(Photo given to me by Leah Larsen of Idaho Falls, Idaho)
Rozilla Huffaker Pulsipher
1837 - 1871
A SHORT SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF ROZILLA HUFFAKER WRITTEN BY HERSELF
I, Rozilla Huffaker Pulsipher, daughter of Simpson D. and Susan G Huffaker, was born in Bureau County, Illinois, January 24, 1837. My father came from Kentucky and he worked and made a farm here in the country when it was new. He was living here when he first heard the gospel preached. He was baptized by, William Anderson the year of 1842. In the year 1845 we moved to Nauvoo. Here my mother died Sept. 20, 1845 with measles, persecutions and hardships, giving her life for the sake of the Gospel. A baby girl died and was buried in the same grave. I was the oldest child, nine years of age, in a family of five children. My father married again to Elizabeth Melvina Richardson--and a good mother she was)
We lived hereto witness the finishing of the temple and the destruction of our property. We were driven across the Mississippi River and had to flee for safety. Then we moved to Iowa to stay through the winter. This was in 1846 and in the spring of 1847 we started to cross over to the Rocky Mountains. We traveled until we came to the Great Salt Lake Valley, arriving on the 6th day of October, 1847, where we built log houses and made a fort to keep the Indians from killing us. We lived in a fort two years then we moved out seven or eight miles from the city. Helped to make the first settlement here and helped to kill the crickets. Made a home among the Rocky Mountains where we hoped to be out of reach of mobs.
December 19, 1850 my sister Sarah Malinda died of a sickness of two weeks. The disease was inflammation of the lungs. I will write a few lines that I have penned on her death:
Twas’ on a dark and cloudy night
The moon and stars could give no light
I saw a light spot on the wall
I ran and told the news to all.
The family run along with me
In the other room the spot to see
The light they saw at the next breath
They said it was a sign of death.
My dear sister Sarah said,
“I have a hard pain my head
It’s me that is going to die.”
These words she said we knew not why.
We did not believe one word she said
And as happy as ever we went to bed.
But ere two weeks had past away
Our sister in her grave did lay.
And as she on her death bed lay
“Let me go, Let me go,” she did say
And when in the grave her body lay
We thought of what we’d heard her say.
Her body’s laid away to rest
Her spirit dwells with the blest
Where all the faithful spirits go
When they’re freed from this world of woe.
The time is near when we shall meet
Then all our faithful friends we’ll greet
When pain and sorrow all is over
And death will trouble us no more.
In the year 1851 I went to school a part of the time. In September 1852 my half-sister, Harriet Relief, died. On the 28th day of September my father took him another wife whose name was Elizabeth Brady. In June 1853 I went to the city to live and I hired out to work for one Elizabeth Foster. There got acquainted with one John Pulsipher, a young man who had left the state of New York and came to Utah with the exodus of Saints in 1848. On the 4th of November, 1853 we were married at my father’s house--this being the first wedding in the family. A large crowd of relatives and friends were there to witness the ceremony and partake of the big feast that followed. Our marriage covenant was sealed according to the Celestial order of Heaven by President Heber C, Kimball, March 20, 1854 when I received my endowments at the Endowment house built on the Temple block. Then I moved to the city.
On November 6th, 1854 our eldest daughter Elzina was born. On the 6th of April, 1855, at conference my husband was called to take a mission among - the Shoshone Indians at Fort Supply. He arranged his business affairs, then moved me and his child in a room with his mother. He left on the 17th of May. He composed the following lines of poetry on the day he left, which I will write in my history:
Adieu, adieu, my friend adieu,
The time has come to part with you
I leave my home and friends so dear,
And I to other parts will steer.
‘Tis not for gold or wealth I go,
Or any riches here below- I go because it’s my Master’s will,
I go my calling to fulfill.
Farewell my kind and faithful friend
Keep these few lines that I have penned;
Be sure and ne’er forget to pray,
And do your duty day by day.
I leave our first dear child with you,
And hope you’ll teach her how to do.
No more at present can I tell--
So friends and neighbors all farewell.
