Ann Richardson (Chapin)
Ann Richardson Chapin, daughter of Robert Richardson and Elizabeth Robson Richardson, was born 25 Aug 1850 in Cramlington, Northumberland, England. On 20 April 1861 she was baptized into the Latter-Day [sic] Saint Church, and on the 22nd of the same month left Liverpool on the ship ‘Underwriter’ with her parents and a sister Mary who was born 11 Mar 1853 in Cramlington, Northumberland, England. Mr. Roberts was Captain, and Homer Duncan was President of the company. They were six weeks on the ocean arriving at New York City; they continued their journey to Florence, Nebraska where they remained for one month then they started for Utah in the Milo Andrews Company, and when about half way to Utah joined Homer Duncan’s Company, and arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on 13 Sep 1861. In February 1862 they moved to Morgan, Utah.
Her family, as many others, had a hard time. They lived on potatoes for six weeks, never once tasting bread. They lived on the west side of the valley, they place known as Monday Town, name such because the first settlers came on Monday. There was a small hollow just above their homes, and every spring they would get flooded from the early waters.
Later they moved over to the central part of the valley known as Morgan City. It was here that she met Uriah Calvin Chapin, son of Robert Park and Elizabeth Farmer Chapin. She and Uriah were married on 9 Oct 1866, with Heber C. Kimball officiating in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ann and Uriah were the parents of five daughters and one son: Elizabeth Ann born 1 Nov 1868, Mary Jane born 13 Jan 1871, Ellen Loretta born 7 Mar 1873, Joanna Upion born 29 Mar 1875, Eliza Selina born 11 Dec 1883, and Robert Calvin born 8 Aug 1887. Their posterity now (in 1959) number 31 grandchildren, 68 great-grandchildren and 54 great-great grandchildren. Eleven served honorable LDS missions.
She was a devoted mother, and also very attentive to the sick. The night was never too dark nor too cold for her to go out to the sick. She cared for more than fifty babies until their mothers could care for them themselves. She often made the expression, “I have no desire to be rich, but I would like to have means that whenever I saw anyone in need I could put my hand in my pocket and help them.” She was always on hand and anxious to help in every way possible. She was much loved and respected by neighbors and friends. She was a member of the Relief Society from its first organization in Morgan serving as teacher, also as treasurer for many years.
Ann always wore her hair parted in the middle and combed back on both sides. Her hair was snow white when she passed away at the early age of 61. She died on 17 Dec 1911.
She was an honest mother, kind to friends and a faithful Latter-day Saint. She and her husband are both buried in the South Morgan City Cemetery. Her husband died 4 May 1917.
Written in 1959 by Mae Chapin Butters, her granddaughter.