ELIZABETH PANTING WILKES CRANNEY
WOMAN OF FAITH AND ACTION
Written by Sherlene Byington Parker
(From family tradition as recorded in the book
“Our Grandmother Panting’s trek to Utah” by B. Fay Byington)
ELIZABETH PANTING WILKES CRANNEY
WOMAN OF FAITH AND ACTION
Our great grandmother Elizabeth was born in Apperley, a small hamlet
about 4 ½ miles from Tewkesbury in England. She was converted to the
Mormon church while living in England. She heard the gospel from some
Mormon missionaries and became very interested. Her husband resented
her interest in the Mormon Church and told her if she ever attempted to leave
him and go to America, he would kill her. Elizabeth had already made up
her mind to come to Zion.
Before leaving England, Wilford Woodruff gave her a blessing and
promised her that she and
her children would reach the
Salt Lake Valley alive.
Wilford Woodruff
FAITH AND PROTECTION
THE STORY
In the month of May 1856 Elizabeth took her two living children–six
year old Christopher and Jane who was age one–and boarded a train to go to
the coast of England. As she was waiting for the train to leave, she looked
out the window and saw her husband Frederick Panting coming. He
boarded the train and started down the aisle. She saw that he had a gun and
knew he would carry out his threat. She held her children close to her and
offered a silent prayer. He was looking closely at every passenger and when
he came to her, he looked directly at her and the children and did not
recognize them. He continued through the train and got off.
Elizabeth knew the Lord had protected them and caused her husband
not to see them.
She and her
America with other
children sailed for
Mormon emigrants.
Mormon Immigrants at Castle Garden, 1878
“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles;
and I will show unto the world that I am the same
yesterday, today, and forever;
and I work not among the children of men
save it be according to their faith.”
2 Nephi 27:23
THE THREE NEPHITE STORY
Elizabeth was part of the saga of the Willey Handcart Company, facing
the privations and suffering that company endured. For a full account read
Our Grandmother Elizabeth Panting’s trek to Utah by grandmother Fay
Kofoed Byington. While on this trek the following incident happened and is
referred to by the family as our“Three Nephite” story.
October 12th, Captain Willie again cut the rations to 10 percent flour for
men, 9 percent for women, 6 percent for children and 3 percent for infants.
On the 14th another reduction was made and on the 19th, the last ounce of
flour was given to the starving saints. The same evening, the first snow
came and by morning it was 18 inches deep on the level. They were at the
three crossings of the Sweetwater. The company was already eating boiled
rawhide and wild berries gathered from the bushes.
A handcart company
It was on this day that my Grandmother went out to gather buffalo
chips to make a fire. A man appeared to her and said that he had heard that
her company had been put on rations, and were short of food. She told him
they were very short of food and he told her to come with him. They went a
short distance to what seemed to be a cave. In this cave there was plenty of
dried meat; he filled her apron with the meat and she was very happy to get it.
She turned to go and then remembered that she had not thanked him so she
turned to do so and he had disappeared. The cave had also disappeared.
She took her meat back to her company. The leaders told her the man must
have been one of the Three Nephites. She went on from there to partake of
the suffering of the Willey Company at Rocky Ridge in Wyoming.
ROCKY RIDGE
Handcart Pioneers.
THE STORY
It was on the terrible day that they crossed Rocky Ridge that
Grandmother Elizabeth placed her two babies in the wagon with the sick and
dying while she faced the terrible blizzard all day long. There was only
room for the sick and dying in the wagons. These two babies, Chris and
Jane, were kept from freezing to death because of the heat of the bodies of
the sick and dead in the wagon.
On November 2nd, they reached Fort Bridger where 50 teams met them,
making it possible for all to ride from there to Salt Lake City. Seven days
later on November 9th they arrived in Salt lake and in less than one hour after
pulling up to the front of the tithing office, everyone of them were tenderly
cared for by the waiting saints.
Grandmother Elizabeth not only made it through with her children
Chris and Jane but lived to marry Dr. Hyrum Kingsley Cranney and raise a
large family in Logan, Utah. We are her descendants through her daughter
Jane Panting Bell, her granddaughter Mary Jane Bell Kofoed, and her great
granddaughter Fay Kofoed Byington.
Hyrum Kingsley Cranney
Elizabeth Crook Panting Cranney
“O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful,
and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.”
Psalms 31:23-24