HISTORY OF
DAVID AND MARY
A. SAVAGE
By Mary Abigail
White Savage
Information, pictures and newspaper articles compiled by Debbie Dalton Larsen
1
I, Mary Abigail White Savage, am a daughter of John Griggs White
and Lucy Bailey who was born in Connecticut. My grandfather on my
father’s side was John White and my grandmother was Jemima Griggs. My
maternal grandparents were Samuel Bailey and Mary Carter.
I was born in the state of New York, town of Parishville, Lawrence
County,1 on March 30th, 1823. When I was about 12 years old my father
moved to us Ohio and settled at Fairport in Geauga County, fifteen miles
from Kirkland.
My father said to mother one day, “They say the Smiths live at
Kirkland and are Mormons.” They had been acquainted with the Smiths
before the Book of Mormon was found and lived as neighbors to John and
Silas Smith, Joseph Smith’s uncles. Father said, “I’m going to see them and
if honest John Smith tells me the Book of Mormon is true I will believe it for
I don’t believe he has ever told a lie in his life.”
I tell this to show how well they were liked
for honesty before they were Mormons. Father
went and bought a Book of Mormon and read it
in a short time. Then he took mother and they
went to Kirkland and they were both baptized and
had their Patriarchal blessings from Joseph
Smith, sen., first patriarch of the Church.
Soon afterwards we moved to Kirkland and
in the fall of 1837 started for Missouri to gather
with the Church. But it being late and the roads
bad we stopped in Indiana until spring. We then
John Smith, uncle to
journeyed until we reached Canton, Fulton
the Prophet Joseph.
County, Illinois. I had a brother George White,
and soon after we got there he took sick and died. We were so thankful we
got there to take care of him in his last sickness and death. He was a young
man not yet married. He did not belong to the Church.
I was baptized in Canton Illinois in 1838 by Moses Smith.2
1
Some records say that she was born in Potsdam, New York these two towns are about 13 miles apart.
Family records state that Mary Abigail’s brother, Samuel Dennis White, was baptized March 9, 1837, but
his obituary states he was baptized in 1838, also by Elder Moses Smith.
2
2
After his death we stopped there and rented a farm in the fall, as a
number of other families like ourselves were on the way to Missouri, and
learning that the mob was driving the saints out of Missouri, several brothers
bought a tract of land in Knox County. Illinois. We moved there and made
quite a Mormon settlement. The Burton Family was one of the number. We
remained there a few years and were joined by others of the Faith and built
up quite a nice place. It was called Walnut Grove and there in 1841, that I
was married to David Savage on the 14th of October and on the 24th of the
same month, my brother Samuel Dennis White was married to Mary Hannah
Burton.
DAVID LEONARD SAVAGE
David Leonard Savage, son of Roger and
Phoebe Stevens Savage was born in County of
Leeds, Upper Canada, July 25th, 1810. He lived
there until he was a grown man and married
Theodotia Finch, an orphan girl. Her parents
were George and Betsey Finch from Nova
Scotia. They were married in February, 1834.
On August 23, 1836 Amanda Polly was
born and two months afterwards his wife died
on October 6, 1836, not having recovered after
the birth of her child. Five years later he came to
David Leonard
Knox, Illinois where I was living with my parents.
Savage
He had a brother, Jehial Savage, living there and he
was soon afterwards baptized by his brother3 and soon after that was
ordained an Elder and preformed a short mission before we were married in
1841.4
In the summer of 1842 we moved to La Harp, 25 miles from Nauvoo,
a settlement of the Church, on a farm that father and my husband bought.
On December 5, 1842, our first child was born. We named him John Roger
after his two grandfathers.
3
He was baptized July 1840. Jehial Savage also baptized our ancestor Philo Taylor Farnsworth while
serving a mission with Franklin Dewey Richards. See reference #1 and #2 at the end of this history.
