I have been neglecting to post on this blog for much too long! I hope to rectify that.
In my senior years, I have been able to do research on our family ancestors, especially our ancestor William Henry Little from Richmond County, Georgia. I will put more of his story here soon.
I love you all, Michael Little
This week
members of my Ward, Sierra Vista Ward, visited our house twice with Christmas Songs.
It reminded me of a story that was found in Family Search concerning the last
Christmas of the Prophet and his brother and how our ancestors serenaded the
Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s households early Christmas morning.
A Christmas Serenade – Taken from Joseph Smith’s Journal
“Monday,
25.—This morning, about one o’clock, I was aroused by an English
sister, Lettice Rushton, widow of Richard Rushton, Senior, (who, ten years ago,
lost her sight,) accompanied by three of her sons, with their wives, and her
two daughters, with their husbands, and several of her neighbors, singing,
“Mortals, awake! with angels join,” &c., which caused a thrill of pleasure
to run through my soul. All of my family and boarders arose to hear the
serenade, and I felt to thank my Heavenly Father for their visit, and blessed
them in the name of the Lord. They also visited my brother Hyrum, who was
awakened from his sleep. He arose and went out of doors. He shook hands with
and blessed each one of them in the name of the Lord, and said that he thought
at first that a cohort of angels had come to visit him, it was such heavenly
music to him.”
Several events made this Christmas of 1843 special to the Prophet Joseph Smith and his household. This was to be the last Christmas for the Prophet and his brother, Hyrum. Lettice Rushton, mentioned in his journal, is my 4th Great Grandmother. Her married name is Rushton, her maiden name is Johnson. Her daughter is Henrietta Rushton who was married to Thomas Bullock, the church historian and scribe to presidents’ Joseph Smith and Brigham Young*(see note below). Thomas Bullock is my 3rd Great Grandfather. All descendants of Wesley Blaine Little Sr. are related to Lettice, Richard, Henrietta and Thomas.
Due
to Lettice’s blindness Richard Rushton came to Nauvoo ahead of his wife so that
he could build her a house before she came to America. When the house was built
she left England with her daughter Henrietta and Thomas Bullock, and her son
Richard Jr. who just completed a mission. After a harrowing trip across the
Atlantic (the crew thought the ship was doomed after losing all three main masts in a storm) they arrived in Nauvoo the last day of May, 1843.
A
few months later Richard took ill and passed away on October 4th so Lettice
was widowed less than 3 months prior to Christmas. Her husband is buried in the
Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds. They came to
America from Leek,
Staffordshire, England to join the Saints in “Nauvoo the Beautiful”. Leek is a
town near the beautiful modern day ‘Peak District National Park’ in central
England about 40 miles north of Birmingham. Richard Rushton was a silk
merchant in Leek.
Facsimile
of Joseph Smith’s Journal: Monday December 25, 1843
Joseph’s birthday was
December 23rd and this Christmas was particularly joyous to him. The
Mansion House had just been completed and after a celebration of about 50
couples on Christmas Day an extraordinary happening took place. Here is a continuation
of December 25 Journal entry of Joseph Smith;
“At home all day. About noon, gave counsel to some brethren who
called on me from Morley Settlement, and told them to keep law on their side,
and they would come out well enough.
At two o’clock, about fifty couples sat down at my table to
dine. While I was eating, my scribe called, requesting me to solemnize the
marriage of his brother, Dr. Levi Richards, and Sara Griffiths; but as I could
not leave, I referred him to President Brigham Young, who married them.
A large party supped at my house, and spent the evening in
music, dancing, &c., in a most cheerful and friendly manner. During the
festivities, a man with his hair long and falling over his shoulders, and
apparently drunk, came in and acted like a Missourian. I requested the captain
of the police to put him out of doors. A scuffle ensued, and I had an
opportunity to look him full in the face, when, to my great surprise and joy
untold, I discovered it was my long-tried, warm, but cruelly persecuted friend,
Orrin Porter Rockwell, just arrived from nearly a year’s imprisonment, without
conviction, in Missouri.”
Further reading Joseph
Smith’s Journal regarding Porter Rockwell’s account of his trials during the
past year is a very interesting and fascinating story for another time.
*Thomas Bullock’s
form of shorthand provided the longest record of 4 recorders of the King
Follett Discourse given to about 20,000 Saints at the April 7, 1844, General
Conference.
This
story and many others I have cherished and gleaned on the Church’s Family
Search site.
If you have not already done so, please sign up for your free account and search these stories for yourself!
Merry Christmas 2023, Michael and Vickie Little
Did you know that Bluetooth was named after
our Viking ancestor found in the LITTLE Family Tree?
The Bluetooth technology
design was named in 1997 after a Danish king, Harald “Bluetooth”, based on an
analogy that the technology would unite devices the way Harald Bluetooth united
the tribes of Denmark into a single kingdom. The Bluetooth logo consists of his
initials, H (ᚼ) and B (ᛒ) from and an alphabet of 16 characters from
the period. The alphabet is a runic alphabet called the “Younger Futhark”, and the
Bluetooth logo is a “bind rune”.
