William Henry Harrison Heap and Sarah Ann Marsh

William Henry Harrison Heap

William Henry Harrison Heap is my great-great-great grandfather, born in Indiana in 1838. His father, William Heap, came to America with his parents in 1819 from Liverpool, England. His mother, Margaret Beesley, daughter of Joseph Beesley and Rebecca Herrod from Lancshire, Englad came to America around 1830. His mother Margaret had heard and accepted the Gospel in Indiana in 1844, although none of her family joined with her.

William didn't join the Church until after his marriage to Sarah Ann Marsh in 1867 in Salt Lake. He had come West in 1866 with an Ox Team Company. They met at a dance at Blackrock, Utah (located on the bank of the Great Salt Lake) and were later sealed in the Endowment House.

Almost immediately after William and Sarah were married, they were sent by Brigham Young to Dixie, in Southern Utah to help settle that section of the state. They left Dixie six years later because of sickness and moved to Bear Lake, Idaho. William and Sarah moved several times with the last move being to Thayne, Wyoming where they are buried.

Sarah Ann Marsh

Sarah Ann Marsh is my great-great-great grandmother, born in 1852 in Salt Lake. Her gospel heritage appears to go back a few generations, beginning with her grandparents Sarah Searcy and James J Miller. I cannot find an account of their conversion, although James is believed to have died while working on the Nauvoo temple. I also found a record of their daughter Martha Ann Miller remembering being taught by the prophet Joseph Smith. Martha crossed the plains in 1852 with the early Utah pioneers and settled in Star Valley, Wyoming in 1879 where she died. This is the heritage of Sarah Ann Marsh, and therefore my own, for which I am grateful.

(source and source)

Gustaf Emil Hanson and Martha Heap

Gustaf Emil Hanson (who went by Emil), is my great-great grandfather, born in 1859 in Goteborg, Sweden. The Mormon missionaries came to his family's door with the gospel of Jesus Christ when Emil was a child. They were taught the gospel and baptized. Emil's father, Elias, died later from typhoid fever when Emil was still a youth.

The city of Goteborg where Emil grew up is on the coast and is in a shipping center. Emil liked to watch the ships sail into the harbor and out again. His mother always told the children not to go to the harbor, but they were more interested than ever because some of their relatives had come to America. Emil couldn't resist going to the harbor, even though it was against his mothers advice and he was punished for it.

This punishment hurt his pride and his feelings, so he ran away from home at the age of 13 and managed to get aboard a ship sailing for America. On board he hid until the ship was far out to sea. An Uncle of Emil's was on board by the name of Lars Hanson, so after the discovery of the stowaway, the uncle took responsibility of Emil and brought him to America with him.

Emil managed to get as far as Ogden, Utah and walked from Ogden to Logan where some of his relatives were living. He made his home with Lars Hanson until he was 17. At this time, 1877, he sent to Sweden for his mother and the rest of the family. The family was glad to come where they could worship after the dictates of their own conscience, since there was severe abuse in Sweden because they had joined the Church.


Emil met his future wife at a July 4th celebration in Star Valley, Wyoming, where he worked laying railroad tracks. The program was going on under the bowery and during the community singing, someone heard Emil sing and urged him to sing a song. That was when Martha Heap (daughter of William Henry Harrison Heap and Sarah Ann Marsh) fell in love with Emil. She was 5'3'' tall with brown eyes and hair, and Emil had blue eyes and dark curly hair. They were married in Montpelier, ID in 1889. On September 15, 1897 they traveled by horse and wagon to Logan, UT with four of their children to be sealed for time and all eternity.

Charles Turner and Anna Mary Bosch

Anna Mary Bosch

Anna Mary Bosch is my great-great grandmother, born July 8, 1847, in Netherlands, Holland. The story of her conversion is best told through the history of her parents, Abraham Bosch and Anna Hak.

When Anna Mary's father Abraham was a young child, the French and Spanish invaded Holland. During this invasion, Abraham was found hidden in the bushes. He was found by a man names Houseman, who supposed that his parents had been taken prisoners. Houseman and his friends made an extensive search for his parents without success, and so he placed him in an orphanage for a short time and eventually their relationship grew into one of father and son.

Abraham and Mr. Houseman studied the bible together, and each had a burning desire to know the truth and attended many of the churches to try and get an understanding of the doctrines taught at each one. None of the churches appealed to them or to their friends who had the same opinion. As a result they formed an organization called the New Lighters where they taught the members to study the bible and be prayerful. They had a feeling the new gospel would be restored and were preparing for it.

