Louisa Alexandrine Ballif

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: K2QX-47X
• Census: 1860, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States
• Initiatory (LDS): 20 Dec 1867, EHOUS
• Census: 1870, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States
• Census: 1880, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States
• Census: 1900, Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States
• Census: 1910, Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States

Notes:

SOURCE: Death Certificates, State of Utah

Pioneer
Robert L. Campbell Company (1854)Approximate age at departure: 4
397 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from the o u tfitting post at Westport, Missouri.

Killed a wolf with a poker.

Louisa married George Taft Benson on 20 Dec 1867 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. George (son of Ezra Taft Benson and Adeline Brooks Andrus) was born on 1 May 1846 in Garden Grove, Decatur, Iowa, United States; died on 16 May 1919 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried on 20 May 1919 in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Louisa "Lulu" Benson was born on 28 Mar 1869 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 15 Jul 1938 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 17 Jul 1938 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.
2. Ezra Taft Benson was born on 6 Aug 1871 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 28 Aug 1871 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried on 29 Aug 1871 in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States.
3. Elise Benson was born on 10 Mar 1873 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 22 Aug 1937 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 25 Aug 1937 in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.
4. George Taft Benson, Jr was born on 24 Jun 1875 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 13 Aug 1934 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 15 Aug 1934 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
5. Serge Ballif Benson was born on 2 Oct 1877 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was christened on 30 Oct 1877 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 18 Jan 1959 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried on 21 Jan 1959 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States.
6. Adeline Benson was born on 31 Jul 1879 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 27 Jan 1960 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States; was buried on 30 Jan 1960 in Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States.
7. Florence Benson was born on 31 Jul 1879 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 5 Nov 1967 in Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States; was buried on 8 Nov 1967 in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.
8. William Kennedy Benson was born on 9 Feb 1882 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 28 Feb 1882 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried on 2 Mar 1882 in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States.
9. Frank Taft Benson was born on 23 Apr 1883 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; died on 19 Feb 1923 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried on 21 Feb 1923 in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States.
10. Marie Benson was born on 19 Jul 1885 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 6 Mar 1891 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
11. Carmen Benson was born on 7 Nov 1887 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 5 Jul 1974 in Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States; was buried in Boise, Ada, Idaho, United States.
12. Jenny Benson was born on 30 Jun 1890 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was christened on 7 Aug 1890 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 12 Jul 1970 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 15 Jul 1970 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
13. Kathinka "Kinnie" Benson was born on 15 Mar 1894 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 20 May 1960 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States; was buried on 24 May 1960 in Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, United States.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWNB-FT5
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Feb 1858, EHOUS
• Census: 1860, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States

Notes:

Pioneer
Robert L. Campbell Company (1854)
Age at departure: 33
397 individuals were in the company when it began its journey from t h e o u tfitting post at Westport, Missouri.


History of Serge Louis Ballif

Serge Louis Ballif was born on April 17, 1821 in Perroy, Vaud, Switzerla n d the son of Jean Francois Frederic Ballif and Henriette Louise Clermon d e Susanne Alexandrine Begue. The Ballif family was an upperclass wealt h y and influential Vaudois family, especially with their legacy as Prote st ant preachers in the Lausanne Cathedral. Jean Francois Frederic wa s a ca ptain in the Swiss Army and served in Russia under the duc de Rich elieu . Serge’s mother died when he was only fourteen years old, and hi s fathe r shortly after Serge’s first marriage. As a youth Serge was ref ined an d well educated in both Switzerland and Russia. He became fluen t in Fren ch, German, Italian, and Russian and could read Latin, Greek an d Hebrew . Serge became a well respected Protestant minister at the Laus anne Cath ederal.

While working in Russia in 1849, Serge met and married a Swiss travele r , Elise Marie LeCoultre. When Elise was about to give birth to their f ir st child, they hired a governess to help. Her name was Henriette Jean net te Vuffray. She was a hard working, devoted, and loving woman who wo ul d later become Serge’s second wife. Henriette was born on May 7, 183 4 i n Morges, Switzerland the daughter of Marc Jean Francois Vuffray an d Susa nne Marie Porchet.

