Chris & Julie Petersen's Genealogy

Miriam Jane Billingsley

Female 1829 - 1912  (83 years)


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  • Name Miriam Jane Billingsley 
    Born 31 Jan 1829  West Trenton, Gibson, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died 7 May 1912  Aurora, Sevier, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried 10 May 1912  Aurora City Cemetery, Aurora, Sevier, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I1439  Petersen-de Lanskoy
    Last Modified 27 May 2021 

    Family George Washington Adair,   b. 18 Mar 1818, West Carthage, Smith, Tennessee, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 28 Aug 1897, Orderville, Kane, Utah, United States Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years) 
    Married 6 May 1846  Tioga, Mahaska, Iowa, United States Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Last Modified 28 May 2021 
    Family ID F882  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • RESEARCH_NOTES:
      1. Pioneer Emigration:
      A. Per LDS Journal of History, 21 Jun 1847, listed in the pioneer company of James S. Holman, Capt., in Charles C. Rich's Guard organized 17 Jun 1847 and arrived in SLC 2 Oct 1847. In same company are several Adairs with ages and birth dates/places:
      Joseph, 41, 17 Apr 1806, Lawraceville, Lawrance, S.C. [probable cousin; Laurens Co.]
      Rebecca, 32, 10 Aug 1815, Giles Co., Tenn. [Rebecca Mangum, wife of Joseph.]
      Lucinda J., 6, 22 Oct 1841, Itewamly, Miss. [dau. of Joseph and Rebecca; Itawamba Co.]
      Geo. W., 29, 18 Mar 1818, Tennessee.
      Miriam, 20, 31 Jan 1827, Tennessee [wife of Geo.]
      Emaline R., inf., 1 Mar 1847, Mt. Pisgah, Iowa [dau. of Geo. and Miriam.]
      Also two Mangums:
      James, 27, 6 Jan 1820, Sinclair, Ala.
      Eliza Jane, 20, 11 Aug 1827, Greene, Ala.
      B. 18 Feb 2006 unpublished manuscript of Norma Ricketts on a book she is working on about the 1847 pioneer crossings:
      "The Charles C. Rich Company was the smallest company to leave from Winters Quarters during 1847. His company had three tens, a total of 126 people with 25 wagons. This company brought a cannon as well as artillery and ammunition, 25 kegs of black powder, the Nauvoo Temple bell, and a boat. The ammunition was ferried across the river. They left the outfitting post on the Elkhorn River June 21, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley October 2, 1847.
      Sarah DeArmon Pea Rich wrote of the death of Jacob Weatherby, a member of the Abraham O. Smoot Company. Weatherby was wounded by a Pawnee Indian at the Platte River on June 19 two days before they left the Platte River. He was taken to the nearest tent, which belonged to the Rich Company and died the next morning. Weatherby was buried near the Elkhorn River at Camp Liberty on June 20. "We fixed him a bed and did all we could to ease his pain. He suffered awful pain through the night and the next morning about nine o'clock his suffering ended in death."
      Promptly at 6 o'clock on the morning of June 21, the Rich Company fired a six-pound cannon, and the wagons started out following the first hundred. As the company left Fishing Slough June 25, Captain Rich's oxen became frightened and "partly fell on my son Joseph and hurt him considerably and came nigh killing him."
      The Spencer Company (Eldredge fifty) passed the Rich Company on June 28. A large party of Indians was following the companies, so Captain Rich fired the cannon twice. He noted in his journal that "all things were safe."
      They reached the Platte River on June 29 and waited for some time. There were many wagons in line to cross. On July 2 they found the "Sow" cannon carried by Captain Hunter's company, abandoned on the trail with its carriage broken and tongue gone. The cannon's traveling gear was repaired and the cannon was brought along. A broken wagon axle delayed the company further. On July 9 the Rich Company overtook the Spencer and Hunter companies.
