Lucy Benson
1831 - 1914 (82 years)-
Name Lucy Benson Birth 31 May 1831 Clinton, Indiana, United States 
Gender Female Death 06 Mar 1914 Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States Burial 09 Mar 1914 Hyrum City Cemetery, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States Person ID I312684222131 Oswald Genealogy Last Modified 15 Jun 2025
Father Alva Benson, b. 13 Dec 1799, De Ruyter, Onondago, New York, United States d. 19 Oct 1883, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States (Age 83 years) Mother Cynthia Vail, b. 28 Feb 1801, Palmer, Corinth, Saratoga, New York, United States d. 10 Nov 1877, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 76 years) Marriage 11 Aug 1820 Charleston, Clark, Indiana. United States Family ID F2266 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family John Gill Wilson, b. 15 Aug 1829, Green Township, Richland, Ohio, United States d. 23 Apr 1903, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 73 years) Marriage 06 Jun 1852 Pottawattamie, Iowa, United States Children 1. John Barlow Wilson, b. 28 Mar 1853, Springville, Utah, Utah Territory, United States d. 29 Apr 1869, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 16 years)2. Alva Benson Wilson, b. 07 Feb 1855, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 10 Jun 1938, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 83 years)3. Cecelia Deseret Wilson, b. 24 Oct 1856, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 17 Sep 1896, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 39 years)4. Orson Moroni Wilson, b. 01 Oct 1858, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 22 Jul 1945, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 86 years)5. Ezra James Wilson, b. 25 Nov 1860, Ogden, Weber, Utah Territory, United States d. 23 Dec 1945, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 85 years)6. Boletta Wilson, b. 16 Mar 1863, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 01 Apr 1952, Delta, Millard, Utah, United States (Age 89 years)7. Charles Henry Wilson, b. 16 Apr 1865, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 13 May 1914, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 49 years)8. Marrion Wilson, b. 18 Oct 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States d. 07 Nov 1867, Hyrum, Cache, Utah, United States (Age 0 years)9. William Clark Wilson, b. 09 Jan 1869, Hyrum, Cache, Utah Territory, United States d. 14 Aug 1938, Shelley, Bingham, Idaho, United States (Age 69 years)Family ID F3003 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 15 Jun 2025
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Notes - !NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat
!NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (TM); ; July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996; ; , Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 USA !NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ancestral File (TM); ; July 1996 (c), data as of 2 January 1996; ; , Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84150 USA
references: Guide to Mormon Diaries and
references: Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies by =t of Alva Benson and Autobiography of Lucy Benson. Lucy's autobiography concluded with her will Residency 1852 Utah, 1862 Hyrum, Cache, Ut.
!NAME: From Ron MOSER. Ancestral File
!NAME: From Ron MOSER. Ancestral File had Lucy BENSON (and two others). I am assuming Ron would have known his grandmother. Wait! Perhaps Polly Benson was one of the other two! Let's redo this!!! I am going to put Polly Elvira in as a separate marriage.
History
HISTORY: A Sketch of the Life of Lucy Benson, daughter of Alva [Alvah] and Cynthia Benson. (This is transcribed exactly as written from microfilm of a small diary in Lucy Benson's handwriting, very damaged, and illigible in places.)
I was born May the 30 [could be 31] 1831 [could be 1830] in the State of Indiana, Clinton Co, Lariama. My parents joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints February 14, 1832. My family moved to Murzuria [Missouri] Jackson county, resided their one year & then was driven out by a wicked mob. We moved in to Lafette [Lafayette county]. resided their 3 years moved from their burcrick (?) from there to farwest, Caldwell Co then the mob drived us out of Murzuria (Missouri) then to Ill. (Illinois) by wicked men. They would ride up to a Saints door and shoot down his cattle or the last cow a poor family had -- dead cattle & hogs lay around to spoil. I saw poor Saints gather up these animals after the mob had shot them and dress and gutt the meat for use. My father moved to Clay county (Missouri) & built a mill. The next fall we moved to Illinois, McClain [McLean] Co. 140 miles from Nauvoo. He hauled his tithing up to Nauvoo. We resided their 7 years. Mothers only brother was living their. He joined the church and his family also while we was their. He was baptized by Elder David Judy Aug 10, 1841. I was baptized at the same time by David & confirmed by ..... my uncle died with the arisi palsy. When we started for the west his widdo accompanied us. We had not traveled many miles before a howling mob fallered us. They were relatives of my Aunts. They tried to make my Aunt go back. Said we was draging her out among these wicked Mormons. She told them she would not go back. They said that they would go and get the sheriff and force her to go back. So we travelled then most of the night to get out of the Co. My Aunt did not come along.
We went up by Nauvoo and crost the Mississippi river the time the Saints was driven out from Illinois. I was down sick then with the mumps. We travelled west in companys with the Saints till we got to the Murzuria (Missouri) river. Here Pres. Young said stop and prepare for winter. Part of the Saints crost over the river and built up what was called winter quarters. We stopped at big pigon. It was hilly and hollows and plenty of grass & timer. Their in every hollow mite be sun covered waggons & tents. Before our Co started down the hill the men cut down a tree and hitched three yoke of cattle to it to make a truck for the pervisions [provisions] the grass was so thick we could hardly get throw [through]. then they drove down the hill and we piched our tents and the men began work in good earnest first to cut hay for their was plenty close all around us then to cut down trees and build houses. They all worked together united. I saw 6 or 8 men pick up a house together & carry it to a building spot where it was fitted to its place by the time another one would get their. In one day a house would be haf way up. Father split logs & hamered one into another & made us a parch & floor covered the houses with clapbords that they split out of logs. In a short time there were several houses strung up and down the hollow. We moved into a new house & felt very thankfull for it -- Now a new trial awaited us. There was a grate deal of sickness among the Saints. My youngest brother George Gamale aged 2 years and 2 months took sick and died. He was the pet of the family. There was no lumber to make a coffin and no store to go & get buried close -- so my father choped a hole in a wallnut log the shape of the inside of a coffin, then he made the outside the shape of a coffin smoth & with a lid to fit & lined it & placed the little treasure to rest. We was very poor having nothing to eat but bread. So father and the boys went down into Murzuria [Missouri] and worked for provisions. We had a tuff winter. Still we enjoyed ourselves -- had grate meetings, spelling & school, stories & lots of fun. I was 16 years old.
