Silas Somers Higbee

http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/0,15791,401...

                             Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847–1868

Higbee, Silas Somers
Birth Date: 18 Aug 1840

Death Date: 9 Dec 1909

Gender: Male

Age: 6

Company : Abraham O. Smoot - George B. Wallace Company (1847) 

Sources:

George Benjamin Wallace Emigrating Company, Journal 1847 June-Sept. Read Trail Excerpt Source Locations

Journal History, 21 June 1847, p. 38     Source Location

The Higbee's that went with this company:
Higbee, Harriet (10)
Higbee, John Mount (20)
Higbee, Judith Ball (36) --wife married in Mt Pisgah
Higbee, Sarah (12)
Higbee, Silas Somers (6)
Sun. July 26. Reached the site of the City in the Valley

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1880 census at Lewiston, Cache, Utah

1880 census:

Household:

Name 	Relation	Marital Status	Gender	Race	Age	Birthplace	Occupation	Father's Birthplace	Mother's Birthplace

Silas HIGBEE
Self M Male W 39 IL Farmer OH ---
Ann M. HIGBEE
Wife M Female W 33 IL Keeping House ME ME
John Henry HIGBEE
Son S Male W 15 UT Laborer IL IL
Sarah Ann HIGBEE
Dau S Female W 11 UT At Home IL IL
Larren HIGBEE
Son S Male W 8 UT IL IL
Calvin HIGBEE
Son S Male W 4 UT IL IL
Joseph A. HIGBEE
Son S Male W 1 UT IL IL
Source Information:

	Census Place	Lewiston, Cache, Utah

Family History Library Film 1255336
NA Film Number T9-1336
Page Number 235A
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Sheila Jessop possesses a copy of the book Edward Higby and his Descendants by Clinton David Higby 1927 (Originally owned by Sarah Ann Higbee Smith)

                                   History of Silas Somers Higbee

written by Sarah Ann Higbee Smith Stewart.
Silas Somers Higbee was born 18 August 1840 at Nauvoo, Hancock County Illinois, son of John Somers Higbee and Sarah Ann Voorhees. He was the fourth child in a family of four.

My father, Silas Somers Higbee, came to Salt Lake City, Utah when he was seven years old, and could remember a lot about the early settlement of Ogden, as he homesteaded there where the city of North Ogden is now standing.

He married on the 11th of August 1862, Melisa Ann Wheeler who was born 19 April 1847, a daughter of Levi Wheeler and Mary Ann Wilder Arnold. They were married at Ogden, ?Utah (it was called 'on the Weber River" then) by Jonathan Hunt, bishop of Huntsville.

They lived in North Ogden from 1863 to 1874. The first seven children were born there. They are as follows: Silas Levi, born 19 October 1863; John Henry, born in 18 May 1865; George, born 11 April 1867; Sarah Ann born 14 March 1869; Elmira Jane, born about 22 February 1871; Lorin, born 18 May 1872; Rhonda May, born 22 July 1874. The next four children were born at Lewiston, Cache County, Utah and were as follows: Calvin, born 2 April 1876; Joseph Albert, born 28 July 1878; Frederick Hyrum, born 13 October 1880; Samuel Somers, born 15 March 1883. Then the last child Amanda Melisa was born 14 April 1886 at Wilford, Fremont County Idaho.

Twelve children in all, eight boys and four girls. Four of the children died in childhood and were buried there in North Ogden, two boys and two girls.

They had all kinds of trouble with the Indians in those days. My Grandfather Wheeler built the first road in the canyon and put in the first saw mill there. My father used to work at that saw mill. One time just as father was leaving for the mill he saw his baby boy, who was just ten months old, standing by a rawhide bottom chair poking sticks through the holes in the woven rawhide. He laughed when father went over and kissed him good bye. The next night father had a dream. He thought he died, and went to the spirit world. There a guide

was showing him around. They came to a room where there were a lot of children, and there was his ten month baby there with the others. So my father got right up out of bed and told my uncle he was going home, that there was something wrong with his baby. He had to walk as they had to have the team. About half way home he met a man coming after him. The baby had died suddenly. It had started vomiting and they couldn't do anything for him. I've heard father tell it, and tears would roll down his cheeks, many a time, I dearly loved my

father.

Father traded his homestead in Ogden for a wagon and team and horses. Grandpa Wheeler was going to move his son Will up to Franklin Canyon. So they all went with him--my mother's brother and his big family, and father and mother and their family. My brother John was a big boy when they left Ogden and I (Sarah Ann) was nine years old.