      When the company arrived in buffalo country, Captain Rich shot three and the pioneers were glad to add the meat to their meager food supply. Sarah Rich wrote it was "very dangerous traveling through this country, but we were preserved from serious accident. It was a grand sight to see these herds of wild animals, thousands in a group, racing across the prairies. The fear was that they might attack us in their flight."
      The company passed Chimney Rock, Nebraska, on August 1 and reached Fort Laramie, Wyoming, August 5. They traded some horses for oxen and cows. Travel was difficult because of the heat and dust. Mary Rich, who drove a wagon with another woman, wrote: "We did so well that we had our teams ready for travel at the appointed hour every day after
      that until we arrived in the Valley, as regularly as the men did. We did not grieve or mourn over it, we had some very nice times when the roads were not so bad. We could make the mountains ring with our songs… we rejoiced that we were going to the Rocky Mountains where we would be free to practice our religion."
      They traveled through the Black Hills with steep slopes and a shortage of water and stopped on August 13 to dig for water in a dry river bed. On August 21, the company reached the Upper Ferry of the Platte River. Their teams were very weak and an occasional ox died as the company crossed the alkali flats.
      On August 26, when four oxen died, Captain Rich left behind the two boats and a wagon, stripping the wagon of its iron parts. John Taylor visited their camp and asked for extra oxen. His company had experienced the death of many oxen. Captain Rich gave him one yoke of oxen.
      On an alkali desert, the Rich Company cut blocks of bicarbonate of soda from Saleratus Lake. Later in Salt Lake Valley this soda was used in making bread.
      They began ascending the South Pass and reached the Continental Divide on August 31. The company noted wind, rain, and snow over the 7,000 foot pass. On the west side of the mountain there was plenty of grass and water. On. September 2 they met a small group, including eight apostles, returning to Winter Quarters from Salt Lake Valley. Several nearby companies halted and joined in a meeting with the apostles. The officers for the Salt Lake Stake were chosen, with Captain Rich as a counselor in the stake presidency, to be ordained later.
      On the west side of the mountain grass and water were plentiful and the teams grew stronger. They stopped a couple of days for the birth of John President Porter on September 4. At the Big Sandy, the company lost another ox, but made steady progress to Fort Bridger, arriving September 16.
      The company was slowed by several wagons with broken axles: one in Echo Canyon September 24, another in East Canyon and another a day later. They crossed Big Mountain on September 30. Captain Cherry of the first ten upset a wagon. The company became spread out as it traveled down the canyons. Captain Rich's mother, Nancy O'Neal Rich, became seriously ill. After passing Little Mountain, the Rich Company resumed the proper order and arrived in Salt Lake Valley, October 2.
      Nancy O'Neal Rich, mother of Captain Rich, died October 5 in Salt Lake Valley and was buried beside the wife of Jedediah Grant, who had died on Big Mountain a few days earlier. Two babies, Catherine Frost (Sept. 16) and William Harker (Sept. 26) were born in Echo Canyon, Utah. The number after each name indicates age at time of departure from Winter Quarter.
      Charles C. Rich Company, Captain. [Adair family in the company:]
      Adair, Emaline Rebecca, infant Born: March 1, 1847
      Adair, George Washington, 27
      Adair, Joseph, 41
      Adair, Lucinda Jane, 6
      Adair, Miriam Jane Billingsly, 20
      Adair, Rebecca Mangum, 32
      Mangum, Eliza Jane Clark, 19
      Mangum, James Mitchell, 27

