John Tanner and his family

Page 244

234 John Tanner and His Family The letter remained unanswered for more than a year, and dur­ that time Sidney lost his wife and the two youngest children. How ing could he write his wife's folks and tell them of the triple tragedy? Besides their last letter had been a bitter attack against the church which he was now bound to defend. happened to be preserved and returned to the family is not known but it is evidence that he per­ difficult task well. It is of such importance that it is pro­ How this letter Sidney Tanner formed the duced in full: Winter Quarters Dear Father and April 13, 1847. Mother, Brothers and Sisters: I gladly embrace this opportunity of writing a few lines to you tell you how we have been situated and how we are at present. left the Iowa [farm] the 4th of March. We traveled five days stopped. Our youngest child by the name of James Monroe taken sick and died the 17 of March with the inflamation of and We and was the brain." We had got about 2 hundred miles from Montrose when we received your letter dated Feb. 10 and you wanted to know what we wanted to move for. It was to go to a land of freedom where we could enjoy the peace of society and our liberty. We did not want to live in a country where there allowed their rights. was no peace, no liberty and citizens was not We went on about one hundred miles farther to Council Point when had another child added to our family; it was a boy and was born July 1, its name was Mason Lyman, and Louisa got her health as well as ever. We crossed the Missouri river the last of July at Council Bluff where we stopped for the winter and Louisa was taken sick with the fever. She got some better and then took the canker and the chills fever and was sick about two months and then departed this life leaving her strongest testimony of the truth of the gospel of Christ taught in the last days. we She full requested me to write to you and tell you that she died in the triumph of the faith of Jesus Christ and her most desire for living was for the benefit of her family and friends and do what she was afraid they would not do for themselves that they might arrive to a glorious salvation in the kingdom of God where she expects to meet them and enjoy their society. She often spoke about you and wanted to see you and hoped that you would yet embrace the gospel and come to the west. She died