AUGUST 1994 NEWSLETTER
Partial history of Sarah Ann (Bidwell) MOWER, wife of John MOWER who was the son of Henry MOWER Sr:
Sarah Ann BIDWELL was born 12 July 1830 at Farmersville, Caltargus Co., New York. She was the daughter of Robert William BIDWELL and Elizabeth ROE. She was the oldest child. She was baptized into the LDS Church in January 1838 in Kirtland, Ohio. They had to cut a hole in the ice to baptize her as the river was frozen over.
Her family lived in Missouri at the time the Saints were being mobbed and persecuted. She said: "Persecutions in Missouri were terrifying. One of the neighbor women sent us word that the mob was hunting for the men and boys to kill or take them prisoners. A few days after that we were playing by the house when some men came out of the woods, coming toward the house. We children ran in the house and crawled under the bed. Mother went outside to see what they wanted. The men cursed and swore and said they would kill her. They drove her into the woods. She was gone all night. We were so frightened for we thought they had killed her. She came back in the morning."
(From a letter in her own writing from Kingston, Caldwell Co., Missouri dated August 24, 1870) The mother, Elizabeth (Roe) BIDWELL lived in a log house belonging to James Pareton. "He said it was a Mormon house once in Farr West, and I ought to take comfort in it. He didn't charge me any rent and let me have a garden spot... I feel sometimes as though I came here by command to look at the fields of woods or pastures of the wilderness for I have been many times... to the ground of Mr. Kellers. The old relics [artifacts] are there yet to be seen and a great many more.
"I have been down to Showel Creek to the well the Saints were thrown in. It was a doleful sight. It had been filled up many times they say, but it is very sunken now with dry brush and tall weeds around it. Some of the logs were thrown in on top of the people. Some called it the Mormon ford or town. The people held the fourth of July not far from the well towards the right, you face the creek on the other side.
"I tell you last July 12, on Sunday morning, I slept in Farr West in the house of Joseph Smith. I assure you I felt well having the privilege of resting in the house he often rested in. I had a dream or revelation. I saw written Missouri desolation.... I dreamed corn was about knee-high and very weedy and it looked as though it had rained to make the grass grow. The hoppers were very bad. They were in twenty-one counties in Missouri. Men had to leave their plowing."
She also had a dream of a terrible thunder storm. She said she had never heard of such terrible peals of thunder nor such flashes of lighting. Three days later it thundered, rained and lightened. Three people were killed. She told the story of when they were driven from Missouri and endured many hardships. The Missouri River was very high. They had to live in a tent and suffered much from the cold.
"I was ten years old when we moved to Nauvoo. We lived there six years. The Prophet used to visit us often. The Prophet and Hyrum were well acquainted with my parents. One particular time I recall so well, I was attending a singing school. There were so many people present and no room for all to sit. The Prophet said, 'Come here little girl' and he took me and I sat on his knee. Which I had done many times as he was a frequent visitor to our home. the Saints were persecuted a great deal after they killed the Prophet. It is impossible to describe the sorrow of the Saints. I well remember when we went to the home to view the bodies [of Joseph and Hyrum]."
"I attended the meeting where they were to choose someone to lead the Church [Nauvoo, August 1847]. Brigham Young was speaking and I saw the Mantle of Joseph fall upon Brigham, his voice was Joseph's and his very appearance was that of Joseph. Hundreds witnessed the diving manifestation."
Sarah Ann BIDWELL married John MOWER at Council Bluff, Iowa on 11 April 1850. They soon immigrated to Utah arriving 25 September 1850 in the Salt Lake Valley. One event on the trip was especially noteworthy. They had been without food for sometime and felt like they would perish with hunger. They prayed and when they opened their eyes, they could see in the distance, coming from the brush towards them an object. As it came closer they could see it was a lone buffalo. As it drew closer John raised his gun and shot it between the eyes in order not to waste any of the meat. They were very thankful for they knew their prayers had been answered.
"At one time, I Sarah Ann, was very sick. The Elders came and administered to me and promised me I would get well. I got right up and was entirely well."
Upon arrival in Utah they went to Bountiful in Davis County and lived there for a short time. While here they had a baby girl born to them in 1851. She died in infancy. This was the only child they ever had. Sarah Ann also buried her father 4 January 1851 in Bountiful. [Does anyone know the name of this infant, date of birth or death? Has she been sealed to her parents?--- JM]
It was fall when John and Sarah MOWER came to North Ogden or later known as Pleasant View. They built their first home, a one room log house just below the canal about 1/4 mile from where the Pleasant View church now stands. Four or five days after they came, Simeon Cragun and his wife, Susan (Mower) Cragun came and built their house just above the canal. [Susan MOWER was a full sister to John]
Everything looked desolate. They could see nothing but sagebrush, greasewood, Rocky Mountains and hills. They were rather discouraged, but winter was coming and they had to prepare some means of a home so they went to the mountains to get logs, and they built their house. They had enough provisions to last until summer. Wild chickens and rabbits were abundant and there was plenty of sagebrush to burn, which they needed for the first winter was a severe one. They lived in the house a short time then they made their permanent home about one mile south of the Utah Hot Springs. This John made of adobe, making all the adobe himself by hand. He built drying rack on the knolls just below the Utah Hot Springs. He moulded the adobe bricks and placed them on racks to dry, and later hauled them home.
The grounds around their springs were very beautiful. A fresh spring of water, where he banked and made a pond, where they kept ducks and geese were at the back. In the front of a large lawn of knot grass which Sarah Ann swept with a sagebrush broom. Hollyhocks grew around the house.
John and Sarah ran the stagecoach station for about 19 years. In as much as they had no family of their own, they cared for many who were unfortunate and homeless. Among them was a man named Deranham. He was a cripple. They kept him for years until he died. They took Thomas BUDGE at the age of two years. His father brought the family to Utah from Scotland in October 1860. He lived with them until 1878. He was married 16 Dec 1880 and their first home was the east room of the Mower home. Annie Budge CRAGUN was born in this room. Thomas' wife died 1 Jan 1890 and he brought his family back to live with John and Sarah Ann. They also cared for children of two of Sarah Ann's sisters. Joseph, Calvin and Levi Wheeler lived with them for years. Also the family of Emma and Goerge MOWER. They were: Lorenzo, Robert, William and Ezra. Their mother died two hours after the birth of Ezra and left a family of 11 children. Seven boys and four girls. John and Sarah Ann raised Ezra from the age of two months until manhood.
John was also a skillful rock mason. He rocked abuttments to build bridges on whicle crossing the plains and also rocked many water wells in their community and other surrounding communities. On 19 March 1896 John and his nephew Ezra were sleeping on a bed on the floor. About midnight Sarah Ann spoke and all seemed well, but in the morning when Ezra awoke he found John cold. He had died during the night. This was a great loss to Ezra.
Sarah Ann lived on until 7 Jan 1915, being cared for in her declining years by Ezra who had married, had four daughters, and had then separated from his wife. Her age at death was 84 years 6 months and 27 days.