I love the story of the Great White Sheep ---It's a family story treasure
SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF SARAH MARIA TERRY WHITE, A UTAH PIONEER OF 1852
Prepared by Venus Robinson Rossiter
A grand-daughter
Sarah M. Terry White, daughter of William Reynolds Terry, and Mary Allen Phillips Terry, was of sturdy New England stock which dates as far back as 1626.
In September 1838 her parents left their home in Exeter, Rhode Island and settled in Van Buren County, Iowa, where they heard and accepted the gospel in August 1841. They were baptized by Brothers Freeman Gillette and Jos. T. Ball several months later in the Des Moines River. Soon after this they had the spirit of gathering with the saints, and they sold their property and moved to Bancock County Illinois, near Nauvoo. Here they suffered the persecutions common with the saints at that time, being driven from place to place by their enemies, and having their property stolen and burned. Many times they went to bed fully dressed in fear of having their homes burned or pillaged during the night.
Sarah was born in a covered wagon in Patowatomic County, Iowa, Oct. 9, 1848, during the time her parents were crossing the plains with the great Mormon migration westward. The family started west in 1847 in one of the earliest companies, but were twice called by the presiding authorities to give up their wagon and oxen, and to remain behind to plant crops, build wagons, and construct forts of safety for companies that were to follow, thus delaying their arrival in Utah nearly five years.
Bro. and Sister Terry with their children, Albins, Dorcus, Mary Abbey, Sarah Maria, Joseph, Benjamin Franklin, and Silas (Leah Anne, Rosina, and Minerva Deseret being born in Draper later) arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley Sept. 1852 with Washington Lemmon's Company. (Bro. Terry was Captain of this Company.) They camped a few days on Mill Creek and then moved south to Willow Creek, now known as Draper. Here Bro. Terry built the first adobe house, and planted the first fruit trees. Three months after their arrival he commenced teaching the first school in Draper with twenty five students in attendance.
The settlement was so greatly molested by the Indians that they built a fort for safety in which they lived for a period of three years. They suffered all the privations of hunger and cold of that period; at times living on boiled mustard weeds and pigweed greens, sego roots, and occasionally a bran pancake.
Bro. Terry was then called to go to St. George with his family, to St. George to assist in the building of the Temple. Not long after they were there, the river overflowed and the waters periled the new building. Bro. Terry worked long hours without rest to save their precious work, in the flood waters. This caused him to take pneumonia, and he died very suddenly leaving his wife with a large family. The family later returned to Draper.
At the age of fifteen Sarah was married to Richard Herman White, a young English convert, in the old Salt Lake Endowment House. Although not much more than a child, she received a wonderful blessing, which at the time she could not understand. In it she was told that she would be the source of two separate nations. In time this was fulfilled as she later married a second time.
A few years after their marriage the young couple moved to Ogden, Utah, where they built their home one half block east of where the Hotel Bigelow now stands. Here they prospered, owning the first Drug Store in Ogden, and also being associated in the lumber business with Mr. White's brother named Barnard white. The following children were born to them: Richard Terry, William Burgess, Annie Marie, Robinson, Ernest Atmore, George Q., Joseph Franklin, and Barnard. (The last three died in childhood.) They moved to Salt Lake City for a time, later returning to Ogden, soon after which her husband died leaving her a widow at twenty seven years of age with four small children.
Left alone with her little family to care and provide for, she cast about for a means whereby she could educate her children and provide for them, and at the same time not be separated from them. She opened up a private school in the large front room of her home at 256 South 7th East, which was well patronized. Many now prominent citizens attended that little school. Up until this time her education had been very meager (as was the rule, rather than the exception in those days) so she decided to attend a night school which was being conducted by Mr. Joseph Ward, whom she later married. To them were born Mary Wiona (Burg) and Joseph Frank Ward, former bishop of Emigration Ward, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Once more widowed with two additional children to care for, her health became impaired, and following a long serious illness, they were reduced to straightened circumstances. She was very proud and never complained, or let her condition be known nor asked for help from her relatives or closest friends. She always turned to the Lord for help and relief, who many times miraculously cared for her needs. On one particular occasion they found themselves without funds and nothing to eat in the house. She called her little family around her sick bed, where they all knelt in prayer, asking the Lord to send help to them in their hour of sickness and need. Scarcely had they finished their prayer, than they heard a scratching at the door, and upon opening it a great white sheep rushed in the house, bleating and refused to be driven out. It was a different species of sheep than they had ever seen having long silken hair. To all their inquiries no trace of where the sheep had come from could be found. Soon after the unusual appearance of this sheep a large box of groceries and a sack of flour were left at their rear door. Years later, Bro. Sears who kept a grain store bore testimony in fast meeting of the 11th Ward that while working in his store, a voice spoke to him three times telling that Sister White was in need and for him to send a supply of food to her, which he did immediately.
Sister White as a woman of great abiding faith in God and in man. The above incident is only one of many that might be related to show her infinite trust in God. Second only to her great faith was her boundless charity, for even in times of need, she was never too poor to divide with those who were less fortunate then she. She was a ministering angel to the sick and needy, and a comfort to those in trouble and a strength to the weak. No one ever left her door hungry, whether for temporal or spiritual food. To have known her was to be uplifted and better. Later in life she studied medicine, and was a practicing mid-wife for more than thirty years. In all her practice, in which she delivered in the neighborhood of one thousand babies, she never lost a single mother or baby. Never did she go out on a case before getting down on her knees and asking God for wisdom and strength, nor was any distance too great, nor any night too stormy, or disagreeable for her to go out on call to the sick even though she were obliged to walk miles alone in a storm and in many cases knowing she would never be recompensed for her services. Her charitable cases were innumerable. In one case I know she delivered and nursed eight children in the same family without ever receiving a penny for her services.
Although her opportunity for schooling had been very limited she was a cultured and educated woman, for she was a great lover and student of the classics and fine literature. For thirty five years she was a teacher of the Theological Class in the Eleventh Ward Sunday School, and a Relief Society teacher in the same ward for even a greater period of time. She was a perfect lady, having a queenly bearing, and a rare quiet dignity that few possess.
So great was her trust in mankind, that she never possessed a key to any door in her house during her lifetime, and nothing has ever been known to be taken from her premises, even after her death when the old home, which is still standing was left unoccupied for a period of two years, the spirit of her, still seemed to permeate the place, for not as much as a single window pane was broken or disturbed.
She died at the age of sixty-nine years, Dec. 17, 1917.
She was mourned and loved by many in all stations of life. She left a posterity of six living children, forty grandchildren, forty seven great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren, a total of ninety six descendants.
She was a true friend, a faithful Latter-day Saint, and a real mother of Israel. Truly one of God's choicest spirits.
- My grandfather William Burgess White used to tell me stories about his mother and how he loved her. His eyes would glisten with tears and he would say, "Shes an angel and I know she watches over me." His mother loved to hear him sing and taught him songs he sang to me like the "Baggage Car Ahead". I have a recording of him playing the piano and singing that was made on a wire recorder in 1941. David Arnold White
