Elizabeth Birch Fagg Swain Harker

"With a jar of fruit and an umbrella I can take care of myself", she asserted.  Along with a good, sharp hoe, Elizabeth proved that more than once.  For example, not long after moving to Rush Valley (near Vernon and Grantsville, Utah), her abilities were to be put to the test.

The story goes that one day she discovered she had visitors.  Two "Indians" had entered the yard, demanding that she give them bread.  Elizabeth replied that she didn't have any at the moment, but expected to be able to make some that afternoon.  If they would come back in the evening, she'd have some for them.  "Give me bread, now" was the response.  "I'll have some this afternoon.  Come back then."  "You lie!" the man accused her.  Quickly Elizabeth moved to the side of his horse, grabbed the Indian by the arm, and jerked him from the saddle, into the dirt.  "Nobody calls me a liar . . . " she forcefully told the surprised man.  "Come back later, and I'll give you some bread."  Brushing himself off and remounting his horse, he commented somewhat amazedly, "Heap brave squaw!".  They came back in the evening and were properly fed.  Afterwards Grandmother had no trouble with the Indians.  They would bring her game, she would give them bread, and she was known to take their children into her home for protection when the epidemics struck the Indian camps.

Elizabeth Birch Fagg Swain Harker

Pedigree to 5th Generation

Elizabeth Birch was born in 1830.  One of eleven children, she learned at an early age to work hard and to take responsibility.  At around 18 years of age she went to work on a farm, or estate, where she met John Fagg.  They were married, but John disappeared before their son, John Birch Fagg, was born.  Whether he was killed in a railroad accident or what isn't clear, but Elizabeth found herself delivering her child in a "Poorhouse" - the infamous "Workhouses" of Charles Dickens' novels.  The poorhouses were designed to encourage people not to want to be there,  and the design seems to have been effective, at least for Elizabeth.

In 1852 she tried her hand again at marriage, this time to a big, handsome policeman named Robert Swain.  Together they studied the restored gospel and were baptized into the church.  They had two daughters, but when the youngest was about 6 years old the marriage ended.  Pride, a wandering eye, and seemingly a bit of a temper, were more than she could take.  It is reported that she was so upset that she threw her wedding ring into the ocean when they separated.  I don't have an exact date for that event, but it must have been around 1860.  For the next 7 years Elizabeth did the best she could to support her daughters, working in a hotel as a cook and living above the Mormon missionaries' quarters in exchange for doing their cleaning, etc.

Robert Swain makes for an interesting side story here.  The popular policeman, nicknamed "The Flower of Kent", seemingly took the separation and his subsequent excommunication from the church hard.  But he must have still believed the gospel, because as a single man, excommunicated, disfellowshipped, and pretty much alone, he crossed the plains to be with the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley.  He took a job in the Granite Quarry on the lowest level and proceeded to get his life back in order.  He was re-baptized, and eventually was able to progress through his new profession until he became a chief stone mason for the Salt Lake Temple.  That is one of the things I love most about the gospel of Jesus Christ - the opportunity to fully repent, be forgiven, and return to full fellowship.  Sins can be forgiven through the grace of our Savior, and we can be healed "with His stripes".

L-R  Esther Birch Bennion, Sarah Birch Waters, Elizabeth Birch Fagg Swain Harker

But back to Elizabeth.  In 1868 she had finally saved enough money to make the journey to Zion, arriving one year before the railroad was completed.  Within three months she had become the plural wife of Joseph Harker.  At least two of her sisters had also converted to the church and were in Zion, as was at least one of her daughters.  The reunions were joyful, even if a bit stressful (you'll have to read more of the story elsewhere to find out why).

Years of independent living didn't help her adjust to life as the third wife of a polygamist.  In a short time Joseph let her move to his ranch in Rush Valley, where she looked after the ranch and provided a good place for Joseph's older sons to stay when they were working the ranch.  Elizabeth was "set apart" as a mid-wife, and her old white horse and buggy became a common sight in the Tooele Valley area.

Life was good for her there until one day, when she was out, some children got to playing with gunpowder.  They laid a trail through the yard, the house, and the outbuildings and succeeded in burning the entire homestead to the ground.