Who was Harald Bluetooth?
Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson ruled as King of Denmark for
28 years (c.958–986), and ruled as king of Norway about 15 years in the 970’s. He introduced Christianity to Denmark and
consolidated his rule over most of Jutland and Zealand. He was the
son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod.
It seems Harald Bluetooth is well regarded among the Danes in
Denmark. 2 massive runestones were raised (carved with runic letters and
positioned) by he and his father that are national treasures. The two huge
rocks are located in the town of Jelling in Denmark and are commonly known as “Jelling
Stones”.
Large life-sized replicas of Harald Bluetooth’s stone are located
in many parts of the world. One was specially made for the Denmark exhibit in
the Panama International Exhibition in San Francisco in 1915. The exhibit
celebrated the completion of the Panama Canal only 9 years after the
devastating earthquake and fire of 1906, helping the city get back on its feet.
Runic Alphabet
Runestones and Jelling stones
A runestone is typically a raised stone with a runic (Viking alphabet prior to Latin) inscription. The tradition began in the 4th century and lasted into the 12th century, but most of the runestones date from the late Viking Age. Most runestones are located in Scandinavia, but there are also scattered runestones in locations that were visited by Norsemen during the Viking Age. Runestones are often memorials to dead men. Runestones were usually brightly colored when erected, though no longer evident as the color has worn off.
The Jelling stones are massive
carved runestones, from the 10th century, found at the town of Jelling in Denmark.
The older of the two Jelling stones was raised by
King Gorm
the Old in memory of his
wife Thyra. The larger of the two stones was raised by King
Gorm's son, Harald Bluetooth, in memory of his parents, celebrating his conquest
of Denmark and Norway, and his conversion of the Danes to Christianity. The runic inscriptions on these stones are considered the best known in
Denmark. In 1994, the stones, in addition to the burial mounds and small
church nearby, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an
unparalleled example of both pagan and Christian Nordic culture. The stones
are strongly identified with the creation of Denmark as a nation state. The
larger stone explicitly mentions the conversion of Denmark from Norse paganism and the
process of Christianization, alongside a depiction of the crucified Christ; it is
therefore popularly dubbed "Denmark's baptismal certificate”, an
expression coined by an art historian in the 1930s.
Close up of Harald’s Jelling Stone
Runestones were originally colored similar to this copy in the Viking Exhibition in the National Museum of Denmark.
What is the Curmsun Disc?
The Curmsun Disc is a concave gold
disc, dated to the 10th to 12th century, that gained
scholarly attention in 2014 after an 11-year-old Polish girl in Sweden showed
it to her history teacher. The disc did not appear to be made of gold so it was
placed in a box with old buttons.
The disk weighs .890 oz and has a diameter of 1.8 in.
The Danish Viking king Harald
Bluetooth is mentioned in the inscription of the disc.
So when you see the Bluetooth logo or operate a wireless Bluetooth device like your wireless speakers or earbuds, you can say that it was named after your ancestor.
To find out more:
The rune stones - Jellingprojektet (natmus.dk)
Most information from Wikipedia and the National
Museum of Denmark.
William Henry Little was born on October 4, 1840 in Richmond County, Georgia as the first son of William McLaws Little and Dicey Rhodes Little. His family members called him by his middle name, "Henry". He had two older sisters, four younger sisters, two younger brothers, and a brother who died at 3 months of age. In addition, he had 3 half siblings from his father’s first marriage to Arvilla Haney. Arvilla had died and William had remarried to Dicey Rhodes, eloping without her parents knowledge, with Dicey climbing through a window. When William McLaws Little and Dicey first married, they lived in a small home constructed of wood. One night a fire started from a candle set on a windowsill. Their original home unfortunately burned down.
Henry’s father, William McLaws Little, owned two dappled grey horses. The circus wanted to buy them but he refused to sell, so they reached a compromise. William would be paid to train his horses to perform in their circus. Henry and his siblings accompanied William and Dicey while they were on the road traveling with the circus. In addition for caring for the children, Dicey also sewed jackets for the performing monkeys to wear. The family made a lot of money doing this and finally returned to Richmond County, Georgia where they had saved enough to buy 1500 acres of timbered ground near Augusta. A big creek ran though the middle of the land, and they dammed it up to furnish waterpower to operate a gristmill for grinding corn. Henry and his brothers learned to work through clearing their timbered ground, and learning the trade of carpentry. The Little daughters were taught to be dressmakers. The family as devout members of the Baptist Church, and the children were taught from the Bible. Sons Henry, Adam, and John were very musical and played together on their fiddles while their sisters would dance to their music.
