My mother's name was Laura Carrie [Caroline?] Wood Rood from Florida, Orange Co., New York. They were married in New York in 1835 and rode to Quincy in a buggy, stopping at hotels and private farm houses at night.

I was the second child of my parents, the first child being a son. Joseph Wellar, who died in infancy in 1837, being a little over one year old. Two years latter, in 1839, I was born to them, and two little sisters came to gladden the home, but death soon claimed them. Emily, born in 1841, died at the age of four; and Calista Jane, called Lillie for short, aged twenty months, died of scarlet fever. Their deaths were only ten days apart. Lillie died March 5th and Emily on March 15, 1845. I was the only child left, a little girl of seven years with blue eyes and chestnut brown hair.

I was a great companion to my mother, who was a very highly intellectual, spiritually-minded and affectionate mother. Her little daughter was constantly by her side, and in our walks she taught me about the birds, the flowers, the different leaves of the trees and the blades of green grass, that they were all the works of God, My Heavenly Father, and how I must always put my trust in Him and go to him in any kind of trouble. that he would hear my prayers. But before I had quite reached my eighth year, I was called upon to part with this loving mother, whose love was so great that I felt it all through my childhood days.

I wish I could have been half as loving to my children as my mother was to me. She had suffered for years with lingering consumption, but was only confined to her bed for two weeks. The day she died she called her little daughter to her bedside and told me not to cry, to be kind to my father, and meet her in heaven; and in her closing prayer she prayed God's covenant mercies might rest upon her motherless child. I have felt the answer to that prayer all my life, I truly have.

I remember how they laid my mother in the coffin. She was buried from the Presbyterian Church, and I remember how sad I was my heart when they sang the funeral hymns. I heard them remark, "did you ever see a little child realize like that one seems to." In her closing prayer, she committed herself and her all to Christ to be dealt with as he saw fit, saying, "amen!"

I had a dear, kind father who did everything in his power to make me happy and help me bear my loss; he was ever faithful and true to me and mine as long as he lived on earth. Two years later, he called to me and said he felt that he had to be away from me so much with his practice he thought he should get married and have another mother for me.

This lady was a lovely woman who had been through great sorrow herself, for she had buried her husband in Philadelphia. She was ever a devoted wife to my father and always kind and affectionate to me. But she told me when I was a young lady she didn't think I ever put her in the place of my mother, but acted as if I felt her to be a kind, loving friend. I said, 'it is impossible for me to put anyone in my mother's place.' Then she said, 'I should not expect you to Mary, because when I consider it, if I should die, I would not think my boys could put anyone else in my place." She died on July 4, 1875, leaving my father a widower the second time.

A few hours before she died she overheard the Doctor tell my Father she was sinking fast and there was no earthly hope for her. As he paced the floor in his agony she said, "Pa, I wish you would doctor me.' Then she said, "I would love to have lived to take care of you, Pa, but the Lord's will be done." My father bowed his head and said in his grief, 'though the Lord slay me, yet will I trust in him.'

She left two dear sons who did all they could to comfort him. They had laid two children to rest, twins, a son and a daughter, but the two sons were spared to grow to manhood, William C., the oldest, and Draper, the youngest. We all deeply mourned her loss.

She was a true mother and taught us children to look on the bright side. She loved music and young folks and was a great laugher. She taught me to be resigned to God's will in everything for he knew best. She always said, "we must be cheerful and happy under all circumstances. She loved society and loved to go to meeting. Her memory will ever live fresh in the hearts of her children, for she taught us in truth and righteousness. She was a member of the Baptist Church. She was laid to rest in the Woodland Cemetery in Quincy, Ill., in the same lot with my own dear mother.

I was baptized in the Mississippi River when I was ten years old, becoming a member of the first Baptist Church. I was a punctual Sunday School scholar for many years and afterward, a teacher. Although I often wondered why they didn't have the gifts and blessings in the Church like they did in the days of Christ. It never once entered my mind as to their not having authority until I met my husband years after.