      2. Censuses:
      1856 Utah Territorial Census was taken because Utah was trying to get statehood to avoid some of the problems that later came. As a result they wanted as many people as possible and frequently included names of everyone in a family without regard to whether they were living or dead. As a result, some of the people listed with the family may not actually have been in the household in 1856. The Adair and Mangums listed included the following heads of households in the Provo and Payson City area: George W. Adair, James Mangum, Joseph Adair (wife Rebecca), Samuel Adair, and Thomas Adair. Source for the following entry is FHL film # 505,913; Ms d 2929 fd. 32, Provo City, p. 8:
      George W. Adair
      Miriam "
      Sarah "
      George W. Jr. "
      Miriam J. "
      Sarah (Lanah?) "

      1860 US: Beaver, Beaver, Utah, p 137, 21 Jul 1860, 1156/1033
      G.W. Adair, 42, TN, farmer, $75, $200.
      Miriam, 31, TN.
      Emeline R., 13, IA.
      Miriam J., 8, UT.
      Elijah J., 3, UT.
      Jedediah, 1, UT.

      1870 US: Beaver, Beaver, Utah, p. 9b, family 73, household 81 and 82 [lives with George Washington Adair, bro. of Samuel Jefferson Adair, and next door to George Washington Adair, son of Samuel Jefferson Adair, who is family 74 and household 73]:
      Family
      Joshua Twitchell, 28, lumberman, $200 real estate, $100 personal property, IL.
      Elmina, 22, keeps house, Mississippi.
      Philetus, 4, M, UT
      George W. Adair, 54, shepherd, $1200 real estate, $200 personal property, Mississippi.
      Miriam, 41, keeps house, TN.
      Emaline R., 23, IA
      Elijah, 13, UT.
      Jedediah, 11, UT.
      Wm. W., 9, UT.
      Edw. R., 5, UT.
      Ruha??, ?/12, UT. [Unclear]

      1880 US: National Archives film T9-1336, p. 452C for Orderville, Kane, Utah:
      George W. Adair, laborer, Self, 62, TN NC NC.
      Miriam Adair, milliner, Wife, 51, TN TN TN.
      William W. Adair, laborer, Son, 18, UT. [This son in the 1900 census for Orderville, Kane, Utah indicates he was born in Utah and his father in Alabama and mother in Tennessee.]
      Edwin R. Adair, son,15, UT.
      Rumahah V. Adair, dau., 10, UT.
      Myron Adair, gson, 7, UT Eng UT.
      Eliza E. Adair, dau., 5, UT.

      3. Ordinance Index and Ancestry.com lists parents as Elijah Randolph Billingsley b. 1806 at Knoxville, TN and Emeline Lavina Northcott b. 1806 at Murfreesboro, TN.

      4. Per 21 Feb 2002 website : "Charles C. Rich's Guard; Charles C. Rich, Captain; Organized June 17, 1847; Arrived in Salt Lake Valley October 2, 1847; Second Ten; James S. Holman, Captain:
      Adair, Miriam Billingsley
      Born: 31 January 1829 in West Trenton, Gibson Co., Tennessee
      Daughter of Elijah Billingsley and Emaline Lovina Northcott
      Married: 6 May 1846 to George Washington Adair
      Died: 7 May 1912"

      5. Reviewed Rootsweb.com Worldconnect 8 Dec 2002. Some list middle name as Ann instead of Jane.

      BIOGRAPHY:
      1. Billingsley website with many photos as of 9 May 2004: http://billingsley.parkinsonfamily.org/index.htm

