Harriet (Neeley) Strong (1839 - 1904)

Born 10 Sep 1839 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 13 Jan 1904 at age 64 in Ucon, Bonneville, Idaho, United States

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Biography

Harriet was born in 1839. She passed away in 1904.

by Ida Strong Groom (a daughter)

My mother, Harriet Neeley Strong, was born September 10,

1839, at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois. She was the daughter

of Lewis Neeley and Elizabeth Miller and was the seventh child of

the family of twelve. There were eight boys and four girls.

Their names in order were Alanson, William, Armenius (who died at

the age of four months), Lewis, Harriet, John, Hyrum, Elizabeth

(who died at the age of one month), and Elizabeth 2nd.

Grandmother died at the time of the last child's birth, February

2, 1847.

The Neeley's were converts to the Mormon (LDS) Church in New

York in the early history of the Church and hence traveled with

that body of people in their trek westward. They underwent many

hardships in pioneering new territory. They came to Utah in

1850; three years after the first company of Mormon Pioneers

arrived. Mother was eleven years old when she crossed the plains

and walked most of the way. She used every moment available to

knit stockings, although she was only eleven years old. On one

occassion when they made camp, she lost her knitting; a stocking

three-fourths done. This was indeed a great loss.

Mother's mother died when she was eight years old. Her

father married another woman by the name of Sophia Ketchum, prior

to their coming to Utah. This woman was part blood Cherokee

Indian and not only treated Grandfather's first family unkindly,

but also her own children. After they came west, as soon as

mother was old enough she sought a home elsewhere, very often

doing whatever she could for her board.

At one time, after staying with a sister in Brigham City,

she undertook to walk to Salt Lake City, hoping to get a ride at

least part of the way. No one seemed to be on the road that day,

but she walked on, until she was so tired and thirsty she decided

to go in at a house and ask for a drink, which she did. When she

entered the house she fainted from fatique. These people were

very kind to her and insisted that she stay with them. This she

did for some time. They were William Strong and his first wife,

Martha Bromley Alvord. Later, after they were divorced, he

became mother's husband.

Harriet Neeley was married to William Strong, April 17,

1856, in Brigham Young's office, by President Brigham Young.

Directly after marrying mother, father married the widow of his

friend of the Mormon Battalion of which he was also a member.

Her name was Sarah Richmond. He enlisted in 1846, at the early

age of eighteen years. He was in Company E, under captain Daniel

C. Davis. He became the father of twenty children all together.

Mother was but seventeen years old when she was married, and

a plural wife, but was no doubt pleased to get a home. She had

thirteen children; five of whom are still living (1934). Her

early married life was spent in Springville. Mother was bereaved

of her first child, a little girl just past two years of age.

She was burned very badly when her clothes caught fire from the

fireplace.

In 1864, they moved to Salt Lake City, where the balance of

the family was born and where they all grew to manhood and woman

hood (except one, who died in early childhood). The names of the

children in their order were; Sarah Elizabeth, Harriet Lucinda,

Mary Lademe, William Hill, Emmaling Jane, Lewis Napoleon, Heber

Parley, Alice Lousisa, Helen Maude, LeRoy Neeley, Ida Violet, Ira

Armenius and Marvin Albert.

Mother told of many trials and many pleasures which the

saints encountered, such as the crickets taking their crops and

the part the seagulls took in ridding them of this pest. She

also told of the grasshoppers and how they almost ate the

clothing from their backs. She told of how they used to sweep

the door yard and then remove their shoes and enjoy themselves

dancing. They would not dare dance in their shoes for fear of

wearing them out. My mother's brother, William Neeley, made a

violin which he played for them to dance by.

Mother's time was pretty well occupied as her children were

born about every two years. She spun and Grandmother Strong had

a loom on which they wove material for their clothes. Mother

also knit for her family. The soap they used was made by mother

during the early days, however, later she was able to buy soap.

She knew how to make candles and rag carpets for home use.

Father had a place in Immigration Canyon which he farmed, along

the creek bottom. He also took out cattle in the summer for the

people in Salt Lake City. Mother made butter and took it to the

city for marketing.

