Her great-grandfather Thomas B. Graham lived in this Fort Union after crossing the plains in 1848. His wife was Sarah Ann McCroy, who died and was buried on the plains in Iowa with their new newborn babe, after being forced out of Nauvoo by mobs. His son John Duren Graham was about 17 at that time. He crossed the plains 3 times helping the saints get to the new Zion in the Salt Lake Valley. His son Hyrum Henry Graham was born Oct. 23, l867 in Union. (The father of Mary
Alice, the mother of Carol Emma).
Thomas Graham (born 1807) and family were in the Pioneer Company that came in 1948. President Young organized the saints in 3 companies. 1st Company led by Brigham Young with 1229 souls, 2nd Company lead by Heber C. Kimball with 662 souls , and 3rd Company lead by Willards with 526 souls.
Some interesting notes about that company are:
3rd Company was comprised of: 526 white people
24 Negroes 169 wagons
50 horses 20 mules
369 sheep 63 pigs
5 cats 170 chickens
4 turkeys 515 oxen
426 cows and loose cattle 4 turkeys
7 duck 5 doves
This division left Winter Quarters, Elkhorn River, July 10, 1848, arriving in Oct 19, 1848.
These people were strong a hardy and very determined. I guess this determined attitude trickled on down to Mom. She is head-strong, wanting what she wanted!
Anyway, on this map of the Fort, we can see just where John Graham’s family lived, as well as his father Thomas B. Graham. It is amazing to see Union now, the Fort being in the creek bed, with literally no sign of the original! Even the Burgon House, Union School, Brimhall house is a thing of the past.
1918 was the year of the terrible and devasting flu that killed so many people. Mary Alice was helping her grandmother take care of so many sick people. She was pregnant with Carol Emma. Mary Alice eventually took sick. She got so sick that all around her took her for dead. As they were putting the sheet over her face, a TEAR came from her eye. She was alive! Carol Emma was born one month later. Her hair was dark, almost black with a strick of gray on both sides of her head! What a miracle that she would evolve out of such hard times!
http://www.happynana.org/?page_id=19
Robinson Family- Oregon
10 years ago
I am so happy to have found this site! I am just starting this Family History business, and I desperately would love love stories! Thank you so much for posting! I would love to get to know more-your relative Delila Perkins...descendant of Louisa Forbush.
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