The next spring we plowd & made a garden. I helped the boys to make fences & clear the ground reddy for the plow. I helped to plant & hoe the weeds out. I had no shoes to wear and my feet got scratch and bruised so I could hardly walk, but this did not stop me from work. I learnt to spin at the age of 12 years. My sister Kesiah was a weaver and I use to help her a little about the home but now she was married and living to herself. I thought why can't I weave. I know I can. One day I was at a neighbers she asked me if I could weave. I said I thought I could. She asked me to weave a piece of linnin [linen] for her. Said I would try. When I went home and told Mother I going to weave a piece of linnin for Sister Thorn she laughed at me and said I could not weave. Father had made us a lume [loom] Well I wove the linnin for Sister Thorn and she said it was done well & she praised me & my work to others. I wove several hundred yards while we lived their. I wove Jeanie Carsay blankets, birdeye towels, table linnins of different figures. I spun on the big wheel and Mother splun flat and wool on the little wheel. One year we corded 30 pounds by hand and spun it. I corded, spun & wove a nice piece of jeanes & then cut and made my father a suit of close out of it. I sewed by hand you bet. I felt proud of my work and father said he was very proud of his suit. I never had but little schooling. My parents had been drove from one place to another so we did not get to school much. When I was 19 years old there was a man around looking for a school teacher and my teacher recommended me for a teacher. I said my education was to poor but he said I would make the children study & they would learn well. Said I would try. The school was 5 miles from home, the Children was strangers to me and I found out some of them had better education than me but I was very carful they did not find it out. I studdyed my lessons better than I ever did before. I had go in a close corner and I would not back out. I learnt more while teaching that quarter than I ever did a going to school The next summer I taught school in our own settlement. I went out a good deal to work for 75 cents & one dollar a week many a time. If a babe was born they would haf to hire 2 weeks, some times 3 weeks. So them times I was called for a nurse. Well I paid for all my clothing & gave mother a good deal. Mothers health was poor and I had to take the load of the work. I got to milk 3 cows before the sunrise.
Of a husband I wanted a good honest, kind, sober, religious -- go a head husband. Loving for time and all Eternity a man that would honer God and the holy priesthood, rain or shine. I had been going with a young man by the name of John G. Wilson and he also worked in that wagon shop. One day my brother David came home to dinner & said, Lucy dont you mittin that feller of yours this time -- he is a good boy. Well, I though so to. not because brother David said so but because I had an eye on his movement well on. The 12 day of April 1852 I promised to be his wife throw time and all Eternity. I was married to John G. Wilson on the 6 of June 1852 in Pottatamie County, Iowa by Elder Lewis Bracken. We started to Utah the 28th and crost the Mizzurie [Missouri] river the 29 of June. We came with father Benson. He had 2 lite wagons, 2 yoke of oxen, a yoke of cows, we had 6 cows & a few hogs, theire was 12 of us in the 2 wagons.
We had good health in camp till the morning of July the 10. The collery came & took Bro. Bracken & sister Mathews from us. We traveled on our journey till the 19th when Bro Matthews died before we reached Laramie. At this place our Company was divided in to so as to travel faster. Our company No. 1 proceded on our journey. At the Pasific Springs we met my brother James Benson with provisions for us which was thankfully received. We traveled up hill and down hill and over mountains and threw valleys and in all manner of crreeks and turns and snow and rain and cold. Still we felt to rejoice to know we would soon reach the Valleys of the Mountains. We arrived in Salt Lake City September the 29 in good spirits. Campt in the big field that night and on the 30 we traveled South. arrived in Springville, Utah county the first of October. We was welcomed by our friends.
The next thing that occupied our mind was a little house of our own so my husband set to work with his hands & and a will to accomplish the desired object. The timber was in the Mountains. It had to be cut down and halled home. We had no team of oxen so Father Benson let my husband use one yoke of his oxen to get out his house logs. He put up a snug little house with the door in the north, windows (main lite) in the south, chimney to the east. We moved in to it the last of December [1852] on a ground floor. My husband made 3 to 4 stools out of blocks of shake. he took 2 pieces & bored 2 inch holes in the wall, drawed the ends in to this hole & the other ends attached to an uprite post. This made our bedsted. We had one cheast or box, this served for a table, we had 2 skilets & a teakettle that was give to us when we got married. By and by he got some lumber and brought (we can say home now) then he put down a nice lumber floor, made us a table, put up a small cubberd in one corner which was very handy, filled up the hearth. My husband bargined with a man to make us 4 chairs He paid him a six shooter for the chairs. So the first of March they was brought home .... (unreadable)
Our old cow came up with a fine calf. This was a great blessing to us as we had lived mostly on bread and wheat all winter. Johns sister Lovine had come to live with us. Her and I had sewed for some of our neighbors to get a few necesitities. On the 18 of March our eldest son was born. We called him John Barlow, he was a fine bo
!Alva Benson s Family Bible; also birth
!Alva Benson s Family Bible; also birth could be 1831 and birth town Jackson
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 J
From Ancestral File (TM), data as of 2 January 1996.
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- !NOTE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat