!NAME:ludden1.FTW, ludden1.FTW

!NAME:World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1, World Family Tree
Vol. 5,Ed. 1, Brøderbund Software, INC., Release date:
August 22, 1996

!BIRTH:ludden1.FTW, ludden1.FTW

!BIRTH:World Family Tree Vol. 2, Ed. 1, World FamilyTree
Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Brøderbund Software, Inc., Release date:
November 29, 1995

!BIRTH:World Family Tree Vol. 5, Ed. 1, World Family Tree
Vol. 5, Ed. 1, Brøderbund Software, INC., Release date:
August 22, 1996

!BIRTH:Swicegood.GED, Swicegood.GED

!BIRTH:Ftwexprt.ged, Ftwexprt.ged

!DEATH:World Family Tree Vol. 2, Ed. 1, World Family Tree
Vol. 2, Ed. 1, Brøderbund Software, Inc., Release date:
November 29, 1995

!DEATH:World Family Tree Vol. 5,Ed. 1, World Family Tree
Vol. 5, Ed. 1, Brøderbund Software, INC., Release date:
August 22, 1996

!DEATH:Swicegood.GED, Swicegood.GED

!DEATH:Ftwexprt.ged, Ftwexprt.ged Parents: Richard SPERRY and Dennis GOODYEAR.

Spouse: Daniel MURRAY. Mary SPERRY and Daniel MURRAY were married in 1713 in , , Connecticut. Children were: Mary Or Molly MURRAY, Jonathan MURRAY.

FOREWORD
This story is written from incidents told to me by Mary Alzina Sperry (who was my mother-in-law) and from my personal association with her. Dates are taken from genealogy records.

Mary Alzina Sperry was born October 4, 1854 at North Ogden, Weber County, Utah to John Clapp and Matilda Ann Van Leuven Sperry. She was the second child in a family of nine children.

Very little is known to us of her childhood years except a few experiences she related to me at times during our visits and talks together. There was a deep bond of affections between her and a sister Matilda Adelaide sixteen months younger. Mother Harmon told of going with this sister and her father after cows. When Adelaide the younger became tired the father carried her. Mother Harmon would tell him she was not much older would he carry her too. Very often he did carry both little girls some distance together.

Many times she told me of the love and kindness of her parents toward each other and to their children. It was a large family and not much of material wealth to get along with, so each member did their share to help with the great amount of work there is to be done to care for a large family.

The love between these two sisters grew with the years. In their later years after they were married Adelaide (who married Fred Atkinson) lived in Dayton Idaho and Alzina in Fairveiw Wyoming a distance of near one hundred miles - about two and a half days traveling time with a team and wagon. But they managed to visit each other quite often through the years. Usually for Alzina the visits were made in the fall during fruit season so she could obtain fruit for her family. Aunt Adelaide made her visits in the summer. Her two younger sons Frank and Earl were near the age of Mary Alzina's younger sons Walter and Esse so these cousins were quite well acquainted and enjoyed many pleasant experiences together.

Mary Alzina Sperry became the second wife of Henry Martin Harmon in the old Endowment House at Salt Lake City on November 20, 1868. She was fourteen years of age. Her first child, a son, was born when she was seventeen years old at Clifton, Oneida County Idaho. Some time later then this Henry Martin Harmon moved his two families to Clarkston Utah. Here Mother Harmon's next five children were born.

At the time of Alzina's marriage the first wife, Susan Marler (Lovingly called Aunt Susan by most people who knew her) was the mother of five children. The two families lived at Clifton Idaho and Clarkston Utah until 1885 when, because of so much persecution of those living in polygamy they moved to Wyoming.

Here they settled in the south western part of Wyoming in a small valley about sixty miles long and which varies in width from one mile to six. It is nestled in the Rocky Mountains that are rich in timber and vegetation. This valley was named Star Valley by Moses Thatcher when he first visited it with other early explorers searching for locations in which the Mormon people might settle. He said it was a Star among valleys.