Elizabeth moved back to the West Salt Lake Valley (Taylorsville) where Joseph built her a home on 4800 South.  It is still wondered why he built the house with every interior doorway just short enough that Elizabeth would have to either bend her knees or bow her head to pass through.  It rankled her enough that before she died she threatened dire retribution if anyone dared to bury her even on the same side of the Jordan River as "that man".





Again, I feel guilty about doing such a brief story about such an interesting person and her life.  Faithful to the end, through personal trials and sorrows and loneliness, she is one of my all-time heroes (I know - I'm gender-incorrect grammatically, but you get the message).  I look forward to the day when I can meet her and tell her how much I admire her spirit, her tenacity, her spunk, and her faithfulness.  I only pray that I can hold out faithful to the end, as she did.

Sources: (in no particular order)
"Heap Brave Woman) by Beverly Squires Muir,  DUP publication)
Fagg Family Book - "The Family of Charles William & Martha Sophia Price Fagg"
Wikitree.com /wiki/Birch54  Profile manager Rena Brewin from SalmonTree.get
Wikitree.com/wili/Birch51  ibid

A special to Ellen Fagg for permission to use ideas and words from her essay "Stalking My Own Pioneer", published in the Salt Lake Tribune 20 July 2008.  She is to blame for getting me started on this quest of finding my family stories.  A great hobby, and a good way to not be too tedious at family reunions, this is.

Corrections and additions

I have gained an appreciation of what a reporter does.  Trying to get all the facts straight and all the pertinent information together, then organizing it in a coherent and readable manner is a lot tougher than it looks!  I probably won't quit complaining about sloppy writing or inaccurate data, but I will be more sympathetic.

Anyway, I want to make a short post to fix and add some information.

First, in my last post I stated that Grandma Karen Johnson made "ftallvid",  and sold it to help support the family.  I am informed by a most reliable source, Sverre Stølen from Trondheim, Norway, that that "word is unknown, and should most likely be 'flatbrød',  literally 'flat bread'", and is still eaten today.  Sorry about that error, and than you Mr. Stølen for your input.

Second, my cousin Tamra Asay sent me this picture.

House in Trondheim

I think this is the house that Olaus, Karen, and the family built when they moved from Ytterøy to Trondheim.  It looks awfully good for being nearly 140 years old!  Someone has taken meticulous care of it.

Truman Leonard Residence

I wish I had recorded just where I found this picture.  I wasn't wise enough to record it in my Web Sites Visited log.  So now I'm trying to track down some more information on it.  I believe it might be in the Farmington, UT area, and have contacted the DUP (Daughters of the Utah Pioneers) trying to locate it.  I would appreciate any information I can get about it.  Thank you.




My next post(s) will be about my maternal line.  There are some fascinating women pioneers whose stories are "totally awesome".  The first will be on Elizabeth Birch Fagg Swain Harker.  That name alone should stir up some curiosity.  If that's not enough, a book, "Heap Brave Women" has been written about her.

Until next week . . .

 Olaus Johnson       born 9 September 1823        

5 generation pedigree

                             died 14 February 1908


Karen Anderson     born 10 September 1825
                              died 12 April 1896


                                                                         

Olaus Johnson was a bootmaker.  His specialty seems to have been what they called 3-generation boots.  The boots would start by being very high topped, almost the height of hip waders.  When the tops started to wear out, they would be cut down to knee-length, then after further wear would be cut down to ankle-length shoes.  One pair at least was reportedly still in use after 35 years.


Ytterøy, where the family lived, is a small island in the Trondheim Fjord.  It is sometimes referred to as "The Pearl of Trondheim Fjord" because of its beauty.  I found some pictures of the islands around Norway, and some of Ytterøy itself.  With permission from Sverre Stølen, I have included some of them here to give an idea of the land.

Harbor in Trondheim Fjord

Winter scene in Norway

 Money on the small island was scarce, so Olaus would travel around the island and nearby islands, as did most of the tread-men (trades-men) of the time.  After finishing their apprenticeship with the a master craftsman, the men would journey through the area,

Farmstead in Winter

and became known as "journey men".  At least that is the history of the terms in England, and I imagine it isn't too different throughout northern Europe.

Karen added to the family coffers by baking large batches of "ftallvod", a thin, flat bread, which she sold to the sailors and fishermen who came to the port.