4
In the biography of Amanda Polly Savage it states: “On October 14, 1841 he married Mary Abigail
White, at Walnut Grove, who proved a good faithful mother to little Amanda, loving her just as much, and
treating her just as good, if not better, than she did her own children. The story of how David chose Mary
for a wife goes like this: David brought two girls to the house where Amanda was staying. He asked
Amanda which she wanted for her mother. She said Mary was the one she wanted.”
3
In the summer of 1843 David went on a mission to the state of
Michigan. While he was gone our baby died October 17, 1843. This left me
alone in sorrow and loneliness. David returned the next spring to attend
conference and was called again to go to Michigan to campaign for the
Prophet Joseph Smith in his bid to become President of the United States,
which mission he filled with great zeal.
I being left alone, he took me with
him and we were there when the prophet
was martyred, which was a sorrowful
time for us all. On January 1, 1845, our
second child was born at Lakeside,
Michigan. We named her Margaret
Elizabeth.
5
Lucy Maranda Bailey White (mother of
Mary Abigail). In the footnote below,
Amanda tells of staying with Lucy
while her father and step mother (Mary
Abigail) serve a short mission. It’s not
known for sure who the little boy in
this picture is, but some in the family believe
it to be Samuel Orson White.
The following excerpt was in the
Times and Season Vol. 5 pg. 457. It tells
about how Elder Savage is doing on his mission:
“Elder David Savage writes us from St. Joseph,
Michigan, under date of February 8th, as follows: "I am
exceedingly happy of the privilege of writing to you to let you
know the state of the church, and the minds of the people
generally throughout this country, and also to forward you
subscribers for your invaluable paper, the "Times and
Seasons."
“There is calls for preaching on every hand and every
prospect of an abundant harvest.—There are several elders
in this neighborhood; but like myself, they are all young in
the gospel, and we should esteem it a pecular privilege if
5
Also found in Amanda’s story is the following; “In 1843 her father went on a mission to Michigan, taking
his wife with him. Amanda was left with her step mother's mother, Grandma White (Lucy Maranda Bailey
White). Amanda remembered little cakes of maple sugar they sent her while away…. Grandma White had
Amanda knit her own white woolen stockings. She (Amanda) objected to finishing them saying she
wouldn't need them, she was going to die.” Amanda is referring to herself in the third person.
4
some more experienced elder could come to our assistance,
for, "the harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few." By
the help of our divine master we have been enabled to gather
a few sheaves; but there are a certain set of scape-goats
running around trying to poison their minds and to rob them
of their pearl of great price: Their labors however to the
present have proved ineffectual, and "truth has prevailed."
When the Elders were called back to Nauvoo, we returned home in
the spring and he worked on the Temple and various other occupations. In
the fall of 1845 my husband was ordained a seventy and joined the second
quorum to fill a vacancy. In January of 1846 he had his endowments in the
Nauvoo Temple.
When the great move west was started my husband was called to go
help one of the polygamist families 200 miles on their journey, the snow
being so deep and I was left alone with two small children and being very
poorly cared for. The trip proved so hard that he lost one of his horses and
we were left without a team to get along with. They were dark days but
there was a way provided, Brother Cook had lost one of his horses too, but
he had an ox team and he kindly let us have his other horse and got along by
trading our last cow for an old wagon that had no box. This is the way we
left Nauvoo and was glad to get away. We were in very poor circumstances,
he having performed two missions and helped others get away. But we did
not feel to complain, it was for the gospels sake and we were willing to
endure for that. We went to a place on the Des Moines River and worked
for a while until fall and then started for the Great West.
After leaving Nauvoo and while wending our weary way amid
poverty and trials, our second child Margaret Elizabeth died October 15,
1846 at Saup Creek6.
