Family:Whitney, Alonzo Wells Newcomb (1818-1845)

Alonzo Wells Newcomb Whitney (Silas Newcomb), son of Silas Newcomb and Mary (Wheeler) Whitney, was born 27 Dec 1818, Canandaigua, NY, and died 4 Feb 1845, Nauvoo, IL. He was buried in Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds, Nauvoo, IL.^[1]

He married, 30 Oct 1839, Union Co., OH, Henrietta Keyes, daughter of Samuel and Nansey (Dalgarn) Keyes. She was born 25 Dec 1821, Waverly, Pike Co., OH, although I have her christened 15 Jan 1815 Bristol, Ontario, NY, died 12 Feb 1901, Kaysville, Davis Co. UT, and was buried 17 Feb 1901, in Kaysville City Cemetery, Kaysville, UT.^[2] She married secondly, 26 Jan 1846, Nauvoo, IL, Newell Kimball⁸ Whitney, q.v. She married thirdly, 23 Dec 1851, Salt Lake City, UT Terr., Stephen Hales, Jr., by whom she had four children.

Alonzo died in Nauvoo and Brigham Young preached at his funeral. Henrietta walked all the way to Winter Quarters with her two children Samuel and Don Carlos. Don Carlos died at Winter Quarters.

Death "Nauvoo Deaths p. 83 died of lung fever, age 20 yrs 1 mo & 8 days (NN12 Feb. 1845, NSR pg 25 lists age as 26 yrs and 1 mo. old at age of death (977.343/N1 V2c).

Journal of Alonzo Wells Whitney:

"When I was about two years old my mother in company with her mother her two brothers and one sister, moved from Ontario, New York to Cincinnati, Ohio. There my mother married again to a man by the name of Capese and shortly moved south to Tennessee, after living with him something like two years he died and also his little girl, six months old that she had by him. In the meantime one of her brothers Lewis died in Cincinnati with the typhus fever.

"My grandmother, Mary Wheeler shortly after losing her oldest son Lewis Wheeler, in Cincinnati, moved to Champaign County with her family which consisted of her youngest son Timothy, her oldest daughter Pamelia, her son in law Samuel Lane with his family of two girls and myself, for I continued to live with my grandmother from the time I was born, who fostered me and took care of me. There, grandmother and Uncle Timothy bought a claim and settled in a new and beautiful country. My uncle Lane settled close and notwithstanding my friends were poor, yet by their industry they lived comfortable and happy.

"About the year 1824 or 1825 mother returned from the South and her only child and her friends.

"In the year 1827 my uncle and uncle in law moved to the wilderness in Union County, two miles east of Big Darby. There they under took to clean out farms and both purchased land. But the hard labor and the milk sickness were too much for them and on 27 June 1828 my uncle Timothy died leaving my aged grandmother alone save myself only 10 years old, and one granddaughter still younger. We all saw hard times being poor, but my mother was a woman of perseverance, industry and economy and I was tolerable expert in business and followed the council of my Grandmother, worked out by day and every way to get along.

"On Oct. 2nd 1828 Uncle Samuel Lane died and left a family of five children. After that Grandmother and aunt agreed to take uncles place in partnership and pay for it, but Aunt Pamelia soon fell in with a shiftless man who afterwards effected her death and also most of her children thru dragging her all over the world. His name was Peter Conkite.

"Grandmother continued to pay for her farm and conduct all her affairs in wisdom and righteousness, for she feared God and eschewed evil in as far as she knew and was a woman of extraordinary wisdom considering the age she lived in. She was considered by all classes that knew her, even after she began to fail with old age, to have superior faculties and judgment.

"Many scenes of trial and privation we passed through for our neighbors were selfish and loved their own bellies better than their fellowman or the widow and the fatherless consequently we were many times oppressed and born down by those who could have relieved us as God instructed us to do. We toiled together night and day to make a living and pay for our little place in the woods and to clear it out and improve it better for ourselves.

