52 Ancestors Week 37 - John Ellison

John Ellison Jr. was born August 17, 1830, in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England. He was the son of John Ellison and Anna Marston. He had 13 brothers and sisters.
He married Sarah Hemmingway on July 18, 1851, in Nottingham, England. They had 7 children in 13 years. He followed the life of a sailor.

In a autobiography sketch of William Ellison, his son, he states the following about John Ellison Jr.:

"My father was not a member of the Mormon Church and did not believe in the principles of the Gospel as taught by the Latter Day Saints and this caused some trouble in the home as my father would not let the Elders visit at their home. My father went to work at Grimsby to run boats and haul goods up and down the canal. On 2 September 1868 my father was killed at Grimsby. In trying to pass through the locks when the tide was coming in, he was unable to uncouple the two boats which were running side by side so as to let them run through single but the force of the tide drove the boats into the locks and my father stumbled and fell out of the boat between the boats and the buttments of the locks and his head was crushed and he sank into the canal. His body was not found until the third day. The body was taken to Nottingham for burial and the services were held at the home September 1868."

 *****
Parents:
John Ellison 1802–1867
Ann Marston 1803–1875

Half Sibling: Thomas Marston Ellison 1819–?

Siblings:
Mary Ann Ellison 1823–1884
William Ellison 1825–1897
Eliza Ellison 1826–?
Amelia Ellison 1828–1883
Solomon Ellison 1832–?
Richard Ellison 1834–1903
Alfred Ellison 1836–?
Elizabeth Ellison 1838–1839
Henry Ellison 1840–1919
Emma Ellison 1843–1898
Sarah Ellison 1845–?
Ann Ellison 1848–?

Spouse:
Sarah Hemmingway  1827–1914

Children:
Henry Ellison 1852–1912
Alfred Ellison 1854–1870
Arthur Ellison 1856–?
Elizabeth Ann Ellison 1858–1933
Mary (Polly) Ellison 1861–1940
William Ellison 1863–1921

52 Ancestors Week 25- William Ellison

William Ellison was born on August 30, 1863, in Nottingham, England to Sarah Hemmingway and John Ellison Jr. His mother became a Mormon, but his father never joined the church. His father was killed in a boat accident in England. After his father's death William was baptized a Mormon. His mother eventually remarried once in America.

On 2 September 1872 William, his mother and 3 of his sisters left England and moved to Utah. William married Lovina Clarissa Dye 17 January 1884 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City.

William worked for Provo Woolen Mills, but work was slow, so he went out of town to Salt Lake to work at Deseret Woolen Mills. Lovina had their first child, Sarah, October 24th 1884, William was able to visit for a few days before having to go back to work. Between work at the Deseret Woolen Mills, Provo Woolen Mills and working on the Dye farm, they were able to move out on their own. They rented one room for 2 dollars a month from Sidney Bailey. While at the Bailey's house they had their second child, John.

In March 1887 they rented a house and 2 lots for 3 dollars a month, and could make improvements to the property for part of the rent. They grew a lot of their own food, as well as having a cow, a pig and some chickens. By the end of 1887 they had their third child, Clarissa. In January 1888 they bought a house for 300 dollars, fully paying it off in January 1889.

They stayed in the Provo area the rest of their lives. They had 10 more children, the last two being born after they started having grandkids. Their 7th child, Richard Heber, died of croup at 5 years old, but all the others survived to adulthood.

William Ellison died on March 12, 1921, in Provo, Utah, when he was 57 years old.

*****
Parents:
John Ellison 1830–1868
Sarah Hemmingway 1827–1914

Siblings:
Henry Ellison 1852–1912
Alfred Ellison 1854–1870
Arthur Ellison 1856–?
Elizabeth Ann Ellison 1858–1933
Mary (Polly) Ellison 1861–1940
Sarah Ellison1865–1924

Spouse:
Lovina Clarissa Dye 1865–1922

Children:
Sarah Ellison 1884–1964
John William Ellison 1885–1968
Clarissa Ellison 1887–1967
Grace Ellison 1889–1956
Alfred Ray Ellison 1890–1969
Ida Lovina Ellison 1892–1980
Richard Heber Ellison 1895–1900
Elizabeth Ellison 1897–1969
Arthur Albert Ellison 1899–1931
Orena Ellison 1901–1987
Kate Ellison 1903–1990
Ralph Edmund Ellison 1907–1982

52 Ancestors Wk4 - Ida Lovina Ellison

This week's theme is 'closest to your birthday', and since I already did someone with whom I share a birthday, I went with the next closest birthday (the day after mine).