It being late we stopped for the winter in Davis County, Iowa and
there Mary Theodotia was born on February 28, 1847. We were living in a
little log hut with no windows, doors or floors. By hanging things up in the
windows and doorways we were kept warm.7
6
I think this might be a typo, there was an abandoned settlement of Soap Creek in Davis Co. near the Des
Moines River, which is near where they would have traveled, but I have not found a “Saup Crrek”. Debbie
Larsen
7
Amanda Polly,” One morning Sister Savage became ill. A log cabin could be seen in the distance and
much haste was made to reach it. It was a one room deserted shack with dirt roof and floor. The windows
5
In May we started again and arrived at Winter Quarters in time to go
on with the company that followed the pioneers in 1847 with a very poor
outfit and traveled in Parley P. Pratt Company8. David found a man with a
big outfit that needed a teamster so we got the chance to go with him. David
was to do the night herding, yoke up the cattle and hook up the teams. I was
to do the cooking, wash the dishes and clothes, unpacking and packing up
again.
We were to bring our own bedding and I and the two little ones were
supposed to ride in the wagon. After we traveled some distance I was forced
to walk and carry my baby Mary. The little girl, Amanda Polly, who was 10
years old, had to trudge along by my side. This man later apostatized and
went to California.
We were three months on the way and arrived in Salt Lake City
September 24, 1847. The old adobe fort was commenced but no houses
finished. But to us it looked good and we felt that we had gained a resting
place where we would be free from mobs and persecution for a while at
least.
Our provisions were scarce and like many others we had planted a
crop and hoped to soon have plenty. Our hopes were again banished for
with sad hearts we saw the great army of crickets swarming down to destroy
our much needed crops. But the Lord was on our side. He had not brought
us here to starve, and he sent his Gulls to destroy the crickets. How
beautiful they looked with their white wings as they came down and
destroyed the crickets, and we felt the hand of the Lord was over us, and we
felt to thank His holy name and to rejoice in all these hard days we were
going through. We dug Segoes and picked thistle greens and cooked them
without meat or vinegar and all-in all were happy because we had gained our
freedom and never was sorry once that we had left our homes for the
Gospel’s sake.
were broken out and the door gone. Its one redeeming feature was a huge fireplace. Quilts were hung at the
openings and a roaring fire made comfort in the wilderness. It was there that Mary Theodocia Savage was
born. This was February 28, 1847. Later she was blessed in a tent near the Elkhorn River by Patriarch John
Smith.
8
The LDS Overland Trails website have the Savage family traveling with the Daniel Spencer and Peregrine
Session Company of 1847. They departed June 18, 1847 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley September 2425, 1847. Parley P. Pratt was also in this company.
6
We remained in the city about two years and there our fourth child
was born July 11, 1849. We called him David William. In the fall of 1850
we moved to Lehi. We were one of the first families there. My husband
was chosen second counselor to the first bishop there of Lehi, Bishop David
Evans. We remained there three years and April 24, 1851 Sarah Maranda
was born.9
Samuel Dennis
White
Joel William
White
In 1853 David, his brother and my brothers Samuel Dennis and Joel
Wm. White, along with several others, were called to go to Cedar City, Iron
County to strengthen up the settlement there on account of the Indians.
Before leaving Cedar City in 1853, my husband commenced carrying
the mail from Salt Lake City to San Bernardino, on pack mules, a very
dangerous occupation, as he had to cross a long desert without water among
hostile Indians. Yet he was always preserved from danger and death. After
carrying the mail about one year he left off and began freighting with mule
teams from California into the Southern part of the state and also brought a
load of grape cuttings.
While in Salt Lake City on March 4, 1854, Ellen Maria was born.
9
Mary’s Mother and Father and two bothers, Samuel Dennis and Joel William and their families also
settled in Lehi. For their description read Nel Rasbands “White History”.
7
We remained in Cedar City for three years until the spring of 1857
and then moved to Cedar Springs (Holden) a new settlement in Millard
County10, where there was but ten families who had built a fort to protect
themselves from the Indians.
In 1856 he was called to go to Salt Lake City to bring down some of
the hardcart company who were nearly frozen to death. He went with two
mule teams, got Brother Gildon to drive one team, had a very cold and
tedious trip, the snow being very deep. He arrived home the 14th of Dec. and
Dec 17th, 1856 Ann Eliza was born, our seventh child. My husband stayed
home two weeks and rested up and fitted himself up to go to San Bernardino
to help bring a few saints in who were called in with Bros. Rich and Lyman
on account of Johnson’s Army coming in to drive the people out. He was
gone five months and helped some families in, also brought a load of
goods.11
On the same trip to California, David must have still been bringing
the mail, the following article was found in the Deseret News - Jan. 2, 1856
“Lastest News—Arrival of the Mail.
The California mail, due on the 28th, arrived on
the 30th ult., having been detained in consequence
of the extreme cold weather and bad roads. The
carrier, Mr. David Savage, informs us that it was
with great exertion that he kept from freezing
between Parowan and Fillmore, and between the
capital and Nephi, and reports plenty of snow the
entire distance…”
10
“Holden is seven miles north of Fillmore near the junction of 1-15 and US-50. It was fist settled in 1855
and named Cedar Springs for the springs in the cedar that the community was built around. The town
assumed the name “Buttermilk Fork” because travelers passing through were encouraged to stop for a glass
of cold buttermilk while they rested. Elijah E. Holden was an early settler and an honored member of the
Mormon Battalion.. He froze to death in the nearby mountains while trying to rescue a young man that was
accompanying him. It was decided to name the community in his honor…” John Van Cott “The History
of Holden”. Also, see #3 at the end of this history.
11
Mary’s brothers Samuel Dennis and Joel Wm. White went to San Bernardino with David to help bring
the families back to Utah. In that group of people was Samuel’s future son in law, William Jordan Flake.
Lucy Hannah White tells how her Uncle Joel and father where impressed with William. More can be read
about William and Lucy Flake in Lucy’s autobiography “To the Last Frontier.”
8
In 1859 David married, in the order of polygamy, Mary Ward Heap.
She was a single mother with four children. Her husband had apostatized
and gone to California. Their first child, Isabelle Savage, was born in
Holden on October 28, 1859. Our two families lived happily together even
though both had a family of little children by different fathers. Mary was a
good peaceful woman. After two years we moved to Cedar Fort in Utah
County.
In 1860 he was called by Bro. Charles C. Rich to go across the plains
with his team and help Bros. Rich and Lyman and their sons, Joseph E. Rich
and Francis M. Lyman, as they had been called on missions to England. He
went with two or three mule teams and took the brethren safe through and
brought three poor families back and a threshing machine.
In the September 26, 1860 Deseret News was the following article:
“RETURNED.- Mr. David Savage, Millard
county, who went to the Missouri river last spring,
in company with two or three others, after
machinery, merchandize, &c., arrived in this city on
his return on Friday last.
His train consisted of only six wagons, drawn
by mules, but he went and came safely without
accident, excepting having a few animals stolen on
the return trip in the vicinity of Kearny, which,
however, were subsequently recovered.”
On October 9, 1860, David married Margaret Jones Evans. She was a
widow with one daughter, Clara Evans.
David and Margaret Jones Savage had their first child, Margaret
Savage, in Springville on July 28 1861.
This part of David and Mary Abigail’s life is a little unclear. I’m not
sure if David is living in Holden, Springville or Cedar Fort. It could be that
different wives are living in different places. Often all of his families were
together.
In 1861, I bore our eighth child, Agnes Belzor in Holden.
9
The following story took place some time while the family was living
in Cedar Fort, Utah County. It was related by David Savage’s
granddaughter, Mary Theodocia Savage:
“David Savage was a great friend to the Indians. He
learned to speak their language fluently, which came in handy
many times. The following narrative is related by John Jacking
who was on the party.
"While the U.S. Army was encamped at Camp Floyd,
just for pastime they fired on some Indians which caused the
Indians to go on the warpath. Three miles from this place was
the little town of Cedar Fort. The Indians gathered in the
mountains above the town and prepared to fight. Their war cries
were terrifying to the little handful of people in the Fort. The
Indians, having just previously waylaid the stage from Salt
Lake City between Lehi and Cedar Fort and massacred the
passengers, aroused even more fear in the hearts of the people.
The men were gathered together for defense, and the frightened
women and children huddled together in the little rock fort.
“Finally a band of Indians were seen advancing to attack.
Hoping to avoid war the men, including Grandfaughter Savage
and John Jacking went out to meet them with a flag of truce but
the Indians paid no attention, but came right on. It was then that
grandfather's coolness and bravery and knowledge of the
Indians and their language served a wonderful purpose. Despite
the protest of his companions, who told him he would surely be
killed, he insisted on going alone to meet the foe. He handed his
arms to his companions in full view of the Indians and went
forth alone and unarmed to meet them. At first the Indians were
very hostile and raised their spears and filled their bows ready
to fill him with arrows, but he steadily advanced motioning
them to put down their weapons and listen to him. He then told
them that the men who had fired on them were not Mormons,
but were enemies to the Mormons who had come out to kill the
Mormons, but the Great Spirit would not let them, that the
Mormon People were friends of the Indians and would always
treat them kindly.
“He told them the Great Spirit would be displeased with
them if they fought and killed each other. Finally the little
group of men saw by the expression on the Indians faces that
10
they were being impressed and after parleying a short time the
Indians rode peacefully away. Thus a cruel war and much
bloodshed was avoided.”
David Edward was born to Mary Ward Savage on December 28,
1862, at Cedar Fort while David was away freighting. He was attacked by
Indians and we heard that he was killed. It was a very sad time for us until
we heard different. David came home all right, with great rejoicing. We felt
that the Lord had preserved his life. However, the man traveling with him
was killed.
The following was in the Jan. 21, 1863 Deseret News:
MORE INDIAN OUTRAGES.
We have been provided with the perusal of a
letter from reliable parties in Logan to Judge
Maughan, now in this city, dated on the 11th
instant, from which we learn that on Tuesday, the
6th of January, a company of eight men, one of
whom was David Savage, of Millard county, were
coming in from the northern mines, each with a
wagon and team, by way of the new route through
Cache Valley, they missed the road, and instead of
striking Bear river at the ford near Franklin, as they
intended, they came to that stream below, and
nearly opposite Richmond, Mr. Savage and two
others crossed the river by some means, and went
to Richmond for some provisions and to procure a
guide. On their return they found that the Indians
had visited their camp, robbed their wagons and
drove off their stock, behaving very uncourteously
to the five men, who were there to witness the
taking of their property by those plundering
nomads.
By some means not stated the Indians were
induce to bring back part of the stock and the party
then ferried themselves across the river and their
wagon boxes the next day, and one of the men went
to Franklin, with Mr. Savage, for an interpreter to go
with him to the Indian camp for the purpose of
11
trying to get the balance of the stock, which effort
proved fruitless as the Indians were so saucy that
he thought it not advisable to press his suit for the
return of the stock, and made but a short visit in
the camp of the savages. On his return he found
his comrades had got three of their wagons across
the river, and soon after all the men being on the
east side, the Indians came up on the west bank
and fired at them across the river and killed one of
the party, named John Smith, of Walla Walla, W. T.
The others fled and arrived at Richmond one after
another that evening. The Indians subsequently got
possession again of the stock which they had before
taken and returned. The citizens of Richmond
assisted the unfortunate men all that was in their
power. A company was sent for the body of Smith.