In the fall of 1851 the missionary Thomas B. H. Stenhouse came to Lausan n e from Geneva where he had received a cold welcome. That same year th e L ausanne city council passed a law forbidding Mormons to hold public m eeti ngs. In 1852 after secret meetings held in the basement of the Laus ann e Cathedral, Serge was converted by Brother Stenhouse to the truthful nes s of Christ’s restored church. Serge left his family legacy of the P rote stant faith behind and was baptized a member of the LDS church in La ke Ge neva in 1852. His conversion shook the entire city of Lausanne bec ause o f his high position, and the newspaper dedicated a full page to th e proce edings of his excommunication.

The large home which Serge had aquired by his grandfather, the Protesta n t Reverend Jean Francois Louis Ballif had earlier been a meeting plac e fo r their religious get togethers and now was used as a meeting plac e for t he small group of Mormons in Lausanne. The home is still standin g and i s located around the corner from the Cathedral and across the str eet fro m the Academy, the forerunner of the present-day University of La usanne . Serge took in Brother Stenhouses wife and children as he preache d a s a missionary, housed the local missionaries on the third floor, fin ance d the printing of Mormon literature in French, and paid for the publ icati on ‘Le Reflecteur’ which spread the message of Mormonism in French -Switz erland. Soon after his conversion, Serge left Lausanne in 1853 t o serv e a mission in Basel and Neuchatel, Switzerland and baptized thre e famili es. The missionaries in Switzerland came across much oppostitio n, and ma ny were beaten and stoned by the locals .

Serge was so absolutely devoted to the truthfulness of the church tha t h e was willing to give up all his resources and his status for the ne w fai th. In 1854 Serge took his wife, three children and their governes s Henr iette along with other converts, to America to join the Saints i n Utah . It was a sad journey as his daughter died and was buried at sea . Notw ithstanding the hardships, they arrived in New Orleans in May o f 1854. T hey reached Salt Lake after a difficult journey on October 28 , 1854.

Upon arriving in the Valley, Serge settled on some land near Big Cottonw o od Canyon where he could look up at the mountains and remember Switzerl an d. On February 8, 1857 Serge married Henriette as his second wife. T oge ther they had ten children between 1858 and 1878, four of whom died y oung . Serge joined the bretheren to defend Utah when Johnston’s Army t hreat ened to invade. After the incident was over, he took his familie s and se ttled in Logan, Utah which was green, lush and rugged and remind ed the fa mily of Switzerland. In Logan Serge took up the trade of farmi ng. In 18 60 he was called on a mission to his home land of Switzerland . When he l eft he only had thirty- eight cents in his pocket and signe d as a crewma n on a Europe bound vessel from New York. Upon his retur n he was in char ge of a company of emigrating Saints to Utah. In 1862 S erge served as le ader of the German speaking Saints in Logan .

In 1872 Serge’s wife Elise died leaving Henriette to raise her survivi n g seven children along with her own totaling thirteen children, with ma n y of the children overlapping in age. Henriette was a woman of stron g co nstitution and provided the physical strength and loving devotion t o rais e and nurture a large family. In 1879 Serge was called to return t o Switz erland as President of the Swiss-German mission. During this mis sion o n a trip to Berlin, he was jailed as a result of his missionary ac tivites . He returned to Logan leading another company of Saints in 188 1 and liv ed the remainder of his years there, but always continued to ha ve a kee n interest in the events taking place in Switzerland. Serge co ntinued t o preside over the German group in Logan and also was a preside nt of hi s quorum of seventy. He passed away on April 25, 1901 and was b uried i n the Logan Cemetery.

Serge was remembered by his grandchildren as a refined gentleman who w a s kind and understanding of children. One of his grandchildren throug h h is wife Elise was the LDS Prophet Ezra Taft Benson. Serge always spo ke F rench with his children, and even sat one grandson up on a kitchen t able , putting pebbles in his mouth and patiently teaching him how to mak e th e proper sounds in order to speak French. At some point Henriette e ithe r moved to or was visiting in Preston, Idaho where she died on Octob er 16 , 1924, surviving Serge twenty-three years. Henriette was buried b y Serg e in the Logan Cemetery.




