an honest, moral and upright life. 

Becoming a convert to “Mormonism,” he was baptized Feb. 10, 1844 by William Henshaw and is believed to be the second person baptized by divine authority in Wales. Soon afterwards he was ordained to the Priesthood, traveling as a successful missionary and opening up branches which subsequently grew into conferences. He devoted about six years to the ministry, traveling in South and North Wales and labored with great success. Under the hands of Orson Pratt and Dan Jones he was ordained a High Priest Feb 7, 1849. 

He was a man of strong faith, the Lord working many miracles through his instrumentality, many being healed of their maladies through his faith and prayers, among other several cases of cancer and cholera. He emigrated to America in 1850, and while crossing the ocean he became acquainted with Mary Jones, whom he married after landing in America. The
next two years were spent in Pottawattamie county, Iowa, where he was chosen as a High
Councilor. In 1852 he and his wife crossed the plains with ox teams in Captain Morgan’s company and soon after his arrival in the Valley he located in Lehi, Utah County, where he was chosen captain of militia, marshal of the city, deputy sheriff of the county, etc., and also acted as a counselor to Bishop David Evans. 

Thus he continued very active as a local officer until the April conference, 1865, when he was called on a mission to his native country. He arrived in Liverpool July 28, 1865, and after laboring as a traveling Elder in Wales he was appointed president of the Welsh District, where he labored unceasing diligence as long as the powers of life were continued to him. He became ill with a cough while assisting some Saints to embark on the ship “John Bright” at Liverpool in May, 1866, and while attending a conference in Birmingham the following September, he slept in a damp bed, which renewed the cold and coughing upon him. Although his condition was serious, he continued his preaching, both indoors and out.

Being exposed from time to time, until he became so week that he could not stand and until the day of his death, which occurred at Merther Tydfil, Wales, Nov. 30,1866, he
did not seem to realize his condition. Bro. Evans was the husband of three wives, namely, Mary Jones, Martha Morgan, and Jane Davis. He was the father of sixteen children, nine of whom reached maturity, namely, Abel John, William, Samuel, Mary,
Sarah, Catherine, Hyrum Edward, Martha and Jane. Abel Evans was a man of considerable ability and was especially endowed with the gift of healing and discernment of spirits.


Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, by Andrew Jenson, 1920, volume 3

Elisha Hildebrand Davis

Verland Edith Evan's Maternal Great Grandmother

To My Posterity:

During a life of nearly 82 years, 59 years of which time having been spent in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I can testify to the happiness of a life of moral honesty and religious devotion. Experience has taught me the high value of moral purity and religious sentiment, as reaching far above earthly pleasures and the gratification of appetite and passion, which cannot produce lasting joy.

My success in life has come through my not borrowing money and mortgaging my home, but through my always living within my means, and sustaining myself and family by the sweat of my face.

When I owned little, I lived on little and was satisfied. My married life of 46 years has been a happy one; my wife was always true, gentle, faithful, kind, and wise, a helpmate in very deed to me. During our entire married life of 46 years, we never had a hard feeling, or cross word, but lived in love together, always adopting the rule of speaking gently and kindly to and of each other; and now at the advanced age of 82 years, standing as it were on the verge of eternity, my great desire and advice to all of you is to be faithful and true to our holy religion, to never depart from the faith and turn against God.

Every day that I live, I rejoice more and more in the great work of the Lord, and in the hope of eternal life.

Your loving father and grandfather
Elisha Hildebrand Davis
1897

Elisha Hildebrand Davis

Elisha Hildebrand Davis 1815-1898
(Verland Edith Evans Smith's Maternal Great Grandfather)

Elisha Hildebrand Davis was the son of Isaac Davis and Edith Richards Davis, born Oct. 22nd 1815, West Township, Colombiana County, Ohio. He received the Gospel and was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Edwin D. Wooley, August 19, 1838 in Sandy Creek on his father’s farm.

