PARENTS: Lyman Royal Sherman & Delcena Didamia Johnson
PIONEER: October 1854 before the 21st unidientified company (21 years old)
SPOUSE: Mary Elvira Swan
MARRIED: 10 June 1854 at the North Platte River
DIED: 18 September 1911 at Huntington, Emery, Utah
ALBEY LYMAN SHERMAN
The story of Albey Lyman Sherman begins in Pomfret, Chautauqua County, New York where he was born, 30 October 1832 and ends with his death at Huntington, Emery County, Utah on the 18 September 1911. His life’s journey of 79 years and 3,000 miles led from New York to Kirtland, Ohio in 1833 from there to Far West, Missouri, 1838 Nauvoo and 1840 Illinois across Iowa to Council Bluffs in 1849, where in June 1854 the long trek to Utah began concluding in pioneering in Payson, Santaquin, Fountain Green and finally Huntington, Utah.
Albey Lyman’s grandparents, Asenath Hurlbut and Elkanah Sherman were sturdy New England farmers. They along with his parents, Delcena Didamia Johnson and Lyman Royal Sherman were baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints early in 1832 in New York just a few months prior to Albey’s birth. This simple act was the beginning of a life of persecution and privation which first caused the family, consisting of the parents and three children: Elvira 3, Mary Ellen 2 and Albey Lyman, an infant to move to Kirtland, Ohio in 1833 where they stayed until 1838.
These were historic years for the Sherman family. Two sons were added to the family: Seth in 1836 and Daniel in 1837. The father Lyman Royal was a close associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. He assisted in July of 1833 in laying the cornerstone of the Kirtland Temple; in 1834 he joined Zion’s Camp and made the long trek to Missouri. Upon his return he was ordained a president of the original Quorum of Seventies.
In April of 1835 in a meeting called at Lyman Royal’s home Patriarchal Blessings were given to his mother, himself, his wife and brother Almon Worthy and sister Cornelia by Joseph Smith senior, first Patriarch to the Church. In his blessing he was told, “In as much as thou hast no father, God shall be thy father and he shall comfort thee.” Evidently his father, Elkanah was dead. A sister, Electa was married to Alexander Whitesides this same day. Albey Lyman was no doubt present at this meeting though only a small child.
On 26 December 1835 Lyman Royal went to the Prophet and asked him to ask the Lord what his duty was. The answer is now the 108 Section of the Doctrine and Covenants. During 1836-1837 he participated with his Quorum in meetings in the Kirtland Temple in one of which he sang in tongues.
In early 1838 Lyman moved his family to Far West, Missouri where another daughter, Susan Julia was born 21 October 1838. Persecution was very severe at Far West, including mobbing, jailing and exposure to cold, wet weather as a result of eviction from their homes. In January of 1839 Lyman visited the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail in Richmond, caught cold and became very ill. About this same time the Prophet instructed Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball as they also visited him to ordain Lyman Royal an Apostle but he died as a result of exposure before this was done.
His death left Delcena a widow with 6 small children ranging from baby Susan Julia, a three-month infant, Daniel 2, Seth 3, Albey 7, Mary Ellen 8 and Elvira 9. She moved with her young family several times and finally found a home in Nauvoo, Illinois. The children attended school and for a time there was surcease from mob violence, though procuring the necessities of live was very difficult.
Albey Lyman reports that during this time the Prophet was like a second father to him as he and the Prophet’s son, Joseph was about the same age. The martyrdom of the Prophet in June 1844 was a time of great mourning for all of Nauvoo and must have been a great personal loss to the 12-year-old boy. Later he witnessed the burning of the beautiful Nauvoo Temple, which though at night he said, “Made it light enough to read a newspaper a mile away.” Finally, Albey with his mother and brothers and sisters were forced to flee from their home across the Mississippi River and make their way across Iowa to Council Bluffs in July 1849. Somewhere along this journey his youngest brother Daniel died. This was only the beginning of sorrow for the family. During 1850 his other brother Seth and two sisters, Elvira and Mary Ellen died. Albey at age of 18 was left with his mother and one sister to care for 3 left of a family of 8.
