Isaiah Lacey Bennett, 1853-1929

• Born 23 Sep 1853 Stoke Prior, Worcestershire, , England
• Died 24 Dec 1929 Preston, Franklin, Idaho
• Parents: Thomas Bennett and Anne Lacey
• Wife: Nancy Jane (Rose) Foster (md. 25 May 1874 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah)
• Children: Nancy Jane Bennett, Isaiah Carson Bennett, Sophronia Ann Bennett, Emma Susan Bennett, Thomas Richard Bennett, Pheobe Eliza Bennett, Ada Alzada Bennett, Mary Rosetta Bennett, Zeffie Fern Bennett

• Wife:  Zoay Martha Holman [Long] (md. 11 October 1900 in Logan, Cache, Utah)

"Isaiah Lacey Bennett was born of humble parents in a little town in Worcester County, England, 23 September 1853. His father was Thomas Barnibee Bennett, and his mother Anny Lacey Bennett. His family had never belonged to any religion, and being converted by Mormon missionaries while Charles W. Penrose was President of the British Mission. They sailed for Zion in 1864.

"After sailing on the ocean for seven weeks, they landed in the fall of the year at New York. They crossed the plains in an ox team company. Because of very poor health, Isaiah was allowed to ride on top of the wagon load while crossing the rivers.

"A few days after their arrival in Utah, Isaiah was baptized by his father in the Jordan River. They then went to Draper, Utah, where they made their first home and took up farming.

"During Isaiah's early boyhood days he wore dresses, but soon after his arrival in Utah he conned his first pair of trousers which were made from Linsey, spun by his mother. He went to school in a little one room log schoolhouse. The horror of the 'rod' was the main subject taught inside this door. On one occasion, because of tardiness, Isaiah was called to the front of the room, where with out-stretched hands a two inch hardwood ruler was forcible placed upon them. The muscles drew the hands closed and they remained so for several hours.

"While herding cows and sheep in the meadows, Isaiah was often approached by Indians. If he gave them his lunch they would peacefully return to their wigwams. On one of their visits they persuaded him to take them to his home to get flour. Heeding to the teachings of Brigham Young "be kind to the Indians", his mother shared her flour with them. The squaw took the bucket of flour to the creek where she made a paste. It being too sticky to knead, she went back for more flour. Isaiah's mother had given her half of the flour in the first place, but the squaw became so ugly and determined that she was given the rest of it. After rolling the dough in her hands and 'slapping' it on the ground several times, it was hard to tell whether it was mud or dough. The dough was then patted into small moulds and set in the sun to dry for the hungry papooses to eat.

"Isaiah was of a large family and as the older ones were all boys, he was compelled to stay in the house and help his mother. While thus working he learned to sew and cook with great skill. The skill later was a great help to him. He was still a young boy when he pieced together enough blocks to make a 'log cabin' quilt. His mother quilted this for him when he was married.

"He told of another experience. One night after dark his father sent him to a spring which was a short distance from the house. As he neared the spring he saw a great white object between him and the spring. But fearing his brother's contempt for a coward more than anything else, he went on, each step causing him untold agony. When he finally reached the spring, much to his relief and surprise, he found only the churn with a white cloth over it which his mother had set in the stream to cool for the next day's churning.

"Another time when Isaiah was breaking a colt for his father, the colt fell. As Isaiah landed on the ground he broke his little finger. There was no doctor available for miles around, so he set his finger the best way he could. However, it always remained double and stiff.

"When he was still a young boy his family moved into Idaho to a place called Gentile Valley. They had to travel from Gentile Valley to Franklin to get provisions, a distance of thirty miles. While on one of those trips he met Nancy Jane Rose Foster, who later became his wife. He married Nancy Jane in May 1873 at the old Endowment House of Salt Lake City. They traveled from Gentile Valley to Salt Lake in a heavy covered wagon, with eggs and butter to buy what furniture they had to have. They took his mother with them to Salt Lake and she helped them choose their furnishings. These furnishings consisted of a bed, kitchen chairs, and one or two other items. They were very plain, but of good material. Perhaps it was this experience that made him resolve to become a first rate carpenter, which he did.

"After Isaiah and Nancy Jane were married they lived at Gentile Valley for some time, and here two children were born, Nancy Jane and Carson. They then moved to Coverville, Utah where Nancy Jane's folks lived. Here two more children were added to their family, Sophronia Ann and Emma. From here Isaiah and Nancy Jane, with their family moved with a number of other families to Mapleton, Oneida County, Idaho, where they helped to pioneer the country. They settled on what is now known as Foster Bench. Nancy Jane's stepfather, Abraham Foster, was the first to get an irrigation system started from the creek, so the place was named Foster Creek.

Standing in back:  Sophronia Ann, Isaiah Carson, Emma Susan, Thomas Richard

In front:  Phoebe Eliza, Nancy Jane, Zeffie Fern, Isaiah, Ada Alzada Jean

"There were good times as well as bad, and one year they felt very proud because they raised and sold enough turkeys to get a whole winter outfit for each of the children. One night in the fall when the corn was ripening for seed, Isaiah heard something in the corn patch. Thinking it was cows, he went out. Looking down the rows he could see what he thought was his black cow, but when he got within three feet of it, the object stood on its hind legs. He whistled for his dogs, and after much persuasion, they finally raced the bear back into the mountains.

