John Tanner and his family

Page 169

158 John Tanner and His Family were too pressing to answer the letter and later at Winter Quarters that Sidney found the year time and heart to answer it. The letter sent to New York State, has by some fortunate circumstance been preserved and is now in the hands of the author to remind us of the sorrows and sacrifices of 26 our progenitors. It is contained in the Appendix. But other matters it was not until a expensive for John Tanner and the members of his family. It cost John "everything he had" in Kirtland, and he and his numerous sons labored fourteen years to bring the despoiled Saints to the Rocky Mountains. Yes, the church proved to be In addition John Tanner filled two missions for the church and acted in the position of "compassionate bishop?" in the trek across Iowa and the starving period at Winter Quarters. All his sons who were old enough filled preaching missions, as well as being con­ stantly at the call of church leaders who made frequent demands Their strength and skill and their splendid physical such as horses, wagons, and supplies, made them tempt­ equipment, when ing targets emergencies of any kind arose. upon them. And lest the cost to the beth, wife of John Tanner, played as difficult and as women as well noble a folks be forgotten, Mother Eliza­ the wives of the married sons, part, and in some cases made a as greater sacrifice than their husbands. For instance Mother Elizabeth traveled from Bolton to Kirtland, a distance of 500 miles, in a covered wagon. She then moved to Missouri, a distance of 1,000 miles; then to Quincy, Illinois, and Montrose, Iowa, 300 miles; then to Winter Quarters 400 miles; and finally to Salt Lake City, 1,040 miles. As if this were not enough, soon after the death of her husband in 1850, she accompanied her family to San Bernardino and return, another 1,500 miles. During their "fourteen years of wandering in the wilderness," John Tanner's wife Elizabeth, his daughter Maria, and his three daughters-in-law," besides caring for a number of small children, gave birth to twenty-eight more and buried a total of seven children. One of his daughters-in-law, Louisa Conlee, wife of Sidney, was also buried during this time. The author believes that no other family in the early days of the church gave so much in toil and treasure in building the cities and temples in Ohio and Illinois, and in bringing the Saints to the West as did John and his faithful sons and daughters.