Levi Lincoln Wheeler was born in Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts 22 August 1838 to Levi Wheeler and Mary Ann Arnold. This was the first son born to this couple after their marriage on 15 May 1838 by Reverend William Whiting in Abington, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

The family soon moved to Augusta, Kennebec County, Maine where three more children blessed this family: Calvin, born 14 August 1840, Almira, born 15 May 1843, and George, born 30 March 1844.

While this family was in Augusta, the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called at the home. Mary Ann was very impressed by what they taught and she was so desirous to have her husband, Levi, hear their message. When Levi came home from logging, she talked him into going to hear the Elders preach and they were converted and baptized in 1845. The missionary's name was George Walton. They were impressed with him and when their next son was born the called him George Walton Wheeler.

In 1845 they, along with Levi's mother, Sarah Stevens Wheeler, some of his brothers, Simon, Jacob and Joseph, and sister Martha, with their families, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. They did not stay long in Nauvoo. Levi Lincoln was about seven years old at this time, and they moved to Lee County, Illinois. This is where another baby blessed this union, Melissa Ann, born 19 April 1847. This gave Levi Lincoln two brothers and two sisters, five children in this little family.

Within the next three years they moved or were living in Paw Paw, Illinois. This is where Mary Ann became ill and died of tuberculosis 11 March 1850. She is buried in Paw Paw, Grove Cemetery, Illinois. This was a very sad time in each of their lives.

In the summer Levi and his brothers went to California to the gold rush leaving these five small children with the family in Illinois. Levi Lincoln was twelve years old at this time. His father came back to Illinois. Levi Lincoln was sixteen years of age now and he helped his dad purchase an up-to-date sawmill to cross the plains and bring it to Utah.

Levi Lincoln, being the oldest, drove three yoke of oxen pulling the steam engine and boiler part of the sawmill across the plains. This must have been quite an experience for such a young man.

Calvin, about fourteen, was a scout and night herder who looked after the horses and cattle, and kept a sharp lookout for Indians along the way. Almira was about twelve, George about ten, and little Melissa about seven. Each had their assigned chores to do. They settled first in Little Cottonwood Canyon, south of Salt Lake City.

Levi Lincoln's father, Levi, was a very close friend of Brigham Young, and Levi Lincoln and Calvin both served as private guards for President Brigham Young.

Levi Lincoln was baptized in 1856 in Little Cottonwood by William Boyce. It was not long until they moved the sawmill to Ogden, and Levi Lincoln and Calvin were made foremen in charge of the men who worked for Levi Wheeler. Their father often said to them, "A boss has to do two men's work, his share of the work and the supervising, too."

It was around this time that Levi Lincoln met the Lavender family, and was very interested in their daughter Ellen. Levi Lincoln married Ellen Lavender (1^st wife) 25 January 1864 in the Ogden, Utah area. She was the daughter of George and Mary Ann Coles Lavender.

Their first child, Ellen Josephine Wheeler, was born in Eden, Weber County, Utah 19 April 1866. She married William I. Rowe 6 May 1886 in Menden, Utah, and they had five children. Two died in infancy and three were married. She died 20 June 1918 in Ogden, Utah.

Levi William Wheeler, the second child, was born 16 February 1868 in Eden, Weber County, Utah. He married Mary Ann Gardner 30 December 1889 and died 12 April 1910 in Inkom, Bannock County, Idaho.

On 30 September Levi Lincoln married Sarah Jane Lavender, younger sister of Ellen Lavender, in the Endowment House. Levi and Ellen had been sealed together on 20 November 1868 in the Endowment House.

Levi Lincoln's first child by Sarah Jane was born 30 October 1869 in Eden, Weber County, Utah and they named him John Albert Wheeler. He married Mary Matilda Atkinson 17 September 1890 and had twelve children including two sets of twins. He died 26 June 1945 in Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho.

Levi Lincoln's third child by Ellen, George Lincoln, was born 14 July 1870 in Eden, Weber County, Utah and died when he was eight years old, 19 February 1878 in Utah.

In 1872 Levi Lincoln had two sons born in Eden, Weber County, Utah. Sarah Jane had her second son, Zera LeRoy, born 21 July 1872. He married Margaret Nish 15 November 1894 and died 17 December 1912 on Ontario, Canada. Ellen had her fourth child, Ezra Lorenzo, born 26 July 1872. He married Lavina Gardner 27 November 1895 and died 26 January 1957 at Blackfoot, Bingham County, Idaho.

In 1875 Levi Lincoln had two more children born in Huntsville, Weber County, Utah. Ellen gave birth to her fifth child, a little girl, Emma Flora, born 15 September 1875. She married David Hill 20 April 1892 and died 21 July 1931. Sarah Jane had another son, her third, Oscar Lee, born 20 January 1875 in Eden, Weber County, Utah. He filled a mission and married Ida Isabel Moss 21 February 1917 and died 18 April 1931 at Ririe, Bonneville County, Idaho.

Levi Lincoln's next son was born to Sarah Jane, her fourth son, Milo Andrew, born 21 May 1877 in North Ogden, Weber County, Utah. He married Cordelia Bright 1 March 1905 and died 9 June 1965 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah.

Ellen had another little girl, Martha Ann, born 20 January 1878 in North Ogden, Weber County, Utah. She married John Isaac Cornwall 13 May 1892 and died 16 March 1920 in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho.

Ellen and Levi Lincoln had another little daughter, their seventh child, Mary Alice Wheeler, born 11 March 1881 in Plymouth, Box Elder County, Utah. She married Thomas Almon Whittle 31 August 1896 and had three girls who died when they were very young. Mary Alice died 23 May 1901 in Rudy, Fremont County, Idaho.

