Married Charles Merrell 12 Oct 1834 in Missouri
Sarah-Charles William-Fenly-Clifford
Died 2 Feb 1901 in Elba, Idaho
Buried in Willard
1860 Census
1870 Census
1880 Census
1900 Census
There are several histories and stories listed below. It's worth looking through all of them even if they seem similar at first.
The Charles William Merrell Family
Compiled and edited by Velma Merrell Grimshaw and Marie Stevens Facer
Sarah "Polly" Finley, daughter of John G. Finley and Mary Ann Bozarth, was born 18 February, in Grayson County, Kentucky. She was married to Charles Merrell in Lewis County, Missouri, on 12 October 1834 (IGI 1988).
The period of time that Charles and Sarah spent in Iowa and their removal to Utah is written in the Merrell chronicle. We now continue Sarah's story of her life without Charles. (See Charles Merrell's page and the history below this one.)
The spring following the arrival of Sarah and her children in Utah found them settled in South Farmington, where they lived for about two years. On 29 June 1854, Sarah married Samuel B. Hardy, by whom she had three daughters: Caroline Matilda, Martha Ellen, and Sarah Hanna. Samuel moved the family to Bountiful, which was their home until 1860.
The intervening years were very hard for Sarah. Her new husband did not adequately provide for her and her children, so her sons herded cows and sheep to earn food for the family in lieu of money, which was practically nonexistent in Utah at that time. Joseph, age seven, herded sheep for a neighbor and received 15 pounds of wheat for ten months' work. Her other sons worked in similar jobs to earn "shorts" and bran from which to make bread. While they were in the hills herding animals, they had nothing to eat but sego bulbs and thistle roots which they dug up with sharp sticks (Merrell Family Papers, Joseph Merrell).
Mr. Hardy had come from Boston and was a shoemaker by trade. As he was accustomed to living from hand to mouth, he did not make provisions for hard times. Sarah's son Joseph (Ibid.) later recalled trapping wolves and foxes to eat. He told of a time in 1855 when they had boiled fox for dinner and company came; they told their guests they were eating rabbit. The family had a cow, so there was a little milk to supplement the game and the weeds they gathered to cook for greens.
In 1857 when Johnston's Army was sent to Utah to quell the " dissident Mormons," the settlers were asked to evacuate before the soldiers arrived. Sarah's family moved with their neighbors to Springville, leaving one of her sons in Bountiful to guard the house and burn it if the U. S. Army came to their part of the settlement. When the discord was settled, the family moved back and stayed for two more years.
In 1860 Hardy was called to go to Southern Utah, so he went south with a younger wife, according to Joseph's story. Sarah's son Orson moved her and the two little girls to Willard where some of her older children lived. Twelve days after the move, Sarah gave birth to her third child by Mr. Hardy. She named the child Sarah after Sarah Merrell, the daughter who had died in Council Bluffs on 8 October 1847.
Sarah learned nursing and midwifery and thereby earned her living and supported her children. During her practice she delivered about 900 babies and never lost a mother or child. After twenty-five years in this situation she went to live with some of her children in Idaho. She died in Elba, Idaho, on 2 February 1901 and was buried on February 5 in Willard, Utah (Ibid.).
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Builders of a Heritage
The History of Charles Merrell & Sarah Finley Merrell Hardy
Submitted by Kelly Anthon
Charles Merrell and Sarah Finley were married in Lewis County, Missouri on October 12, 1834. They were both from settler families. Charles' family moved to Missouri from North Carolina and Sarah's family settled in Missouri sometime in 1820 after leaving her birthplace in Kentucky. Sarah was fifteen years old when she married twenty-two year old Charles a day before his twenty-third birthday.
Soon after their marriage, the couple settled in Des Moines, Iowa and by 1839, they had three children -- Francis Marion, Nancy (our ancestor), and Sophia. While the Charles and Sarah were living in Des Moines, they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1839, they moved close to Nauvoo on the opposite side of the river in Lee County Iowa or Illinois where three more children were born -- Orson, John Finley, and Sarah.
After the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred in 1844, the Saints were forced to leave the Nauvoo area. Early in 1846, Charles and Sarah moved with the church and settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In addition to the persecution and hardships which caused them to leave their home and travel west with the Saints, the family suffered the loss of their daughter and sister Sarah who was just about to turn two years old. At the time of the child's death, her mother Sarah had just given birth to a new baby (Joseph) a week earlier. The family stayed at Council Bluffs (then Kanesville), Iowa until 1852. During their stay there, they had a total of three more children -- Joseph, Charles William, and Mary Jane.
