Jeremiah and Rachel's LDS Ordinances

Jeremiah Hardy's LDS Ordinances
Baptism: 13 Mar 1877
Confirmation: 13 Mar 1877
St. George Temple

Initiatory: 28 Mar 1877
Endowment: 28 Mar 1877
St. George Temple

Sealed to Parents: 6 Sep 1918
Salt Lake City Temple

Sealed to Spouse, Rachel Hardy
28 Mar 1877
St. George Temple


Rachel Hardy's LDS Ordinances

Baptism: 13 Mar 1877
Confirmation: 13 Mar 1877
St. George Temple

Initiatory: 28 Mar 1877
Endowmetn: 28 Mar 1877
St. George Temple

Sealed to Parents: 5 Jan 1922
Salt Lake City Temple

Sealed to Spouse, Jeremiah Hardy
28 Mar 1877
St. George Temple

Josiah Guile Hardy History by Minnie Viola Hardy Gillette

JOSIAH GUILE HARDY

1812-1894

(Written by his granddaughter, Minnie Viola Hardy Gillette)

My grandfather, Josiah Guile Hardy, filled an important niche in the pioneer development of both Utah and Mormon Colonies in Mexico.  From his own writing I am quoting some of this contribution.

“I, Josiah Guile Hardy, was born in the town of Bradford, Essex County, Mass., on the 17^th of March 1813.  I was a wild, rough, swearing youth, was first in sport and rough tricks but was careful not to purposely injure anyone, person or property, and was looked up to by my playmates for advice and to lead out and was respected by them.  I was never whipped or handled by any of my equals in age or size.  I was a dull scholar and could always find something more interesting than books.  I was brought up to work hard and steady, for which I am thankful.

I worked all one winter thwo (sic) quite a lad turning a wheel to twist tobacco for three cents a day and boarded at home.

At the age of sixteen I commenced to work with my Father, going out at days work carpentering when not on the farm.  At the age of eighteen I learned the shoemaker trade of my brother Samuel, and worked at this trade about fourteen winters.

I was religiously inclined from a boy.  At the age of twelve I ran away, against the will of my Father, from the old Presbyterian meting to hear Elder Robinson, a Free Will Baptist, who called on sinners to repent and turn to God.  I felt alarmed and sought earnestly to the Lord for forgiveness of my sins and I thought that I did obtain it, but having no one to help me after one year, I returned to my former practices and was more profane than ever.

At age of sixteen I had whooping cough which continued three winters and so affected my lungs, I never became sound again.

When about nineteen years old Elder Wait of the Methodist Espisopal Church came to our place and soon got up an excitement and organized a church consisting of myself, my two oldest brothers and three others.  In a few years I held the office of Steward Clapp Leader, and I held this position for six or seven years afterward.

In 1834, being twenty one years old, I joined the Bradford Light Infantry, and the second time that I trained I was made second Corporal and in a short time I acquired the rank of Orderly Sergeant and this office I held until I left the Company about five years afterward.

On March 17, 1835, the day I was twenty-two years old, I was married to Sarah Clark Parker, daughter of Theodore Parker, by the Reverend Garner B. Perry.

On November 6, 1842, I united with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and was baptized by Leonard W. Hardy, I was ordained a teacher March 22, 1844, under the hands of Noah Packard, a High Priest, and Nathan Holmes, and Elder, September 22, 1846 at the Conference held in East Bradford at the home of Samuel B. Hardy.  Ezra T. Tenson, one of the twelve presidency, Nathaniel Holmes, the presiding Elder of the branch was cut off by the Church for preaching Strangism; he took over half of the Branch with him, and I was appointed one of committee to demand his license which he refused to give up.

September 4, 1847, I was ordained an Elder under the hands of Leonard W. Hardy, President of the Stake of Massachusetts and was called to preside over the Bradford Branch which office I held until I left for the West April 7, 1850.  I baptized five persons May 1^st, and one person May 10^th, left for Missouri, where I stayed twenty-three months and worked most of the time on a saw mill for $30.00 per month.  By this work I got a comfortable outfit for the valley of Salt Lake City, notwithstanding my family and I had a great deal of sickness.

