Mary Johnson Parsons

Mary Johnson Parsons
Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 4, p.189 - 191
Daughters of Utah Pioneers

Mary Kirstine, christened Maren Kjirstine, was the youngest daughter of Johan and Johannah Larsen. She was born May 7, 1849, in Oudrup, Aalborg, Denmark and was left an orphan at the age of six when her father and mother died at Mormon Grove, Kansas, en route to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Mary was placed in the care of an elderly English couple before her mother passed away. Her good mother supplied the little girl with warm clothing, a feather tick and other necessities for the long journey ahead.

This English couple joined the Edward Martin handcart company to cross the plains, taking Mary with them. They were very harsh with the child and whipped her when she could not keep up with them. Not yet seven years old, she was too young to walk all day, yet too heavy to add to the load.

It was late in the summer of 1856 when the Martin and Willie companies were ready to start on their journey. Some advised waiting until spring, but the people had gathered and were so eager to join with the Saints in Zion that they decided to go on. Heavy snows fell in the mountains that year, food supplies were exhausted, many became ill and many died from hunger and exposure. Emigration officers and missionaries passed the handcart companies and carried word to President Young of the urgent need to send assistance to these people.

Ephraim Hanks' history tells the following:

Ephraim Hanks, a noted pioneer scout and mail carrier was at Utah Lake getting fish for the Salt Lake market and was staying overnight with a friend. He found it hard to get to sleep that night. He had his mind on two handcart companies that were long overdue. His mind kept traveling along this familiar trail over which he had traveled so many times, and of the hazards of the journey. He knew they must be suffering bitterly. Finally he fell asleep; he was aroused by someone calling his name. He answered and looked around but no one was in the room. He dozed and a third time his name was called out in sharp tones. He heard a clear voice say, "The handcart companies are in trouble." He dressed quickly and wakened his friends who placed supplies in his light wagon, and he was soon on his way. Hanks was met by a messenger who had been sent by Brigham Young to bring him to go with a rescue party. They were surprised to see him already on his way. On arriving in Salt Lake he put what supplies he could load on his light wagon and made his way east ahead of the rescue party. Hanks said he ran into one of the worst storms he had ever encountered in all of his travels.

In the valley of the Sweetwater he met the Willie party who had not had food for 48 hours. They were freezing and starving to death. Hanks killed a buffalo on his way out and most of it was eaten raw as fast as he could cut it up. He went from tent to tent anointing the sick and asking the Lord to bless them. The sufferers would rally at once. He administered to several hundred in a day, and many drooping spirits began to take fresh courage. The Martin Company was still farther behind, camped in a ravine between the Platte and Sweetwater rivers. He found the same pitiful conditions. Some had been carrying frozen limbs for days.

According to Ephraim Hank's story, Mary was one of those who had the courage to allow him to operate with the crude tools in camp and amputate their frozen limbs, in order that their life might be spared. Mary's feet were taken just above the ankle. When the news of the arrival of these people reached President Young, during a Sunday morning service, he dismissed the congregation with these words:

"When these people arrive, I do not want to see them put into houses by themselves. I want to have them distributed in this city among families that have good comfortable homes; and I wish the sisters now before me and all who know how and can, wait upon the newcomers, and prudently administer medicine and food to them."

President Young took Mary into his own home. Her legs had not healed properly, and it was necessary for Dr. Anderson to perform a second operation, removing both legs just below the knee. It was a terrible ordeal for the little girl.

In May 1857, Mary was taken to Spanish Fork, where she was welcomed into the home of her brother-in-law and sister, Catherine and Jeppe Sorensen. The five brothers and sisters were together for the first time since they had been separated in Kansas in the spring of 1856. The meeting was with mixed feelings of joy and sadness, for Mary was now learning to make her way about on the stubs of her two small knees. They all moved to Salt Lake City again. When Mary was fifteen, President Young helped her purchase a sewing machine and also made it possible for her to do sewing for others to pay for the machine. Many people, appreciating her keen ambition to support herself, gave her sewing and paid liberally for this service.

Mary became acquainted with a young Englishman, Elijah Parsons. In the kindness of his heart, his sympathy went out to the young girl who had such a hard time keeping up with the lively young people. They fell in love and were married in the Endowment House. Elijah was a mason by trade and was also a schoolteacher. Their two eldest children, Arthur and Annie were born in Salt Lake City. About 1875 they moved to Richfield, Sevier county and six years later they moved to Grass Valley where their first home was at Cedar Grove. Later they went to Koosharem purchasing a small home and a piece of land. Not being able to find employment Elijah went alone to Salt Lake to work. He sent money to his family and visited them as often as distance would permit. As he became older he stayed on in Salt Lake working at the Saltair resort, however, the last eighteen years of his life were spent in Koosharem. At the time of his death he was 87 years of age.

Mary always radiated cheerfulness and no matter how ill she was she tried to tell a humorous story. She passed away at the home of her son, Arthur, in Koosharem at the age of 61 years, on November 7, 1910. She was the mother of three daughters and four sons.

-Della Parsons Ware