The Forgotten Children of Samuel Jefferson Adair (1806-1889), Mormon Pioneer and Leader
Researched and prepared by Kerry A. Petersen, July 31, 2005, HC04 Box 7403-D, Palmer, Alaska, 99645, 907-745-4435, email: kjp@mtaonline.net
Presented and read August 2005 at the Second Biannual George Washington Adair Family Reunion in Nutrioso, Arizona, by Norma Entrekin
 

Samuel Jefferson Adair, his wife Jemima Catherine Mangum, and their children heard of the Mormons in Mississippi and joined the church there with many of their extended family. Samuel was baptized Nov. 27, 1845. Shortly after this they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois to be with the Mormons. They arrived as the mobs drove the Mormons from their homes and forced them to cross the Mississippi River during the winter of 1846 under extreme duress. They then established temporary residence at Mt. Pisgah, part way across Iowa, to help plant and raise crops for those following from behind. The conditions were difficult. Caroline Barnes Crosby, another Mormon pioneer, noted in her journal as she was passing through the area on May 28, 1848: “Came on through Pisgah road very muddy nothing seemed very pleasant… a few miserable looking log cabins in Pisgah, and some of the raggedest children I ever saw…” While living in Mt. Pisgah, due to improper food, unhealthy drinking water, and general unhealthy living conditions, there were many deaths in the camps. The family lost two of their sons in the fall of 1846. During the spring of 1848, Samuel's son Ezra Taft Benson Adair was born and died one day later. The baby's mother, and Samuel's wife, Jemima died two days later on April 28, 1848 of childbirth complications at age thirty-nine after having her tenth child. At the time of her death, the living children ranged in ages from two to fifteen. (“No Place to Call Home, the 1807-1857 Live Writings of Caroline Barnes Crosby, Chronicler of Outlying Mormon Communities,” edited by Edward Lyman, Susan Payne, and S. George Ellsworth, 2005, pg. 71.)

By no later than March 1849, Samuel met and married Nancy White, a single mother with three children from a previous marriage with a Mr. Maynard. She was born Nov. 11, 1811 in Halifax County of Virginia. By this time, the Adair family had most likely moved on to Kanesville (Council Bluffs) on the Missouri River in Pottawattamie County in Western Iowa where we find them in the 1850 Census on Sept. 13, 1850. Samuel and Nancy had a son born to them named Joshua Tumer Adair born Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1849 in Kanesville. This would be Samuel’s eleventh and last natural born child. (1850 US Census: District 21, Pottawattamie, Iowa, p. 78b, 13 Sep 1850, entry 217.)

The state of Iowa conducted its own census the following year sometime from September to December of 1851. In this census, Samuel appears recently separated from this second wife, who shows up separately several census pages later as Nancy Maynard with the children of her first marriage. Their mutual son, Joshua Adair, is listed twice -- once with Nancy Maynard and once with Samuel Adair; evidentally the final custodial arrangements for Joshua were not yet settled by the time of the census.  Nancy's next husband, Andrew Allen, is not in the census confirming that Andrew was not an apparent factor in the breakup of Samuel and Nancy's marriage. Her future fourth husband, Evins O'Banion, is listed in the county's census several pages away. We would have to assume that the separation was caused by some incompatibility in the marriage. It seems unlikely that religion was a factor in the break-up since Nancy’s last husband, Evins O’Banion, was active LDS during their subsequent marriage. It also seems unlikely that Samuel’s desire to cross the Plains from Iowa to Utah was the cause of their separation since it was not until the following June 1852 that the Adair family starts west. Joshua was two and half years old when his father left for Utah; he remained with his mother. No records to date show that he ever came to Utah. Unlike his other marriages according to LDS temple records, Samuel never had himself sealed to Nancy White even though he had ample opportunity in Utah to do so during his lifetime. (1851 Iowa State census: Pottawattamie County. FHL film 1022203; "The History of Samuel Newton Adair,” dictated to his granddaughter, Mary Gennette Adair Chapman,” confirms the pioneer emigration date of 1852.)