February 20, 1851, Brother Thomas McKenzie called the Saints together at my house and organized a branch consisting of seven members.  I was appointed to preside over the same and ordered to hold meetings every Sabbath day, which was carried out while I stayed there.  March 22, 1851, I baptized six persons.  November 22, 1851, my son Hyrum Haven, died from the effect of calomel at half past eleven, PM.

April 29, 1852, I left Columbus, Missouri, for Salt Lake Valley.  May 29, I was appointed clerk of the first ten James Bay Capatin.  The same day I crossed the Missouri River.  August 16, 1852, Brother Samuel B. Hardy met us at Echo Canyon and helped us into the valley.  I arrived in Salt Lake Valley, August 20^th 1852, after having had a very pleasant journey across the plains.

August 22, 1852, I received a blessing under the hands of Father John Smith, Patriarch.  August 29, 1852, I was ordained and received into the 29^th Quorum of Seventies under the hands of Augustus Farnham and Samuel B. Hardy.  February 14, 1853, I was present at the breaking up of the ground for the foundation of the Temple.  In April 1853, I was appointed one of the City police under the direction of Leonard W. Hardy, Captain, and soon after I was appointed to preside in the absence of him, which office I held for about six years.  In 1853, I was present with the police at the laying of the corner stone of the Temple.  In May 1853, I was received in the first independent rifle company under Leonard W. Hardy, Captain, and soon after I was elected first Sergeant of said Company.

July 15, 1854 I was elected first Lieutenant, which office I held until the organization of the Nauvoo Legion when I was appointed adjutant to Samuel B. Hardy.  March or May 10^th I received my endowments in the Council House, Samuel Sprage and Wilford Woodruff officiating.  In 1855, I attended with the company as a military guard the execution of two Indians by hanging for the murder of two boys by the name of Weeks.

March 15, 1856, I was re-baptized in the font by Leonard W. Hardy, confirmed and ordained a High Priest and set apart to be the first counselor to Leonard W. Hardy under the hands of Bishop Edward Hunter, and his counselors Leonard W. Hardy and Jesse C, Little.  December 4, 1856, I attended the funeral of Jedidiah M. Grant in a military capacity.  October 25, 1847, Ann Denston was sealed to me by Brigham Young.  March 17, 1858, I went with my wife Ann, to the House of the Lord, she received her endowments, when Sarah and Ann were sealed to me on the Altar by Brigham Young.

May 3, 1858, I started with a part of my family for the Southwest as far as Spanish Fork.  July 17, 1858, I arrived home with our last load from the South April 29, 1860, was received into A.T. Rockward’s Circle.”

Continuing the history of Brother Hardy, he was called to assist in settling Utah’s Dixie, where he resided for many years, leaving his family in Salt Lake City, due to the ill health of his wife, Sarah Clark Parker Hardy.  It was while in Dixie that he entered the covenant of polygamy with Ann Taylor, and at the Mormon migration to Mexico.  He and his second wife made that southern country their home, until their death, he passing on the 12^th of January 1894 and she at a later date.

Sarah Clark Parker Hardy continued to reside in Salt Lake City, until 1893 when she went to St. George, on a visit to her son, and died there on Christmas Day of the same year.  Her birth took place in Bradford, Essex County, Mass.  March 30, 1815, the daughter of Theodore Parker and Mary Marden.  She was of Revolutionary and Mayflower stock, being a descendant of Thos. Hardy, who figured prominently in Mayflower and early Colonial history.

The marriage of Josiah Guile Hardy and Sarah Clark Parker was consummated in Massachusetts and six children were born to them before coming to Utah in 1850, when they settled in the 12^th Ward, where, due to heart trouble, much of her time was spent in bed.  Three children, however, were born to Brother and Sister Hardy after coming to Utah.

Sister Hardy was also on the pioneer type, full of faith in the Gospel, and her long illness seemed to give root in greater faith, as her years advanced.  She was a natural lover of children and attracted them to her bedside, where she instilled a love in the hearts of these youngsters, who expressed a preference for the association rather than play.  She was a wonderful needle woman, and many received instruction in this art from her.

Benjamin Frederick Blake and Harriet Hollis Historyy

Benjamin Frederick Blake 
Age 69


 Benjamin Frederick Blake was born In Blandford, Dorset, England, March 12, 1815 to Isaac and Sophia Wood Blake.  After his school days, he was apprenticed to the upholstering and paper-hanging business and later learned to make mattresses and furniture which became his means of livelihood.