On December 24, 1888, father died, leaving mother with seven

children; four of whom were unable to support themselves. The

two eldest of the children passed away shortly after father's

death. This was indeed a trying time for mother. We had just

moved in the fall from the old log house into our new brick house

and father died that winter. He passed away very suddenly of a

heart disease. Up until this time father had received a

government pension for service in the Mormon Battalion, but

because mother was a plural wife it was hard for her to get his

pension. However, this was finally accomplished and she received

$12.00 a month, which came in quarterly payments. While this was

insufficient to take care of the family's needs, it helped

greatly. Marvin was one year and seven months old when father

died. Up until this time mother had not taken any active part in

the church other than attending her meetings when she could. But

about this time she was called upon to be a Relief Society

Visiting Teacher; this position she filled very faithfully.

Prior to 1894, my sisters, Mary Strong Dodge and family and

Emma Strong Freeman and family moved to Idaho from Salt Lake

City, seeking homes. In the spring of 1894, mother moved to

Willow Creek so she might get land for her three boys. The

quarter section of sagebrush land she homesteaded was where part

of the town of Ucon is now built. A little one room house was

erected about where the Ucon Mill now stands and this was the

beginning of our Idaho home. Mother sold her property in

Immigration Canyon to Sale Lake City, and with the proceeds she

was able to buy a team of horses, a cow, and farm implements.

This aided us greatly in getting a start inasmuch as we needed

many things to start out a new place. We all had to work to

clear the land of sagebrush; Mother helping also. The boys,

although young, worked hard getting the place fenced and in a

condition whereby crops might be raised.

Many friends were made who treated us very kindly at this

time. Among them were: Heber Andrus and family, whose place

joined us on the east; Peter Cramer and wife, joining us on the

south; Bishop Simmons and family; George Simmons and family;

Berretts; Robinsons; Robert Andrus and family; Huffackers and

many others.

Once when mother was going out to plant a garden she tripped

over the clothes prop and broke her arm. It was broken at the

elbow and after it healed it remained stiff.

All mother's life she was full of hope and courage, never

looking for the impossible. She was always of a cheerful

disposition, rather of the merrymakeing type. She could sing and

stepdance and play a Jew's Harp. Some of the songs she used to

sing were-- "Mistletoe Bough, Shine on Silver Moon," and many

church songs. She took an active part in the Willow Creek Ward.

She was called to work in the Primary shortly after coming to

Idaho, and also as a visiting teacher. This took her among the

sick and those who were called to mourn. Many a time she walked

from our place to Ucon to Grooms, Jeffs, Greenwoods and Godfreys

a distance of two or three miles.

Mother worked hard and in 1897 we built a new three room

house which made us much more comfortable. A lawn was planted in

front, also trees and flowers. In the summer of 1899, the

railroad was built and as they surveyed the land from Idaho Falls

to Ashton, mother's house lay in its direct path and had to be

moved. It was moved back into the field where it now stands.

Mother felt badly about being moved as this meant more work in

getting trees, shrubs etc started again.

In the spring of 1900, she suffered a paraletic stroke and

was unconscious for several days and it was thought that she

could not get well. We had Dr. Wright from Salt Lake City come

up and he did not entertain much hope for her recovery, but

through the faith and prayers of all she did recover, although

she was never able to do her own work. Myrtle Dodge (Tyler),

mother's granddaughter, stayed with her until her death, which

occurred January 13, 1904.

Her death was caused from heart trouble. She was sick for

three months and during that time she was unable to lie down.

Funeral services were held at Willow Creek and the body was

shipped to Salt Lake City where another service was held in the

Tenth Ward Chapel. Interment was in the City Cemetary in Salt

Lake City.

Sources

• "Utah Deaths and Burials, 1888-1946", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HFYL-DXZM : 28 January 2020), Hariett Neeley Strong, 1904.

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVK9-SFW8 : 15 December 2021), Harriet Neeley Strong, ; Burial, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States of America, Salt Lake City Cemetery; citing record ID 25750599, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCY-26F : 24 May 2021), Harriet Strong in entry for William Strong, 1870.

• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVK9-SFW8 : 15 December 2021), Harriet Neeley Strong, ; Burial, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States of America, Salt Lake City Cemetery; citing record ID 25750599, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• "Utah Deaths and Burials, 1888-1946", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HFYL-DX6Z : 28 January 2020), Louis Neeley in entry for Hariett Neeley Strong, 1904.