Mormon Monday

Once a month my inlaws have a big family home evening with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Yesterday it was Grandma that gave the lesson. She talked about the mormon pioneers. If you aren't sure who they are you can learn a little more here.

She told us a story about a relative Roger Openshaw. He was born in England in1829. He was baptised at the age of 17 and married Eliza Booth in 1853.  The urge to go to Zion was strong at this time so the Openshaw family started making preparations to do so. After years of saving they had saved enough for the two oldest boys Roger and Eli to make the journey.They left in March of 1854. Eliza-Roger's wife stayed behind until he had enough money to send for her.They arrived in Boston in May of 1854 and started west by ox and arrived in Salt Lake City in October of 1854 and started working on the Salt Lake Temple.

In 1856 Roger and Eli were called ti help with the settlement of Summit Creek, now Santaquin. At this time you could buy building lots on Main Street for $5.00. They built homes for their parents and Roger and Eliza. By this time they were on their way from England. Roger and Eli began to worry about their family so they returned to Salt Lake and secured work while they waited for their family. Each night after work they took turns going eastward from Salt Lake over the trail their parents would use to see if they were in sight.

One night while Eli was out he saw dust floating in the distance. He rushed there and sure enough it was the company which his family was with. He learned his mother was ill and she was in the provisions wagon. It was a joyful reunion when he found her. It was made known to him that all his family were in fair health but his mother. The only family that had not made it was Eliza, the wife of Roger. She was wrapped in a shee and buroed in an unmarked grave in a snow drift because the ground was too frozen for a proper grave to be dug. She was one of the many casualites of the Martin Handcart Company. (Samuel, a younger brother wrote that his mother had said that the hardest thiings she had ever done in her life was to tell Roger that his wife had died.)

The Story has a happy ending, after years of being alone he met a woman named Elizabeth and had 11 children. During this time he also met Mary who he married and had an additional 8 children with. He was a loving father and a good provider. He held many church positions throughout his life. 

I'm humbled when I read or hear stories about the pioneers. Sometimes I think my life is hard trying to juggle work, household chores, relationships, and taking care of Zane but I would rather do all those things then have to trek across the United States in the cold and lose my family members along the way and not even be able to give them a proper burial. I can only hope that my faith is strong enough that if I had to I would do the same thing, but hopefully I'll just get to stay cozy little Utah with my pathetic little problems.