In 1844, Abraham married Anna Hak in Holland in 1844. Her family was very opposed to their marriage and disowned her. Through the marriage she joined the New Lighters looking for the restored church.

In 1864, three elders came to Amsterdam. A Mr. Hystack owned a boat and carried cargo from one city to another. He heard the Gospel through Elders John S. Smith, Schutter, and Vanderwood. It was through Mr. Hystack that Anna and her family met the missionaries. Abraham suffered with health problems for most of his life and had died just a few years before his family first heard of the restored gospel. Anna met with the missionaries and was baptized, as well as the entire organization of New Lighters. These were the first Mormon emigrants to leave Holland for America.

With the death of her husband as well as three of her sons, Anna mourned her loss and had a burning desire to come with the rest of the converts to Zion. This was made possible through the kindness of Mr. Houseman, and they left for Zion on May 10, 1864. This was a journey of great sacrifice, almost beyond endurance for Anna and her five children. Anna Mary Bosch was one of these five children.

The family settled in Utah in the Weber Valley where many Dutch immigrants were moving. In this area there were many elderly members and Anna who was 18 was sent with others to care for them. On July 24th there was a large celebration the chairman of the committee in charge being Charles Turner, the current presiding elder. Anna was attractive with her dark brown hair and blue eyes. Charles, a widower twenty years older than Anna became and admirer and suitor and they were married after a short courtship.

They had 13 children and lived a happy life together in Utah. Anna was very devoted to her children and husband and to the gospel she embraced. She went through many hardships, knew poverty and also comfort. She entertained most of the Presidents of the Church at her home as well as the Apostles and other church officials. She was knows to be an amazing cook. I am full of gratitude to Anna Hak and Anna Mary Bosch for the gospel we have in our home today.

Charles Turner

Charles Turner is my great-great grandfather, born in 1827 in England. When he was in his early twenties, he had a job making drain pipe. Charles first heard about the Church in 1849 from one of the boys who worked for him in his job making drain pipe. Here is an excerpt from Charles' journal of his experience:

"Toward spring one of the boys who was working for me began to tell a strange tale about an old Parker who used to travel and peddle stockings through this village. This family had dealt with him for many years and the boy said he came last night to 'bid our folks goodbye, as he never expected again to return as he was going to Zion, in America.' He said that God had raised up a prophet, and the true gospel was being preached and that those who obeyed were called 'Latter-day Saints.' The boy said he backs up everything he says from the Bible and he makes it very plain. This was something new to us all, but was passed off again, and I never forgot the impression on my mind by the boy's story."

Here is an excerpt from 1850:

"During the summer I became dissatisfied with what was called religion and I withdrew myself from the Church of England. I concluded there was nothing in any of them but that my motto should be to do right by everybody and risk the consequences, but on hearing our brickmaker man, a Latter-day Saint, talk in a gathering of brickmakers, he set me thinking seriously. I already had a desire to know more about this strange people, and one more little talk with this strange man let me see that he outstripped any man I ever heard talk before.

One Sunday in December, Mr. Samuel Garret proposed to me that we go to Lemington and hear the Saints, to which we heartily responded. After listening a few seconds, the Lord showed me the beauty of the gospel and I believed. We also attended the evening meeting and in this meeting my mind was to learn more about it, and after a little due consideration, to be baptized."

Charles was baptized by Thomas Walder and was confirmed by Thomas A. Jeffery on April 27, 1851. Shortly thereafter he was ordained a Priest. Charles met opposition as those around him were bitter against him, including his father. He baptized his brother in 1853. He basically had to start a new life with new friends as he lost all his friends when he was baptized.

In 1861 he left with a number of saints to travel to Zion. First by train, then steamboat, then by wagon to Salt Lake. The entire trip took about five months. He married later in the year, but his wife died in 1865. He married Anna Mary Bosch later that year.

Hugh Findlay and Catherine Ann Taylor Partington

Hugh Findlay

Hugh Findlay (pictured above) is my great-great-great-great grandfather, born in Scotland in 1822. He was baptized in Scotland in 1844. He was married in 1844, but his wife died a few years later after the birth of their second child.

His first mission took nine years. He started in England and Scotland, and from there went to India where he was the first missionary for the Church. He also served in China before finishing his mission, and then went California and from here crossed the desert into Milford and then to Salt Lake City. He married Catherine Ann Partington in Salt Lake in 1856. They had nine children.