When Henry was in his 20th year, he married Mary Elizabeth Inglett who was born February 6, 1842 in Richmond county, Georgia to Matthew Wilkes Inglett and Annis Baggett Inglett. Mary was the seventh child of their ten known children. Henry and Mary had lived near one another and knew each other as they grew up. Both Henry and Mary were raised on land that is now part of the Fort Gordon Army Base near Augusta, Georgia. Mary had become pregnant at 17 years of age, by a man (who was possibly known only to her) that she never married. Two months after her daughter Monemia was born, Mary married William Henry Little. Their wedding took place on July 20, 1860. Henry raised Monemia as his own daughter, never treating her any different from the other children. He and Mary made their first home on land given to them by his father. In addition to helping to farm his father's land, Henry practiced the trade of carpentry that he had learned from his father, William.
Mary and Henry had only a short, happy time together before war broke out between the North and the South. On September 10, 1861, Henry enlisted in the Confederate Army as a Private in Company C, 28th Infantry Regiment. Also enlisting on the same day in the same company were Mary's brother, Thomas Wilkes Glasscock Inglett, and her cousin Andrew Edward Inglett. Two more of Mary's cousins served in the same Company, enlisting the next summer. Henry's position in the Army was that of an ambulance driver. The ambulances were usually attached to the rear guard, and could accommodate men lying down or several men sitting. One can only imagine the devastating sight of the wounded that Henry must have encountered during the War.
After the surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, Henry returned home. During the War, his father had passed away after catching a bad cold. This put a physical and financial burden on the returning Henry to help care for his younger brothers and sisters in addition to caring for a daughter, and a wife who was now pregnant with a second child. Because Henry and his brothers had been well trained in carpentry by their father, the three of them were able to put their skill to work building homes and businesses in the Augusta, Georgia area thus aiding in the reconstruction of the South and enabling them to earn a living during those hard times after the war.
Henry and Mary had twelve more children born to them over the next few years. All of their children lived to adulthood with the exception of John Bolar Little who died at about 18 months of age. It was unusual in their day for such a large family to have so many children survive to adulthood. Henry and Mary had many happy years as they raised their children, farming their land, with Henry also sometimes teaching at the local schoolhouse.
In 1887, two Mormon missionaries came to the little community of Pinetucky in Richmond County, Georgia. The missionaries were Albert Ricks Smith and David Bennion. A Southern States Mission of the Church had previously been organized in 1875, but missionaries had been driven out through mob violence. In 1879, a Georgia mob had shot and killed missionary Joseph Standing who was serving in Western Georgia. Unable to protect the missionaries, the Church pulled all missionaries out of Georgia for the next nine years. When it was determined to be somewhat safe again, missionaries crossed through Georgia. Elder Bennion and Elder Smith came upon the small community of Bath – a summer resort built by rich antebellum planters. The missionaries decided to go from there to Hephzibah, but instead, decided to turn around and take the opposite direction. While nearing the community of Hood’s Chapel, they came across three men in the woods who were cutting cross-ties for the railroad, one of whom was John Benjamin Cawley. (Son-in-law of Henry Little) They were very impressed with him. They told John that he was of a special lineage of the House of Israel and that someday he would be baptized and go to Utah. (This prophecy was later fulfilled.) Upon making inquiries in the area, Elder Smith and Elder Bennion were given the suggestion that they visit William Henry Little, as one who would allow them a night’s stay in his home.
By the time they arrived at Henry Little’s house late in the evening on December 13, 1887, their second day in the area, the weather had become stormy. After knocking at the Little family door, and then meeting Henry, Elder Bennion described him as a “rather well-to-do and influential citizen”. Elder Bennion recorded that, “Though Mr. Little was a Hardshell Baptist and caring nothing about the religion of other sects, he said, ‘On a night like this, I would not turn a dog from my door. I will not guarantee though, that you will get any supper, for my folks are tired as we have been killing frog all day.’ “Elder Bennion told Henry they would be alright without supper. But within half an hour, the women of the family called them out to the cook-house and gave them a very nice meal. They spent the evening in conversation – touching a little on religion, but mostly events in the country. After dinner, the missionaries were offered a good bed to sleep in, and since they had been walking all day, they very much appreciated the offer. The next morning they awoke to a very heavy rainstorm, so they stayed inside tarrying at the Little home. Of the events of that morning, Elder Bennion records, “One circumstance I must relate will show the character of the man and the discipline in this home…..The following morning after our arrival, when we came to the breakfast table, there were twelve cups of coffee sitting around on the table, besides one for each of us. When it was observed that we did not drink ours, we were asked the reason, which gave us a chance to read to them the 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants and to explain the belief of our people regarding the Word of Wisdom. Nothing further was said about the matter, but when we came to the table the next morning, we observed, though no one called attention to it, that there stood a cup of clear water at each plate, and as far as we knew, the coffee was not taken up afterwards. A jug of liquor always found in the home was discarded and tobacco was banished.”