The Harmons lived first in the town of Afton situated at the foot of the tall mountains on the east side of the valley. They were among the first settlers, truly pioneers of a new country. Alzina's husband helped to build the first house in Afton. It was the home of his son-in-law (by his first wife) Harvey Dixon who had married Susan Elizabeth Harmon. Here the Harmon families stayed that first Winter.

Later they used Mary Alzina's homestead right to file on a ranch on the west side of the valley. Father Harmon and Aunt Susan had used their homestead rights in Utah. A son, Appleton Milo Harmon, Aunt Susie's son, filed on adjoining land. They built a large log cabin with sleeping quarters in the loft for the boys. It was several years later they built another cabin for Aunt Susan where she might have more quiet and privacy in her later years.

I have heard the children of both families tell many times of the love and unity that existed between these two families. They worked and played together, also Mother Harmon spoke many times of the love and respect she had for Aunt Susan.

Alzina's husband was a lover of good horses, many of these he raised and sold or traded. Alzina loved to drive a team and often drove to Afton by herself on business or for groceries. They owned cows of their own and pastured others which they rented using the milk to operate one of the first cheese manufacturing plants in Star Valley. They also made butter. Each fall father Harmon took a wagon load of these products to Utah or Idaho trading it for flour, bolts of cloth and other needed supplies not obtainable in Star Valley in those early times. Some of their material for clothing they wove from their wool on a spinning wheel. Wool bats were hand carded for quilts.

All this activity meant plenty of hard work that was shared by all according to each one's ability. They did not seem to mind the labor. There were many good times too - parties, dances, quilting bee's were enjoyed by old and young. In later years baseball games were played in the summer, they held celebrations on the fourth and twenty fourth of July at which there were programs, foot racing, horse racing and later when more settlers arrived parades were to be seen. At many of these occasions Alzina would step dance for her family or friends. She loved to waltz and was able to do so well into her later years.

During those early years there were no doctors to care for people when illness came. A lady named Eggleston was well known as a midwife and was with mother Harmon at the birth of most of her children born in Star Valley. Aunt Susan was well known for her ability and kindness in times of sickness or trouble she gave generously of her time and strength where ever she was needed. In those days of depending on each other homes were built also public buildings where school for their children could be held along with their church services, these things were accomplished by cooperation of relatives and neighbors each giving of what ever skill he or she excelled in.

The Harmons raised some of the first early potatoes harvested in Star Valley. In summer wild meadow hay grew abundantly on their ranch meadows, this was cut cured and slacked to feed their stock in winter.

Aunt Susan was the mother of eleven children, Alzina the mother of thirteen making twenty four children in the two families. Henry Martin Harmon passed away December 7, 1895 when Alzina's youngest son (Esse) was fourteen months old. Her youngest child, a daughter she named Henrietta was born the following May five months after her husbands death. She was now a widow with six children Orilla, Orson (then thirteen), Jane Walter, Esse and five months later Henrietta. Aunt Susan lived until October 22, 1905 when she passed away at the home of her daughter Millie Henderson in Clifton Idaho. She had gone there to visit. She was brought to Afton Wyoming for burial.

Mother Harmon (Alzina) lived on the ranch for five more years, then so that her children Walter, Esse and Henrietta might better attend school she moved to Fairview for the winter months.

In 1904 they sold the ranch and moved to Fairview, buying 45 1/2 acres of land one and one half miles south of Fairview. Here she lived the rest of her life. She worked hard to keep her family together, feed and clothe them until they could care for themselves. Of her six sons only three lived to manhood. None of the three ever smoked or drank liquor in any form. All her nine children who lived to be married have temple marriages. I don't think she ever in her life missed paying tithing on whatever was hers. I always thought of the story of "the widows mite". She never had much money but what she had was honestly tithed.

She never lacked in faith, love, charity or courage all who knew her loved her and respected her for her honesty and fairness. She was slow to anger but her blue eyes could snap in righteous indignation if a wrong were done to those she loved or knew who she felt was in the right. Her fresh churned butter and home made bread were delicious, she could a plain sponge cake so good none of us cared to have icing on it. Her green tomato and onion pickles were so good the recipe was usually asked for.

