NBC and Ancestry.com have a new series they are doing on tv. They take a famous person and find out more about their ancestry. I haven't had the opportunity to watch the show yet, but I really would like to support it and I hope it does well.
I had the opportunity just this last week to learn more about one of my ancestors. I am not a direct descendant of, but she is the sister of a great, great grandfather of mine. We had our annual Relief Society Birthday Program and they asked some of the sisters to talk about pioneers in their own family history. I was honored to learn more about her and to share her story with the sisters in my ward.
Here is just a brief telling of her and her pioneer story. Some of it is from family records, other information was taken from church history websites. Much of the information is actually her own words, but I failed to write down the sources and in the process of writting her story in a first person voice, I forgot to quote what was direct quotes and what I changed to be in her voice.
My Name is Jane Synder Richards. I was born January 31st 1823 in Jefferson County New York. When I was 8 years old my family moved to Canada. When I was 15 years old my family was taught the gospel by Elder John Page. Many of my family members were baptized, but when asked if I was ready to be baptized I replied “What sins have I committed?” and I insisted that I did not need to be baptized. My family then moved to LaPorte, Indiana to be closer to Missouri where the saints were gathering.
I contracted a disease and became deathly ill. Doctor’s did not know how to help me. My brother Robert who had been baptized, came to see me. When he came and found me so ill, he felt very anxious and fasted and prayed for me without water or food for three or four days. He came into my room and laying his face beside mine on the pillow, said, “Oh sis, I wish you were baptized.”
The next morning I was paralyzed and apparently dying. I could not speak nor move, though I was able to understand everything and nod my head. My brother wept beside me and again said he wished I was baptized. Then he asked if he could administer oil and pray for me. While he was praying light came into my mind, and I saw as plainly as if a book was opened before me with it written in it my need of baptism. If Christ who was sinless needed to be baptized, should I hold myself as better than He?
At that moment, all pain left me. The paralysis was gone. I was only weak. As my brother rose from his knees, I … begged for baptism. He remonstrated for it was now midwinter and ice would have to be broken and the exposure might be fatal. But death I was not afraid of—only I must be baptized.
In consequence of my persistence I was carried to the lake the next day where ice a foot thick had been broken. The people had congregated in large numbers. Some had told us that my brother would be arrested if he should immerse me in the critical situation I was in. However it was done, and I was well from that time. … I told [the people] that all this was of my own free will, that I was not constrained to do it, … and that they must not do harm to my brother because he was doing God’s work and God would punish them if they interfered.
Soon after that I meet the man who would become my husband. Franklin D. Richards. We were married on the 18th of December 1842 in Hancock County, Illinois. Soon after that we moved to Nauvoo and our first daughter Wealthy Louise was born on the 2nd of November 1843. During our first year of marriage my husband was called on a mission to England. While he was gone I spent part of my time with his parents and part of my time with my mother.
My husband returned from England a week after the Prophet Joseph Smith’s death. As we attended a meeting to decide on a successor to Joseph Smith I bent down to retrieve a toy that my daughter had tossed to the floor- so many things are still the same- mothers still spend so much time keeping children occupied during our meetings- As my attention was diverted, Brigham Young took the stand. When he began to speak I heard the voice of Joseph Smith and when I looked up at the stand I saw Joseph’s image.
A few months previous to Joseph Smiths death he had recieved a revelation in regard to Polygamy and Hyram Smith had talked of it in confidence with my husband who mentioned it to me. Though I spoke of it to no one. It seems that Joseph Smith had taken some more wives during these months. But the revelation required that he should do it without publicity at this time, as the mob spirit was already so much excited without this having been thought of at all. It was not on this account he was persecuted as it was not known untill after his death.
The celestial marriage or sealing were not solemnized until it could be done in the temple although with Joseph Smith it necessarily was done elsewhere as the temple was not then ready for use. During this winter and previous to the company starting, Mr. Richards took his second wife, Elizabeth McFate. Polygamy was now made known to us for the first time and while the majority of the Church were made acquainted with the doctrine it was only practically entered into by few. In my case it came at first thought as a strange thing and I was uncertain as to the result. But I was satisfied that it was a sacred revelation and that my religion required its acceptance. This wife Elizabeth was young (about 17 and pretty) and amiable very considerate and kind to me. Never in our associating together was there an unkind word between us. I was in delicate health and from the time she first entered my home three or four days after her marriage she seemed only concerned to relieve me of trouble and labors. She was ready to take hold and do any-thing always asking me for direction. We lived in our two story brick home she occupying the upper portion.
Only three months after we moved into our home, we were forced to flee Nauvoo because of the intense persecution. We were one of the last to leave our home and the city. At the time I was very pregnant with our second child. At Sugar Creek my husband was again called to serve a mission in England. I was left alone to care for my daughter and my husband’s second wife Elizabeth. Life on the trail was difficult. As I pleaded for help from the communities we crossed through I was treated cruelly. One time a woman set her dogs after me, and another time I was robbed by the midwife which I had sought help from. My daughter Wealthy died on the trail. I delivered our second child Isaac Phinehas who died shortly after birth. Elizabeth was sick and died while we were on the trail as well. My sister in-law’s Amelia and Mary Richards nursed me through my trials. When we reached Winter Quarters I was deathly ill. My life was once again spared through the power of a priesthood blessing.
When we reached Salt Lake we used our wagon box as a home. At one point we made a roof out of hay which got destroyed when a poorly constructed chimney set it on fire. We did not have much. We had plenty of meat and dairy, but no vegetables and we rationed our food to make bread. We barely had any furniture. I bought a rocking chair by exchanging 3 pairs of woolen stockings which I had made from wool that I carded and spun into yarn. Our first house was made of three tents held down with rocks on the sides. In 1849 my mother, brother and sister came from council bluffs, at the same time though my husband having been called as an apostle was sent to England again. I saved straw and braided hats for men and boys and sold them for one dollar each. I took in boarders to make money. Occasionally a $5 gold piece would be given to me that I could purchase rice, sugar and other items with.
We had a house by 1853 and there raised cattle. I was able to have a garden and have vegetables. In 1869 we moved to Ogden and settled. In Ogden I became heavily involved in the Relief Society Organization and served as the first Relief Society President in the Weber stake organized on July 19th 1877. Later I served as a counselor to General Relief Society President Zina Young. I was asked to attend the National Council of Women in 1891 and had the opportunity to meet with Belva Lockwood and Susan B Anthony. I am the mother to six children. Four of which were born after we traveled to Salt Lake.
1 comment:
rah rah ancenstry!
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