TITLE PAGE PIONEER NAME Isaac Conway Morris BIRTH DATE AND PLACE April 26, 1828 Llanfair Tahlsiarny Denkghshire Wales DEATH DATE AND PLACE Nov. 22, 1868, Morgan, Utah FATHER William Morris MOTHER Sarah Davis WHO MARRIED AND DATE Sarah Elizabeth Henderson: Jan. 7, 1865 YEAR ARRIVED IN UTAH Oct.10, 1853 NAME OF COMPANY WHO WROTE HISTORY AND DATE Beth Turner WHO SUBMITTED HISTORY AND DATE Larene M. Preece ADDRESS R F D 100 Morgan Utah 84050 TELEPHONE NO. 829-3868 CAMP NAME Mt. Joy Camp COUNTY NAME Morgan, Utah CAMP HISTORIAN Edna Carter ADDRESS 208 N. 250 E. Morgan Utah 84050 COUNTY HISTORIAN Dena Rich ADDRESS 1266 N. Morgan Valley Dr. Milton, Utah 84050 SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PAGE NUMBERS: I hereby give this history to the National Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers with the understanding that: 1. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers has the right to edit and publish it. 2. If publication is not indicated, it shall become a part of the archives to perfect the record of the Utah pioneers. 3. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers has the right to reproduce this history for the benefit of its members, and descendants of the pioneer. - Larene Preece Signature of author or owner of this history Revised 1986 ISAAC CONWAY MORRIS and SARAH ELIZABETH HENDERSON My Grandfather Isaac Conway Morris was bom Friday April 25 April 1828, at Llanfair,( Ikhlaiam) Denbighshire, North Wales. He was the son of William Morris and Sarah Davies, and had nine brothers and sisters: Edward, Fanny, Margaret, Elizabeth, John, Ann, William, Evan and Robert. Isaac was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ or latter-Day Saints and was baptized July 16, 1849 in Wales. He lived with his parents until his marriage to Elizabeth Williams. Isaac and Elizabeth were married 16 October 1852 in Abergele, Denbighshire, North Wales. Bothe Elizabeth and Isaac were 24 years of age. A few months after their marriage, Isaac and Elizabeth left their parents, brothers and sisters, and home to start to Utah with other converts to the Church. They sailed from Liverpool, England on 5 February 1853 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the ship, "Jersey". There were 314 Latter-Day Saints on the ship under the direction of George Halliday. They arrived at New Orleans 21 March 1853. The ocean voyage had taken 45 days, Isaac and Elizabeth continued their journey by river steamer to Keokuk, Iowa, which was the outfitting post for the Latter-Day Saint emigrants in 1853- They left Iowa for the West on 3 June 1853. They crossed the Missouri River at Council Bluffs on 11 July, and continued on their journey across the plains by ox team. When the Saints stopped for the evening, the wagons were placed in a circle, and gurads were stationed throughout the night to help protect them from the Indians. The Saints endured hot days and cold nights, and rationing of food. They suffered many hardships, but the people helped one another physically and provided moral support to each other. When Isaac and Elizabeth arrived at Sweet Water, Wyoming 13 September 1853, their first child Sarah was born. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah the 10th of October 1853. It had taken months to make the journey from Wales to Salt Lake City where they made their home. Two of Isaac's cousins, Nephi and Elias Morris, had emigrated to Utah in 1852, a year before Isaac arrived. All of them quarried rock and hauled it by ox team to help build the Salt Lake Temple. In 1862 Isaac and Elias built a bake oven at Camp Douglas for John Sharp who had contracted with the military authorities for its construction. He also worked with his cousin Elias on many other jobs (from the history of Elias Morris). When Isaac was working on a building in Salt Lake City, he accidently fell. It was a miracle the he survived. After Isaac and Elizabeth arrived in Salt Lake, seven more children were bom to them, making eight in all Sarah, bom at Sweetwater, Wyoming; Mary, William, Isaac, Elizabeth, Priscilla, John; (stillborn), and Thomas (who died a few hours after birth). Elizabeth, Isaac's first wife, died October 25, 1865, just four after giving birth to Thomas. She was 37 years of age. This was real trial for the family. There were six young children to be cared for, the oldest being twelve. Records indicate that the children came to Richville with their father and stepmother who Isaac had married in polygamy just 9 1/2 months before his first wife died. This marriage of Isaac and Sarah Elizabeth Henderson took place on 7 January 1865, in Salt Lake City in the Endowment House, and was Isaac's second marriage. I don't know how she met Isaac Conway Morris but after their marriage on 7 January 1865, they resided in Salt Lake City for a while. After the death of Isaac's first wife Elezabeth, there were six children to be cared for. The family moved to Richville in 1865, or early 1866. Their life in Richville was typical of the early pioneers. Hunting and fishing were the main sports. Game was plentiful at this early period of time. It was an easy task to get enough fish for breakfast before the sun came up, or shoot enough chickens for dinner, or kill a deer. There were also wild animals such as bears, mountain lions, lyons, and bobcats. Dancing was the social amusement. The dance would begin at sunset and last until midnight. Supper was then served. Candles were used for light, and the fireplace heated the building. Playing checkers was also popular in the wintertime. The people were frightened at the first kerosene lamp, so much so that the story is told of one fellow getting a long dry willow, opening the door a little bit, and lighting the lamp with a stick through the crack. The Indians were peaceful with the white settlers and did not bother them much, but did at times ask for food. President Brigham Young told the Saints it was better to feed the Indians than fight them. The only means of transportation before the railroad was a buggy or wagon, and bob sleigh in the winter. Not much traveling took place in the winter. Isaac Morris was a very good rock mason and did some rock laying in Salt Lake when he lived there. In the early Spring of 1868 the railroad hired him to build a rock abutment for the railroad bridge at devils Gate, Weber County. Two children were born in Richville to Isaac and Sarah Elizabeth: Eliza, and Lucinda who is my grandmother. Sarah was expecting her third child when heart-breaking tragedy struck this family. Isaac became ill and died 22 November 1868, of stomach cancer. He died just three years after the death of his first wife Elizabeth. He was only 40 years of age and had been married to Sarah not quite four years. He was buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery. Sarah Elizabeth had a real struggle now to feed and clothe her children. A son, Conway, was born six months after the death of his father. He was my dad. Sarah was an excellent seamstress and would weave cloth and make men's suits. In this way she was able to make a living. The children thought their mother was doing all right financially, and did not want her to marry again. Larene M. Preece