----John Pulsipher—
I assisted in doing outside chores, such as milking cows, etc. I made
a large number of buckskin gloves for which I had ready sale for them in the stores in the city, or exchange for necessities for the home. Some were made very simple, these were cheaper and only came to the wrist. Others were more expensive, these had more embroidery work and a large gauntlet, some of which would bring a price of $25.00 a pair.
I received letters from my husband once or twice a month. He was on this mission six months, raised a crop there that season and in November he came home to visit with his family and to stay the winter.
In the spring of 1856 the Brethren of that mission were called to take their families there too. So we started on April 16 on our journey. His father gave him a pair of two-year old steers that were not broke and a cow. My father gave me a cow. We yoked them all together and a pair of steers belonging to Brother A. G. Green. This made a very lively team hitched to a little wagon and traveled over mountains, snow banks and rivers, Weber and Bear. I was the first white woman in the fort, others followed later. We were nine days going. It was a cold stormy time, snowed six inches the night we got there. Then we commenced farming. We made a garden the first thing and put in something to live on during the coming winter.
He went to work getting house logs for a small one-room house. In one week he had it ready to move into. I hoed garden, picked wild berries, and did housework. On the 16 and 17 of July we had some very cold weather. Water froze one-fourth inch thick. Killed some of our crops and garden.
This fall, 1856, father, mother and Brother-in-law came by Fort Bridger on their way to the states. Fort Bridger was about twelve miles from our fort, so we traveled on and camped with them twelve miles farther on. We had a very good visit. They are going for property and visit with their relatives. I felt sorry to see them on their way to the States and feared the Indians would kill them, as they had killed some before. We gathered our crops, but could not get it completed as the winter commenced Sept. 6th with the first snow. Everything was killed that could be by frost--corn, green beans, peas and other tender plants.
On the 2nd of December had a daughter born dead. I got along first- rate and enjoyed myself very well. In about a week we received a letter from my husband mother stating that my sister, Sidnah, and two little brothers were dead. They died with the small-pox. This grieved me very much, as it was an only sister and I could not see her. Father and mother were gone from home. About this time the hand-cart companies came along here, almost starving and a great many of them nearly frozen to death; and some of their feet almost frozen off. It was thought best to call some teams from Fort Supply to help them into the valley. Some of them stopped with us at our Fort and also some wagon companies that could not get into the valley. We had a happy time during the winter together. There were theaters a part of this winter, a dancing school, Indian schools and meetings so it was a short winter. We received letters from our friends in the valley. We got letter from my brother-in-law, Charles Pulsipher, stating that our brother William was suffering from Brain Fever and had been for three or four weeks. We fasted and prayed for him, and presently he got well and is healthy.
Jan. 1, 1857 we attended a New Year’s party. It went off first-rate. There was a hand-cart girl who had lost her parents that lived with us a part of the winter. In the spring she was married to John Long and went to Fort Bridger to live.
In the month of April we took a journey of seven days to the valley for
a visit and to get some necessities. We found our friends all well. We made a visit of one week and then started home again for fear of high water, as it was rising when we left. We had two rivers to cross--the bear and the Weber.
When we got home we found all right. Our President had gotten there. He had been to the valley to get married and had taken him two wives. We finished our planting as soon as we could and farmed and ran a saw mill thus passed away the summer. This fall we began to harvest wheat, potatoes and other vegetables. President Young sent a letter to our President for us all to move to the valley as the United States Troops were on their way to the valley and would pass our Fort. We expected they were for war.
About this time my father and mother came along from the States. They came up to our Fort to see us. It was twelve miles South-East from Bridger. They brought us some presents. They went to the valley and we tarried for a while, then we moved too. All our houses were burned-crops hidden, etc, so the enemy could receive no benefit from it. We started and on the first day journey we broke our wagon got it fixed to go on. A false report reached us that the troops were hard after us to get in the main road ahead of us, so we traveled all night to get ahead of them. If there was any fighting to be done we wanted to be ahead of them. They camped and we kept ahead. We got in the valley on October 5th and found our friends all well.
