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| Louisa Harriett Mills |
I was the daughter of Charles Edmund and Frances Farr Mills, and Grand daughter of Thomas Henry and Frances Bone Farr. Thomas Farr was a farmer by occupation. I was born December 10, 1850 at Winchester, Hampshire, England. I was the eleventh child in a family of thirteen children, three of which are still living. They are Charles Mills of Coalville, Summit County and Sarah E. Gunn of Randolph, Rich County, Utah.
My father, Charles Mills, at the time of my birth was a private in the Eightieth Regiment of Foot, in the service of the Queen, and was under command of Lord Wellington. He also served under Lord Wellington in the famous battle of Waterloo. My mother, Frances Farr, was a servant girl before her marriage to Charles Mills, April 17,1832 at Prescott, County of Lancashire, England by the Vicar of the Parish Church, C. L. Driffield. After making Winchester the family home for three years, they moved to the famous sea port town, Southampton. I made this my home until May 1, 1862.
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| William Wilde |
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| Charles R. Savage |
While at Winchester the family first heard the Gospel.
It was carried to them by Brother Charles R. Savage, who later became a member
of the old folks committee, and William Wilde, who later became Bishop of the Coalville,
Utah Ward. Until this time my mother had belonged to the Baptist and Methodist Churches, but did not seem satisfied
with either. The Gospel came to them in a very peculiar way. I was a baby of
eleven months and became very ill and was given up by the doctor. The Minister
passed judgment upon me and said that I would be dead by morning.
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| Frances Farr Mills |
In the blessing he gave he said,
“That I should not die but should live and be a Savior unto my people and that
they should be gathered to the land
of Zion". Brother
Savage also said that I should be dressed that day and that my mother should
hear the gospel and receive it at their hands. These promises have been
fulfilled.
While at Southampton
I attended a public school for a short time but was forced to leave on account
of my poor health. A little later I received my first lessons in crocheting,
knitting and other subjects taught at this school. While still a small child I
remember President John Taylor and Erastus Snow who were missionaries in my
home town. It was about this time that a liking for music took hold of me and
that liking still clings to me.
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| Erastus Snow |
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| John Taylor |
About I857 my family moved to St. James Street,
in Southampton, in order to be nearer the
Church. The Church worked hard in the face of opposition under President Henry
Puesy. After a lapse of a few years I was baptized, having to go a long distance
at night to the ocean. I was baptized and confirmed by President Puesy.
At this time the Saints were
requested to fast and pray for three days for the Saints In Zion because of
Johnson's army. My mother fasted all three days and I fasted one day. This was
my first fast. At this time my mother was called to do missionary work. I
helped by taking the numbers of the houses while she distributed the tracts. I
heard the abuse and insults which she received. It was while at this work I received
by first lessons in the Gospel, which have been very beneficial all through my
life. I also saw the mobbing of the Saints and breaking of the windows by the
non-members of the Church.
In the year 1860 President George
Q. Cannon, who was President of the European Mission, counseled the Saints to
come to Zion.
If they did not have the means to come all at once, send as many of the
children as they could afford and the next year send more until all were in Zion. Upon this advice my
brother Charles and my sister Mary were sent in 1861. I was the next to come
the next year and my sister Sarah the year after I came.
Realizing the great change that
would soon take place in my life and knowing that it would be the last time I
would see Prince Albert, later known as King Edward, I ran away to see the
races, on the Good Friday previous to my departure. Upon my return I was
punished after the English fashion.
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| George Q. Cannon |
The custom at that time was to give
the departing Saints a farewell party. At the one given the Saints who were to
leave the following May, I received my first testimony as to the Divinity of
the Gospel. Twenty eight years previous to this my mother broke a bottle in her
hand and a piece of the glass ran in her thumb and worked to the center of her
hand. For nine weeks she suffered excruciating pain. The Doctors could not
locate the glass without cutting her hand. She was unable to dress herself, but
with the aid of some of the sisters she made ready to attend the party. There
she was administered to by the Elders. President George Q. Cannon sealed the anointing,
and he asked the Lord to give the pain to the one most able to bear it. When he
was through he held up his hand and said, "Here is the pain Mother Mills
has been suffering," He had the pain for several weeks while she ceased to
suffer and went to sleep for the first time for a long time.