At age twenty-seven, their appears to have been some longing by Joshua for his far-flung Adair family in Utah as confirmed by the following advertisement he ran in Salt Lake City's "Deseret News” on Jan. 5, 1876: "Information Wanted. -- J. T. Adair, Magnolia County, lowa, is desirous of learning of the whereabouts of the following parties supposed to be in Utah, and who left Council Bluffs in 1850 or 1851 -- Samuel Adair (father of the inquirer), John Adair, Newton Adair, George Adair (the latter a half brother) and Catherine Adair. When last heard from the parties named were at Washington, Washington County, Utah. Mr. Adair also wishes to hear from B. F. Maynard who when last heard from was in Dry Canyon, Tooele Co. Any of the persons named desiring to communicate with Mr. J. T. Adair, should address as above." (Deseret News," vol. 24, no. 49, 5 Jan 1876.)

Years later when the Reorganized LDS Church was organized in the Iowa area, Nancy and Joshua would join like most of the Mormons who remained behind from those who went to Utah. The Utah Church did not have much, if any, presence in Iowa since their focus had been in gathering their members to Utah. RLDS records show P. Caldwell baptized Joshua Adair a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on October 29, 1876 at Magnolia, Harrison, Iowa. For some reason, he was expelled on July 1, 1909, but later rebaptized on July 30, 1916, in Nebraska by Hubert Case. On Joshua’s death certificate, it mentions a religious affiliation of LDS, which in reality was probably RLDS. (Susan Easton Black's book “Members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of LDS”; RLDS records, FHL film # 1976561 for Nebraska, Walthill RLDS church 1862-1917; RLDS Deceased Files, Archives of the Community of Christ Church, Independence, Missouri.)

Using the various state and federal censuses from 1860 to 1930, we can follow Joshua’s life. In 1860 we find Joshua living in Harrison County, Iowa with his stepfather Andrew Allen, age 78, and his mother Nancy. We know that Joshua was married to Eliza Rickman in Preparation settlement on Oct.10, 1869, which is now a state park.  In 1870 we find Joshua, his wife, and a baby daughter all living with his father-in-law, Thomas Rickman, at Belvidere, Monona County, Iowa. In 1880 he is in the same county but now at Jordon with his wife and more children. In 1885 we now find Joshua, his wife, and six children living across the Missouri River and working as a teamster in Decatur Village in Burt County, Nebraska. In 1900 the family is listed in the same place with Joshua as a day laborer a note that thirteen children had been born to the couple with only eleven living at that time. Later censuses show Joshua lived the rest of his life in Nebraska in nearby Thurston County. (Censuses as follows: 1860 US -- Magnolia P.O., Raglan Township, Harrison, Iowa, p. 782, dwelling 196, household 180, 22 June 22,1860; 1870 US -- Belvidere, Monona, Iowa. p. 249b, dwelling and family #23; 1880 US -- Jordon, Monona, Iowa, Source: FHL film 1254357 National Archives Film T9-0357 Page 92C, June 8, 1880; 1885 Nebraska State -- Burt County Enumeration District 94, Decatur Village, June 25, 1885; 1900 US -- Decatur, Burt, Nebraska, p. 37A, June 1, 1900.)

The following is a biography of Joshua by his grandson: “While Joshua was still young, he lived with and worked for the magistrate of Kaneville. While there, he read for the law. He was admitted to the bar to practice law at Soldier, IA. As he worked and studied he traveled in the summer with a man named Kaywoodie and his freight wagon from Kaneville to Preparation Settlement in Western Iowa. There he met Arilla Eliza Rickman. They married in 1869. The Rickman family had joined the original church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints somewhere between New Amsterdam and Kirtland, OH. Arilla's mother, Rebecca, is said to have broken her dishes for the Kirtland Temple building. She and her husband, John Rickman, were acquainted with Joseph Jr. and Emma Smith. They stated that Joseph and Emma were the most handsome couple they had ever seen. Grandmother was a very small girl when they reached Preparation Settlement where she lived and met and married Joshua T. Adair. To this union was born eight sons and five daughters… [In Iowa] Grandfather farmed and practiced law. He traveled from settlement to settlement as the circuit lawyer and judge. In 1883, he traveled with the cavalry as legal representative and on the way back home, he stayed overnight in Decatur, NE. He liked it. A year later, he moved his family there… Grandpa practiced law and did carpentry while living in Decatur. Later he moved to Macy and was magistrate until about 1936…” (Family records of Amy VunCannon, Feb 2002, CeltyWitch@wmconnect.com)

