Colton had an assignment in school, to spotlight how/when an ancestor came to Utah. Time to turn to Grandpa Westra! He got back to us with tons of information, and I mentioned that other grandkids might likely have similar assignments in the future, and that he had gone to so much work, that we should keep the document handy.
Immigration to Utah
Westra and Norman Ancestors
The following table provides a list of Westra and Norman Ancestors, listed in order of first immigration to Utah. Relationships are listed with respect to LaMar, Joseph LaMar Westra, and Margie, Marjorie Norman. Those ancestors who immigrated to Utah between 1847 and 1868 can be found on the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel website, see Notes 19. All of the ancestors in the following table can be found in the Family Tree part of the Family Search website, see Notes 20, Family Tree = (FT).
(1) Notes for Ate Obes Westra
Ate Obes Westra is LaMar’s paternal grandfather. He was born in 1868 in Achlum, Friesland, Netherlands. He met Geeske, who had been baptized earlier. Ate was baptized a member of the LDS church, 12 Apr 1902 in Groningen, Netherlands. He married Geeske in Oct 1902, and they had three children and immigrated to America in 1907, on the ship: The Canada, arriving in Portland, Maine, and came to Utah. Those three children died in Salt Lake City, shortly after they arrived. Ate and Geeske would have seven more children, and three of those children died young also. They resided in the Forest Dale Ward, 2256 So. 8th East in SL, which had a large population of Dutch immigrants.
(1) Notes for Geeske Egberts de Haan
Geeske Egberts de Haan is LaMar’s paternal grandmother. She was born in 1878 in Niekerk, Groningen, Netherlands. She was baptized into the LDS church 19 Oct. 1901. She met Ate Obes Westra at the church in Groningen. They were married in Oct 1902. Geeske was Endowed 12 Feb 1908, SL Temple
(2) Notes for Archibald Erskine & Ann Jack McFarlane
These are LaMar’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1828 and 1826) and married (1851) in Scotland and converted to the LDS church, and were baptized in 1852, and immigrated to the US. They came with one daughter on the ship: the S.S. Samuel Curling. It sailed from Liverpool, England on Sunday, April 22, 1855, and arrived in New York in 1855. They lived in New York City, N.Y. and Boston, Mass. A son and daughter were born in New York. The family came to Utah in 1860 with the Charles Ross Company. Archibald was a tailor and had a sewing machine. Brigham Young asked him to make canvas covers for the wagons and the hand carts. In SLC, Archibald was the tailor for Brigham Young and made coats and dresses for Brigham Young's daughters. Archibald was a soldier and went to the Black Hawk Indian War.
(3) Notes for Robert Cushing & Caroline Ayers
These are LaMar’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1828 and 1823) and married (1852) in England and converted to the LDS church, and were baptized in 1848 and 1850 in England. They immigrated from England to the US in 1866 on the American Congress. They came to Utah, most likely in 1866 with two sons, Henry and James. The family settled in Salt Lake City, Utah.
(4) Notes for Henry Charles Cushing
Henry was born in England in 1855 and Immigrated to Salt Lake City from England in 1866, age 11 with his parents, see Notes (3). Occupation: shoemaker. He was the first husband of Laura Cushing, LaMar’s great grandmother. Henry and Laura had three children in Salt Lake City, 1876-1880. Henry died in April 1880. Laura remarried in 1882, to Samuel Albert Hunt, and LaMar’s grandmother, Olive Laura Cushing was born of that marriage in 1882. Samuel deserted the family, and Laura had Olive sealed to Henry Charles Cushing.
