Mary Ann had an especially hard time eating the soup. Every time she lifted the spoon to her lips, she envisioned the quivering mass of flesh that had been the sea turtle.
The ship landed at New Orleans on June 4th, 1854. Mary Ann and her family settled in Alton, Illinois, where Henry worked as a blacksmith. He helped to build wagons for some of the other pioneers who crossed the plains. In this way, the family managed to get enough money to buy a wagon and supplies for themselves. During the time in Alton, Mary Ann bore three more children, none of which survived to make the trip.
They began their journey across the plains in 1859, traveling in a wagon loaded with stoves. They stopped to rest at the Platt river at Albany, Wyoming. While they were at the river, a baby girl was born to Mary Ann on 23 Sept. 1859. They named her Kate Platte. They made Mary Ann and the baby a bed on top of the stoves they had in their wagon. Every time they came to a rough stretch of road, Henry would call out "hold tight", so that Mary Ann would have time to brace herself and the baby in their makeshift stove-top bed.
They arrived in Salt Lake valley in the fall of 1859, and they felt they were truly home at last. They lived in Salt Lake City for the next three years. It was during these years that they had another daughter, whom they named Nellie Grayson Roper.
As soon as Mary Ann was able to travel after this birth, they packed up their meager belongings and moved to the settlement of Deseret, which was located 150 miles south, on the lower portion of the Sevier river. Here they built their first home since leaving England. It was a dugout with a willow thatch roof, covered with clay they dug from the river. Just as the crops were beginning to grow, and things were looking encouraging, the river flooded and destroyed al that they had accomplished. The family managed to survive by eating Carp and Sucker fish from the river, and what few carrots they were able to salvage from their crops. Henry helped to build a fort to protect their cattle and food stores from the local Indians, who were not very friendly to the settlers. They completed the fort 24 July, 1865. The river continued to be the fledgling settlement's biggest problem. During their stay in Deseret, Mary Ann bore two more sons. In 1868, the people decided that it was time to move to other areas, because of the flooding. Henry took his family east to the mountains, to a place called Oak Creek. (now Oak City)
At Oak Creek, the settlers drew lots, and some of the settlers moved on to Fillmore, where they paid $2.50 per lot. Henry and Mary Ann's home was the first to be built in the new settlement of Fillmore. It was a dugout just north of where the present house now stands. The following year, Henry built the northwest room of the present home, using the clay from the roof of the dugout to make the adobe brick. Within the next few years, Henry built the southeast room. The family smoothed and whitewashed the inside of the adobe walls, and tacked whitewashed cloth over the rafters. Mary Ann added some dainty curtains, and laid out her few remaining treasures from England, to remind the rest of the family how lucky they really were. Henry also built a small cellar for food storage. The cellar could be reached by way of a trap door, built into the floor. Later on, Henry also added a lean-to on the southwest side, which was used as a room for the two youngest boys.
It was about this time that the neighbors began to find out Mary Ann had a great gift for dealing with the sick. Soon the other settlers were calling her to their homes to help in times of need. She was especially helpful in assisting other women who were giving birth, and those who had recently given birth to children. At this time there was no doctor at all in all of Millard county, and only one midwife.
Grandmother was known for her home remedies. Her pine gum salve and canker medicines are still being used by members of her family today.
Mary Ann had her superstitions however. She believed it to be bad luck to put her index finger into a jar of medicine.(salve for instance) All of her family were taught to use their middle finger for this purpose.
Mary Ann was also a great help when it came to providing for her own family. She not only supplemented the family income by nursing, but also by drying fruit. The family made a yearly fall trip to Salt Lake City, to visit Mary Ann's sisters Hannah and Lydia, at which time they also sold the dried fruit. The money she earned from this, went for cloth, shoes, sugar, and other items considered luxuries at that time.
Mary Ann also used their surplus milk to make cheese, which was sold to the other settlers to supplement their income.