Harriet Hollis
Age 88

  

Harriet Hollis, daughter of William Hollis and Maria Wooldridge, was born in Bishopstoke, Hampshire, England on Dec 11, 1820.  When her schooling was completed she obtained an apprenticeship in dressmaking.  Harriet's parents were concerned about their daughter's health and feared that she was not strong enough  to be married.  Thus it was with some difficulty that Benjamin gained their permission to marry his sweetheart.

When Blake was twenty-five, they were married in England in 1841.  Harriet's health improved and they were blessed with seven children, two of whom died in infancy.  Their marriage must have been a very happy one, for if there was any disagreement between, them, no one knew it except themselves.  They prospered during the first twelve years of their marriage while they in in England.  They owned a large furniture store which boasted of mirrors, a rare commodity for those days. 

In 1846, they moved to Salisbury, Wilshire, England.  They is where they first heard the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In May of 1851, they and their oldest son Frederick,who was eleven, joined the church.  In 1853, they and their five children, having buried two of their seven children in England, emigrated to America and onto Salt Lake City, Utah, with the Ten Pound Company.  They had given up their home, business, loved ones and all that was dear to them to come to America.

In company with over 300 other converts to the church, they left England aboard the sailing ship Falcon.  Many of the events of the journey were recorded by Mr. James Jack, secretary to the company.  We learn from his journal that meetings had been held prior to their departure in which plans were made for daily activities during the voyage.  The members were given encouragement for the trials before them, so that they would not murmur but would be able to bear them like saints of the most High God.

They set sail on the morning of Mar 28, 1853 and were singing hymns as the ship left the dock.  Mr. Jack records that the first few days on the ship were trying ones.  The winds had been against them; there was general dissatisfaction because they did not receive all of the food which had be allotted to them.  Food was not served on schedule and improperly cooked.  Their spirits were not high.

The leaders counseled together for the edification of the saints.  As a result, wards were organized, each ward to share alike in the privileges given, that there might be a general satisfaction in all the ship.  A school was organized for the children and men were given different tasks to perform for the comfort of the various group.  Better feelings resulted and by April 6th the sea was more calm and the winds favorable.  As the journey progressed the people as a whole were in good health, however three babies were stricken and died.   Three marriages were performed on the boat during the voyage.  By the middle of April the saints had started making wagon covers and tents.  After about seven weeks the ship reached New Orleans.  Another twelve days was spent going up the Mississippi River to Keokuk, Iowa where the group was divided into smaller companies, before they started to cross the plains early in June.  it was the last of September when they reached Utah.

The Blake family lived in Salt Lake the following seven years, with the exception of one year when they were in American Fork, when Johnson's army came to Utah.  During these early days In Utah, the crops were often poor and food scarce. Harriet often thought of the days when she was attending dressmaking school and was compelled to eat an apple dumpling before each dinner.  The teacher thought it helped to digest the food.  How she hated apple dumpling then, but how she wished that she might have one now.  Three babies were born to this family while they lived in Salt Lake City, before they were called to help colonize a new settlement.

In 1860 Brigham Young stated at a meeting that he wished a city to be built at the unction of the Rio Virgin and Santa Clara rivers, to be named St. George.  He called three hundred missionaries to settle the country.  May of these were tradesman and artisans filled to aid in the building up of this area.  The Blakes were among those chosen to settle St. George.  They moved there in 1861.

Again Benjamin built a furniture shop and worked to make it equal to the one he had left in England.  The shop was divided and the work rooms had only three walls so he could have plenty of fresh air.  He did not like to be confined indoors for any length of time.  He was a master in his trade and had charge of the upholstering work in the St. George Temple.  He eventually had a row of shops 6 rooms long on his lot, where he made and sold furniture.  After his death on Mar 9, 1884 in St. George, his shops burned completely down in 1911.  The city had no fire department and the bucket brigade was no match for it. 

They went back to Salt Lake in 1864 and took out their Endowments at the April Conference in the Endowment House.

