Rebecca Ann Sanders

Rebecca Ann Sanders

Rebecca Ann Sanders Sanderson

Daughter of Moses Martin Sanders and Amanda Armstrong Fausett

Rebecca Ann Sanders was born March 5 1832 in Montgomery County Illinois, the fourth child and eldest daughter of Moses Martin Sanders and Amanda Armstrong Fausett. Rebecca Ann was just under three years old when her parents were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1835. Shortly after their baptism, the family moved to Far West, Clay County, Missouri to be with the body of saints. The Sanders Family with the rest of the saints were driven from their homes and property and found temporary haven at Quincy, Adams County, Illinois where their son, Sidney Rigdon was born December 25, 1836.

On May 10, 1839 the Prophet Joseph Smith and a group of saints settled at Commerce, a tiny town located fifty miles up the river from Quincy. They renamed the area “Nauvoo—The Beautiful.” The Sanders Family moved to Nauvoo with other church members. Another daughter was born January 23, 1841 in Nauvoo and was given the name of Emma. Rebecca was saddened by the death of her six year old brother Sidney Rigdon on August 15, 1945 just two months before another son Hyrum Smith was welcomed into the family October 10, 1845.

Because of mob violence, the father was appointed December 29, 1843 by Joseph Smith to be one of the 40 policemen to guard the city day and night against the enemy. While in Nauvoo, the Sanders Family lived as neighbors to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and cherished the memory of their association with the Smith family, whether in church activities or sporting events. Rebecca was old enough to remember the incidents in Nauvoo, including the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. A grandson writes, “I have often sat and listened to grandmother tell of their hardships at the news of the martyrdom A Great pall fell over the people. Her mother took the children out into a large corn field and huddled them about her expecting any moment the mob would be following to do other horrible degradations. They stayed here during the night and part of the day. When the two older boys ventured out to learn what they could; when they returned they went back to the home, such an awful gloom and the Saints so depressed and went about as lost as a brood of chicks without the mother.

She remembered carrying the lunch bucket at noon time to her father while they were building the Nauvoo Temple.

The Sanders family remained in Nauvoo a short time after the main body of the church left for Winter Quarters. Moses Martin Sanders was an officiator at the Nauvoo Temple according to the Journal of History of the Church. Rebecca was twelve when the family traveled to Winter Quarters Nebraska. Rebecca’s eleven month old brother, Hyrum Smith was buried at Winter Quarters September 27, 1846. Rebecca’s father took a second wife, Mary Jane Sparks Sanderson March 21, 1847. Mary Jane, as a widow had little support for herself and her three children, Henry Weeks, Marie Louisa and Mary Jane. The two families and lived neighbors to each other in Nauvoo and Richard Twiggs Sanders and Henry Weeks Sanderson were close friends. Eliza Jane Sanders (aged three years) died April 4 1847 in Winter Quarters. Some of the Saints, the Sanders Family included, moved to the East bank of the river into Pottawatomie County, Iowa.

In the summer of 1846, Richard Twiggs and Henry Weeks joined the Mormon Battalion. Henry was mustered out at Santa Fe, New Mexico after contracting Malaria. He joined a group of saints in Laramie, Wyoming and found Brigham Young’s group had already passed this point so he hurried to catch up with them, arriving in the Valley five days after the first pioneers had arrived. Henry helped plant potatoes before he decided to return to Winter Quarters. Upon arrival there, Henry delivered the team he had been driving which belonged to the Kimball Family. He found his folks lived up the river about eight or nine miles at Brigham’s Farm.

Henry visited with his family and found employment with John D. Lee for the winter and in the spring found employment operating a ferry boats on the river for the summer. At the end of the summer of 1848, Henry returned home and turned most of his wages over to his mother. He then helped his step-father in the saw pit in absence of his partner. This was a sawmill run by hand, preparing lumber for construction.

The winter passed and Henry again returned to operate the ferry and his step-brother John Sanders accompanied him. It was at this time that Henry’s sister Mary Jane took sick and died. Early in the spring, it was decided that Moses Martin Sanders, his son Davie, second wife Mary Jane and her daughter Marie would depart for the Great Salt Lake Valley. With the help of a team belonging to his stepson, Henry Sanderson, they were on their way, leaving behind the first wife Amanda Fausett Sanders and five children- John Franklin, Rebecca Ann (now 17), Martha Brown, Joseph Moroni and Emma. They heard no more of the departing family members until the next spring as they neared the Salt Lake Valley.

