Our Pioneer Heritage

I have always had a love for my pioneer heritage and I have to admit, have been a bit too proud of it at times. You see, on both sides of my family I have ancestors who sacrificed much to 'come to Zion' to be able to worship according to their conscience. 

My mom's maternal Great-grandfather, Jens Neilson, joined the Church in Denmark and was in the Willie Handcart company. He suffered the loss of his only child and the child who had been entrusted to his care, as well as the use of his toes. He walked with a limp and canes ever after. In 1879 he joined the Hole-In-The-Rock party to settle the San Juan company in the SE part of Utah. That was a six month journey that was only supposed to be 6 weeks. More on that story here. My mom's grandparents on her father's side were chased out of Mexico by Pancho Villa, settling in 1915 in San Juan Co. UT. 

My father's Great-grandfather was also in the Hole-In-The-Rock party and was the owner of the team of blind horses that were the first down the "Hole" as they couldn't see what they were heading into. He settled in Bluff and later, in Verdure. He was a judge and the postmaster. His cabin is still standing on the Bluff Fort historic site property. My dad's great-grandpa on his mother's side was a pioneer in the company of Saints that were called to settle in the Big Horn Basin in Northern Wyoming. That is where I'm going to start my story.

In 1900 the Church called a number of families from Bountiful and Morgan Ut areas to go to Wyoming to settle in the Big Horn Basin. They were to build a 30 mile long canal that would irrigate 17000 acres of land. 

James Crossley Sessions was born in 1862 to Perrigrine Sessions and Sarah Crossley. Sarah had been in the Martin Handcart company and had survived but suffered the ill effects of that journey the rest of her life. She married Perrigrine Sessions, the missionary who had converted her family, a few years after arriving in SLC. James was her first son. James and his family went in the spring of 1900 to the Big Horn Basin. He was the first man in the company to plant trees in the basin. Unfortunately, even though they hauled water for them, they did not survive. He stayed in Wyoming for 5 years but returned to Utah because his wife, Selena Holt, suffered from diabetes and needed better medical care.

(No photo of James available)

There was another man in the Big Horn Company by the name of Charles A. Welch. He was born in 1860 In SLC. He married Mary Louisa Hinckley and in 1900 they moved their family to Wyoming from the Morgan UT area. Charles stayed in Wyoming for the rest of his life, and was a prominent member of the community serving in many capacities. He served in political and church roles as well as being a business owner.

Charles and Mary(Mamie) Welch

James Sessions had a son named Arvil Sessions, who had a daughter named Nina Sessions Barton, who had a son named Karl S. Barton, who had a daughter named Kassie.

Charles A Welch had a son named Charles Golden Welch, who had a son named Ford M. Welch, who had a son named Michael S. Welch, who had a son named Curtis Welch.

In 1986 I was living in Provo in the Raintree apts. Into my ward moved a handsome young man named Curtis Welch. We dated for about 8 months before becoming engaged and married in Aug 1987.

After we married I was looking through a book that Curtis had about the Big Horn settlement. In it there were little paragraphs about the early settlers of Cowley Wyoming. As I looked through them I found James Crossley Sessions. It was then that I realized and pointed out to my husband that our ancestors likely knew each other nearly 100 years before we met. We have often wondered if our pioneer ancestors helped in any way in our meeting and marrying. We like to think they might have!

Joining Cocoa for Wordful Wednesday!