Elizabeth Melissa Perry Hatch By Edith F. Hatch Elizabeth Melissa Perry, born 27 September, 1836 at Ashperton , Herfordshire, England to Grace Ann Williams and John Perry, the youngest child in a family of eight, not quite four years old when the LDS missionaries who were visiting the people in this neighborhood and had conversed with John Perry who was one of the Church of The United Brethren who very devout and had petitioned his Heavenly Father for divine guidance regarding man’s mission on this earth. The missionaries told a story of a man in far away America who had been visited by a heavenly messenger who told them of a marvelous work that was to be established on this earth in the last days. They claimed that God’s plan for the benefit of His earthly children had been revealed in its fullness and man had been given divine authority to teach and bless their fellow men. After this plan had been fully explained to the people of this community, numbering some six hundred souls, readily understood and accepted it as the further light for which they had been seeking and were anxious and willing to take part in it. Elizabeth’s parents were among the first ones to be baptized in a pool on a farm of John Benbow, in March 1840 by these men holding divine authority to perform this ordinance. During the following summer months this family along with their neighbors was engaged in disposing of all their earthly possessions except a few choice family treasures and preparing for a long journey to the land of America where they would live in harmony with those who believed as they did. Elizabeth’s parents were grieved with the knowledge that their parents and brothers and sisters very bitter toward the new religion. By Monday, September 8, all necessary preparations had been made and Elizabeth with her parents and brothers and sisters were on the ship “North America” at Liverpool with some two hundred of their neighbors, ready to sail for their new home. Elder Theodore Turley was in charge of this the second company of foreign LDS emigrants to leave England. They arrived at Nauvoo, Illinois on November 20, 1840 after being some ten weeks on the way, a long tedious journey for a child of four years. Upon their arrival at Nauvoo, Elizabeth’s parents found plenty to fill their lives for the new community was just beginning to be established. Her father, a capable and efficient joiner and wheelwright, and her mother, a big-hearted neighborly woman, fitted in perfectly into the community life. Elizabeth too, with her brother John and sisters Eliza and Alice soon adjusted themselves to their new surroundings. Her brother William had died just prior to docking the ship “North America” at New York and was buried at Stanton Island. While at Nauvoo Elizabeth was deprived of the companionship of her brother John, age 6, and her sister Alice age 14, who died within a week of each other. One of Elizabeth’s chores was to carry her father’s lunch to him each day as he was employed on the Nauvoo Temple, where he worked from the laying of the foundation until its completion in 1845. While at Nauvoo, she became personally acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum and Brigham Young upon whom she saw the Prophet’s mantle fall and many other leading men and women of the Church. In April 18, 1845 she was baptized in the Mississippi River becoming a member of the LDS (or Mormon) Church. The adjustments required of this child to her life in Nauvoo may have been rather severe but the following few years were to be even more trying and of an entirely different nature as she was to be required to spend them on the outskirts of civilization with few opportunities to enjoy even the comforts of a temporary home. By the time she was ten years old she with her father, mother and sister Eliza were forced to flee from mobs and seek another place of refuge in a stranger and less known land than Nauvoo. During the preparation for the pioneer trip Elizabeth’s father was kept busy almost night and day helping to build wagons and other conveyances for the Saints. Because of this fact his own family was not prepared to leave with the first emigrants in February 1846 but remained until spring of that year. They then journeyed to join a group at Winter Quarters in time to leave that place. They became part of the group on the Elkhorn River who were organized on Thursday, June 17, 1847 ready for their journey in the Charles C. Rich Guard of 100. Edward Stevenson was captain of their ten. This group started crossing the Elkhorn on Sunday June 20 at 11 AM and joined the main camp on the Platte River some twelve miles distant on Monday, June 21. Ten to twelve miles per day was the average for this group during their entire journey to the valley. Sunday was a day of rest when necessary repairs were made. Elizabeth’s time was spent in driving the family oxen ad her father was often called upon to assist the pioneers in repairing their conveyances. On the journey several band of Indians were encountered, some of which were unfriendly. For this reason guards were constantly on duty. A large herd of buffalo, three of which were described as looking like puppies, was a novel sight for the emigrants. About the middle of August the company was visited by Ezra Taft Benson and Orin Porter Rockwell just west of Fort Laramie who brought a message from Brigham Young telling of the place which had been selected for their new home where they could dwell in peace and build up the Kingdom of God. Letters and instructions were left by this company and others on boards, buffalo skulls, and small boxes nailed to trees for those who followed that their trip might be made easier. Entrusted to this company for safe delivery in the valley were two large cannons, 25 kegs of powder, the temple veil, and a large