In 1933, Emily Steele Jensen applied for membership in the Wiltshire Camp of the Los Angeles Company of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers organization. She cited several pioneers in her lineage, including John Steele Jr, Catherine Campbell Steele, James Jepson, Eleanor Nightengale Jepson, Mahonri Moriancumer Steele and Mary Ellen Jepson Steele. She was admitted on 12 June 1933 by the then-president Cornelia S. Lund, of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Emily's application shows her pride in her pioneer heritage as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her membership number 5972 indicates a rather small quorum in 1933, although today DUP boasts of over 88,000 members. I was happy to show this old application to my fellow members here in the Yellow River Camp of the Gwinnett Company of DUP here in Georgia.
Transcription: My grandfather and his wife Catherine migrated from Scotland to Nauvoo July 8th 1845. Came to Utah with the saints about 1847 where Elizabeth was born in Salt Lake City she being the first white child born in Utah. Before coming to Utah three children had been born to John and Catherine the oldest Mary Campbell Steele, John and Margaret. My father Mahonri was born May 1st 1849 at the corner of Liberty Park four other children were born in Utah, Susan, Ahna, Jane and Robert Henry making them the parents of nine children. They went thru all the hardships of pioneering. Brigham Young offered Grandfather a tract of land on the avenues in Salt Lake which at that time was hill and sage brush and looked useless and Grandfather was real insulted and told him if that was the best he could offer to keep it. Later Brigham sent him to help settle Parowan and Toquerville, he was especially interested in Astronomy drawing charts for people and many of them came true. Grandmother was engaged to the Kings guard before meeting Grandfather who was a fancy shoemaker and said she couldn't see how she ever married Grandfather but guessed she was to be tried thru all the trials she had to encounter. She was a lovely woman and mother, her health was never very good and she died in Toquerville June 16, 1889. Grandfather lived 14 years longer than Grandma.
When we lived in Canoga Park when we were first married, I joined the DUP. There was quite an active chapter, and they encouraged me to join. Turns out it was the same group of ladies who knew Grandma Emily and had attended meetings with her. They remembered her well. Talk about a small world!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I would have loved to meet her old friends.
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