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Life Sketch of Clarissa Wilkins Manwaring

Compiled and written by Marie Manwaring Anderson, granddaughter

Clarissa Wilkins was born to Charles Wilkins and Ury Welch Wilkins in Willard County, Utah, in 1857. She was the oldest of 15 children and her youngest sister Nettie was born when Clarissa was 28 years old. Five of Clarissa’s sons are older than her youngest sister, Nettie. Nettie remembers spending two summers with Clarissa. When she was ten years old and there were six boys and Clarissa was expecting another one, I’m sure that Nettie’s visit was very helpful and needed.

Clarissa was in poor health the last years of her life. She and her husband, Herbert, moved to Idaho to be with 5 other of their sons who farmed in Blackfoot and Rexburg. Sister Nettie came to Idaho to visit them and it was the last visit she had with Clarissa. Clarissa died 4 years after they had moved to Idaho . Her youngest son, David, was 18 years old and unmarried at the time of her death.

Clarissa and Herbert were married in Salt Lake City in the endowment house, or the temple, whichever it was then. They were the parents of eight sons; Hyrum, born 23 June, 1877; Levi, who is still living, born 5 May, 1879; Charles Herbert who died when 5 days old, 25 April, 1881; Orson, born 2 July, 1882; Walter Henry, born 23 March, 1884; Arthur, born 14 April, 1886; Horace born 12 August, 1888; David Heber, born 29 June, 1896. Levi, who is 91, is still living and takes care of his home and yard and cooks for himself.  [Written about 1970. Levi died in 1975.]

Clarissa and Herbert were never very well-off financially, but did nearly always have what they needed. The boys’ hair used to get quite long before they would get it cut, but the boys were always to their church meetings and always to school. The oldest boy, Hyrum, was always desirous to go to school, but didn’t get to as often as he should, but always went when possible. He was older than the kids in his class, but attended anyway. Hs teacher recognized his desire to learn and helped him all she could so he could attend the academy. He finally filled a mission for the church and went on to school and became president of Ricks College . We know from this that Clarissa instilled in her boys the desire to learn, to have courage, and determination in the face of difficulty and also to love the gospel. All of her sons have been fun-loving men and have worked in the church and have raised sons and daughters who are the same.

The Manwaring boys have all lived good, clean lives, examples of their father and mother. They never had much musical training in their home, but loved music, both singing and musical instruments.

Clarissa has 14 grandchildren. One of her great-granddaughters, daughter of Leonard Manwaring of Idaho Falls , who lived in Massachusetts after her marriage, did some genealogy there and found histories telling of the immigration of 32 families from England who came on the same ship and settled in Dunstable, Mass. , before coming out west. Among the family names she found those of the Wilkins family and also those of the Cummings family (her mother’s people). She was real excited that her father and mother had brought these two families back together again by their marriage.

Clarissa used to bake bread every day to keep those seven boys filled up. The times have never been known when Clarissa became hard of hearing, but grandfather Herbert was struck with lightning and he was deaf from then on. The sons tell the story of how, when they were kneeling for family prayers, Grandfather Herbert called on Clarissa to say the prayer, then waiting a few moments and not hearing anything, thought maybe she didn’t hear him ask her so he started saying the prayer. Imagine the picture of seven little boys kneeling and trying to keep from giggling too much while both parents are saying the prayer.

The boys used to scrub the floor which was a board floor and each boy had so many boards to do. When they came to the finish the middle board always had a line down the center where the two boys ended.

Clarissa was a neat and clean lady. Although she never had many clothes, they were always clean and well kept. She always kept her garments well repaired and always clean. She never went out in public too often, because of her hearing defect.

While we don’t know too much about our grandmother Clarissa, we do know that she was a wonderful wife and mother and was the kind of person we would all like to be like, and she raised a fine family, in spite of all the hardships and handicaps they were familiar with. May it be our lot to be like, or desire to be like, the same people she helped raise in her family. May we carry on to the best of our ability the heritage that she left us with and blessed us with.