"Isaiah and Nancy Jane were blessed with five more children, Thomas, Phoebe, Ada, Mary, and Zelpha. Mary died in infancy. When Zelpha was seven months old, Nancy Jane, the mother, took suddenly ill with pneumonia oferricipolis and after nine days illness, she passed away 12 March 1891. Because of six feet of snow they were unable to get to Franklin to the cemetery, so they took her to a knoll on the farm and there buried her. (Her body was later moved to the Preston Cemetery to lie next to her husband's.) After Nancy Jane's Isaiah, with the help of his oldest daughters Nancy Jane and Sophronia Ann, carried on, he acting as both father and mother. He used his early skill with the needle and cooking utensils. He taught his girls to be skillful too, as well as cooking and sewing for his family, even making quilts and curtains that were needed. My mother, Sophronia Ann, said that often when he went to Franklin for supplies he had such a good memory she would tell him a dozen or more things that were needed in the house, and he could always bring every item back without as much as writing one thing down. He became an expert carpenter, doing such beautiful work that there were few families who didn't have something in the household made by him.

"He made 'bobsleighs' for the men and hand sleighs for the children. I remember the hand sleigh he made for us children. It would go better and faster than the wind. His speciality was hand-made caskets, especially for children. These were made with every bit of skill he possessed so it would give comfort to the parents of the small one. He would get his own hardwood from the canyon, carve it into the desired shape, line it with cotton and then, with fingers as nimble as any woman's he would cover the cotton with silk.

"Franklin was the meeting place for these saints, but after so many unsuccessful tries in the winter to get there, for it was a long way, they made a temporary Sunday School at Mapleton, then known as St. Joseph. Isaiah was chosen as Sec'y and Chorister. Early each Sabbath morning one could see him and his eight motherless children going to church. Their meeting place was a one-room log cabin. No one could have had better meetings or finer socials than they had. At one of these socials (a masked party) Isaiah, who had a knack for making a good party even better, made a costume for himself from cretonne or curtain calico as it was then called. He disguised himself so well that no one knew him and if you had known my grandfather, you would have known how much fun he had. When they unmasked, everyone's eyes were upon him and what a shocking surprise to see such a charming lady fast fade into 'just grandfather.'

"Community Christmas was celebrated in those days on Christmas Eve. The parents would bring their children and gifts to the church and always Isaiah would be Santa Claus (I can only remember him when he had a white beard) and so a false face was unnecessary to make him look like St. Nick. Many times when parents were too poor to give their children a Christmas, in some mysterious way there would appear a hand-carved sleigh, a wooden doll, or a small cupboard or table, so that every child in the group would receive a gift. He was truly a Santa Claus.

"Isaiah loved flowers and gardens and always raised a variety of both vegetables and flowers. He built a bower and had hop vines covering it for his little girls play house. Even during a shower the children could play in it and not get wet.

"After living in Mapleton for ten years following the of his beloved wife, he moved back to Gentile Valley with his four unmarried children. While there he was engaged in farming and carpentry work. Six years later he moved to Preston in order to send his youngest daughter, Zelpha, who was sixteen, to high school. He built his own house and while Zelpha attended school he continued his carpentry trade. Some years later, when his children were all married, he became so lonesome he sold his home and went to live at intervals with each of his children. Nothing was ever nicer than the times when he was at our home. He had a marvelous voice and would sing to us children for hours. Some of his favorite songs were: "The Vulture", "Two Little Girls", and "After the Ball". We were well supplied with cradles and cupboards. I shall never forget the little crocheted red cap he gave me with the big bow of ribbon on top.

"During the first part of his life Isaiah was sickly, but as he grew older he became stronger. When he was seventy years old he had a cancer in the corner of his left eye. The doctor said unless it was removed he would lose his eyesight. Because of a weak heart he was unable to take an anesthetic, so he was strapped to the operating table and the cancer was removed without anything to help kill the pain. The last six years of his life he enjoyed good health and weighed one hundred and seventy-five pounds.

"On 25 November 1929 while staying with his daughter Zelpha, he fell on some ice and broke his hip. Because of his age it was impossible for him to recover. He was moved to his daughter, Emma's, who live closer to town, and after much suffering, he passed away on 24 December 1929. Surviving him were eight children, one sister, on brother, forty-three grandchildren, and forty-three great-grandchildren. He lived through the administration of every church president, except Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and the later part of President Heber J. Grant.

"Needless to say, he lived a good, honest life and one his posterity may be proud of."

--Written by a granddaughter, Sophronia Stephenson Agutter, from materials gleaned from memories of him and material received from his daughter, Zelpha Bennett Peterson.

