Item Detail
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Payne, Emma Powell
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1838-1927
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MSS SC 175
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Biography
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Emma Powell Payne was born March 1, 1838 in Aldridge, England the eldest of five children born to George and Maria Mousley Powell. As a child, Emma worked as a servant for a wealthy family. In 1850, Emma and her parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she became involved in preaching the gospel at street meetings. Emma married Edward Payne September 16, 1854. They continued to do missionary work in Aldridge until her husband broke his contract with his unjust employer and traveled to America to work, with the hopes of sending for Emma and their children within a year. On December 25, 1863 Emma was reunited with her husband. Months later, they were separated again when Emma and the children joined a company of church members traveling to Utah and her husband stayed behind to earn more money. On September 20, 1864 Emma and her children arrived in Utah. When her husband arrived in 1865, he built a small log home and purchased a cow, oxen, and farmland. When their small farm was destroyed by grasshoppers in 1868, Emma's family was forced to move to Coalville, Utah where her husband worked as a coal miner. In 1874 Emma and her husband moved to Glenwood, Utah to farm. Emma gave birth to thirteen children, five of whom died in infancy. She also served as a Relief Society President for over twenty-five years. In her older years, Emma did genealogy and her husband taught her how to read. Emma died in Glenwood September 4, 1927.
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This collection contains biographical information relating to the Payne family. Emma's five-page, typewritten biography was written by her son, H. M. Payne. It chronicles important events in Emma's life and gives a few additional stories. When Emma's husband broke his contract and moved to America, he left Emma and the children with her parents. However, her husband's disgruntled employer also owned the home rented by Emma's parents. He was very unhappy when he discovered Emma and her children living there and he threatened to kick her parents out of the home. Rather than allow this to happen to her parents, Emma went to live with the family for whom she worked and she sent her children to live with neighbors and friends. Emma's parents, also coverts to the church, traveled to Utah with Emma and her children. The trek was very difficult for Emma, whose one- year- old son died on the journey. Although Emma gave birth to her sixth child one month after she arrived in Utah, food was so scarce that Emma began working weeks after she gave birth. In Emma's older years, she continued to make sacrifices for her belief in the church. When she and her husband moved to Glenwood to farm, they joined the United Order. This church program required members to give their land, possessions, and time to be evenly distributed to all members of the church. Although this program was discontinued, Emma still gave of her time and talents to the church.