Mary Jane (Shadden) Walker (1830 - 1916)

Born 26 Jul 1830 in Sing Sing, Westchester, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of William Holmes Walker — married 28 Apr 1850 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1916 at age 86 in Lewisville, Jefferson, Idaho, United States

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Mary (Shadden) Walker was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Biography

Mary Jane Shadden Walker BIRTH 26 Jul 1830 New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA DEATH 3 Sep 1916 (aged 86) Idaho, USA BURIAL Lewisville Cemetery Lewisville, Jefferson County, Idaho, USA

Children

1. Theodocia Frances Walker Davis 1851–1920
2. Simeon H Walker 1852–19
3. Don Carlos Walker 1858–1930
4. William Adelbert Walker 1859–1940
5. Winslow Farr Walker 1861–1943
6. Welby Holmes Walker 1864–1947
7. Olive May Walker Goody 1871–1956

1870 Deseret, Millard, Utah Territory, United States ^[1]

Household Name Sex Age Birthplace

Harriet Walker F 24 England

Lorin P Walker M 4 Utah

Charles O Walker M 1 Utah

Lorenzo Walker M 0 Utah

Theodocia Walker F 18 Utah [Mo: Mary Shadden]

[Solomon] Don Carlos Walker M 12 Utah [Mo: Mary Shadden]

William Walker M 9 Utah [Mo: Mary Shadden]

Winslow Walker M 7 Utah [Mo: Mary Shadden]

Welby Walker M 6 Utah [Mo: Mary Shadden]

NOTES ON PERSON

Note: In 1844, Stephen and Fanny decided it was time for them to join the "Saints" in Nauvoo, Illinois--headquarters of the Mormon Church. They arrived there on May 20, 1844. The 1844 tax list of Nauvoo lists the Van Velsor family residing in the Nauvoo Third Ward.

The Van Velsors had met on several occasions the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and his brother Hyrum. At the Prophet's and Hyrum's deaths, they visited the Mansion House where they paid their last respects. In later years, Mary Jane would talk about the Prophet, his life and influence he had on others.

There is only one recorded experience which occurred during Mary Jane's youth. She had the misfortune to be thrown from a spring wagon and broke her leg. As it healed, it was shorter than the other one, but she never complained. She even learned to step-dance and attended many danced during her lifetime.

When her step-father, Stephen Van Velsor died, Fanny was left alone again, only with 3 children now. She left Nauvoo and found work across the Mississippi River in the village of Montrose, Iowa. Fanny was failing in health and knew she was going to die. Her final instructions to Mary Jane were: (1) not to leave the house in the storm, and (2) if anything happened, they were to go and tell the Smith family."

Mary Jane describes in her own words, "I was alone with my mother when she died. It was a stormy night. I was 16 years old. My little sister as 9, my brother was 5. I had to care for them and could not leave them or mother to get help. That night the wind blew and the rain came down in torrents, leaking through the roof of the old log house. In all of the trials I've had to stand in my life, this was the hardest. I thought that that night would never pass. As soon as it was daylight, I took my brother and my sister in my arms and went for help. As soon as our condition was found out, there were many kind friends that came to our aid, doing all in their power to comfort us. I found this to be the saddest and most trying time of my life."

The 3 children continued their journey to Winter Quarters, Iowa. With Mary Jane caring for him, Henry died of scurvy on 17 Nov 1847 and was buried at Camp of Israel in Cutler's Park. When the saints abandoned Winters Quarters in 1848, Mary Jane left with them to go to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Then in 1949, she crossed the plains at age 19 with the William Pickett family.

In SLC, she followed the admonition of Brigham Young to stay in the Salt Lake Valley and not go on with the Picketts to California. She was taken into the home of Heber C. Kimball where she helped take care of the Kimball children and doing general housework. She said it seemed like there was always a baby in the Kimball family who needed help.

Here marriage to William Holmes Walker was performed by Heber C. Kimball on April 28, 1850 at 5 p.m. in the home of William Walker on the SE corner of 1st North and 4th West in SLC. Sealed on the same day was William's first wife, Olive Hovey Farry, whom he had married in Nauvoo. In Williams' journal, his marriage is recorded as follows: "April 28th, 1850, I married Mary Jane Shadding (sic) for my second wife. Next day I went to Farmington, Davis County to build and open a farm." What a honeymoon this must have been for her; but in those days, time was very valuable--each day had to count. It is known that Mary Jane would not marry William until Olive Farr, his first wife, gave her consent. The 3 of them made their home in SLC, residing in the 16th Ward. Mary and Olive were always congenial. Mary moved into Olive's home, ate at the same table and went to church together. They even lived together when they moved to Lewisville.

Their first daughter and son were born in SLC and were both blessed on 15 Sept 1852, in the 16th Ward by William Derr. Mary Jane received her endowments on 1 Sept 1852 in the Endowment House.

Williams H Walker received a mission call to go to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. He left in 1852 and returned on 1 Sept 1857 (away from his family for 5 yrs.). Johnson's Army came, so they moved to the Provo River bottoms. Living in this primitive condition, Mary Jane gave birth to their 3rd child, Don Carlos on 21 May 1858 (named after the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr's brother). Because Olive could not have children, Mary gave her son, Don Carlos, to Olive to raise. Olive loved him as a real son. They returned to SLC where 6 more children were born. (Winslow Farr was named after Olive's father). William married 2 more wives. Of the 4 wives, Mary Jane was usually the one who remained in SLC while William took the other wives to live in other areas of Utah--St. George and Oak City.

In the spring of 1859, they moved to Ogden and lived there a while making butter. They moved back to SLC in the 16th Ward. This is where West High School is located now. In 1875 they moved to Cottonwood to the Farr Estates.

On april 14, 1889, Mary Jane moved to Lewisville, Idaho, settling on a small parcel of land in town. This house still stands at 141 W Harrison. She was an immculate housekeeper--brass kettles were always polished. In the spring she tacked mosquito netting over the windows. The house, fences, hen houses and all outbuildings were frequently given a fresh coat of white wash.

Illnesses were treated with home remedies. One was for the flu - a hot toddy. It consisted of bromo quinine antibillious and the toddy. The child was put to bed, given the toddy, and then the child would sweat the cold out of his system.

Mary Jane loved to work in soil and grew vegetables for the family and raised animals for food. She was warm-hearted, honest, industrious, cheerful, and had a wonderful sense of humor. She arose at 5:30 a.m. to start the kitchen fire. On Monday she arose at 4 a.m. to do the family wash. She sang as she worked. She knitted and made hundreds of patch work quilts--every stitch done neatly by hand, every corner meeting exactly. Her baking day made the house smell of warm bread, kneaded and shaped into plump loaves swabbed with butter. For dessert, she made a delicious spice cake.

She helped care for her Welby's (her son) children when his 1st wife died and when he went on a mission. She helped care for many of the sick in Lewisville. She dressed simply. Her dress was usually black bom

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCT-SS4 : 24 May 2021), Harriet Walker, 1870.

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11086501/mary-jane-walker: accessed 22 January 2023), memorial page for Mary Jane Shadden Walker (26 Jul 1830–3 Sep 1916), Find a Grave Memorial ID 11086501, citing Lewisville Cemetery, Lewisville, Jefferson County, Idaho, USA; Maintained by Collins Crapo (contributor 669).

• https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/pioneers/39891/mary-jane-shadden

Acknowledgements

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