NANCY MINERVA EARL LEAVITT
(Wife of George Leavitt)
by Mrs. Eulalie A. Leavitt-Taggart
(her oldest granddaughter)
Sept 20, 1939

Janet Brinkerhoff Leavitt-Camp
Cache County

Nancy Minerva Earl was born Oct. 13, 1840, in Handcock Co., Ill. Her father Ace C. Earl was born in 1812, and died Dec. 1, 1891, in Reno, Nevada. There is a headstone at his grave.

Her mother Minerva Rich was born in 1815 and died in 1840 when Nancy was four weeks old.

Her grandparents Joseph and Nancy O'Neal Rich took the baby and raised her till she was married to George Leavitt July 11, 1857 as his third wife. When she was small she had dark red hair and it often hung in ringlets. She always worked in the field with her grandfather. She was the only small child, so they thought a great deal of her.

She had a brother Joseph and a sister Julia whom she never saw, and she knew about them only by her grandparents telling of them. She was seven years old when she came to Utah in the Charles C. Rich company. He was her mother's brother. She never saw her father. At one time she and her husband made a triip of three hundred miles to see him, but the day before they got there he had left so she didn't see him. She was so disappointed it nearly made her sick.

She received a picture of her father about the time he died. Her stepmother, Nancy Allred, who was related to Bro. Robert Egbert, wrote a few letters and sent the picture and a quilt and a quilt top she had pieced. It seemed a shame that she had not known more about her people.

She was a good helper and as her children came along she took care of them and also went out as a nurse. When her three first children were small she left the baby with her oldest son to take care of, while she helped take care of the sick. She went as a mid-wife for many years.

Grandma was a real pioneer all of her life. She helped to build a home in Centerville Utah, and in 1868 she and her husband were called to go south down to Dixie. This was a trip of 550 miles. Grandfather was called to act as Bishop while there. On that trip grandma drove a team of horses they called Puss and Kit. Grandma Janett's team was Peet (sp?) and Molly, while grandpa drove four oxen, Dave, Bally, Buck and Berry. All of these they drove to Dixie and back and up to Lewiston when they came here in the spring of 1872. On the trip south each woman had a churn in which they put the milk from the ten cows they milked. This churn hung from the back of the wagon and so churned the butter as they traveled along. Their two oldest boys, Jim and Joe, were nine and ten years old. They walked all the way down and back driving the cows and small calves. They only rode when they came to a place where there was water to wade in. Then they would catch a cow and ride.

They remained in the south a little over two years. While there all of them suffered with chills and fever. Two babies were born while there and on that trip four children died; that is each mother buried two children each.

They had to go 250 miles to get flour and other supplies. Often the families were out before the father returned home from these trips, so they lived on bran and molasses.

They raised some cotton while there. The weather was so warm that they put up their loom out doors and they wove carpet and lincy cloth from which their clothes were made. On their trip back North the women and children gathered the wool that was on the fence and bushes.

This they carded spun and wove into cloth, then grandma colored it brown from the bark of some shrub. She made suits for her three boys all by hand and from her own pattern. I have the pressing board she used when she got them finished.

They had considerable trouble with the Indians and this was plenty of worry to the women and children as they never knew just what would happen. The Indians drove away some of their cattle which they often killed by driving them in the river. But all the troubles was settled and no blood was shed.

When they returned to Centerville they stayed just long enough to rest and then came on up to Mendon, Utah. There they stayed two years and grandma had a baby boy. From here came to Lewiston, Utah in the spring of 1872. At this place she had three more babies. They built two homes just alike not far apart.

In 1888 grandpa went out in Star Valley, Wyoming and helped to open up this new country, and he moved grandma out there to stay part of the time as some of the boys were taking up home steads. In the winter of 1889 January 23, grandpa took sick with Typhoid fever and died in Lewiston, Utah. One of the boys here rigged up a seigh (sleigh?) with a covered wagon box and put a stove in it and drove 100 miles out to Star Valley for grandma and some of the children; then 100 miles back. It was bitter cold weather. They kept grandfather's body for ten days or more waiting for them and for my father, Joseph Leavitt, who was in Southern Utah in the mines. Grandma came back to Lewiston and lived in her own home till she died. She lived a widow 22 years, and raised her small children till all were married and had homes of their own.

Grandma was a real pioneer all her life helping to make new homes. She always had trees and rose bushes planted around her home. She tried to raise the things that would help to maintain a good living for the family. She was a good wife, mother and a real neighbor. Every one loved her. If anyone was sick she was ready to help all she could. This she passed on to her children, for they were all blessed with that good trait of helping the sick and poor. Her children were all taught to get up early in the morning and to go to bed early at night. They also knew how to cook a meal at home or on the camp fire. This their mother taught them to do. Most of her family were boys so that is why the boys all were good cooks.

My grandma died before grandma Janett died and they both have said, that they lived all their married lives together and not very far apart when they had their own homes. In all this time they never had an ill word between them. Their children hardly knew which was their own mother, and the mothers felt the same way about the children. They lived in unity and love. For years the families all went to each of the grandmother's homes for either Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years. So we all meet as a big family and have learned to love each other as our dear grandmother's wanted us to do.

Grandmother died with a cancer of the stomach, was very sick for 6 months before she died. We went up to see her about Christmas time and she would make hot soda biscuit for dinner saying she may never make any more for us and she never did.

She had 10 children, 7 boys and 3 girls.

Two boys and two girls died before she died.

She died the 20 of May 1911 and was buried the 22 of May 1911, in the Lewiston cemetery by her husband.

Two handwritten letters attached:

"When i came to this cuntrey i wose only seven years old
in forty seven my grand mother rich took very sick at larmey(?) and dide three days after we got in the valey
i ges she wose the first beard (buried?) in the valey
she was the mother of Charles Rich
i was to young to remder (remember) much ---- Manerva Leavitt"

"Marsh 10 1897
Dear sir i receved your leter. Co(?) comen in this valey i came in Salt lake in forty seven with Charles Rich Compny my name is Minerva E Leavitt
Janet Leavitt came in the same year in ira(?) eldredge Compeny
A B Charey
All of lewiston Utah"