Laura Kimball

Laura Pitkin was born 10 September 1790 in Connecticut, daughter of Paul Pitkin and Abigail Lathrop. She was the sister of George White Pitkin, who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 17 May 1831; his sisters Laura and Abigail also became members, although at a later date.

Heber C. Kimball met the Pitkin family met was when he was on his way as a missionary to England, as recorded in his journal: "I started on a mission to England. One day in August, brother Duell took us in his wagon to Lima, about twelve miles, when he left us. He gave each of us a dollar to assist us on our journey. Brother Bidwell then carried us in his wagon to John A. Mikesell's, near Quincy, about twenty miles. The fatigue of this day's journey was too much for our feeble health; we were prostrated, and obliged to tarry a few days in Quincy to recruit. I was prostrate with chills and fever, and stayed most of the time at the house of Sisters Laura and Abigail Pitkin, who bestowed every kindness upon me they possibly could. We left Quincy September 25th, feeling much better."

In Nauvoo the Pitkins were closely associated with the leaders of the Church, including Heber C. Kimball. From there, Laura and Abigail left for Council Bluffs, making their home at Winter Quarters where both sisters were married to Heber.. At a meeting held in the Kimball home on 4 July 1847, both women spoke and bore testimony of their delight in living the principles of the gospel. Abigail died at Winter Quarters. In the spring of 1848 they made preparations to emigrate with the Saints to Salt Lake Valley; the Pitkin family traveled in the Heber C. Kimball Company.

Adelia A. Wilcox wrote about Laura Pitkin in her journal, "There was a large front room upstairs used for a spinning room. Here Aunt Laura would spin every day during the summer, when able, but not to overdo. She would rather do it than sit all the time, for she did not have anything to do around the house. She was very independent in her feelings and wanted to do her part in spinning and knitting for those who did for her... Along the 20th of November when some of the family came from home, I was terribly shocked when they told me Aunt Laura was dead. She was taken seriously ill and died very suddenly. Now I felt badly to think I should never see her in life again, for I thought a great deal of her." Laura died 16 November 1866, and is buried in the Kimball-Whitney Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.

Sources and Further Reading

• Journal of Adelia A. Wilcox
• Journal of Heber C. Kimball
• Utah, Our Pioneer Heritage. From Ancestry.com, accessed on July 24, 2004
• '"United States Census, 1850"'. Name Laura Pitkin; Event Type: Census; Event Date: 1850; Event Place: Great Salt Lake county, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States; Gender: Female; Age: 60; Birthplace: Connecticut; Birth Year (Estimated): 1790; House Number: 120; Family Number: 120; Affiliate Publication Number: M432; Affiliate Film Number: 919; GS Film number: 25540; Digital Folder Number: 004181033; Image Number: 00157; Household Gender Age Birthplace; Laura Pitkin F 60 Connecticut; Sarah Ann Whitney F 24 Ohio; David Whitney M 1 Des. Source: United States Census, 1850, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCSX-M6F : accessed 28 Mar 2013).