We have several records that show Joshua as a Justice of the Peace and an elected official of local government. Jeannie Aldredge, a descendant, also provides us with the following family memories: “He suffered for several years before his death, but bore his sufferings patiently. At the time of his death, he had twenty-seven grandchildren and thirty-two great-grandchildren. Joshua studied law under a friend, William Hubbard, an Attorney in Onawa, Monona County, Iowa. After a long career of active law practice in Iowa and Nebraska, he served as a Judge, as well as, holding various offices of trust in Iowa and Nebraska.  He was a kind and loving husband and father and was remembered for the kind and loving aid which he gave to [his wife] Eliza, when he was scarcely able to care for himself, during her seven years of illness. Hunting, fishing and trapping was the Adair's source of income and when Joshua was older and his eye was not as accurate as it was in the days when he sniped wild turkeys from tall trees with a muzzle loading rifle, the sons carried on the family tradition. Joshua and Eliza were well acquainted with the hardships and problems of pioneer days. They lived on the banks of the Missouri River, about three-quarter of a mile from the corner of Mission Rock, a rock that the government put in where the river came around. Joshua was a master of these treacherous waters and rowed the river well into his 80's. Joshua sold fish for a living and grandson Arthur Price, recalls that he and his family would go to visit them and they would come across the river and pick them up in fishing boats. They had two boats and they would load four to five people in each boat. They would then row up the Iowa side of the river a long distance so that when they got to Mission Rock, they could drift back down the river. Then they would row back up the Nebraska side and drift over to their car to go home. Grandson Arthur Price remembers that while visiting his grandparents on one occasion, the winds were very strong.  Normally, the winds would settle down after sunset, so they decided to wait until after dinner to row back across the river.  Arthur and his family were living East of Onawa, Monona County, Iowa at the time and they still had milking and other chores to do at home.  After dinner, they started out across the river; however, the winds were still too strong and they were forced to turn back and ‘spend the night with the Indians.’ Sometimes, while living on the banks of the river, bodies of people who had drowned would be pulled from the river. If they were unidentifiable, or did not have any next of kin, Joshua would give them a proper burial in his cemetery plot. Therefore, at the cemetery in Decatur, Burt County, Nebraska, where Joshua and Eliza are buried, there are several unmarked graves nearby. In 1884, Joshua and Eliza moved from Iowa to a log cabin in Nebraska, where they resided until their deaths. In the early 1870's, they became members of the [Reorganized] Latter Day Saints Church of Jesus Christ and their faith was such that it entitled them to many moments of happiness and blessings. They were always happy to express themselves in the gospel of which they believed and loved. This pioneer couple believed they claimed a distinction, since they owned and resided in a log cabin similar to those built by pioneers. Joshua and Eliza saw the establishment of the first newspaper, "The Journal", and Joshua was a faithful reader." (From Jeanie Aldredge: 1890 UPRR Business Gazetteer, Burt County, Business Listing: “J.T. Adair, Justice, Decatur, Burt County, Nebraska”; 1890 Business Directory and Farmer's List of the Nebraska Gazetteer:  “J.T. Adair, Farmer”; 1873 elections per 1982 “Monona County [Iowa] History Book” for Jordan Township; Email 13 Sep 2003 from Jeannie Aldredge at jmaldredge@cox.net)

Joshua passed away August 2, 1938, in his 88th year in Decatur, Burt County, Nebraska where he is also buried at Hillcrest Cemetery. His wife preceded him in death by two years while they were living at Wathill, Thurston County, Nebraska. She is buried with her husband. An Elder of the RLDS Church conducted his funeral in Decatur. (State of Nebraska, Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, No. J7022. Uncited obituary of Joshua Adair per transcribed copy provided by Jeannie Aldredge.)