But, as the family grew, they found it necessary to have their oldest daughter, Olova, move to Trondheim to work.  She found employment with the Nickolson family (who were related to Emma Olson, who later married my great grandfather, John Arnt).  The Nickolsons were members of the LDS church, and soon Olova was convinced of the veracity of that church and was baptized.  She sent literature to Olaus and Karen, and soon they also requested baptism into the church.  The fact that the baptismal date is 27 December 1877 tells a lot about their zeal in the new faith.  We baptize by complete immersion.  I can't help but think that had to be cold in the Trondheim Fjord.  Perhaps that experience was a fore runner of the "Polar Bear Plunge" that is popular today in the colder northern climes.

As was typical in emerging feudal societies of the day, a land owner, or land lord, had title to the land in any given area.  He would lease out a portion of the land to productive workers in exchange for their labor at planting and harvest times.  Planting and harvest times were generally a time of hard work, but also of socializing and merriment.  As is true today, wherever people gather there will be people with goods to sell.  Large merchants would set up store and sell their goods in whole lots (whole-sale), which was usually counted by the gross, to local gross-ers (grocers) to sell during the rest of the year.  Anyway, the entire family would often pitch in to speed up the labor.  It was a good system, for the landlord,.

On the tenants side, even though they didn't own the land, anything they built on it, or any improvements they made, would be their own.  The drawback to all this was that there was no written lease on the property.  The tenant could stay as long as the landlord was pleased to let him stay.  When Olaus and the family joined the LDS church, the landlord wasn't any too pleased.  The family was given a short time (I think something like 2 days) to either renounce their new faith, or remove themselves.  Hurriedly borrowing a relative's fishing boat, the family disassembled the house, loaded it on board, and set sail to Trondheim, a larger and more cosmopolitan city.

Trondheimm late 1800's

Trondheim, late 1800's

Trondheim, late 1800's

Once there, at the request of the missionaries, land was found and the house was re-assembled to include a large room suitable for holding church meetings, and having an extra room for the traveling missionaries when they came through.

Olaus continued his trade as a shoemaker, but with another personal touch. He would stuff a Mormon tract into every pair of shoes he worked on.  A number of people became interested in the church through this simple act.  One story coming from this is a beautifully-written telling of Anna Widstoe's conversion, told by her son John A. Widstoe in his book, "In the Gospel Net".  The three pictures above are from that book.  He tells of his mother's introduction to the church and of her struggle to accept the preaching of a lower-caste lay minister.  But the testimony of the Holy Spirit convinced her to join and eventually to emigrate to America.  John A. Widstoe became one of the leading LDS scholars of the first part of the 1900's, as well as a member of the presiding council of the church - the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.  The story is in chapter 8 of that book.

Starting in 1878 the family started their move to America. First one son left, then the rest of the family as they could.   It wasn't until 1882 that they were completely reunited.  They settled in Logan, Utah, a cooler and snowier location than the Salt Lake desert to the south.

Karen died at age 70 in 1896.  Olaus survived her by 12 years, with his death listed at 1908.

Here is Olaus Johnson's testimony, as given by him and translated either by Osborn Widstoe or one of the missionaries who knew him.

"I bear witness that we have the truth.  I am satisfied, beyond a doubt, that the Book of Mormon was found in the Hill Cummorah.  I rejoice in this.  I have studied it and pondered upon it.  I have read it in my native language, and taught the people, among whom I lived, that it is true.  I bear you my testimony that I know that the boy, buy the inspiration of the Lord, translated the record, and we have it as a witness for God in the earth today.  The Gospel in its fullness is contained in that sacred record.

"I rejoice in the testimony I have.  The Gospel is true.  My desire is to serve in my humble and weak way as long as the Lord requires my service.  I desire my children and children's children after me shall engage in the service to our Father in Heaven and to His Church.  There is nothing in the world that I love so much as I do my family.  To me they are very dear.  I desire to have them grow in the faith and serve in our Father's Kingdom.  For this reason I left home, kindred, friends, and native land and passed through hardships of pioneering.  I know the Gospel is true, and if we are true to ourselves, we shall eventually attain to the goal for which we started out.  May God bless and take care of my children, grand-children, and great-grand-children forever.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

Note:

Much of the information I have used here is from Gwen Miner's story "Grandmother and Grandfather Johnson".  Thank you for your recollections!