Others went and assisted in bringing away the
wagons. Through the intervention of some of the
citizens of Cache, who have since visited the Indian
encampment beyond Bear River, and had an
interview with some of the chiefs and principal
warriors, twelve mules and one horse belonging to
the company have been recovered; the balance of
the property taken could not be obtained. The
Indians are said to have been very hostile, and it
was with great difficulty that they were persuaded
to give up as much of the property as they did. They
averred that it was a retaliatory act to avenge the
killing of their friends by the soldiers.
A report reached the city yesterday that a
company of seven or eight men, who left Bannock
City for this place before Mr. Savage and those with
him, have not since been heard from; and it is
believed that they have been used up by the
Indians.
If it was not well known that Indian Agents
and Superintendents, in these days, were appointed
for other purposes than what those titles would to
the uninitiated seem to indicate, and that it is not
12
part of their official duties to see after such matters,
we would ask, if within the memory of any of the
citizens of Utah, an effort has been made by that
class of Federal representatives, or either of them,
to dispose the hostile bands of the Shoshones and
Bannocks occupying the region of country between
the northern settlement in this Territory and the
northern gold fields, to peace. In the fall of 1863 my husband was called upon by Apostle Charles C.
Rich to go with him to Bear Lake to form a new settlement. It was a very
cold hard country and was fraught with hardships and trials. There was a
very high mountain to climb and all the provisions had to be hauled over by
team and we had twenty in our family, three families of our own and we
took an old man and his wife along named Miles and a nephew, Sidney
Savage. This was a hard move on us as we lost nearly all of our stock and
sheep and some of our mules in the hard winter and deep snow and some
that did not die we had to trade off for hard stuff, and here my husbands
health began to fail him. The strain was so great both on body and mind. It
was so cold and frosty that our crops did not mature the first year and so it
was hard indeed to get along with such a large family. We arrived at Bear
Lake on September 24, 1863. It is now called Paris, Idaho.
On November 4, 1863, Laura Savage was born to Margaret Jones
Savage in Salt Lake city. On December 10, 1864, Charles Thomas Savage
was born to Margaret in Paris, Idaho. And on November 30, 1865, Albert
Savage was born to Mary Ward Savage, here in Paris. And also here in
Paris, Lucy Estella, our last child was born Dec. 8, 1865. While living in
Paris Bear Lake, now Idaho, two of our girls were married. Mary T. Savage
to John D. Wilcox Aug 23, 1865 by Charles C. Rich in the Endowment
House Salt Lake city and Sarah Maranda to Amasa C. Linford June 24th,
1867 in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City. Gomer Savage was born
on December 12, 1867 to Margaret Jones Savage in Paris.
After remaining in Bear Lake for about three years we moved to
Cache Valley. Parley Savage was born to Mary Ward Heap Savage at
Hyrum, cache Valley, on December 29, 1869. The times were so hard and
my husband’s health was so poor and some of our old friends were so
anxious for us to come back so we returned to Holden. Mary Ward Savage
bore Barbara Savage there on August 11, 1872.
13
In 1873 my husband was called on a mission to the states and Canada.
He gathered up some of his genealogy. He was gone thirteen months.
In 1872 we went to Salt Lake city and did some work for the dead in
the Endowment House for the Savages and Whites, we were baptized and
sealed in behalf of their husbands and wives. My mother Lucy White and
Bro. Joel Wm. White went also to help do work for the Whites and Baileys.
In 1874 our son David took a team and went to St. George to work on
the Temple and made up the sum of eighty nine dollars, a donation for him
and his father. He had his patriarchal blessing while there from W. G.
Perkins.
Anna Eliza Savage was married to Henry Teeples in 1874. In the
Endowment house in Salt Lake. Also that same winter in February my
mother Lucy Bailey died. She was 84 years old. She had lived a long and
useful life and died firm in the faith as did my father in 1850, age 75. He
was the first persons buried in Lehi.
Cedar Fort Pioneer Cemetery marker.
Lucy’s name is second from the
bottom. The death date is incorrect.