My father always sent me to the very best ladies seminaries. Money was no object to my father. His only aim was his daughter's education. When I was sixteen I went to New York State to visit my mother's relatives and attended school until after I was eighteen, in Elmira, Chemung Co., New York, in a ladies seminary.

The principal of the school was Miss Clara Thurston. She was a lovely lady and took a great interest in all her pupils. Everything in that seminary was done with strict discipline and order. We arose at five-forty-five in the morning and were called to the drawing room at six forty-five for devotional exercises. A chapter in the Bible was read, a hymn sung, and a prayer offered. From there we went into the dining room to breakfast, generally occupying about thirty minutes at the table. We all took our seats at the table in uniform, all being seated at once. After the meal we all arose and left the table together.

At seven-forty-five we were called into our class rooms for a study period, then had fifteen minutes exercise before school was called at nine o'clock. There were six faculty teachers and a professor. After school was closed for the day we took a pleasant walk, accompanied by two or three teachers. On Saturdays the young ladies were allowed to visit their friends, and as I had an aunt, uncle and cousins, I spent time there.

Every Monday morning the pupils in the school were divided off according to their ages and an hour was spent in studying the Bible.  Every Wednesday after school there was a prayer meeting, and on Sundays the principal had a Bible class for the young ladies that boarded in the seminary, and in this way we learned much of the Bible.

This was a very happy time in my life. At the close of each term, our friends and relatives were called in to witness the program and the graduation exercises. It was with regret when I left my dear teachers and classmates to return home (at my dear father's request) , after eighteen months stay. There were about twenty-five students, including some of the teachers and the Professor, who accompanied me to the depot. When the Professor Charles Farrar went to bid me goodbye, he remarked, "'don't think, Mary, that because your school days are over, your education is complete. You have a good foundation laid so go on to perfection, and saying, "God bless you, Dear," he bid me goodbye.  He was a Presbyterian.  On my way home, I was favored with the company of Mr. Furness (a special friend of my father) and his daughter, Nellie.

During my stay in New York my father retired from the practice of medicine, as he was growing old and wished to retire from public life. He bought a farm about fourteen miles from Quincy, where he built a home, and to this I came on my return in April, 1857.

My friends and relatives welcomed me home cordially. About three years after I returned home,  I met the young man who was to be my companion through life. After keeping company about two years we were married, and I felt that God had highly blessed me, and answered my mother's dying prayer, in giving me a man of God, and his parents and family were all God-fearing. Our union was blessed with ten children - four sons and six daughters -- Mary Alice, James Addison, Sarah Leolia, Joseph E.D., John E.S., Carrie, Jessie Faith, Eva H., Judson Bliss, and Pearl Ethel.

We lived in Quincy the first few years of our married life, then we moved to Camp Point, Illinois, a station on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy R.R.(C.B.Q.) about twenty-two miles east of Quincy, and the home of my husband's parents.  Here my husband carried on the carpenter trade, as a contractor and builder for about fourteen years, where our lives passed off very happily among loved ones.

In 1879 my husband went to Kansas to enter a piece of land. He took a team, a covered wagon and two of the boys, James and John. Two of the girls, Leolia and Carrie went with their papa also. This left the home very lonely, as I had never been separated from my husband before. My dear father was very kind to us, providing for all our needs. But the greatest comfort I took was reading the mail. My husband wrote me a card every day and a long letter once a week. My father remarked that I enjoyed reading those cards from my husband more than I did eating my meals. No words can describe the joy I felt when the word came for us to come, as he had a home prepared for us near Emporia, Kansas.

Painful as it was to my father's feelings to give us up, as soon as we could make arrangements he furnished the money to pay our way to Kansas. Alice, our oldest daughter, was a young lady, so she was a great companion and help to me on the journey. Our Heavenly Father blessed us to reach our destination in safety, and we met one another in good health, for which we were all truly thankful to our Heavenly Father.

