TOONE, SARAH AUGUSTA SQUIRES 1856 Morgan, Utah January 23, 1937 Sarah Augusta Squires Toone, born at Welling England, March 8,1848.Her parents Henry A. Squires and Sarah Catline Squires joined the Church of Jesus Christ., When I was seven years old I lived in a place called Brainty, England, Europe. I went to school with a neighbor girl who was older than I. We had to wak 2 miles. They had a boys and a firls school. I learned to read, wirite and sew. From here mv parents immigrated to America. There were five small children,girls. I being .the oldest, was just eight years old. We went on a sailing vessel called MARYA. We went on this ship in the month of March and was on this ship for six weeks. Then we landed at Boston. From there we took freight cars, and traveled till we came to Council Bluff. We stayed here six weeks, while the people made hand carts, before starting on our journey. I had ague, chills and fever all the way through the states. When the weather came cold I got better. We gathered hazel nuts, sang, and as I grew stronger I pushed the handcart. Clara and Agnes rode in the handcart and I pushed and father pulled. One day we were going up a very steep hill, it was so muddy that my shoes came off. Father said never mind your shoes, but don't let go or the cart will roll down the mountain. My little help did more good. We came with the Edward Martin Hand Cart Co. and this company has gone down in church history, because of the disastrous outcome. A few of the incidents are described as follows: The immigrants that composed this company were from Europe, England, Scotch and Scandinavians. They left Iowa City the latter part of July. There was time for them to have reached Utah in safety or with little suffering, but for the 3 early advent of unusually severe winter. Historians tells us that the full tale of the sufferings of these immigrants has never been uttered by tongue or pen. The men and women pulled loaded hand carts, sometimes the small children would ride in the carts, while the older children pusned. They traveled at first joyously, but soon the winds of an early fall began to blow and their joys were turned to fears. They traveled in misery and sorrow day after day. At times they made good progress, but at other times only a few miles between sunrise and sun down. So thinly clad, poorly fed, they were ill prepared for the hardships when provisions became low and they were put upon rations, which gradually grew less as the immigrants grew hungerier and weaker. Sometimes their supply of bacon had to be used to lubricate the wheels of their carts. And death often occured until their path could be traced by a trail of new made graves. One day it began to snow and the shrill winds blew furiously about the worn and weary trouble worn, who were faint with hunger and numb with cold. Meantime on account of the severe cold which came early in October, relief parties were organized in Salt Lake and sent out to meet these immigrants, taking with them wagon loads of clothing, bedding and provisions. Scores of brave men risked their own lives, went forth to rescue this unfortunate company. This relief party found the Martin Company late in October, in a ravine between the Piatt and the Sweet water. These immigrants had about given up hope, and settled down to die.. Scores of deaths had already occured and the ravine became a cemetary before survivors left. Some of the men had become so weak they could hardly drive a tent peg. After scraping away the snow with a tin plate and frying pans, the snow lay from one foot to 18 inches deep, when the relief party found them thus the scene of joy and thanksgiving could scarcely be described; and angels from heaven oould not have been more welcome. The forgoing 4 history are some of the things witnessed by this little girl eight years old. Her father had two carts which were fastened together and pulled and Sarah Augusta pushed hundreds of miles across the plains. Her mother had not been able to help with the carts as she was not very well. After being rescued by the relief party they continued their journey, while camped at Echo canyon one night, after scraping away 2 feet of snow to make a place to pitch the tent, her mother gave birth to a baby girl, and they named her Echo in memory of her birthplace. One of the relief corps contributed a part of his underlinen to clothe the little stranger. That same night seven of the immigrants died and were buried in one grave, in three days they arrived in Salt Lake, November 27, 1856. We stayed in Salt Lake. We went to my uncle John Squires fathers youngest brother and stayed there until mother was stronger to be moved. Then Uncle Thomas Squires, fathers oldest brother came and took us to his place at Kaysville. He was a school teacher. He taught school all that summer to help us children. I went to his school for a little while I was the oldest of 12 children. My mother had five children when she started on the plains. We lived in Kaysville for two years. Then we moved to the city, father moved in the 20th ward. They ordained my father a teacher, and then an elder. He went teaching with brother Allen. I lived in the 20th ward for seven years. Then I married and when I was 17 years old to Charles J. Toone, in the endowment house. My husband was called to Dixie, St. George. But he took sick and had to stay in St. George all that winter. He was a very sick man. Then in the spring we came back in May, as his health was bad, Then we moved out on a farm at Croydon. At this time I had a little boy. I had all of my family there, 11 children and we lived there for 31 years. I raised my family to men and somen. While at Croydon I was the first president of the YLMIA in our ward, organized by Eliza R. Snow, in 1879. Which office I held for 13 years. 5 I was counselor in the ward Relief Society for four years, also a Counselor in the ward primary for many years. She had many severe illness' in her life time but through the Holy Priesthood her life was spared and she went on in her service of loving and giving. Her beautiful songs and kind gentle ways won for her many devoted friends. September 5, 1932 when she was 84, years old she attended a Toone family reunion at the old home town Croydon, Morgan County. And took part on the program by reciting a poem, one of her own compositions. The poem was The End of the Way. Mothers brothers and sisters names: Sarah Augusta Toone Mary Emily Kenny Catherine Harriott Horseley Clara Annie Rosetta Agness Huntington Echo Lovinia DeLee Celestia Angelica Free Grace Alice Edwards Ida Philla Smith Henryetta Ellen Caterer Thomas Henry Squires Florence Adeliade Griffin