"At one time I went to a camp meeting where I got the methodist fever--what I then called religion. I remained sober for sometime doing the best I knew how under the Methodist religion, but not having the knowledge of God nor of the correct principles, I soon ran into wickedness and folly in some instances, yet I exercised faith in the most I did and obeyed and loved my aged grandmother, as I was the idol of her heart until her death.

"My mother from the time she arrived from the South lived single until about the year 1830 when she married a man by the name of Stephen Kelsey who was not the best of men but the worst. After several years of torment and perplexity on her part, she left him and they remained apart for several years, when she took a notion to marry Isack Runyon whose qualities were somewhat better as it seemed. In January 1835 I went to learn the Saddlers trade with Evans and S. Kasar two partners. I intended to have stayed five years, but circumstances altered my mind and I only stayed about three years and didn't learn much at that on account of my bosses not being of any force. I worked at different places in order to learn my trade, and at the same time I paid strict attention to my grandmother, to assist her to procure her the comforts of life and to console her in her troubles and old age, for she was worthy of my love and respect, and I knew it well yet there are some things in my course of life that I have reason to regret on her account especially for she was very strict and I was very rude which grieved her much.

"In the year 1839, in April there was a young lady come to the place where I lived, her name was Henrietta Keyes, the first sight of her caused sensations in my heart that I shall never forget and I am now convinced that God in his infinite mercy and goodness, sent that lovely angel to me for a helpmeet through life." The above was copied from the original manuscript by his Granddaughter Mary Whitney October 14, 1901.

Note on the back of family group sheet of Mary Stringham Sigurd, Utah. Alanzo Wells Whitney baptized in Nauvoo, Ill. Rebaptized in Logan Temple. Endowed: Logan Temple. Sealed to parents 25 Mar 1921 W. W. Whitney and Mary W Stringham stood Proxy. Alonzo and Newel were cousins. Sent to me by Keith Morgan <[email protected]>.

The following baptisms were done in Nauvoo by Alonzo W. Whitney:

• Lewis Wheeler, born about 1796, uncle
• Timothy Wheeler, died June 28, 1828, uncle.
• Pamelia Lane (no date), aunt
• Sophronia Lane (no date) cousin
• Mary Kelly, grandmother
• Mary Garlick, of Cheshire, England, cousin
• Samuel Lane, uncle.

Monday April 10, 1843 10:00 am, A special Conference of Elders convened in Nauvoo, Illinois, and continued by adjournment from time to time; till the 12th. There were present of the quorum of the twelve Brigham Young, Pres. Heber C. Kimball, William Smith, Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards.

Alonzo Wells Newcomb Whitney was ordained an Elder to be sent on a mission. His companion was J. Goodale and they were sent to Dublin, Ohio.

Deaths for the week ending Feb 10, 1845 reported by W.D. Huntington, Sexton; Alonzo W. N. Whitney 20 yrs 1 m 8 d lung fever. Vol 291938 Utah Utlg.

Alonzo was bapt. in the Nauvoo Temple for Lewis Wheeler, Uncle; Timothy Wheeler, Uncle; Pamela Lane, aunt; Sophrinia Lane, cousin; Mary Garlick, cousin; Mary Kelly, Grandmother; Samuel Lane, uncle.

Children of Alonzo Wells Newcomb and Henrietta (Keyes) Whitney:

i.	Samuel Alonzo Whitney, b. 10 Nov 1840, Palmyra, Union Co., OH; m.(1) Fanny Mariah Wall; m.(2) Mary Polly Ann Campbell.
ii.	Don Carlos Whitney, b. 27 Jul 1842, Warren Co., IL; d. 27 Nov 1846, Winter Quarters, Douglas Co., NE; bur. Mormon Pioneer Cemetery, Omaha, NE.[3]

Census

• 1840, Milford, Union Co., OH: Alonzo Whitney, 1 male 20-29 and 1 female 15-19; 1 engaged in agriculture.

1.^  FindAGrave Memorial #33845750, Alonzo Wells Whitney.

2.^  FindAGrave Memorial #121137, Henrietta Keyes Hales.

3.^  FindAGrave Memorial #35004419, Don Carlos Whitney.

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