Later that day, Elders Bennion and Smith paid a visit to Henry’s uncle, William “Billy” Rhodes. Billy was an old gentleman who was of the Campbellite religion. He was very struck by the Articles of Faith presented to him by the missionaries. (Willliam Francis Rhodes would later be baptized along with his wife, and their two youngest sons and would immigrate to Utah.)
That evening, Henry arranged for a meeting in the schoolhouse where he taught school, during which time Elder Bennion and Elder Smith distributed tracts throughout the area notifying the community of the meeting. However, that night it was dark and rainy and there were very few people who came to the meeting, so they made a short presentation. At the conclusion of their words, all who were there voted to hold another meeting on the next evening. Arminta Little, daughter of Henry, sent a young man after the missionaries when the crowd had gone home, to ask the missionaries to stay another night at the Henry Little home.
During the next day, the missionaries called on several of Henry Little’s neighbors, leaving their tracts and their Articles of Faith. They called on John Benjamin Cawley and his wife, Sarah Felt Little Cawley (daughter of Henry) who they had met previously, and had a good conversation with him. Later that afternoon, they arrived at the schoolhouse to prepare for their arranged meeting to be held that night. They arrived just as school was being dismissed. The schoolteacher had left the door unlocked for them, and they went and got washed up and read their bible in preparation for their message.
As people began to arrive, Elder Bennion recorded, “We soon found considerable prejudice and hostility. Quite a large crowd gathered, some of them heavily armed, and many in favor of whipping us, and running us out of the neighborhood.” Elder Smith said that several men “began throwing insinuating insults, which we took no notice of, and they used the most unbecoming language I ever heard. We bore it all patiently. I spoke a few moments requesting that we should come to some understanding before we proceeded.” Elder Bennion said, “This action brought quite a number whom we had talked to, among them was Henry Little and his uncle, William “Billy” Rhodes (brother of Henry’s mother, Dicey) an old gentleman with a freshly broken arm, who insisted on being led a mile and a half in the dark, that he might take part in the affair.”
Elder Smith recorded that William Rhodes asked to be heard and read some scriptures from the New Testament to all who were there, and told the mob that he was “ashamed of their disgraceful doings, and that they did not know but what they (the missionaries) were the servants of God sent to declare unto us the way of salvation and warn us of the judgment to come.” William Rhodes then begged the offenders to leave the missionaries alone. Henry Little also came to their defense, pointing out their “meanness” and telling the crowd that he had taken the missionaries in, and as long as he had anything to eat, it would be shared with them.
Elder Bennion wrote, “After considerable jangling among themselves, the crowd was so evenly divided that they decided to submit the matter to a vote. We agreed to this and the result showed a majority of them in favor of the opposition. Before leaving the grounds, our friends insisted on an appointment for the next night at the home of a Mr. Anderson, all women to be excluded and every man to be armed with a good gun. This meeting was held according to the appointment in the presence of about thirty men with guns across their knees. Elder Albert Smith was blessed with great freedom and most of these rough hard farmers and woodsmen were in tears before he finished his sermon. This meeting quieted the opposition for a time, and gave us an opportunity to hold quite a number of meetings in private homes. From here, through relatives and friends, particularly of Henry Little, the work spread to Grovetown, an incorporated city, distant about six miles on the Georgia railroad and from there down into Augusta, Georgia. This made the field so extensive that two elders were sent to help us.” (Those elders would be Ransom C. Van Leuwen and James Duncan.) There were other missionaries who followed to assist in teaching in that area within the next 14 months. They were John Browning (the gun inventor), Jed Ballantyne, Moroni Dunford (who later married Henry’s neice), and William Spry (who became mission president of the Southern States Mission and who later became Governor of Utah).
On Christmas day of 1887, Elders Smith and Bennion spent time with Henry Little and his family with Elder Smith saying that the family was “More like saints than any strangers I have ever met.” He said, “We spent the day here and had a very agreeable Christmas.”
According to Henry’s daughter, Sarah Felt Little Cawley, meetings continued to be held in Henry's home and in the school-house. Both of Henry Little’s brothers Adam Mack Little and John Zachary Little and their families also listened to the gospel message brought by the missionaries. Henry's brothers were so enthusiastic to listen that they made Henry promise not to let the missionaries start to teach until they arrived in the evening after working on their farms. Elder Smith recorded that most meetings went until midnight. The missionaries spent most of the first month after meeting Henry Little, holding meetings, being introduced to members of the community by Henry and his related family members, and as Elder Smith recorded, “wandering around seeking for people who would listen to the everlasting gospel.”
Elder Bennion wrote of the opposition to the work of the Lord in that area when he said, “The holding of so many meetings and baptizing so many people naturally aroused bitter opposition. Mobs were organized and these men, particularly on Sunday, laid in waiting for us on the road, in an endeavor to catch us as we passed to and from through the woods, filling appointments. We would learn of their movements afterwards, but each time, and with no knowledge on our part, we were delayed or took some other road, and thus escaped those lawless men.” One particular time, they were voted out of a school-house by a Methodist preacher and his “howling crew.”