Henry Weeks Sanderson again spent the summer working on the ferry before returning home to Pigeon Grove, which was located twelve miles from Kanesville. He wrote the following in his autobiography; “This winter (1849-50), I had kept company with Rebecca Ann Sanders. We were living at Pigeon Grove 12 miles from Kanesville. There had never been a wedding in our little town and there was threatening by the young men about what would happen to the first couple that married and I had said that I could marry unbeknownst to them. They declared I could not. Brother Jared Porter was our Presiding Officer. On the morning of the Brother Jared Porter was our Presiding officer. On the morning of the 7th of March, I went to him and asked him to take a trip with me to Kanesville , as I wished to obtain license to marry and desired him to obtain license to performing the ceremony. He was perfectly willing and we started out on foot, went before the County Clerk and he obtained his license without difficulty but the Clerk hesitated about giving me license as I was not of age and the law made it necessary in that case to bring written permission from my parents. During our conversation I told him that I had made up my mind to marry and if I could not obtain license all I had to do would cross the Missouri River and have the ceremony performed and he would miss his fee. I finally told him that the woman I was to marry was a few days over 18 and I was a few days short of 21, could he not add the few days that she was over age to my count and call me 21? The idea pleased him and he said that if I would agree to say nothing about it he would grant me license. (Pg 121) Brother Porter and I got our dinners and returned home. No suspicion had been aroused. Brother Sanders had prepared supper. Brother Porter’s two wives had been invited and had promised secrecy and at 8 of 9 o’clock we stood up in our every day clothes and were married. When we sat down for supper and while eating some of the young men came in and sat up to the table and ate with us but probably on account of our having only our common clothes on did not suspicion that it was a wedding party and supper.

One week after their marriage, Henry went into Missouri and bought a yoke of oxen for $50.00, returned home and bought four or five head of cows and went to work preparing to immigrate to the Valley. Father Sanders had left an old wagon and he purchased another and the family fixed them up, and was ready to start with the others. When the group organized, Warren Foot was Captain of one hundred and O.L. Terry of fifty and Jared Porter was Captain of ten that they traveled with. John Sanders drove our outfit and Henry Sanderson the other, and although there were many deaths from cholera, the Sanders Family made a successful trip to the Valley arriving September 21, 1850. I include here an some of an except from Henry's records about the trek, which would have been Rebecca's experiences too:

Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Source of Trail Excerpt:

Sanderson, Henry Weeks, Autobiography 1884-1889, 75-80.

Read Trail Excerpt:

The Cholera was bad & a portion of the Journey was performed in Sorrow & much mourning[.] the first death with that decease was in our hundred was in the other fifty from the one I was in but as we camped within a mile or two of each other I visited the camp & was there at the burial & was censured by Some for thus exposing myself[.] Sickness Soon assailed our camp[.] persons would take suddenly Sick & in a few days hours be dead[.] but think sickness had abated by the time we reached Laramie[.] the disease Seemed to be in the air & their were some nights that I would go to bed Sick & could hardly avoid vomiting & as that was the way Cholera commenced I would exercise all the will power I could Command[.] say nothing to my wife for fear of frightening her[.] had a tea Kettle filled with tar at our heads[.] would fumigate with that to counteract the stench in the air & when my wife got to Sleep would get up and walk around with the guard until my Sickness would pass of[f.] do not know how many <we lost> out of our company but remember that there was nine died out of one family leaving but the father & one daughter[.] their was little enjoyment during the time that the disease lasted[.] I Still think that it was my exertion of will that prevented me from having it[.]

Upon arrival, they went to West Jordan where Rebecca’s father and brother, David and Henry’s mother and sister Marie were located. They built a dugout one half mile from their parents. Henry helped his father in law and his sons fence off a large field and although Moses Martin Sanders considered him part of the family, Henry insisted he could take care of himself and wife on his own. Moses Martin finally let him have the piece of land they had fenced off for his use. Henry and Rebecca spend a difficult winter being two weeks at a time without bread- the only food being potatoes.

