Christina Gets Kidnapped by the Indians

Here is a great story that Grandmother Robison has related dozens of times about her great grandmother who was kidnapped by Indians when she was three years old. It makes a great story to share in Primary or in a family home evening lesson.

Background. Christina's mother Eliza Adelaide Dolbel and her grandmother Susanne Esnouf Dolbel joined the Church in 1854 after meeting two Mormon missionaries on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands (just off the coast of France). They immigrated to the United States with the Perpetual Immigration Fund. Susanne's husband Philippe and son Jean were to join the women a year later, but never did. So at the age of 52, considered elderly in those days, Susanne and her daughter landed in New Orleans and were assigned to a handcart company to embark upon a 1,000 mile trek to Salt Lake City. (Eliza is reknown for having brought the first guitar to Utah and was the center of attention at many a campfire during the long excursion to the West.) She and were mother were assigned to travel with Christopher Lister RIding and his large, growing family. Eliza was very helpful in caring for the children as Sister Riding was expecting a baby. Upon arrival in Salt Lake, she became the second wife of Brother Riding. Although she was 18 years younger than his first wife, she did have the first wife's approval.

The lesson: This story centers around Christina, the oldest child of Eliza and C. L. Riding. When Christina was three years old, her mother, Eliza had another baby. One day when the baby was very young and Eliza needed a nap, she asked Christina to stay by a tree with a swing outside the house and not go anywhere while Eliza slept. She told her she would call for her when she woke up. At the end of her nap, she called for Christina but there was no answer. She hurried outside and you can imagine the sick feeling she had in her stomach when she saw hoof prints around the swing set, Christina's doll leaning neatly against the tree, and no sign of Christina. Christina would never go anywhere without her doll. Eliza quickly rang the bell used for calling her family to dinner or for sounding the alarm for emergencies. C.L. Riding and his two sons (from his other wife) came running in from the field and upon discovery of what had happened realized instantly that the Indians had kidnapped Christina. Luckily they knew where the Indians' camp had been spotted, so they jumped on their horses and raced for the camp. Just as the sun was setting they pulled into the camp and saw Christina sitting on a horse with one of the Indians. She held out her arms and said "Daddy, I knew you would come." She jumped into her father's arms and was carried safely home. When her father asked her how she knew he would come, she replied that she had been praying all afternoon that he would come." Had he arrived minutes later, the little girl would have been hidden in one of the tents and never heard of again by her family.

What a testimony this is to the faith of a little girl who believed without wavering in the power of prayer. Her great granddaughter was Grandmother Robison, who was often told this story by her own grandmother, Addie Asay Houston, who was Christina's daughter. This story was related to me on August 2, 2009 in Orem, Utah by Grandmother Robison

Our Ancestor Wrote Come All Ye Sons of God

Thomas Davenport - Life Story

Note: Reid A Robison's great-great-great-great grandfather wrote the words to the Hymn: "Come All Ye Sons of God." Thomas Davenport was his grandfather Adams' father's grandfather on his mother's side of the family.

Thomas Davenport was born April 1, 1815, in the parish of Brampton, Derby, England. He was the fifth child born to Robert Davenport and Ann Jarvis.

Thomas married Sarah Burrows on August 28, 1836 at Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. Sarah was the fourth child of John Burrows and Charlotte Barber and was born on July 24, 1811.

Thomas and Sarah were both converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thomas was baptized April 21, 1847 and Sarah was baptized a few weeks later on June 8, 1847. Shortly after Thomas was baptized he was ordained a teacher and later in the same year, he was ordained a priest (September 26, 1847). On April 27, 1848, he was ordained an elder and appointed to preside over the branch of the church in England. One morning during this time, Thomas was on his way to a priesthood meeting and was inspired to write the words of “Come All Ye Sons of God” which is now found in the LDS hymn book.


Come All Ye Sons of God

Come all ye sons of God, who have received the priesthood.
Go spread the gospel wide, and gather in his people;
The latter day work has begun, to gather scattered Israel in,
And bring them back to Zion to praise the Lamb.