He was ordained an Elder January 8, 1839 by Lorenzo D. Barnes, H. Sagers, and Edwin D. Wooley in his father’s home, the house where he was born. He was the oldest of ten children through a line of American ancestry of Welsh and English decent, coming to America with the Pilgrim Fathers about 1630 to 1650 or earlier. Many of his ancestors served in the Colonial and American Revolutionary Wars and at least nine of his ancestors were Signers of the great Magna Carta of England. The great progenitor of the race, John Davis of Wales, was of the Singing Quaker faith, a very devout and sincere man. He (John Davis) and his four sons assisted in establishing the Friends Meeting at Piles Grove, Salem County, New Jersey about 1705, known as Fenwick Colony. The said John Davis married Dorthea Gotherson, daughter of Major Daniel Gotherson of Cromwell’s army, on Long Island in 1680. They had eight children, four sons and four daughters all born on Long Island, removing to New Jersey in 1705. He lived to the extreme age of 100 years. He was a consistent and devoted member of the Society of Friends, to whose religious faith most of his numerous decendants belonged.

Two of his sons, John and David, were delegates to a convention in Philadelphia where they worked and voted against slavery.
(Reference to Davis History: History Cumberland County, New Jersey, by Thomas Cushing M.C. and Charles E. Shepard – Page 702; J.N. Colonial Documents, County of Wills, page 135; Davis Family, Fenwick Colony, Page 75; History of Camden County, New Jersey by George P. Powell.)

Thomas Wilkins Davis, many years a director in the National State Bank of Camden is a lineal descendant in the fifth generation of John Davis who emigrated from Wales and first Settled on Long Island.

Falk Davis had a grant of land October 1642 in Southampton; he was one of eleven men who first left Mass., near Lynn and came to Long Island and is claimed as relative of John Davis of Wales, perhaps father or uncle.

Elisha Hildebrand Davis, the subject of this sketch before receiving the Gospel was of the Quaker Faith handed down to him for six generations. When he heard the Gospel as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith it brought joy and peace to his soul. Ever after his life was spent working faithfully in his labor of love.

He started on his first mission east of the Alleghany Mountains, January 9, 1839 on foot, traveling more than 300 miles in mid-winter wearing a pair of thin calfskin boots, and a suit of homemade clothes. His mother and sisters clipping the wool from the sheep’s backs, washing, cleaning, carding, spinning into yarn, weaving a cloth and making the clothes he wore.

He assisted in raising up branches of the Church in Chester and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania, also in New Jersey and Delaware. When in need of clothes he would go into the farmers field and cradle their grain or with scythe mow their hay for little money to buy them with and while there would preach the Gospel. He brought into the Church such men as Bishop Edward Hunter – Bishop Jacob Weiler --Bishop Elijah Sheets -- Bishop John Neff, the Bushman and Rodeback families and many others. In the Old State House in Philadelphia in search of his Genealogy he traced back on a straight line to John Davis born on Long Island New York who married Elinor Brick.

1. John Davis born abt. 1689 Long Island, New York Md. Elinor Brick
2. Thomas Davis born 13 Nov 1719 Pilesgrove Salem, N.J. Md. Eliz. Bassett (first cousin)
3. Isaac Davis Sr. born abt. 1753 Pilesgrove Salem, N.J. Md. Hannah Hildebrand
4. Isaac Davis Jr. born 20 Feb 1783 Pilesgrove, Salem, N.J. Md. Edith Richards
5. Elisha Hildebrand Davis Sr. born Oct. 22 1815 Colombiana Co. Ohio, Md. Mary Ann Mitchell

In the fall of 1840 Elisha went to Nauvoo, Ill., with a family he had baptized. Was also present April 6, 1841 when the corner stone of the Temple was laid. Left Nauvoo, Ill. again for the mission field arriving April 27th 1841 at Lancaster Co. PA. He held a debate with Dr. Orr in the month of August on the subject of the Book of Mormon, preached in that region until 1843 when he left for New Haven, Conn. There built up several branches of the Church, was with Apostle Orson Hyde in New York at the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. He was called by President Brigham Young on a Mission from there to England, arriving at Liverpool Aug 19, 1844 and was sent to preside over the London Conference and did so until Christmas Day 1846, when he married his wife Mary Mitchell in London Dec. 25th and started in company with John Taylor, Parley P. Pratt, Joseph Cain and others for the United States, landing at New Orleans the 7 of March 1847 after a perilous voyage of nine days in the English Channel alone.

