Hannah Roberts Himes Evans

Hannah Roberts Hymes Benner Evans: Hannah was born November 30, 1811, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to Jonathan Benner and Janette Elizabeth Hymes. The family were early Pennsylvania Quakers. The Evans family and Hannah's two sisters, (Ann H Crisman and Mary Benner Ludwig) joined the LDS Church in 1833. After the death of her husband in San Francisco, she carried on their tailoring business and took in boarders. She was able to keep the family together. In 1857, she took her family to Utah and they settled in Centerville. She soon moved to Salt Lake City where she could find more customers for her tailoring business. She is buried in Centerville City Cemetery, Utah. A letter from Mary Benner Ludwig, Hannah's sister, dated March 14th, 1883, reads as follows:

Dear Sister Hannie, I have been looking for a letter for some time from you and on last Thursday, March 8th I got won frome dear Nettie telling me of the death of your dear son Benner. I can sympathise with you dear sister. that is the first child you ever buried. Well thare is nothing harder. It is like tearing the heart out of us for the time but we must leave it to god to do as he thinks best. but be comforted. them that are gone is just passed away before us. thay will be ready to meet us and it wont be long. we are both getting perty well up in years so it wont by long before we meet them. what a happey meeting when we all get togather. So cheer up your loss is his gain and what is gods will we must put up with. I always say gods will be done for he knows best. you must comfort the wife and children and give them my love and tell them to put their trust in god and he will bring them through. he will be a husband to the widow and a father to the children.

well dear sister you are not the only won that has trouble. I got Nettie letter Thursday and on Satuarday word came of Uncle Tuhie Benner death. (Florence's Note: This is probably Jehu Benner, brother to Jonathan Benner.) He died sudentley. he just went out in the garden and was well as usual. hadent been sick. just went out from breakfast. he died in minutes. he had appletiey. he was married the second time. his first set of children had all left and thare was none but him and his wife. he had no children by this wife and nobody thare but her. him dead in the garden and it a raining as hard as it could. amagin her feeling. she just set a screaming till she alarmed the neighbours. thay don't live far frome Aunt Tuliz Benner. she is living and very smart for her age. Aunt Elizabeth Benner is living but real queer. it's a pity but such things can't be helped. how old is benner youngest child. I expect thare is some of them that is grown up to be men and woman.

well I must tell you I was to see Hannah Rigg a few weeks agoe. she rents her place to straingers and just won room downstairs and two up stairs. she has none of her children with her. old Billey Vance her oldest brother lives with her. they are a perty feble couple. don't time change the people. you wouldent know half of the old folks that was young when you went away. this leaves us all well. Annies family. Ems Clara and John all well. give my love to all and to you a double share. Frome Mary H Loudwick to Sister Hannie.

According to her granddaughter, Valerie Cheney Pack, in an article written for the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, in 1960, Hannah Roberts Benner Evans was stricken with paralysis in February, 1884, while at the home of her daughter Amanda Cheney. She lived for two months, and died April 30, 1884. At the age of 73 years her hair was still black. Centerville Cemetery, Davis County, Utah. Spelling is the same way as written originally.

Hannah Roberts Benner Evans received the following letter from her sister in Pennsylvania. It was not in an envelope, but as was the custom, the letter was folded and sealed with sealing wax. July 14th, 1848 (Letter was received February 6, 1849, in San Francisco.)

Dear brother and Sister and Dear little Children: I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are well at preasant hoping that when these lines reaches your hands they may find you all enjoying the same blessing Hannah We have parted with our Dear Mother. She caught a bad Cold last December which settled on her lungs. She kept her bed about five weeks. She died on the 16th of February and was buried the 18th in the manor graveyard. It was a hard stroke on us but all the worst on father. he greives and frets so. Hannah I think that she has the pertiest corps that I ever set my eys on for such old person . she had a lovely smile on her countenance, oh, but I wish you could have seen her. It was very hard to part with her but we trust that she is better off. She said that death was no terror to her. we done all that we could for her. Doctor Gasion gave her up and then father send me and got Schenesks pulmonis suryp and she had taken almost 4 bottels of it when she Died.

Hannah when you read this don't grieve yourself two mush for she is far better of for she had no pleasure here and our loss is her gain. last spring was a year She had a bad spell of bleding of the lungs and then I thought that she would not live and she was never the same afterward. father thinks that when you hear of Mothers Death that you would not come back but I tell him you will if you live. He lives with Mary and he Says that he ant contented but I think that after while he will be better contended. God only knows Hannah I want to see you that bad that I don't know what to do sometimes.

Mary is all the one that I have to see of my own and when I go there I can see her and father both. Amanda is a young woman I suppose . I should like to see her Benner all most young man Parly and Wille fine little boys no doubt. So our little James is a fine boy . he can talk as fast as you can and he sucks yet and I am all most ashamed to tell it . Mary and Frances is fine little girls and Kesia two. Hannah, I am smoking now right now. I have smokt most last winter and this summer than ever .

I believe Ludwicks family is all well. I was down there last Sunday and Mary and me was talking about you. Eliza Mattack has been not expected to live but She got better. her mother is dead. betsy Bones is dead. Rebeca Kerns is dead. ole Mary Tamy is dead. Robert Sin is dead. I don't know of any wedings to tell you of but old William White he is married and Edith is married tit. Hannah is on the stocks yet. Ira Wilsons wife has been laying now for more than a year that She has never been out of her bed.

Mormons is skarce here now there is none but Mary and me. Mifflin Parmer has quit them I hear. Thes is the second letter that I have send to you and send me word if ever you got them or not . I would rather see you than wright to you. father was up to see me last Wensday he looks well now . I don't expect that you need ever look for us out theire but I want to see you if God Spares me Somehow or other. I reckon that if we should see each other again that you could tell me more than I ever knowd. do you look like you did when you went away. I know how you lookt then and Evans two and the dear lettil Children. Hannah that woman that borrowed your Cloak where is She. I am getting sleepy and must bring my letter to a close and I want you to right to us often for it does us good to hear from you. I pray that God will spare us to meet again in the world. no More at present but still remains your affectionate Sister Ann H. Crisman, George Crisman Mary B Crisman, Frances M Crisman, Kesia B Crisman James P Crisman, No More littil Crismans.

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