Elder Albert Smith’s journal records that with the beginning of the New Year of 1888, meetings among the people in the area continued with the teaching of various subjects such as the nature of the Holy Ghost and the Unpardonable sin, Baptism, Priesthood Authority, Free Agency, the Pre-existence and other points of doctrine. Many people listened with interest, some were tolerant, and others were very hostile. Said Elder Smith, “On one occasion, a Mr. Gus Crother came in drunk, and he and Henry Little had an argument about the missionaries. Mr. Crother said that he would not allow such trash as (the missionaries) about his place, and hurled many insults and insinuations. “
The first mention in either Elder Bennion or Elder Smith’s journals of a petition for baptism appears to have come from Henry Little’s sister-in-law, Margaret Elizabeth Prather Little – the wife of Adam Mack Little, sometime toward the end of January of 1888. Elder Smith asked her to wait for a few days, to which she consented. A second person requesting baptism was mentioned by Elder Albert R. Smith in his journal. It was Mary Ann Little Rearden, the married sister of Henry Little. She was given the same advice with the additional instruction that she must have her husband’s consent, which she said she could obtain. These two women, along with John Zachary Little’s wife, Mary Elizabeth Hill Little, and Henry’s 15 year-old neice, Alwilda (daughter of his sister, Awry Little Moncreif), would later become the first four women to be baptized.
On Sunday, February 26, 1888, 5 wagons filled with Elders, investigators, soon-to-be new members, and friends left Grovetown, heading toward Pinetucky. Their destination was William “Billy” Rhodes millpond where the baptisms would take place. Arriving there, they found a large number of people had assembled to witness the ordinances. Elder Smith recorded that 60 people were present, 14 of whom were to be baptized – 8 women and 6 men. Of those 14, at least 9 were from the related Little families. All of the candidates for baptism were dressed in white.
As the crowd gathered at the water's edge, a gunshot was fired from across the pond. The bullet came so near to Henry's thirteen year-old nephew Orin Cotreah Little, that the boy's ear hurt for hours afterward. It was then that Elder Albert R. Smith gathered the new converts near him and raised his arm and prophesied in the name of Jesus Christ that anyone who raised a hand against these baptisms would fall. Elder Smith then proceeded to baptize the new members.
The hymn, “Lo On the Water’s Brink We Stand” was sung, and the baptisms commenced. Elder Smith said that those who were being baptized entered the water in the order of which, “The gospel had come to them.” Henry Little was baptized by Elder Albert Ricks Smith and confirmed by Elder Ransom C. Van Leuven. His mother, Dicey Rhodes Little and his wife, Mary Elizabeth Inglett Little who watched from the water’s edge, would be later baptized during the month that followed.
Of the gunshot fired that day, it was later learned that the man who attempted to harm the saints was an itinerant preacher who had sworn an oath earlier in the week that was heard by others. It was spoken while he was in the woods with other men cutting trees for the railroad company. The angry man had sworn an oath saying, "If God lets me live until next Sunday, we will surely get those Mormon preachers!" It happened that on the day when the baptisms were being performed, he was again in the woods with other men, cutting trees to be used by the railroad. Suddenly, a falling tree struck him, and his body was crushed. Elder Bennion said that he was so crushed that, “There was hardly a whole bone in his body.” Thus, the man’s own prophecy had been fulfilled, and the Elders and the Saints were left alone for a while.
Over the next year many more extended family members of Henry Little and their friends would be baptized in that area of Georgia. Later that year during the summer, the newly baptized Saints and their families, friends, and investigators joined with the Elders to celebrate their first “Pioneer Day”. On July 24, 1888, they gathered at Adam Mac Little’s home near Grovetown. There were 11 Elders, 51 baptized members, and others comprising near 150 people gathered together for the celebration. The crowd sang songs, played music and listed to speeches. Elders Jedediah Ballantyne, William A. Redd, and Albert Ricks Smith spoke about the pioneers and their sacrifice. Elder Bennion said that even though not all who had assembled that day had received or accepted the gospel, “no liquor, oaths, disrespectful words, or unbecoming acts took place.”
As word reached the community of the conversion and baptism of the families to the Mormon religion, the new members found that their former friends and associates now turned their backs to them. Henry’s and his brother's families became ostracized in their own community. It was a bitter pill for Henry, who had been so respected by his neighbors. After some discussion, it was decided that the newly baptized members would relocate to Utah to gather with the Saints there. They sold everything they had to raise the money, practically giving their farms away. In the years to come, their former homes would be bought out along with hundreds of others for next to nothing, as the United States Government bought the land to make a large military base, now known as the Fort Gordon Army Base.
