Haight Family in Nauvoo

 Caleb Haight and his wife Keturah Horton Haight joined the church and came to Nauvoo. He owned land, received his Endowments, baptised his ancestors in the font and Keturah passed away and is buried in Nauvoo.  Here is a story of Keturah Horton blessed with sight from the prophet Joseph Smith: "She would put her hands over my face to feel how I looked. Yet she knew us children apart by our voices. She was very anxious to go to Nauvoo and see the Prophet, as she believed if he would administer to her she would receive her sight.

 A few days after they arrived in Nauvoo, Brother Joseph came and administered to her, and she received the desired blessing of her sight restored, which lasted as long as she lived and was a great comfort to her. She had desired that she might see her children once more, her grandchildren and the Prophet before she passed away. She lived only a few weeks or a month --- I do not remember which, but the rest of us arrived in Nauvoo and had the pleasure of witnessing her great joy in the blessing bestowed upon her by the Lord. When I first saw her after her sight was restored she said: “Mary, I don’t have to feel your face now to know you, I can see you.”

Caleb's son Issac Chauncey owned land, was a member of the 70 part of the Nauvoo Legion

The Young Family in Nauvoo

 Records indicate that David Young and his wife Elizabeth Vance lived in Nauvoo.  They would have been elderly at the time and ended up dying in their old age in Nebraska attempting to cross the plains to SLC.  Mary Vance Young married John D Lee and lived in Nauvoo as well.  It appears they all wen through the temple on Feb 3 1846.

Pace Family in Nauvoo

 

They were contacted by the missionaries of the Mormon Church. They wanted to be near the Prophet Joseph Smith and the main body of saints so they sold their property, their servants and many acres of land and headed to Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois. They resided there from 1839 to 1846. There they secured land a built a beautiful nine room home.They received their endowment on 20 December 1845 when he was 39.

  When the persecutions began, William and his brother James were policemen to guard as uphold the law that was set up under the Nauvoo Charter. They were sealed on 20 January 1846 in the Nauvoo Temple. This was just about three weeks before the saints were driven from Nauvoo.

William and his family desired to join the body of the Saints in the Nauvoo and accordingly sold their plantation, home and slaves. They brought some former slaves with them to Nauvoo and later to the West. The story is told that these former slaves begged to be allowed to come with the family they had served for many years, and they later remained in the Utah area and were buried near their former owners. William and Margaret bought land in the Nauvoo area and built a beautiful nine-room home. The family was apparently active in the affairs and events happening in Nauvoo at the time. William (as a 4th Corporal) and James Pace, along with John D. Lee and Isaac C. Haight, are listed as being called as special policemen in Nauvoo in December 1843 as recorded in History of the Church, 6:149-50. They were to guard the city and es¬pe¬cially Brother Joseph in that time of unrest. The guard was dismissed in the spring of 1844 as Joseph decided he could guard himself. In the meantime, another son was born to William and Margaret in 1844 in Lee County, Iowa. According to our family group sheets, William and Margaret Pace received their endowment in the Nauvoo temple on January 20, 1846. However, in Saints in Exile, also by David R. Crockett, both James and William and their wives are listed as receiv¬ing their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple on Saturday, December 20, 1845. Either way, they were blessed to be able to have this blessing in the chaotic days of persecu¬tion and trial as the Saints prepared to leave Nauvoo. The Paces were involved in the exodus from Nauvoo in February 1846. A quote from William Pace (probably James Pace’s son who kept a diary) in Saints in Exile for February 21, 1846, described their camp at Sugar Creek. “Our camp was made in snow about 8 inches deep and was a rather uncomfortable introduction into camp life with¬out tent or any shelter save it be a wagon cover made from common sheeting. Here we stayed for some time waiting the arrival of all those who could possibly supply them¬selves with teams.” The Paces were in one of the first companies that helped build the road for others across Iowa and were involved in establishing the base encampments of Garden Grove, Mt. Pisgah and Council Bluffs in Iowa. These encampments were some of the places where crops were grown, where sick could be cared for and where poor and crippled oxen and horses could be exchanged for fresh ones.

Burkett Family in Nauvoo

 The 1840 census says George had two houses and lots in Nauvoo. His three older daughters lived in one and he and his family lived in the other. The tax lists also confirm this. George worked every working day helping build the Nauvoo Temple. All they had to eat was what they grew in their garden and the flour in a flour barrel. Every day Sarah went and got enough flour for the day. The barrel would be empty by the end of the day, but the next day there would be just enough flour in it for that day.

 While living in Nauvoo, they were baptized for their kindred dead in the Mississippi River in June 1841. Sarah received her Patriarchal Blessing under the hands of Hyrum Smith on November 7, 1841, and was one of the first women to be accepted into the Nauvoo Relief Society in June 1842. George and Sarah -4- received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple on December 22, 1845, and in 1846 George was ordained a high priest by George A. Smith and George Miller. The deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith did not stop the persecution of the Saints from the anti-Mormon mobs. They again were forced to leave their homes and head west. The Saints began leaving Nauvoo in February 1846 to make their trek across Iowa. In August 1846 Sarah died in Augusta, Des Moines County, Iowa and was buried in the Augusta Cemetery. George wrote the following about Sarah in his history: “My first wife died in Augusta, Iowa, with whom I had lived happily and who had been a great comfort to me and help and a faithful member of the church.” Some of the poor Saints were not able to leave Nauvoo as quickly. Brigham Young asked two companies of Saints to return to Nauvoo to help the poor leave. The anti-Mormon mobs became impatient and fighting began in Nauvoo. George was in the Battle of Nauvoo from September 10-16, 1846. The next day in Iowa, across the river from Nauvoo, he married Elizabeth Powell Evans the widow of Thomas Evans. They traveled with the rest of the Saints going west.