      2. Per website <http://www.softcom.net/users/paulandsteph/tjadair/descendants.html>: Written by her grand daughter, Ethel Adair Pope, October 1967. (Written by Calvin Andrus and contributed by Ben Parkinson)
      Daughter of Elijah Randolph Billingsly and Emaline Northcott Billingsly. Born January 31, 1829, in Gibson County, Tennessee. Begin quoting Miriam's own account:
      "When she was six years old she, with her parents, moved to the state of Mississippi in Pontotoe County. In the year 1845 she heard the Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was baptized a member of the Church September 9, 1845. In February 1846 she started, with her parents, to gather with the saints and arrived in Nauvoo in a drenching rainstorm. A large majority of the saints had already started on the journey west to seek a place of safety from the persecutions of their enemies. She crossed the Mississippi River on the 25th of April with the Company of Saints traveling on the road or course their leaders had taken, who had left Nauvoo before she and her parents reached there. It was at this time that she met George Washington Adair. She had a dream the night before that a young man would come riding up to their wagon on a white horse. She had told her sister of her dream and of course they laughed about it as young romantic girls would, so when the young man did come riding into camp on a white horse, the two girls nudged each other and wondered if this was really true. Yes ... that was the man that Miriam married before they reached the valley. Friendship ripened into love as they sat around the campfire in the evenings after the long days journey. Sometimes the evenings were spent in dancing and singing the beloved church hymns. On the 6th day of May 1846, they were married. They overtook President Brigham Young at Mt. Pisgah on the 23rd day of May and it was the counsel of the President that some of the later saints would stop at this place and plant vegetables and make a resting place for those who would follow after them. Miriam and George were among those who stopped at this place. Mt. Pisgah proved to be a very unhealthy place as a great majority of the people were laid low with chills and fever and canker. There were not sufficient number, in all the place, who were well enough to take care of the sick, as a result there was much suffering and many deaths because of this. In the spring of 1847 Counselor Lorenzo Snow, who was presiding at Mt. Pisgah received counsel to send ten men with their families on to the valley that season as President Brigham Young expected to find the place to locate the saints that summer. Miriam and George and daughter Emaline, were one of the families called to go. They had the baby just three months old, born the first of March 1847 at Mt. Pisgah. The journey was long and wearisome, with this young baby, but they, like the rest, endured the hardships and privations courageously." [End of Miriam's own account.]
      Grandmother had started to write her history but did not finish it.
      This little verse, written by grandmother tells a little of the love and devotion that was in her heart throughout the journey.
      At this time when he and I,
      Walked sweetly side by side.
      Then there was glory in the sky,
      Neither storm nor cloud could hide.
      For then I knew that if this heart,
      Should fail in strict demand,
      That I could look into his face,
      And he would understand.
      They arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley on the 2nd day of October 1847 (just four months and ten days from Mt. Pisgah). As she stood viewing the vast plain spread out before her, thinking of the situation they were placed in, we wonder, today, what her thoughts must have been. Was it fear of the future? Or was it gratitude and thanksgiving to her Heavenly Father for having brought them safely to the valley. Their fortitude and courage in meeting all that followed proved that it was faith in the future and thanksgiving for God's blessings and for the strength and courage that he had blessed her with. Their first winter was spent on the north side of what is now known as Pioneer Square. The house was a log cabin with a thatch roof covered with dirt and when it rained it leaked so badly that Miriam had to hold a quilt over the baby to keep it dry, however George had it repaired and made more comfortable before the winter set in.
      Quotation from scrap of paper found in Grandmother's book:
      "The wheels of time roll on and we hailed with joy the first token of another spring and the warm rays of the sun soon began to open a space through the mountain of snow which had kept us shut up for about six months and prevented any communication outside our valley home. The mail could not go through East to let the nation know that the Saints in the wilderness were still alive and that 'the mustard seed was growing.' We had resided in this lone retreat about eighteen months, where civilized man had not made his home, nor a ripe harvest had not been enjoyed for ages till last season. There had been no prevailing sickness of any kind and very few deaths up to this time in the valley. Bread stuff began to be scarce, but we were beginning to be more comfortably situated. We owned a team and wagon and were quite proud of our outfit and felt truly thankful to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings he had bestowed upon us in our valley home. The winter of 1848 and 1849 commenced at an early moment and therefore found many without fuel and without houses. The snow fell very deep and that made it difficult for the necessary amount of wood to be procured to make the people comfortable. A great many of the brethren had no shoes so they had to wrap old rags around their feet and go to the mountains for wood. It was miraculous that some the brethren did not get their feet frozen. In the year 1850, a great many men from the United States (Utah was not a state) began to arrive in our peaceful home, as the news of the discovery of gold in California had reached the states. They were on their way to California to make their fortune. It was quite exciting for us to see so many people-some with wagons, some with pack animals, while some were on foot, buying or begging their food from those who were liberal enough to divide with them. Our valley soon became a place of deposit of property and goods of all kinds and we could buy almost anything we needed most for a very low price." Heber C. Kimball had predicted this event long before it happened.
      This account of the coming of the crickets was found on another scrap of paper:
      "The crickets came like an army marching through the valley devouring every thing they found. They did not leave any of the wild vegetation that we could have used. Then the question arose, 'what shall we do now?' The way to procure anything to eat seemed black indeed. And then the gulls came. At first we thought it was another calamity, but when we saw they were eating the crickets we shouted with joy. The gulls would eat until they were filled, then they would drink then throw them up, continuing to do this from morning until night, every day, until the crickets were all gone. The destruction of the crickets strengthened our faith and our endeavors to continue planting and trying in every way we could to raise something to keep from starving, knowing that the Lord who had miraculously destroyed the crickets could bless our labors and cause our crops to grow and come to maturity even though the season was late. We were blessed in producing a great amount of vegetables and we felt like shouting aloud for joy for we surely beheld the salvation of the Lord. The land was surveyed and laid out in five and ten acre lots and a great many of the people moved on these farms, which made it more convenient to get green vegetables which we needed very badly. After sowing some little wheat, my husband began to prepare the land for corn, beans and other vegetables while I, wishing to help all that I could or was able, would take my babies in my arms and go out to dig thistle roots to eat. These tasted very good to us then."
      I remember Grandmother telling about the time when they were much better off that Grandfather wanted her to go and get some of those roots to eat, thinking they would taste good. When she had them all ready, seasoned with good fresh butter, she set them before him. One taste was all he could take, they just did not taste like they did when they were hungry. This little poem written by grandmother could have been written at this time of trial. One verse was missing:
      Not vainly art thou left to bow
      Neath grief's correcting rod.
      Loves hand, thou may not see it now
      Will lead thee up to God.
      Dear heart, accept the lesson sent,
      Be strong, be true, be brave,
      In loving-kindness it was sent
      From darker ills to save.
      Be not by earthly woes crushed down
      But trust the power divine,
      The face which now may seem to frown,
      Will soon with glory shine.
      And thou shalt see, with wisdom cleared
      His mercy doth attend;
      To shield from what thou most hadst feared
      Thy sure unfailing friend.
      Thy father, God, thy cross will bear
      As He alone can do,
      Draw near to Him in fervent prayer
      Be strong, be brave, be true.
      By Miriam B. Adair
      Sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned,
      When sun and stars forever more have set-
      The things which our weak judgment here have spurned
      The things o'er which we grieved with lashes wet,
      Will flash before us, out of life's dark night-
      As stars shine most in deepest tints of blue,
      And we shall see that all God's plans were right,
      And how, what seemed reproof, was love most true.
      By Miriam B. Adair
      The following stories are those told to me by my Grandmother while she was living with us in Tropic, Garfield County, Utah:
      One of the Three Nephites:
      Grandmother and Grandfather were living in, what is now called Sugarhouse, and of course there were no neighbors close enough to call on, especially when the snow was deep. The snow was very deep but the fires had to be kept burning so grandfather had gone off to replenish the woodpile. While he was away one of the children became very ill. Grandmother did all she could for the child but the child continued to get worse so grandmother did as she always did when a crisis came, to get down on her knees and ask her Heavenly Father to send her aid. After doing all that her knowledge prompted her to do, she heard a knock at the door-on opening it there stood a man who asked her if she would like him to administer to her child. Never doubting that the answer to her prayer had come, she got the oil, which she always had on hand, and the man administered to her child. Her attention was turned to the child for the moment so when she turned to thank him for coming, he had left without saying anything. She hurried to the door to see if she could call him to give her thanks, but there was no one in sight nor were there any foot steps or prints in the snow. Grandmother always concluded that it was one of the three Nephites, that we read about in the Book of Mormon, had visited her on that stormy night. Her child was healed and was perfectly well when her husband returned. It was summer now and they were still living in the same home in Sugarhouse. On Sunday they always walked up to the Bowery, which was located near the center of the city where the Sunday services were held. It was a long walk and they had very little to eat before they left. Butter was one of the luxuries so they seldom had any but when they returned home they found a plate full of bread and butter on their table. This was one of the miracles that do happen. They gave thanks to their Heavenly Father for this wonderful feast. When my Grandmother told me this story she did not know who had given them the bread and butter, it was like a miracle. I found this description of their hunger on a page in the book. Just another scrap of paper. "You who have plenty can not imagine how hungry we would be with nothing at all, except one half pound per person per day. Once in a great while through the winter, they would kill a beef or poor worked oxen. The men would stand around waiting and each anxious to get a small piece. There were always some who did not get any. There would not be any of the animal left except the horns and the insides of the entrails. I was thankful if my husband would bring home a piece of hide or a piece of liver or just a foot. This would make a good stew if we could get a few vegetables to go with it."
      Manna Was Sent From Heaven:
      This incident happened just prior to their move to Southern Utah. They were staying with some friends, George A. Smith and wife in Provo, Utah. During this interval, they were trying to earn supplies for the remainder of the trip by wagon to the south. It was a long trip and they needed many things. The Saints needed sugar badly. It was discovered that a sweet substance covered the bushes that grew along the ditches and riverbanks. They gathered the branches, washed the sweet substance off and proceeded to boil this sweet water until it went to syrup and then more boiling until it went to sugar. They worked until they had fifty pounds of sugar and enough syrup to last both families all winter. That was like the manna sent to the children of Israel while they wandered in the desert. It was now time to bid their friends good-bye and continue on their journey south. It is not know if they moved to Washington, Washington County at this time but my father was born there on June 5, 1859 and then they moved to Minersville when my father was a small boy. Then they moved to Beaver City. Grandmother had eleven children and raised two of her grandchildren. She had many sorrows, loosing two children when they were babies and one when about four years old, two girls died when their first babies were born she planted the seed of faith in each child and nurtured it throughout their lives. Grandmother's testimony: "I know we are engaged in the great work our Heavenly Father has established on the earth for the salvation and the exaltation of His children, the work by which we may prepare ourselves to enter back into His presence. Our mission, as mothers are great, and I fear sometimes, that I do not sense the responsibility resting on me in teaching my children the principles that would save and exalt them in the Celestial Kingdom, and the way is opened up for us to return back into His presence. May I abide and walk in His Celestial Law and fulfill the designs of the creation and hold faithful to the end."
      How This History Was Obtained:
      Father had an old book containing his mother's writing, bits of history, poems, essays and talks she had given. She had given this to him before she had passed away and it was all he had left of things belonging to her. This book also had a short sketch of her own life that she had written in her later years and never finished, although it did have things written that happened just after they came to Utah. Father prized this book very much. Seeing my interest in these histories, he said to me, "Ethel, I can see your interest in preserving the histories of your fore-fathers, so I am giving you this book of my mother's." I will mark in quotation marks all things copied from this book so that you can see she had the gift of writing. Ethel Adair Pope. Written October 1967 (Some grammar, punctuation, and spellings were modernized by David Calvin Andrus (Miriam's g. g. g. grandson) November 2001, while converting the narrative to electronic format from a typescript Sharon Adair Andrus made in the 1970s.)