His father and his sister Sabina died at Winter Quarters a few days before he arrived about May 25, 1847.

Elisha was ordained a Seventy by Apostle Wilford Woodruff and joined the Second Quorum of Seventies, remained in it until 1854 when he was made President of the 36th Quorum of Seventy.

Elisha was a miller by trade, and opened the first Grist Mill in Nebraska built by John Neff, remained about one year, recrossed the river to Iowa, built a house on the ground where the Liberty Pole stood and where the Mormon Battalion was rallied, lived there two years, his daughter Mary Ann and Son Elisha were born there, removed 10 miles east to Keg Creek where Sarah Agness was born, remained a year then emigrated to Utah in the summer of 1852, operated Gardner’s Mill on Millcreek the first winter, in the spring of 1853 moved to Lehi farmed that summer and removed to Davis County at Bountiful in the spring of 1854, operated Heber C. Kimball’s mill at Bountiful more than a year, was ordained a President over the 36th Quorum of Seventy, by President Joseph Young in the summer of that year, and remained in that position until he was ordained a High Priest May 1, 1891.

He with his wife were endowed March 24, 1854 in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, and sealed as husband and wife March 31, 1854. In the fall of 1855 moved to Weber County, and settled at Bingham Fort near Ogden City. He bought a place and farmed for two years there. In the spring of 1857 removed to Bountiful, Davis Co. reaming and farming there that summer. That same fall went to Echo Canyon and Fort Bridger with the volunteers to prevent the United States Army from coming into the valley, at the time of the general move in 1858, he removed to American Fork, Utah Co. after returning to Bountiful, then returned to Lehi. Utah Co. He operated Samuel Mulliners Mill until 1869, when he moved in to the city of Lehi, and bought a house and two lots and other property. May 1, 1891, he was ordained a High Priest by Bishop Thomas R. Cutler and was set apart by Albert Jones to Preside over the High Priest Quorum of Lehi, June 27, 1890 over which Quorum continued to preside until his death 31st of July, 1898 at his home in Lehi, Utah at the age of 82 years and 10 months and 22 days.

He also filled a mission in Iowa and Illinois during the fall and winter of 1869 and 1870. Was also a home Missionary in Utah county for two years.
Later search by Archibald F. Bennet, Sec. Genealogical Society, and Salt Lake City places John Davis who married, Dorthea Gotherson as being born on Long Island, New York instead of Wales and the son of John Davis Sr. of Oyster Bay, Long Island and grand son of Folk Davis.
Elisha H. Davis Jr.
Lehi, Utah
Age 84

Supplement to Biography of Elisha H Davis Sr

That part of the biography referring to the U.S. Army not being permitted to enter the Salt Lake Valley during the winter of 1857 and 1858.
To those not acquainted with conditions and facts existing at this time it might appear that the people were not loyal, when in fact this could not be true; for instance not withstanding the mobbing and pillaging of innocent people in Missouri and Illinois, with their much suffering and hardships, being driven out into the wilderness and their faces turned toward the setting sun, where could any more patriotism be shown than the volunteering of 500 of her best and bravest men in 1846 to aid the United States in her War with Mexico these men comprising the Mormon Battalion endured more suffering and hardships and made the longest and most difficult march in the history of the World.
Again in 1847 that loyalty was shown when Brigham Young with that noble band of Pioneers though sick and weary from hardships and fatigue endured that long and perilous March of more than 1,000 miles. Ascended Ensign Peak (north of Salt Lake city) and planted on then Mexican soil the flag of American Liberty.
Now as to what was known as Johnson’s Army coming to Utah in the fall of 1857, rumor was plentiful that it was to be a war of extermination for the Mormons. It was therefore thought wise to let them cool off in the Mountains during the winter, and they would be likely more reasonable when spring and warmer weather should come, so volunteers for this purpose were raised.
My Father Elisha Hildebrand Davis being one of the number. In the spring of 1848 satisfactory arrangements were made for them to enter the valley passing through Salt Lake City and locating at Camp Floyd Cedar Valley more than forty miles South West of Salt Lake City where they remained until the beginning of the Civil War when they were called back for service in the Union.
However General Johnson, Floyd and others whose sympathy was with the South, joined the Confederate forces, and died in the service of the South. The coming of the Army to Utah instead of proving a calamity turned out to be one of the greatest of blessings that could come to the people, before its arrival, many began to be destitute for clothing other necessities of life, as all articles of merchandise had to be freighted from the Missouri River to Salt Lake City by ox teams, more than 1,000 miles. The flower of the American Army coming to Utah not only brought with them the goods and necessities of life, but also the money to buy them with which they would part with freely for any thing the people might have to dispose of.
Elisha H. Davis Jr.
Lehi, Utah
Age 84 (written July 1934)