Come all ye scattered sheep, and listen to your Shepherd,
While you the blessing reap, which long have been predicted;
By prophets long it’s been foretold, He’ll gather you into his fold;
And bring you home to Zion to praise the Lamb.

Repent and be baptized, and have your sins remitted,
And get the Spirit’s zeal; O then you’ll be united;
Go cast upon him all your car; He will regard your humble prayer,
And bring you home to Zion to praise the Lamb.

And when your grief is o’er and ended your affliction,
Your spirits then will soar to await the resurrection;
And then his presence you’ll enjoy, in heavenly bliss your time Employ,
A thousand years in Zion to praise the Lamb.

Even though the melody is written by another composer, his son William wrote that the song as written in the hymn book is Thomas’ arrangement. The hymn, “Come All Ye Sons of God,” is a hymn of three fold import: first an appeal to the sons of God to spread the gospel; second, an appeal to the scattered sheep to listen to the voice of the shepherd; and their a promise that all who are faithful shall enjoy heavenly bliss.

Certainly the words of this song express the ferver and zeal that Thomas felt in his heart as he went about his missionary labors. In Thomas’ obituary, it says he was set apart to labor as a traveling Elder to preach the Gospel, November 16, 1847, and he continued to so act until the month of November 1859. He worked six days each week at his trade of potter and traveled and preached on Sunday. During that time, he taught the gospel in quite a number of places in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and founded several branches of the Church, notably one at Bolsover, Derbyshire, over which he presided. He was instrumental in bringing about fifty people into the Church at that place. In performing his mission, Thomas estimated that he traveled on foot eight hundred and forty-nine miles.

Thomas began a journal when he landed in New Orleans after coming to America, so he really did not leave any record of his activities in England except for Church records of baptisms, ordinances, etc. In searching through the branch minute records in the Historical Society, there are some indications of Thomas’ activity there.

The decision to come to America and eventually join the Saints in Utah must have occurred sometime in the fore part of 1849. Thomas presumably sailed from Liverpool, November 10, 1849, and arrive in New Orleans December 24, 1849. The latter date is recorded in Thomas’ journal and corresponds with the arrival date of the 45th Company’s migration on the “Zetland.”

Thomas evidently began keeping a journal following his arrival in New Orleans. In his own hand, we have a record of his trip up the Mississippi to St. Louis, Missouri and subsequently to Pottawottamy County, Iowa.

While residing in Key Creek during the winter of 1851, Thomas and the other Saints were admonished to leave Pottawatomie, Iowa, and emigrate to the Salt Lake Valley. During January 1852, in company with three brethren, (McGuire, Briggs, and Karsons)
Thomas secured timber to construct a wagon. A Brother Elisha Davis loaned him use of a bull to complete his team.

On June 20, 1852, the family left Key Creek for Big Pigeon to join up with the 16th company of Saints led by Captain Uriah Curtis. As recorded in the church emigration records of 1852, Uriah Curtis was in charge of a company of Saints numbering about 365, which had been organized by Elder Jedediah M. Grant and Ezra Taft Benson on June 24, 1852. The company left crossing the Missouri River a few days later. Thomas’ journal records the crossing date as being July 1.

In the Journal of History, December 31, 1852, the following is recorded: “The emigraion of Latter-day Saints across the plains in 1852 was larger than in any preceding years, owing to the fact that the Saints, who had made themselves temporary homes in Pottawatomie County, Iowa had been counseled by President Brigham Young to migrate to the valleys of the mountains. As the majority of the Saints complied with the counsel given all the branches in Pottawatomie County (between thirty and fifty in number) were discontinued and the membership of these branches constituted an important part of the emigration of that year. The emigration from Great Britain was also a large one that season and a number of Saints who had spend a year or more in St. Louis, Missouri, crossed the plains in 1852 making their way to the Valley.

Some of the Saints who for various reasons could not get ready for crossing the plains in 1852, went to the Valley the following year or years, but a few who refused to comply with the counsel of the authorities of the Church made themselves permanent homes in the Pottawattomie County and some of these subsequently became identified with apostate organizations or sidetracked “Mormonism” altogether.

