Eliza Baldwin Pace from "Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude"

Bountiful, Davis Co., Utah PARENTS: Samuel Baldwin Mehitable Kingsley

PIONEER: 20 Sep 1848 Lorenzo Snow Co. Wagon Train SPOUSE: Elisha Pace MARRIED: 25 Mar 1827 Newark, Licking Co., Ohio DEATH SP: I Oct 1845 Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois


 BIRTHDATE: 8 Apr 1806 Otis, Berkshire, Massachusetts DEATH: 1863

Bountiful, Davis Co., Utah PARENTS: Samuel Baldwin Mehitable Kingsley

PIONEER: 20 Sep 1848 Lorenzo Snow Co. Wagon Train SPOUSE: Elisha Pace MARRIED: 25 Mar 1827 Newark, Licking Co., Ohio DEATH SP: I Oct 1845 Nauvoo, Hancock Co., Illinois

CHILDREN:

Samuel, 1828 (died in 1829) Edwin C., 3 Dec 1831 Benjamin, 1834 (died in 1835) George Milton, 3 J an 1836 Sarah, 1840 (died at age 4) Amanda Me! vina, I I Sep 1842 

Eliza was born in Otis, Massachusetts until her family moved to Granville, Licking County, Ohio.

She met Elisha Pace and married him on March 25, 1827 in Newark, Ohio. Six children were born to this union, three of whom died in their childhood.

Eliza and Elisha received the gospel and were baptized as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1837. They moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where they had the opportunity of knowing the Prophet Joseph Smith and enjoyed their association with the Saints. But they also suffered many hardships.

Her husband, Elisha, died in Nauvoo on his fortieth birthday in 1844. After his death, Eliza took her three small children and moved from Nauvoo to the Punca Indian Village which was about 200 miles away from Winter Quarters. The family endured the severe trials incidental to the winters of 1846 and 1847.

In the Spring of 1848, the family went to Omaha where they joined the Lorenzo Snow Wagon Company bound for Salt Lake Valley. Eliza's widowed sister, Sarah Baldwin Smith, joined her. They were fortunate to have an old wagon, two yoke of cattle, and one horse. They arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley on September 20, 1848.

They quickly moved to Sessions Settlement where they spent the winter in a cave in a hill. Her son erected a shelter of willows, rushes, and grass sod over the mouth of the cave. Pasturing was available in the Jordan River bottoms. They lived mainly on mustard greens. It was necessary to ration themselves with what food they had, but they were blessed with the milk from their cows.

Through ingenious means, Edwin met the grasshopper plague by plowing three furrows around the planted area. The insects were shooed into these trenches and were forced into bags at ends of rows, and covered in pits. A good grain crop materialized which was not typical in the area. They had to move south during the invasion of Johnston's Army. When they returned home, they continued their struggle of daily living.

They cut wild hay and stacked it for winter use, made butter and cheese for trade. They clipped, washed, carded, and spun the wool from their sheep. When they killed an animal, they divided the meat among the neighbors. Each year, living became a little better.

Eliza lived long enough to see Edwin, George, and Amanda married and many of her grandchildren born. At her funeral, it was said of her, "She was the hardest working woman I ever knew and an excellent manager."

Eliza suffered greatly from cancer of the face until her death, but was usually cheerful and always eager to be helpful to her neighbors.