Nothing of importance took place
until May 1, 1862, when I left home for America, coming to this country
without a single relation in the company of the Saints. After traveling for
three days we arrived in Liverpool and set
sail from this port after laying in anchor twenty four hours. After nine weeks
of sailing we arrived at Castle Garden,
New York. We had a pleasant
voyage there being no deaths but one birth. A baby boy was born on the Manchester, which was the
name of the ship. He was named for the Captain, M. Tracy.
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| The Manchester |
Among the Saints were two English
sailors of note, one was the late Frances Baily and the other was his friend.
While in the iceberg district, seeing the anxiety on the face of the captain
they asked to be allowed to pilot the ship throughout the danger. They were
permitted and after the danger was passed, they received the congratulations of
all present.
After staying in New
York for nine days we traveled overland as far as Albany and from there to St. Joes. This was
the region of activity of the Civil War at this time. From St. Joes we traveled
up the Mississippi River as far as Florence, now
known as Omaha.
This was the camping place for the Saints. Nine weeks were spent in Florence making preparations for the trying journey to Zion. All who were able
to sew helped in making tents, wagon covers and other necessary things for the
next few months.
One terrible accident happened
while at Florence.
The weather is very changeable there and the most perfect day may be changed to
a very disagreeable one in a few minutes. This day was lovely, but one clap of thunder
and a flash of lightening changed it completely. I was suffering my first
attack of home sickness and was in my tent while in front was standing Brother
George Q. Cannon who was giving orders to the over seerer for making up the
train, and W.R. Young. The thunder and lightening came and the clerk was
instantly killed. Brother Young was scalped as though an Indian had done it
while George Q. Cannon was unhurt.
Now for the great trials and hardships
of crossing the plains: Dan Miller was the captain and a very able captain. He
made his home in Farmington, Davis County, Utah.
Traveling was slow, each wagon being furnished with from four to six oxen.
There being about one hundred wagons, each containing from six to twelve
persons. This train carried ammunition for the people in Salt Lake.
While crossing the plains
everything was done in a systematic way. At six o'clock all were up and at
eight they were on their way. At noon camp was made for lunch and at night camp
was made for the night by water if possible. A corral was made of the wagons.
The cattle were herded if there were no Indians in the vicinity. After supper
there was always a dance, the music was furnished by the teamsters on the
fiddle. A good time was enjoyed by all. After the dance there was a meeting.
This was opened by song and prayer, the subject spoken upon was the travel for
the next day. The roll was called twice each day. At nine thirty o'clock all
were supposed to be in bed.
The work of the women consisted of
doing their cooking, washing and tending the children. The sisters were told to
have large pinafores made in order to carry and gather buffalo chips which were
used to make the fires and took the place of wood. I walked almost all of the
way fording the streams that were forded by anyone. Often brother and sister
Morris and their niece and I traveled a long way in advance of the train. We
often located the place of the camp for the night.
While crossing the plains the Saints saw and tasted the first watermelons they had seen grown in America. They were grown on a ranch owned by an Apostate who gave them all that they wanted. There were several deaths and a great many births while crossing the plains.
The immigrants were not molested by
the Indians which were numerous. The buffaloes could be heard for a great many
miles away and would come in great herds. Some of them were killed for use by
the Saints. President George Q. Cannon was very much concerned about me for I was
a very little girl and he made inquiries about me every day.
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| Louisa Harriett Mills |
The Saints arrived in Salt Lake
October 9, 1862. My brother Charles was there to meet me and after staying for
a few days he took me to my sister Mary Hibbard, in Morgan County.
It was while staying there that I met my future husband but I did not know it
at that time.
In May 1863 I went to Salt Lake
to work. I found employment in the home of Brother William Ostler in the Tenth
Ward. The pay which I received for six months work was a pair of shoes which he
made himself. He was the shoe maker for the Brigham Young Family. From this
place I went to work for Brother Samuel Atwood in the Thirteenth Ward. I worked
for them until the next summer the recompense for my work was fifty cents which
was paid in dried peaches which I helped to dry. I liked my work at both places
very much.
