Levi Roberts

Levi Roberts was born in Portage County, Ohio in approximately 1820, but moved to Ripley, Illinois with his family c. 1837. His family ran a successful pottery business there and sold their wares throughout the area. While traveling the area, his father, Ephraim came to meet some Mormons, and was converted from Universalism c.1840. Several members of the family were forced to move to nearby Nauvoo, and joined the community there, and some became friends with Joseph Smith. It is possible that Levi remained in Ripley, however, as he did not become Mormon until 1846. Levi's brother, Horace, left Nauvoo in 1846 to travel west with Brigham Young, and at that time, Ephraim and his wife, Hulda, returned to Ripley.

Ephraim died in 1861 and in the same year, Levi enrolled in Company H of the 50th regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry as a drummer, and served until 1864.

After he was honorably discharged, he proceeded to Utah with his wife, Elizabeth, and several children. He helped Horace with his new pottery business in Provo until about 1874, at which time, Levi opened Logan City Pottery with his son Jerome. The shop burned down about five years later.

Levi died in 1907.

Pension records: https://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/scrapbk/robertrslevirec.html

Article on Horace's pottery: https://www.familysearch.org/service/records/storage/das-mem/patron...