In a few days my husband volunteered as a guard and slept at a guard house to be ready to meet our enemy if necessary in the night-time, for we were not going to let them come into the valley this winter. He started to Echo Canyon on November 1st. He stayed five weeks then returned again to his family and tarried a season at home.
On January 14, 1858, our daughter, Emily Sariah, was born. My oldest daughter was very sick for several weeks. She was a healthy child in a short time. We moved on the farm about three miles from the city in the spring.
Council was given for Saints to journey to the south. John was in Echo canyon at the time. We were fixing to move and he came home to help to move us away. All the men were called home from the Canyon. The enemies had given up all ideas of coming into the valley.
John’s father and mother went first to the South, and his sister’s boy who had been with them, returned with the teams for us. Brother John Alger drove one team and brother Charles Pulsipher drove the loose stock. We moved to Springville, about fifty miles south of the city, arriving about April 25. John was appointed to remain at the city to guard and raise the crops. A few men stayed for that purpose. All the women and children were moved away.
There was a continual trail, or living stream of travelers on all roads leading to the South. The Saints are leaving their much loved homes, garden shade and fruit trees and go joyfully to the hardships and trials of camp life.
In July Colonel Thomas L. Kane, an old friend of this people, seeing the situation of this people, came in haste from Washington D. C. to this place and then to the army. He finally got Governor Cummins to leave the army and come to Salt Lake City. They made a treaty with President Young. Then Pres. Young sent word to all the Saints that wished could return to their homes in peace and safety. We, like many others, had to live out in the open air and many times have been wet through in our beds in severe rain storms, but the Lord gave strength according to our work. My husband brought the word to move back home. This was something new in our history to return to our homes that we had been deprived of by our enemies. Words cannot express the joy felt by the people when the time arrived for them to return to their comfort able homes seeing our husbands and father so soon and having the privilege of returning to our home. We arrived home on July 9th.
The U.S. Army were permitted to come into the valley before our return. Instead of doing as they boasted they would do with the Mormon women, they passed through the deserted city, and camped outside of the city. My husband went over to the camp and sold them a treat of garden vegetables, butter and cheese. It sold as fast as he could hand it out. He got nearly $100.00 and was home at night. This proved a blessing.
The following winter no meetings were held, although we had comfortable times. We found plenty to read, study, and meditate on. The spring of 1859 came. We put in our crops as usual, and my husband took a herd of cattle an sheep. He hired a boy to herd them and I made butter and cheese. I helped shear the sheep, wash and cord the wool and spin it into yarn and thread. I made my own dye, gathering the yellow of golden-rod flowers along the hills to make the yellow dye. Raised madder in my garden to make the red dye. We could buy the indigo and by mixing colors made many other shades. The heavier cloth that I wove was made into men’s clothing, the finer pieces were made into dresses and underwear. I spun and did other work that was necessary for the house-wife to perform.
On the 20th of November I had another daughter and called her Mary Elizabeth, after John’s mother and my step-mother. We raised good crops of corn and other things. Wintered on the old farm of Father Pulsipher’s, then in the spring we moved on a place of our own, not far from the old farm. Planted a garden and set out fruit trees. The water failed, so we did not raise any garden, but had a good crop of wheat in the field below.
A PROMISE
I hereby promise never to complain of my living if I can only have plenty of good white flour. (This winter we had to grind wheat in a coffee mill.)
Rozilla Huffaker----Fort Supply----January, 1857.
At an evening meeting in the city my husband was informed that he was selected for a missionary to the south, which was known as the Cotton Mission. This was very unexpected to us. Volunteers had been called but he didn’t think it meant him for we had a good home and was well satisfied and had plenty to do, but when Apostle George A. Smith told him that he was selected to go we saw the importance of the mission to sustain Israel in the mountains. We had need of possession in a warmer climate and thought it might as well be us as any one else. Then the spirit of the mission came upon us and I felt to thank the Lord that we were worthy to go. My husband offered to leave me and my children with his mother until spring and he would do all he could to make a home to bring me to. But I wanted to go with him, was willing to leave my parents and would prefer to go and help to make a home in this far south. We had just got the farm into cultivation so we could raise produce enough in one year to last the few years, probably a dozen.
