Life History of

MARY ANN GIBSON (THURMAN) (PERKES)

by

Alice Albertie Griffeth (Griffeths)

Mary Ann Gibson was born October 15, 1620 North Raucely, Lincolnshire, England. She was the daughter of William Gibson and Eleanor Charles. I don’t know much about her girlhood, but think I have heard mother say that she had two brothers, William and Charles, who were bodyguards for the Queen of England. 1 know that she had two sisters, Elizabeth and Katherine, who joined the church and came to America.

Elizabeth arrived in Boston, Massachusetts on Nay 23, 1856, coming on the ship Scurling. Katherine had a daughter named Emily. They both left the church and became affiliated with the Reorganized or Josephite church. I think one of them married a man by the name of Anthony who was an apostle, or some high officer in that church.

Elizabeth kept the faith in the LDS church until her death. She died October 21, 1860. She had two children William and Sarah. At her death Mary Ann took her children and reared them as her own Mary Ann married Edward Thurman Jr. son of Edward Thurman Sr, and Elizabeth Hutchinson. Prom this marriage their were two children, Edward Moroni Thurman, born December 15, 1848; and Mary Elizabeth Thurman, born April 8, 1850, both in Nottinghamshire, England.

When Edward was about one year old Mary Ann heard the Mormon Elders and was converted. She had not been very interested in any church and went with her sister to hear the American Ministers only because she was curious. She instantly recognized the truth. Her husband was opposed, and when neither could convert the other one, a separation came. This was a difficult decision for Mary Ann to make as the had been so happy together in their beautiful home.

Mary Elizabeth was about six weeks old when Nary Ann took her two children and went to live with parents. At one time she went back to get some money, but when she saw her husband sitting in front of the house with his face in his hands, she turned and went away for she could not trust her heart to hold out against the man she loved so dearly. She loved him always though she loved the gospel more.

She left her children with her parents while she worked to get money enough to come to America. It took her four years to accumulate that much. April 4, 1854 she took the two children and at Liverpool, embarked on the ship Germanicus under the direction of Richard Cook. There were 220 persons in the company. They were on the ship for eleven weeks and arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana June 13, 1854. On their voyage they ran out of food and fresh water, having to go around by Cuba for supplies. They were also quarantined for cholera. They sailed up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri.

On the ship Mary Ann met a fine man named James Perkes. He had left his wife, Eliza Rolsen, with four children and he had brought three children with him Reuben, John and Leah. Their acquaintance grew into friendship, so when they reached Missouri, James hired her to care for his children while he worked in the coal mines. Nary Ann was grateful for this opportunity, for her own children were too young to be left alone as she worked to support then. Needless to say, the friendship between these two English converts soon grew into love and they were married. They lived in Missouri and Bellville, Illinois.

While living in Bellville, three children were added to their families. Ellen and William died as infants and were buried in Bellville, Ill. Katherine, was a baby about one year old in 1862. John——the oldest boy of James Perkes joined the union forces and served through the Civil War, but never did come to Utah. The family consisted of nine members who made the long journey across the plains in Captain Henry Miller’s ox team company. They were as follow: Mary Ann Gibson, (Thurman) Perkes; son, Edward Moroni Thurman; daughter, Mary Elizabeth Thurman; daughter, Katherine Perkes; nephew, William Gibson Roberts; niece, Sarah Elizabeth Gibson Roberts; James Perkes’ son, Reuben Perkes; and daughter, Leah Perkes. Sarah being a vivacious sixteen year old often got to ride with the teamsters, but the rest of the children walked most of the way, arriving in Salt Lake City, October 17, 1862.

They settled in Hyde Park, Utah where they lived in a dugout the first winter. Then James built a log house which seemed very wonderful to the family. They endured poverty and hardships the first few years. Indians often prowled around which frightened the children and made the brave parents have a feeling of insecurity, yet there was love and happiness in the home. Both parents were very fair in dealing with the mixed family and there seemed to be no jealousy with the children. They had order and system in their home. Mary Ann had good meals ready on time and James came in at regular times to eat. James had a small farm and a yoke of oxen to work it with. He took pride in a good garden. Nary Ann loved flowers, so they soon had a beautiful home.

She was an excellent pie maker——a rather small woman with auburn hair and grey eyes. She was very active and cheerful in the home. The first thing she would do in the morning was go out to see if any new flowers had opened. She would say to loved ones, ‘Tell your troubles to the flowers.’

James was kind, honest and very neat, a tall straight handsome man who attended to his own business. He was never too busy to play with the grandchildren. He liked to take them in his wagon down to the field. He would start the oxen on a trot and say, ‘Shall we knock the train of f the track?’ The children would be all excited at first, not realizing how much slower the oxen would go than the train.

When they had been in Hyde Park for several years, a letter came inquiring for James Perks. It was from his ex—wife, Eliza. She wanted to come to America. Nary Ann had saved a little money for something, so she was very glad to use it to assist in bringing Eliza over. After she arrived, she and James were sealed in the Endowment house October 18, 1869 thus becoming his plural wife.

Eliza’s two children Reuben and Leah were not anxious to leave the women they had learned to love and call mother.

Mary Ann decided to homestead some land east of Franklin, Idaho which she turned over to her nephew William Gibson. Though it was very lonesome up there, with wild animals sometimes prowling around at night, she was willing to do it to accommodate her nephew.

She hung on to life enjoying her flowers, family and friends to the last.

She was baptized in 1851. She was endowed and sealed to James Perkes December 9, 1895 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake city, Utah. She died May 22, 1899 at Hyde Park, Utah and was buried in the Hyde Park Cemetery.

NOTE:

Charles a, Thurman, a grandson, (now--Sept 1960) living at 11710 Ricon Drive Whittier, California has found the record of Nary Ann’s first husband, Edward Thurman. He married Ann Evans June 12, 1855. They had the following children: Mary Elizabeth, Edward Harrington, William James, Charles Edward, Walter Atterwood, Margret, Louisa Ellen, and Arthur John. Charles has done the temple work for them.

GRIFFETH / GRIFFITHS

FAMILY

A Compilation Of

Histories And Life Sketches

Collected By And In The Possession

Of Bernon Auger

July 1997

 PREFACE

As you read the histories herein, please be aware that every effort has been made to be careful and accurate. However, the original histories used to make this compilation were handwritten and in some cases, not easy to read. Also, in some cases I have combined several sources together and have had to make editing decisions when two sources were not in total agreement.

Spelling of names is consistent with the family group records and histories I have in my possession and——to the best of my knowledge——is correct. The amount of information is such that it is possible there are typographical errors or faults that come from voluminous copying.

Please accept the enclosed material in the spirit it is given. If you find there are mistakes or omissions, feel free to make your own interpretation.

Make note that wherever possible I have used the maiden names of female family members, noting their married names in parentheses. Also, when the writer of any history has referred to “the present time” I have tried to indicate in parentheses the date of the writing.

This volume is prepared in an effort to combine the many histories into one volume for the benefit of a generation that may not have access to this historic and spiritual information.

            Bernon J. Auger, husband of

     Quida Griffiths (Auger)

Reproduced with permission.