Thomas’ journal entries of the trip across the plains were scant. He mentions losing, through death, the bull loaned by Brother Davis, and trading off some of his possessions at Fort Laramie. A family account written years later said the two milk cows had to be used to pull the heavily loaded wagon. Notwithstanding some trials, Thomas took the trek in good stride. His succinct comment was “had a pleasant trip over the plains.”

He was 37 years old, his wife was 41 and their children were: William, 15; John, 8; Sarah Ann, 6; and James 1. Their belongings consisted of 1 wagon, 4 oxen, and 2 cows. The historical records also show that this was the emigration of 1852, Sixteenth Company, organized by Ezra T. Benson and Jedidiah Grant. It was led by Uriah Curtis, Captain of Fifty and arrived on October 8, 1852.

Thomas and members of the 16th Company were undoubtedly welcomed, as seem to have been the custom, by Saints in the Valley, with music, song, and voice. Records do not show exactly how long he and the family stayed in Salt Lake, but it must have been a very short time because he was counseled to go to Iron County and start a pottery. However, their arrival in Salt Lake was about the time of General Conference. At this particular conference, much was said encouraging the Saints to voluntarily go to Iron County.

It must have taken much faith and dedication for Thomas and his family, after traveling some 1,500 miles across the plains, to continue on another 250 miles from Salt Lake to Parowan. They responded to the call and arrived on November 4, 1852.

The first home occupied by the Davenports following their arrival in Parowan was a house owned by Brother Moss. The family resided their only sixteen days, for on the 19th of November they moved into an adobe house acquired in trade from a Brother Glispy for the tree steers and wagon Thomas had brought across the plains. Later he traded for a log cabin and ten shares of land. The lad he farmed while getting established in his pottery business.

It was in November 1853, when Thomas burned his first kiln of pottery. Brother Brigham had said: “Draw from the native elements the necessities of Life.” This is exactly what Thomas Davenport did. He found a splendid source of clay two miles up Parowan Canyon, built a kiln and hauled his clay in a wheelbarrow to town.

Thomas’ first kiln of pottery was nearly all broken. This must have been very discouraging after all his work of making the jars and pans by hand. In the spring of 1856, Thomas created another kiln of pottery only to find it again nearly all broken. In the spring of 1857, however, Thomas burned yet another kiln which was more successful, as one third of it was good. By 1858, Thomas had learned to burn his pottery with complete success.

Thomas’ pottery came to be called Davenportware. Each piece could be identified as his thumbprint was placed in the workable clay before it was fired. Thomas also did farming along with his pottery business. This was undoubtedly necessary for him to sustain his family. He mentions farming upon his arrival in Parowan. On April 6th, 1857, Thomas moved into a house belonging to E. W. Thompson, where he lived for one year. Here he mentions doing farming along with working at the pottery.

The following story had been handed down in the family about a year when there was a serious drought and only a little food was to be found. Thomas had just enough wheat for his family.

The Threshing Story

It was threshing time and Thomas Davenport was all ready to thresh his wheat. The threshing machine was all ready to start when a band of Indians rode up on their cayuse ponies, each one demanding a sack of grain. Thomas Davenport looked at his little stack of grain and then at all the Indians with their sacks and shook his head. There wouldn’t be enough for his family and them too, as the crops had been very light that season. The grasshoppers had nearly cleaned the fields in Parowan Valley. So he rounded up a bunch of vigilantes in full view of the red men. There was Bob Quarm with his iron peg leg and wooden stump for a foot. He used to strap this around his knee. Then there was Robert Miller with his curly red wig and George A. Smith with his false teeth. At a given signal, Bob Quarm gave a war whoop and unbuckled his peg leg and threw it in the air. Rober Miller, not to be outdone, gave another war whoop and threw his wig in the air, exposing his starry dome. The Indians stood wide-eyed, but when George A. Smith gave a howl and let his false teeth fall, they took to their horses and fled. (Page 91 of Dalton’s Book)

Mabel Jarvis, a descendent of George A. Smith describes the incident in the following poem:

Scare the Indians

In Parowan town, when the Pioneers
Were having great hardships, their sighs and tears,
Were often dispelled by some small event;
That happened just as folks came and went,
And one that made folks laugh, sure enough,
Is this one I am going to tell you of.
It was harvest time, and the Davenports
Were filled with joy, and their happy hearts
Beat high, as they viewed their stack of wheat,
This winter they’d surely have bread to eat.
The threshers were coming the very next day,
So they could put their grain away.
When lo! There came galloping down the street,
Twenty Indians, with sacks and demanding wheat.
We can’t spare any the Davenports said.
If we do, there’ll be none left for our own bread.
So Thomas Davenport went to town,
To see George A. Smith and bring help down.
Brother Smith, Robert Miller and Bob Quarm
Said, “Leave it to us, and there’ll be no harm.”
They went to the stack where the Indians were
And in just a few minutes they made a store.
Robert Miller’s wig was a flaming red,
And George A. Smith had false teeth in his head,
And Robert Quarm had a peg leg too,
Buckled on at the knee, so what did they do?
They bowed their heads almost to the ground,
Then up on the grain stack went Miller’s wig,
And Goerge A. Smith’s teeth; then riggidy jig,
Off came Quarm’s peg leg, and onto the stack;
Where it joined wig and teeth, Alas, and Alack!
The Indians were frightened, and people say
They mounted their horses and rode away.
And Davenports kept their stack of wheat,
And all that winter had bread to eat.

The preceding shows of Thomas’ resourcefulness. It was related in an issue of the Church, Ensign magazine.

In the spring of 1858, Thomas started to build his own home. The property, which was later owned by Thomas D. Adams. It included the house, a two-acre lot with a number of fruit trees, a barn, a chicken coop, and a nice garden. An additional piece of property containing an apple orchard was located across the street. The house was one of the first built in Parowan. It had a large living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a porch that ran across the east side and north front. There was a small cellar with a cupboard for fruit and a screen cupboard for milk and other foods. The house was built of hand-molded, sun-dried adobe and was plastered and whitewashed inside and out. There was no inside water, but clear water was available close by. Quite near the home was an English elm tree planted as a seedling by Thomas. It grew to be one of the biggest trees in all of Iron County. Near the tree was Thomas’ kiln, used for many years to supply pottery for all of southern Utah in pioneer times.

Temple ordinance work was important to Thomas and Sarah and in November 1856, they received their endowments at the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. They took the trip north in late October 1856 and returned home in the spring of 1857,

Family activities centered around gardening, soap making, selling pottery, and music. Thomas was remembered as an excellent gardener, the first to successfully raise celery in Parowan. A generous man, he and his family freely shared his produce with the neighbors. The boys were also involved in helping on the farm as much of their livelihood depended upon farming.

Lye was made using a leach built in the back yard of the home. This was done by pouring water through the ashes obtained from cottonwood trees. The drippings were used for making the actual lye.

Some of the children were undoubtedly involved in making and selling pottery. The son John sold his pottery in Beaver and other communities.

Music was a central part of the lives of the Davenport family. The children learned to love and appreciate good music. In the evenings and on special occasions, they would engage in group and individual singing. Some of the songs sung were of Thomas’ own composing. This exposure to musical and cultural arts affected the lives of the children.

Daughter Sarah Ann was active in both drama and music. At age eleven, she began singing with Thomas Durham’s choir.

Thomas and Sarah Burrows Davenport, as devoted Latter-day Saints had great love and affection for their children. They sought to set the proper example and to encourage them in their lives. The effect they had on the children seemed great. To the end of their lives, the children remained faithful Latter-day Saints.

Thomas set an example of community and church service for his family. He served as a director of the Parowan Branch of the United Order and as alderman, city councilman, and treasurer.

The branch of the United Order was organized in Parowan in April 1873 when President Brigham Young, George A. Smith, and Erastus Snow visited. On April 10, 1874, President Young was again in Parowan on his annual tour of the southern communities and he took occasion to encourage the people to sign up in the united order. On March 9, 1875, the order was organized under territorial law with Thomas Davenport being elected as one of the directors.