Our daughter, Alice, was engaged to be married to a young man by the name of M. E. Gallaway in Dallas, Texas, so in the following December she was married and went to Texas to live. This was the first break in our family circle, as we had never lost any of our children by death. We felt the loss very keenly.

We tried to keep ourselves busy cultivating our new farm of one-hundred and sixty acres, in planting orchards, breaking up new ground for cultivating corn, potatoes, and other vegetables. We soon formed pleasant acquaintances, which ripened into true friendship with three families, Edwards, Lester and Wells. We learned that Mr. Edward's oldest brother (Dr. Edwards, who lived in Edwardsville, Ill.) was the one who entertained my own dear father and mother on their arrival in Illinois from New York as bride and groom. This endeared us to each other very much.

We lived here about twelve years, and it was here that our youngest child was born, a daughter, and we named her Pearl Ethel. We spent many happy times on the farm on Bluff Creek, which we named "Hillside." My husband and I took an active part in Sunday School as we loved young people. They chose me as their organist. It was a Union Sunday School as the community was not large enough to support different denominations.

My husband, however, entertained different views from other denominations, he being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Elders of that Church frequently called upon us when passing through the country. In time my two sons, Joseph and John were baptized. A year or two later our daughter Jessie was baptized, and soon after Eva and my baby boy, Judson, were also baptized.

This was a great trial to my heart as I had been raised a strict Baptist and could not understand saying there was only one true Church on the earth, for I knew my parents had always been God-fearing people. They had family prayers night and morning, and taught us children to love the Bible, and to go to Sunday School every Sunday morning.

I knew little of the Latter Day Saints belief, only as my husband explained it, for be was the only person of that faith I had ever met until the Elder visited us at our "Hill Side" home on the farm. At times I felt grieved over the differences of opinion between my husband and myself in our religion, and I would often go to my Heavenly Father in prayer with my heart aching, and would come out of the closet comforted, feeling that there was only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. I felt sure we were both the children of God, for I knew my husband loved the Lord with all his heart. I knew I loved him too.

Our two sons, Joseph and John, felt like they wanted to go to Utah and be with the body of the Church. Their sister Jessie Faith said she would go and keep house for them. So they went. John remained in Salt Lake City, but Joseph and Jessie went to Heber City. About a year passed away when they wrote and asked if Eva could come and be with Jessie.  But Eva was so young that I objected to her traveling alone. Soon after I got an invitation to come to my daughter's wedding, as she was going to be married. I didn't know what to do because my husband's mother was blind and living with us. So I took it to the Lord in fervent prayer, asking him to show me if it was his will for me to go to Utah, and if those people were his people? That night as I retired to bed, there was a fervent prayer in my heart that I might be shown whether to go to Utah or not.  Before morning a most beautiful vision opened to my view. I beheld a mountain over which I must climb to get to heaven, and a voice commanded me to "come up." I looked and beheld that the mountain was like a straight wall. I put my hand out to see if I could find a place to rest my foot. Finally I found one place, but could find no more. The voice said, '0 Trust," so I placed my foot in the place that had been prepared, and so on until I nearly reached the top, only one place appearing at a time. I became frightened for fear of falling when the voice spoke to me again and said, "Look not back," and thus I reached the top. It seemed that I was in the most beautiful country.

