History of Sarah Jane Ingram (Ingraham) Smith
A short sketch of the Life of Sarah Jane Ingram Smith
Compiled by Amy Ann Smith Hancock Empey September 5, 1962
They came to St. Louis but was not there but a short time when the Black Measles broke out and they both (parents) died within a week, leaving three small children, a boy 8 yrs old, Richard by name, Jane 6 yrs. [4 yrs.] and Frances (Fanny) Ann 2 yrs.
Their Uncle Richard Griffiths and his wife Mary took the children and gave them a home, they moved several times. At one time they lived near a forest of trees and the children would get the nuts in the fall for winter.
Her uncle used to do a lot of trading horses and cattle, one night he came and told Richard and Jane to put the horses in the stable. When they went to do as they were told they heard a strange noise and ran to the house, the horses ran away in the woods. The children's uncle was angry at them and was going to whip them but their aunt would not let him so he went to see what it was and found a large wild hog in the stable, it came after him so he did not say anything to them. After that they soon moved from there.
They were acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith and saw him and his brother, Hyrum, after they were martyred.
One night just after they had gone to bed the mob entered the town and drove the saints out and set fire to their homes. The Saints grabbed what they could and ran to the river and crossed on the ice.
Jane crossed the plains with an ox team walking all the way. She never had a chance to go to school and as her Aunt Mary had no children of her own she expected Jane to work like a grown woman. Her childhood was not in flowery paths for she was expected to do the housework at home while her aunt went to work for others to help make a living and if she did not have it done she was punished. This made her a quiet and of a discouraged nature. She never expected to be their equal to those who had an education but longed to learn.
While crossing the plains her Aunt Mary took the cholera and died in the year 1849. After they arrived in Utah she went to live with Samuel Smith's mother (Sarah Wooding Smith) as Samuel and family did not arrive until the fall of 1850) who gave her a home. Jane married Samuel Smith in 1852, they moved to Cottonwood, where her first baby was born, a little girl Thyrea. She (Jane) came to Brigham City in 1854 (1855), she was industrious and did all she could.
When her third child (Isaac) was about three weeks old she was dressing him and accidentally swallowed a pin, (needle) which caused her much trouble later.
Speaking of the time when the U.S. Army threatened to invade Utah, Jane, with the rest went south, walking most of the way carrying her baby so that the two little ones could ride, she like all the other in the company never complained but put their trust in the Lord and never asked why. After they returned, she helped her husband and the other families to keep a hotel for years.
In the year 1864, Jane with her children, five in number, went to homestead in a place called Blue Springs, there were but a few settlers, about eight (8) in number. They had a hard and a lonely time, it took two days with oxen to go from there to Brigham City.
In the year 1867, the Indians threatened to attack the settlement and every one moved, the boys took all the stock and grain and left her with her little family, a girl 15 and her oldest boy 13 years. There were four other families left but they went three days after. The hired hands left her alone and as it was fall, a heavy snowstorm came and it was ten days before they could get to her. But she had no fear, she put her faith in the Lord and her calling that she knew that the Lord would protect her.
The storm had caused the Indians to camp about 30 miles from her, so her (Jane's) prayers were answered.
About nine years after she had swallowed that pin (needle) an abscess came on her left side just below the last rib. She suffered for years with that. She was bed-fast for eighteen months (18), then died (36 years old). She had lived a good life, was a good mother, a faithful Latter-day Saint and a good wife.
She was the mother of nine children, eight were living at the time of her death. They were all home at the time, and none of them were married. She died the 4th of September 1872 at Brigham City, Utah.
Note: The author is unknown the sketch was found among the keepsakes of a daughter of Sarah Jane's, Alice Rosesella (Rosella) Smith Empey, 28 August 1962 by her daughter Auretta Empey O'Neil and Margaret O'Neil Johnson, of Ogden, Utah. Many other items of interest were found at the same time. This copy was made by Amy Ann Smith Hancock Empey, wife of Joseph W. Empey, son of Rozella Smith Empey, Sept. 5, 1962, Ogden, Utah. Sarah Jane Ingram (Ingraham) Smith's picture (Tintype) was found a short time before about 20 July 1962 among the Joseph Empey¹s treasures.
Sarah Jane Ingram (Ingraham) Smith, raised one son that served on two foreign missions, Isaac Smith, missionary to Great Britain and Channel Island 1878. Served as a counselor in the Box Elder Stake with Oliver G. Snow. Bishop of the Logan Utah 7th Ward (18841890). Counselor in the Cache Stake presidency (1890-1906) and president of that stake (1906-1911). Ordained a patriarch 3 May 1913.
I believe that Sarah Jane has a greater number of descendants than any of the 5 wives, and more of her posterity has served on missions for the Church, holding stake offices in stake presidency than any other family of Samuel Smith's. All though Sarah Jane died very young (36) she certainly has been blessed through her descendant's activities.
Sarah Jane certainly had the sincere love and admiration of her sister Frances Ann as told in the history of Frances Ann Ingram (Ingraham) Smith.
This has been compiled by Amy Smith Hancock Empey Sept 5, 1962 112 years since Grandfather Samuel Smith came to Utah (5 Sept. 1850).
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