Even though in 1852 we find Samuel Jefferson Adair as a single father, age forty-six, with a large family crossing the Plains to Utah, his family continued to grow with the addition of the young boy David Sechrist and then three Chesnut children. Samuel apparently had a large capacity for love of homeless and forsaken children.

So far, we know very little about David L. Sechrist. Samuel himself gave conflicting information for the LDS Temple records: he was born about 1840 in Mississippi in one record and 1840 Tennessee in another. The first record also gives a death date without a location of March 22, 1867. We do not know who his biological parents were or how it came about that David accompanied the Adair family across the Plains from Iowa. We have never found him yet in a census. He appears to have been baptized as a Mormon in 1858. At the St. George Utah temple on June 28, 1877, Samuel and his fourth wife, Anne, had David vicariously sealed to themselves as an adoptive son. In this record his name shows as David L. Sigrest.  In early 1880 Samuel Adair had David’s endowment temple ordinance work done in his behalf under the name David L. Sechrist Adair. The added Adair name appended to David’s name gives evidence that Samuel considered him as a son. At the same time, Samuel, in the uncommon and unusual role of a “celestial marriage matchmaker,” had a woman named Sofie Lund, presumably also deceased, sealed in marriage to David. Samuel did the same matchmaking with presumably other deceased women in behalf of his other deceased sons William Jefferson Adair and Rufus Columbus Burleson Adair. At the same time, Samuel also had five other women, again all presumably deceased, sealed to him as eternal wives. These included four women of Denmark, who were probably friends of his fourth and last “earthly” wife Anne Cathrine Laustdatter: Dorthea Nielsen, Ane Marie Jakobsen, Kjerstene Knudsen, and Marie Christiane Sorensen. The fifth woman was Elizabeth Mangum Peeks who was deceased and a sister of his first wife Jemima Catherine Mangum. None of these temple marriage sealings for David, Samuel’s other sons, or for himself appear to have had mortal marriages that proceded them. To complete Samuel’s marriage story, it sould be noted that Samuel in his lifetime did marry two other “living” women that we know of: Rachel Hunter (1810-1882) on May 9, 1853, at Payson, Utah, Utah; and Anne Cathrine Laustdatter (1815-1884) on October 22, 1864 in Salt Lake City. Anne died January 7, 1884 and is buried in St. Johns, Arizona. Upon Samuel’s death on July 6, 1889, the ward records of Nutrioso, Arizona, indicate he was also buried in St. Johns even though he died at his son’s home in Nutrioso. He evidently wanted to be buried next to his last mortal wife Anne. (Temple adoption: FHL film 170583, St. George Temple Adoption Records, book B, pp. 8 and 9, 28 Jun 1877. LDS Online Ordinance Index: Dorthea Nielson, 15 Feb 1877 SGEOR, per FHL film 170595, ref. 122; Ane Marie Jakobsen, 8 Mar 1878 SGEOR, per FHL film 170596, ref. 1590; Kjerstene Knudsen, 14 Mar 1878 SGEOR, per FHL film 170596, ref. 1852; Marie Christiane Sorensen, 10 Mar 1880 SGEOR, per FHL film 170597, ref.4713; and Betsy Mangum, 10 Mar 1880 SGEOR, per FHL film 170597, ref. 4714. See same source for David Sechrist, William Adair, and Rufus Adair.)

