Sarah Riddle Cox

Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah (1913) places her birth date as July 22, 1807.

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From Our Pioneer Ancestors: Genealogical and biographical histories

https://archive.org/stream/ourpioneerancest00stou#page/6/mode/2up

Jehu (1803-1893) and Sarah Pyle (1807-1891) Cox - Fearless champions of truth. Ancestors of innumerable Coxes centered mostly in Sanpete, Emery, Washington, and Salt Lake counties in Utah.

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In 1820, the same year Joseph Smith received his first vision, the Cox family moved to Salt Creek, a rural area 12 miles east of Bloomington, Indiana. Here the family lost the spirit of moving and settled down for a seven-year rest.

In Salt Creek, Jehu met his future wife, Sarah Pyle, daughter of Edward Gant and Rosannah Mary McMahon Pyle. She was the oldest child in a family of 12, born July 22, 1807, in Bracken County, Kentucky. Jehu and Sarah were married on January 13, 1824. They rented a farm in the same locality where they remained the next four seasons. While there, three children were born:

• Rosannah, Jan. 23, 1825
• Edward, Nov. 22, 1826 (sic)
• Thomas, April 30, 1827.

The two youngest died in infancy. Sarah and Jehu suffered much from sickness while there, which influenced the family to seek a more healthful climate.

In December 1827, the family moved to the banks of the Wabash River, Warren County, Indiana. Warren is in the extreme western part of the state about 100 miles south of Chicago. The family spent two seasons in farming in this locality. Henderson, the fourth child was born there, Nov. 6, 1829.

In the spring of 1830, about the time the Latter-Day Saints Church was organized, the family moved just across the state line to Vermillion River, Vermillion County, Illinois. They did farming work for just one season. A contagious disease took so many of his horses and cattle at Vermillion River that next season (1831) saw him and his family on the move to seek a more healthful climate. They settled at Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana, 35 miles west of Indianapolis. Here he found health for himself and his stock, but his wife Sarah remained in poor health.

At Greencastle, Jehu bought a 30-acre farm where the family lived the next four years. Three more children were added to their home while there:

• Sarah, Feb. 28, 1832
• Mary Jane, Sept. 19, 1833
• Elias, Jan. 15, 1835.

Since Sarah's health was so poor there, Jehu was determined to find a land where all the family might enjoy health. The spring of 1835 found the family westward bound. They crossed Illinois and the Mississippi River, then went southwest to Crawford County, Missouri, the heart of the Ozark mountains. Here a healthful climate was found for all the family. While in thesee mountains, three more children were added to the family:

• Rachel, Mar. 17, 1836
• Jehu, June 15, 1837, and
• Isaiah, May 18, 1839.

The year 1838 is the turning point in the history of the Cox family. Previous to that year, the family floundered in spiritual darkness. After that year, the family began to grow in spiritual intelligence. The cause for this great change was the successful invasion of these mountains by a humble Mormon missionary. He was seeking converts to the most despised sect Missouri had ever known. For five years, the Mormons had been driven from county to county and were then, in 1838, about to be exterminated or driven from the state. Jehu was acquainted with these happenings. It took courage to ally himself with a people so unpopular. But Jehu saw beyond the persecutions when he heard the message from the lips of Elder Benjamin L. Clapp. The missionary's testimony carried a conviction of truth. Truth is what Jehu wanted. He was inspired with faith to accept the gospel in its entirety. Once this decision was reached the fear of persecution had no effect upon him.

Jehu was baptized (into the Mormon church) Jan. 12, 1838. His wife joined him by going into the waters of baptism a month later. Little did this couple realize when they made these covenants how powerful their acts affected the salvation of hundred of their descendants now living in Utah's stakes of Zion. This was truly a great crisis for the Cox family. Imagine what the history of this family might have been had they not heard and accepted the gospel. The contrast between what his descendants are enjoying here in Utah, blessed with advantages of the gospel, and what it might have been in the Ozarks is too great to compare.

Jehu Cox made rapid progress after accepting the gospel. Soon after baptism, he was ordained an Elder by Benjamin L. Clapp and Isaac Allred. Like all true converts, he was soon overcome by a great desire to gather with the saints. At this very hour, the saints were being expelled from Missouri, so Jehu had to wait until the church chose a new gathering place. As soon as it was evident that the saints were moving into Illinois. Jehu took his family (November 1839) to Adams County, south of Quincy, and there rented farm land, where he remained two seasons. It was here that Lucretia was born, Dec. 29, 1841, and was blessed by the famous missionary, Joseph Fielding.