It was summer time. I saw a young man mowing grass. He came to the fence and said, 'Lady, you look weary, go to the next house and my mother will give you some refreshments." I went and the lady met me at the door with a very pleasant smile. She invited me in and gave me a cold drink of water, which was refreshing to my soul as well as my body. She then gave me some grapes to eat. They were most luscious. The interpretation had been given to me that the water of which I drank was the "'water of Life" which Jesus spoke of, and the meaning of the fruit was the pure principles of the Latter Day Saint Gospel.    Our dear daughter, Alice, had died in Texas, after five short years of happy married life, and left a little son two years old and an infant daughter.  In this vision I saw her as it were in a room teaching a lot of little children from four to ten years of age.  It seemed that this was one of the mansions in heaven.  My daughter seemed glad to see me.  I seemed not to return her greeting but asked here, "Where is Jesus?"  She replied, "He is not here, Mamma, but we will soon see him." I beheld as if in a panoramic view, beautiful rivers and tall wonderful mountains dangerous to behold, water falls, and many beautiful scenic places. I saw great companies of old people being waited upon and made happy as if on some joyous occasion.  I then awoke believing firmly that it was the will of the Lord for me to go to Utah. My husband's mother advised me to go. She said that I would have a safe journey and no accident would happen on the train to anyone. She would go to her daughter, Jane, in Illinois.

So in a short time I wrote to my son and daughter that I would come. They sent enough money for tickets for myself, Eva and Pearl, who was nine years of age. My husband did all he could to help us get ready. We soon started on our journey, which proved to be a safe and pleasant one as my dear mother-in-law had said.

Upon arrival at Salt Lake City, we were greeted by my son, John, who took us to a fine boarding place. We stayed with him several days and he treated me like a queen and showed me all over the city, the beauty of which struck me with amazement with its clean, broad streets, its wealth of lovely shade trees and clear streams of gurgling water flowing down either side of the street. He took me to the great tabernacle on Sunday afternoon. Upon entering the grounds, we were delighted with the order and beauty displayed there.  The Temple, which is in the same enclosure, is a magnificent edifice, its spires reaching two hundred twenty-two feet at their greatest height. The figure representing the Angel Moroni, stands on the top of the central eastern tower blowing a trumpet. We then entered the tabernacle and as we listened to the big organ and wonderful choir, it impressed me with awe and admiration. It was inspiring to listen to the sweet strains of music as they pealed forth in deep rich tones from the second largest organ in the world, under the hands of professor J. J. McClellan, who is truly a wonderful musician. The vast choir of voices sang with perfect harmony and time. President Woodruff was the speaker. He took for his text, "We must obey the powers that be, for they are ordained of God, and whosoever resisteth the powers, resisteth the ordinances thereof." He showed in a very eloquent manner our duty to obey the laws of the land. After meeting my son asked me how I liked the discourse. I told him I was delighted with it because it was so different from what I had always been taught, for I had heard that the Mormons were not a law-abiding people.

My son John hired a beautiful carriage to take us to the depot to start for Heber. Joseph met us at Park City with a two-seated buggy to take us to his home which was about a fourteen-mile drive over a lovely mountain road. We had a pleasant ride and were met with a joyous welcome by our daughter Jessie. We praised our Heavenly Father for his mercy and goodness for bringing us to our destination in safety. We arrived on the twentieth of July, which was Jessie's birthday, in 1892.

The twenty-fourth of July is a great holiday with the people of Utah, for it was the 24th of July, 1847 when the pioneers first arrived in this valley. So they had a great celebration this year in the stake tabernacle at Heber, which was beautifully decorated with flags and bunting. The little children were all dressed in union colors. Orations were given and they had bands of music which played the national airs: America, and the Star Spangled Banner, which I had been familiar with since my childhood. It made me feel at home in Heber.

They have a custom of entertaining the old people once a year, and I shall never forget the first entertainment of this kind I ever attended. The people all seemed so happy and received every attention possible from the young people, and the most notable citizens of the place. The refreshments consisted of all the fruits of the season and every luxury that could be bought on the market. I felt almost as if I had entered Paradise, it all seemed so familiar to me, as I had seen it before in my vision.

The Latter Day Saints have a general baptismal day for the children, who are baptized at the age of eight years. This took place about a month after we arrived in Heber. Pearl, my baby girl, wanted to be baptized, so I consented and she was baptized with other little girls her own age, that were members of her sister Jessie's Sunday School class. This was the fourteenth day of August, 1892. About three weeks later I requested baptism, I was fully convinced these were the people Of God.