      3. Received from Don and Carolyn Smith: "Miriam Billingsley Adair by Maud Bliss Allen:
      "Miriam Billingsley, daughter of Elijah Randolph Billingsley and Emiline Northcott was born the 31st of January 1829 in Mississippi and was one of the early Pioneers of Utah, arriving in the valley in September 1847. She was baptized into the church on the 9th of September 1845 in Kentucky.
      Her father Elijah Randolph Billingsley was born in East Tennessee the 20th of November 18 - , his parents were Jediah and Miriam Randolph Billingsley. The Randolph family is direct descendants of Chief Powhatan thru his daughter Pocahontas, or Lady Rebecca as she was called in England. He was a southern judge, who moved when she was very young to Kentucky and where she spent her girlhood days, upon his lovely southern plantation. Here she began to develop her talent. The old faithful Negro slave, a favorite in the Billingsley family used to get his old violin, take her out to the rear of the home and teach her to sing and dance, while he would play the old southern melodies on his fiddle.
      The old Judge was very stern on the subject of dancing and while she was learning these fancy steps and dancing as fast as her feet could step, the old slave would say, "Keep agoin' miss, keep a goin' your old friend won't let any body git yah." He enjoyed teaching the old Southern songs and with her lovely voice she would sing them thru and thru. She as the pet of everyone and in the kitchen the old southern mammy, who did the cooking would stand her on a high box and teach her to cook. From her she learned to make the good old-fashioned molasses cookies and cakes and many of the old Southern dishes famous everywhere. One song she sang so often and so beautifully was "In the evening by the moonlight, you could hear those darkies singing."
      The Elders of the Latter Day Saints Church were traveling thru Kentucky and she was converted to the church. Her father was very opposed to this and Brother Kimball and Woodruff said to him, "You will yet walk 50 miles to have me baptize you," and this prophecy came true a short time afterwards. While living in Mississippi near the Indians she learned to talk the Chickasaw language and always delighted in counting to one hundred.
      The Billingsley family moved to Nauvoo with the other saints and suffered the hardships and abuses that were heaped upon the faithful Mormon colony. From here they were forced to move and next made a home near Council Bluffs. One day as she stood by a campfire with her sister and older brother, as they were camped near the side of the road, along came a team of mules hitched to a wagon driven by a young man who was driving for the Ira Eldredge Company. This driver was George Washington Adair. When she saw him she said that is the man I am going to marry and so it proved, as they were married near Mt. Pisga. A year later their first child was born and was named for her grandmother, Emiline Northcott Billingsley.
      Upon arriving in Salt Lake in September 1847 they spent the first winter in a log cabin on the North side of Pioneer Square. When it rained she would have to hold a quilt over her baby so the child would not get wet. The next spring they moved to Sugar House Ward and lived in a dugout on the north side of the hill of what is now 21st South. That year with a nursing baby she passed thru the siege of the crickets living on sego roots and pigweed greens and other wild roots.
      When she wold get so hungry she could stand it no longer she would go to her trunk where she had a piece of beef tallow wrapped up in a piece of cloth and take a bite of it and chew and chew it. These kept her from starving to death. At the end of six weeks she went to fast meeting and when she and her family returned there on the table was a plate filled with slices of new bread and butter and on this they feasted and thus brought to a close a six weeks fast. They were never able to find out who was so wonderful as to leave this meal for them. It was like manna from heaven.
      They next went to Provo. It seemed they were always pioneers. In about the year 1861 her husband went to Minersville to work. When she went to see him she drove her own team of oxen and took her family. On this trip the molasses spilled all over the bedding and such a job to clean it all up. While living in Minersville she used to card the wool and so her husband made her a loom.
      Brigham Young advised them to raise cotton in Dixie and here she spun and wove the cloth for their clothing. In the Relic Hall is a pair of hand made britches that she raised the cotton, wove the cloth and stitched every stitch by hand. They were worn by George Washington Adair. She also did the most wonderful needlework and was a fine tailoress. She made the burial clothes for the men and this was done all by hand. She used to take great pride in her beautiful flower garden. She wrote many poems and her dialogues and plays were used in their entertainment. She taught school in a log house with only a dirt floor. The lessons she learned in the south from the Darkey Mammy she put into practice and was known as the finest cook in Utah's Dixie. Christmas was never Christmas without her molasses cakes and cookies.
      She took an active part in the Primary Organization, also the Relief Society. She had a remarkable memory. She made use of the plums, currents and berries that grew near and made the finest jam. When they would get hungry for meat, she would have them kill a squirrel or hare and cook it for their dinner.
      Besides her own eleven children, she raised a grandson whose mother had passed away. She took him at the age of ten days. Later she was so unfortunate to loose another daughter and another grandchild was left in her care. These children were raised as her own and were given a mother's care and love.
      She was always thrifty making her own rag carpets and beautiful bed spreads. They had very little to do with, and so made her own furniture and picture frames. Her son Jedediah Adair was born in a little house built of cedar logs in Washington County before St George was settled. Miriam used to dye her own clothing, making her own dyes of herbs. Nadder-root boiled to which was added alum for red; indigo tied in a cloth for blue. She would take rabbit brush blossoms or onionskins for yellow; cottonwood leaves for brown, using chamber-lye to set the color.
      In 1875 they went to Orderville and lived the United Order. She passed away at the age of 84 in Sevier Valley having spent a useful life in benefit to her fellow men.
      Written by Maud Bliss Allen thru an interview with her son, Jedediah Adair and wife."