As the new Saints readied to leave, Elder John Browning telegraphed ahead to his brother and told him that over 50 new converts would be arriving on the train at the Ogden Depot and that beds would be needed for all of them. Fifty-seven newly baptized related family members and friends, accompanied by John Browning, Jed Ballantyne, and David Bennion, came to Ogden on the train arriving in the spring of 1889. They were welcomed at the home of the Browning and Ballantyne familes until they each located a place to live and to work. Some settled in Salt Lake, some in Ogden - wherever they could obtain employment. Henry's brother, John Zachary Little, a skilled carpenter like Henry, set to working on the Salt Lake Temple, hanging all the doors and doing much of the panel work.
Henry and Mary's family settled in Ogden where he resumed work as a carpenter. Within a year of arriving in Ogden, Henry built a house located at 3296 Adams Avenue in Ogden. Its size was less than 1000 square feet. As of this year (2015) the home is still there. Daughter Meribah Denning Little Wright later lived in the home with her husband; and years later her son, Percy Blaine Wright lived there with his family.
Upon arriving in Utah and deciding how he was going to permanently support his family, Henry who was approaching 50, decided that a laundry was needed in the area and would be a good family business. In those days, men’s shirts were frequently sent out to be laundered and starched. Henry named his new business, "The Little Laundry". Henry's oldest son, William, who was in his early twenties, left a construction job and worked in the laundry on the washing machines doing the cranking. Henry's younger sons, and son-in-law John Benjamin Cawley, were also enlisted to work in the family business laboring on the machines. Daughters Letitia, Lena, Lizzie, and Meribah did the ironing of the shirts. It was very hard work for young men and teenage girls. The laundry didn't last very long however, as something Henry did was to tear the family apart.
On April 7, 1899, Henry was married to another wife in Ogden, Utah. Her name was Dorothea Elizabeth Anderson, and she was a 39 year-old convert to the Church from Denmark. She spoke only broken English and had emigrated 4 years earlier after her family had accepted the gospel in Denmark. How Henry met Dorothea is not known. Perhaps she resided in his ward, or maybe she was a visitor to the laundry, or maybe Henry knew one of her family members. Within 4 days of the wedding, on April 11, 1899, their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. It is not known why Henry did this, as the first manifesto had been announced 9 years earlier. He didn’t do it with the blessing of President Wilford Woodruff, as the prophet had refused to sanction any marriages after the 1890 Manifesto. He may have done it with the blessing of local leaders, as many local Bishops and Stake Presidents were still performing plural marriages. It is also not known if Henry asked for his first wife Mary's blessing or not, for his second marriage, but it caused Mary, who was then 48 years old, much anger and bitterness. Henry, upon arriving home one day from the laundry, found that Mary had thrown all of his clothing and possessions outside the front of the house. Henry's children were also very upset at their father's 2nd marriage. All of his children who had worked alongside him at the laundry, refused to come to work. As a result, the laundry closed down. Henry's children started referring to Henry's new wife, Dorothea, as "Old Dora" behind her back. Even until she died, the children referred to her by that name.
Mary moved out of the home she had shared with Henry and went to live with one of her married daughters. Though she still loved Henry, she refused to live under the same roof as "Old Dora.” Oldest Son, William returned to working as a carpenter. Daughter, Lizzie had already left the laundry to work as a chambermaid in a hotel and her younger sisters followed. Later the daughters left working at the hotel and went to work at the old "Troy Laundry" on 461 South 600 East in Salt Lake City. After the closing of the laundry, Henry needed to find another way to support himself and his new wife. He began to run a rooming house in Ogden. Henry and Dorothea never had any children together, and she never married again after Henry died.
However frosty the relationship may have been between Henry and Mary Elizabeth after his marriage to Dorothea, Mary did accompany Henry on a mission for the Church. Henry was set apart on May 9, 1905 by Seymore B. Young. He and Mary returned to Georgia to serve in the Southern States mission at same time as Henry's nephew, Eugene (who had also been called to the same mission) with hopes of converting the remaining family on Mary's side - the Ingletts. Two of Mary's sisters did join the church previously, but with the rest of the Inglett family, their proselytizing was to be unsuccessful. During their mission to Georgia, they served in both the cities of Atlanta and Augusta. Henry and Mary Elizabeth were released on 15 September 1906, serving for 16 months.
After returning home from his Georgia mission, William Henry Little became the proprietor of the Lincoln Hotel in Ogden. Shortly after that, he became the owner of the Central Hotel on 25th Street in Ogden. At the time, 25th street was a bustling street filled with hotels and eating establishments serving those arriving or leaving from the Union Pacific Railway Line at the Ogden Depot, located at the west end of the street.