Edna Irvine in the July 22, 1931 edition of the Deseret News newspaper of Salt Lake City, entered a writing competion of pioneer storis presumably for the upcoming Pioneer Day Celebration with the following entry: "Picture three terrified children, the oldest only eight years of age, brutally bereft of parents and left on a lonely mountain in a perfectly strange locality! Just a few hours before they had been, perhaps wearily, but nevertheless happily, jogging along in a big covered wagon under the care of loving parents.  No doubt, somewhere, friends and relatives often wondered why no word ever came from the little family that started for the California gold fields in 1849. All that can be told of the story is what has been gleaned from the older children. They were able to tell that their parents were William Albert and Johannah Chesnut. At any rate, before they entered Salt Lake Valley, the parents were murdered by teamsters and a like fate was about to be inflicted upon the children, but the oldest pleaded so hard that their lives were spared. They were tied to a cow and headed toward the settlement of the "Mormon" pioneers with threats of death if they told anyone of what had occurred. All day the forlorn tots trudged behind cows down the rugged mountain. By nightfall they had reached the settlement and were found and cared for by the hospitable pioneers. When their story finally became known, too much time had elapsed for any attempt to be made to trace the murderers and with the meager information obtainable it was impossible to trace relatives of the little orphans.  The children were given permanent homes, in good pioneer families and grew to be respected citizens in the community." (Out of the Unknown by Edna Irvine; 1931; Deseret News 22 July 1931 B.Y.U. Film # D45d # 184; page 7/14)

The story is correct in its essence; however, we now know the event occurred in 1852 and not 1849. We do not know if the family was travelling to either California or the Oregon Territory. By using burial records, LDS temple ordinance information, and censuses, we can reasonably assume the Chesnut (or Chestnut) family was from Missouri. The fact that they were travelling alone from Missouri probably means they were not LDS since most Mormon pioneers travelled from Iowa in larger organized groups. We also know from the same records that Ann Catherine was age 8, born April 11, 1844, Sarah Mary was age 6, born Sept. 1, 1846, and William Alfred was about four being born about 1847. According to Adair and Malan family traditions, we know two men murdered their parents that their father had hired as teamsters to take them west. The three children were spared but the cruel men tied them to a cow and sent it on its way towards possibly the Mormon settlement Coalville.  At this time they were outside Echo Canyon.  The confused cow and the frightened children were left to wander, until they were rescued by Samuel Jefferson Adair, widower with eight children, on his way to Zion.  Being shocked and amazed when he found them, he released them from the cow, took them in his arms and did his best to comfort the distressed children.  He brought them on to the Salt Lake Valley, arriving around September 24, 1852. When they arrived, the Chestnut children recognized the fine wagon that belonged to their parents.  They started to shout, but were quickly silenced when two rough men told Samuel to shut them up or they would be shut up for good.  The men were soon gone and the children were raised in Utah. At least Samuel Adair raised Ann as if she were her own. (Typescript received Dec. 23, 2001 from J. Malan Heslop, 80 Edgecombe Dr., Salt Lake City, UT 84103-2220 from the Malan Book of Remembrance by John Daniel Malan, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, 1993
The first public record we have of Ann Catherine Chestnut is when she appears as Ann Adair in the 1856 U.S. census for the Utah Territory with the Samuel Adair family in Payson, Utah. The Mormon leadership who were in control of the territory wanted Utah to become a state so that they could assert state rights over federal authority to help protect the rights of the LDS citizens in their exercise of religious practices. This was five years before the Civil War, which was largely waged over the same question of states’ rights. The application for statehood required a census to determine that a minimum population base existed. The local authorities were motivated to have a high count, so they encouraged the various families to report as many as they could whether they were dead or alive. Accordingly, Samuel reported some of his children who were deceased and buried in Iowa. He also reported Joshua, the son he left behind in Iowa who had never even come to Utah. (FHL film # 505,913; Ms d 2929 fd. 33, Payson City, p. 8.)
Ann was baptized April 15, 1855 by Joseph Curtis and confirmed the same day by H. Pierce while living in Payson, Utah. She would have just had her eleventh birthday and been in Utah for two and half years.  (Membership card files; BYU film 415,445 for Payson Ward, Utah Stake; Book 15584, Page 1,2, line 5)

In a letter dated Dec. 20, 1856, addressed to Samuel Adair from President Brigham Young, he was called to lead his family and other southern-born Mormon convert families to Southern Utah to attempt cultivation of cotton. Samuel was age fifty when he received this call from the Church leader. This pioneer contingent left Utah County March 3, 1857 and arrived April 13, 1857 at the spot they would eventually call Washington, Utah. Ann as a part of the Adair household would have participated in this trek. (LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Call Number CR 1234/1, Reel 26, Box 18, Folder 4. Brigham Young outgoing correspondence; G. S. L. City Dec. 20, 1856.)

