Patty Bartlett Sessions and Family

 


May is coming - Mother's Day. It's time to tell you about one of your female ancestors... or ancestresses... ancestoritas.... whatever. This may be the most famous of your pioneer forefathers... er... foremothers.

Patty Bartlett (Sessions) 1795 - 1893
Perrigrine Sessions 1814-1893
Martha Ann Sessions (Smoot) 1835-1877
William Cochran Adkinson Smoot 1853-1933
Vermilla Smoot (Beck) 1889-1954
Jack Campbell Beck 1917-1996
Milton Campbell Beck 1947-1985
Andrew Colin Beck 1986-
In 1833 or 1834, a couple lived in Maine, just east of the New Hampshire border. Although the couple had already been married twenty-two years, the wife, Patty, was not yet forty. They lived in a cabin made by David, the husband. To earn money, they rented out rooms, David worked as a farmer and in industry, and Patty worked as a midwife when she could get work. She was trained by her mother in law and earned about two dollars per delivery.

At this time, Patty came in contact with the missionaries. She was a rare soul who believed the message right away once she had heard it. Not long afterwards, her husband and family joined the Church too. In 1836, they moved west to join the saints in Ohio and later Missouri.

They were a part of the persecutions of Missouri, and lost land and cattle, but not their three children that had survived to adulthood. They moved to Nauvoo where two children, Perrigrine and Sylvia were each married. Patty continued to work as a midwife, and brought many of the Saints' babies into the world.

Patty was very close to the Prophet Joseph Smith. She and her family mourned with the Saints when, in 1844, Joseph and Hyrum were killed. By this time, Perrigrine was a strong young man, and was chosen to lead a company of Saints out from Winter Quarters in 1847. Patty and David came to Utah on this very early trek, and Patty continued to serve as a midwife along the way. She kept a journal of the trail they traveled. They all arrived in the valley in September of 1847.

Perrigrine, your fourth great grandfather, went on to form Sessionsville, which was later called Bountiful, Utah. Patty lived until her 98th year, and it is estimated that nearly four thousand children were delivered by this woman. She is buried in the Bountiful Cemetery.

By the way, other talents of Patty include:She and her family remained faithful 'till the end. This is the story of your (6th Great) Grandma Sessions.

http://www.thefurtrapper.com/mormon_trail.htm
http://www.sedgwickresearch.com/sessions/sessions.htm
http://www.splendidsun.com/wp/index.php/2005/06/17/123
http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/pioneer/22_Fort_Laramie.html
http://lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/0,15791,4018-1-967,00.html
http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1800/voices/sessions/bio.htm