The home of Benjamin Frederick Blake was the center of amusement.  The five Blake girls Caroline, Elizabeth, Emma, Jane and Harriet were pleasant hostesses for numerous parties which brought in the young people of various ages.  Brother Blake played his violin for dancing and his English wife Harriet was a clever story teller.  They even staged  dramatics and spelling matches.  Of particular interest was the furniture made--good easy chairs and comfortable sofas and lounges.

Frederick Blake was a kind, loving father and husband.  Harriet was a sweet, gentile and courageous mother.  They were both people of great faith and humility. Even though sorrow and tragedy came, their attitude was that the will of their Creator be done.  It was their desire to rise above difficulty.

Benjamin Frederick Blake was High Priest in the Mormon Church and a noted furniture and cabinet maker.  He was also known as "Chair Maker Blake" in the Dixie Mission. He is mentioned among the "Pioneer's and Prominent Men of Utah".  Harriet was named in the book "English Gentle Women" which is about women remembered for their exquisite manners and the refining effect that they had upon the Pioneer Women.

Most all of the early day homes in St. George and surrounding towns had furniture made by Benjamin Frederick Blake.  One rocking chair in the possession of his great granddaughter Roberta Blake Barnum was restored by her husband and brother Trueman and wife DeLoris Cox Blake.  There is the signature of Ben Blake written in deep pencil on the bottom of the seat.  This chair is estimated to be, well over 100 years old (in the 60's).  After Frederick's death on Mar 9, 1884 in St. George, his shops burned completely down in 1911.  The city had no fire department and the bucket brigade was no match for it.  Harriet died Oct 31, 1908 at the age of 88.  She is buried along side her husband in the St. George cemetery.

History of Caroline Lucy Blake

Caroline Lucy Blake was born July 3, 1843, Blandford, Dorset, England, the 3rd child of Benjamin Frederick and Harriet Hollis Blake.  She was only 10 years old when her family emigrated from England out to Salt Lake city, Utah and was a young woman of 16 when her family was called to the "Dixie" Mission. 

Caroline's father was a furniture maker and they owned one of the finer homes in St. George, Utah.  Her future husband Warren Hardy worked for her father.  They married March 5, 1864 in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Warren and Caroline moved to St. George where Warren owned a farm down by the river.  They built a shack type house and started their life together.  I feel a little sad for Caroline as it didn't seem as if luxury or happiness was to be hers.  As her family grew, she continued living on in the shack by the river.

These were the polyygamy years so ten years later Warren took himself another wife (Sarah Hannah Smith Apr 26, 1875) and another one (Martha Aurelia Johnson Dec 18, 1879).  He seemed to prefer Sarah and built her a fine home in St. George.  He furnished a comfortable home for Aurelia also.

It was gossiped that as soon as Caroline's children were old enough to be weaned that Warren would take them to the second wife (Sarah) to raise, leaving Caroline free to do the cooking for his hired hands.  Her teenage sons were permitted to live with her as they were needed to work the farm.  They hauled their water from the river and one day as Caroline was carrying some heavy buckets of water, one of the hired men by the name of Booth, just could not stand to see how hard she had to work and offered to carry the water.  He gave her many a hand after this and they became good friends.

Warren was real indignant upon learning of Mr. Booth's attention to his wife.  There was light thrown on the situation and some of the townsmen decided to tar and feather Mr. Booth and burn Caroline at the stake.  Upon learning of the coming events, Caroline's sons packed her belongings into a wagon.  They warned Mr. Booth and it was agreed that they would bring their mother to Middleton (four miles east of St. George) and he'd take her away.

Caroline had her two youngest children with her at this time.  The boys drove her into St. George to say goodby to her family.  They stopped at Blakes and it was a very sad occasion indeed.  One son stayed in the drivers seat so they could hurry if need be.  One son was on the ground by the wagon and he said, "Mother, you can't take the little ones because if you do they will never quit chasing you."  The boy grabbed the children from Caroline's arms and as he did she cried, "Oh, no, not my babies," and fainted dead away.  The other boy hurriedly hit the horses and drove away to save his mother.