On July 4th, 1852, the family started for the Salt Lake Valley. They were among the last to leave the Mormon settlement in Council Bluffs behind and traveled with the group that is often referred to as the "sugar train." This long caravan of some 200 yoke of oxen was led by the Apostle John Taylor and carried with it the first industrial machinery necessary to build a sugar factory in the western Mormon settlements. The machinery itself was divided up between numerous wagons "the larger, heavier equipment traveled much slower than the rest of the company and arrived much later in the Salt Lake Valley.
After only nine days into the journey, cholera broke out among the wagon train. Charles was stricken on July 13th and died later that evening around five 0' clock. Amasa Lyman, an early Saint wrote of this disease saying: "The cries and moanings of those suddenly attacked were truly terrific -- to see one stricken down in a moment and in a short hour the ruddy glow of health displaced by the pallor of death and to know that the sufferers were the forms of loved ones endeared to us by the tenderest ties that bind the heart and soul, was heart rending. To most of those sufferers there was not rest but the grave. However, some were healed, through administration, by a servant of God." Charles was buried that evening along the trail and the Apostle John Taylor officiated. Sarah was left widowed with eight children, many of whom were still very young. And she still faced a long journey ahead.
The day after Charles' death, the Saints officially organized after crossing the Elkhorn River. There were approximately fifty-two wagons with a captain assigned to every ten wagons. Allen Weeks was chosen captain over Sarah's family. The leaders went to great lengths to help Sarah and her family along the way. Sarah had a team of oxen which was hard to handle. Apostle Taylor sent her a pair of gentle oxen which helped a great deal. Orson (ten years old) and John (eight years old) had to manage the two pair of oxen and one team of cows the rest of the way. Sarah was ill most of the journey and all of her energy had to be used in caring for her children -- the youngest was only about seven months old.
With God's help, the family arrive in the Valley on October 12th. Her eldest son had gone ahead of the group and met them upon their arrival. He and a Mr. Chaffin took the family to a small two-room house where they stayed temporarily. They soon moved to the North part of Salt Lake City where they stayed until spring. Friends then arranged for the family to move to South Farmington where Mrs. Merrell met and married Samuel Hardy in June 1854. Sarah and her new husband moved to Bountiful, Utah after their marriage; together they had three daughters. The family stayed in Bountiful until 1860 when Brother Hardy was called to go to southern Utah. At the time of the calling, Sarah was expecting a child. Together, Samuel and Sarah decided that she should move to Willard, Utah with her daughter Nancy Merrell Call and her husband Homer Call (our ancestors) instead of traveling to Southern Utah. Homer and Nancy provided a home for Sarah and her young children -- Sarah delivered her last daughter twelve days after arriving in Willard.
Sarah Finley was known as a skilled and gifted nurse. Just after moving to Bountiful, she began to diligently study nursing. Her first case was the birth of Jane Pettingill in November 1857. Eventually, Melchizedek Priesthood leaders set her apart as a nurse and midwife. She was very successful and brought comfort to hundreds of people. She officiated at the birth of some 900 babies and continued to practice nursing until 1885 when she moved to live with relatives in Elba, Idaho. Sarah Finley Merrell Hardy died on February 21 1901 at the home of Mrs. Martha Parish in Elba Idaho.
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Here's another history of Sarah:
Sarah Finley is the daughter of John and Mary Bosarth Finley born 18 Feb. 1819 in Grayson Co., Kentucky. About the year 1829 she with her parents moved to Lewis Co., Missouri. On Oct 12, 1834 she married Charles Merrell son of Eli Merrell who was born 13 Oct 1811 or 1813.
Soon after her marriage they moved to Des Moines, Iowa. There the following children were born: Francis Marion 18 Feb 1837; Nancy 8 Nov. 1838; Sophia 11 Dec. 1839; While there Mr. and Mrs. Merrell joined the Mormon Church and in 1849 moved opposite Nauvoo, Lee Co., Illinois where the following children were born: Orson 2 Feb. 1842; John Finley 21 Oct. 1843; Sarah 5 Nov.