She loved to have a few cows to milk and kept a number of chickens large enough to sell a few besides often giving fresh eggs to one of her children who might come to visit. She loved to walk and thought nothing of walking the one and a half miles to Relief Society or her church meetings on Sunday.

She usually kept one pig to raise a litter each year. One was fattened for winter meat, the rest were sold to keep her income. These she fed her scraps to, also the skim milk after cream was removed to churn and the grain that was her share off her land. In her later years her son's fenced a pasture for a couple of cows in back of her home. She liked to milk these her self in good weather. The extra milk she sent to the creamery so that she had a small milk cheque twice a month. She loved to do for herself and cared for these cows as long as she could.

In the spring before her seventieth birthday while washing she took ill. She told us later she felt a numbness in her left side. She tried to go around to the front of her home to call for help, but it was a stroke and she fell at the corner of her home in the snowy path. No one heard her cries for sometime. Later a neighbor Albert Barnes passing her home on horseback heard her cries and saw her hand raise above the snow bank. She was very ill for a long time and her life despaired of. But after about three months she was well enough to be moved and her children living near started taking turns caring for her in their homes. She would stay four weeks with each one, always moving on a Wednesday.

She lived eight years having to be moved in her rocker, helpless to move herself or dress alone. We tried to make her comfortable and keep her happy and much of the time she was. Though it was hard for one who had helped others and herself for so long to be entirely dependent on others.

She passed away at the home of her son Orson quite suddenly on the night of April 22, 1932 which was the day of her daughter Henrietta's funeral. Some of the relatives were still here from the services. Of the twenty four children from the two families twelve were living and all were here for her funeral services.

She was laid to rest in the Afton cemetery beside her husband, two small sons and Aunt Susan. I'm grateful and happy she was my mother-in-law. She was a wonderful generous woman and was truly a mother to me.

CHURCH: Patriarchal Blessing Index
Blessing given 29 Dec 1917 at Fairview, Lincoln, WY
Vol 418; pg 177

MARRIAGE: Marie once asked her Aunt Orby why Grandpa Henry married a girl at fourteen years old. Aunt Orby kindly explained that the Sperry family had so little, so they gave out their daughters for help to other
families, and Mary was in Susan’s tutelage for three years before having a child of her own.

DEATH: Top of Form 1
ID: 137292
Last Name: Harmon
First Name: Mary Alzina Sperry
Age:
Gender: U
Cemetery: Afton,WY
Birth Date: 4 OCT 1854
Birth Place: No. Ogden,UT
Date Died: 22 APR 1932
Death Place: Fairview,WY
Father: John Clapp Sperry
Mother: Matilda Ann Van Leuven
Spouse: Henry Martin Harmon, 23 Nov 1868, SLC, UT
Sources: Ancestral File
Remarks: Blk 138 L 2 Film 2121
Bottom of Form 1

Records of Cheryl Harmon Bills
cherylbills@@gmail.com

Parents: . Parents: . Parents: John Clapp SPERRY and Matilda Ann VAN LEUVEN.

Spouse: Henry Martin HARMON. Mary Alzina SPERRY and Henry Martin HARMON were married on 20 November 1868 in logan, Cache, Utah. Children were: Alpheus John HARMON, Mary Alzina HARMON, Harriet Matilda HARMON, Louisa May HARMON, Orby Ann HARMON, Orilla HARMON, Orson Elmer HARMON, Sarah Jane HARMON, King Charles HARMON, Hosea HARMON, Walter Sperry HARMON, Essie HARMON, Henrietta HARMON.

Spouse: Sarah DICKERMAN. Children were: Nathaniel SPERRY.

!BIRTH:Ancestry File of the Latter-Day Saints, Ancestry
File of the Latter-Day Saints

!BIRTH:Vital Records of North Haven, Connecticut, Vital
Records of North Haven, Connecticut

!DEATH:Ancestry File of the Latter-Day Saints, Ancestry
File of the Latter-Day Saints Parents: Richard SPERRY and Dennis GOODYEAR. Parents: Richard SPERRY and Dennis GOODYEAR.

