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My grandfather and grandmother Fairchild I well remember. Grandmother died when I was
four
years old, in Connecticut. Grandfather then went to Pennsylvania and died there. I think they
had five sons and two girls. The names that I can remember are Samuel, Sherman, Stephan,
Eunice and Sarah. Grandfather's name was Stephen, and grandmother's name was Eunice.
My father, John Brown, born February 25, 1770. Their children were:
Juda Brown, born November 2, 1793
John Brown, born August 24, 1795
Eunice Brown, born August, 1794
Mary Brown, born March 2, 1799
Thirsa Brown, born July 11, 1802
Sally Brown, born February 27, 1805
Catherine Brown, born August 13, 1808
Loring G. Brown, born April 17, 1811
They were all born in Connecticut, but Catherine and Loring. They were born in
Pennsylvania.
My father moved from Connecticut to Pennsylvania when I was six years old. My father's
home
was a home for the Methodist Preachers and all other preachers when they came. I joined the
Methodist church when I was 13 years old. I lived in Pennsylvania until I was married in 1815 to
Zerah Pulsipher. My oldest child was born May 30, 1816.
Mary Ann Pulsipher, born May 30, 1816
died July 14, 1816
Almira Pulsipher, born September 8, 1817
married Horras Burgess
died March 8, 1868
Nelson Pulsipher, born March 28, 1820
died May 7, 1824
Mariah Pulsipher, born June 11, 1822
married William Burgess
died 1893
Sarah Pulsipher, born November 20, 1824
married John Alger
died January, 1909
John Pulsipher, born July 17, 1827
1st marriage: Rosella Huffaker
2nd marriage: Esther Barnum
died August 9, 1891
Charles Pulsipher, born April 20, 1830
Mary Ann Pulsipher, born November 20, 1833
married Thomas S. Terry
died September 17, 1913
William Pulsipher, born January 21, 1836
married Ester Chidester
died March 12, 1880
Eliza Jane Pulsipher, born July 26, 1840
married Thomas S. Terry
died May 6, 1919
Fidelia Pulsipher, born October 13, 1842
died January 8, 1846
We lived in Pennsylvania seven years. Did a great deal of hard work there; then left and
moved
to New York State -- in Oneadago County. There we heard the gospel preached for the first time
by the Latter Day Saints. We went forth and were baptized in the year 1832 by Jared Carter. He
baptized about 20 in that place. Then ordained my husband, Zera Pulsipher, and left him to
preside over the Church. He baptized more. We stayed there about two years, then moved 20
miles to Fabius; lived with a Doctor Newcome one-and-a-half years. Then we all went to
Kirtland, Ohio, together. Stayed there four years. Zera was ordained there one of the first Seven
Presidents by the hands of Joseph Smith, the Prophet.
He helped build the Temple. Got his endowments in it, then we were driven from that place
with
the rest of the Saints. We started in July (the 15th) with a large camp for Missouri. We all got
there in the fall and went to Davies County. My husband was one of the Council that led the
Camp. We stayed in that place one month; then we were driven from there by the mob. Then we
went to the far west and stayed there through the winter. Then we had to go again. We started in
March for Illinois. We stopped 25 miles from Nauvoo, in Bear Creek Woods.
The winter we were in the Far Western part of Missouri, we had to part with our good old
Mother Pulsipher. She was sick one week, and then died. The day before she died, she lay
looking up. I said, 'Mother, what do you see?" She said, "Oh, don't you see that light?" I looked,
but could not see any. The next day she saw it again over her bed. She said, "That is a light to
light me through the dark valley of death." Then she fell asleep without a struggle or groan. I
think she was 85 years old.
We stayed in Bear Creek Woods nearly two years. Then the first Presidency had gotten out
of
prison and out of Missouri. The Saints had begun to settle Nauvoo. They sent for us to move
there. We went there and stayed, I think, five years. My youngest child, Fidelia, was born there.
She was a very smart, promising child, but we could not keep her only four years and three
months. We buried her there. We helped build the Temple there -- got our endowments in it --
then we started with the rest of the Church west to find some place where we could live in peace.
We were two years, not forty, in going to Salt Lake. We helped cultivate the bare desert and
make it "blossom like the rose." My husband was one of the City Council most of the time we
were there.
Then we were called to go south three hundred miles and help cultivate another barren
desert.
We have lived 10 years in this place, Hebron. We have enjoyed great blessings, lived in peace,
none to molest or make afraid, although we have had to part with some of our dear friends here.
Almira, my daughter, died in March, 1868, and John's wife, Rosilla, and little boy, William
Lewis, died. We lived here, enjoyed ourselves well with our children and grandchildren all
around us until my husband was called away by death, in January 1872. He lived to a good age,
and then went down to the grave like a shock of corn, fully ripe. I am spared yet. I hope to do a
little good before I die.
I used to say when my children were small if I could live to see my children grow up and be
honorable men and women, it would be all I could ask for. I have lived to see them all settled
with good families, all trying to do what good they can to build up the Kingdom of God. I feel
very thankful and much pleased with my children. I hope they will live and do much good; be
united and be agreeable, and try to help each other and carry out the council their father and
mother have given them. I write this after I am 72 years old, for my children to look at. It is
written very poorly. Perhaps you cannot read it.
May God Bless You All.