There were about two hundred or our friends and relatives mostly old and worthy members of the church, which made a very good company. Brother Brigham wished us to go over the rim of the Great Basin south and down until we came to the mild climate along the Rio Virgin River where we could raise cotton, cane, and fruits which were needed. He blessed us and wished us to go and live the religion of Jesus Christ and we would yet see the importance of this mission. Those who had loose stock formed a company, traveled along comfortable with our flocks and slow teams through the mud, rain, and snow and some cold wintry weather before we got over the rim of the Basin. Worked the road and arrived at the site where St. George was to be built.
December 24, 1861: A few wagons were here before us but the city was not surveyed. Three days after we arrived here our first son and fifth child was born in a covered wagon on the morning of December 28, a strong healthy child and I got along as well as when we were in a house. The Lord is able to give us strength according to our works and is willing to help such that have been strong in faith. People gathered in last and we soon had a big camp and so much stock that brother Snow wished some of us would find a herd ground and take the spare stock out of the way where there is feed for them. My husband and brothers concluded that they would go into that business. They found a place twenty miles north and made a start with the herd of sheep and cattle.
June 1, 1862: We built a log house, hired some help and turned our whole attention to the business. A hard winter this was---rain, rain, rain for a month. Streams rose higher than before, over-flowing in the low lands. More room for the cattle was needed, so we moved over the rim of the basin north and west about fifty miles from St. George. Found a band of Piute Indians, made a treaty with them. This range was watered by numerous small streams, some of them run to a channel and form Shoal Creek, where we arrived safe and joyful on April 27th. Nine big Indians came twelve miles to meet us and were as happy as we were. We were blest in our new home and had no trouble with the natives, although we were but few. We built a dairy house with a spring in it as soon as we settled here. So if the Indians should make war on us we could use it for a fort and they could not keep us from the water.
My sister-in-law and I worked hard with very little help. We made about 3,000 lbs. of butter and cheese. My husband was a cooper, or barrel maker and carpenter, and arranged things for our conveniences. The spring was higher than the dairy house and ran through. A water wheel was used for power to churn the dasher was fastened to the pitman in such a way it worked up and down. While we were working one churn full of butter another one would be churned. We would rub salt in the barrel to fill all the cracks and then pack butter in them. This was kept cool in this dairy house until a trip to the city was made where we had ready sale for all we had. My husband made a large cheese tub; also a machine to knead dough and I made cookies and crackers for own use and market. The girls could help a lot with this work.
In the latter part of September a large number of Indians were gathering and camping around us. They were very friendly and hungry. We must feed them or they suffer. We gave them two beef cattle and considerable other provisions. They cannot demand it, but pity their suffering condition. It is cheaper to feed them than to fight them but this is a heavy tax on us, few as we are. Many are the times that we have been out of bread before we could get another supply.
A PROMISE December 9, l866-. Shoal Creek
Having lived so long among Indians and on the frontiers of civilization in small houses, sometimes but one room, sometimes none, I declare that I will be satisfied if I can ever have a house. The best room of which shall be as good as my mothers kitchen in Salt Lake City.---Rozilla H. Pulsipher.
Shoal Creek is where Enterprise now is. I will record an incident that happened while living at this place:
“At one time, while sitting at my loom weaving, my daughter Emily, age five, standing on a stool behind the loom picking the rods back for me. The door was pushed open and four large Indians walked in, and came right up to me and said in their language, “Where is your Indian?” (meaning my Husband) I put my finger to my lips, as a sign of silence and told them very quietly to be still. I pointed to a door and said, “He is in there asleep.”