Prime Coleman & Sarah Thornton

History of Prime Coleman, and his wife, Sarah Thornton
Written, 1935 by Mrs. E. J. T. Roberts, a granddaughter.

Emory Clarence Smith's Paternal Great Grandfather

In Arlsey, Bedfordshire, England was one George Coleman born 1765, who married, 25th September 1786 at Barrington, Cambridge, England, a beautiful girl, Sarah Prime, who was born 1761 at Orwell, Cambridge, England.

Family traditions says this couple had a family of 21 or 22 children, but I find christening records of only 17. Some may have been premature or have died without having been christened.

Be that as it may, I find in this family, born between the years of 1778 and 1803, two pairs of twins and a set of triplets. Ten of these children died before reaching the age of one year. One pair of twins, Elizabeth and James Coleman born 1796, lived to womanhood and manhood. They were six years old when the 17th child was born. He was given his mother’s name, Prime, as a given name, and it has been carried as a given name down through four generations.

The triplets and three other babies had been born and had died since the above Elizabeth and James were born, and so we know the joy that must have entered the heart of the parents when this last child seemed strong and continued to grow. Prime was born 20 January 1802. He grew to manhood in Arlsey and the surrounding country.

He met and fell in love with an orphan girl, Sarah Thornton, who with her sister Jane, had been placed in a boarding school at the death, 23 August 1816, of their mother Elizabeth Christian.

Sarah Thornton, daughter of William Thornton and Elizabeth Christian was born 11 June 1806, at Little Paxton, Huntingdonshire, England. She and her sister Jane were left motherless at the age of 10 and 11. The father placed the two girls in a boarding school and afterward married Susanna Webb. She died 1822 and Mr. Thornton died 27th June 1826.

Rules and regulations of the school were so strict that the students had no childhood or girlhood pleasures. Whipping was not allowed but some of the punishments were going without food, undressing and going to bed in the daytime, isolation from the other students, etc.

The most cruel punishment was that given the children when found sleeping with the knees drawn up. They were expected to recline in bed perfectly straight, and should they draw their knees up in their sleep, the teachers and nurses roughly jerked the leg down, suddenly waking the child.

Sarah Thornton decided, then and there, that should she ever have children they should never acquire their education at a boarding school. However, she remained at this school then years when she met, and after a courtship of six weeks, married Prime Coleman, son of George Coleman and Sarah Prime. He was born January 1802 at Arlsey, Bedfordshire, England, and was a prosperous farmer and cattleman.

When the father became aware that his son was contemplating marriage with Sarah Thornton he told him he was making the mistake of his life by choosing a girl who had spent her life at school, and could not be a helpmate to a cattleman and farmer.

But as the old saying is – “love goes where it is sent,” – the young man decided he knew best and so Prime Coleman and Sarah Thornton were married 16th August 1826.

They owned and lived on a large, well-equipped farm at Thorncot, Bedfordshire, England. The house was large two-story, one splendidly furnished. Here seven children were born to them – George, Sarah, Prime Thornton, Ann, Elizabeth, William and Rebecca; and later one more in Nauvoo, Illinois named Martha Jane.

There was always plenty of hired help in the house and on the farm, so the mother’s only work was to look after her children and to manage the household affairs.