Early in 1846 they moved West with the main body of the Saints and settled in Council Bluffs, Iowa. There Sarah died 8 Oct. 1847. Here the following children were born: Joseph 22 Sept 1847; Charles William 27 Nov 1849; Mary Jane 29 Jan 1852.
On July 4, 1852 they started for the Salt Lake Valley and on July 13th, Charles Merrell died, being stricken with cholera. He was buried at 5:00 p.m. that evening with Apostle John Taylor taking charge. The next day they crossed the Elk Horn River and organized. There were about 52 wagons. Allen Weeks was chosen Captain of the company. There was a captain for every 10 wagons. Mrs. Merrell's team wasn't very gentle so Apostle John Taylor sent her a pair of gentle oxen which was a great help to the family as Mrs. Merrell was ill most of the way and Orson 10, John 8 had to manage the two pair of steers and one pair of cows.
They arrived in Salt Lake City 12 October 1852 being met by her son Marion and Mr. Chaffin who took the family to a 2 small room home. The family soon moved to the north part of the city where they resided until spring when friends arranged for them to move to South Farmington.
Mrs. Merrell here met Samuel B. Hardy, whom she married in June of 1854. Soon after her marriage, she moved to Bountiful where she resided until 1860. M:r. Hardy was called to locate in Southern Utah and he moved Sarah and her family to Willard, Utah, where three of her children then resided (Mrs. Homer Call, Orson, and John) who provided a home for their mother and family. At this time she had six children:
Joseph, 18~ William, 11~ Mary Jane, age 8 (all Merrells) Matilda, age 5, Martha, age 2, and Sarah, born twelve days after they arrived in Willard.
By doing much studying and having been set apart by the priesthood, Sarah became quite successful in her practice as all-around nurse. At Willard she continued nursing until 1885 when she went to live with her children. Besides her nursing of the sick, she had officiated at the birth of nine hundred children.
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This last bit is from interviews with Francis Merrell II in the 1950s.
Charles married Sarah Finley on October 12, 1834. She was from Grayson County, Kentucky. The couple lived in many places and in one they were apparently converted to Mormonism. There next settlement was near the mouth of the Des Moines River, in Lee County Iowa. This was adjacent to the Mormon community of Keokuk and right across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo was the center of Mormonism at that time.
Sarah Finley Merrill became very "wrapped" up in the church during that time. Charles also joined the church and as long as the Mormons were in Nauvoo, he would go over there in rowboat with products for the market across the river. Charles' son Francis Marion (I) was the oldest child of the Merrell family and would accompany Charles on many of these trips. Charles on the trips to "Zion" related this oral history to his son Francis Marion (II). He said that he usually took over something to the home of Joseph Smith, the Mormon Leader, and many times he saw the "Prophet of God" and would speak to him.
One time, as they were leaving the Smith home, Charles asked "How is Sister Smith this day?" The Prophet replied "She says but little and knows but little." Francis asked his father want this meant and his father told him "It is true, Brother Smith has taken more wives than one."
At this time there were two young men running a little newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor. The paper printed one issue - denouncing plural marriage. The printing press was destroyed and the press was thrown into the street. This started the communities' outrage against Joseph Smith. Charles and his son were in this Mormon town the day following and Francis and the other town's boys filled their pockets with type from the broken press.
The Mormons felt they had to migrate further West - and though Charles Merrell wanted to quit the whole thing, his wife would have none of it. When they fled Illinois the Merrells went with them.
The Mormon families started leaving Illinois in 1846 and the community was nearly emptied by 1850. The Merrells planned to leave as soon as they sold the family land, but the land was hard to sell in 1850-51. They did not leave until 1851 and the farm was sold for only $1200. The farm was resold again in a very few years for $40,000. But as refugees the Mormons could not demand much for their land. They sold all their belongings and moved west along the Mormon Trail.
As they came along, they found vegetable gardens that had been planted by the Mormon trains that had gone on the season before them. They caught up with the some of the other Mormon refugees and new converts at Council Bluffs, Iowa. This was called "winter quarters" and the Mormons built semi permanent
cabins for the migrants to use.
Then in the spring of 1852 the family made ready to cross the Missouri River, "as soon as the grass grew and the water ran" - this was a mighty step - they left the United States and civilization behind and headed west.
Charles Merrill (41 years old at the time), took his family across the mouth of the Platt River where it enters the Missouri River - a place called Elkhorn Ferry. He and many others became very ill there. He died and the death was attributed to cholera. His body was wrapped in blankets and hastily buried in the road - the soil was compacted, and timbers dragged over the grave to keep wild animals from the newly made graves.