"The Ballif home in Lausanne, Switzerland. Missionaries moved into th e t hird floor of this home, being spared much hardship by the kindness o f th e Ballifs." Copied from the August Ensign 1982 page 42 & 43.
In the same Ensign article it says "Serge Louis Ballif and his wife, Eli s e.[refering to photos which are already in the photos memories]. A wea lt hy man, Brother Ballif gave of his money freely to support the mission ari es and publish tracts and newsletters. He served as a local missiona ry , baptized several families, and then emigrated to America. He late r ret urned to Switzerland as a missionary in 1860, and as a mission pres iden t from 1879 to 1881. His son, Serge Frederick, served as presiden t of th e Swiss and German Mission from 1905 to 1909, and from 1921 to 19 23."

Serge married Elise Marie LeCoultre on 27 Apr 1849 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. Elise (daughter of Noe David Benedict LeCoultre and Jeanne Marianne Moinat) was born on 24 Nov 1824 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse; died on 13 May 1872 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKVY-KS5
• Initiatory (LDS): 10 Feb 1858
• Census: 1860, Logan, Cache, Utah, United States

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LL93-GCL
• Initiatory (LDS): 11 Feb 1891, LOGAN

Jean married Henriette Louise Clermonde Begue on 9 Oct 1815 in Allaman, Morges, Vaud, Suisse. Henriette (daughter of Cesar Benjamin Charles Francois Begue and Jeanne Louise Li Forte) was born on 5 Sep 1786 in Genova, Ligûria, Italia; was christened on 26 Nov 1786 in Genova, Ligûria, Italia; died on 16 May 1835 in Perroy, Nyon, Vaud, Suisse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LL93-GZM
• Initiatory (LDS): 23 Aug 1955, SLAKE

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LZT9-VZX
• Initiatory (LDS): 16 Feb 1898, LOGAN

Noe married Jeanne Marianne Moinat on 7 Oct 1803 in Prilly, Vaud, Suisse. Jeanne (daughter of Jean Charles Moinat and Anne Elizabe Stoudeman) was born on 30 Oct 1784 in Vevey, Vevey, Vaud, Suisse; was christened on 14 Nov 1784 in Lonay, Morges, Vaud, Suisse; died on 15 Nov 1834 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: 26KF-TJW
• Initiatory (LDS): 16 Feb 1898, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-QQD
• Initiatory (LDS): 12 Feb 1891, LOGAN

Jean married Marianne Charlotte Gaudin on 17 Dec 1760 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. Marianne (daughter of Andre Gaudin and Constance Augier) was born on 9 Sep 1736 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse; was christened on 9 Sep 1736 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse; died on 5 Mar 1785. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-QQH
• Initiatory (LDS): 9 Nov 1893

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-Q9W
• Initiatory (LDS): 11 Jan 1922

Cesar married Jeanne Louise Li Forte on 31 Aug 1785 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, République française. Jeanne (daughter of Marc Li Forte and Marie Elisabeth Falquet) was born on 24 Sep 1759; was christened on 29 Sep 1759 in Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Genève, Genève, Suisse; died on 29 Mar 1819 in Perroy, Nyon, Vaud, Suisse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-Q97
• Initiatory (LDS): 22 Feb 1922, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-312
• Initiatory (LDS): 15 Jul 1898

Jean married Jean Marie Susanne Francoise Arranassant on 17 Mar 1767 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. Jean (daughter of Jean Arnassant and Anne Marie Cotterd) was christened on 12 Jan 1736 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse; died on 20 Dec 1811 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse; was buried on 22 Dec 1811 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LKKM-31G
• Initiatory (LDS): 17 Feb 1898, LOGAN

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: LH3Q-RKF
• Initiatory (LDS): 13 Jul 1898, LOGAN

Jean married Anne Elizabe Stoudeman on 14 Jun 1779 in Lavigny, Morges, Vaud, Suisse. Anne (daughter of Heinrich Isaac Stoudemann and Jeanne Estienne Bosset) was born in Buchillon, Vaud, Suisse; was christened on 27 Jun 1756 in Aubonne, Morges, Vaud, Suisse; died on 7 Dec 1826 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Initiatory (LDS): LOGAN
• FamilySearch ID: L71H-V11