SARAH DAVIS CARTER CI' 52. I was bor,i September 15, 1837, in Stol~es Lacy, Herefordshire, England. My Father, At1iam Da'7'is, was b~rn March 10, 1803, and my mother, ·Elizabeth B~shop, was born December ~ : 1813 , in Shropshire England . My grandparents on my father ' s si<.le were Mark Davis and Hannah Corbett. My father uas a h11mble, God fearing man . He, like many others at that time, were not satisfied with the churches and the principles which they taught. He went with others (some five hundred of them) and started a new religion of their own, calling themselves, "The United Bretheren." Some time later when Wilford Woodruff came to this place as a missionary, preaching the Mormon religion, he converted all of these United Bretheron except one member. I was the fifth child in a family of nine and at the age of 11 years I went to live with my Aunt Bessie and Uncle Thomas Davis, staying there until I was 14. While living with them I did all kinds of housework ; washing, scrubbing, cooking, and nursing children. I was taught the strictest economy in all things and this training was a great blessing to me and proved to be of great value to me throughout my· life. Our drinking water had to be carried a distance of over a mile and this, my aunt did, carrying it on her head . (These worlt habits formed by my mother, Sarah Davis, in her youth brought her a virtue which stayed with her through her entire life. At the age of eighty years she carried herself as straight and graceful as a young girl . (Insert by her daughter, Alice Carter Spackman.) It was while I was living here that I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, by Elder Finch . My parents had been baptized a short time before this . Soon after I was baptized I returned home to live , My father 's wages were small and he had a large family so it was necessary that I go out to service again, that is • at they.called housework in those days . We knew if we emigrated to Utah, which w~s the . eat desire of our hearts, we would have to save !:!very penny we could. My father kept an open house for the Elders. .Many .times my father and mother have given their bed to the Elders, while they have slept on the floor with one quilt; never letting the Elders know . They always made them welcome and ·fed them the very best they had. After two years of saving, we were able to start on our journey to Utah, in the spring of 1853. There was m'other and father , Ted, William, John, Elizabeth, Ruben, Levi and myself . Eliza was married to John Mott and did not come. While crossing the ocean on the ship "Windmere " the small pox broltC out and my two brothers' Ruben and Levi both died at sea from this terrible disease, and were burried at sea . It almost l<illed my . mother to see those two darlines, with weights attached to their feet, slide into those shark infested waters. Landing at. New Orleans those of us who had the smallpox (including my mother, two b-rothers , and myself) were tal<en to the hospital for three weeks, Those who did not have the disease were escorted, by the Elder who was in charge of this cornpany of Saints, to a place where the emigrants were acconunodatedr ·. u ntil they ~·could €',e t started on the ii;- journey west.· · As we all know, those who had smallpox in those days were left with unsightly scars on their faces and bodies. The Elder, who accompanied the.se Saints to the emigrant home , would not be seen with them. lie made them wall< on the opposite side of the street, some distance behind him. He told them to watch him so they would know where to go ; but they were not to speak to him or let, anyone lrnow that they knew him or had any connection with the.m. This provoked my mother and she resented such rude treatment . She made this statement, "He will die in a ditch." This remarl< was literally fulfilled; for even though he filled a mission for the church, he became a drunkard and died in a ditch. a Emigrants :rom other countries knew noth~ng of the hat:ed and persecutions thnt the saints 9ere suffering. It may have been for their own protection that the El~ler woulu not be itlentif ied with them.) (Insert l>y Clara Carter.) · For some time after the quarantine μeriocl was over, we were very 2 . SARAH DAVIS CARTER very weak from our siclrness, but we followed the company of Saints up the Mississippi River . ir eight days and eight nights the steamboat carried that valiant band of people a little s er to their hopes and dreruns . Without bedding of any kind, and scarcely enough clothing cover up our bodies we lay on the rough hard boards of that steamer at night . We had very little t o eat and t he cook seeing mother so weak and frail , woul d oft en bring her some warm soup or gruel, which s he appreciated and enjoyed so very much . She only weighed about one hundred pounds . When we caught up with the Saints we immediatel y made preparations to s t art the journey across t he plains . There was only one wagon for ten of us , and also for food , bedding, and clothing , so you can see there was no room for any one to ride . Mother walked every step of the way . I t was rough and a hard journey and only by the he l p of our Heavenly Father did we every reach the valley . Father wa_s a large powerful man, and when night came he would take mother in his arms , and would hold her close to him which seemed to renew her strenght and courage . They were a happy, loving couple and I never heard on unltind word pass between them. On one occasion, my sister, Elizabeth, another young lady, and myself and some boy friends, started out i nhead of the company; t hinl{ing we could follow the road . Like all young people of our age , we thought we coul d take care of ourselves perfectly, but instead we became lost . After t rave l ing a long t ime we came to a mountain which we climbed with much difficulty. We hoped that when we reached the top we could see the company. Instead, to our dismay, we saw a band of Indians. Not !mowing whether they were friendly or hostile , the young men told us to wait behind some bu~hes while they went down to the camp for water . Our tongues were swollen and we could scarcely speak . Our boy friends returned with some water and also a,n old squaw . We had never tasted anything so good as that wat er. With difficulty we explained that we were lost and could not find our way baclt . With great effort: she made us unders t and that for Elizabeth' s stockings and my pett icoat , she would help us find our way back . This we gladly did and she then showed us the way i:o our camp . We arrived just at a rk and a company was being formed to search for \.'