So with much anticipation, as I know all of you wait on pins and needles for me to publish these posts every month, I present Elizabeth White Stewart whom I DO admire for her hard work, determination, and endurance.
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| Feb. 22, 1838- May 7, 1917 |
Elizabeth's story begins in England when her mother decided to emigrate to America so they could practice their religion freely after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1854. They sailed on the ship Horizon and met up with her brother who had left earlier in the year in New York City. From there they traveled and soon met up with the famous pioneer handcart companies. On their journey West they witnessed several tragedies including a stampede of buffalo trampling a fellow traveler and leaving behind a newborn that died a month after. They were caught in the unforgiving winter and saw several deaths. Through all of this Elizabeth and her family trudged on uncomplaining. She was a teen at the time and found comfort in traveling with her family. At one point in the journey they were starving and her mother said they would be taken care of by the Lord. Later that night a rescue company found them and had food to feed them all. The rescue company took the elderly and sick and a couple of young women to help nurse on the remaining journey. Elizabeth was one of them. She did not want to leave her family, but she did as was asked of her and journeyed the rest of the way to Salt Lake City without her family. Her family joined her a few weeks later.
Elizabeth married Isaac M. Stewart when she was 19 years old. They had 11 children together; one which died in childhood. She must have been such a wonderful mother because this is a poem her children wrote for her:
February 22, 1914
Can it be, Dearest Mother, so long since our birth?
Seventy-six years since you first came to earth?
In fancy I see the good angels of love
Selecting a spirit to send from above.
They all knew the great work there was here to do,
That is why they looked 'round until they found you;
But they did not send you on roses to tread,
So many sharp thorns were placed in your bed;
And how bravely you've fought through life's rugged way,
With a sweet smiling face and heart hopeful and gay;
With faith and with patience you've trusted in God
Amid trials and hardships, have been true to the rod.
O the joy and the pride, God looks from above
Upon you, Dearest Mother, with His tender love;
He knows how oft at the close of the day
You've gathered your children around you to pray;
Ah, I fancy I see us now at your knee„
Little boys and girls so full of glee;
But those happy days have now passed away,
And you, Dearest Mother, have grown old and gray;
The once rosy cheek and the dark brown hair
Have faded with toil, with sorrow and care;
But you are just as sweet with your silvery hair
As you were when a maiden young and fair;
We love to gaze on your beautiful face,
Which beams with sunshine, love and grace.
O loving Mother, may God grant you peace,
And may your days of joy increase,
May we, your daughters and your sons,
Live the good life that you have done.
You have not sought honor, wealth, nor fame„
A humble, pure life has been your aim;
For your children you've sacrificed everything dear,
And your name, Precious Mother, we'll ever revere.
Yes, your eyes have grown dim and your form bent with care.
May we tenderly smooth each silvery hair,
Strew flowers around, speak kind words of love,
'Til God calls you to dwell in His home up above.
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Elizabeth White Stewart is on the horse and those are mostly her children. My great great grandfather is the boy in the middle next to the woman. |
One of my favorite things about her is that she was a very hard worker. When she "had four small children, [she] milked seven cows night and morning, and the following year [she] made one thousand pounds of butter out of which [she] paid one hundred pounds for tithing. All of the soap, which [she] used for laundry work for forty years, was what [she] made [herself]. [She] washed wool, picked it, spun and dyed it, and wove it into cloth and made clothes by hand for my six children before getting a sewing machine. [She] braided straw and sewed it into hats.
During the early part of [her] married life, sugar was so scarce and high in price that [they] boiled beets and made a syrup from them which served in the place of sugar. [They] also made preserves from carrots cooked in beet syrup. Wild currants were cooked and sweetened in the same way."
It is awesome to see a lineage of hardworking and faithful people. My great great great grandmother was faithful enough to make the trip with her family to America. I am so grateful to her for that. I am grateful she sacrificed so much to come and to her mother, my great great great great grandmother.
