Keith,

Below is what I wrote about the Abbotts a few years ago for
my life history. It is from the writings of John Austin Abbott
and his brother, William. I will also forward what I wrote
about Ellen Gallagher, Dad’s grandmother when I find it.

“Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe.
But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

--Indian Proverb

Abbott Family Background

Written by Scott Shaw

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I come from a long line of Americans. Mom’s maiden name
is Abbott. The Abbott family line dates back to the pilgrims.
George Abbott is from Yorkshire, England and came to this
country in about 1640. He was one of the first settlers of
Andover, Massachusetts. He established a life here in
America that we benefit from today. I’m grateful to be part of
his family tree.

This country is the only country in the world that was

established based on the search for religious freedom. The
pilgrims came here to escape religious oppression and built
a society here based on farming and getting along with the
American Indians. Those core values are evident in George
Abbott’s family line: We have always thought of ourselves
as freemen and women and that have been demonstrated in
our lives.

My great uncle William Abbott wrote a comprehensive life

history which was shared among his family. Most of Abbott
family information is from his writings. He relates that “It has
been said of Abraham that George Abbott was of pure stock,
that the man in himself was so strong that his characteristics
have marked all his race through a thousand generations.
The same seems to be true of George Abbott. Although they
have inter-married with all the old families of New England,
in later generations with English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh,
German, Scandinavian, and Italian stock, yet they exhibit the
traits of character of their ancestors of two hundred fifty
years ago.”

My great, great, great grandfather Stephen Abbott is a

descendant of George Abbott. He married Abigail Smith in
Dansville, New York. He learned the trade of furniture
making and painting. He was rather indifferent to religion

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until after his marriage, when he and his wife attached
themselves the Universalists.

About 1838 there was a great tide of emigration

pouring into the Mississippi Valley. Stephen’s two brothers
Austin and Eleazer were already living in Michigan, so he
concluded to go to the Mississippi Valley, and make a
permanent home for himself, where he could settle his
family. He went by boat down the Allegheny River and
bought a quarter section of farmland and forty acres of
timberland. They at once began to cultivate their land and
build a home.

Stephen’s wife, Abigail Smith Abbott, writing of this period

says, "On the first day of December of that year our son
Myron (my great, great grandfather) was born, a promising
child. My daughters went out in the garden and found a
beautiful rose, although the season for that flower was long
past, I took it as an omen of promise and rejoiced. There is
nothing unusual or strange in this for a mother, but after
many years, when it was known that through him alone,
descended his father’s name, the incident may be worthy of
preservation."

In 1839, Stephen Joseph Abbott and Abigail came in contact

with the Mormons who, on being driven out of Missouri, were
settling in Nauvoo, Illinois. They investigated the new religion
long and carefully and they and their children became
members of the church. At the April conference of the
Church held in Nauvoo in 1840, Stephen was ordained an
elder. In 1842 he was ordained a seventy.

Stephen was called on a temporal mission to gather funds to

build a Mormon temple in Nauvoo. This was economic
hardship on the early followers of the Mormon faith. Stephen

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was later called on a mission to Wisconsin. When he left
Pike County he placed a quantity of wheat in the mill. He
depended on this wheat to feed his family in his absence.
Through false pretense, a distant relative, obtained four
barrels of flour and another acquaintance also obtained a
considerable quantity. This loss was a great disappointment
to Stephen, so to make provision for his family; he began to
get cordwood on the Mississippi from an island. This
arduous work entailed exposure to elements and he became
sick. He died soon after at age 38 years.

The death of Stephen was a great family tragedy. William

Abbott describes Stephen, “Yet a young man, just coming
into the prime of manhood, just beginning a life that held
much promise of honor and usefulness, he was much loved
and sincerely mourned by his family, a young wife and eight
children, six girls and two boys. His struggle was over, theirs
was not about to commence, and will be related in as much
detail as the ravages of time has permitted to be preserved.
He sleeps in an unmarked grave on the hillside overlooking
the Great Father of Waters.”

Naturally, Abigail was stunned, heartbroken, and almost

overwhelmed by the terrible and unexpected blow. Winter
was almost upon them; she had eight children, the oldest
sixteen years. Basic necessities were difficult to obtain, the
country being new. The people with whom she had cast her
lot nearly all were poor, mostly refugees, having been
robbed, scourged, and mobbed out of Missouri. Stephen
placed a large portion of his property into the building of the
Nauvoo Temple and other public buildings.

Abigail is my great, great, great grandmother. She was born

within a few miles of Joseph Smith, the leader or the
Mormon faith. She was born with the same last name and

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within one year of the Joseph Smith. It is ironic that they
were born within miles of each other at about the same time
and then later their lives come together near Nauvoo, IL, the
headquarters and gathering of the Church. It was there that
her husband had a fateful death and Joseph Smith, too, is
murdered soon after. Amidst these extreme trials, Abigail
rises to the occasion by painstakingly overcoming the
extreme sacrifice of raising her young family of 8 children
and moving them west.