I knew my husband would rejoice when he heard these things, so I wrote to him to bring Judson (our youngest son) and come to Utah as soon as he could arrange his business. He came October 13, 1892. Jessie postponed her wedding until her father got there,

Our daughter Jessie was married to Elder Clark Sherwood about Thanksgiving time and when they got to the Logan Temple, Jessie was surprised to find her brother John there with his intended wife, so they were both married the same day. Our son John and his bride returned to Salt Lake, but Jessie returned to Heber with her husband, where we waited to give them a happy greeting, and a  reception followed in the evening.  After the evening had been well spent, the bride and groom then went to their little home which Clark had built for his bride.

Papa was blessed with work soon after his arrival, and we were soon blessed with the necessities of life. President Hatch soon took my husband into his employ and he did not lack for work while he was in Heber.

Our next surprise was the coming of our two daughters from the East. Leolia and Carrie came for a special purpose of taking me back home if I did not feel satisfied; or building a home for us if I wanted to stay. They arrived here in December just before Christmas. The ground was covered with snow. Their brother Joseph met them at Park City, and we went out to meet them. As they got out of the sleigh Leolia said, "Mother, are you happy?" I said, "you only have to look at me, my darling daughter, and see for yourself."

When they saw how well and happy I looked, how fleshy I had grown, and what a happy, contented, peaceful expression was on my face, they seemed convinced that I loved my new home, friends, and newly accepted religion, and that I would never leave Utah nor her people.

Leolia went to Salt Lake to hunt for work; Carrie stayed in Heber and went to school that winter. Leolia was successful in getting work in some of the elegant homes sewing for the wealthy ladies at $2.00 per day. In the spring Carrie joined her and they sewed together for these same customers at $3.00 a day. The Lord blessed our daughters and raised up kind friends by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Fritz. Mr. Fritz was a capitalist from the east who was out here for his wife's health. They moved next door to our daughters and became acquainted with them and their plans to help their parents.

These good people offered to forward the money to build a home for Leolia and Carrie, and let them pay back in monthly installments until it was paid for. Our daughters bought a lot, built a red brick house, one and one-half stories high, with nine rooms and a long hall; this was all planned by themselves to be a convenient home for our family, which then consisted of seven members in all -the other children having married.

We were soon housed in our comfortable home, which was beautifully furnished by degrees on the installment plan, by our dear daughters. They even bought a piano because they knew I was so fond of music. The playing of which was the one accomplishment I had kept up since youth.

We brought from Heber over two-hundred quarts of fruit, besides jellies and butters. My husband and Judson brought ten bushels of potatoes, five gallons of honey, flour and sugar.  So with buying a few things along through the winter, we had a happy time in our new mountain home.

The only daughter of our departed Alice came to make her home with us in the summer of 1896, and she has proved to be a daughter indeed to us, our Mary Alice Callaway.

The following February 22, 1897, our daughter Carrie was married to R. H. Walker, and they left the same evening for San Francisco, California. This threw the responsibility of finishing the payments of our home on our daughter Leolia.

Not long after, our daughter Eva was married to John E. Halverson, August 31, 1899. We were called upon to exercise all our fortitude that we possessed in bidding farewell to our daughter Leolia, as she was going to California to recuperate her health. The burden of these ten years had been very heavy upon her nervous system.

She stayed away six long years, enjoyed the lovely California climate and the fresh breezes from the ocean, which seemed to do her good, as did also the company and the watch-care of her sister Carrie and her husband, who were so dear to her. Under these circumstances we became reconciled to her absence. Our dear Pearl and Allie did all in their power to make home happy and comfortable in Leolia's absence.