DUP Pioneer marker in Lehi, where
John Griggs White had been buried. It is not
known if his body was moved to the new
cemetery, but this is the original burial site.
14
In the fall of 1877 we moved from Holden to a place on the Sevier
River called Kingston where the King family had started a United Order. It
was quite well for a while until Pres. King died, and after that things seemed
all wrong and it soon broke up.
Our son, David W. Savage married Julia Merrill Jan. 20th 1878, in the
Endowment House in Salt Lake and Belzora Savage married John T.
Whetten Dec 10 1870. In December 1880 we started for Arizona, David and
his wife, and Belzora and her husband, also came. They settled in the forest
at Show Low but we went on to Snowflake for the present and then my
husband with part of the family moved to Salt River and lived there for a
few years and then returned to Snowflake and remained there until his death
in 1886.
Lucy E. Savage was married to John F. Lundquist Oct 24th 1883 in the
St. George Temple. In 1886 my husband died after an illness of two months
of asthma being nearly 76 years old. He died firm in the faith of the gospel.
He was always kind and liberal. He had done much for the public. He left
three wives and was a father of nineteen children, seventeen of whom are
living and all are married and have families.
Lucy E. Savage married John F. Lundquist on October 24 1883, in the
St. George Temple.
In the year of 1872 our son David went to Salt Lake City and had his
Endowments and was ordained an elder, and acted as a teacher in Snowflake
–Show Low ward. Also assistant Sunday School Supt. and ward elder and
was ordained a High Priest and set apart High Council by David Kudell on
Dec. 18 1887. He remained there until his death when he was cruelly
murdered by a Mexican shepherd, July 3rd, 1890, this depriving me in my
old age of the best of sons and his family of a kind husband and father.
On March 31, 1883, in my 61st year my youngest daughter’s husband,
John, left for a mission to Sweden.
On my 71 birthday my children and relatives got up a party for me.
We had a good time. There were forty of my relatives including the
children, all living here in Snowflake.
15
1900 as I have my journal nearly full I will now sum up some of the
incidents of my life. I am 76 years old and have been a widow for 13 years.
I have had nine children, four of which have proceeded me to the other
world and my husband also. My children that lived, 5 daughters all married
in the Church and went to the House of the Lord to be married and sealed
and are in good standing in the church. One son-in law, a Bishop; and three
daughters presidents of Relief Societies and I have been a teacher for many
years. These things are quite a comfort to me. I have been in the church 60
years, have been through the driving from Nauvoo and was a pioneer to
Utah and went through starving and hard times, was one of the first settlers
of Utah, and in all the trials I have never regretted that I had embraced the
gospel and cast my lot with the saints, and I hope I never shall be. I have 39
grand children and 23 great grand children all of which were born in the
church and all are in good standing at the present time, which I am thankful
to my Heavenly Father for.
Mary Abigail White Savage
Age 80. Young woman – unknown.
1904, I now have 58 grand children and
am 80 years old. My health is very poor. One
of Lucy’s girls stays with me all the time, as I
live alone. My lot joins Lucy’s so it is quite
handy for us both. They are kind to me and do
all they can for my comfort.
This was the last she wrote. She died
Nov. 23, 1904.
Her children were as follows:
John Roger
Margaret Elizabeth
Mary Theodocia
David William
Sarah Miranda
Birth
5 Dec 1842
1 Jan. 1845
28 Feb 1847
11 Jul 1849
24 April 1851
Death
17 Oct. 1843
24 Oct 1846
28 May 1936
3 July 1890
24 Mar 1933
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Ellen Maria
Anna Eliza
Agnes Belzora
Lucy Estella
2 Dec 1854
17 Dec 1856
29 Jun 1861
8 Dec 1865
2 Dec 1860
30 Oct 1940
29 May 1939
17 Jan. 1939
Grandmother Lucy Bailey White died 17 Feb 1874
Grandfather John Griggs White died Feb. 1851
David Leonard Savage died 26 Apr 1886
Mary Abigail White Savage died 23 Nov 1904.