Caroline never had the privilege of seeing her children and family again.  Mr. Booth took her into Idaho and it is believed that she had two more sons by him but until more research can be done it isn't known if there was a divorce from Mr. Hardy or a marriage to Mr. Booth.  One of her sons born in Idaho was called Lebby believed to be Celeb.  The family has not found out where they went but she died  Apr 4 1893.  (Recorded in her mother Harriet Holis journal).  It is believe that she was buried in the old Twin Falls Cemetery in Idaho just ten years after her exile from St. George.  She was a small and petite person as were all the Blake girls.

I do not wish to make Mr. Hardy sound like a cad as we find many fine qualities about him and under such trying conditions, we find many were imposed upon without the other parties even being aware of it.

Warren Hardy was 12 years old when he came to Utah with his parents.  In Salt Lake City, he fell in love with pretty Caroline Lucy Blake.  He was 24 years old when he married her.  He went south in 1858.  Warren was trained in carpentry work, with a special skill for broom making, cabinet and furniture making.  The Warren Hardy house, water wheel and cabinet shop were located on East Main Street, on highway 91, St. George, Utah, near the present site of the Wittwer Motel.  In Warren's mill he made many kinds of furniture and ground both wheat for flour and salt rock into fine salt for people with his lathe and grinding stone.  This provided jobs for his sons both in his mill and on his farm by the river.

Warren was never very well after Caroline left and upon learning of her death, he died the same year, 8 months later Nov 22, 1893  in St. George Utah.

Caroline had light hair, blue eyes, weighed 100 lbs and was 5 ft. 2 inches tall.

Heber Herbert Hardy

1869-1928 Heber Herbert Hardy and Betsy Leavitt



Betsy and Heber
with Merlin, Dudley and Warren

Joseph Hardy House

The information on this page is all from W. Brent Hardy and his wife Elaine they have done a lot of research for the Hardy Heritage. He has printed a book called, "Hardy's in New England 1630-1850".  One of Brent's findings is the Joseph Hardy House in Groveland, Massachusetts. If it was not for his love for his heritage we would not have known about this house or some of his other findings.

Brent went to the Groveland in 2003 in search of the Hardy House. He said, "I went to the door and knocked. A friendly lady answered. I told her my name and asked if we could look at "Our House". She was very generous and invited us in."

W. Brent and his wife Elaine standing in front of the 1676 Hardy House

This is the rear view -- The sign says it was built in 1676 -- Until recently the sign said "The Hardy House -- Built in 1676". Photo by Brent Hardy

Lana and Heather Hardy in front of the "Hardy House" in Groveland, July 11, 2010


When Brent went in 2003 the owners of the house were Rob and Nancy Webster. They are still the owners in 2010. She remembered Brent and his wife and was happy to show us the house. She said she has had a few come that she would not let in the house. But she was more than happy to give me and my daughter Heather a tour and let us walk around the property and take lots of pictures.

Nancy gave Brent an article about the Joseph Hardy House. The article was printed by the Groveland Eagle Tribune dated 10 Oct 1997. (Article is Typed Below)

In the newspaper article it mentions that this house built to replace the original Thomas Hardy cabin which was... "located farther back from the road and a short distance on the side of what became know as Perry's Hill."

This is a picture of the area that fits this description in relation to the house. The first Hardy Cabin could have been located on the hill in this photo. Photo by Brent Hardy

A road ran in front of the house. This is a picture of the front yard showing clearly the road  that was cut through the trees. Photo by Brent Hardy

Here are some of the photo's that I took 11 Jul 2010

The large maple tree.. In the article it says there were two twin maple trees, one of the trees died and was recently removed from the property. The owner told me that she has been told that several of the Hardy's were married in the yard just in front of the twin maple trees.

Heather standing by the well. We went back in July so everything was green and beautiful.

 "1676" Carved above the door way.

 The entrance to the "Secret Room"

 Nancy lets her daughter use the "Secret Room" for her play room.


 Fireplace in the bedroom

 Heavy Oak Beamed Ceilings

They have added a bathroom in their bedroom.


As you can see they don't have much room. The house has three open fireplaces, they did a great job adding the bathroom .... around all the bricks




Brent said there were some conflicting information in the newspaper articles compared to other records. One such discrepancy is in relation to who the land grant was given to. Other records say it was Thomas Hardy. The second article, which Brent has in his files, says it was to Joseph. However since the original dwelling (the cabin) was Thomas Hardy it would be safe to assume that Thomas received the land grant and not Joseph who built the house to replace the Cabin.

