Harriet Atwood Silver Dunn
1818 Vermont -1858 Utah
Before
Marriage And Motherhood
-She was one of 10 children – the second child & the oldest daughter.
-In 1842 (she was 24) she, along with three of her friends, were baptized into the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints
-She alone headed to Nauvoo. Her friends sailed on The
Brooklyn and later reached Utah.
Marriage
& Motherhood
At Winter Quarters she met Simeon Adams Dunn (15 years older),
a widower twice over with 4 young children. Simeon
also had one married daughter. They were married by Brigham Young on 3 January 1847.
Harriet had 7 children of her own, including
2 sets of twins, in about 8 years.
Sarah Sophia 1849-1923
Simeon Adams 1851-1935
Emeline Silver 1853-1914
Eveline Silver 1853-1919
(Sister Breksa’s great-great-great
grandmother)
Charles Oscar 1855-1939
Henry Silver
1857-1858
Harriet Silver 1857-1858
Beginnings of Pioneer Life
- Had
a baby soon after arriving in Salt Lake City
-
Simeon
cut down trees and used the trunks for the house and the smaller branches for furniture
-
They
had one large room, a fireplace, dirt floor and a roof.
-
Harriet
washed the floor until it became like flint
-
Not
enough food to eat – Corn cakes and soup
-
Simeon
had planted the seeds he brought with him on the journey
-
Gave
birth to twins during a rainstorm and the roof leaked…women
had to hold pans over her so she wouldn’t get wet
-
Soon
the farm was doing well and they could have all they wanted to eat
Harriet’s Talents And Character
-She
took the flax left over from Simeon’s broom making, and wove it into dresses,
shirts and pants. She dyed them with weeds
-She
made sheets and blankets
-When
Simeon was called on a 2 year mission to the South Sea Islands – she had to run
the farm and she made money by making brooms and weaving chair bottoms with
rushes
“She
was a loving and kind mother to her own children and to those of her husband.”
“Industrious
woman and hardworking.”
-She
took in an orphaned boy
Harriet’s Death
In
the exodus south to avoid the soldiers, Harriet died giving birth to her second
set of twins. The boy was buried next to
her. The girl died farther into the journey. Harriet was 40 years old.