boat. On September 5 Brigham Young, seven other Apostles and several of the earlier pioneers who were returning to Winter Quarters met the group at Pacific Springs and held a meeting with them. From this time on the roads were very bad, as stormy weather had set in. The first part of this group did not reach “The Old Fort” until Saturday, October 1 and that in which Elizabeth was traveling arrived on Monday, October 3 just one week after her 11th birthday. The Old Fort was their home during the winter of 1847-1848. In the spring of 1848 they were members of a group of Saints comprised of the families of Perrigrine Sessions, Jezreal Shoemaker, and John Perry who traveled some eight or ten miles north of the Old Fort and settled at what was called Sessions Settlement, later named Bountiful. They made their first camp at what is Second South and Third East. A little later they moved lower down on Stone Creek where they prepared the ground and planted a patch of grain and garden vegetables. The grain and vegetables grew and all seemed well until the crickets came. Even though Elizabeth and her companions did all in their power to destroy the pests it looked as though the crops were lost. Then followed the miracle of the seagulls and the saving of their food. The seagull became a sacred bird to the pioneers in the valley. As there was not sufficient time to prepare permanent homes during the summer of 1848 the Perry family with the others made a temporary winter camp (1848-1849) on creek at what is now the Willey Corner about one-fourth mile from the Bountiful Junior High School on 4th North. The spring of 1849 found the John Perry family on their way to Salt Lake City in answer to a false request that they were to go to the south to help settle that country. Upon consulting President Brigham Young they were advised to return to the Sessions Settlement. On their return to the Sessions Settlement they found a spring of good water so decided to make this their permanent home. The property situated immediately south and west of the South Bountiful Ward Chapel has been the home of the descendants of Elizabeth Perry Hatch until the present time (1964). Elizabeth’s parents were grateful for the blessings of the Gospel and attempted to show their gratitude by extending their hospitality and assistance to any and all newcomers, often giving them financial aid in getting them established in their homes. This attitude was strongly inherent in Elizabeth and who never failed to give and give of herself as well as her time and earthly possessions to assist anyone who needed the help. This attitude was encouraged and aided by her husband, Orin Hatch, whom she married on October 10, 1855 in the Endowment House at Salt Lake City. Their home was always the abode of one and sometimes two or more nonmembers of the family and the traveler was always welcome even if the children were obliged to sleep on the floor which was often the case. At one time we had seventeen visitors who remained two days or more, just a sample of the hospitality of this family. No day was too full or night too cold or stormy for Uncle Orin and Aunt Libby, as they were affectionately known in the community, to leave their own family and go to the assistance of others who had sickness or death in their homes. Elizabeth’s patriarchal blessing promised that knowledge and skill should be given her in the care of the sick and in the use of herbs and home remedies. These promises were truly fulfilled. The older children well remember that their parents always kept a change of clothing in a shelter in the bushes near the home to put on before entering their own home when they returned form a home where they had been to give assistance. This was especially the case during the diphtheria epidemic. Elizabeth’s mother was afflicted with asthma and suffered greatly during her later live and required considerable care and attention from Elizabeth’s family, which consisted at this time of nine children. She was unable to lie down and died sitting in a chair on November 13, 1872. Although Elizabeth had very little opportunity to obtain an education she was a good speller and an excellent reader. Best of all she was a kind, wise, prudent and thrifty wife and mother. Her husband’s marriage to his second wife on May 2, 1856 to Mariah Thompson was of Elizabeth’s own choosing. Her own children were taught to respect and love not only Aunt Maria and her children but also Maria’s father whom they called Grandfather Thompson. As was the case in all early homes the family made their own candles, soap, butter and washed, carded and spun wool and wove woolen cloth for clothing. A little later this family associated with the Atkinson, Pace and Moss families in a butter and cheese dairy at Silver Creek which called for the assistance of all the children as they became old enough to assume that responsibility thus leaving other chores for those who remained at home. All of Elizabeth’s children reached maturity and their lives were such that they were worthy to go to the House of the Lord to be sealed to their companions with never a separation or a divorce in the entire family. In her later life Elizabeth’s health was poor from a heart condition, which she suffered from at times. She was still anxious about her neighbors and friends whom she visited whenever she was able. Her husband, Orin, died 8 September 1906. She joined him just fifteen months later on 30 January 1908. A career woman, yes truly a career woman. Who could wish for a greater or more glorious career? Thirteen stalwarts had the privilege of caller her “Mother,” ninety-seven “Grandmother,” and later generations are in the hundreds. What an audience to greet her and call her blessed when the time of reckoning arrives. Copy by Carrie Hatch NeVille February 1964