Morris Charles and Laura Phelps
Information comes from the History of Bear Lake Pioneers by Irene H Budge and Beatrice H Burgoyne
Morris Charles Phelps was born in Northampton, Massachusetts 20 Dec 1805, the son of Spencer Phelps and Mary Kenneippe. When Morris was 19 he visited his relatives in Illinois and while there he met and fell in love with Laura Clark, daughter of Timothy and Polly K. She was born 28 July 1807 in New Fairfield Connecticut. Morris and Laura were married 28 Mar 1826. They became interested in the new Mormon religion in 1831 and after several weeks of investigation, they were baptized in the Dupage River 18 Aug 1831. They left Illinois 2 months later and joined the Saints in Missouri.
Children of Morris Phelps and Laura Clark
1. Paulina Eliza Phelps
b-20 Mar 1827 in Lawrenceville Illinois; d-11 Oct 1912 in Parowan Utah; m-Amasa
M Lyman
2. Mary Ann Phelps b-6 Aug 1829 in Peoria Illinois; d-17 Apr 1912 in Paris
Idaho; m-Charles C Rich
3. Harriet Wight Phelps b-7 Apr 1832 in Independence Missouri; d-19 Mar 1893 in
Montpelier; m-James Holmes
4. Joseph Morris Phelps b-2 June 1837 in Far West Missouri; d-29 Sep 1886 in
Cokeville Wyoming
5. Jacob Spencer b-8 June 1840 in Ripley Indiana; d-13 Mar 1843 in Macedonia
Illinois
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Morris and Laura were driven from their home in Jackson County and moved to Clay County. He was called on a mission to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. He baptized Laura's parents who then moved to Missouri and helped Laura with the children. Morris spent the winter of 1835-36 as a carpenter on the Kirtland Temple in Ohio, was ordained a high priest and attended the dedication of the Temple 6 Apr 1836. He returned home to move his family again to Far West. But soon the mobs again attacked and he was put in jail with Parley P Pratt. They escaped with the help of his wife and Parley's brother Orson.
Morris went on another mission east in 1839 taking Laura and his son Joseph with him. After this he and Laura settled in Macedonia Illinois where Laura overcome with exertion took sick and died 1 Feb 1842. After Laura's death, he met Sara Thompson and they married 27 Mar 1842.
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Children of Morris Charles Phelps and Sara Thompson
1. Laura Ann Phelps b-16
Feb 1843 in Macedonia Illinois; d-21 Jan 1844 in Nauvoo
2. Sarah Diantha Phelps b-25 Feb 1845 in Nauvoo; d-28 Feb 1845 in Nauvoo
3. Hyrum Smith Phelps b-26 Feb 1846 in Nauvoo; d-23 Apr 1926 in Mesa Arizona
4. Martha Ann Phelps b-18 Oct 1848 in Winter Quarters Nebraska; d-18 July 1865
in Montpelier
5. Charles Wilkes Phelps b-1852 in Alpine Utah; d-1856 in Alpine Utah
6. Olive Espenia Phelps b-24 Nov 1856 in Alpine Utah; d-16 Apr 1932 in Los
Angeles California
7. Amanda Angelia Phelps b-27 Apr 1854 in Alpine Utah; d-18 Nov 1891 in St Johns
Arizona
8. Martha Pidge Phelps b-1858 in Alpine Utah
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Morris and Sara left Nauvoo with the Saints and stayed in Winter Quarters for five years. During this time Morris met and married Martha Barker Holmes on 26 Feb 1848. They all came to Utah in 1851 and settled in Alpine Utah. Morris served as a counselor in the bishopric and as an Alderman. In June 1864 both he and James Holmes moved their families to Bear Lake following Charles C Rich. Morris' first home in Montpelier was a one room log hut with a dirt floor and roof. The first year, 1864, an early frost damaged the crops. Teams were sent to Cache Valley for flour but before they got back it snowed so hard that they were unable to reach home right away.
Morris later built a two room large home with a wooden floor and a shingle roof, the first in Montpelier. This became a center for community gatherings and well as for the mail, as he became a postmaster of Montpelier in 1869 and was ordained a patriarch by Brigham Young in 1873. Sara was the first president of the Relief Society in Montpelier, also serving as a midwife delivering 580 babies without a loss.
Morris Phelps died in Montpelier 22 May 1876. After his death Sara moved to Mesa Arizona with her son Hyrum. She died there 31 Jan 1896. Martha remained in Montpelier after Morris' death and lived with her son James Holmes. She died 9 Jan 1888.