Also, the article says that... "Joseph who was the grandson of an earlier Hardy of the same name... "Assuming that Joseph was about 35 when he built the house he would have been born about 1641. This would require his father to have been born about 1610 and his grandfather 1585... using standard figures to estimate generation. We have no records of Joseph in the Thomas Hardy families until 1642 when Thomas Hardy had a son named Joseph. This Joseph (1642) would be in the proper time period to be the one who built the 1676 house. Also, it would seem logical that Joseph, a son, would build a house to replace the original dwelling, the cabin. (This was all taken from a book printed by Brent Hardy) He has made these assumptions which he is still researching.



The Joseph Hardy House
(This is a typed version of the Article Printed by Groveland Eagle Tribune 10 Oct 1997)

This house, the oldest in Groveland, was built in 1676. The date appears on the exterior of the house, high up on the white clapboards on the side nearest the road, and , inside, above a door leading from the living room into the front entrance hall.

The builder was Joseph Hardy, a member of one of America's earliest families, who chose as his site a point near the center of the original Thomas Hardy land grant.

Today the address of the house is 93 King Street,although the dwelling does not face the road. In keeping with the custom of the period, the house was placed in the valley facing south, with the lean-to roof sloping north.

The owners in 1957 were Miss Barbara Baldwin, a second cousin, of the late Miss Maud K. Goodwin, from whom she inherited the property in 1953, and Miss Gene Diehl, who, in 1954, became co-owner of the house and the personal property it contains.

Thomas Hardy came to America from England in 1630 the Governor John Winthrop and 11 others. He settled in Agawam but sold his holdings a few years later to develop a tract if approximately 1,000 acres in a section of Groveland, which was then a part of Rowley. Hardy took up residence on the grant, marking the beginning of the Hardy family settlement in Groveland.

Joseph, who was the grandson of an earlier Hardy of the same name, is said to have built the house to replace a log cabin occupied by the Thomas Hardy family. The earlier dwelling stood farther back from the road and up a short distance on the side of what became known as Perry's Hill.

Many other Hardy's lived in the house in later generation. Lawrence Hardy, a direct descendant of Joseph, was the occupant as last as 1933, when a Hardy family pilgrimage was held in the area.

The Hardy family Association of America was founded in 1930 and, years later, was said to be the largest family organization in the country. The association held meetings in Hollis, N.H. which, next to Groveland, had the largest Hardy family settlement.

Other families who lived in the house in past generations bore the names of Whittlemore, Fairbanks, Willey, Bond, Pulsifer, Knox and Fuller. Miss Goodwin bought the property in 1942 from Charles A. Frost, the owner since 1905.

The white house, with its small-paned windows, green shutters and big white chimney, is handsomely situated on what still is a sizable land tract. Although several trees have been lost during hurricanes, many still remain, including two towering maples not far from the front door.  A large barn, now used chiefly for storage, stands in back of the house, near the driveway.

Inside the house, evidences of the 17th century date are apparent on all sides. The three open fireplaces are fine examples of their kind. Two rum cupboards above the fireplaces in the living room are of unequal size, proof of the sometimes rudimentary construction of the early period. There are similar cupboards above the dining room fireplace. Unusually broad gun stock corner posts, with diagonal supports, can be seen in some of the rooms. Heavy oak beams extending through the center of the house have corners cut in a manner commonly known as lamb's-tongue. Doors of several types are in use in the right rooms and there is much early hardware. The broad from door was constructed in recent times to replace an early, narrower door. The house has a "secret room," a fairly sizable area next to the big central chimney, which was discovered by Miss Baldwin. Early stories of the construction of the old Hardy house disclose that a workman, Samuel Millicksen, was killed in a fall as a huge beam was being lifted into place for the upper story. The beam is seen today as one ascends the stairway from the entrance hall. Among 19th century residents of the house was Ezra Hardy, called by some the Hardy prophet. According to family histories, he prophesied that in his generation a machine would be built in which a man could fly from Groveland to Boston. Late in life he became so obsessed with the belief that he could walk on water that he tried and was drowned in the Merrinack river, near Cottle's Creek, in the Savaryville section of Groveland. Miss Baldwin and Miss Diehl, who are making the Hardy house their permanent home, have been in business together as artists for more that 15 years. They formerly maintained a studio in New York, where they designed and made lamps and garden pieces, which were sold through New York shops. Several examples of their work have been used in furnishing the house. Miss Baldwin also is a portrait painter.