He went to work to provide supplies and transportation for them to go to Utah. Early in 1854 they left Council Bluffs and while on the way to Salt Lake City he married Mary Swan, 10 June 1854. Delcena had been ill during most of the journey and on 21 October 1854 she died and was buried in Salt Lake City. The long years of persecution privation had taken their toll. His mother’s early death at age 48 was a great sorrow to Albey.
His bride, Mary Swan was born 15 December 1833, in East Weymns, Fife Scotland, the daughter of George Swan and Elizabeth Warrender. She was one of 6 children: David, Mary, Margaret, Elizabeth and Helen. The family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about 1841. As soon as arrangements could be made, they set sail for New York spending 6 weeks aboard ship. From New York they traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois only to encounter persecution, which caused her father’s death of very tragic circumstances.
In her early teens Mary joined the Almon Babbitt family to help with the children and traveled to Utah. When she returned to Nauvoo, she learned her mother had died during her absence. She joined the first Utah bound company, this beginning her third trip across the plains. Though she didn’t realize this meant she wouldn’t see any of her family again; but the trip included her marriage to Albey Lyman Sherman a marriage that was to last 57 years.
In the early spring of 1855 Mary and Albey moved to Payson, Utah where their first child, Elkanah was born 29 April 1855 to their great sorrow he died the next day. In 1856 they moved to Santaquin, Utah where they made a special trip to Salt Lake City to be sealed in the Endowment House the 28 August 1857. In 1869 they moved to Fountain Green, Utah where 11 children were born to them. Each of these moves brought many hardships as they experienced the rigors associated with pioneering.
In 1866 Albey was called by Brigham Young to go to Missouri in Captain Abner Lowery’s Company to bring emigrant Saints to Salt Lake. This left Albey’s family of wife and 6 children under 10 alone for 6 months at a time when the Black Hawk Indian War was raging in their area and which lasted from 1865 to 1868. Albey was veteran of this war. He was often called as an interpreter in negotiations with the Indians as was his wife Mary since they could speak and understand the Indian’s language.
The end of the war did not mean the end of Indian troubles. In 1872 General Henry A. Morrow wrote, “there is not another American Community in the nation which has endured half the outrages these people endured.” A daughter, Gertrude remembers the Indians begging, demanding food, stealing cattle and horses and killing herders. She also remembered being hidden from the Indians in a flour bin.
Albey Lyman was called to help settle Huntington, Utah in 1879. He came early in the spring bringing only his 2 oldest boys; Albey, Roy and his oldest daughter, Elvira. He built a dug out for a home, took up 160 acres and helped build ditches in order to begin farming operations. In the fall of 1880 he moved the rest of the family to Huntington. The next year he built a large log room for the family and soon added 2 more rooms.
He was a good provider, being an excellent farmer, gardener and orchardist. He was also known as an excellent butcher, a fine horseman and as a baker for his fine soda crackers. He was an excellent swimmer and often was designated as lifeguard on swimming parties. He smoked a pipe.
His wife, Mary, sustained him in all this. She was frugal, wise home manager and an excellent seamstress. At one time they bought a bolt of cloth from which she made 6 suits and 3 dresses for various family members.
In 1897 Albey built a home on the Huntington town site on the lot, which he had drawn. He lived there until his death the 18 September 1911.
A daughter, Gertrude wrote, “He was a dear, gentle, quiet man, very industrious and a talented handy man, it seemed he could do anything. He was slender of build and agile of body. He was a faithful Latter Day Saint and was a High Priest at the time of his death.”
He was survived by his wife Mary and 12 children: Mary Elvira (Mrs. Elias Cox), Albey William, Lyman Royal, Delcina Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter Frulong), George Alfonso, Don Franklin, Susan Julia (Mrs. Miller Black), Orlo Lionel, David Edgar, Gertrude Estelle (Mrs. Robert Gordon), Joel Elmer, Ada Cornelia (Mrs. Elam Jones). The infant son Elkanah, and daughter Ellen Viola (Mrs. Elias H. Cox) preceded him in death. His descendants also include 98 grandchildren.
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