Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle Part 43

Heber's wife Lucy bore to him:--

Rachel Sylvia,*

John H., Willard H.,*

Lydia H., Anna S., Eliza, Was.h.i.+ngton, Franklin H.*

It is related that during the illness of the boy Willard, who died in infancy, his father and another Elder were administering to him, when the latter began to promise life, a speedy recovery, etc., to the little sufferer. In the midst of it Heber, seized with a sudden inspiration, cried: "Hold!" The Elder paused, they took their hands from off the child's head, and he died in a few minutes.

"AUNT PRESCINDIA," who is a notable woman in Israel, with an unwritten history of great interest, is the mother of two children by Heber, namely:

Prescindia Celestia,*

Joseph.

The latter is the Bishop of Meadowville, Rich County, Utah, and has been a member of the Territorial Legislature.

The other widows of the Prophet who married Heber, had no children by him.

Among his wives when he came out of Nauvoo, were Clarissa and Emily Cutler, sisters, both the daughters of Alpheus Cutler, who left the Church while at Winter Quarters. When the Saints removed to the Rocky Mountains, Clarissa and Emily remained with their father, each with an infant son in arms. Clarissa's child was named Abram A., and Emily's, Isaac A. Feeling impressed that their mothers would never come to the mountains, Heber, on leaving them to go west with the pioneers, blessed his little sons and, while his hands were upon Abram's head, prophesied that he would some day come to the home of his people, and would afterwards return for his brother Isaac.

There was a fatality in his father's words, as usual.

Fifteen years later, the mothers of both boys being dead, Abram came to Utah and joined the Church. He was baptized by Enoch Reese, under his father's direction. On returning to the house after his baptism, his father confirmed him, ordained him an Elder and set him apart for a mission to the states, to go and bring his brother to Utah, thus resealing the blessing bestowed upon him in his childhood. Abram fulfilled his mission and returned, bringing his brother with him.

Isaac also was baptized, and he and Abram afterwards went upon missions to Great Britain. The latter is now Bishop of Kanosh, Millard County, Utah.

Another incident of a prophetic nature may here be noted. One of Heber's wives, Mary Ellen Abel, or "Aunt Mary Ellen" as she is familiarly known, had lived with him for fourteen years and no child had blessed their union. Her husband prophesied that she should bear a son, and his name should be Peter. In due time the son was born and named, but was not destined to live to grow to manhood. This was her only child.

RUTH REESE, another of Heber's wives, was the mother of:--

Susannah R.,*

Jacob R.,*

Enoch H.*

In memory we yet can hear the well-known voice of Grandfather Kimball, calling to his sons in stentorian tones: "Abraham! Isaac! Jacob! Come in to prayers!" For these names, with many others of Scriptural origin, were all included in his family nomenclature.

CHRISTEEN GOLDEN, who, with many others, was married to him in Nauvoo, was the mother of:--

Cornelia C.,*

Jonathan Golden, Elias Smith, May Margaret.

Jonathan and Elias both have been on missions to the Southern States.

The former is president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement a.s.sociations of Bear Lake Stake. Elias was a member of the house branch of the Utah Legislature during its twenty-eighth session, January, 1888.

The Gheen sisters, Anna* and Amanda were likewise among his "honorable women." The issue of the first marriage was as follows:--

Samuel H., Daniel H., Andrew H., } twins.

Alice, } twins.

Sarah.

Andrew fulfilled a long and faithful mission to the Indian Territory in 1885-6-7, and is still recognized as the president of that mission.

He is the present administrator of the Kimball estate.

AMANDA'S children are:

William G., Albert H., Jeremiah,*

Moroni.

"Jerry" was accidentally killed by falling from a railway train, between Fort Scott and Camas, Kansas, on the night of May 25th, 1887, while on his way to Europe to fulfill a mission.

The sisters Harriet and Ellen Sanders next occur to mind. The latter has already been mentioned as one of the three women who accompanied the pioneers from Winter Quarters to the Rocky Mountains in 1847.

HARRIET'S offspring:--

Harriet,*

Hyrum H., Eugene.

(Hyrum fulfilled an honorable mission to the Southern States.)

ELLEN'S:--

Samuel,*

Joseph S,* } twins.

Augusta,* } twins.

Jedediah, Rosalia.

FRANCES SWAN,* one of Heber's wives who left him, was the mother of one child, a daughter named for herself.

Heber also married Martha Knight,+ by whom he had one child, a son; name unknown.

One of his last wives was Mary Smithies,* the same whom, in her infancy, in a far-off land, he had blessed and promised that she should live to become "a mother in Israel." Her children are:--

Melvina, James,*

Wilford, Lorenzo, Abbie.

In the foregoing lists we have cla.s.sed together the wives who were the mothers of his children. Besides these there were many others, most of them aged ladies and widows whom he merely supported, without living with them. Following is a list of their names:--

Mary Fielding Smith,*[A]

[Footnote A: Widow of Hyrum Smith, sealed to Heber for time.]

Margaret McMinn,*

Hannah Moon,*

Dorothy Moon, Adelia Wilc.o.x, Huldah Barnes, Eliza Cravath, Mary Ann Shefflin,*

Charlotte Chase, Theresa Morley,*

Ruth L. Pierce, Maria Winchester,*

Laura Pitkin,*

Abigail Pitkin,*

Ruth Wellington,*

Abigail Buchanan,*

Sophronia Harmon,*