I was baptized the second time in the Tenth Ward in 1863, in the creek located in Emigration Canyon. The Bishop of the 13th Ward was Edward Wooley, father of our former Bishop E.T. Woolly of the Fourth Ward of Ogden, and the Supt. of Sunday School was George Goddard, Father of H.H. Goddard of the Bishopric of the Fourth Ward.
I left Salt Lake
in the fall of 1864, but before leaving I had a blessing given by a Priestess.
Grandmother Attwood was ordained a priestess by the Prophet Joseph Smith.
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| Thomas Palmer |
Upon our arrival in Morgan County
in 1864, my mother went as housekeeper for Brother Thomas Palmer, who had four
motherless children, three of them were boys and the fourth was a girl. The
boys are living in Morgan, Utah
and Preston, Idaho. The girl died at the age of fourteen
years. On Feb. 18, 1864 my mother Francis Farr Mills married Mr. Palmer in Salt Lake City, Utah.
After my marriage, my mother, step-sons
and myself helped to clear the farm by dragging the brush away and burning it
after my husband dug it up. I also carded and spun the wool used in making the
clothing for the family.
During the pioneer days before the
railroad came we had seven years of grasshoppers and then came the crickets.
These insects devoured the entire crop. My husband had some wheat left from
previous years and what was made into flour was either taken to Salt Lake
by ox team or ground in a coffee mill. For a great many weeks the older members
of the family went without bread in order to give it to the younger members of
the family. Their food consisted of pig weeds, wild carrots, service berries,
choke cherries and haws. The berries were dried for use in the winter and took
the place of currants and raisins. We always had plenty of meat as my husband was
a stock owner at that time.
President John Taylor gave Brother
Palmer the name of The Son of the Benevolent while he was Ward Teacher in the
Thirteenth Ward of Salt Lake. He forever showed this characteristic. He fed
Washakee and his nine hundred Indian braves for several days at one time when
he came to ask advice of Brigham Young. My husband was First Counselor to
Bishop John H. Hail of the Peterson Ward for twenty five years. He held this
position until his death in 1900.
I was President of the Y.L.M.I.A.
for seventeen years and for eleven years was treasurer for the Relief Society.
I was also Second Assistant for the Sunday School for a number of years. All of
these positions were held in the Peterson Ward. It was during my work in the
Relief Society I became acquainted with Eliza R. Snow, Zina D. Young and many
other of the Church Board.
I was the mother of fourteen
children, ten boys and four girls. Ten of the children are still living, of
these seven are boys and three are girls. Eight of them are married. I was
step-mother to four children and foster mother to eleven other children all of
them are living and greet me with the name of Mother. I have fourteen
grandchildren. My stepsons have twenty one children. I have one great-grandchild.
Ogden was a very different place and my new
home was also a new experience for all of us. The boys found employment in
different places and I began my career as a nurse working with a number of
doctors. It was necessary to work long hours and at night as well as day, but I
was able to keep my family together and we had a very comfortable and peaceful
home. I became very active in the Church, living in the Fourth Ward of the
Ogden Stake. I had learned to enjoy good music even before I left the Old
Country and at the time I moved to the Fourth Ward they had a wonderful Choir directed
by Brother Orson Griffin. I joined this choir and remained with it until I was
unable to attend because of poor health at the age of eighty. I was a Relief
Society block teacher until I was eighty years old and enjoyed my visits with
the sisters of the ward. After I retired from actual work I helped with the
sick and needy of the Church and spent long hours sitting with and
administering to their needs. I feel that the Lord was good to me and gave me
an understanding of how to better care for the sick and the needy. I was also
blessed with the strength that was necessary to have in order to do the things
which I was able to do.
I have a testimony that has helped
me always and given me a great deal of satisfaction through my life. I have
also had some wonderful experiences since coming to Ogden and have made hundreds of friends. In
May 1930 I moved with my daughter Nellie Palmer Clark, with whom I have always
made my home, to Clearfield, Davis County.
She left a family of nine sons and
daughters, numerous grand and great-grand children as well as hosts of friends
to mourn her passing.
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I hope that this blog will be a resource for family and distant relatives seeking to learn more about our pioneer roots. Any additional information or pictures would be very welcome. Feel free to contact me at spanomegos@hotmail.com.