In the spring of 1842, Jehu moved north into Hancock County within three miles of Nauvoo. He rented a farm where he worked for four seasons. On this farm, 11 days before the martyrdom of the prophet Joseph Smith at Carthage, his daughter Emma was born. She was the 12th child.

During these four fateful years in Nauvoo, Jehu neglected to write his reflections of the great momentous events that were taking shape. Little did he realize how interested his descendants would be in the part he played during those critical times. He mentions the birth of his 13th child, Nephi, born March 20, 1846. The child's name suggests the influence which the book of Mormon had with the family. The child died of cold and expossure while the family was traveling westward through Iowa.

The Cox family was the very last of the first groups to leave Nauvoo. They crossed the Mississippi River May 20, 1846. Jehu took his family directly to Mount Pisgah. Here under the direction of Parley P. Pratt, a settlement had been made. Jehu remained here long enough to plant a field of corn and then moved on to Council Bluffs.On arrival there, he found the Mormon Battalion in process of organization. Henderson Cox, a healthy youth of 17 years, joined Company A and marched off with the Battalion, never to be seen alive by his parents again.

Little did the parents of Henderson realize what had befallen their son on June 27, 1848, when his unit was massacred at Tragedy Springs in the Sierra Nevada mountains. They had been traveling 49 days since leaving Council Bluffs, so were probably at the halfway mark when he met his fate. They could not possibly have learned of the tragedy until their arrival in Salt Lake.

Meanwhile in Council Bluffs, after the exodus of the Battalion, Jehu and family spent the next 10 months in Winter Quarters as best they could. In the early spring of 1847, Jehu moved his family across the Missouri River and up some 7 miles to the Cambell Farm and there he planted a crop. While working on that farm, Joshua was born, but died the same day. The family remained on that farm until April 28, 1848, then moved back to Winter Quarters to make final preparations for the trek to the Rockies. The Cox family was assigned to travel in Heber C. Kimball's company. The great journey was begun May 18, 1848. After the company had been traveling for 10 days President Kimball appointed Jehu as captain of one of the units. Some days later, June 15, a tragedy overtook the family. Little 6-year-old Lucretia was run over by a wagon and killed. The company was stopped and a very simple funeral was held. Much sympathy was expressed to the family by friends and speakers at the service. The journey was continued westward without incident, the company arriving in the valley Sept. 24, 1848.

September was a critical time to arrive in a new country. Their food supply was running low. Winter was coming on without even a home to live in. Nine small poorly-clothed children were entirely dependent upon these sturdy parents for their existence. The pioneers who preceded them to the valley had suffered severe losses due to the grasshoppers, so the food supply looked none too bright for the advancing winter. In spite of these adverse conditions, Jehu and family managed to live through the first winter.

By the spring of 1849, Salt Lake City had become too populous for a frontiersman like Jehu Cox. Seeking a fresh country to conquer, Jehu moved south and settled on the south bank of Little Cottonwood Creek, known today as Union. He built a home and commenced farming. His 15th child, Martha, was born there Aug. 2, 1849, giving him 10 children to support. Not long after his arrival in Union, other settlers joined him as neighbors. A branch was organized with Silas Richards as presiding Elder. Jan. 18, 181, Jehu was ordained a Seventy under the hands of Benjamin L. Clapp (the same who had baptized him in 1838), and Daniel D. Hunt. July 5, 1851, his 16th and last child was born, but died the same day. July 13 following, Union had so increased in population that a ward organization was effected with Silas Richards as Bishop and Jehu Cox as his First Counselor. On the same day, he was ordained a High Priest under the hands of Edward Hunter, Willard Snow, and Daniel Spencer.

Little Cottonwood was changed to Union in 1854. It was that year the Indians became very hostile. Community-minded Jehu contributed 10 acres to the town as a site to build a fort for protection against the Indians. Around this site, the pioneers built a wall 12 feet high. The entire community moved into this enclosure where they remained until the troubles with the Indians were over.

In 1855, his oldest living son, Elias, married Martha Richards, daughter of the bishop. Union had become too populous for frontiersman Jehu Cox,so early in 1859 Jehu and his two married sons and families all moved south in search of new worlds to conquer. They stopped long enough in Mt. Pleasant to permit young Isaiah Junior to be born (he was the first white child born there) and then moved north to North Bend, afterwards named Fairview. In this wild and open country the Coxes felt right at home. The farm site which Jehu chose later became the identical place where the Co-op and tithing office sttood. In this free and open country, Jehu and sons took to farming and sheep raising as a young duck takes to water. In the spring of 1860, the Saints of North Bend were organized as a branch, with James A. Jones as presiding Elder and Jehu Cox, one of his counselors.

