PIONEER HISTORY

OF 

MARY ANN HUNTLEY BURNHAM

BORN: 14 MARCH 1816 WHITEFIELD, VERMONT

PARENTS: ALLEN HUNTLEY AND SALLY HITCHCOCK

MARRIED: (1) JAMES LEWIS BURNHAM 1 DECEMBER 1834

(2) JOSEPH YOUNG 1846-47

ARRIVED IN UTAH 8 OCTOBER 1852

DIED: 10 NOVEMBER 1903 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

COMPILED BY ZINA W. PETERSEN OF THREE MILE CREEK CAMP

SOUTH BOX ELDER COUNTY CAMP

OCTOBER 1974

BRIGHAM CITY, UTAH

CO. HIS. CHLOE N. PETERSEN 

Compiled from histories & stories written by Lydia Standley & Mary Ann Burnham Freeze in about 1923

LIFE SKETCH OF MARY ANN HUNTLEY BURNHAM

Compiled by Zina W. Petersen Oct. 1974

Mary Ann Huntley was born in Waitsfield, Vermont 14 March 1816. She was the daughter of Sally Hitchcock and Allen Huntley. Her mother died when she was 2 years old - 5 June 1818. Four years later her father married Sarah Gustin 1 Nov. 1822.

When Mary Ann was 18 years old she married James Lewis Burnham 1 Dec. 1834.  They emigrated to the west in the year 1837, with one child, and settled in llinois, McHenry County. There they made them a home where they resided until 1843 when they moved to Bureau County in the same state. It was in this latter place that they heard the gospel message and they received it gladly. Her husband was a minister of a Christian Church but after the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was explained to him, he could but acknowledge that he
had no legal authority to preach. He and Mary Ann were baptized into the Mormon Church 6 May 1843. Mary Ann's husband died 5 Oct 1845 in Nauvoo, Ill. where
they had gone to be with the Saints. Four days after her husband's death Mary Ann gave birth to a little girl that she named Mary Ann. The year before they had lost a little girl (Marie Antoinette) just over a year old. Now Mary Ann was left in dire poverty with 4 children to raise. There were three boys, Luther, Wallace and George and the new baby girl. Thus her boys were forced by necessity to help themselves while still very young. This was a very trying time for Mary Ann. Her relatives in the east would gladly have sent means to take her back but it was no temptation to her. She had cast her lot with the
Saints of God, and would rather remain with them in poverty than to have the wealth of the whole world elsewhere. Her husband had worked on the temple and
after it was finished, she entered therein, received her endowments, and was sealed to her husband. Joseph Young, brother of the Prophet Brigham Young, was
proxy.

In Feb. 1846 the famous exodus from Nauvoo began but Mary Ann had no way of removing so remained until after the battle took place and the Saints were driven out on pain of losing their lives. Some of the Saints helped her by lending her a wagcon and a team of cattle that she might make that memorable toilsome journey. Her children and grandchildren have heard her tell of the mob searching for arms, the obscene language they used, and how terribly she suffered from fear. They spent the winter at Winter Quarters, living in a dug out. Although Luther was but eleven years of age he helped drag the cannon from place to place that they might protect themselves from the plunderers. One time when the men were ferrying the families across the river, they were ordered by the militia to stop proceedings, Two of the boys were playing in the shallow water, gathering shells. Mary Ann expected them to be shot yet she did not call them from their play. She thought they might as well die there as else where, if need be. They stayed at Winter Quarters a year and a half when they were forced by the government to move across the Missouri River because they were on Indian territory.

In 1846 or 47 Mary Ann became the 4th wife of Joseph Young. They had two children. Almira Young was born 15 Feb. 1848 at Winter Quarters and Glarentine
Yoiang was born 30 July I85O at Clarentine Young was born 30 July 1850 at Cartersville, Iowa. Evidently her marriage did not help her financially as she was still in destitute circumstances and in 1847 she let two of her sons, Wallace Kendall & George go live with Daniel Wood and they went on to the valley with him in 1848. This was a severe trial to Mary Ann but there seemed no other way for them to be taken care of as the Saints were in the depths of poverty. She remained in Council Bluffs until 1852 when the Saints came to her rescue and through their kindness was delivered from Babylon. She started to cross the plains in June 1852. While crossing the plains her daughter, Mary Ann, fell from the wagon and was run over by both wheels and was badly hurt. Through the administration of the Elders she was almost immediately healed and felt no bad effects afterward.

Mary Ann reached Utah October 8, I852 on the last day of conference. They settled in Bountiful but it was still necessary for the boys, Wallace and George, to live among strangers and work out and help themselves and their mother the best they could. They lived with  Daniel Wood for 5 years and suffered many hardships incident to early pioneer life. Luther and his mother have also recounted many stories to their families of the want and destitution they suffered almost amounting to starvation.

Wallace Kendall married Philinda Standley 30 Nov 1856 and soon afterward moved to Richmond, Utah and gave his home in Bountiful to his mother. Mary Ann and her family lived in Bountiful until her daughter Mary Ann was I6 years old and then they too moved to Richmond where the young Mary Ann taught shool. Mary Ann spent most of the rest of her life here and then in later years lived at the home of a daughter in Salt Lake. She died in Salt Lake 10 Nov. I903. She left 6 children with a fine pioneer heritage. All married well and had families of their own and were stalwarts in the Church and worthy sons & daughters of Mary Ann.

Her children were: Luther Clinton married Matilda Barnett 19 Nov. I863 

(2) Mary Lucinda Stewart 17 May I875, 

(3) Clara Hyde 6 Dec. I883

Wallace Kendall married Philinda Standley 30 Nov 1856 (2) Lydia Standley 11 Apr I865.

George Franklin married (1) Sarah Smith (2) Betsey Barnett (3) Emma Stevens.

Marie Antoinette b. 7 Aug 1843 d. 4 Nov 1844

Mary Ann married James P Freeze 7 Mar. 1863.  Almira Young md. Robert Dephi Russell.

Clarentine Young md Jasper Conrad