In 1878 he was called to fill a mission to open the mission on the Shetland Islands. While here, he was called to preside over the Scotch mission. He had no money to pay his steamboat passage to Scotland, but he showed unwaivering faith. He packed his suitcase, ready to obey, and walked to the wharf where he was to sail. As he passed the post office he asked for his mainland received a letter from a strange lady who wrote him of her interest in articles he had written for the Millenial Start and enclosed for him a five pound note.

In the Fall of 1869, Brigham Young called Hugh Findlay to help settle the Bear Lake country, where he helped settle Fish Haven, Idaho along with Henry Howell.

Catherine Ann Taylor Partington

The story of Catherine is told through her parents (my great-great-great-great-great grandparents), Ralph Partington and Ann Taylor. Ralph Partington was born in 1806 in England, and Ann Taylor was born in 1810 in England. Ann was among the first English women to join the Church when she was baptized in the River Ribble in 1837. Ralph and Ann immigrated to Nauvoo with their four children aboard the ship Swanton in 1843. When they landed, they both came down with malaria, which kept them from supporting their family for a time.

They were forced by mobs to leave Nauvoo in 1846, and they ended up in Iowa with no provisions to cross the plains. They moved to St. Louis where Ralph worked as a carpenter until they had enough money to leave for Utah. The family traveled as part of the Mclawson Company and arrived in Utah in 1853, when their daughter Catherine was 20 years old. It was in Salt Lake that their daughter Catherine married Hugh Findlay.

(source and source)

William Hyde and Elizabeth Howe Bullard

William Hyde is my great-great-great grandfather, born September 11, 1818 in Livingston County, New York. When William was about seven years old, his family settled in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, where his father, Heman, established a successful business in wool carding and cloth dressing.

Around the year 1830, Heman heard about the Book of Mormon for the first time, as well as the setting up of the Kingdom of God on the earth in the last days. Most of the information the Hyde's learned about the church was from Warren A. Cowdery, brother of Liver Cowdery.

In 1834, Joseph Smith and Parley P. Pratt came to the Hyde's home. They preached two or three times in the neighborhood and talked with many people in private. The first to be baptized was William's oldest brother, who went to Zion's Camp. In April of 1834, Heman and William were also baptized, and soon after that, the rest of the family was also baptized. The family was convinced previous to being baptized that God had set to his hand for the last time to prune the Earth, and that in fulfillment of his word, He would gather together a people who would serve him, and be prepared to escape the distress that should come upon the nations as well as for the coming of the son of man, when he should be revealed in the glory of this father.

About two years after baptism, William moved with his family from New York to Kirtland, Ohio. After being driven from Kirtland and from two other counties, they settled in Nauvoo. In 1840 he left on a mission to New York and Philadelphia. He met his wife, Elizabeth Howe Bullard, while returning from his mission. She was with a group of converts traveling to Nauvoo. They were married in February of 1842.

In 1846 William joined the Mormon Battalion. It is very ironic that the government would offer no help to the Mormons when they were being driven, but then come to their camps and ask for 500 men to fight in the war. Here are Williams thoughts about joining in the cause:

"This Government of the United States were at this time at war with Mexico, and not being satisfied with either having assisted, or by their silence acquiesced in driving and plundering thousands of defenseless men, women and children, and driving them from their pleasant and lawful homes, and of actually murdering, or through suffering causing the death of hundreds, they must now send to our camps...and call upon us for five hundred young and middle aged men, the strength of our camp, to go and assist them in fighting their battles. When this news came I looked upon my family, and then upon my aged parents, and upon the situation of the camps in the midst of the uncultivated, wild Indian country, and my soul revolted. But...when our beloved President came to call upon the saints to know who among all the people were read to offer the case; I said, 'Here am I, take me.'"

William returned to his family in 1847 after traveling 5000 miles and suffering greatly, especially hunger and thirst. In 1860 Brigham Young asked William and his son-in-law, Simpson Molen, to settle an area in Cache Valley five miles north of Logan. William was appointed Bishop, and the new location was called Hyde Park.

Elizabeth Howe Bullard

Elizabeth Howe Bullard is my great-great-great grandmother, born October 2, 1813 in Holliston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Her father was a well-to-do farmer who did not belong to any church, but was a generous and kind man. He died at the age of 55, leaving his wife with seven children. Elizabeth's mother was beloved by all who knew her. She was a member of the Congregational Church and taught her children to love and fear God, and to be honorable and industrious.