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Notes:
#1. Laura Farnsworth Frampton Owen’s Autobiography----holograph, LDS
Archives, page 3
“I the spring of 1840 there came an elder from Nauvoo, (Jehial[Gehiel] )
Savage, and got the courthouse in La Porte, Indiana where we were living at the
time. Mr. Owen went to hear him Sunday morning. I had been to the
Congregational Church of which I was a member. He came home at noon and was
much delighted with the Mormon and thought he was the smartest man he ever
heard, and wished me to go in the afternoon with him to meeting. I told him that it
was a greater pity, if he was so smart, to be wasting his time preaching up a gold
bible, but he insisted on my going. I told him I would go, as he was so anxious.
“I went not having the least idea that I was going to hear anything about the
kingdom (page 4) of God or the Bible. I took my seat; I thought the preacher
looked like a very good man. He sang a hymn which sounded very sweet to me,
and then he knelt down and prayed, and oh such a power as I had never heard. I
said in my heart, he is a good man even if he is a Mormon. And then, instead of the
gold Bible, he took our good old Bible (which had always been precious to me)
and commenced with the fall of the apostolic church and its restoration again in the
latter days and the preparatory work for the second advent of the Son of God. How
sweet to my hungry soul were these precious words as they fell from his lips.”
#2. ORSON WHITNEY'S HISTORY OF UTAH. Vol. IV Page 581
Speaking of Elder Franklin Dewey Richards and Elder Jehial Savage
while they were serving a mission together, Elder Richards became ill in La
Porte Indiana where the Farnsworth family were staying and it is here that
Franklin first met his future wife Jane Snyder
“About six months later Jane Snyder met the man whom she was
destined to marry, Franklin D. Richards [son of Phineas Howe Richards and
Wealthy Dewey Richards, the future Apostle, [nephew to Levi and Willard
Richards,] who, in company with Elder Jehial Savage, arrived at La Porte
from Nauvoo as a missionary. Franklin and his companion journyed west
and arrived at Haun's Mill only to find his brother, George Spencer
Richards, killed October 30, 1838 and thrown down a well. Another brother,
Joseph William Richards died in Pueblo on the Mormon Battalion march on
November 19, 1846.]
“These Elders stayed at the Snyder home and were kindly and
hospitably entertained. They had traveled afoot and Elder Savage was sick
with chills and fever. He had been acquainted with the Snyder family in
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Canada, where he had traveled with Robert in the ministry, and on one
occasion had jestingly promised Jane that he would bring her a husband. The
promise thus lightly made was literally fulfilled, for, in the fall of 1841,
something more than a year after their first meeting, Franklin D. Richards.
The young unmarried missionary and Jane Snyder were betrothed, and a
little over a year later, married. The wedding took place at Job Creek, near
La Harpe, Hancock County, Illinois, to which point the family had removed
about the time the young couple plighted their troth. The ceremony uniting
them was performed by Elder Samuel Snyder, brother to the bride and
president of the Job Creek branch. The date was Sunday, December 18,
1842.”
#3. There were two “Cedar Forts” one in Utah County, and then the one that
existed in Cedar City, Iron County. Janet Seegmiller, who wrote “The
History of Iron County,” explained to me that there was a “Cedar Fort”
before Cedar City was established. Also, Utah Valley used to be called
“Cedar Valley”. And the town of Holden used to be called “Cedar Springs.”
All of this adds much to the confusion when we are talking about
“Cedar……”
Debbie Larsen combined Mary’s life story and articles that had been updated by Newel Linford,
Max Sudweeks, and Brent Hale. She added the notes, footnotes, pictures, newspaper articles and the
information from David’s daughter Amanda Polly. The punctuation and spelling were left the way Mary
Abigail originally wrote it. If further information or corrections are found please notify Debbie at 801964-1312.
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