Sidney Marcus Beckstead

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWC4-FDN
• Initiatory (LDS): 4 Nov 1891, LOGAN

Sidney married Lela Eliza Hull on 4 Nov 1891 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States. Lela was born on 30 Apr 1873 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was christened on 8 Jun 1873 in Franklin, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 4 Jan 1940; was buried on 6 Jan 1940 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mary Ann Beckstead was born on 8 Nov 1892 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 30 Jul 1969 in Preston, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 2 Aug 1969 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
2. Sidney Delores Beckstead was born on 24 Oct 1895 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 12 Jan 1982; was buried in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
3. Lela Blanch Beckstead was born on 31 Mar 1900 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
4. Alvin Hull Beckstead was born on 2 Aug 1906 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 6 Feb 1994; was buried in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States.
5. Thelma Beckstead was born on 1 Dec 1909 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 29 Oct 2006 in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States; was buried in Logan City Cemetery, Cache, Utah, United States.
6. Sheldon Gayle Beckstead was born on 27 Oct 1917 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; died on 21 Jun 2001 in Lava Hot Springs, Bannock, Idaho, United States; was buried on 25 Jun 2001 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States.

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJ4-GL3
• Initiatory (LDS): 4 Mar 1858, EHOUS

Notes:

Traveled with the Mormon pioneer overland group in the Allen Taylor Co m p a ny. This company departed 5-6 July 1849 and arrived in the Salt La k e Va ll ey the 10-20 October 1849

Thomas married Sarah Ellen Ashton on 30 Jan 1864 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. Sarah was born on 8 Jul 1846 in Stockport, Cheshire, England; was christened on 24 Dec 1848 in Stockport, Cheshire, England; died on 18 Jan 1912 in Whitney, Franklin, Idaho, United States; was buried on 22 Jan 1912 in Whitney Cemetery, Franklin, Idaho, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FamilySearch ID: KWJC-B1N
• Initiatory (LDS): 30 Jan 1864, EHOUS

Notes:

After Sarah Ellen's family was converted to The Church of Jesus Chris t o f Latter-day Saints they made plans to sail for America and join th e Sain ts in Zion. Sarah's parents, William (33 or 34) and Sarah Ann Barl ow Asht on (33), and their children, Betsy (11), Sarah Ellen (7), Mary (4 ), and E lizabeth Ann (17 months), left Liverpool, England, in May 1856 o n the shi p Horizon. The family left behind in England the grave of anoth er littl e daughter, Esther, who had died in infancy.

Sorrow found this family again on July 2, 1856, as the Horizon was dock e d at Boston and little Elizabeth died. Heartbroken, the Ashton's left b eh ind another daughter's grave and traveled to Iowa City, Iowa, mostly b y r ail. Here they spent three weeks, finishing handcarts and tents. Th e Mart in Company arrived at their major outfitting camp in Florence, Neb raska , on the 22nd of August, and spent three days there gathering suppl ies an d cattle and preparing to cross the 1,000 miles of plains and moun tains b etween there and the Salt Lake Valley. Sarah's family had success fully wa lked and pulled their handcart about 300 miles already.

On the 26th of August, the day after the Martin Co. left Florence, anoth e r baby girl was born to the Ashton family. They named her Sarah Ann, af te r her mother. The mother died in childbirth and 16 days later on Septe mbe r 11th, the new baby, Sarah Ann, also died.

Sarah Ellen's father carried on for four more weeks, caring for his thr e e motherless daughters as best he could. When the company reached Ft. L ar amie on Oct. 9, William enlisted in the U.S. Army and left his three l itt le girls with the Martin Company to continue to Utah. At this time th e da ys were still warm, but the nights were cold. Expected provisions a t Ft . Laramie were in short supply and so food rations were cut, the cap tain s not knowing when promised help from Salt Lake would reach them. Pe rhap s William felt this would be the best way for him to earn some mone y to s end to provide for his daughters. It was not uncommon in those tim es fo r a father to turn the care of his little children over to others w hen th e mother had died. It is not known how long William remained in mi litar y service, but at some point he returned to England.

The Saints cared for the little girls as well as they could. They all su f fered greatly from food shortages and the lack of warm clothing. The se ve re weather began at the last crossing of the N. Platte River (near pre sen t day Casper, Wyoming) on the 19th of October. The Martin Company bec am e stranded near there for over a week before they were finally locate d b y the rescue party from Salt Lake. Sarah Ellen's oldest sister, Betsy , wa s only 11 years old, but surely must have felt great responsibilit y towar d her younger sisters. It finally proved too much for her and sh e joine d her mother and other sisters in death. This left Sarah and he r sister , Mary, to continue on to the Salt Lake Valley. Sarah Ellen los t her sigh t in one eye during this journey. The company finally arrive d in the Vall ey on November 30, 1856. They were met by Saints who took t hem in to thei r various homes and cared for them. At some point Mary an d Sarah foun d a home with the Hatfield family in Farmington, Utah. At th e age of 12 , Sarah was living with the Joseph Carlisle family and workin g for them a s a domestic.

Sarah married Thomas W. Beckstead when she was 15. Sarah and Thomas ha d 1 0 children, four of whom died as infants. Mary was possibly living wi th t hem in S. Jordan, as she later married Isaac Wardle who had lived wi th an d worked for Thomas Beckstead's father, Alex Beckstead, Sr .

Isaac Wardle had also been with the Martin Handcart Company. He was mu c h older than Mary, but may have come to know the Ashton family on thei r j ourney. Mary and Isaac had one son who they named William Ashton Ward le , perhaps after Mary's father. Mary only lived for four hours after he r s on was born.

Sarah devoted her life to her children, her husband, and her church. I n 1 887, the Beckstead family moved to Whitney, Idaho, to help settle tha t ar ea. Sarah did not let her handicap stand in her way. She churned but ter , and sold eggs and also worked as a midwife, insisting that her chil dre n receive a good education. It was during these first years in Idah o tha t a man by the name of Clark came to Sarah's home with a copy of th e Mill ennial Star which contained an inquiry concerning anyone who migh t know o f relatives of William Ashton, pauper, in England, who had emigr ated to A merica previously and left his children on the plains. Sarah El len recogn ized this man as her father and sent passage money to Englan d for him t o come and join her family. Sarah's father accepted her invit ation and Sa rah and Thomas cared for William until his death. He is buri ed in the Whi tney cemetery a short distance from their grave sites.

Sarah Ellen lived a good life helping the sick and needy. Surely, she h a d learned to trust in God and be forgiving. She lived to be 63 years ol d . One of her granddaughters wrote of her: "[She made] a tremendous impr es sion on me when I was a little girl. I used to stay with her. She wa s s o clean, neat and orderly - always had her windows filled with bloomi ng p lants, even in the winter time, and carefully covered them with pape r eac h night so they would not freeze. She was a wonderful cook and I ca n stil l remember the good bread, butter and jam she made. Her cellar sme lled wo nderful, where she stored everything and kept pans of milk to b e skimme d of thick heavy cream used to make butter.... I've often wonder ed what h appened to the exquisite samplers grandmother made as a gir l - her apron s always had handwork across the bottoms... I stayed with h er many time s while I attended the Whitney school. This is where she ha d all the fami ly together to a dinner a few weeks before her death. He r flower garden o n the old place was so lovely to me. I well remember th e Sweet Williams , pansies and old-fashioned flowers she had growing ther e. She would sen d me with a cooked chicken and flowers to our mother whe n she was in be d with the birth of a child. She has always stayed in m y memory for her f ine qualities and goodness."