Indian troubles seemed to have followed Jehu. In 1864 the Indians began their depredations in San Pete county. Jehu's boys were one day herding sheep when they were attacked by a party of Indians. The boys, thoroughly frightened, ran home for help. Meanwhile, the Indians made off with the sheep. Jehu and son, Elias, well-armed dashed after their sheep. When the Indians saw them coming, they fled in terror. This incident might well be called the beginning of the Blackhawk War. Previous to this incident, his son-in-law, David Jones, was killed by the red men. The war was soon on in all its fury. Jehu and sons saw plenty of action in this struggle. By April 1866, the situation had become so serious the men of Fairview moved their families to Mt. Pleasant, while they built a high fort wall around Fairview. In August, they returned their families to houses they ha built within the enclosure, where they all lived until the war was over. Meanwhile, Jones had been replaced by Andrew Peterson, who also chose Jehu as counselor. In 1866 Peterson was replaced by Amasa Tucker when the branch was reorganized as a ward. Amasa also chose Jehu as a counselor. Jehu remained in this position until 1877.

In May 1874, a branch of the United Order was organized at Fairview. The officers elected were: Bishop Amasa Tucker, First Vice President; Jehu Cox, Second Vice President; and Philip Hurst, Secretary. When Bishop Tucker was released in 1877, Jehu Cox was made president of the High Priests Quorum.

For 25 years, Jehu had served the church as a bishop's counselor - there is no greater service done for humanity than is carried on by a bishopric. Temporal salvation for the living is indeed noble, thought Jehu, but the spiritual salvation of his related dead was more noble. Accordingly, he left his home in the fall of 1877 and went to St. George to spend the winter with his son Isaiah, and do temple work for the hosts of dead ancestors who were crying for his help. He was then 73 years old. His youngest child was 28 and no longer dependent so he felt he earned a much-needed vacation. In St. George, he spent an enjoyable season visiting his children and performing the work for his dead. He did all the endowment and sealing for his known ancestors and returned to Fairview in 1878 a much happier, and spiritually a much richer man.

In 1879, his eldest son, Elias, and family moved to Emery County and was there appointed the first bishop of Huntington Ward, Oct. 7, 1879.

Little is known of the remaining years of Jehu's life. At the age of 74, he was in no position to pioneer a new country. He lived to a ripe old age and died in Fairview Dec. 26, 1893. In 1940, it isestimated that he has 1000 descendants centered mostly in Utah.

Jehu believed in polygamy. Oct. 5, 1857, while living in Union, he married Ann Catherine Cofert, but there were no children. Nothing more is known about Ann.

Sarah, his first wife, died in Fairview Aug. 25, 1891.

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From Billion Graves:

https://billiongraves.com/grave/person/2003385

• Name: Sarah R. Cox (Pyle)
• Birth Date: 22 Jul 1807
• Marriage Date: 13 Jan 1824
• Death Date: 25 Aug 1891
• Cemetery Name: Fairview Cemetery
• Headstone Description: Jehu was a Private in the Utah Territorial Militia Infantry during the Blackhawk War. Jehu & Sarah were married in Monroe County, Indiana (the Nauvoo Temple wasn't built in 1824). They were Endowed in the Nauvoo Temple on Feb 2, 1846.

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Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868 Heber C. Kimball Company (1848) Age 39

Departure: 7 June 1848 Arrival: 24 September 1848

Find a Grave

• Birth: Jul. 22, 1808 - Breckinridge County, Kentucky, USA
• Death: Aug. 25, 1891 - Huntington, Emery County, Utah, USA

Family links:

Parents:

• Edward Gant Pyle (1785 - 1875)
• Rosannah Mary McMahon Pyle (1789 - 1847)

Spouse:

• Jehu Cox (1803 - 1893)*

Children:

• Rosannah Cox Jones (1825 - 1866)*
• Henderson Cox (1829 - 1848)*
• Sarah Cox Stout (1832 - 1885)*
• Mary Jane Cox Kelsey (1833 - 1911)*
• Elias Cox (1835 - 1917)*
• Rachel Ann Cox Brady (1836 - 1922)*
• Jehu Cox (1837 - 1889)*
• Isaiah Cox (1838 - 1896)*
• Martha Elizabeth Cox Fenn (1849 - 1933)*

Burial: Fairview City (Upper) Cemetery, Fairview, Sanpete County, Utah, USA

• Plot: L2_70_3