There is so much more to the story of their lives, but my purpose here is not to write a detailed biography.  Rather, it is to give a taste of the powerful spirit of these people, and maybe help me define myself a bit more clearly in the process.  I hope others can find strength in this common heritage as well.

Ed Welling

Truman Leonard
Born 17 Dec. 1820
Ontario County, New York

Baptized 25 March 1843
Near Kirtland, Ohio

Pedigree Chart

Moved to Nauvoo 11 July 1844



That little capsule above is about all I know of his early years, but there is room for some interesting conjecture in those dates.  First is the baptism near Kirtland, Ohio.  An early gathering place for the LDS church, by 1843 the members were pretty well moved out.  In fact, the last official group left in October 1838.  How much Truman knew of the Mormons, I don't know, but I'm sure they left a mark on the land.

His arrival in Nauvoo is also interesting - just 14 days after the murder of Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the faith.  He must have been present at the meeting in August when the "mantel" of the prophet fell upon Brigham Young.  His decision to follow the prophet is obvious.

Nauvoo Temple 1840's

For the next two years Truman worked on the Nauvoo Temple.  The steeple had a height of around 160 feet, and he was one of reportedly only two skilled workmen who could work at that height.  As the temple neared completion, while working at height, Truman somehow fell to the ground.  Bystanders were sure that he was either dead, or soon to be so  But under direction, he was given a blessing and taken home.  I can imagine the surprise when he showed up for work the next morning, ready and willing to continue his labor!  As a reward for his faith and diligence, Truman and his first wife, Ortentia, were the first couple sealed for eternity in the Nauvoo Temple.

On the westward pioneer trek, Truman Leonard led a company of 27 covered wagons to the Salt Lake Valley, where he and Ortentia built a home and tried to start a family.  Six of their children died from the hardships suffered during pioneering. 

After 2 years in the valley, in August 1852, Truman was called on a mission - the Hindu (India) Mission.  He and his companions left Salt Lake in October and traveled to San Francisco where they were able to book passage on a ship to India.  They left on 28 January 1853.  The trip took 88 days and covered 11,000 miles.  It took 6 months just to reach the mission field.  (And I feel abused thinking about 20 or so hours on a plane to get to Hong Kong!  Poor me?)

The Ganges River, Calcutta, India 1850's?

His mission to India lasted almost 2 1/4 years, all done without "purse or scrip" - meaning that he ate, slept, and lived wherever he could for that entire time.  Little success was found in proselyting .  Disease was rampant, especially malaria and cholera.  At one point while traveling alone, Truman Leonard came down with the cholera.  Scarcely able to move, he said a fervent prayer and administered to himself, then gave over his fate to the Lord.  On the verge of death again, a friend (an Englishman) for some reason traveled 300 miles and found him just in time to nurse him back to health and save his life.

With the mission finally ended in 1856, he and a few others made their way to England, where they caught the packet ship "Enoch Train" for America.  The "Enoch Train" was at the time the largest of the packet ships afloat and was used extensively by the LDS converts as they crossed the ocean.

A clipper ship of the 1850's

Packet ships were new to the sailing world.  Technology had finally advanced enough that regularly scheduled runs could be made across the Atlantic, and they would hit their time schedule amazingly well.  The more wealthy passengers on these ships would take a round-trip voyage, wanting the sunny, or warmer side, of the ship both ways.  Thus they would have the Port side Outbound and the Starboard side Homeward bound voyage, giving rise to the acronym "POSH" for the luxurious accommodations.

Truman Leonard

Truman reached Iowa just in time to join up with the 2nd handcart company, and served as a co-captain of that group.  Their travel was so fast that they caught up with the 1st company (with Grandpa Job Welling), and both groups entered the Salt Lake Valley together.  He had been gone from home just 1 month shy of 4 years.

Not one to let grass grow under his feet, he not too long thereafter married two wives, and settled down in earnest (or so he thought) to raise a family.

Mary Ann (Polly) Meadows

Mary Ann Meadows was a plural wife, and the one I come through.  He met her on the handcart trek in 1856.


 But his life of service was not over.    In the following years he served missions to "The US Mission" from 1871 to 1872, to the "Eastern States Mission" from 1874 to 1875, and to Canada (this time with the dual purpose of escaping the persecution coming down on him for his participation in polygamy).