Father took another homestead at Lewiston. He and Uncle George Wheeler each took one side by side. And just as soon as they built homes for their families they went to work for Grandpa again, and they worked there all the time the mill was running. My brother John did nearly all the work on the farm. He and my uncle's boys worked a lot together.

We had a good home there, two good rooms and a porch over the front door. I just loved it. Father used to fish a lot while we lived there. He'd take big loads of fish to Smithfield and sell and trade them for fruit and anything he could get for them. Stores would take them and give groceries in return, and I got many a new dress that way. I sure used to watch eagerly for him to come home.

I don't know just why he decided to go to the Snake River Valley. Will Brower wanted him to come. So he sold our home, and I still feel bad about it. This was a turning point. He just seemed to be a disappointed man someway. He took another homestead, but finally sold it too. I don't know why, and just worked at whatever he could get. It sure worked a hardship on them in their old age, but there is a sweet by and by when I hope we know why we do all these things.

On this homestead at Wilford, Idaho, my dear sister Amanda was born, and she was a great comfort and help to them. I was married the 8 January and she was born the 14th of April of 1886.

We all surely loved our father. He was such a kind hearted man. I don't think he ever had an enemy. He would do anything for a neighbor and loved to do it. He always loved to have me do anything for him. I was with him when he died, cared for him till the last minute. He wouldn't let me out of his sight. He died 9 December 1909, at St. Anthony, Idaho.

                    written by Sarah Ann Higbee Smith Stewart.

We renew our bodies by renewing our
thoughts; change our bodies, our
habits, by changing our thoughts.
Marden Check on Genealogy disk for life stories.
!MARRIED: to Melissa Ann Wheeler by Jefferson Hunt. 4 Aug 1862.

SEVENTY:Silas was ordained to a seventy along with his brother Christopher on 25 Feb 1858

In a life story written by his daughter Sarah Ann Higbee Smith she stated that her father was administered to by the Prophet Joseph Smith and was healed at once. This was when the cholera was so bad in Nauvoo.

Sources of information for this family was taken from the following:

1. GS Call no. 25,596 Lewiston , Utah ward records pgs 8,9,16,41

2. GS Call no. 7,639 Wilford , Idaho Ward records

3. Personal knowledge of Alta Higbee Jacobson of Orem, Utah 4. Personal knowledge of child # 4 Sarah Ann Higbee Smith.

4. Personal knowledge of Phoebe Meservy Higbee Wold, wife of child #11

5. Letter from Myron D. Higbee, Cedar City, Utah in 1922.

6. Personal knowledge of Melisa Ann Wheeler, wife.

7. Personal knowledge on Lloyd Duane Smith, son of child #4.

8 Personal knowledge of child #12 Amanda Melisa

9. Endowment cards of Silas Somers Higbee, Melisa Ann Wheeler, John Henry Higbee, Sarah Ann Higbee, Lorin Higbee, Calvin Higbee, Joseph Albert Higbee, Frederick Hyrum Higbee, Samuel Somers Higbee, Amanda Melisa Higbee.

11 GS call no 7512 Marysville Idaho Ward Records #361 (wife & daug. of John Henry.

12 GS call no 34,574 Smoot Wyoming Records pg 15 (John Henry)

13 GS call no Ashton, Idaho (vernon) Ward Records (John Henry)

14 GS call no Ora, (Idaho Ward Records (wife & daughter of John Henry)

15 GS call no Weston, Idaho Ward Records pg 19, Sec. 1,2,and 3 (Lorin)

16 GS call no Downey, Idaho Ward Records (Lorin)

17 GS call no Grant, Idaho Ward Records p 46,47 (Lorin)

18 GS call no St, Anthony, Idaho Ward Records item 2 p 609,610,611 (John Henry)

19 GS call no MS F 612 Five Journals of John Somers Higbee.

20 History of John Somers in "Isaac Higbee & Sophia Somers Family Magizine 1955-56

21 Journal and records of Margaret Ann Chery wife of John Henry Higbee, in possession of Zella Cottrell Johnson

22 "Edward Higbee and descendants" by Clinton D. Higby p 245-46

23 GS call no 170748 Alberta Sealings # 14981

24 GS call no 455035 Logan Sealings

25 GS call no 455130 Logan Sealings

26 History of Silas Somers Higbee written by his daughter Sarah Ann Higbee Smith Stewart

27 History of Levi Wheeler

28 Sarah Ann Higbee sealed to parents by Sheila Jessop 1 Dec 1978 Los Angeles Temple

• Updated from Find A Grave Memorial via brother John Mount Higbee by SmartCopy: Aug 9 2015, 16:37:07 UTC

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 2 2016, 16:15:12 UTC

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 14 2017, 19:53:11 UTC