.S . Never again did we venture away from 9r camp al one. The journey was hard, but I never heard my mother or father or any of the saints complain at all . In October, we reached the valley, footsore and very thankful , though weary . That winter we lived in one room in Little Cottonwood Canyon . In the spring of 1854 we moved to Kaysville , Davis County and we worked very hard to build us a home. In the spring of 1857, I married Levi Robert s. One daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, was born to this union . On April 1, 1858, I was granted a divorce . (Through neglect and abuse) After I obtai ned it and before I remarrie d 1lliM'}/ are t he times my ex-husband would come to my home to see me . I vowed long before I got my divor ce that I would never have any more children for him . I n the spring of 1861 I married Sru:1Uel Carter in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City . He went from Kaysville and back, riding on a two wheeled cart ( t wo whee-ls of a wagon) drawn by oxen. Thus we made our \~edding trip. A very different form of transportation compared to that of today. My husband had to ...,alk and guide his oxon most of the way, so was not: much spooning or l qve making during that journey . Ell en (my husband' s fir-s t wife) had a lovely supper pre par ed f or us when we returned from be i ng mar ried and we were al l happy . We lived in Kaysville for t hree years . On December 15, 1863 , a son was born whom we called Willirun Henry. I n the fal l of 1865 we moved to Round Valley, Morgan County, where my husband farmed, t aught school, e tc. When t he ra ilroad was built throuch Morean, Ell en and I cooked for qu i t e a number of the men who. worke d on it. The money we earned at t hat was a gr eat he l p t o us , because prices at t hat time were so h i gh on cveryth inc . Whil e we were s till l iving at Morcan, the crass- ~ oppers came in great hordes eating evcrythine in t he i r path; and l eaving t he fields a . arrcn was t e . They were so thiclc that they woul d h i de the sun from biew when flying . • 3; SARAH DAVIS CARTER \ ··- ······· .. .. .. - ' • That winter was hard for e~eryone • .. Often· ·all we· ·had to eat was boiled wheat or bran read. Four more children were born to us. Ann Eliza, February 20, 1866; George Edward, orn April 1, 1867; Joseph, born January 31, 1869; and Alice was born May 2, 1871. It was in the fall of 1868 that my mother was taken very ill. I nursed her for many weel<s but she grew steadily weaker and passed away in December of that year. Just after she died, I was feeling faint and I went outside for some fresh air. I was leaning against the house for support, trying to overcome the first great sorrow that had·come into my life. I was suddenly conscious of beautiful music; as I listened a few minutes , it seemed to come closer and closer until it seemed to surround me ; then it stopped for a few minutes, and then it began again, sweeter than ever and receeding into the distance. It was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. I could easily discern the different instruments even the drum beats . I returned to the house and found no one there had heard the music . It was about two o'clock in the morning, and as we lived some distance from town, it could not possibly have been earthly music . In the spring of 1873 we moved to Porterville , where we homesteaded land. It was· a struggle with two growing families. Our first homes were made of logs and we had three rooms each. Our houses had floors in them but the roofs were of dirt and sometimes they leaked; but after the storm was over, we would white wash the walls and they would be pretty and white again . I had a home made rug on one floor, but the girls had to scrub the other floor and oh the slivers they got in their hands. Our home though crude was always clean and neat. We made our soap from ashes and grease and how the children hated it. We made candles with tallow tal<en from the sheep, which were killed for our meat . We knit our s tockings and spun our yarn, which was woven into cloth, from which I made my husbands and sons suits. Ellen and I worlted very hard together; helping each other in times of sickness and we were one big happy family . My husband was a very just man, treating both families with the same love and considerat i on . We lived the law of Plural Marriage perfectly. Seven • ore children were born to me . David Davis , born May 10, 1873; Ema, born January 18, 1875 (she only lived for seven months); Levi Alfred, born January 16, J.876 ; Amelia , born June 16 , 1878; Clara, born May 23, 1880; Benjamin, born January 22, 1883; And Frank, born December 24, 1884 (died in infancy.) I now record an incident to show the faith and determination of our forefathers. We had been to a meeting while living in Kaysville and Brother George Q. Cannon had preached a powerful sermon on the word of wisdom . My father, William Davis , had smoked a pipe for forty years . After returning home from meeting, he took his pipe and tobacco and put them both in the stove and he never·again touched tobacco . (The above sketch was written by Alice Carter Smackman, as the events were, rel.ateμ tp-1. her by her mother, Sarah Davis caner . ) - - S-fo D ':)Jd d 0 aff ofq E' And now, I would like to add a few lines to my mother ' s history of rrfy own. I have often wished that I could be as good and faithful as my dear mother was . She worked so hard for her family. ~he had no washing machine or any of the conveniences which we have . Never · once did she fail when father was not at home to have our family prayers or to neglect . to teach us t he gospel in any way. She was . always cheerful and never did I hear her complain over.any hardship. She was always clean· and neat and could wear an apron for days and it would never loolt soiled. She ·was a good manager, always having a piece of fruit calce for an unexpected visitor or a dollar for an emergency. She was stately, erect and straight up to the time of her death. • At the time of her death, which occurred at the home of her daughter Alice Carter Spackman; May 3, 1925 at Morgan County Utah. She had 13 children; 91 grandchildren and 90 great grandchildren. Alice Spackman