The following spring Henry contracted to farm on shares with Joseph Hammon on Cottonwood. He also did some shoe making to support his family. During winter of 1851, he got logs out of Bingham Canyon and built a very good one room house. He even hired a mason to build an adobe chimney. Their first son, James, was born May 6, 1851.

Some Indian trouble occurred in 1852 and it was necessary for Henry to stand guard at the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon leaving Rebecca to care for the baby for several days at a time. Their second child, Mary Jane, was also born in West Jordan, January 10 1853. The Indian trouble continued so Brigham Young counseled them to move together and build fort walls. Henry tore down their house and moved it up to Union Fort October 21, 1854. Their third child, Amanda was born October 21, 1854.

Moses and Amanda’s twelfth child, Moses martin was born February 21, 1853 in West Jordan three years after Rebecca’s marriage and she had two children older than her youngest brother. The Fort Supply Company was organized November 1, 1853 in the Council House in Salt Lake City and left November 2, 1853 for Wyoming. Moses Martin Sanders was one of those called to make a settlement on the Great River. The company arrived at Fort Supply, Saturday November 12, 1853.

Mary Jane, Henry’s mother missed her son and took steps to have him called to help settle Fort Supply. Accordingly, Henry and Rebecca and family arrived there in the spring of 1854. There they found a small stockade composed of pickets set in the ground twelve feet high. Pg 122 (log houses build compact on the inside two or three rods from the pickets, all facing inward). They were given a house near the southwest corner on the West line. They had three children and added another room on the back of the house. They put in a small crop that Summer. Snow storms came before the crops were harvested. The wheat was frost-bitten but Rebecca was compelled to make bread of it. It was better in mush than in bread as it could not be cooked in any manner but what it would be sticky. Rebecca Ann was occupied in preparing the meat for use and in making clothing for her family.

Another child, Julia, was born September 26, 1856 at Fort Supply. On July 16, 1857 Henry and Rebecca received their endowments and were sealed by Heber C. Kimball (see picture to rt) in the Endowment House. Many of those at Fort Supply would return to the Salt Lake Valley for the winter and return the following spring. This was the case with the Moses Martin Sanders Family- and Henry and Rebecca would look after their stock while they were gone.

In the fall of 1857, Rebecca and the children had gone into the Salt Lake Valley to visit and Henry was to go in later to bring them back. It was about this time there was problems with the U.S. Army and the Fort Supply settlers were ordered to return to Salt Lake and Henry was compelled to do some scouting for the Fort and this gave him very little time to get their things together but he was ready when the group started for Salt Lake Valley.

Henry spent the fall and winter months in the Army and injured his leg in a ball game and was allowed to return to Union Fort, where he found his family occupying a single room. On January 15, 1858, a fourth daughter was born to Rebecca and she was named Rebecca Ann- same as he mother. She was born at Union Fort.

By early summer, a truce had been worked out with the U.S. Army but not entirely trusting the troops, the Saints were sent south and Henry moved his family to Fillmore and moved them into one room of George Catlin’s house, his brother in law. A son, Henry Weeks, named for his father was born April 1959 in Fillmore. Henry decided to go to a new settlement just north of Mount Pleasant in Sanpete County. By fall of 1959, Henry and Rebecca were in North Bend, Sanpete County and Henry is listed on a monument erected in 1909 as being present at the surveying of that place and helping build a fort. The name of the Community was changed to Fairview about 1861. Shortly after their arrival in North Weeks, December 26, 1960, William Henry, Rebecca’s seventh child was born January 11, 1861 in Fairview, followed by Martha Melissa, October 7 1962 and Maria Louisa August 10, 1964. In February 1861, Henry took a plural wife, Sarah Jane Cole. This placed added responsibility on Rebecca for the rearing of a large family. Rebecca and all the women were kept busy clipping wool from the sheep, washing it and then members of the family or chance visitors were put to work ‘picking’ the wool. Wool was then carded for spinning or for batts for quilts. Rebecca would knit everywhere she went- church gatherings, socials, plays, and even while walking to and from the store and church. Cotton was used in making clothing for the family. To obtain cotton, Brigham Young established the Cotton Mission in Washington County. Rebecca was listed among the early weavers of Fairview. Her married daughters would return to the family home with their own babies so their mother could assist them in making quilts, rugs, and clothing for their family.