Family records next show Ann marrying Samuel’s son George Washington Adair presumably at Washington, Utah on Nov. 8, 1858. George would have been age twenty-one and Ann age fourteen which was actually pretty common in that day and place.

We next see Ann with her husband in the 1860 U.S. census in for Washington, Washington Co., Utah. Their ages are shown as twenty-three and sixteen with no children yet. Her sister Sarah shows up as a third member of the household at age fourteen. Both girls report their birthplace as Missouri. This is the first public record found thus far for Sarah Mary Chesnut. George in this census reports the value of their real estate at $200 and their personal property at $200. Most of the neighbors related as extended family including a first cousin named Valentine Carson. The census was conducted July 27, 1860 which would make her about two months pregnant with their first child, George Washington Adair, Jr., who would be born Jan. 26, 1861 in neighboring Santa Clara. (Utah, Washington, Roll 1314 Book 1, Page 1043, US Census 1860.)

Jemima Ann Adair, George and Ann's daughter, was born 27 Mar 1863 at "The Muddy". The Muddy was an area south of Washington across the Arizona line in the towns of St. Thomas, St. Joseph (now Logandale), and even as far south as Moapa. Unfortunately, Ann died in childbirth the same day at the young age of nineteen. According to records of the City of Washington, Utah, she was buried in the old part of their cemetery. They do not have records as to where in the cemetery her grave lies nor does she have a stone to memorialize her life and death. George did not feel adequate raising the baby and he gave “Ann” to his cousin Valentine Carson and Valentine’s second wife Hannah Waggle to raise as their own. The Carsons had just lost their own first-born child in childbirth five months previously. It appears that Ann had some contact with her grandfather Samuel since it appears she is listed in with them in the 1870 census in Washington, Utah. (1870 US Census: Washington, Washington, Utah, enum. 6 Jul 1870, Roll 1613 Book 1, p. 415a, household 96, family 92.)

George W. Adair marries his second wife, Emily Prescinda Tyler, on Jan. 28, 1864. LDS temple records showed this couple traveled north to Salt Lake City to be sealed to each other June 18, 1867 in the Endowment House. At the same time, he had his deceased first wife Ann Chestnut also sealed to him. Later after George’s first daughter Jemima Ann marries Charles Henry Hales as his third polygamous wife, she sponsors her mother Ann’s endowment ceremony in the St. George Temple on Oct. 6, 1881. (Marriage: LDS Ordinance Index, FHL film 183396, ref. 9589. Endowment: LDS Ordinance Index does not show the following. Index card to St. George temple records, no. 11393, Book E, p. 672; Chestnut, Ann Catherine, b. 11 Apr 1844 in Missouri, d. 27 Mar 1863, father William Albert Chestnut, mother Johanna, m. to George Washington Adair; fam. rep. Jemima A.A. Hales; Bapt. in Church, End. 6 Oct 1881, sealed H./W. 18 Jun 1867; Note on reverse added "Baptized 30 Mar 1964, Proxy Afton H. King. All prev. Church blessing reconfirmed in the confirmation ordinances. Dan K. Hansen, Recorder.")

As for Ann’s brother, William Alfred Chesnut, we know very little. He does not show up in any censuses or public records except for St. George Temple records in Utah. We are not even entirely sure of his correct name or birthdate. We are not sure who raised him; however, Samuel J. Adair lists himself as a “friend” and has him vicariously baptized for the dead on February 28, 1877, shortly after the St. George Temple opened. This means he was surely deceased by no later than that date and that Samuel must have had some relationship with him to sponsor the ceremony. Samuel shows his name as William C. Chesnut born April 11, 1843, which is a date that does not fit well and may have been given in error to the temple. Descendants of Sarah Mary Chesnut believe that when he was older he went back east to find family and was not heard from again. (Online Ordinance Index, film 170840, page 252, reference 4732.)