Truman Leonard returned home in 1894.  His later journals refer to several trips to the eastern United States, and to family outings on the "Dummy Railroad" to Farmington.  I'll talk more about that when we deal with Thomas Biesinger (another grandfather).  He also details his 50th wedding anniversary with Ortentia, his first wife.

Truman Leonard died on 20 November 1897 at the age of 77.  The Deseret News did a story on him at that time.  It closes like this:

"Truman Leonard, one of the historical characters of Davis County . . . one of the hardiest of men . . spent all of his life in pioneering the way for those who followed.  He had a big heart; he was generous to a fault.  Those who knew him best loved him most; and in that time when he shall stand before the Great Judge to receive his reward, the multitudes will rise and say, "He was a friend."

Thank you, Grandpa, for such a wonderful legacy!

There are more great stories about Truman Leonard in the book "Heart Throbs of the West" by Kate Carter and published by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and in his journals found in the BYU Special Collections Library.

With seven weeks to go before we enter the Missionary Training Center, there is still time to tell a bit more about our origins.  The next several posts should be about our ancestors who first joined the church. Then, if time permits, maybe just a few pictures about our present family.


I think I'll try to start each post with a pedigree chart showing just how this person is related to us.  Then, when possible, a few photos of the grandparent and an unmercifully brief history of their lives.  They are fascinating people.  If anyone wants to learn more about them, they are welcome to contact me through a comment.  For some of these people there is a wealth of published information.  For others there is not so much.

So here goes.

Job and Francis Elizabeth Yeoman Welling

Job was born: 1833  in   Audlem, England

Job is my 2nd Great-grandfather on  my father's line

Audlem, England. is in  the west central part of England.

He married his first wife in 1852 when he was 19 years old and she was 21.

Job's profession was a tailor, a skill that stood him in good stead throughout his life.  He used it to not only earn a living, but as a most valuable asset as he walked across the American Great Plains, being able to mend wagon covers and tents.

Job Welling: English tailor

Job Welling: Handcart pioneer, father

Job joined the "Mormon" church in England.  He met his wife, Francis Elizabeth Yeoman while serving as a traveling elder for the church.

He was given the choice by his parents - he could keep his faith or his family.  He chose his faith.



He was actually born Job Wellings, but when the family somewhat disowned him, he said, "I stand alone.. .   My name is now Welling".

A street today in Audlem, England

 

 

 

 

 

Audlem Church: built in 1278

Grammar school: 1655 ?

Home of John Wellings  1840

Job,  Francis and their year-old son, Job Jr., left England in April 1856 on the ship S. Curling.  They arrived in Iowa in time to join with the first of the fabled handcart companies.  273 people started on the pioneer trek, 228 lived to reach the Salt Lake Valley.  Included among the fatalities was 19-month-old Job Jr.

Francis died nine years after reaching the valley, at about the age of 35.  Job remarried a while later.  Then remarried again (to his wife's sister).  Then remarried again (to another of his wive's sisters).  Shortly after the wedding to his 4th wife Job was called on a mission to Australia where he served for 2 years.  I guess someone figured enough was enough!

On the way out, he went by way of England (don't ask why.  That seems like the long way to me, too.)  While there he spent considerable time around the old homestead.  Well aware of how much he had changed in the 19 years since he had left, Job took great delight in hanging around the local gathering places and dropping reminiscences and names, all the while watching with good humor as people gradually realized who he was.  His reunion with his father went well, and they seem to have been reconciled.  Sadly, his mother died not too much before Job's return.

Job died in Utah 7 March 1886, at age 53.  He left behind 3 wives and 20 children.  If you look at the painting of the organization of the first primary, you might notice one of the adults there looks remarkably like the photo of Job shown above.  He was in the bishopric of the ward at that time, and we believe that he is the one who was painted in that scene.  The stories the struggles and triumphs of his surviving wives and children are wonderful to read.  The 3 wives were the daughters of Jonathan Holmes - another early pioneer and a member of the Mormon Battalion.  He was preceded in death by a lot of people throughout history, but of especial significance were his first wife, Francis, Job Jr., and seven other children.  Willard and Annie were the two children of Francis who lived to maturity.

Job's faith was strong to the end of his life.  He knew and loved his Savior and the restored gospel which he had dedicated his life to.

Most of this history is taken from the Welling Blue Book.  The snarky comments are strictly my own.  I'm sure someone will call me to account for them.