Spouse: Esther WINSTON.

Spouse: Sarah WILMOT. Children were: Sarah SPERRY.

Spouse: Dennis GOODYEAR. Dennis GOODYEAR and Richard SPERRY were married on 28 August 1647 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut. Children were: John SPERRY, Mary SPERRY, Richard SPERRY Jr., Esther SPERRY, Nathaniel SPERRY, Thomas SPERRY, Ebenezer SPERRY, Daniel SPERRY Lt, Joseph SPERRY.

Spouse: Dennis GOODYEAR. Dennis GOODYEAR and Richard SPERRY were married on 28 August 1647 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut. Children were: John SPERRY, Mary SPERRY, Richard SPERRY Jr., Esther SPERRY, Nathaniel SPERRY, Thomas SPERRY, Ebenezer SPERRY, Daniel SPERRY Lt, Joseph SPERRY.

Children were: Nathaniel SPERRY.

!BIRTH:Vital Records of North Haven, Connecticut, Vital
Records of North Haven, Connecticut

!BIRTH:CoutuLDS CD-ROM Ancestorial files Leavenworth Sperry
Letter, CoutuLDS CD-ROM Ancestorial files Leavenworth
Sperry Letter

!DEATH:LDS CD-ROM ancestory Sperry.ged Leavenworth Sperry
Letter lists dd as 1734WFT vol 22, 1801 lists dp as
Maulden, Ct, LDS CD-ROM ancestory Sperry.ged Leavenworth
Sperry Letter lists dd as 1734WFT vol 22, 1801 lists dp as
Maulden, Ct Parents: Richard SPERRY and Dennis GOODYEAR. Parents: Richard SPERRY and Dennis GOODYEAR.

Spouse: Ebenezer TOLLS. Sarah SPERRY and Ebenezer TOLLS were married in 1739 in New Haven,New Haven,Connecticut. Children were: Jemima TOLLS.

Spouse: Son EPPS.

Spouse: Paulus VAN NIEUWKIRK. Helena SPIER and Paulus VAN NIEUWKIRK were married on 15 June 1728 in ,,New Jersey. Children were: Jacob NEWKIRK.

Spouse: William FRANS. Rebecca SPIERS and William FRANS were married on 8 May 1851 in Buchanan Co, . Missouri.^708,709

Spouse: William PARTRIDGE. Ann Gerrish SPIGON and William PARTRIDGE were married on 5 October 1635 in Salisbury,Essex,Massachusetts. Children were: Hannah PARTRIDGE.

Spouse: Helen Lucille RYEL. Helen Lucille RYEL and James Watson SPILLER were married before 1942. Children were: James William SPILLER, Patricia Ellen SPILLER, Prudence Lucille SPILLER.

Spouse: Robert COLEMAN. Ann SPILLSBY and Robert COLEMAN were married in 1678 in ,Gloucester,Virginia. Children were: Thomas COLEMAN.

Spouse: Robert BRENTON. Sarah Brown SPILMAN and Robert BRENTON were married on 16 September 1797 in ,Lincoln,Kentucky.

Spouse: Nancy BRENTON. Nancy BRENTON and Thomas SPILMAN were married on 19 November 1798 in ,Mercer,Kentucky.

Spouse: Susana THOMPKINS. Susana THOMPKINS and Edward SPILSBURY were married on 18 April 1786 in Cradley,Hereford,England. Children were: Joseph SPILSBURY.

Spouse: Fanney SMITH. Fanney SMITH and George SPILSBURY were married on 5 September 1842 in St. Peter's,Worcestershire,England. Children were: Martha Elizabeth SPILSBURY.

Spouse: Hannah Vobe HADEN. Hannah Vobe HADEN and Joseph SPILSBURY were married on 31 May 1810 in Suckley,Worcestershire,England. Children were: George SPILSBURY.