Dudley Leavitt by Juanita Brooks

Dudley Leavitt

From: Dudley Leavitt by Juanita Brooks*

One of my favorite stories about Great Grandpa Dudley and Great Grandma Thirza, besides the stories of work among the Indians when he served with Jacob Hamblin, is the time Grandpa Dudley brought home his fourth wife Janet. 

·   Apostle George A. Smith counseled Dudley to marry the Indian girl named Janet.   Dudley hesitated.  He thought of the three wives at home, Thirza, a bride of less than six months, both the others with young babies.  The season had been so hard that it was almost more than he could do to provide for the family he had.  He dreaded the complications that were sure to arise by bringing another wife into the group, especially an Indian wife.

“If you will take that girl, marry her, give a home and a family, and do your duty by her, I promise you in the name of the Lord that you will be blessed,” George A. Smith said solemnly.

“I’ll do it,” Dudley said, without further hesitation.

The girl and the family were called in; the marriage ceremony performed then and there, Janet’s things loaded into the wagon, and the couple started on their strange honeymoon.

The story of the arrival home comes to us word of mouth through the years.  His three wives, who had been anxiously watching for him, hurried out to the wagon.  To say that they were surprised would be putting it mildly; to say that they were pleased would be far from true.  One cannot help being a little sorry for the girl on the wagon who received so cold a reception.  Mary said little.  As the first wife, she knew her first duty was to try to maintain order and dignity in her husband’s house.  She could wait for the explanation, which she knew, would be forthcoming.  Maria sputtered a little; Thirza bundled up her things and went home to her parents.  She felt that her parents would understand.  She could have accepted another wife, she told herself---but an Indian!  It was more than she would take.

At home she received not sympathy.  Both her mother and her father told her she was wrong to be so jealous and stubborn.

“You take your things and go right back,” her father told her.  “You should be ashamed to make such a fuss.  When you married him, he had two other wives.  They were kind to you and accepted you into their home.  Now you do the same.  He has acted entirely within his right.  If he wants another wife, he can take her.  How do you know but what this was counsel of the authorities. Anyway, you go back, act like a lady, and hold your tongue.”

In about a week Thirza went back.  Dudley had made no effort to come to her, to coax her back, or to offer any explanation.  She had gone out of his house of her own free will; she could return when she got ready.  But he was happy and relieved when she did come.  Now he could divide the things he had brought from the city.  He had made a rule never to give to one what he could not give to the others; the cloth was always measured into equal lengths, they all had shoes when one got them; if there was only one paper of tea, it was divided equally.

Naturally there were many adjustments to make.  That there were some differences and occasionally a few bitter words, their can be no doubt.  But they learned to bear and forebear, to control their tempers and their tongues.  Mary was patient, and the girls learned in time to adjust and to work together.  Most of the credit for what success they made of this strange way of life must be given to Dudley.  He believed that a man should be the head of his own house, under God.  He treated his wives with impartiality; he was gently and cheerful; he loved his children.  Whenever he came into the house, they all ran to him.  He never sat down that they were not all on his lap.  He observed family prayer, the group kneeling together every morning and evening to ask God’s blessing and guidance, and to pray for the strength and grace they needed.  In the evening, he often read aloud while the women sewed or knitted or mended.

Soon he built each wife a house of her own, one large log room with a shed at the back.  Janet’s was a part dugout against the hill, but it was cool in summer and warm in winter, and the other wives felt that it was as good an establishment as theirs was.  Each had a fireplace to cook over, with a good shuck tick.  Each had a homemade table and several stools of split logs with awkward, out-standing legs.  Each had her own dishes and bedding.  He gave each a cow, a pig, and some chickens, and what they made of what they had, depended on their own thrift.

The ideal to which he worked all his life was to keep his families together, to have his wives where he could see them all every day, and to be close to his children, an ideal that became increasingly difficult as the families grew.  He sensed the responsibility, which he had assumed, and resolved to carry out his part of it, with the help of God.