It took only a few years to convert the father-in-law (George Coleman) that he was mistaken in his opinion as to what an educated girl could and could not do, for Mr. Coleman finally came and acknowledged to his son and daughter-in-law that she was making a wonderful wife, mother and helpmate.

There being no washboards or washing machines in those days, the family washing had to be done by rubbing the clothes between the hands. This family’s washing was done every six weeks, and the task was not finished in less than three days.

One day as Mrs. Coleman approached her home she met a man with a beautiful feather day. He asked her to buy it. She thought it looked very much like her bed, but paid the man for it. On taking it upstairs to a bedroom, she discovered that her feather bed was missing, and upon examination, found she had really bought her own feather bed from a “would-be-robber.”

One of the girls, who lived years with the Coleman family at Thorncott, was Luch Brown whose father had died, her mother had married again and she had to go out to service. She also joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and came to America with the Coleman family. After arriving in Nauvoo, Ill., she went to live with the John Taylor family at $1.00 per week. There she met, and married Elias Smith. They came to Utah September 1851. The Coleman and Smith families have been close friends ever since “Aunt Luch” as we have always called her lived so long with the Prime C and Sarah Coleman family at Thorncot, England.

Mrs. Coleman was much more inclined toward religion than
was her husband, and often said that while she attended church, he enjoyed more to rest at home reading and smoking his cigar.

When the Elders found them, the Coleman family was not long in making their decision to join the church, and come to the new world. So, with their four children who were over eight years of age, they were baptized in 1841, and 42 and on the 1st of Jan. 1843 left their home at Thorncot in large baggage wagons and began the journey to America.

Christopher Layton, (for whom the City of Layton, Davis Co. Utah, was afterward named) had been one of the hired men on the Coleman farm in England. He too, was baptized and came with the family. He and the oldest son (George Coleman, about 16 years of age) drive the baggage in a very cumbersome wagon with three strong horses tandem. Listen to their story of a part of their trip with this baggage wagon. “It was against the laws of England for teamsters to ride, and while both of us were riding, a policeman saw us and gave chase. We whipped up the horses and after going about three miles, we out-ran him and slowed down again to a peaceable jog.”

Leaving the horses and wagon at Wolverhampton they went by train to Liverpool, where they joined other Saints, and were enrolled on the ship – Swanton- (Captain Davenport) as the 19th company of Latter-day Saint emigrants, with Lorenzo Snow as company’s Captain.

They had to stay in Liverpool two weeks waiting for repairs on the ship but made the vessel their home, doing the cooking and sleeping on board.

Brother Layton acted as cook for the Coleman family. One incident in their history says – “One day Brother Coleman said to Layton, ‘Chris ain’t you going to peel some potatoes and make us a pie?’ So Chris made the meat and potato pie, and when it was baked all the others wanted to share it, and asked for the receipt for ‘Chris Pie’ as they called it.”

On Jan 16, 1843 they set sail from Liverpool, the company numbering 212 souls.

After sailing for seven weeks and three days they arrived at New Orleans, Louisiana, and were transferred to the ship “Amaranth” in which they sailed up the Mississippi River to St. Louis.

Lorenzo Snow tells of a healing on board the ship Swanton, when coming from Liverpool to New Orleans, March 1843, - “The Stewart of vessel was so injured by a blow from one of the crew, that his life was despaired of; and I stood over him for sometime, and thought that his life was gone. The Captain administered to him all that he could think of in the way of medicine, but to no effect; and after they gave up all hopes of his recovery, at twelve o’clock at night he sent for me. After being anointed with oil and the laying on of hands, in the Name of the Lord, he was then and there raised up and perfectly healed. For this token of the divine favor we will praise the God of Israel.” (Ref. History of the Church, Period I, Vol. V, Page 309)

They landed at Nauvoo, Ill. April 12th, 1843, three months and twelve days after leaving their home at Thorncot, England. Choice feather beds and other valuable baggage had been left behind, or thrown overboard, enroute to decrease the weight of the ships, as the journey was a long tedious one.

