Item Detail
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McClellan, Almeda Day
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1831-1933
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MSS SC 561
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Biography
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On November 28, 1831, Almeda Day was born in Bastard, Leeds County, Canada to Rhoda Ann Nichols and Hugh Day. She was the oldest of five children. Her parents were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 30, 1836. At six years old, Almeda and her family moved to Jefferson County, New York where they lived for six years. In 1843 they moved to Wisconsin, by way of Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal on a houseboat, settling near Almeda's grandparents, Susanna Chipman and Sheldon Nichols, in Sun Prairie on Waterloo Creek. Almeda's grandmother was a member of the LDS Church, but her grandfather was a 'Mormon Hater.' The Day family did not stay in Wisconsin long. Upon hearing of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum on June 27, 1844, Almeda's mother's desire to move to Nauvoo increased. In the fall the family proceeded by boat on the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, arriving on October 8, 1844. Her mother suffered from a weak heart and died in Nauvoo on November 9, 1844 at the age of 31. The family then moved to Iowa for a short time, then later to Florence, Nebraska, where Almeda struggled with scurvy and other illnesses. She was baptized here in June 1847. It was also here that she met and married William Carroll McClellan, a member of the Mormon Battalion, on July 19, 1849. Their first child, Mary, was born on May 11, 1850. Between 1850 and 1875 Almeda gave birth to 12 children. On June 12, 1850 they left on the trek out west. After four months, they reached the Salt Lake valley, right around the time of October Conference. In March 1851, they moved down to Payson. William married Elsie Jane Richardson in polygamy on April 14, 1873. During April Conference in 1877 they were called to go to Sunset, Arizona to join the United Order there. The Order dissolved a short time later; the family moved west to Brigham City, Arizona, then onto the Apache Indian Reservation at Forest Dale. From there they moved to Pleasanton, New Mexico where William was made Bishop. Due to the anti-polygamy bill passed in Congress in 1887, the family moved to Colonia Juarez, Old Mexico to avoid repercussions. They lived there comfortably until 1912 when the Mexico Civil War was under way. They returned to Payson until 1916, then back to Colonia Juarez, where William died on April 28, 1916. Almeda went back and forth between Mexico and Utah for the next 13 years. In June 1932 she was honored as the oldest mother in Utah at a convention of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in Seattle Washington. She died on June 22, 1933 in Utah.
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This collection contains a short account of Almeda's life as recalled and recorded by her granddaughter Zitelle McClellan Snarr. The ten page manuscript tells of the many unique circumstances of Almeda's life told through the memory of Zitelle. She tells of spending time with her grandmother throughout her life and writes of quite a few interesting instances in Almeda's life. One such story demonstrates Almeda's curiosity that she maintained all through her life. When she was a child she used to go and stand looking on at the millinery shop near their home in New York State. Finally one day one of the women at the shop told her that if her mother was okay with it, she could help at the shop. She was thrilled at the time, though later on in her life she suspected it was only suggested to get rid of her. The manuscript also tells of the hardships dealt with in moving and relocating several times, including the trek west. William's father and Almeda's father worked together building wagons, 'helping many of the saints to fit themselves out for the journey.' Also included is a bit on the marriage of William to Elsie Jane Richardson in polygamy. It says of this, 'Almeda went to the endowment house with them and placed her hand in his. She said, I never regretted the fact that they were married, and I told Elsie so.'' When they were living in the United Order at Sunset, Arizona, they took over the running of the sawmill. When they moved to Colonia Juarez, Old Mexico, Almeda's sons built her a nice little comfortable home. Although the home did not have indoor plumbing, electricity or telephone, Almeda loved it very much.
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1955-1955