Ida Lovina Ellison, 6th child of Lovina Clarissa Dye from last week, was born Nov 10, 1892 in Provo Utah. Having 12 brothers and sisters, I'm sure she grew up in a busy, noisy, house. She met her husband William "Bill" Merryweather dancing in the 2nd Ward Amusement Hall in Provo. They loved to dance, and went out whenever they could. Bill took her around on his bicycle. After several years of courting, and Bill moving to Cedar City, they decided to get married.
Ida and Bill were married Mar 29, 1916 in the Salt Lake Temple, and made their home in Cedar City, Utah (which took them 3 days to drive to in their model-T after the wedding).

Bill was a plumber, and not too long after getting married, he and his brother-in-law started the Southern Utah Plumbing and Heating company. While Bill was off plumbing, Ida worked with children in their church, and sewed. Soon they started having children of their own. They had 6 girls, 4 survived into adulthood (3 still alive today). Their 3rd child, Eva, died at 6 months old from pneumonia; and their youngest was stillborn.

During her married life, Ida got to travel around Utah and the surrounding areas. Bill was a good plumber and worked in several national parks including, Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon. He also did plumbing in the St George Temple. Ida did sewing for the temple and the workers there. She spent many nights sewing burial clothing for people in the area. For a time she also served as a stake missionary.

In the 1950's Bill and Ida became temple workers in St George, doing genealogy too. And in 1957 they made St George their permanent home.

Ida Lovina Ellison Merryweather died on Sep 30, 1980, at 87 years old, in Springville, Utah and was buried in the Cedar City Cemetery.

52 Ancestors Wk3 - Lovina Clarissa Dye

This weeks theme over at No Story Too Small is Tough Woman. I am choosing to write about my great-great-grandmother Lovina Clarissa Dye. She may not have had the most difficult life, but she did have 13 kids, 12 of whom survived to adulthood. And I think raising that many kids takes one tough woman.

Lovina was born in Attleborough, Norfolk, England on 24 February 1865, youngest child of Richard Dye and Sarah Kemp. In 1854 her parents had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). When she was 6 years old her family packed up their 6 kids and moved to Utah. Richard came to America in 1870, and saved the money to bring the rest of the family the next year. Lovina, her mother and 5 siblings sailed on the Nevada from Liverpool to New York on 18 October 1871 with 300 other Mormons heading for Utah. They arrived in Salt Lake City on 11 November 1871.

On 17 January 1884, at just 18 years old, Lovina married William Ellison in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. They stayed a few days in Salt Lake with Lovina's cousin Jane Edins, then went to Provo for a reception at the home of William's mother. They lived for a time with Lovina's parents. On 24 January 1884 Brigham Young Academy burned down, the whole city was awakened and bucket brigades were formed, but the buildings were a total loss.

William worked for Provo Woolen Mills, but work was slow, so he went out of town to Salt Lake to work at Deseret Woolen Mills. Lovina had their first child, Sarah, October 24th 1884, William was able to visit for a few days before having to go back to work. Between work at the Deseret Woolen Mills, Provo Woolen Mills and working on the Dye farm, they were able to move out on their own. They rented one room for 2 dollars a month from Sidney Bailey. While at the Bailey's house they had their second child, John.

In March 1887 they rented a house and 2 lots for 3 dollars a month, and could make improvements to the property for part of the rent. They grew a lot of their own food, as well as having a cow, a pig and some chickens. By the end of 1887 they had their third child, Clarissa. In January 1888 they bought a house for 300 dollars, fully paying it off in January 1889.

They stayed in the Provo area the rest of their lives. They had 10 more children, the last two being born after they started having grandkids. Their 7th child, Richard Heber, died of croup at 5 years old, but all the others survived to adulthood.

Lovina died on July 25, 1922 in Provo Utah of carcinoma of the intestines and kidney. She was 57.

Lovina and William Ellison and family. Taken after Richard died (shown in painting on the wall), and before the last two kids were born.