On April 10, 1865, three men were killed by the Indians and a posse, composed of men from the community, was organized to pursue them. Included in the group were Phillip Hurst, Henry and Rebecca’s son-in-law, and John F. Sanders. The killing of an entire family and several other persons by Indians, caused residents of Fairview to move to Mount Pleasant for protection for a season. The men would travel to Fairview to work in the fields during the daytime and return to the safety of the fort at Mount Pleasant for the night. It was during this time the John Martin, the 10th child of Rebecca and Henry’s was born July 5th 1866. The remainder of Rebecca’s fifteen children was born in Fairview- Ada Adelia, March 23, 1869; Emily Etta, May 20, 1870; Lucinda, August 19, 1872; Joseph Alma, July 23, 1875; and David Sparks, July 1, 1878.

Grandson, William Rigby writes, “My return from a Mission in 1905, about my first place to visit was across town to see my aged Grandmother and what an open arm welcome . I will never forget. She was up and about the house until only a few days before death. Her daughters, sons, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law and their children were all very considerate and attentive and vied with each other to care for her.”

Rebecca Ann died October 6, 1907. Her obituary appeared in the Deseret Evening News, October 11 1907, page 3. It reads as follows: “Fairview: On October 6, Rebecca Ann Sanderson passed away. She was the Widow of Henry W. Sanderson who preceded her several years ago. She was the daughter of Moses and Amanda Sanders, born in Montgomery County, Illinois, March 5, 1832 and came to Utah in 1850. She lived in Salt Lake for some time when she married H.W. Sanderson, a Mormon Battalion Member. Sanderson was the mother of 15 children of whom six have preceded her (in death) and three sons and six daughters survive her, most of them living here. Mrs. Sanderson was an exemplary woman and much esteemed for her lovely disposition.”

Rebecca was preceded in death by a son, Henry Weeks, in 1860 at 16 months of age; Emily Etta in 1882 at 12 years of age; Joseph Alma in 1890 at 15 years of age; Martha Melissa in 1895 at 33 years of age; Marie Louisa in 1898 at 34 years of age and James in may 1907 at 56 years of age.

The eldest son James married Martha Ann Rees and had two children. She died in 1882 and he then married her sister Margaret Rees and they had 10 children.

Mary Jane (our grandmother) married Elias Willis Howell and became parents at 13 children. She died December 22, 1923 at Fairview.

(Picture: First row: Mary Jane, Mother Rebecca Ann, Julia, Lucinda

Back row: Amanda, Rebecca Ann, Adelia Ada, Maria Louisa, Martha.)

Amanda married James Naylor Jones and they had seven children before he died in 1904. She later married John William Pritchett January 6, 1943. Amanda passed away November 13, 1956. She was 102 years old and Julia married Charles Rigby.

Amanda and James picture to left.

Rebecca Ann married Phillip Hurst and they became parents of 10 children. She died May 22, 1935 and is buried in Blanding, Utah.

Martha Melissa married Easton Clement and bore him six children before she died in 1865 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery.

Maria Louisa married Oliver Clement and they produced eight children before she died in 1898 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery. P.124

John Martin married Diantha Marie Nielsen and they became parents of 13 children. He died November 6, 1946 and was buried in Fairview Cemetery.

Ada Adelia married James Anderson Jr. and they became parent s of 11 children. She died July 10, 1951 at Fairview.

Lucinda married John “A” Anderson and they had 12 children. She was the last of the children to survive. She passed away March 9, 1961 at Rock Springs, Wyoming.

David Sparks, the youngest of the family, was married to Emma Sophia Whitehead and they had two children before they separated. He then married Dora Day Rawlinson and she bore him two children. He died September 2 1951 at Los Angeles, California. Information taken from the Life Story of Rebecca Ann Sanders Sanderson compiled by Elden G. Hurst (Great Grandson)