She overcame all and is an example for our family. As I ran

thinking of her life in the spring of 2006, I thought of her
position in the eternities. I felt that her countenance was
upon me. I would like to continue her heritage in some small
way in our family life.

In the late 1840s, public opinion was inflamed against the

Mormons. In just a few months they saw their leaders,
Joseph and Hyrum Smith, murdered in Carthage Jail, IL.
Emily, the eldest daughter of Abigail, speaking of this sad
time, stated that she was wrapped up in her father, loved
him dearly and grieved bitterly when he died, but she says
her sorrow was nothing compared with their grief when
Joseph Smith was murdered. Emily felt their home was
spoiled when their father was taken, whereas, at the death
Joseph Smith, she felt the whole world was spoiled. Such
was the gloom among the people of Nauvoo.

Abigail Smith Abbott was alone with few relatives,

nobody to rely upon except God and her own efforts. She
has said, "I had no means to erect a monument or even a
slab to mark my loved one’s grave, but I planted some
morning glories on the grave and left him there to sleep and
rest."

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Abigail received no pity from her neighbors of Illinois. In May
1846, she was offered $10.00 for her house and lot and
twenty acres of land, all fenced. To her remonstrance at the
price, the buyer explained, "The Mormons have got to go.
That amount will ferry you across the river and it is better
than nothing." She accepted it. He also demanded that the
furniture be left in the house for he truly explained, "You
cannot carry it with you."

The Mormon people were driven from their homes. In many

ways, their lot was similar to the Jewish people in history.
Whenever, a Jewish acquaintance asks about my faith, I
remind them that the Jews and Mormons have a common
heritage: Both people were driven from their homes.

On February 1, 1847, Abigail’s eldest daughter gave birth to

a son and called him Edward Bunker, Jr. This date also
came near being a fatal one for Abigail’s little son Myron,
then nine years of age. He was sent out early in the morning
to hunt for wood and encountered a large, hungry wolf.
Thinking it to be a dog he threw chips at it. It stood growling
and ready to attack the lad when the attention of a neighbor
was attracted and the wolf was frightened away.

This winter proved to be a hard one for Abigail. Beside the

regular care of her household, she taught school and one of
her elder daughters was ill for eleven weeks with fever and
Mrs. Bunker was ill nine weeks at the time of her
confinement. Water for the home had to be carried a quarter
of a mile, firewood had to be gathered and cut, enough to
keep a fire all the time, for the cabin had no floor and was
very cold and it took a warm fire to make it comfortable with
illness in the family for such a long time.

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The Mormon Battalion was organized by the U.S.
government to mobilize troops for the war at that time
against Mexico. During the winter Abigail received $22.50
from Captain James Brown who was serving the U.S.
military in the Mormon Battalion, sent to her from Santa Fe,
New Mexico, and Edward Bunker sent his wife some money.
Both were serving in the Mormon Battalion.

In October 1847, her family moved on to Mosquito Creek, a

point farther west near Council Bluff, Iowa. On the morning
of December 18, 1847, they heard a group of Battalion men
had arrived in town the evening before, so Emily prepared to
go and inquire if they knew anything of Edward. Just before
she was to leave the house a knock was heard at the door. It
proved to be Edward himself. He thought they were still in
Garden Grove where he left them, but someone told him
they had moved since he left. He was almost frozen and
starved. It was necessary for him to remain in bed for
several weeks and he was fed gruel every few hours, just a
few spoonfuls at a time at first. He had endured terrible
privation on the return journey and had completed one of the
most difficult marches on record. Abigail’s son, Abiel, came
to her from Council Bluffs, where he had gone fifteen months
before. Once more she had her family all together again.
She says, "I thanked God and praised Him and took new
courage, for my burdens seemed much lighter."

Before leaving Nauvoo, Abigail Smith Abbott had married for

a time as a plural wife to Captain James Brown. Captain
Brown had been a friend of Stephen, her husband in
Nauvoo. The relation gave him more the right of protector
than husband. After they were living in Ogden, Utah, Captain
Brown married Abigail’s daughter, Phoebe, over her protest.
Thereupon she repudiated the relationship and there after
lived apart from him.

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I admire Abigail for her determination. Even though Captain
Brown took care of her family, when he overstepped his
bounds and married her daughter, Abigail had nothing to do
with the man. She could have easily bit her tongue and
ignored the sad state of affairs since she depended on him
economically. However, she showed her courage and
disengaged with her husband.