Sarah and Charles had nine children - the last, Mary Jane, was born at Winter Quarters, just three months before Charles' death. Sarah Finley remarried in 1854 - the second husband's name was Samuel B. Hardy.
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I believe this history was written by Phillis Merrell Miller:
Charles Merrell was born October 13, 1811 at Cane Creek, Buncombe, North Carolina to Eli and Nancy McCrary Merrell. He would have been a boy of about eleven when he moved with his father, mother, his brothers and sisters and some of his uncles and aunts to Missouri and settled Merrellsville, Marion County, Missouri, before January 28, 1823. Little is known of his early life, for the only record found is a record of his marriage to Sarah Finley on October 12, 1834, in Marion County, Missouri, while living in Merrellsville. Charles was twenty-three and Sarah was fifteen at the time of their marriage. Therefore, Sarah needed the consent of her parents so that she could be married. Sarah's family is listed in the 1830 Marion County, Missouri, U. S. Census under the name of her father, John Finley - on the same page is Charles' family under the name of Eli Merrell. Thus it appears that Charles and Sarah were neighbors.
It is not known when Charles and Sarah moved to Iowa but Charles is not mentioned in records available in any land purchases or sales in Marion or Lewis counties. Their move to Iowa must have come within two years after their October 12, 1834 marriage in Marion County, Missouri, since their first child, Francis Marion, was born in Augusta, Des Moines County, Iowa on February 18, 1837. Child number two Nancy
was born there on November 8, 1838 and the third Sophia on December 11, 1839.
While living in Iowa, Sarah and Charles joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and in 1839 they moved opposite Nauvoo, Illinois to Montrose, Lee County, Iowa. While living in Montrose, the following children were born: Orson, February 1, 1841; John Finley, October 21, 1843; and Sarah, November 5, 1845.
Nauvoo was the gathering place of the Mormons and Orson reported that Charles "worked some" to build the Nauvoo Temple. We know that Charles and Sarah had a strong conviction of the importance of the ordinances performed in the temple and that these ordinances are necessary in order to gain exaltation.
During 1845 there was much persecution of the Mormons in Nauvoo and in the fall of 1845 there were intense preparations being made for their departure to the West. They had planned to leave in the spring of 1846, but Brigham Young feared that if they waited until spring they would be prevented from going.
In December 1845 and January 1846 the brethren spent a great deal of time in the Nauvoo Temple giving endowments to the faithful Saints; while continuing to prepare for the exodus from Nauvoo. The leaders of the Church were continually annoyed and harassed by both state and federal officials and during the last week of January, 1846, word came to President Brigham Young, almost daily, that some action would be taken, by state or government officials, to prevent the departure of the Mormons from Nauvoo. On February 2, 1846, Brigham Young met with the Twelve Apostles, trustees, and a few others and they agreed that they should not wait for spring but should start west as soon as possible.
Although President Brigham Young had given word that the time had come for the endowment work in the Temple to cease, those who had failed to receive the ordinances were willing to depart for the western wilderness without their blessings. In President Young's history under date of Tuesday, February 3, 1846, is the following:
Notwithstanding that I have announced that we would not attend to the administration the ordinances, the House of the Lord was thronged all day, the anxiety being so great receive, as if the brethren would have to stay here and continue the endowments until f way was hedged up, and our enemies intercept us. But I informed the brethren that this was not wise, and that we should build more Temples and have further opportunities to receive the blessings of the Lord, as soon as the Saints were prepared to receive them. this temple we have been abundantly rewarded, if we receive no more. I also informed the brethren that I was going to get my wagons started, and be off. I walked some distance from the Temple, supposing the crowd would disperse, but on returning I found the House filled to overflowing. Looking upon the multitude, and knowing their anxiety as they were thirsting and hungering for the word, we continued at work diligently in the House of the Lord. Two hundred and ninety-five persons received the ordinances. (Nibley, Preston, Exodus to Greatness, Deseret News Press1947, pp. 105-107.)