(5) Notes for Mons Anderson Norman & Julia Sharlotta Johanson
These are Margie’s Great Grand Parents. They were born (1859 and 1858) and married (1877) in Sweden. They had four children in Sweden, 1879-1885. Mons and Julia converted to the LDS Church and were both baptized 6 Oct 1886 in Sweden. The family emigrated the next day, 7 Oct 1886, to England, on the ship: Milo, where they are listed with the surname: Nauman. They sailed a week later, to America, 13 Oct 1886 on the ship: British King, where they are listed with the surname: Naumon. Mons changed his name to Mons Anderson Norman. They settled in Mt. Pleasant, Utah where they had 8 more children: 1887-1904. Most of the family are buried in Mt. Pleasant. The mother of Mons Anderson Norman, Hannah Olsson, came to America also, and died in 1888 and is buried in Fountain Green. Two siblings of Mons also immigrated, with immigration dates listed as 1883, and 1884, and 1908, with no source details.
(6) Notes for Edmund Wheeler Howell
Edmund is Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Father. He was born 1817 in New York. See Notes (23). United Ancestries has Edmund's death place recorded as Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa. Other records show that Edmund's death was at the Platte River in Nebraska while crossing the plains. (1852)
(7) Notes for James Sanderson
James is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Father. He was born 1804, and married 1827 in Massachusetts to Mary Jane Sparks and was converted to the church in New York in 1841 by his wife's brother, Quartus. He journeyed towards Nauvoo in fall of 1842 and stopped at Pittsburg. He arrived in Nauvoo in the summer of 1843. He worked on the Nauvoo Temple, Seventies license 21 Apr 1844, Good bass drummer. He moved to St. Louis in late 1844 to find work. He and his son, Henry, found employment there in the shoemaker industry. He brought his family down to St. Louis in early spring of 1845. They moved to a farm on the river, where the family sickened, and James died. New Era article on son Henry has death date for James as 16 Sep 1845. See Notes (8) and (9).
(8) Notes for Mary Jane Sparks (Sanderson)
Mary Jane is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Mother. She was born 1809, and married 1827 in Massachusetts to James Sanderson, see Notes (7). James died in 1845 in St. Louis. Mary Jane is listed also in FT with a marriage to Moses Martin Sanders, in 1847 in Winter Quarters, her daughter in law’s father. However, she immigrated to Utah with the surname of Sanderson. She immigrated with Moses Martin Sanders and a daughter, age 16, and a son of Moses Martin Sanders. See the trail, Allen Taylor Company, 1849. The sealing of Mary Jane to Moses Martin Sanders was later cancelled, approved by President George Albert Smith.
(9) Notes for Henry Weeks Sanderson & Rebecca Ann Sanders
Henry Weeks Sanderson & Rebecca Ann Sanders are Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. Henry was born in 1829, in Massachusetts, and Rebecca was born in 1832, in Illinois. They married in 1850 in Iowa. One story about Henry: his parents were induced by a friend of theirs to add the middle name of Weeks, which was the surname of that friend. They were promised some valuable present, but this was never fulfilled. Henry’s middle name is listed also in some records as Wicks or Wix. He resided in Nauvoo from 1843 to 1846, helped in building the Nauvoo temple, was personal friend to Joseph Smith and family. He joined the Mormon Battalion in 1846. He entered the Great Salt Lake Valley just behind the 1847 pioneers. He returned east with Brigham Young's company late 1847, and married Rebecca in 1850 and came west again in 1850 with Rebecca, and with his mother in law and 4 siblings of Rebecca, in the Warren Foote Company Wagon Train. He lived at West Jordan, Union Fort, Fort Supply (Wyoming), Fillmore and Fairview, Utah. He engaged in many wars with the Indians in all of his residences. Information found in New Era of October 1989, "Nauvoo Teenager", pages 44-47. Autobiography started: Fairview, Jan 1884, continued until 1889 where he wrote much of it while serving time in the Utah Penitentiary for unlawful co-habitation. He died in Fairview in the home of his wife, Rebecca Ann. He is buried between his two wives in the northeast quadrant of the Lower Fairview Cemetery.