The order lasted only one more year, disbanding in 1876, since most of the city residents did not enter into it. The people as a whole did not go into the United Order. Judging from the Official Board of Directors, most of the leading families went into it. Their property was turned into a common fund and each received according to his need.

Thomas’ Church career was spent in doing missionary work, magnifying his priesthood, filling church leadership positions and in doing temple ordinance work for his deceased ancestors. In England, he traveled hundreds of miles on foot preaching the gospel in many sectors of the country. Prior to his immigration to American he served as president of the Bolsover, Derby, England Branch. In Parowan his church service continued to flower and grow.

By magnifying his priesthood, Thomas was ordained a seventy May 18, 1857, and eleven years later a high priest, March 25, 1868. Being a seasoned worker, he was ready for the calls that came to him commencing in 1869. Approximately twenty years were spent in leadership positions, first as a counselor to two ward bishops (1869-1879) and then for the next ten years as a member of the High Council. Concurrent with these positions, he regularly sang in the ward choir, rarely missing a practice or a meeting.

Genealogy and temple work also occupied his time with ordinance work being conducted on behalf of his kindred dead first in Salt Lake at the endowment house and later at the dedicated St. George Temple.

Patriarchal Blessing of Thomas Davenport given on February 23, 1854 by Elisha H. Groves, at Parowan , Iron County, Utah Territory.

Brother Thomas, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth by virtue of the Holy Priesthood in me invested, I place my hands upon thy head to seal upon these a Partriarchal or Father’s blessing which shall rest upon thee, and thou shalt realize the fulfillment thereof in as much as thou wilt be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord they God, yieding to no temptation. Thy life shall be precious in the sight of thy Heavenly Father. Thy days shall be many upon the earth, the holy angels shall be with thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up and deliver thee from the temptations of the evil ones who would seek to overthrow the sons of Adam. Thou art of the seed of Abraham of the loins of Joseph and blood of Mannasseh, a lawful heir to the blessings and fulness of the Holy Priesthood which thou shalt receive in due time that thou mayest be able to officiate in the ordinances of the house of the Lord in behalf of thy progenitors. Thou art a father in Israel, thy posterity shall become numerous upon the earth, thy name shall be perpetuated to the latest generation. Thou shalt receive of the dews of heaven and of the fruits of the earth, and all things needful to render life happy and agreeable.

Thou shalt have wisdom given unto thee that thous mayest fill any mission or station where unto thou mayest be called in as much as thou will seek it with all thy heart doubting not, thou mayest live to behold the winding up scene, the coming of thy Redeemer, the reign of peacee, receive many blessings and privileges in the Temple in Zion, be annointed a King and a Priest unto the most high God, receive thy Crown, Kingdom, Dominion, Power, and Eternal increase.

Be thou therefore faithful, yield to no temptations and these blessings shall be sure unto thee.

I seal them upon they head in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, even so.

Amen.

They Knew The Prophet Joseph

James Houston Sr. Knew Joseph Smith; His wife Margaret had a visit from a stranger telling her to join the Church

Here are the conversion stories of James Houston and Margaret Crawford. James knew the prophet Joseph Smith. His wife's conversion story about the stranger that visited her home and wrote on their freshly white-washed wall is equally fascinating.

James is the father of James Houston who is the father of Lucy Houston (grand-daughter of James Houston Sr.) Lucy Houston is the grandmother of Reid A. Robison (mother of Gloria Dawn Adams Robison). This means James Houston Sr. is the great-great grandfather of Reid A. Robison and the first person in that line to join the Church.

Margaret Crawford is the wife of James Houston Sr. and the great-great grandmother of Reid A. Robison and the first person in that family line to join the Church.


Conversion Story of James Houston Sr.

“I was brought up to be a shawl weaver. I saw a lot of trouble in my youth. It caused me to reflect much and I had a strong desire to know the true way to be saved in the kingdom of God. I saw that the great men did not agree on what was right. There was no use of me trying (presumably to reconcile my religious desires with the common teachings of the time), but still I had a great desire to know, (the truth about religion).