Elizabeth wrote the following concerning her conversion to the Church:

"I was a subject of serious impressions from my earliest recollection. I would often go to my chamber and pray that God would direct me how to obtain a change of heart, which the ministers told us we must obtain in order to be saved, but they did not tell us how to obtain it, not knowing themselves, thus proving they were blind teachers of the blind. I continued pray- ing, however, until I felt that light had broken into my mind, and I thought I had obtained what I had so anxiously been seeking after. Accordingly I manifested a wish to become a member of the church to which most of our family belonged. This was when I was seventeen years old...

...I was either a pupil or teacher in the Sabbath School in the church to which I belonged until I became connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After completing the district school, in 1833 I went to Amherst Female Seminary.

The first Mormon elders that I saw were Brigham Young and his brother Joseph, who were relatives of our family. This was in the fall of 1837. They stayed at our place and conversed upon the subject of their belief and sang beautifully, 'Now Let Us Rejoice In The Day Of Sal- vation.' The next elder to come to our house was Willard Richards. He was also a relative of the family. He too, preached the restored gospel, which brought with it the spirit of investigation.

I had faith in God that if I would humble myself before Him in an acceptable manner, He would manifest unto me the truth. I accordingly spent many hours each day in my chamber searching the Scriptures, and asking in earnest prayers that if this was the work of God, I might know it myself. I had thus been employed when at last, on one special occasion, I arose from my knees and opened my Bible to the 15th Psalm, 5th verse, which reads, 'Gather my saints together unto me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.' Those words were accompanied with the Spirit of God to such a degree that my heart rejoiced, and I knew for myself that this was indeed the work of God. I was then ready for baptism. I was willing, and even anxious, to leave my pleasant home where I had spent so many happy days, and gather with the Saints of God. This rejoiced the heart of my dear mother, for she, being a true Israelite, believed the work from the first.

We accordingly went forth and were baptized on the 30th day of June, 1838, by Elder Joseph Ball, and from that day to this, September 24, 1904, I have never for one moment doubted this work or regretted the sacrifice, if it can be called a sacrifice, of leaving friendly neighbors and home."

Following her conversion, Elizabeth journeyed to Illinois. On her way she met William Hyde, and they were later married by Heber C. Kimball. The Prophet Joseph was absent from Nauvoo when they were married. When he returned and heard about it, he said he had expected to perform the ceremony himself.

Elizabeth also wrote an account of hearing the prophet Joseph Smith speak:

"The first Sabbath which I spent in Nauvoo, we attended a meeting held in the grove, and everybody was an entire stranger. There was no one near me that I had ever seen before. There were several elders on the stand. Some of them had spoken, when the Prophet Joseph Smith arose and commenced to speak. A feeling like electricity passed through me, and his words thrilled my whole being. I knew for myself that he was a Prophet of God. I was at this time twenty-eight years of age. I shook hands with the Prophet. I heard him speak many times."

Source: The Journal of William Hyde, and a comilation by Myrtle Stevens Hyde from An autobiography of Elizabeth Howe Bullard (Hyde), written in 1904, published by Kate B. Carter in Our Pioneer Heritage, Volume 7 (1964), pages 430–434 as well as a shorter semi-autobiography, written in 1912, appearing in The Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Volume 3 (1912), pages 206-208.

Rose Ellen King and Ephraim Hatch

Rose Ellen King is Steve's great-great grandmother, the wife of Ephraim Hatch (son of Ira Stearns Hatch). She was born in Ohio in 1843. In 1830, her grandfather, Enoch King, and several other family members joined the Church (most noteworthy is her uncle Thomas Jefferson King).

The King family traveled west in 1862 after the first pioneers. Enoch King did not continue when his wife (not a relative of Steve's--she had died some years earlier) who did not have much faith in the gospel decided she would go no further. This was about 40 miles from Mount Pisgah. The rest of the family made their way to Utah, but did not stay.

The Kings decided to leave Utah because they were not impressed with the farming conditions there, and instead of going directly back to Ohio they apparently decided to try their luck at finding some gold. So they traveled North to Virginia City, Montana.

Rose Ellen met Ephraim Hatch while traveling from Salt Lake to Montana. Ephraim and his brother were grocers and they hauled produce by wagon to the miners in in the Nevada City area during the gold rush. The King family and the Hatch brothers joined together while traveling in order to protect themselves against some rough-necks along the trail.

It is said that Rose Ellen had a dream or a blessing telling her she would be the only one to stay in Utah. She married Ephraim Hatch at Nevada City in 1864 and they returned to Salt Lake where they were sealed in the endowment house. The rest of her family returned to Ohio after traveling to Montana.

