Enos Curtis biography by Lucinda Payne Merrell

LIFE STORY OF ENOS CURTIS


By Lucinda Payne Merrell, Mesa, Arizona
I decided to write what I could of the life of this noble ancestor for my own book and for my descendants. I want my children to know something of Enos Curtis so (the following) is what I have collected.

From family and church records, we find that Enos was born 9 Oct 1783 in Kinderhook, Columbia Co., New York. From the record of the ancestors, it seems the family for several generations had lived in Connecticut. Much of the land there had been taken up and many of the young men were reaching out to new frontiers and no doubt that is what brought Enos's father to New York.

Enos Curtis had a patriarchal blessing 29 Sep 1841 by Patriarch Hyrum Smith in Nauvoo. It gives his parents as Edmund and Polly Curtis.

We know nothing of his (Enos's) childhood or young manhood. Some genealogist in California said he was married to Ruth Franklin 15 Dec 1805. that is the first record we have of him except his birth record.

We do find a little record of his father and grandfather in Columbia Co., New York land records. Book A, p. 369 says 21 Mar 1800 Edmund Curtis buys land of Jeremiah Curtis and wife Lydia.

Deeds say that the parties concerned are of Cheery Valley, Atsego, New York. Another Deed Book A, p. 376 says Edmund Curtis and wife Martha sold this land to Samuel Niles.

It appears from genealogical records that Edmond Curtis (the father) was not true to his first wife (Polly). We find he had children by another woman while still having children by Polly, mother of Enos. His first wife bore him six children; then she drops out of the picture and he had eight children by Martha Willson.

Now these land deals were probably by his 2nd wife as her name is Martha, and it was 1800. The last child born by the first wife was 1793. Genealogists have never found a death date or any record more of this wife. They probably separated, so we don't know where or under what conditions Enos grew up. Jeremiah Curtis, grandfather of Enos, died in the town of Russia, Herkimer Co., New York in 1807. Two years after the marriage of Enos, county records state that Jeremiah had no real estate but his personal property he willed to his grandson, Enos, son of Edmund. So he (Enos) probably grew up, or at least at this time, must have been living near his grandfather, or was that just an act of providence to give to descendants of Enos--a connection into the Curtis family for genealogical and Temple work. Jeremiah must have had lots of other grand sons.

Where he spent the next few years we don't know. In the family record there is no place of birth for his first three children. He may have been in New York, but in 1814, he had a son born inSoutherland, Tioga Co., Pennsylvania. He must have had some respect for his father for (he named his first son) Edmond for his father; the next son was named Jeremiah for his grandfather.

So now we have him located in Tioga County, Pennsylvania and there we find him on the tax roll for several years and he had children born in the county for the next eighteen years or until 1832 and there he was when that part of the country was being stirred up by the story of Joseph Smith.

Tioga is right on the line between Pennsylvania and New York. It is about fifty miles from Harmony, Pennsylvania where Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon and is probably less then a hundred miles from where the Church was organized so he had a good chance, no doubt, to hear Joseph Smith.

Family tradition says he had remarked that some day the true church would be restored to the earth so he was in a receptive mood. Tradition says that he (Enos) accepted Joseph Smith before the Church was organized and that there were not more than forty persons baptised into the Church before Enos Curtis. He was baptised into the Church by Lyman W(r)ight in 1831.

In the fall of 1831, five missionaries went from the little branch of the Church in Columbia, Pennsylvania to New York on a short missionary trip and they stopped at Mendon, New York. Here they met Heber C. Kimball, he says: "About three weeks after I joined the Baptist Church (fall of 1831) five Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ came from Pennsylvania to the house of Victor Young in Victor. Their names were: Eleazer Miller, Elial Strong, Alpheus Gifford, Enos Curtis and Daniel Bowen. Hearing of these men, curiosity prompted me to go and see them, when for the first time, I heard the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel.

I also heard the gifts of the spirit manifested among the Elders for they spoke in tongues and interpreted which tended to strengthen my faith. Brigham Young and myself were constrained by

the Spirit to bear testimony of the truth, and when we did thus, the power of God rested upon us."

Preston Nibley in his book "Brigham Young, the Man and His Works", says that while Brigham Young had had access to the Book of Mormon for more than a year prior to his coming in contact with the Elders, he had not been led to make any thorough or extensive investigation of "Mormonism", but it seemed what profundly influenced Brigham more than reading the book was his actual contact with the Missionaries. Brigham said, "When I saw a man without eloquence or talents for public speaking who could only say, I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord, the Holy Ghost proceeded from that individual illuminating my understanding and light, glory and immorality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew for myself that the testimony was true." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 90)

Family tradition has the story that Brigham's wife was sick and while he was at a meeting of the Missionaries he had to hurry home to her and could not stay and talk to the Elders. He was very impressed and he prayed to the Lord and asked that if it was the truth to send the Missionaries to him, that he might learn more of the Gospel. The next morning, Enos and one of the other Missionaries were passing his (Brigham Young's) home and the yards and the premises were so neat and orderly and well kept that it impressed the Elders, who said, "Well, anybody with that much pride to keep his home so well, must be a fine person and one worth contacting," so they went in and met Brigham and discussed the Gospel with him. He saw them coming and was watching to see if this prayer was going to be answered.

