Seth Adelbert Merrill, Sr.

From the James/Hatch One Minute Histories written by Darryl James in 1994: Seth Adelbert Merrill (called Delbert or Del) was born Aug. 10, 1859, in Farmington, Utah. He was the youngest of eight children born to Philemon Christopher Merrill and Cyrena Dustin. His parents had married in Nauvoo, Illinois, and traveled west to Utah in 1849 after Philemon finished a march with the Mormon Battalion. Del grew up in a polygamist family and had several half brothers and sisters. He was surrounded by death and hardship all his life. Two sisters had died of croup and consumption before his birth and a third died at nine years old shortly after his birth. Del moved with his family from Farmington to Morgan City, Utah, when he was a baby, and he stayed there until age 10. He was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Morgan City on his eighth birthday.

In 1869 Philemon Merrill moved his families to Liberty, Idaho, near Bear Lake, and about two years after this his second wife died, leaving seven additional children in the care of Del's mother. Shortly after this loss, Brigham Young called Philemon to organize a church branch in Soda Springs, Idaho, and the consolidated Merrill clan moved again to the new town. "Here on Oct. 28, 1876, we had a double wedding, writes Del's mother, "our son Delbert marrying Lucy Ann Merrill and Hannah Ann marrying Charles C. Collett. Del was 17 at this time and Lucy 16. Lucy was Del's first cousin once removed because Del's paternal grandparents, Samuel Merrill and Phoebe Odell, were Lucy's great-grandparents through her father's mother. Samuel and Phoebe had joined the Church and traveled to Utah ahead of Del's parents.

Shortly after the double wedding, Brigham Young called the Merrill's to help settle Arizona, and Del and Lucy left Soda Springs November 15, 1876, with their parents and several others. After passing Cache Valley in Utah, a horse fell on Del's leg and broke it, causing the company to delay a week in the area. Finally, Del and Lucy took a train to Salt Lake City and had Del's leg set by a doctor. The rest of the company continued south and met Del and Lucy near Payson.

On their way through Utah, the Merrill's stopped at the newly dedicated St. George Temple and completed several important ordinances. Del's mother records that the Temple had been dedicated only 10 days when they arrived in the area. "By direction of Pres. Young, we were the first ones to receive administrations in the Temple, she writes. On January 12, 1877, Del and Lucy received their endowments and had their marriage sealed. Del's older brother Thomas had had his marriage sealed the day before, and their late sister Albina was baptized by proxy January 16.

The company left St. George January 17, 1877, and arrived at the Salt River near Tempe, Arizona, on March 7, 1877. They lived in tents the first summer and the weather was so hot they had to pour water on the tents all day to keep their heads cool. In the fall the Church called Del's father to lead a company farther south to the San Pedro River, and Del and Lucy joined this company.

In the 1880 census, Seth A., 21, and Lucy, 20, and their daughter, Almira A., 2 were living at the Mormon Settlement on the San Pedro River, Pima County, Arizona. Next door was his father, Philemon C., 60, and wife, Cyrena, 63, and children Melissa J., 32, David, 17, Joseph L., 15, Morgan, 13, Peter H., 11, and Adrian, 4 years old. Next door on the other side was Seth's brother, Thomas S. Merrill, 27, and wife, Esther A., 22, and son Thomas S.,Jr., 5.

Next door was D.J. Merrill, 38, Ellen, 32, Orrin, 7 , Rialdo, 17, Orlando, 14, Seline, 10, Cora, 5, Clarence, 2 and Erastus, one month old. They were all working as farmers except Philemon C. Merrill who was working as a laborer.

Two years after helping establish the colony of St. David, Del's wife Lucy became sick and died at 23, leaving Del with three children under the age of 4 years old.

Del's mother cared for these children until Del married Alice Rosemary Beebe on New Year's Day 1886. Then, Del and Alice took Seth Adelbert Jr. to live with them. The other two children, Almira and Orson Pratt, remained with their grandmother until they married. Del served as Sunday School superintendent in St. David from January to September 1882, and as a high councilor in the St. David stake beginning in 1898.

In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for San Jose, Graham County, Arizona Territory, Seth was listing with Alice and they were listed as follows in the census record with their children: Seth A., 40, Alice, 34, Seth A., Jr., 18, Eliza, 13, Jennie C., 9, Edna, 6, Alice B., 1, and Edgar Merrill, 12, a nephew.

Living next door was his father, Phlemon C., 79, mother, Cyrena, 83, and Del and Lucy's child, Orson, 16. Next door to them was Henry Morgan Merrill, 33, and his wife Amy Welker Merrill, 28, and children Morgan C., 2, and Lucille, 9 months old.

Del died in Safford, Arizona, September 25, 1901, at age 42 after a year of suffering, leaving behind three children from his first marriage and five from his second marriage.

SOURCES:

1. Unpublished autobiography of Cyrena Dustin Merrill.

2. "Patriarchs: Phileomon Christopher Merrill." The 25th Stake of Zion (On record at Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah)

3. Public Census Records from Ancestry.com