George Spencer Family | A Short Life History written by grandson, Lewis A. Hancock | |
Children's HistoriesGrandchildren's HistoriesGeorge's mother
George's father |
George Spencer, a son of Moses Roswell Spencer and Alma Flagg, was born 7 October, 1829 in West Hartford, Connecticut. His ancestors were some of the first settlers of Connecticut and Massachusetts as early as 1630. When he was a young man his family moved west to Illinois. One of his jobs was to fill the water barrels as they were crossing the streams by dipping water as they crossed. His father wished him to become a doctor so he went to school, I am not sure just where, but he met and married a girl by the name of Emily Brown Bush at an early age. She was very young and since his father objected and would not support them he set out on his own. He teamed up with another man who was going to the gold fields of California. All seemed to go well until they reached Bridger, Wyoming. There the company divided; some went the northern route; the rest went through Salt Lake City to Brigham City, thence west around the Great Salt Lake to California. George and he and his partner separated; George was left the prairie schooner, a horse and a cow. The wagon had to be cut down in size so the horse and cow could pull it. On July 23rd, they arrived at the mouth of Emigration Canyon where they stopped to let their stock rest before moving on. The 24th the Mormons were celebrating their arrival in the "Valley" two years before, so they went downtown to see what it was all about. George's wife, Emily was much impressed. But soon they were on their way to California again. By the time they reached Brigham City, the cow was lame so they decided to winter there. Emily's youngest son, John later said his father taught school there and Emily was baptized. George was baptized 7 October, 1852. On April 25, 1854 their first child, Emily was born in Nephi, Juab Co. Utah. John said his father, George was the first schoolteacher in Nephi. Their second child, India was born 6 May, 1856 in Nephi. She was blessed as India in Nephi and baptized as Julia in Moroni. It must have been about this time that George married Mary Ann Payne. Their first child, Mary Ann, was born in Washington, Utah, 21 August 1857. At a Conference in St. George 2nd April 1858, it is said that Emily told George to take another wife so he married Sarah Marinda Thompson, my grandmother, as his third wife. In 1860 the Spencer family was in Moroni, San Pete County. George was there and in Manti until a little after the birth of my mother Jerusha Irene, by Sarah Marinda. About 1870 George was called on a Mission to Missouri for 6 months. While there he worked some in a cheese factory. So upon his return home he was called to set up som cheese factories. He was to go into the mountains of Glendale, Kane Co. Utah to set up a cheese factory. He and another man were taking some stuff up a canyon in April when it began to snow. George had a good overcoat, the other man was older and not so warmly dressed so George gave him his coat. Being exposed to the weather, George soon caught cold and got pnumonia and died April 1872. His was the first grave in the Glendale Cemetery. He was buried before his family in Washington and St. George knew anything had happened. He left three wives and 21 children. He died at the young age of 42 years and about 6 months. A note:
There are about five histories of George Spencer in the library of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, each by a different author.
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