In January 1832, Brigham Young, his brother Phineas and Heber C. Kimball paid a visit to Columbia, Pennsylvania and spent about a week with the Saints at this Branch. Quoting from the book, "Brigham Young the Man and His Works", we read, "The five Elders from Pennsylvania must have been most excellent and spiritual minded men. It was in their little Branch at Columbia that the gift of tongues was for the first time exercised in the Church." So we see that Enos Curtis was very early a member of the Church and working for the building of the Kingdom.

From "The Journal History of the Church" in the Church Historians office, I have found that Enos and family went with (the) Church in various moves, suffering all the persecutions and trials of the Saints.

We locate him in Caldwell, Clay County, Missouri, 29 November 1839 through a petition to Congress signed by the Saints presenting claims against the State of Missouri. Their names were alphabetically arranged. Enos Curtis' claim was for $1,856. Enos Curtis presided over a conference at Quincy, Illinois, on 1 September 1844 (See page 5 of 1 September 1844.)

Minutes of Quincy Branch of (the) L.D.S. Church held in Quincy, Illinois, 9 March 1845 at the home of Joseph Pine: "Item 1- -Resolved that the Presidency of the Branch stand as it did for the last three months--that is, with Enos Curtis, president, and Moses Jones 1st and John Riley 2nd Councillors. The same to hold office for the next three months."

On 25 October 1845 Enos Curtis made and signed an affadavit stating that a mob had wilfully destroyed the home of widow Boss by fire in Quincy.

Enos probably had accumulated land and property in Pennsylvania which he, no doubt, disposed of when he began to follow the Church. And in Missouri he lost nearly two thousand dollars and that was quite a bit of money for those days.

One little story my mother remembered her father telling that happened about this time while they were in Illinois, was that the grown sons of Enos were out on the prairie putting up wild hay. The mobs were very active about that time and they had gotten the report that (the mob) were going to attack the Mormons the next day. Enos was afraid his sons would be sighted and attacked out there alone on the prairie. So, he rode out in the night to bring them home. In the night the boys heard a horse coming across the prairie toward their camp and (they) were a little excited wondering who it was and why coming in the night and made ready to defend themselves when the rider of the horse gave a little cough, then the boys said, "We know that cough, that is father." After (Enos) and his horse had rested a while, they started for home. After day light, they could see they were being followed by a mob. The father, Enos, said, "Don't get panicky. Speed up your horses-- just a little and we will watch the mob." They could soon see that the mob were traveling faster than they were and gaining on them. Enos said, "We will go a little faster, but not run yet and our horses will hold out better." They watched the mob carefully and found they had to go a little faster and a little faster. As they neared town and were on the last stretch, Enos told his sons that they would now have to run their horses as hard as they could. The mob was now not too far behind, but (Enos and his sons) beat (the mob) into town.

Another story from Chloe Durfee Spencer, granddaughter of Enos Curtis and Ruth Franklin Curtis: "When the mob were in some of the various raids, two or more families would sleep together in one home of Enos Curtis. The men were all away from home. The mob ordered all out of the house. The (Mormon women) told the mob (that) Grandmother, Ruth Franklin, was very ill and could not be moved. The mob left, but came back a second and a third time and each time were more vicious and finally set fire to the house. The women carried Ruth out on a blanket. The shouts of the mob were soon heard and some Mormon men rushed over and carried Grandmother away in a wagon. The mob even chased the wagon, but more help came and the mob turned back. (Grandmother) died 6 May, 1848, after they started the trip across the plains."

I don't know whether Enos and his family were at Nauvoo or still at Quincy, Illinois during the last days before the exodus, but they were near enough that in January and February of 1846. Enos, his wife Ruth Franklin Curtis and the older boys, even though the boys were not married, all received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. Soon after this they began their trek across the plains with the rest of the Saints. It seems that the mother, Ruth, was having poor health and traveling as they did and in the cold and unfavorable living conditions she grew worse and passed away 6 May 1848 at Council Bluffs, at the age of fifty-eight.

We have searched long and hard for the ancestry of Ruth Franklin without results, but she must have been a faithful wife and mother as she was right at her husband's side through his experiences and persecutions of the Church. We might well say she gave her life for the gospel. She was mother of fourteen children. At least two teen age girls were left to continue the journey across the plains with their father.