As for Sarah Mary Chesnut, we know more. We are not sure if Samuel Adair also raised her or not.  Besides being with her sister Ann in Washington, Utah at age fourteen as shown in the 1860 U.S. census, she also lived with Bishop and Sister Bingham in Riverdale, Utah.  Sarah Mary Chestnut married Jefferson Slade on November 20, 1860; she had just turned 15 years old. By the time her first child was born the couple separated possibly over polygamy. Following a quarrel, he told her to go back to her former home with Bishop and Sister Bingham. She did, and after some time passed, she tried to reconcile with Jefferson, but he would have no part of it, she was no longer his wife. Sarah left without telling Jefferson that she was pregnant with his child. He was not notified of the birth, which occurred on April 11, 1862, some 16 months following their marriage. Sarah was living with the Bingham family. She later married John Moroni Foy in the Salt Lake Endowment House on Dec. 13, 1862. Her son was eight months old at the time. The marriage lasted only two years and there were no children. In Nov. 1865, Sarah Mary married Dr. Aquilla Trulock. Shortly after the birth of their second child, Dr. Trulock passed away May 29, 1869 in Ogden, Utah. On December 20, 1869, in the Logan Temple, Sarah married Stephen (Jean Etienne) Malan, one of the first Mormon converts from Italy. They became the parents of six children.  Three years after the birth of their last child, Sarah Mary passed away at the age of forty-one on July 4, 1886 due to “heart paralysis.” She was buried the next day in Odgen City Cemetery in Ogden, Utah. (Baptism: Index card to Endowment House records, no. 3898, book D, page 187; notes for reference that she was baptized Oct 1857 and endowed 13 Dec 1862. Marriages: 1. Jefferson Slade: Per Ordinance Index 1.02 FHL film 1553767, sheet 49, batch 5017985; 2. John Moroni Foy: 13 Dec 1862, Index card to Endowment House records, no. 3898, book D, page 187 -- also per Ordinance Index 1.02, FHL film 183395, Extracted LDS Temple Marriage Sealing Record; 3. Aquila Trulock: per Ordinance Index 1.02 FHL film 1903756; 4. Stephen Malan: per Ordinance Index 1.02, FHL film 183396, Extracted LDS Temple Marriage Sealing Record. Obituary: Ogden Daily Herald, Tues., 6 Jul 1886.)

As already noted, Samuel was married at least four times that we know of. He and his third wife, Rachel Hunter, had been married in Payson in 1853; however, by the 1860 census they were living apart with Samuel in Washington, Utah, and Rachel under her previously married name “Rachael Davis” in Springville, Utah. There does not appear to have been any children from this marriage nor was there any apparent adoption by Samuel of any of the thirteen children from Rachel’s previous two marriages of which she was widowed twice. At the time of their marriage, Rachel’s children would have been between the ages of two to twenty-five with twelve of the thirteen living -- quite a considerable addition to the Adair household. (US Censuses for 1870 for Washington and Springville, Utah; the book "Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude" by the Daughters of Utah Pioneers for “Rachel Hunter Davis Stewart Adair.”)