Gravestone in Preston, Idaho

* * *

Timeline

1853 September 23

Born in England to Thomas B. Bennett and Ann Lacey Bennett  [1]

1861 April 23 to May 21

Age 7

Emigrates to the United States on the ship “Underwriter,” which sailed from Liverpool, England to New York. Is accompanied by mother Ann (age 42), brother Ephraim (19), brother George (16), brother (?) Edmund (13), brother Hyrum (11), and brother Enoch (4).    (Isaiah’s father, Thomas, and elder brother William had emigrated earlier to the United States.) [2]

1861
Age 7
Travels with an unknown company to the Salt Lake Valley.  Is accompanied by father Thomas (age 45), mother Ann Lacey (41), brother William Barnabe (20), brother Ephraim (18), brother George (15), sister Emma (13), brother Hyrum Joseph (10), and brother Enoch Lacy (4).  [3]

1870 September

Age 17

Living in Willow Creek Ward, Salt Lake, Utah with father Thomas Bennett, Hannah Bennett, brother Enoch Bennett (age 14), and sister Ann M. Bennett (age 8).  [4]

1874 May 25

Age 20

Marries Nancy Jane (Rose) Foster in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

1875 Mar 3

Age 21

Daughter Nancy Jane Bennett is born at Chesterfield, Caribou, Idaho.

1876 August 30

Age 22

Son Isaiah Carson Bennett is born at Gentile Valley, Franklin, Idaho.

1878 July 22

Age 24

Daughter Sophronia Ann Bennett is born at Richmond, Cache, Utah.

1881 March 17

Age 27

Death of father, Thomas Bennett in Mound Valley, Franklin, Idaho

1883 October 19

Age 30

Son Thomas Richard Bennett is born at Richmond, Cache, Utah.

1885 December 4

Age 32

Daughter Phoebe Eliza Bennett is born at Richmond, Cache, Utah.

1887 May 21

Age 33

Daughter Ada Alzada Bennett is born at Richmond, Cache, Utah.

1889 January 27

Age 35

Daughter Mary Rosetta Bennett is born at Richmond, Cache, Utah.

1889 February 10

Age 35

Death of daughter Mary Rosetta Bennett.

1890 July 18

Age 36

Daughter Zeffie Fern Bennett is born at Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho.

1891 March 12

Age 37

Death of wife, Nancy Jane at Mapleton, Franklin, Idaho.

1900 June 27 & 28

Age 46

Living in St. Joseph Precinct, Oneida, Idaho with children Carson I. (age 23), Emma (age 18), Thomas R. (age 16), Phoebe E. (age 14), Ada A. (age 13), and Zeffie F. (age 9).  Working as a farmer.  [5]

1900 October 11

Age 47

Marries the widow Zoay Martha Holman Long in Logan, Cache, Utah, United States.  Both families so objected that they never did live together. [6]

1907 January 26

Age 53

Death of mother, Anne Lacey, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Utah.  [7]

1910

Age 57

Living in Marsh Valley, Bannock, Idaho with daughter Zeffie (age 19) and son-in-law Joel Peterson (age 28).  [8]

1929 December 24

Age 76

Dies in Preston, Franklin, Idaho.  [9]

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[1]  "Idaho, Death Certificates, 1911-1937," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLYY-B25 : accessed 10 Feb 2014), Issac Lacy Bennett, 24 Dec 1929.

[2]  British Mission Emigration Register, Book #1047, pp. 17-44 (Family History Library #025,691); US Customs Lists (Family History Library #175,567). Viewed online 7 My 2015 at http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/Search/showDetails/db:MM_MII/t:passenger/id:5265/keywords:Ann+Bennett .

[3]  Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel database, viewed online 7 May 2015.  https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/pioneerDetail?lang=eng&pioneerId=41188

[4]  "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MNCT-JX2 : accessed 10 Feb 2014), Isaiah Bennett in household of Thomas Bennett, Utah, United States; citing p. , family 69, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 000553110.

[5]  "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MM5T-J12 : accessed 10 Feb 2014), Isaiah Bennett, Mink Creek, St. Joseph Precincts, Oneida, Idaho, United States; citing sheet , family 140, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1240234.

[6]  "Utah, County Marriages, 1887-1937," index,  FamilySearch  (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X2BP-4X8 : accessed 20 January 2015), Isaiah L Bennett and Miss Zoay Long, 11 Oct 1900; citing Cache, Utah, United States, book , county courthouses, Utah; FHL microfilm 430,305.  Also, email correspondence with David Long, Zoay’s great-grandson January 2015.  He got the information about the families from Blanche Hollingsworth, whose father was the first sheriff of Franklin County.

[7]  "Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1956," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZLR-FHJ : accessed 12 Feb 2014), Ann Bennett, 26 Jan 1907.

[8]  "United States Census, 1910," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MLHF-2W4 : accessed 11 Feb 2014), Isaah R Bennet in household of Joel Peterson, Marsh Valley, Bannock, Idaho, United States; citing sheet , family 79, NARA microfilm publication T624, FHL microfilm 1374234.

[9]  "Idaho, Death Certificates, 1911-1937," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FLYY-B25 : accessed 11 Feb 2014), Issac Lacy Bennett, 24 Dec 1929.

Marriage certificate for Isaiah L. Bennett and "Miss" Zoay Long, 11 October 1900 in Logan, Cache, Utah.