Martha (McBride) Smith (1805 - 1901)

Born 17 Mar 1805 in Chester, Washington, New York, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Vinson Knight — married 6 Jul 1826 in New York, United States

Wife of Joseph Smith Jr. — married Aug 1842 in Smith's Store, Nauvoo, Hancock, IL

Wife of Heber Chase Kimball — married 12 Oct 1844 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died 20 Nov 1901 at age 96 in Hooper, Weber, Utah, United States

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Biography

Martha (McBride) Smith is Notable.

Martha (McBride) Smith was a Latter Day Saint pioneer.

Martha Kimball formerly McBride was born on March 17, 1805 in Chester, Washington, New York, the daughter of Daniel McBride and Abigail Mead. She was the sister of John Mcbride, Samuel Mcbride, Daniel Mcbride, James McBride, Margaret Ann Mcbride, Hyrum Mcbride, Cyrus Gideon Mcbride and Reuben McBride. ^[1] Martha married Vinson Knight on July 6, 1826 in New York. They had the following children:^[2]

1. Nathanial Knight;
2. Martha Abigail Knight;
3. Adeline Knight;
4. Adaline Knight;
5. Rizpah Jane Knight;
6. Almira Knight;
7. James Vincent Knight;
8. Rodolphus Elderkin Knight;
9. Nathaniel Knight^[3]

Martha married Joseph Smith, Jr. on August 1842 in Smith's Store, Nauvoo, Hancock, IL.^{[4] [5]}

In January 1846, she was married polygamously to Heber C. Kimball, by whom she had one child, a son, who was born at Winter Quarters and died there as an infant.^[6]

Martha came to Utah with the Warren Foote Company in 1850 at the age of 45. ^{[7] [8]}

Martha died November 20, 1901 in Hooper, Weber, Utah, United States. She is buried in Ogden City Cemetery, Ogden, Weber, Utah, United States.^[9]

OBITUARY

Death Of Pioneer Woman -- Was The Wife Of The Prophet Joseph Smith -- She Was Well Known and Esteemed in Weber County -- Identified With The Early History Of The Church.Kimball, of Hooper, died yesterday, received word that Mrs. Martha Smith Kimball, of Hooper, died yesterday morning at 5 o'clock, of old age. She was one of the most notable women in Utah, having taken a very active part in the early history of the Mormon Church. She was born in Chester, Washington County, New York, March 17, 1805 and was married to Vinson Knight, July 26, 1826. Mr. Knight was for a time presiding bishop of the church and was one of two men chosen by the church to purchase the townsite of Nauvoo and in Hancock County.They were baptized into the church in 1834, Mrs. Knight became a member of the Relief Society of the Church which was organized in Nauvoo.Mr. Knight died July 31, 1842, at Nauvoo and in August 1942, she was sealed to the Prophet Jospeh Smith in the Nauvoo Temple.She came to Utah in 1850, settling in Ogden, where she made her home for a number of years. She went to Hooper in 1869, where she has lived most of the time since, although visiting often with relatives in other parts of Utah.

After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith [June 27, 1844], she was married to Heber C. Kimball and by him had one child who died in infancy.

She was the mother of six other children by her first husband, Mr. Knight, and three of them survive her, all of them being between 70 and 80 years of age. They are Mrs. Almira Hanscom, who resides near Akron, Ohio; Mrs. Adeline Belnap, Living at Hooper, this county, and James Knight, who resides at Circleville, Piute County. She had a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Pictures of the old lady grouped with four of her direct descendants are to be found in the homes of most of her Ogden relatives. The physical strength and endurance of Mrs. Knight was well-nigh marvelous. For nearly twenty years she had not used spectacles. Her needlework was a model of fineness amongst all her acquaintances for the past fifty years. She was a great reader, particularly of the daily papers, reading every word of telegraphic news, and during the Spanish-American War she was regarded as one of the best posted persons in Weber County on the military operations of the contending forces. Two or three years ago at a birthday reunion of the family held in her honor, Mrs. Knight was called on for a speech and prefaced one of considerable length with a recital of the tremendous changes which had taken place in her lifetime, mentioning the steam engine, the modern printing press and the telegragh. The Belnap family of Ogden are relatives. The funeral services will take place in the Hooper meeting house at 12 o'clock and the remains will be interred by the side of her mother, Mrs. Abigail McBride. The mother was sealed to Joseph Smith Sr., at Nauvoo.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Belnap Family
2. ↑ Life Story of Martha McKnight
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Martha McBride Knight
4. ↑ Joseph Smith Papers
5. ↑ Wikipedia: Joseph Smith, Jr.
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_McBride_Knight
7. ↑ Overland Travel, Pioneer Details
8. ↑ Trail Excerpt
9. ↑ Find A Grave
10. ↑ Ogden Standard Examiner, November 21, 1901, transcribed by Rhonda Holton