The Indian said, “You lie, he is gone, we saw him go over the hill.” They had been watching him as he left the house and after he got out of sight they came to the house. They told me in commanding voice to get them food quickly. I slid off my stool and pushed the Indian out of my way, rushed to the door, reached up over it and took down a gun, turned on them as I cocked it and told them to get out or I would shoot. They looked at me and knew I meant it. They turned and started, I followed them out in the yard ordering them to go fast, which they did. I watched them to be sure they did not turn back until my oldest daughter, Elzina, aged nine came home. Then I helped her up onto the roof of the house and gave her a coat to cover up in as it was cold. She lay there watching them until they were out of sight around the mountain. Rozilla H. Pulsipher
This is as far as the history of Rozilla Pulsipher goes, written in her own words. I will finish the rest in the words of her husband.
My wife’s health has been poor the last year perhaps a visit to her parents will do her good.
1870---The sickness of my wife still continues. It seems impossible to get faith or medicine sufficient to cure her. She is getting weaker all the time, yet she appears resigned and willing to go to be with the sanctified ones that have gone before. A consumptive cough has set in which we cannot stop. She begged of me to let her go. Said she had no fear of death. After a lingering sickness of three and a half years she died at two O’clock, Thursday February 9th, 1871. Her age was 34 years and 16 days. She has been too weak to turn herself in bed for the last four or five months, while she begged of me to let her go for it appeared best for her sake to do so.
In the midst of her family and friends she breathed her last as quietly as going to sleep. The funeral and burial was attended to by nearly the entire population of our town on Friday 10. Appropriate remarks were made by, Dudley Leavitt, Thomas S. Terry, Zerah Pulsipher, and Bishop Crosby.
She was a brave, strong-minded woman. She was very healthy until the last sickness. Always willing to accompany her husband on his Indian Missions On the frontiers of civilization, where few but the bravest dare die, her first son was born three days after we arrived in camp where St. George was to be built. She had the privilege of staying at Salt Lake with relatives in a comfortable house this winter, but chose to be with her husband and the first of the Dixie Mission.
Her second son was the first white child born in this Shoal Creek. As the mothers previous had chose to be transported to some older settlement where more experienced help could be obtained. She said she would prefer to stay at home and thereby prove the fact that white children can be born here as well as in older cities. She wished my sister, Eliza Jane Pulsipher Terry, an inexperienced but brave young woman, to commence the practice of midwifery. She has since become quite proficient in the business after haying splendid success with her first attempt.
My youngest son, William Lewis, five years old died April, 1871 after three months sickness of dropsy brought on from measles.
John Pulsipher
A blessing pronounced by John Pulsipher before starting on his mission among Lamanites (Indians) upon the head of his wife Rozilla, May l6, l855.
Rozilla; I lay my hands upon your head and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood vested in me I confer upon you a blessing. I promise you in the name of the Lord that you shall have health and strength--wisdom and knowledge to enable you to perform the duties necessary for you to attend to in my absence. Call upon the name of the Lord and He will give you his Holy Spirit which will comfort your heart in the trials that you may have to pass through. I enlighten your mind that you may be able to understand the principles of His kingdom, that you may teach the little infant that has been entrusted to our care, in the way that will be pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father. You shall live long upon the earth and enjoy the blessings thereof. You shall also be blessed with kind friends in times of need. I seal these with all other blessings you may need upon your head in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
A blessing by father Zerah Pulsipher upon the head of Rozilla Pulsipher daughter of Simpson D and Susan Green Huffaker and wife of John Pulsipher; born January 24, 1837.
Rozilla, by the authority of the Holy Priesthood I lay my hands upon your head and confer upon you a father’s blessing. I bless you in the name of the Lord. You shall be blessed with health, strength valor and understanding; and wisdom, even that wisdom which is necessary for your sex. You shall be blessed with numerous posterity and in connection with your companion you shall have all the blessings which will be necessary for you in the kingdom of God. You are a daughter and of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Joseph, and the blessings of heaven will rest upon you. Your children will rise up and call you blessed and shall stand on Mount Zion and behold the glory of God. Behold the kingdom God built upon the earth and witnesses the waste places of Zion established. You shall be on this earth and see of the coming of the Son of Man and even the glory of his kingdom. I seal upon you all these blessings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.