One day I was at an election meeting when the priest was doing his best. While he was speaking upon the subject of “What To Do To Be Saved,” I felt a desire to (some day) be with the good people when they were gathered together.

I continued praying in my heart when eventually something came over me that made me feel good all over. I did not say anything about it to others. I often thought about it, but did not know what it was. But I know now.

The Lord heard my prayers and gave me the answer (the knowledge) that I would be shown the right way. At this time I think that I was about 14 years old. (James Sr. was born on June 4, 1817)

I worked as an apprentice for two years under my brother, John (just before he died). After his death, he came to me one night in a dream. He asked me some questions and I asked him some. From that time on things took a turn (presumably he meant to say that he began to understand). I can see many ways that the Lord opened up the way for me to see the gospel.

The Elders (Mormon) came to Paisley about the time of my dream. The Elders were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was so engrossed in company that I did not get to hear them.

I went to a place one night and they would not let me in for they had been disturbed the night before. However, I did get into conversation when one of those who did hear and had attended the meeting the night before. He told me of the Angel appearing to Joseph Smith and what the Angel said. I got the loan of a “voice of warning” and began to read. The devil was mad and I did not know what was the matter. The man of the house where I lodged was religious and what I read in the book was so good, I began to preach to him. It made him “raving” mad and he said “all these things are done away….” In anger he went on to speak of “……sins…..” etc. I could not understand why he was so mad and me so glad. But I was not to be put off that way. I could not get ride of that feeling (of gladness) and I would argue in the workshop until I was astonished at myself.

I sailed for America in 1840 with a small company of the Saints under the direction of Brother Millner. I could see the same spirit manifest against the Saints (on board ship). All this confirmed my newly found faith.

After a pleasant journey of nine weeks, we landed in New Orleans. The Gospel had a great affect on my mind and I thought a great deal. Brother Millner invited me home with him to Springnel (State not mentioned). While I believed the Gospel to be true, I thought that I was not good enough to be baptized. However, I went to the meetings regularly and in 1841, I was baptized and confirmed the same night.

I knew that the Gospel was true for I received the ‘spirit’ according to the promise. In the spring of the same year (1841) Brother Lyman Wright came on a Mission. He gathered some stock for the Temple and Nauvoo House. He needed someone to help drive the cattle and I volunteered. I eventually arrived in Nauvoo, the City of the Saints on April 30, 1841. I cannot begin to describe the many strange reflections; suffice it to say that I saw the Prophet of the Lord, Joseph Smith. A few days following my arrival, I began to board in the house next to that of the Prophet and I continued to live there for nine months.

I can assure you that the Prophet was all he professed to be. I know he was a true Prophet of God for I have heard him speak and prophesy as he was lead by the Holy Ghost. He was a fine and great man. I knew this by the Holy Ghost that was in me.

I labored at the Nauvoo House that summer. I got my blessing from Patriarch, Hyrum Smith on September 29, 1841 and he requested that I should be ordained into the Seventies Quorum. I was ordained at the October Conference.

I kept working, looking, watching and praying and the experience I got did me great good. In 1842, I continued working the same as the year before. An apostate named Bennett tired to do great harm by stirring up the people against us. The word of the Lord was for all the brethren to go and preach the Gospel. It had the desired effect upon me for on November 1, 1842, in company with Brother Samuel Mulliner, I started on a three-year mission to Scotland. While on this mission, I married Margaret Crawford, whom I baptized July 26, 1845 in the River Clyde, New Lauark-Shire, Scotland.

Margaret Crawford Life Story

Margaret Crawford, the daughter of James Crawford II and Elizabeth Brown was born March 1, 1825 in Dunsyre, a small village at the southend of the Pentland Hill range. She was raised near the Boghall Castle and experienced living closed to where here ancestors lived.

At the age of two, Margaret moved to Wilsontown in 1827 where her brother, James was born and in 1829 on to Peebles-Manor parish where John another brother was born. In 1831, at the age of six, they moved to Eddleston, Peebleshire where Christine, a sister was born. Then the family moved to Biggar, where Margaret, being the eldest of the family, helped her father on the farm.

