Armela or Millie Shanks

1804 - 1893  (88 years)

• Name	Armela or Millie Shanks
  Born	24 Jan 1804	Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States
  Gender	Female
  Died	10 Jan 1893	Richfield, Sevier, Utah, United States
  Buried	15 Jan 1893	Kannarraville Cemetery, Kannarraville, Iron, Utah, United States
  Person ID	I542	Petersen-de Lanskoy
  Last Modified	27 May 2021

  
  

  Family	Jesse Woods Berry,   b. 9 Jan 1792, of, Albemarle, Virginia, United States ,   d. 6 Aug 1844, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States  (Age 52 years)
  Married	24 Feb 1820	Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States
  Children	1. John Williams Berry,   b. 17 Dec 1822, Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States ,   d. 12 Apr 1890, Kanarraville, Iron, Utah, United States  (Age 67 years)   2. Robert Matheson or Madison Berry,   b. 3 Feb 1841, Dresden, Weakley, Tennessee, United States ,   d. 2 Apr 1866, near Grafton, Washington, Utah, United States  (Age 25 years)   3. Joseph Smith Berry,   b. 9 Dec 1843, Dresden, Weakley, Tennessee, United States ,   d. 2 Apr 1866, near Grafton, Washington, Utah, United States  (Age 22 years)
  Last Modified	28 May 2021
  Family ID	F442	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  RESEARCH_NOTES: 1. Censuses: 1880 US: Kanara, Kane, Utah, FHL film 1255336, National Archives Film T9-1336, p. 424D: Irmela Berry, keeping house, widow, 76, TN, USA, - . Charles Berry, son, laborer, 18, Indian, UT UT UT. 2. Armelia apparently adopted an Indian son named Charles Berry, b. ca. 1862, per 1880 census quoted above. NFS accessed 24 Mar 2012 shows Charles Oscar Berry, b. abt. 1862 in Utah, bur. 30 Jun 1917 in Dillon, Beaverhead, Montana, md. to Charlotte Cordelia Kempton 31 Oct 1905 at Blackfoot, Bingham, Idaho. NFS also shows some variations on this basic vital information. 3. Mentioned in her son John Williams Berry's obituary of 18 Apr 1890 as a survivor albeit "an aged mother who is very feeble..." BIOGRAPHY: 1. The book "Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude" by the daughters of Utah Pioneers [picture accompanies article]: "Armelia Shanks Berry, b. 24 Jan 1804 at Lebanan [Lebanon], Wilson, TN, d. 10 Jan 1893 at Kannarraville, Iron, Utah, parents are William Shanks and Armelia Williams, pioneer of 2 Oct 1847 with the Jedediah W. Grant Wagon Company, m. Jesse Woods Berry 8 Feb 1820 at Lebanan, Wilson, TN (he died 3 Aug 1844 [actually 6 Aug 1844 per citations in his notes]) Children: Adeline Patton, 20 Apr 1821 John Williams, 17 Dec 1822 Sarah Lurenia, 27 Dec 1825 (died at age 7) Martha Elizabeth, 22 Nov 1826 Louisa Jane, 1 Dec 1828 Armelia Harret, 17 Jan 1830 Cynthia Lovinia, 27 Feb 1833 Thurza Melvina, 23 Dec 1835 William Shanks, 3 Feb 1838 Robert Madison, 3 Feb 1841 Joseph Smith, 9 Dec 1843 Armelia was born in Tennessee, in 1804. She raised all but one of her 11 children to adulthood. Her oldest daughter, Adeline, stayed in Tennessee and Armelia never heard from her again. Another great sorrow came when her husband died on Aug. 3, 1844, leaving her with nine children to raise alone. Her 22 year old son, John, helped her with them. John was able to get wagons, and supplies for the family to come West, arriving in the Salt lake Valley, Oct. 2, 1849. They were the first settlers on the Spanish Fork River. They were forced to move out of their homes into a fort, which they help[ed] build. They lost many cattle and constantly feared for their lives. They then moved south to Berryville by the Sevier River. In the Fall of 1865, Robert took his wife to visit her parents and while they were in Spanish Fork the[ir?] little girl died of diphtheria. They returned to Berryville. When they were too long coming home, John and William went to meet them and found that they had been killed by the Indians three days before, April 2, 1866. They then moved to Kanarraville. Here Armelia had a home down the street from her son. She became a midwife, and had many friends. She brought many babies into the world and helped the sick. She was loved by everyone. Armelia was a widow for nine years before she died, Jan 10, 1893." 2. Kanarra's name was changed to Kanarraville when the city incorporated in 1934. The first white settlers came from Fort harmony when heavy rains washed out the fort in 1862. Several Toquerville families also relocated there, and the community was further fortified in the late 1860's by the arrival of Long Valley settlers fleeing Indian problems. As far as I can tell, it has always been part of Iron County inspite of 1880 US census showing it in Kane county. BIRTH: 1. Date and "Wilson Co., TN" per endowment record. 2. Date and "Lebanan, Wilson, TN" per DUP source cited above. MARRIAGE: 1. DUP source cited above uses 8 Feb 1820 at Lebanon, Wilson, TN; however, source below is better. I use date from ord. Ind. and place from DUP. 2. Online Ordinance Index FHL film M519853 - extracted marriage record for Wilson Co., TN from 1819-1821: Jesse Berry and Milly Shanks, 18 Feb 1820. DEATH: 1. Date per DUP source cited above; however, Ancestral File indicates same date but at Richfield with burial at Kanarraville. Perhaps due to her age, she was with a relative in Richfield at time of death even though her home had eventual burial was at Kanarraville. BURIAL: 1. Per Ancestral File.