Item Detail
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Stewart, Polly Richardson
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1818-1893
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MSS 1799
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Biography
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Polly Richardson Stewart was born April 27, 1818 to Shadrach and Elizabeth Garret Richardson in Cumberland County, Kentucky. When she was fifteen, the family moved to Illinois, where she met Benjamin Franklin Stewart. They were married in 1837 in Beardstown, Iowa, where they had six children, though three died at a young age. They encountered the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were baptized in 1842. They later joined the saints at Winters Quarters in Nebraska. Polly's husband, Benjamin, was selected to go with Brigham Young to find refuge for the saints in the west. While he was gone, Polly drove a team of oxen and cared for the children. She met Benjamin at the Platte River, and from there, they trekked to Utah. They lived in Mill Creek for some time before moving south in 1851 to Utah County, where they assisted in the founding of Payson. Polly was eventually the mother of eleven children, six of whom grew to adulthood. Polly died in April of 1893.
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This two-page typescript biography is included in Cleo Grigg Johnson Gilchrist's first book of remembrance. It briefly describes Polly's life, describing her has an uncomplaining woman who took care of her home and family. She spun, dyed, and wove cloth to make clothing and is described as having been brave in times of danger. Included in the manuscript is a list of her six surviving children, their birthdates, and spouses.
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1917-