On Friday we celebrated "Pioneer Day", commemorating July 24th, 1847. This is the day that the first group of Latter-day Saints arrived in the Great Salt Lake valley to plant their crops, build homes & temples, and worship in peace. They had been driven from Missouri, then from Illinois, traveled 300 miles across Iowa and then 1,000 miles over pains and mountains. We remember them for their great sacrifice and hope that we can show similar faith in the challenges we face. We had a Picnic yesterday to celebrate and Helen looked great in her bonnet. Below is Helen in her pioneer get-up thanks to Aunt Amber's fine sewing.
For our Pioneer Day activity this year, we thought it would be fun to find the names of our ancestors who made this trek. There are a few pioneer ancestors in Michelle's family that we have documented dates and stories of their journeys west. Many other ancestors may have made the trek on foot but we don't have good proof. In all we came up with 38 names for our list using these criteria -- 1) born in some place other then Utah or Idaho, 2) died in Utah or Idaho, and 3) lived between 1847 and 1869. (The transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869, starting a new era in pioneer travel.)
Our "Likely" Pioneer Ancestors 1847-1869
Johnson Ancestors
Gustaf Johnson Sweden to Utah
Anna Sofia Christenson Sweden to Idaho
Niklas Christensson Sweden to Idaho
Anna Elizabet Anderson Sweden to Idaho
Benjamin Franklin Blaylock Mississippi to Utah
Elizabeth Annie Almira Land Alabama to Utah
Hanson Ancestors
John Alfred Hanson Born on the plains of Nebraska in 1866
Hakan Hanson Sweden to Idaho
Karna Jonsson Sweden to Utah
Hakan Anderson Sweden to Idaho
Cecilia Svenson Sweden to Idaho
Mary Magnel Olsson Sweden to Utah
Lars Svensson Sweden to Utah
Karl Johan Beckstrand Sweden to Utah
Karen Nielson Rau Denmark to Idaho
Ida Louisa Svenson Sweden to Utah
Maria Louisa Svensdotter Sweden to Utah
Wright Ancestors
Hyrum Isaac Wright England to Utah
John Wright England to Utah
Charlotte Smith England to Utah
John Smith England to Utah
Hannah Sutton England to Utah
Matthew Bezzant England to Utah
Maria Ann Cook England to Utah
William Wadley England to Utah
Isabella McKay Scotland to Utah
William McKay Scotland to Utah
Helen or Ellen Oman Scotland to Utah
Joseph Watts Halliday England to Utah
George Halliday England to Utah
Sarah Jane Kendall England to Utah
Cyrus Benjamin Hawley Canada to Idaho
Mary Ann Allred Missouri to Idaho
Percival Ancestors
Samuel Corbett Maine to Utah
Daniel Dewey Corbett Maine to Utah
Elmira Bengs Wright Maine to Utah
Camilla Dorothy Jacobson Denmark to Utah
Ann Dorothy Jorgensoatter Denmark to Utah
I apologize for misspellings, omissions, and mistakes. If anyone has good stories or resources so we can improve and add to our list for future Pioneer Day celebrations, please send them along.
2 comments:
You made that bonnet Michelle? I am very impressed. Perhaps you can share the pattern with me. I had a hard time making up one for Ella-marie. Maybe next year. And Helen looks adorable, as usual. I'm glad her dress fits.
Actually, I merely put the ties on the bonnet. The rest was purchased on sale in Nauvoo. I'm a wimp I know.
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