Allen Family in Nauvoo

 

Orvil M Allen and his wife Jane Wilson lived in Nauvoo with their children, some of which were born in Nauvoo.  

Orvel was a member of the quorum of 70, Owned Land in Nauvoo, Endowed in Nauvoo, performed baptisms for the dead in Nauvoo, 

Connections, There is a mission certificate that is signed by John D Lee (another of our ancestors) Stating that Orvel M Allen is in good standing. 

There is a great story about Orvel.  Brigham Young asked him to go back to the West side of the Mississippi and collect the poor and needy that didn't have any transportation.  Here is the story:

Elisha Whiting GGGGGG Grandpa through Priscilla Payne

Elisha Whiting: Click here for familysearch profile
Born:17 December 1785 Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Baptized: Sometime after 1837
Died: 21 February 1848 Mount Pisgah, Union, Iowa, United States
Burial: Click here for find-a-grave link

Although technically not interred in Nauvoo, Elisha and his wife Sally were forced out of Nauvoo, and died on the trail at Mt Pisgah.
Conversion Story:
In 1837 the Gospel was brought to the Whiting family. Sally was the first to unite with the Church. Elisha had listened with interest and had not objected when his wife wished to be baptized, but not starting out in obedience to the Gospel when first led to believe, he afterwards allowed the daily lives of some who were called to be saints, but had not yet overcome all evil, to hinder him. So in his family for some time there was a division on the subject of religion and life was not pleasant for his wife Sally, but her faith was steadfast and her prayers were heard, for when after a time Elisha became very ill and the doctor had given him up to die, he had become speechless, could not swallow and the death hiccoughs had set in. Sally bent over his pillow and asked him if she might send for the elders. He could not speak but managed to nod an assent. She sent for them. They prayed God to heal him if it could be His will. Ere their prayer was ended, the hiccough ceased. When they lifted their hands from his head he asked for a drink of water and was able to swallow the water they brought him. From that moment his recovery began and in a few days, not being willing to wait longer for what he felt he should have done long before, he was carried in his chair to the creek and was baptized by immersion for the remission of his sins.

Jesse Wood Berry and Armelia Shanks GGGG Grandparents through Priscilla Payne

Jesse Wood Berry: Click here for Familysearch profile
Birth:9 January 1791 Albemarle, Virginia, United States
Baptism:
Death:3 August 1844 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States
Burial: Click here for find a grave

Armelia Shanks: Click here for Familysearch profile
Birth: 24 January 1804 Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States
Baptism:
Death:10 January 1893 Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States
Burial: Click here for find a grave

Conversion Story:
Jesse was a cattleman, and they were also farmers. They were some of the first settlers in Tennesee, and they had to clear acres of land. Armelia was very busy with her large family. Her son John William first heard of the gospel in 1842. The whole family, except their oldest daughter, Adeline, joined the church and were baptized in 1842. Adeline refused to go with them when they sold their belongings to go to Nauvoo, and Armelia never saw Adeline again. It was a big sorrow to Armelia. Her husband and sons herded their cattle from Tennessee to Nauvoo. They arrived six weeks after the Prophet Joseph Smith was killed. It was a great sorrow to them that there was so much unrest and persecution all around. They truly were converted to the Gospel and never regretted joining the church. Another great sorrow came when her husband died with chills and fever on the 3rd of August 1844. He is buried in Nauvoo.

James Buchanan Porter and Elizabeth Slaughterback GGGG Grandparents through Priscilla Payne

James Buchanan Porter: Click here for family search profile
Birth: 4 Aug 1805 Buffalo, Pennsylvania
Baptism: 15 July 1842
Death: 17 April 1873 Mt Pleasant, UT
Burial: Click here for Find-a-grave

Elizabeth Slaughterback: Click here for Family Search Profile
Birth: 20 Feb 1800 Derry Township, PA
Baptism: 15 July 1842
Death: 20 Jan 1894 Salina, UT
Burial: click here for find-a-grave

Conversion Story:

David Alma Bennett and Johanna Lovell GGGG Grandparents through Priscilla Payne

David Alma Bennett: click here for Family Search Profile
Born: 16 June 1801, Steuben, New York
Baptism: Unknown
Death: 28 Jan 1853, Pleasant Grove, UT
Burial: Click here for Find a grave link

Johanna Lovell: Click here for Family Search Profile
Born: 22 July 1803 Middletown, New York
Baptism: Unknown
Death:18 September 1856
Burial: Click here for Find a Grave link

Conversion Story:
Little is written or known about the conversion of the Bennetts.  Which is odd because from the documents I have found, they were one of the first 100 members of the church.  The earliest mention of them is a particular night of persecution when David was pulled from his sick bed and beat.  Then he was shot in the head (the bullet grazed his scalp).  This happened in 1833 in Jackson Co. Missouri, so it can only be assumed that the Bennetts were baptized before that time.  For the full story click here.  David Bennett was a captain of 50 that came across the plains in the James Pace Company.  You can read about his journey here.  But again sadly there is nothing that I can find about his conversion.