We have another faith promoting story by Chloe Spencer, a granddaughter of Enos Curtis. She said that her mother told this story often, saying she remembered it well as it happened on her 15th birthday. (If this is the case, it must have been before they got to the Bluffs as they were not traveling on her birthday after they left Council Bluffs.) They came to a large river and had to be ferried across. They put two families on the ferry and the Stowell family and Enos Curtis family were crossing when the cable broke letting them downstream. There were some dangerous rapids not far below and of course there was fear and excitement among the families of the other travelers on the shore. Enos Curtis raised his right hand to the square and by the power of the priesthood in the name of the Lord commanded the ferry to drift to the shore-- which it did. The ferry and the families and outfits were saved. Sister Spencer said one time old Brother Stowell was at her house and she talked to him about the incident and he said he had heard his father tell the story.

From the Journal of History of the Church we learn something of the company of the Saints in which Enos traveled. (See Supplement to Journal of History of the Church, Church Historian's

Office 31 December 1848, 1st division emigration. Emigration across the plains and mountains from Missouri River to Salt Lake City.)

This company was divided into three divisions. Brigham Young was in charge of the first division. Enos Curtis, Theodore Curtis and Joseph Curtis were in this group.

This division left the Elkhorn River 1 June 1848 and arrived in Salt Lake City, Sept. of 1848.

In this first division there were 1229 souls, 387 wagons, 74 horses, 19 mules, 1297 oxen, 699 cows, 184 loose cattle and sheep, some pigs, dogs, cats, doves, geese and two hives of bees. (See

Journal History 16 Jun 1848.)

In 1850, Enos Curtis met and married widow Tammie Durfee Miner. She had a family, having buried her husband on the plains. They moved on a farm owned by Lorenzo Snow, in Willard, Box Elder County, Utah. About that time John White and David Avery Curtis, sons of Enos, along with Ozias Strong and Albert Starr were sent out by Brigham Young as surveyors for new homes. They reported the conditions in and around Springville and a settlement was started there in 1850. Later Enos moved to Springville and spent the remainder of his days there.

Enos was ordained a patriarch in 1852 by Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, George A. Smith and John Taylor. (Enos had previously converted Heber C. Kimball). Brigham Young made very few trips south of Salt Lake for colonization purposes without sending a forerunner or a messenger to Enos announcing his plans and inviting him to join the company (as Company Patriarch.) A company organized 10 May 1854 by Brigham Young consisted of 82 men, 14 women and 5 children who traveled in 34 wagons. They left Salt Lake City and traveled south. They took 95 animals consisting of horses, oxen and cows. The company was well organized. They had a captain, chaplain, historians, interpreters, doctors and bishops and Enos Curtis was the Patriarch of the company. He (Enos) was faithfully anxious to go and was very active--although 71 years of age. He traveled with his son, David Avery Curtis, and Aaron Johnson in wagon number 29. David was the teamster and as he liked animals, I suppose his team of oxen was kindly treated. His love of animals grew as he grew older. He was often cited for his kindness. (The company) traveled as far as Nephi the second night. Little is recorded of the trip except to say it was successful. Their aim was to clear new land and plan new settlements.

In 1935, John Curtis visited Moroni Miner, step-son of Enos, to learn what he could about our ancestor. Moroni was then 100 years old, but had an excellent memory and his mind was clear. He

told how the two families lived together and got along very well. He spoke very highly of Enos and said he always treated them as a very kind, loving and patient father and told how much Enos was

like his own father. He appeared very touched in relating these experiences. (Moroni) said after being driven and wandering for so many years, they wanted so much to settle down and have a home of their own, so in Springville they were all willing to work hard and endure any sacrifices and hardships to build a home. By this time Enos was sixty-seven years old. His wife must have been quite a bit younger for she had three little girls by Enos; (and more children by another husband after Enos' death).

The home they built had two large rooms with a carpenter shop in between. Enos was an excellent carpenter and an expert chair maker. All furniture in Utah at that date was home manufactured and Enos made chairs for a living. Moroni said he and his brother became very efficient in making the chair bottoms of reed, leather or rawhide while Enos did the rest of the chair.

He said, Enos was always ready to help the sick in the neighborhood. Enos Curtis's journey in life ended in his 73rd year. It came as a great shock. During the day, although feeling a little faint, he went about his daily tasks. In the evening, the family had gathered together in a reunion. He joined in various activities, then sat up to the table and ate with the family. Then he sat back in his chair as if resting, but became so still and rigid (the family) cautiously tried to make him more comfortable, but discovered his rest was more then the little nap he so often enjoyed in his chair. He died so easily--no struggle nor pain, but such a peaceful death was well earned by our beloved progenitor who brought the gospel to his vast band of descendants.

It is said he kept a diary, but after his death, his step-sons used it for smoking paper. Paper was so very scarce in those days in Utah. Little did they realize what it would have meant to us to have had those "day-to-day" experiences as he recorded them.

May we carry on emulating his strength of character and faithfulness and bring honor to his name and give thanks and honor and glory to our Father in Heaven who gave us the privilege of coming to the earth through such a choice lineage.

Lucinda Payne Merrell - Great Granddaughter of Enos Curtis

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