Her neighbors always remarked how spotless her home was. Mary Ann never had those "marathon" cleaning days, because she always did a few jobs every day, and the housework never got ahead of her.
Mary Ann passed away March 7 1897 while her son Abel, was on a mission in her native England. She was buried in Oak City.
Excerpted by Rod Park, from D.U.P. history, written by Lidia Roper Smith.
Originally submitted March 1959, to Greenwood camp, Beaver, Utah.
Flags: Utah Pioneer=Y Children were:
i.
Wilford ROPER was born on 7 Sep 1844 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He
died on 9 Sep 1850. He was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. He was endowed
CHILD. He has reference number 1L9L-21.
22 ii.
Harry ROPER.
iii.
John ROPER was born on 24 Jan 1848 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He
died on 24 Mar 1849. He was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. He was endowed
CHILD. He has reference number 2DDQ-Z5.
iv.
Frederick ROPER was born on 9 Feb 1850 in 15 Dee St., Sheffield, Yorkshire,
England. He died on 28 Apr 1850. He was baptized into the LDS church CHILD.
He was endowed CHILD. He has reference number 1VV8-5G.
v.
Lizzie ROPER was born on 1 Nov 1851 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She
died on 10 Jun 1852. She was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. She was endowed
CHILD. She has reference number 1L9L-5J.
vi.
Alvin ROPER Twin was born on 17 Feb 1852 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
He was baptized into the LDS church on 13 Sep 1863. He was endowed on 26 Oct
1874. He died on 29 Jan 1912 in Oak City, Millard, Utah. He was buried on 31
Jan 1912. He has reference number 17XB-ZR.
vii.
Stillborn ROPER TWIN was born on 17 Feb 1852 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
He died STILLBORN. He was baptized into the LDS church STILLBORN. He was endowed
STILLBORN. He has reference number 5C14-ZK.
viii.
Frank ROPER was born on 9 Sep 1855 in Alton, Madison, Illonois. He died
on 25 Dec 1855. He was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. He was endowed CHILD.
He has reference number 1L9L-6P.
ix.
Laura ROPER was born on 5 May 1857 in Alton, Madison, Illonois. She died
on 16 Aug 1857. She was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. She was endowed
CHILD. She has reference number 1L9L-7V.
x.
Willie ROPER was born on 21 Jul 1858 in Alton, Madison, Illonois. He died
on 31 Jul 1858. He was baptized into the LDS church CHILD. He was endowed CHILD.
He has reference number 1L9L-82.
xi.
Kate Platte ROPER was born on 23 Sep 1859 in Off Red Buttes, Albany On Platte
River. She was baptized into the LDS church on 10 Oct 1869. She was endowed
on 23 May 1878. She was buried in Mar 1899 in Oak City, Millard, Utah. She
died on 25 Mar 1899 in Oak City, Millard, Utah. She has reference number 1KMP-MB.
xii.
Nellie Grayson ROPER was born on 13 Apr 1862 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake,
Utah. She was baptized into the LDS church on 4 Jun 1872. She was endowed on
25 Apr 1878. She died on 22 Dec 1931 in Mayfield, Sanpete, Utah. She was buried
on 24 Dec 1931 in Mayfield, Sanpete, Utah. She was sealed to parents BIC. She
has reference number 1JZ3-6K.
xiii.
Charles ROPER was born on 1 Oct 1865 in Deseret, Millard, Utah. He was baptized
into the LDS church on 7 Sep 1873. He was endowed on 13 Dec 1888. He died on
4 Feb 1942 in Lynndyl, Millard, Utah. He was buried on 8 Feb 1942. He was sealed
to parents BIC. He has reference number NXH7-VL.
xiv.
Abel Mosley ROPER was born on 22 Feb 1868 in Deseret, Millard, Utah. He
was baptized into the LDS church on 7 Jul 1878. He died on 1 Aug 1954 in Oak
City, Millard, Utah. He was buried on 21 Aug 1954. He was sealed to parents
BIC. He has reference number 1HSW-VQ.
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