On August 27, 1907, Henry had a late lunch in the Central Hotel with his 2nd wife Dorothea, and her sister. They had all been eating in the private apartments of the hotel, and as Dorothea cleared the table, Henry left to go into his office. A patron came running to tell Dorothea that Henry had "fainted" in the office. Dorothea came to his side and brought him back to consciousness. He asked to have a drink of water, and within a few moments of drinking it, passed away at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Henry’s first wife, Mary Elizabeth Inglett Little, lived another nine years and passed away on October 6, 1916 in Ogden. Henry and Mary were both buried in the Ogden Cemetery in Ogden, Utah next to each other. His second wife Dorothea, lived almost another 40 years and died on March 20, 1947 in Logan and was buried in the Aultorest Cemetery in Ogden.
Note: This history was compiled by Deborah Cawley Seamons, 2nd Great Granddaughter of William Henry Little and Mary Elizabeth Inglett, descending through their daughter, Sarah Felt Little Cawley. It was pieced together from the stories of descendants of William Henry Little; and the descendants of his brothers, John Zachary Little and Adam Mac Little. Information also came from the stories and journals of Moroni Dunford, David Bennion and Albert Ricks Smith – three of the missionaries who taught the related Little families. In addition, information came from records of the Southern States Mission, descendants of the sister of Dorothea Elizabeth Anderson, and from old editions of The Desert News and the Ogden Standard Examiner.
It is hoped that the descendants of William Henry Little and Mary Elizabeth Inglett Little who read this will appreciate the sacrifice of these pioneers of the Church from Georgia. Though they did not cross the plains, they left their home in Georgia, giving all they had for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for which this 2nd great granddaughter will forever be grateful.
Deborah Cawley Seamons
Anthem, Arizona
Keep your eyes out for the new facebook group "Blood Family". It was started so that everyone could stay better in touch and so that I could get the ball rolling on wonderful family ancestor stories.
Back in the '90's I thought I would start a newsletter called "Blood Ties". Well, unfortunately that didn't work out too well, as it took more time than I was willing to put into it. Only one edition was finished. Even though now retired, I find that I simply couldn't take on that undertaking.
Today with the Internet and everyone contributing a story or two I think makes much more sense. There are wonderful stories out there about our ancestors, we just have to find them and re-tell them. I find it hard to believe that my family never spoke to us about John Linford who passed away in Wyoming in the cold snow as his family was walking with the Willie Handcart Company to the Great Salt Lake Valley.
There are so many tales of valor and sacrifice about our direct relatives through the Ward and Blood families that should be re-told to our little ones, so they don't wonder why we never said anything about them.
So, join the group and ask all the relatives to join if they are on facebook. I am sure we can have fun with this.
See you up the way, Michael Little
Blood and Little Ancestors from Bedfordshire England (First few Generation
Recently my free account with Family Search got me a free account with a site I just started exploring, My Heritage. Wow, they have some nice features as they take all of the Info (if you let them) from Family Search and import them to formulate them into all kinds of different reports.
Recently I told my wife about one report that showed on a virtual map each event that took place from each of our Scottish ancestors. It showed right down to the street in some cases. We did not know that there were that many ancestors from Scotland but between us we have 233 ancestors from Scotia!
I haven't had much time lately to explore, but I am most impressed with My Heritage so far.
So, if you don't have your account with Family Search, I implore you to get one soon! It allows you to get free access to other genealogical sites that normally charge $$.
Let me know how it goes.
All the best, Michael
Greetings,
I have put Henry Little's research on pause of late for a few reasons. I have had two eye surgeries for cataracts and having a slow time adjusting. The other reason is that I am collecting stories about many of our other ancestors that are on Family Search. There is a lot of stories out there and they seem to be multiplying almost daily (I was going to say 'like rabbits' but that would be tacky).
It has been a wonderful journey just to read about these ancestors and their trials and family happenings. I hope to make some of them available on this blog in a condensed form in the future, but there are more pressing issues regarding our family right now.
No Stories
We don't have any stories on any of my grandparents as well as my aunts and uncles on both sides and even my own parents. They just weren't written down or they haven't been uploaded to Family Search (I believe it is the former). PLEASE HELP WITH THIS!
Find Stories
Find your old photos, find any stories that have been written down and is hiding in a box somewhere. And most important is for YOU to write something you know about THEM and write something about YOU!
Write Your Story
Elsewhere on this blog I have requested that all descendants of Blaine and Colleen Little to write 2 short stories. Unfortunately, nobody has given me their stories. I blame myself for this and I hope to change this, but if you are reading this post, please think about it, then do it. I also would like to assemble stories from the descendants of both of my grandparents.
So, get ready because I am going to also ask that stories of all of the descendants of Ken and Ethel Blood, and Wesley and Ruth Little to write their stories!
Get Your Account with Family Search
It is free and it is easy to set up. That's right, it is free for everyone! Just go to familysearch.org and set it up. I promise that you will have fun and learn things about your ancestors that you never dreamed of!