******************
Parents:
Richard Dye (1822-1905)
Sarah Kemp (1823-1903)

Siblings:
Sarah Ann Dye (1846-1869)
Robert Dye (1848-1866)
William Dye (1850-1932)
Hyrum Dye (1851-1860)
Heber Charles Dye (1853-1880)
Edmund Willard Dye (1855-1925)
Samuel Dye (1858-1915)
John Hyrum Dye (1859-1944)
Rebecca Dye (1862-1863)

Spouse: William Ellison (1863-1921)

Children:
Sarah Ellison (1884-1964)
John William Ellison (1885-1968)
Clarissa Ellison (1887-1967)
Grace Ellison (1889-1956)
Alfred Ray Ellison (1890-1969)
Ida Lovina Ellison (1892-1980) *my great grandmother
Richard Heber Ellison (1895-1900)
Elizabeth Ellison (1897-1969)
Arthur Albert Ellison (1899-1931)
Orena Ellison (1901-1987)
Kate Ellison (1903-1990)
Ralph Edmund Ellison (1907-1982)
Etta Ellison (1908-1993)

52 Ancestors Wk2- Sarah Hemingway

This week, for my second of 52 ancestors I chose Sarah Hemingway. Why her? Because we share a birthday, and I felt like writing about her.

Sarah was born to John Hemingway and Elizabeth Tuckler on November 9, 1827 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England. According to her son, Sarah's mother died in 1832, and she got a new step-mother soon after. But Sarah didn't get along with her stepmother and at the age of 13 she moved to Nottingham to work in a stocking factory.

On a trip home to visit her father, she heard missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon missionaries). When she got back to Nottingham she again heard them preach, and decided to join the church. She was baptized in September 1848. Her father also converted. He later died in her home in 1855.

Sarah married John Ellison Jr. July 18, 1851. While they lived in Nottingham, he was a sailor. He never joined the Mormon church, and didn't like the elders of the church visiting his family, which caused contention in the family. In 1868, while working in Grimsby hauling goods up and down the canal, John was killed in a boat accident. This left Sarah a widow with 7 children. In 1870 her second child, Alfred, died at the age of 15, probably from complications that came from a childhood injury when a cart ran over him.

In 1872 her son Arthur enlisted in the Navy. And the same year her oldest child Henry got married. It was then decided that Sarah and the 4 remaining children should immigrate to America with other Mormons and settle in Utah. In October 1872 Sarah and her children, left Liverpool on board the Minnesota bound for New York, along with 203 other Mormons. From New York they made an 8 day journey to Salt Lake, arriving on November 7, 1872.

In April 1873 Sarah married Thomas Jones, a man she had known from Nottingham. His wife had died 3 years prior, leaving him with 4 kids (3 of whom had come with him to America). So, Sarah and the kids moved down to Provo, Utah where Thomas worked at the woolen mills. They rented various houses in Provo, until Thomas built them an adobe house in 1879.

She remained in Utah for the rest of her days, staying home to tend children and take care of the house. Just after her 87th birthday, she caught a severe cold, which turned into pneumonia. She died November 23, 1914 in Provo Utah.

In 1892 she wrote a small sketch of her life and testimony. Here are the final paragraphs:

"And I am still as strong in the faith today as I was then and hope always to remain so. And my desire is and always has been that my children might follow in the footsteps of the Mother and live their religion to the best of their knowledge.
And it is also my wish that this sketch may be handed down to my youngest son, if he is still living or to any of my children that may be living at that time. And if there is none left, to go to any of my Grand Children or Great Grand Children that may be still living."

I guess she valued family history too, wanting her story and faith to be carried on down the family line.

***************
Parents: John Hemingway (1790/3 - 1855) and Elizabeth Tuckler (1798-1832)

Siblings (known and verified):
John Hemingway Jr (1820-1867)
Hannah Hemingway (1825-1863)
Mary Hemingway (1830-1913)

Spouses:
John Ellison Jr (1830-1868)
Thomas Jones (1836-1890)

Children:
Henry Ellison (1852-1912)
Alfred Ellison (1854-1870)
Arthur Ellison (1857-?)
Elizabeth Ann Ellison (1858-1933)
Mary 'Polly' Ellison (1861-1940)
William Ellison (1863-1921)  -- my great great grandfather
Sarah Ann Ellison (1865-1924)