Notes |
- NAUVOO RECORDS:
Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register p 13
Members, LDS, 1830-1848, by Susan Easton Black, Vol 40, pp 601- 602
ZION'S_CAMP: Women in Zion's Camp (Backman, "A Profile of Kirtland Saints..." Appendix E, p. 93)
BIRTH: The Snow Family, Boston Transcript, Note 2685 pt I, gives her b. date
and says she died at St. George, Utah; Valiant in the Faith (Gardner Snow
History), p. 643.
MARRIAGE: Valiant in the Faith, p. 643. Gives her names as Mary, Melvina, or
Minerva
DEATH: Valiant in the Faith, p. 643
Valiant in the Faith, p 644, has some biography
MARY MINERVIA SNOW (7)
Aunt Mary Snow married Jacob Gates Sr. in St. Johnsbury, Vermont March 16,1833 when she was twenty years old. In June of that year Jacob was baptized into the Mormon Church by Mary's brother Zerubbabel. Aunt Mary joined the church during 1834. For the first year after their marriage, they lived in St. Johnsbury. April 11,1834 they left for Missouri to join the Mormons there, They arrived June 30,1834. She was the first of the Snow family to leave Vermont. They made their home seven miles west of Liberty in Clay County. In the fall of 1836 they moved 50 miles in Caldwell County.
When the Mormons began to have trouble with the mob of Missouri, Jacob was placed under guard, with some of his friends and marched to Richmond, and placed in jail for three weeks. This was in 1838. After he was released from jail, he and Aunt Mary left Missouri according to the order of Governor Boggs, and moved to Quincy ,Ill. June 1843 Jacob went on a mission to New England and left Aunt Mary with her people, who now lived at Quincy.
Aunt Mary and Jacob went through the same persecutions endured by all the Mormons at that period of history. In the fall of 184'7 they came to Utah with some of the first companies that followed the exploring party into the Salt Lake Valley. They arrived in October.
In 1849, Jacob was called on a mission to England. While on this mission, he met Emma Foresbury, who he later married as a second wife. They had a son Jacob Jr. who married Pres. Young's daughter Susie and the latter became the parents of the famous singer Emma Lucy Gates. In 1859 Jacob went on a second mission to Europe and returned in 1861.
In 1861 Aunt Mary and Jacob were called to Southern Utah in the Dixie Mission Here, in St. George Aunt Mary spent the rest of her life. As she had no children of her own, she helped care for Emma's. They grew very fond of her. She was very brilliant and well educated. Many people said that she was the "brainest" one in the whole Snow tribe. She was very good in astronomy, and loved to study the stars. Because of the mild climate in St. George, it was possible to sleep outdoors much of the time. Aunt Mary used to keep two beds outside, one on each side of the house. Here she would lie at night and study the heavens. As the stars changed their position, she changed beds. One morning when she arose, she remarked that a new star had appeared in the heavens during the night. Someone asked her how she could tell. She retorted "I suppose if you had a new neighbor move next door you could tell it couldn't you?"
Neighbor children tell how they used to love to go to her house because site spent hours entertaining them with stories about the stars and other things. Toward the last years of her life she grew careless, neglected her housework, and cooking, and spent much time reading in bed. Because of this Jacob ceased to live with her and lived with Emma. She died Feb.9,1891 in her 77th. year in St. George, Utah and was buried there in the city cemetary. Jacob died a year later April 14, 1892 at Provo, Utah and was buried there.
- Family Group Record by Nauvoo Land and Records
NAUVOO RECORDS:
Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register p 13
Members, LDS, 1830-1848, by Susan Easton Black, Vol 40, pp 601- 602
|