Margaret attended a dress-making school which proved to be a benefit to her during her life. While in here teenage years, her mother, Elizabeth Brown Crawford, died, and she was able to sew her mother’s burial clothes.

Margaret was very well-educated and had a knowledge of the Old English handscript. Her son, Thomas, later would write most of his missionary journal in this language which she had taught him because they were living in America at the time.

The Crawford family lived near Dalveen Pass, one of the finest passes in the Lowlands. James Houston traveled past this site many times while on his mission in Scotland. The Crawford family also lived close to the land of Crawford and Crawford-John, where the Crawford families had many castles and were a well-to-do people and were closely related to one another. This was also the valley in which they raised Clydesdale horses which also was helpful in Margaret’s later years in southern Utah when her family raised Clydesdales.

When Margaret was seventeen years old, she helped her mother clean and white-wash the walls in their home using a mixture of white-chalk and water. After they had just finished the large fireplace at one end of the room, they stepped back to admire the snow white walls and hoped it would not have to be done again very soon. Just then there was a knock at the door and there was a stranger who entered the room and took a piece of charcoal from the hearth and proceeded to write upon the beautiful white walls. Margaret and her mother stood watching the stranger in speechless amazement.

The stranger wrote on the wall the following: “Margaret would be visited by a young man who was teaching a new and strange religion, who was from the New World and had crossed many waters to teach the gospel to her. He was from their own nationality. She would listen and accept this strange religion and marry him and go to the New World and build a home and have a great posterity.”

Three years later, a missionary by the name of James Houston, who was from Scotland, but had moved to America, knocked on her door, taught her the gospel and baptized her. Shortly after that, they were married.

Who First Joined The Church in Our Family?

The 5 J's have at least 24 ancestors on Grandpa Robison's side of the family that first joined the Church at the time of the restoration. These people are the great-great-great-great grandparents of the 5 J's. What are their names? Where did they come from?

1. Lewis Robison - joined the Church in Nauvoo and was 3 greats (not 4). He was born in Cincinatti, Ohio and his dad was a Reverend named Charles. He was baptized in Nauvoo.

2. Clarissa Minerva Duzette - joined the church in Nauvoo and was born in Worcester, Ohio. Also 3 greats for the 5 J's (not 4) and was the first wife of Lewis Robison.

3. Grandpa Robison's grandmother was Phebe Elizabeth Pearson. Her grandfather Jacob Ephraim Pearson was born in 1787 in Manchester, Maine and died in Circleville Utah.

4. Jacob Pearson's wife was Rhoda Ewers and was born in 1789 in Gill, Maine. She also died in Circleville, Utah.

5. Phebe Elizabeth Peaarson's grandfather on her mother's side was Jacob Foutz, who was born in Washington, Penn. in 1800. He is the one who survived Haun's Mill Massacre by covering himself with bodies and pretending he was dead. He died in Salt Lake City.

6. Jacob Foutz's wife was Margaret Mann, who was born in 1801 in Thomastown, Penn. She died in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

7. Grandpa Robison's mother was Effie Jensen. Her grand-father was Christian Frederick Jensen who was born in Denmark in 1838 and died in the Mormon settlement of Kimball, Alberta.

8. Christian Frederick Jensen's wife was Johanna Hansen who was also born in Denmakr and died in the same town, Grandpa Robison was born in - Aetna, Alberta in 1834.

9. Grandpa Robison's mother's parents from her mother's side were the Skrivers and teh Sorensens. Her grandfather was Peder Petersen Skriver who was born in 1859 in Denmark and who died in Cardston, Alberta in 1879.

10. Peder Skriver's wife was Jensena Sorensen who was born in Denmark in 1858 and died in Aetna, Alberta.

That summarizes the list of the first members of the Church from Grandpa Reid Enoch Robison's side of the family.

For Grandma Gloria Dawn Adams Robison, her ancestors also joined the Church in Europe for the most part.