      4. FHL book "Johns Valley the Way We Saw It," ed. Mabel W. Nielsen and Audrie Cuyler Ford (Springville, UT; 1971), p. 51, biography of Jedidiah Grant Adair, 10 Dec 1934, partial quote:
      "I was born 5 June 1859 in Washington, Washington co., Utah. My first remembrance of my parents (George Washington Adair and Miriam Billingsly Adair) was when they lived in a 12 x 15 shed roof adobe house and my mother did all of the cooking over the open fire in the fireplace as we had no stove..."

      BIRTH:
      1. FHL film 26318: Orderville, Kane, Utah, LDS Church Membership Records:
      Geo W. Adair, b. 18 Mar 1818 in Tennessee to parents Thos. and Rebeka. Baptism and confirmation Dec. 25, 1844 both by Jas. Richey. Rebaptism and reconfirmation 13 Aug 1886. Ordained a Seventy 1845 and a High Priest 1875. Moved into Orderville Ward 23 Jul 1876 from Beaver 1st Ward. Died 28 Aug 1897.
      Miriam B. Adair, b. 31 Jan 1829 at Trenton, Gibson, Tennessee to Elijah and Emmeline Billingsley. Baptized and confirmed 9 Sep 1845 by Bryant Nowlin. Rebaptism and reconfirmation 13 Aug 1886. Moved into Orderville Ward 23 Jul 1876 from Beaver 1st Ward. Removed from Orderville 4 Sep 1899 for Tropic, Panguitch Stake. Died May 1912.
      Johanna Adair, b. 15 Jun 1849 in Ohio to Thomas and Ann Freestone. Baptized 1857 by Thos. Fawcett and confirmed 1857 by Richard Carlisle. Rebaptized in 1880. Moved into Orderville Jun 1880 from Alpine. Died 20 Dec 1903. Has two children showing her as mother: Geo. A. b. 21 Nov. 1881 in Orderville and Joseph b .10 Sep 1884 both in Orderville.

      2. FHL film 392631 LDS "Patriarchal Blessings Index": Miriam Billingsley Adair, b. 31 Jan 1829 at Gibson Co., Tennessee, parents Elijah and Emmeline Billingsley. Blessing date 2 Jul 1854 at Provo, Utah. Lineage: Ephraim. Patriarch Emer Harris. Vol. 210, p. 73.

      DEATH:
      1. Per Ancestral File v4.19.

      BURIAL:
      1. Per Ancestral File v4.19.

      SOURCES_MISC:
      1. FHL book 979.2 W2p: "Pioneers of 1847, A Sesquicentennial Remembrance," by Susan Ward Easton. List of pioneer company participants; information is similar to content I already have.

      2. FHL film 34803 "Heart Throbs of the West," comp. by Kate B. Carter, v. 8, p. 447. List of pioneer company participants; information is similar to content I already have.