I was not able to find the conversion story of Rose Ellen King, although I am assuming she came to know the church through her grandfather and other relatives who joined the church in 1830. Although her parents apparently traveled west with her and later returned to Ohio, records do not show that they were ever baptized into the Church. I am grateful for Rose Ellen and Ephraim Hatch who made it possible for our family to have the gospel in our home today.

(source and I received this information from a history collected by Ephraim and Verena Hatch who live in Provo, UT. Included in this history was a history of The King Family written by Gary Ephraim Hatch in 1977).

David and Lydia Reeder and James and Eliza Hurren

David Reeder is my great-great-great-great Grandfather, born Dec. 21, 1801 in England. He married Lydia Balls in 1828, who is my great-great-great-great Grandmother, born De. 26, 1803 in England. David and Lydia had three sons and three daughters.

David's wife Lydia died at the age of 36, soon after her youngest daughter Caroline was born in October of 1839. David Reeder hired some farm labor in later years, one worker being James Hurren, who later married his daughter Eliza. James Hurren and Eliza Reeder are my great-great-great grandparents (pictured above).

James and Eliza had anticipated that their lives would follow the same pattern as their parents and forebearers before them, of earning a living in a well established way, cooking at an already much-used hearth, and of probably dying in the same village where they had been born.

But events of 1851 were to cause momentous changes for them. In March of this year, James and Eliza had a baby boy who only lived one day. This was very grievious for them. At this time they had a cottage of their own near the Reeder home.

It was at this time that two strangers, Mormon missionaries from America, came into the countryside and preached about a peculiar new religion. These men stirred the East Suffolk folk with the things they told about, and caused many a heated conversation and argument. The men belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

James Hurren, Eliza, and the Redders, listened and disussed, along with the others, and becamse interested in learning more and more. Though many people seriously doubted the truth of the missionaries' message, those of the Hurren and Reeder households were among the first to declare that they belived the gospel principles they were being taught. On June 28, 1851, James Hurren was baptized in a small pond at Chediston, along with Eliza's oldest brother. They were later ordained priests in the Aaronic Priesthood.

James and George were excited about their new religion, and actively helped the missionaries in contacting and teaching other people in the area. Many local residents were converted. In October of 1851, Eliza and her father David Reeder were baptized. Perhaps one of the reasons Eliza had put off being baptized until now was because she had been expecting a child, which arrived in February of 1852.

The Church membership continued to increase, and in March of 1852 the Chediston Branch was organized. James, at the age of 25, was alled to be the Branch President. Eliza's brother Robert and sister Caroline were also baptized into the church over the next few years. James was the only member of his family to join the Church.

Conversation in the Hurren and Reeder cottages, after their conversion, revololved around the Church, the wonderful new concepts they were learning, the things expected of them, and always of going to Zion. The family was able to travel to America using the Perpetual Emigrating Fund. The company arrived in New York on June 14, 1856, after six weeks of crossing the ocean. They traveled by railway to Iowa. Here they waited for handcarts and began the trek to Utah under the direction of Captain James G. Willie. It was late for handcarts to start on this dangerous journey and some of the company coubted if the journey could be made before the bad weather set in. Another Company was following the Willie Company, led by Captain Martin.

In October of 1856 the company was near Laramie, Wyoming. This is where David Reeder died, and this is what his son Robert said about him: "My father, David Reeder would start out int he morning and pull his cart until he would drop on the road. He did this day after day until he did not arise early October 7, 1856." On many occasions he had given part of his rations of food to others. His fortitude had never failed, though he was often cold, hungry and exhausted. His family would miss him.

Eliza wrapped a cherished sheet around him and the family placed him in a shallow grave. Caroline Reeder died two weeks later at the age of 17 at Three Crossings Sweetwater and was buried in Wyoming. There were many deaths throughout the journey.

James and Eliza, many times, when inquiry was made as to how they felt about their handcart ordeal, were quick to reply: "With all our trials, our weary traveling, burying our dear ones, piling our clothing and bedding by the wayside and setting fire to them, we have never once felt to murmur or complain or regret the steps we have taken."

The family eventually settled in Hyde Park where they lived the rest of their lives. As their posterity, let us echo, and live worthy to realize the fulfillment of the words penned by James Hurren in 1852: " The prayer of my sould is to my Lord and my God that we may all be Thine for ever and ever."

(source and "James Hurren and Eliza Reeder" Complied by Myrtle Stevens Hyde, 1979")