Henrietta Nelson

Henrietta Nelson was born in Bradford County, Pennsylvania on the 4th of August. Records vary regarding the exact year of her birth, but it seems likely that she was born in 1811. Her parents were among the very first Mormon settlers (1847) to arrive in what is now known as Granville Township, and her father appears in the history books for being among the first to cut a road through the wilderness. It is known that Henrietta's family endured poverty as the children are listed on the "poor children" tax records as requiring financial assistance from the government to pay their school tuition. It is also known that Henrietta attended school in Granville. Sometime around 1829, Henrietta married Hezekiah Avery. The couple resided in Troy Township--which appears to be where Hezekiah's family also lived. They became the parents of seven children--the first five born in Bradford, the last two born in Illinois. The couple later moved to Granville and resided near Henrietta's family. Henrietta joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1836. Even though Hezekiah was not baptized, he moved the family to Scott County, Illinois, which placed the family nearer the headquarters of the LDS Church. Hezekiah died in May 1844--the same month that Henrietta gave birth to their youngest child. The family was living in Scott County, Illinois, at that time. When the LDS Church moved westward to Utah, Henrietta followed. She resided in Mills, Iowa, for a time and was there married to Jacob Hatch in 1847. She crossed the plains in either 1848 or 1849 to Utah with five of her children--two having died as children. Upon reaching Utah, her daughter Nancy married Joseph Henry Byington, and Henrietta married Joseph's father Hiram Norton Byington in 1849. Henrietta and Hiram later divorced on 3 February 1851. Henrietta married Samuel Williams on 1 June 1851, however, it does not appear they lived together long, and when Samuel William's died, he made no mention of Henrietta in his will. When Henrietta's son moved to Kanosh, Utah, Henrietta settled there near him. She passed away on 2 December 1880 and was buried in Kanosh in the Ann Dority Field. Later her grave was vandalized and her original headstone was dumped in a nearby gulch. It is possible that Henrietta's remains were later moved to the new Kanosh Cemetery where a new headstone has been erected in her honor. Henrietta's obituary was published in the Deseret News as follows: "Died in Kanosh, Millard County, Utah, December 2, 1880, Henrietta P. Williams, aged 69 yr, 8 mo, 28 ds. Deceased was born at Grantsville, Bradford Co., Pennsylvania and was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1838, emigrated in 1849 as Widow Avery, with her children, driving two yoke of ox teams over the plains and wading every fordable river and stream on her way to the valley. She was an exemplary and faithful Saint, and leaves a large family of children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren to mourn her loss." This obituary is the only known record that shows a middle initial of "P", so this might be a typographical error from the newspaper.