Dear Judson, our youngest son, was called on a mission to Samoa. This was quite a trial to us, but as we believed it was a call from God, we cheerfully resigned our will to His and in the beautiful month of June, 1900 we bid him farewell, bathed in bitter tears. They gave him a farewell party in the 30th Ward and presented him with a purse which helped him on his journey. He stopped in San Francisco and visited his sisters three days. They made his stay as happy as possible, but the dear boy shed bitter tears and could not be comforted, as it was his first trip away from home, his father, mother, sisters and brothers, and his dear sweetheart whom he loved so well. It was a great trial to him, but he knew from a vision he had that it was a call from God, so would not fail to go.

He bid his sisters and friends a fond adieu and sailed away on a large ship, the 'Mariposa" and reached his field of labor in about two weeks. He labored faithfully, was a noble and beloved missionary for one year and eleven months, when he was taken down with the tropical fever, and the Lord called our dear boy to himself. He was laid to rest on the brow of a beautiful hill overlooking the ocean. We were told by the President of the Mission, who after visited us, that the palms, flowers and ferns of that tropical climate were beautiful beyond description.

This was a terrible shock and a bitter disappointment to have him taken away so far from hone, but the Lord gave us strength to bear this great sorrow and the missionaries wrote us beautiful letters of sympathy, telling us of Judson's faithfulness. We tried to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father's will. They held memorial services at the Fourth Ward for our beloved son. The President of the Mission and some of the Elders who had returned spoke lovely of our beloved son, and said he was called on a higher mission. Brother Cottrell and Brother Dixon sent their private carriages to take us to the services and our Bishop (Heber S. Cutler) sent us a large bunch of beautiful carnations.  Then beautiful words of condolence were very comforting to our hearts, and the songs that they sang at the memorial services were the same that were sung at his funeral in Samoa, we learned afterwards.  Our piano was not opened for weeks after Judson's death.

This left just Pearl and Allie at home with father and me for over three years. Pearl was organist of the Ward and when any solos were to be sung or any extra things going on in the Ward, the young people would meet at our home and practice their pieces. So this brought in considerable young company, making the time pass pleasantly.

In the course of time my husband felt impressed to send for Leolia to come home. A good many people felt that he was inspired to send for her, for just two weeks after her return home a terrible earthquake destroyed San Francisco.

One year later Allie was married to Benjamin J. Brown. She was married at home and had a beautiful wedding. We missed her very much. Ben had a beautiful, comfortable home to take her to; it was modern in every way, and Ben was a fine fellow - we all loved him.  Of course we would have preferred her to have been married in the Temple. Allie grieved about it too, but Ben did not seem inclined to go to the Temple at that time.

Pearl's young man was called on a mission to England and was gone two years. Our Heavenly Father blessed Pearl with a class of music scholars in Pleasant Green. In this way, with an addition of $25.00 which I was able to give her, she was enabled to get her wedding trousseau. Besides many other little things, I was able to get her table linens, comforts and a bedspread. My husband gave her a cow on her wedding day, which took place February 26, 1903. Thomas G. Lambert, her lover, having returned from his mission about Thanksgiving time. They were married in the Temple at Salt Lake, and we had a reception at home for them in the evening. They left for their own home that same night. It was not long before they had a nice new modern bungalow and Tom bought Pearl a beautiful piano, that they might enjoy her wonderful musical talent, which she had labored hard to develop.

It was a terrible trial for me to give up Pearl at all, and it was only by the strength of the Lord I was able to do so. I had to pray fervently for grace and strength to pass through this great trial and I got it. It seems with his strength given to us we can pass through anything. I can truly say that I have learned in my life this great lesson:

"Thy Grace is sufficient for me.."

I am thankful to our Heavenly Father that he guided us to the valleys of the mountains, that he gave me a vision showing me his will that I should go to Utah, and here I wish to spend the rest of my days. I believe truly that the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is according to God's will, with prophets, apostles, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, etc. Christ being the chief cornerstone. It is here among his chosen people I wish to live, die and be buried. My heart is filled with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for his manifold blessings to me, and can be expressed by some of the words of the Psalmist, David, from the Bible:

"Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for his mercy endureth for ever. 0, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men." Psalms l07:1-2