It has been a wonderful experience for me and a fulfilling one as well. I will open my home page several times a week just to see what new stories, photos and documents have been added by others. Really, it gets exciting. My wife, Vickie, used to use my account to look up her ancestor stories, but she would have to navigate from my page to her tree and she did not get any notices of new items in her line. I told her to get her own account and she did. She is working on a special project to get the stories from her Lemon line to her brothers and sister.
There is a little learning curve, but the folks at Family Search try very hard to make it pleasant for newcomers. Oh, and they make new fun things to do all of the time. If it's Mother's Day, they might have a special notice of something done by the mothers in your line. Or they might say click here and get a list of all the pioneers who came across the plains in covered wagons or by handcart. It doesn't stop, and you can find an area that has a list of many of the fun things you and your family can do regarding your family history.
There is a new option coming out soon that I don't know much about, but it looks great. It will allow all of us to communicate directly on the app like other social media! We can converse directly about our family without everyone else looking in on Facebook. So, when you set up your account let me know your 'handle' so we can chat.
All the best to you all - See you Up the Way!
Michael
How did the Little’s come to be in Utah?
The Story of William Henry Little
Or at least some of
it!
Assembled by Michael B Little – (Great Great Grandson)
This is the forward to my research. More information will follow and may be available in a printed version later.
This is a story about the grandfather of my grandfather (Wesley Blaine Little Sr). The main story was found on the Family Search website, along with other accounts that adds to the story. It is a fascinating tale of W. Henry Little and his family who lived in Augusta Georgia in the mid 1800’s.
His story tells us of his large farm, his large family, his chance meeting with missionaries and a story about resulting angry mobs. We also learn that Henry married 17 year old Mary Elizabeth Inglett two months after she had a child by another man. It does not tell the story of the love they had for each other, but we know they had 12 more children together, 11 living to adulthood and he and his wife served a mission together in their senior years.
A little more than a year after his marriage to Mary, just days before his 21st birthday, he joined the Confederate Army in September of 1861 to fight in the Civil War. His wife’s brother Thomas and her cousin Andrew joined the same company at the same time as Henry. The next summer two more of Mary's cousins, Dennis and Gus Inglett, also joined Company C of the Georgia 28th Infantry Regiment. The 28th Regiment fought in many famous battles in the Civil War, one of them wounding Mary’s brother.
W H Little as a young man
After returning home at the end of the war Henry and his brothers put their carpentry skills to work during the war reconstruction. Years later Henry and his family met the Mormon missionaries and soon joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He had problems with his neighbors and mobs, and eventually sold his farm and belongings for next to nothing to be with the Saints in Utah. In the spring of 1889 he and many of his family and friends took the long train ride to Ogden, Utah where his family stayed with the Browning family (Yes, that Browning family!) until they could find a place to reside. Among other responsibilities, Henry built their house on Adams Avenue and became the proprietor of two hotels in downtown Ogden, owning one on 25th Street, a short distance from one of the nation’s busiest train stations.
William Henry Little
David Lee Bratke was born in Rock Springs, Wyoming. David married the love of his life, Sherrie Little, on Valentine’s Day in 1984. Together they raised five beautiful children, and settled in Farmington, Utah. David enjoyed fly fishing, spending time with the family in their pool, family games, sharing moments at the family cabin, listening to classic rock music, and cheering for the University of Wyoming. Go Pokes!
David is preceded in death by his father Eddie, and mother Elouise. He is survived by his adored wife, Sherrie. His brother John (Annette), his cherished children, Preston (Traci), Tina, Jeramiah, Angelique, and Eddie (Ashley). His eleven grandchildren, four great grandchildren, niece, nephews, and many beloved friends.
A celebration of life to honor our shared love of David was held Saturday, December 11th at Rev 19. 1604 West Hill Field Road, Layton Utah 84041. Open house was from 3-5 pm.
The family would appreciate it if friends and family members would contribute written stories and memories of Dave. Please see that they get to Preston. Thank you.
From the Life Sketch of Enoch Bartlett Tripp, we find the following:
"Enoch Bartlett Tripp was born in Bethel, Oxford, Maine on May 29, 1823. He was the oldest child of William Tripp Jr. and Naamah Hall Bartlett. They had eight children, all but one living to adulthood. Enoch’s father had fought in the War of 1812 and his grandfather William Tripp Sr. had served in the Revolutionary War. He was a corporal in Captain Jonathan Nowell’s Company of Colonel Scammon’s 30th Regiment of Foot, the first organized body of troops to leave the District of Maine in the War for Independence. Josiah Bartlett one of the first to sign the Declaration of Independence was a relative on his mother’s side of the family. His father was a Methodist preacher. Enoch grew up in a very patriotic and religious family who were well respected and looked up to as leaders in the community and the state."
This is fascinating for our family. Most assuredly we have ancestors who served and fought to preserve our freedoms, but this gives us real information for further research!
At the time of the American Revolutionary War, Maine was not a state but a District in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
I am sure we will find out more soon, Michael