Myron Abbott (my great, great grandfather) and Laura

Josephine were married in 1861. As a young couple with a
family, they followed the humble pursuits of life. They were
pioneers and had tremendous challenges, which involved
poor living conditions for their growing family. There was
seldom enough hay to last the cattle throughout the winters
in Utah so each day one of the older boys would take the
cattle up the hills to the southern side where the snow had
melted, let them graze, and then would bring them home at
night. The home had only a dirt floor and that the children
had very few clothes and no shoes. In these dire conditions,
Myron and Josephine decided to get a divorce in 1876.

William Elias Abbott writes of the experience, “Little Willey,

not quite eight, and John (my great grandfather), five and
one-half, were put into Myron’s wagon along with their
clothes and bedding. Everyone was crying. When Myron
tried to take Luella, she dropped to the floor with her arms
around her mother’s waist, screaming that if she could not
have both her parents she would kill herself. He finally took
her in his arms and put her in the wagon, but she tried to
jump out and run back to her mother. Mina had to physically
restrain her. Little Joseha and Abigail Jane were crying and
holding out their arms to their brothers and sisters, and
Luella pleaded with her father to let her go with them. As the
wagon drove off, Josephine fell to the ground in a faint. Mina

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later said, “I hope never to see so sad a scene again, I am
sure Mother was greatly disappointed with the court decision
as she had some friends who had been telling her a lot of
nonsensical things. She had been cruelly deceived.”

This experience long ago has a lesson for all of us. By it, we
learn that it may take a little more time to work marital issues
out. Time has a way of healing family wounds and they were
so poor, they did not have the time to overcome. As a
Bishop in the Little Neck Ward, I use their story to help
couples that are facing extraordinary challenges and losing
patience with themselves and their spouse, to take more
family time and do not make rash decisions. Furthermore,
this story reminds me to counsel others not to listen to
"nonsensical things" or suggestions by others and focus on
what Spirit wants us to do.

My great grandfather John Abbott writes, “My mother (Laura

Josephine Allen Abbott) was a daughter of Orville Morgan
Allen who was born in Pike County, Missouri, June 9, 1805.
He is the lineal descendent of Ethan Allen of the
Revolutionary War fame (I have not found this connection
yet in my research.)

He continues, “After living in Ogden…we moved to a new

settlement…in Nevada and took the name of Bunkerville. It
was on the frontier and we had no homes or shelter of any
description. …The country was hot and forbidding, the land
uncleared and unleveled. There was no water on the land,
no ditches, no dam to get water out of treacherous Virgin
River, there was no building material to build anything with,
and we were very, very poor.

The idea of poverty is pervasive in our family history. I think

that we are the first generation to have so very much. This

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is stark contrast to our family heritage which although
glorious and noteworthy, they were mired in poverty which
stopped many of them from progressing, such as Myron and
Josephine in their marriage. Thus, this concept of rising out
of poverty and establishing a secure future is a strong aspect
in my life and I never want to return to our roots and see the
face of poverty.

My great grandfather, John Abbott married Chrissie Eveline

(Whitney) Abbott and they had nine children including my
grandfather, Austin Neal Abbott. John Abbott was a great
man who stalwart in his efforts in raising family, service in
Church, and a leader. I admire him and even though I did not
know him personally, I feel in many ways, that I did know
him due to his outstanding life history and strong spirit.

John Abbott grew up in the heat and bitter poverty of

Bunkerville, Nevada. It was harsh land and he worked to eat
and live. He became a Pony Express rider at a young age of
10. He worked the silver mines and was offered a position of
foreman at the same time that he was called to be a
missionary in New Zealand. He accepted the call and gave
notice to his employer to return home to pack. His employer
could not believe that he would bypass such an opportunity.
John went a step forward and asked if his brother could work
in his stead. Thank goodness, the answer was no as the
next day, there was an explosion in the mine and his
workmates died. This demonstrates that faith is foremost
and should be followed or possibly suffer the ultimate loss.

John served a glorious mission in New Zealand as recorded

in his journals and life history. He served 3 years away from
his beloved wife Chrissie and young family. My grandfather,
Austin, was born while he was away in New Zealand. It was
worth it, as John preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to

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Maori people and established lifetime friends. Upon my
parents visit to New Zealand in the late 1990s, the Maoris
still speak of Elder Abbott who was there 100 years earlier.

My great grand father’s mission also gave me courage to be

separated from my young family in 1997-1998 when I
became the first Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the
American Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia. I figured if John
Abbott could his mission for 3 years crossing the Pacific in a
ship, I could surely do a 1 year assignment to the Russian
Far East crossing in Aeroflot across the Bearing Straits.

After seeing the beauty of Oregon on his travels to Seattle to

take the ship to New Zealand, John decided that he
preferred the green of Oregon to the desert of Nevada. John
moved his family to Oregon and ran a lumber mill. His son,
George, lost one of his legs after a large tree trunk fell on it.
George gathered the dirt to help stop the loss of blood,
which saved his life. Both my great grandfather and
grandfather are buried in LeGrand, Oregon.

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