John H Rich Morgan Pioneer History Binds Us Together so I had to depend on my Father in Heaven and he has never forsaken me. Soon after I joined the Church, my stepfather died. My home was very comfortable, and I could take the Elders there any time and leave them with the family while I worked, as my mother would never allow bad rumors about the Latter Day Saints. She told us that home ought to be the happiest place on earth. Soon after I joined the Church, I became acquainted with John H. Rich, and our acquaintance soon ripened into courtship and we were married in 1852 in the Church of England. In January 1853 we left our home and turned our faces Zionward, being the only ones of our families that were in the church. We left Liverpool on the fifth of February on the ship Jersey; Elder George Halliday was our president. We arrived in New Orleans in March, being six weeks and three days on the sea; then went up the Mississippi River to St. Louis and stayed for two months. My husband went to work while we were there to help get our living, and also to get things for our journey across the plains; many inducements were held out to us to try to get us to stop there; but we had started for the gathering place of the Saints. We went from St. Louis to Council Bluffs. I shall never forget how the boat grated on the river bed; and we camped at Kanesville till the company was ready to start. The captain's name was Moses Daley. While there a dear sister met with an accident and lost her foot. It was shot off by her husband who had been out hunting and was showing the boys in the camp how he had lost his game. He pulled the wrong trigger and shot his wife in the leg. She was getting herbaby to sleep at the time, but there was not much sleep in camp that night. It was quite a trial for us to leave her; there was an arrangement made as soon as she was able for her to come on. But she went back to St. Louis with her husband, and they came the next year. Her name was Emily Halliday. In June we started our journey across the plains. August 24th I gave birth to a baby boy; we named him Franklin John. We were at that time at what was called the Black Hills; the company stayed over one day for me. We arrived in Salt Lake City, September 29,1853. A few days after we came in, a Brother Thurston came to our wagon and offered us a home for the winter if my husband would work for our board. We lived in with the family till April the following year. We moved into a log cabin that was about fifteen feet square with no floor or window. It was there 1 learned to make salt-rising bread, and also butter. Sister Thurston was very kind to us and so were all her family. In August, 1854, we moved to the settlement or fort as it was called, my husband working days for our living and the Lord blessed us in our labors and we got us a home; it was a log house. We bought it of Brother Lyman Porter and we were thankful to be in our own house. In January, 1855, another son was born to us, James Thomas. The following fall, in October while my husband was hauling wood from the mountain, he had the misfortune to break his leg; he was not able to do any work that winter. We had some wheat on hand and had it ground and we sifted the bran and put one fourth bran and three fourths flour and it made good bread and by so doing we had enough bread to last, but that winter we lost everything and had to make a new start. In September, 1857, a son was bom to us, William Henry, and in the spring of 1858 came the call for the people to leave their homes and move south; we were among the first ten that left Centerville; we left our home not knowing where we were going; we did not have any team or wagon at the time, but Brother Rollins, a man my husband had done a great deal of work for, offered him a yoke of steers and a light wagon, if he would haul some of his things with ours. It was not much we had to haul at that time; we went to Payson and stayed there till the latter part of June when we returned to our home again, and the Lord blest us greatly for the sacrifice that we had made although it looked rather dark at the time and the cloud was hanging low, but there was a silver lining under the cloud. On October 31, 1859, a baby girl was born to gladden our home; her name was Lydia Millira; in April, 1861, we moved to Weber Valley, now Morgan; my husband took up some land and built us another home; we were among the first settlers; there were many hardships to endure, but it all gave us an experience and taught us to be thankful to our Heavenly Father for the blessings we receive. In January, 1862, another little girl was born to us, Louisa Ann, but she did not stay with us long, not quite two years and her spirit took its flight to the better land. 152