11. Her father's great grandfather was William Adams. He was born in Ireland in 1822 and died in Bluff, Utah.

12. William Adams' wife was Mary Ann Leech. She too was born in Ireland in 1821 and died in Parawan, Utah (the same town Grandma Robison was born in).

13. Grandma Robison's great grandfather on his mother's side was Thomas Davenport. He was born in England in 1815 and while a missionary for the Church wrote the hymn "Come All Ye Sons of God." This stirring hymn is sung by Priesthood holders world-wide as they remember the importance of their ordination. He too passed away in Parowan, Utah. (1888)

14. Thomas Davenport's wife was Sarah Burrows. She was born in 1811 in England and died in 1882 in Parowan, Utah.

15. Grandma Robison's great grandfather on her father's mother's side of the family was John Hardison Redd. He was born in Snead's Ferry, North Carolina in 1799 and died in Spanish Fork, Utah in 1858.

16. John Hardison Redd's wife was Elizabeth Hancock. She too was born in Snead's Ferry, North Carolina in 1798 and dies in Spanish Fork, Utah in 1853.

17. Grandma Robison's great grandfather on her father's mother's side of the family - the other set of grandparents - was John Lowell Butler. He was born in 1808 in Sampson, Kentucky and was the hero of the day at Gallatin County in Missouri where the mob tried to prevent the Saints from voting on election day. John took a club and drove the mob away. He died in Spanish Fork, Utah in 1853.

18. John Lowell Butler married Caroline Farozine Skeen who was born in Sumner County, Tenn. in 1812. She died in Panguitch, Utah in 1875.

19. Grandma Robison's mother's side of the family was equally rich in conversion stories at the time of the restoration. Her mother's great grandfather was James Houston who was born in Scotland in 1817. He joined the Church there and died in St. George Utah in 1864.

20. Jame's Houston's wife was Magaret Crawford. She too was born in Scotland in 1825 and was visited by a stranger who wrote a message on her wall in charcoal shortly before she joined the church. The message was about who she would marry and that she would join the Church. She died in Panguitch, Utah in 1912.

21. Grandma Robison's other set of grandparents on her father's side were William Darby Cooper and his wife Lydia. William was born in South Carolina in 1828 and died in Washington, Utah in 1867.

22. William Darby Cooper's wife Lydia was born Lydia Ellen Rochester in Union, South Carolina in 1828. She also died in Washington, Utah in 1902.

23. On Grandma Robison's Mother's side of the family, her great grandfather was Joseph Asay who was born in 1823 in New Jersey. He died in Mt. Carmel Kane, Utah in 1879.

24. Joseph Asay's wife was Sarah Ann Pedrick, who was born in 1818 in New Jersey and died in 1900 in Emery, Utah.

25. Grandma Robison's Mother's other side of the family had a great-grandfather named Christopher Lister Riding, who was born in England in 1816. He died in St. George in 1887.

26. Christopher Riding's wife was Eliza Adelaide Dolbel, who was born in St. Jean, Jersey, Channel Islands, in France in 1834. She died in Provo, Utah in 1908.

If you go to http://www.familysearch.org/ and enter these names and the dates of their deaths, you will find their pedigree charts. A faster way to do this is to enter these names:

Marion Robison, died in 1951, in Meeteetse, Wyoming and select pedigree.

Effie Jensen, died in 1978, in Lovell, Wyoming and select pedigree.

Thomas Marion Adams, died in 1980, in Lovell, Wyoming and select pedigree.

Lucy Ora Houston, born in 1902, in Paragonah, Utah and select pedigree.

*Note: When you print the Marion Robison page, there will be some blanks for Lewis Robison and his wife Clarissa Minerva Duzette. In that case enter, Lewis Robison and put 1883 as year of death, in Salt Lake City Utah; and enter Clarissa Minerva Duzette and put 1891 as year of death in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It would be a fun family home evening project to print off these pages as well as the pages from your spouses side. Your next challenge will be to fill in a four generation page for your mother's line. See if you can do this and then if you have questions, we can help you.

Barbara Schultz Polizzi was born to Clyde and Henrietta Schultz.

Glenn Lavern Flint was born to Oscar Glenn and Nellie Flint.