(10) Notes for Moses Martin Sanders
Moses Martin Sanders is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Father. He was born in 1803, in Georgia. He married Amanda Armstrong Fausett in 1826 in Tennessee. They are listed in FT with 12 children, 1826-1853. Moses Martin Sanders married again, in 1847 in Winter Quarters to Mary Jane Sparks, see Note (8), who was the mother of his son in law. Moses Martin Sanders and Mary Jane Sparks immigrated to Utah in 1849, with a daughter, age 16, of Mary Jane, and a son of Moses Martin Sanders. See the trail, Allen Taylor Company, 1849. Moses Martin Sanders was known also by the name of Moses Masters Sanderson. He was ordained an Elder and Seventy 6 May 1839 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois. His first wife, Amanda Armstrong Fausett, would immigrate to Utah, a year later, in 1850, with most of her children., see Notes (11).
(11) Notes for Amanda Armstrong Fausett
Amanda Armstrong Fausett is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Mother, see Notes (10). She was born in 1810, and married in 1826, both in Tennessee. Her husband, Moses Martin Sanders, took a second wife, and immigrated to Utah in 1849 with the second wife and one son. Amanda immigrated the next year, in 1850, in the Warren Foote Company Wagon Train, with her daughter, Rebecca, and Rebecca’s husband, Henry Weeks Sanderson, and four siblings of Rebecca, see Notes (9). United Ancestries has her name as Amanda Armstrong FAUCETT. Patriarchal blessing 21 Sep 1844 by Patriarch John Smith.
(12) Notes for Rebecca Ann Sanders
Some sources have birth place as Irving Township,Montgomery,Kane,Illinois. Pioneer: Summer of 1850, Warren Foote Company Wagon Train. See Notes (9).
(13) Notes for Lucinda Harris Guymon
Lucinda is Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Mother. See was a Pioneer: 8 Sep 1850 in the Aaron Johnson Wagon Train. See Notes (21). She came with her grandparents, and with her father, Noah. Her mother, Mary Dickerson Dudley, had died in 1845 in Nauvoo. The family moved to American Fork, and then to Springville.
(14) Notes for Archibald Anderson
Archibald is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Father. He was born in 1805 and married (1826) both in Scotland. He joined the Mormon church in 1847, and came to the US on the ship: S. Curling, and to Utah in 1855, in the Milo Andrus Company. In 1856, his wife Agnes and three sons, Archibald, John and James joined him.
(15) Notes for Agnes Adamson
Agnes is Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Mother. She was born in 1804 and married (1856) both in Scotland. She joined the Mormon church in 1847. She sailed from Scotland 23 March 1856 on the sailing ship, Enoch Train, with three teen age sons, and travelled to the Salt Lake Valley in the Daniel McArthur handcart company, arriving 26 September 1856. Her husband had made the trip in 1855, see Notes (14). The family moved to Spanish Fork in 1857, and to Fairview in 1880.
(16) Notes for Agnes Baird (Adamson)
Agnes is Margie’s 4th Great Grand Mother. She was born in 1781 and married (1799) both in Scotland. She married William Adamson, and in 1848, she was a widow. She immigrated to the US and to Utah in 1848 in the Willard Richards Company with two sons, Alexander and Dougal Adamson.
(17) Notes for Elam Cheney and Hannah Compton
These are Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Parents. Elam was born in New York, in 1825, and baptized into the LDS Church in 1838 at age 12, and Hannah was born in England in 1804. She had married Edmund Wattis in England in 1824, and they had four children in England, 1825-1834. Edmund and Hannah converted to the LDS Church and were baptized by LDS Apostle, Wilford Woodruff in 1840. They immigrated to the US in 1842 on the Ship Chaos. Edmund died in 1844 in Nauvoo. Hannah then married Elam Cheney in 1845 in Nauvoo. They crossed the plains and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 4 Oct 1847 in the Jedediah M. Grant Company. Their first child was born 10 days after they arrived in Utah. This child was one of the first babies born to LDS Parents in Utah. That child died soon after she was born. Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Mother was born in 1849, in Salt Lake City, Hannah Matilda Cheney. Hannah Compton was a widow, 21 years older than Elam Cheney. Elam would later marry four more wives, and have 43 more children.
