Delcina Diademia Sherman

"...Delcena Diadimia Johnson Sherman Smith Babbitt

A daughter of Ezekiel and Julia Hills Johnson. She and her sister Almera were plural wives of the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith. Delcena married Joseph Smith before July of 1842, approximately at age thirty-seven or thirty-eight.

She was the widow of Lyman Sherman, a prominent early Mormon. She had lived with Sherman from 1829 to 1839 and bore him six children.

After Smith's death, she married Almon Babbitt, her brother in-law, for time, on January 24, 1846. Crippled by acute rheumatoid arthritis she achieved her last wish to see Utah just before she died..."

SOURCE: Find A Grave Memorial# 9323646 www.findagrave.com

Delcina was born to Ezekiel Johnson and Julia Ellis Hills.

Delcina married:

(1) Lyman Royal Sherman January 16, 1829 in Pomfret, Chataqua County, New York. He died January 27, 1839 in Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri.

They had six children:

Alvira Sherman (Abt 1830 - 1850) Mary E. Sherman (Abt 1831 - 1850) Albey Lyman Sherman (1832 - 1911) Seth Sherman (1836 - 1850) Daniel Sherman (Abt 1837 - ) Susan Julia Sherman (1838 - 1874)

(2) Joseph Smith, Jr. (founder of the Mormon church) before July of 1842, at about 37 years old. Joseph had many other polygamous wives.

Delcina's sister, Almera Johnson, was also married polygamously to Joseph Smith, Jr.

After Smith's death, Delcina married:

(3) Almon Babbitt on January 24, 1846 in Nauvoo, Illinois. Almon already had three other polygamous wives, one of whom was Delcina's sister, Julia Ann Johnson.

Delcina was sealed to Lyman Sherman for eternity, with Almon Babbitt standing proxy. she was then sealed to Babbitt for time. Babbitt also married Julia Johnson, Mary Tulley, and Maria Lawrence on the same date. (From "In Sacred Loneliness" by Todd Compton)

Delcina later left Nauvoo and arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1849. In 1850, three of her children died there: Mary E., Alvira, and Seth.

Even though crippled by acute rheumatoid arthritis, in 1854 Delcina traveled from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah. A few months later, she died in Salt Lake City, Utah and was buried with the surname of her first husband, Lyman Royal Sherman, instead of her last husband, Almon Babbitt, although she died in Mr. Babbitt's home.

Obituary: Deseret News October 26, 1854

DIED - On the 21st day of Oct. 1854 at the residence of Hon. A. W. Babitt, G. S. L. City, DELCENA SHERMAN, widow of Lyman Sherman, aged 47 years.

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via mother Julia Johnson (born Hills) by SmartCopy: Jan 13 2015, 22:32:20 UTC

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