“Wednesday, Mar. 29th the Amaranth, a river boat, landed at St. Louis on the way up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The ice in the river prevented going any further for two weeks. Came in sight of the Temple about noon, Apr. 12th and landed at the wharf opposite the old post-office, the first boat up that season.”

“A two day conference of Elders was just about to close, and the Prophet Joseph, with a large company of brethren and sisters were present to greet the arrival of the Saints from England, who were notified to meet at the Temple the next day at 10 am to receive instructions.” (Ref. History of the Church Period I, Vol. V, Page 319 and 353)

The Prime Coleman family went to live on the farm belonging to the Patriarch Hyrum Smith, one and one-half mile east of the Nauvoo Temple, as Brother Coleman and been an experienced farmer in his native country.

Here they suffered privation and hardships not known before by this prosperous family, and the mother gave birth to her eighth child, Martha Jane, 15th September 1843, five months after their arrival in Nauvoo.

A little over one year of this new life of sacrifice and hardship, and typhoid fever broke out in Nauvoo. Some of the Coleman family was ill. A cat had broken the window. Rather than allow the mother to get out of the bed, Brother Coleman insisted on fixing something to stop the wind from the sick room. While in the act of doing so, he took a chill and said, “I’m a dead man.” Typhoid fever developed and he lived only a short time. The oldest daughter, Sarah, aged 15, died May 1844 and then the father, Prime Coleman died 11 June 1844.

This left Sister Coleman with seven children to raise, lacking the comforts of “olden day in England’ and almost destitute of the necessities of life.

The same month, June 1844 the Prophet and Patriarch were martyred, bringing the Saints and almost unbearable sorrow.

One of Sister Coleman’s daughters, Elizabeth, about ten years old, was staying at the home of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith at the time. She often related the scene of grief and sorrow in the house when the bodies of the brethren were brought home to their wives and children.

The widow, Sarah Thornton Coleman, with her family moved from the Smith farm into the eleventh ward of Nauvoo. Here she met David Evans, who was Bishop of that ward, and when the Saints were driven from one county or state to another, she with her children, shared the trails and persecutions of the exodus from Nauvoo and of crossing the Plains.

Being driven further west from State to State, they spent between four and five years on the journey to Utah, stopping at times for the men to work and purchases teams, wagons and provisions to continue the long trek over mountains and bridgeless streams. One stop lasted about three years in Nodaway County, Missouri, where they built log huts. Babies were born in these huts with no doors, windows, chimneys or floors.
Food consisted mostly of corn bread and bran for coffee. The corn had to be ground on a hand mill. Here the men had plenty of work, and completed a good outfit for the trip across the Plains.

Companies were organized for the move, and the Coleman family was placed in Bishop David Evans’ company. They made the final start June 15th, 1850; arrived in Salt Lake Valley the following September, spent the fall and most of the winter here, and in February 1851 President Brigham Young sent David Evans out to preside over the colony already located in Dry Creek.

Sarah Thornton Coleman and her seven children, three sons and four daughters, came with the Evans family and remained to help build up what is now Lehi City, Utah County, Utah.

Her sons built a two-room house for her, which was among the first adobe homes built here. It still stands (1936) one block west and half a block north of the Relief Society Hall.

Sister Coleman was chosen president of the first Relief Society organized in Lehi, October 27, 1868, and served eleven years, resigning Oct. 20th 1879. She was blessed with the gift of tongues and used that gift many, many times.

The Coleman family was among the first to employ a genealogist in England to search out their ancestors, and have done temple work for hundreds by the surname of “Coleman”, “Thornton, Prime and Christian” from England, also the Coleman’s of America. Sister Coleman and her oldest son, George, with his wife Jane Smith, began work in the St. George Temple soon after it was opened for ordinance work for the dead, and as soon as the Manti and Logan Temples were finished, all of her family joined in this work for the dead. Then not able to do the work personally, they furnished the cash to hire it done.

Sarah Thornton Coleman raised a highly respected, and very prosperous family; all of them became active in the church work in the cities where they have lived.

She lived an exemplary life, passing on at the ripe age of 86 years and 9 months with full faith in the Gospel for which she had sacrificed so much. She died March 1st, 1892 in Lehi, Utah.