(18) Notes for Aaron Cheney and Mehitable Wells
These are Margie’s 4th Great Grand Parents. They were both born in 1787, in Maine and New York, and married in 1807 in Vermont. Some in the family were baptized into the LDS Church in 1834. They moved to New York and then to Iowa, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1849 with a son and his wife and an infant daughter, in the George A. Smith Company. Another son of Aaron and Mehitable, Elam had come two years earlier, see note (17). In the same pioneer company, with Aaron, was Aaron’s second wife, Sarah Griffith.
(19) Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Website
Those ancestors who immigrated to Utah between 1847 and 1868 can be found on the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel website. The railroad came to Utah in 1868, so any ancestor coming to Utah after that date will not be listed on this website. To see more details about any ancestor listed on this website, enter into the search box, only the surname of your ancestor. A list will come up with all of the Pioneers on the website with that surname. Go to the ancestor you want to know more about, and click on his or her name. You might see sources, with journals, and perhaps a link to the Family Search website for that ancestor, see Notes (20).
(20) Family Search Website
The Family Tree part of the Family Search website is a common tree for all mankind. You will have to sign in to this website with your LDS Account, username and password. When you are on the website, click on Tree to get to Family Tree. To find any deceased ancestor in Family Tree, click up on Find and input a name and one date. For any ancestor, you can see their family, and there may be sources and memories and photos about that ancestor.
(21) Notes for Thomas Guymon and Sarah Gordon
These are Margie’s 4th Great Grand Parents. They were born (1787 and 1791) and married (1809) in North Carolina, and moved to Tennessee. Sarah was baptized into the LDS Church in 1835. They came west in the Aaron Johnson Company, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1850 with a son, Noah, and two of his wives, and six children, including Lucinda Harris Guymon, who was Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Mother, see Notes (13).
(22) Notes for William Hurst and Susannah Webley
These are Margie’s 3rd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1813 and 1812) and married (1831) in England. Some in the family were baptized into the LDS Church in 1843. The family immigrated to the US in 1849, on the Ship: The Ashland, with the parents and three children. They crossed the plains three years later, in the James Jepson Company, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1852 with three children.
(23) Notes for Edmund Wheeler Howell and Sarah Vail
These are Margie’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1817 and 1818) and married (1836) in New York. Edmund was baptized into the LDS Church in 1841. The family moved to Iowa and immigrated to Utah in 1852, in the David Wood Company, and Edmund died after one month on the trail. Sarah arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1852 with four children, and settled in Fairview, Utah.
(24) Notes for Samuel Roberts and Mary Peat
These are LaMar’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1830 and 1829) and married (1852) in England. Samuel was baptized into the LDS Church in 1861. The family immigrated to the US in 1861, on the Ship: American Congress and they crossed the plains in 1866, with six children, and settled in Afton, Wyoming.
(25) Notes for John Cushing and Elizabeth Bird
These are LaMar’s 2nd Great Grand Parents. They were born (1815) and married (1836) in England. Elizabeth converted to the LDS Church in England in 1853. John and Elizabeth immigrated in 1874 from England, with their youngest child, daughter Laura, born 1853, who was LaMar’s Great Grand Mother. From the personal history of Laura Cushing, written 12 July 1933: 'Father, mother and myself left Liverpool on the Steamer Wyoming 2 Sep 1874 in Elder John C. Graham's company, arriving in Salt Lake City 23 Sep 1874.' Four of Laura’s older siblings had immigrated earlier, 1864-1870.
(26) Notes for Solon Huff McGee and Emily Lucretia Robinson
These are Margie’s Great Grand Parents. Solon was born in 1853 in Tennessee, and Emily was born in 1855 in Mississippi. They married in 1876 in Missouri, and 10 children were born 1877-1897 in Missouri and Oklahoma. Solon and Emily were baptized into the LDS Church in 1898. They moved to New Mexico and then to Utah, 1899-1900.
O:\DOCUMENTS\Genealogy\Reports, Charts, Lists\Immigration to Utah, Westra and Norman Ancestors.doc
Now in Dropbox, DB Wendy-Mom Photo Project, FAMILY HISTORIES PROJECT, Ancestors Histories
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