Samuel had no children by his fourth wife Anne Cathrine Laustdatter; however, St. George temple records for June 28, 1877, indicate that he temple-adopted at least four of her five known children from a previous marriage. Three of these children were deceased in Denmark where Anne lived before immigrating to Utah. Two of the children, Hans Hansen and Maren Hansen, were however living in Utah and baptized into the Mormon Church. Maren was sealed to this couple but Hans was not. They both participated with Samuel and his wife in sealing the three deceased children and Mette to this couple.  The record reads as follows: #1 Mette Catherine Hansen, dead, born February 6, 1839 at Systrup, Denmark, died 1864; #2 Lauretz Peter Adsersen, dead, born 1843 at Fowlinge, Denmark, died 1850; #3 Dortea Catrine Adsersen, dead, born 1846 at Gjerding, Denmark, died 1853; #4 Maren Adsersen Hansen, born September 28,1848 at Dange [or Dauge?], Denmark. -- sealed to Samuel Jefferson Adair and to their mother Ann Catherine Lauredzen Adair [who was] born June 22, 1815, at Gulheyer (spelling unclear), Ribe, Denmark, with Maren H. acting [as proxy] for #1 and #3, and Hans Hansen acting [as proxy] for Lauretz #2.” On the same day at the temple, Samuel Jefferson also had all five of his deceased natural born children and one living daughter, Permelia Jane Adair Searle, sealed to himself and his deceased wife Jemima Mangum Adair. It is touching to note that four these ordinances, that it was his stepchildren Maren Hansen who acted as proxy for the mother Jemima Mangum Adair and Hans Hansen who acted as proxy for all of the deceased sons. Permelia acted as proxy for the one deceased daughter Rebecca. For whatever reason, his other four living sons from Jemima were never sealed to their parents during their lifetimes. Joshua Adair, from his second marriage, never had the opportunity during his lifetime to be sealed to his father. (Per FHL film 170583, St. George Temple Adoption Records, book B, pp. 8 and 9, 28 Jun 1877, M.F. Farnsworth, Recorder.)

Samuel’s death was announced by the following obituary printed in the regional newspaper Deseret News: "Death of a Veteran. Nutrioso, Arizona, July 8, 1889. (Correspondence of the Deseret News.) - Samuel Jefferson Adair, who was born in Lawrence County, South Carolina, March 28, 1800 [assumed typo for 1806], died at the home of his son, Geo. W. Adair, at Nutrioso, Apache County, Arizona, July 6, 1889. He was baptized in 1845, by Elder John Dowdle, in Itawamba County, Miss.; was ordained an Elder by Elders Benj. Mathews and Daniel Thomas. Soon after joining the Church he sold his home and moved to Nauvoo. In the latter part of March, 1846, he started west with the body of the Saints. When he reached Pisgah his family were taken sick; he buried his mother, wife and three children, and assisted in the burial of Brother Wm. Huntington. He arrived in Utah in 1852 and went to Payson; was ordained a High Priest Feb. 29th, 1856, by Patriarch John Young. The same year he was called by President Young to go to Southern Utah. Arrived at Washington, Washington County, in April, 1857, and resided there for twenty-three years. He was the father of twelve children, five of whom are living. For over forty days before his death he had eaten nothing. He wished his friends to know that he never raised his voice against the authorities of the Church; neither failed to fill any mission to which he had been called. He died as he lived, a faithful Latter-day Saint. G.W. Adair." (Obituary written by G.W. Adair appeared in the Deseret News, July 16, 1889, with a clipped copy in the LDS Journal History in the LDS Church Archives of Salt Lake City, Utah, of same date [but filed by the date of the event of July 8, 1889 in the Journal.])

All together, Samuel Jefferson Adair had at least thirty-four natural-born, step, adopted, and foster children during his lifetime. Samuel leaves us a legacy of faithfulness, devotion, a pioneering spirit, humility, and love for his fellow men and family. This research paper does not attempt to provide neither his history nor his accomplishments, which are significant and already recorded elsewhere. I have attempted only to fill in some missing chapters of his life so that we may better understand his life. This work continues. May the good Lord continue to bless us as he did Samuel Jefferson Adair.

Additional notes:
1. (14 Aug 2005): One note though -- I just found reference to a divorce for Jan 1853 for a Samuel and Lucinda Adair in Utah County where Samuel was residing before moving to Dixie. Also the 1856 Utah Territory census for Utah County shows a Roxana Adair in the same household as Samuel right after listing Samuel. We may not be done yet with Samuel's other families. The divorce record info:
Groom Last Name: ADAIR; Groom First Name: Samuel
Groom Residence:
Bride Last Name: ADAIR; Bride First Name: Lucinda, Mrs.
Bride Residence:
Place:
Date: DIV; County of Record: Utah; State: Utah
Volume: 1; Page: 113; Marriage ID: 253419
Comment: Divorce Decree, 1 Jan 1853 Source: Utah County Probate Docket
 
 

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