Charles and Sarah Finley Merrell were among those who "were thirsting and hungering for the word" and are listed in the Nauvoo Temple Record as having received their Endowment on February 3, 1846. Others received their endowment throughout the week and following the ordinances on Saturday, February 7th, the
Temple was closed. During that same year, this family moved west with the main body of the church and settled in Council Bluffs, Pottawattomie, Iowa. Their daughter, Sarah, died in Council Bluffs on October 8, 1847. Three more children were born while they lived there: Joseph, September 22, 1847; Charles William,
November 27, 1849; and Mary Jane, January 29, 1852.
A history written by Charles and Sarah's son, Orson, has the following regarding the family during this move: My father worked some on that (Nauvoo) Temple and was driven with the Saints. When the Mormon Battalion was made up Father was sick and that is all that kept him from being one of that number. My father's family stopped on the east of the Missouri river at a place called Council Point near the Bluffs. [This area was Council Bluff, Pottawattomie, Iowa, which is sometimes referred to as Kanesville.] It was a hard job to get enough to eat of corn bread. Meetings was held regular.
Their was considerable sickness of chills and fever. I was baptized when eight years old by my Father We was taut to Pray. At one time their was a few children out in the woods and one of them lost a knife and commenst to constitutional remedy and said he would get a whipping. I told them if we would pray the Lord would show us so we could find the knife so we all knelt down and I prade. Shure enough we soon found the knife.
On July 4, 1852, they started for the Salt Lake Valley. Their oldest son, Francis Marion, had started for Salt Lake earlier that same spring to work his passage with another family who needed assistance. The family started out with one wagon, two yoke of oxen and a yoke of cows. They were several days crossing the Missouri River. Crossing the river was very strenuous work. They would pull the flat boat close to the shore up stream by hand. Then they would load up the boat and paddle across by letting the current carry then down stream to the other side.
Charles worked very hard wading in the water in the hot sun. They started on and on the 13th of July, Charles Merrell was taken sick with cholera and died at five p.m. that same, day after traveling about 14 miles. His body was rolled in quilts and was buried the same evening near the Elkhorn River (Douglas, Nebraska.) Apostle John Taylor took charge of the burial. This left Sarah with eight children, the oldest 14
years and the youngest 6 months, with the two oldest being girls. The next day July 14th, they crossed the Elk Horn River and organized with a captain for each ten wagons. Allen Weeks was chosen captain of the company which consisted of about 53 wagons.
Sarah's team was not gentle, so Apostle John Taylor sent her a gentle pair of oxen. This was a great help to the family as Sarah was sick a great portion of the journey and Orson, 10 years, and John, 8 years, had to manage the two pair of oxen and one pair of cows.
After many hardships on the plains, they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley October 12, 1852, and were met there by her son Francis Marion and a Mr. Chaffan who took the family to his home, a house of two small rooms. The family moved to the north part of the city soon thereafter, where they resided until spring, when friends arranged for them to move to South Farmington.
There Sarah met Samuel Brocklebank Hardy whom she married June 29, 1852. Soon after their marriage they moved to Bountiful where they resided until 1860. They had three girls born to them; Caroline Matilda Hardy born April 14, 1855, Bountiful, Davis, Utah; Martha Ellen Hardy born May 14, 1857, Bountiful, Davis, Utah; and Sarah Hannah Hardy born November 27, 1860, in Willard, Box Elder, Utah.
Mr. Hardy was called to colonize southern Utah and took one of his other wives with him. He moved Sarah and her children to Willard where three of her children then resided, and they provided a home for their mother and the other children.
To help provide for herself and her family, Sarah took up nursing soon after moving to Bountiful. In a booklet published for a lesson for the camps of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers we gain the following understanding of the training and function of a pioneer midwife.
Sarah's first case as a midwife was at the birth of Jane Pettingill, November 1854. By giving much study and having been set apart by the Priesthood, Sarah became quite successful in her practice as an all purpose nurse of the sick. She would be called out all hours of the day and night to administer to the needs of the sick. Some of her grandchildren later, recalled that they were told that whenever she was needed she would take her black bag, climb on her horse, which she rode sidesaddle, and ride wherever she was needed.
At Willard she continued as a nurse until 1886 when she went to live among her children. She had officiated at the birth of nearly nine hundred children, besides nursing at the bedside of many sick. Sarah Finley Merrell Hardy died February 2, 1901, at Elba, Cassia, Idaho, where she resided with her daughters Martha Hardy (Mrs. Robert) Parish and Sarah Hardy (Mrs. Charles) Brewerton. She was buried at Willard, Box Elder, Utah on February 5, 1901.
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