Elizabeth Young
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Elizabeth was born in Port Byron, New York on the 26th of September, 1825, to Brigham and Miriam Works Young. In the spring of 1929, they moved to Mendan, New York. Here, her sister, Vilate was born. These two sisters remained very close to each other the rest of their lives. Their mother died of consumption and Brigham remarried soon thereafter to Mary Ann Angel. Elizabeth said she was truly an angel.
The Young family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois to be with the members of the Church. It was here that Elizabeth met and was married to Edmund Lovell Ellsworth on July 10, 1842. There were two children born here, Edmund and Charlotte. The family left Nauvoo and journeyed to Winter Quarters in 1845. From here, Edmund left with a band of pioneers to mark the way to Salt Lake Valley. Elizabeth joined the second company to leave for the valley with Daniel Spencer, commanding. They were later joined back with Edmund when he returned to help them across the plains. In the year 1852, with the consent of Elizabeth, took a second wife, Mary Ann Dudley. He had been asked by the Prophet to take a plural wife. After accepting the law of polygamy so strongly upheld by her father, Elizabeth welcomed the younger Mary Ann into her house. Three more children were born to Elizabeth before 1853. Tragedy struck in 1853 when her daughter, Charlotte was burned as a result of a powder horn around her neck. There was a bonfire and an Indian boy, who was living with them, was playing with her around the fire and he took the horn and poured the gunpowder directly on the fire. The flames flared up so quickly they engulfed her and she died. In 1854, Edmund was called on a mission to England and while gone one more baby was born. In 1856, Edmund returned home leading a company of handcart pioneers to Salt Lake. Soon after, he married two more wives, Mary Ann Bates and Mary Ann Jones, two ladies from the handcart company. Two more little ones came in 1858 and 1861. When Edmund left for Arizona in 1880, Elizabeth decided to stay behind with her children. Later moving to Idaho with some of them. In letters written between Edmund and Elizabeth, he commented how much he longed to be with her again. She died February 2, 1903 in Lewisville, Idaho. She did not want anyone to grieve as she believed death was only a short separation. Her granddaughters described Elizabeth as a very beautiful woman with auburn hair and a very kind pleasing personality. She was very charitable, free hearted and with a great love for her family. In her obituary, it was written that she was a woman of strong character, somewhat reserved and doing her duty as she saw it. She was a superior woman in every respect ans was held in the highest esteem by all who knew her. It was truly said of her that she was "a perfect woman, nobly planned, to warm, to comfort, and command." compiled from "The Life and Times of a True American Frontiersman: Edmund Lovell Ellsworth"
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