By request I write a little more history and experiences. Eight years have passed away since I
wrote the little sketches. I am still here. I will begin by my first experiences in the Methodist
church. My parents taught me to be honest, industrious, and to keep the Sabbath Day. They
were very strict Methodists. When I was about 13 years old I thought I ought to join the
Methodist Church. It was the only church I knew much about. The preachers came every week
to preach at father's house. I told him I wanted to join the church and he said I could. I did not
know but they would call on me to relate a great experience when I was converted, but I could
not have told them. All they did was to put my name on the class paper for six month's trial.
When six months was out the preachers said, "Here is Sister Mary. She is a good, faithful,
worthy Sister. I motion that she be taken in full fellowship." I was voted in. Perhaps one year
passed -- not a word said about baptism. I said to the preacher, "Do you believe baptism to be a
duty for us to obey?" He said baptism was not a saving ordinance, just to answer a good
conscience. I said, "I see by reading the New Testament, I consider it a duty -- a command." He
said, "What say?" I said there was only one way that looked to be right -- to be immersed and
buried in the water. He said, "The Savior set the example and He was not immersed. He went
out into the water and knelt down and had some water poured on his head." He said he had seen
it in history. He went to the water. He sang and prayed, then took me by the hand and led me to
the water, saying, "Step in and kneel." I did. He dipped a little water, said over the ceremony,
and poured it on my head, while he stood on the bank -- did not wet his feet. I thought if baptism
was to answer a good conscience, I was not satisfied. It looked like mockery to me, but I had
done my duty.
I write this to let my children see the darkness and ignorance the world was then in. Surely
the
Prophet could say darkness and sin had covered the earth, and gross darkness, the people. I
rejoice that we live in a day that the true light and true gospel was shining.
I think I was in the Methodist church about 20 years before I heard the true gospel. We
happened
to see the Book of Mormon. We borrowed it, read it, and believed it, but did not know anything
more about it. We were very anxious to know more about it. It was not long before a Mormon
preacher came. We had a great many questions to ask. He told us how the Book was found and
translated. He said baptism by immersion was the only right way. It was for the remission of
sins. I thought that looked right. In a short time some were ready to be baptized. I wanted to be
at the first opportunity, but Satan thought he would hinder it. The night before baptism, I was
taken very lame with rheumatism or something. I was so sick I could not get around much. As
they were fixing to go, Brother Carter said to me, "Sister Pulsipher, if you will do your duty, you
shall be healed." I took a cane a hobbled to the water and went in. It was a very cold day, but I
came out well, left my cane, and went away rejoicing. I was very ignorant, I had not heard
anything about being confirmed, or receiving the Holy Ghost. The next evening went to meeting
and the six that were baptized were there. When he put his hands on my head, he said, "Sister
Pulsipher, by the authority of the Holy Priesthood and in the name of Jesus, I lay my hands on
your head to bless you and to confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. I say unto
you -- receive the Holy Ghost." He promised great blessings if I would be faithful. The spirit of
the Lord was there. We sang, prayed, and praised God together. It was not long before the news
went around that Brother and Sister Pulsipher were Mormons. Some would not believe it until
they came to see us. We had plenty of visitors. Some came to try to convince us that it was all
delusion. They thought they could reclaim us, but went away disconsolate. Others came to
inquire. They said if we had got something better, they wanted to know it. They would be
baptized and go home rejoicing.
I will mention one that came to see me. My brother-in-law, Joseph (Joe) Chidister. He lived
four miles from me; he was going to move away, but could not go without seeing me. I had
belonged to the same church he did. He was a preacher. He said I was the last one he thought of
as being led away with such hearsay and delusions, as he thought it was. "Well," I said, "If this is
what the world calls hearsay, to worship my God," said I, "I know in whom I believe." He said,
"I think in about six months you will see your error. I think Mormonism will be all down flat in
that time." I said, "Joseph, I have not the least idea that it will. It will stand. But if it does come
down I never could go to the Methodist or another church that I know of. It would be going right
into darkness." He said, "I see I cannot convince you, but I have done my duty." He cried and
bid me farewell. I said, "I thank you for the kind feelings you have for me. Do not worry about
me." I never saw him after that. He moved away, lived a few years and died very suddenly with
heart disease. He had an appointment to preach the day he was buried. His wife, my sister, died
soon after. I think they have heard the gospel preached before this time. Zera and Joseph were
great friends. He had not read the Book of Mormon nor heard a sermon preached. He judged
before he heard -- like so many others. If they would hear and heed, without prejudice, there
would not be half so many among hearsay, delusion, and false prophets.
Well, I began to gather with the church. Went to Kirtland, there had my blessings from the
first
Patriarch in this church, Father Joseph Smith. He said I should have my friends with me in this
church, and that I would be the means of saving and redeeming them. I believe every word, but
did not understand how it could come to pass. I never heard nor thought of being baptized for
the dead. He said I had left all for the gospel, I should have a hundred fold in this world and in
the world to come, life everlasting, with many more good blessings if I would be faithful.
I am almost 81 years old, have lived and enjoyed myself well with my children a long time; I
expect the time will come when I must leave them. I have watched over them, tried to comfort
them and instruct them right. I pray that they may live in peace, be united, and keep all the
commandments of God. If riches increase, set not your hearts on them, but lay up treasures in
Heaven. It is the only safe place that we can lay up riches.
I would like to have my children live near together to help and comfort one another. May
God
bless you all.
Mary Brown Pulsipher
Hebron, March, 1880