Sarah Jane had her sixth son, Joseph Henry, born 3 December 1882 in Lewiston, Cache County, Utah. He married Clara Deseret Stephenson 6 September 1905 and died 24 July 1963 in Provo, Utah County, Utah.

On 25 September 1883 the eighth child and fourth son, Charles Burt, was born to Ellen and Levi Lincoln Wheeler in Plymouth, Box Elder County, Utah. He married Ada Bright 11 July 1906 and died 9 October 1965 in Lewiston, Cache County, Utah.

In 1887 Levi Lincoln became a father of two little girls. Ellen had her ninth child and fifth daughter, Lydia May Wheeler, born 28 July 1887 in Franklin, Oneida County, Idaho. She married Robert Newton Pead 11 July 1906 and died 5 August 1955 in Boise, Ada County, Idaho. Sarah Jane at last had a little girl, her eighth child after having seven boys. She gave her the name of Mary Ann, after her mother I am sure. She was born 17 November 1887 in Lewiston, Cache County, Utah and married Alvin Olney 23 November 1904. When he died, she married George Coltrin 30 January 1935 and died 6 August 1963 in Shelley, Bingham County, Idaho.

This made seventeen children for Levi Lincoln and his two wives. There were eleven boys and six girls. Levi Lincoln worked on the sawmill with his father and brothers all of his life.

On 25 September 1890 the Manifesto was passed. This was a Government law that each man should have only one wife. ⁽²⁾ The Church members were very staunch and stood together. Wilford Woodruff, President of the Church, prayed to the Lord and, feeling inspired, issued that in effect, it was the work of the Lord to the Church forbidding the practice of plural marriage. The same authority that directed the discontinuance of plural marriage by the Church is the one that had inaugurated it in the first instance. And such was the truth in this case. The Saints in this matter of surrendering the practice of plural marriage obeyed God, not man.

This was very hard on these families. On Thursday, 20 November 1890, in the First District Court at Ogden, Levi Lincoln Wheeler of North Ogden was sentenced by Judge James A. Miner to twenty days imprisonment for noncompliance. Then on Wednesday, 10 December 1890, Levi Lincoln Wheeler was discharged from the penitentiary.

It was at this time that Levi Lincoln and Ellen made plans to move to Idaho. Sarah Jane stayed in Lewiston with her little family. Her sons were very close to her and gave her much support.

Preston Wheeler, Milo Wheeler's son, said his father told him that Sarah Jane and the family were living in a dugout which was very crude. A cousin, George E. Wheeler, son of George Wheeler, wanted to buy Sarah Jane's farm but he did not want to pay too much for it. Without the help of George Wheeler, brother to Levi Lincoln Wheeler, Milo said they did not know what they would have done.

Sarah Jane sold the property to George E. Wheeler and moved to Bear River, Utah, before coming to Idaho. This was after 1900 as the Census finds her, Milo, Jesse and Annie living in Lewiston, Utah.

Levi and Ellen were living in Tilden, Bingham County, Idaho for a while. They were active in the Tilden Ward, where he was Superintendent of the Sunday School and she was working in the Relief Society. They then moved to Rudy, Jefferson County, Idaho, and owned a little home there with a nice yard and flowers all around.

As we understand from the stories that have been told by the family, Levi Lincoln did very little for Sarah Jane and her family after they separated. My grandfather, John Albert Wheeler, told me a story about a visit by Preston Wheeler as follows:

'When Preston went to visit Uncle John, he was hauling wood for his father, Levi Lincoln, and was working really hard to do it. "Uncle John," asked Preston, "why are you working so hard for your father? What did he ever do to help you very much?" Uncle John said, "Well, it's this way, my boy. Maybe Levi Lincoln wasn't the best father, but, my son, he was my father."'

I'm sure times must have been really hard during these years. These pioneers must have made many sacrifices for us to have all the conveniences that we enjoy today. They must have been good, hardy stock to have endured hardships that they did and lived the long lives such as they did in those days.

Levi Lincoln Wheeler filed Certificate #2217 and Application #3919 for a homestead for ground at Blackfoot, Idaho, on 9 April 1900 and sold the land to Josiah Richardson the same year. The land was in Township 5, South of Range 32, 157 and 6/100 acres. He sold the homestead for $1,050.00.

Levi Lincoln and Ellen Wheeler sold their property at Rudy, Jefferson County, Idaho for $525.00 and built a house on a farm that their daughter and son-in-law, Emma Flora and David Hill, owned at Moreland, Idaho. They built quite a nice little home. Ben Wheeler tells of a time when he was a little boy, and he and his father, John Albert Wheeler, went by wagon to Idaho Falls and then by train to Blackfoot to stay for a few days with his father and Ellen. They came back to Idaho Falls and had to stay there overnight before coming back to Poplar with the wagon the next day. This would have to have been about 1910 or 1912.

David and Emma Hill could not make their mortgage payment on the farm and times were really tough. They lost their farm and, therefore, Levi Lincoln and Ellen Wheeler also lost the home they built on the property. This was everything they owned. Levi Lincoln and Ellen lived with David and Emma Hill for the rest of their lives. Levi Lincoln was very sickly the last few years of his life. He had been hit by lightning and needed much care. On 5 January 1918 he passed away. Dr. W. W. Beck said the cause of death was cardiac insufficiency and the contributing factor was myocarditis, and that he had had the condition for four years.

Levi Lincoln was buried 7 January 1918 in the Grove City Cemetery, Blackfoot, Bingham County, Idaho. John Albert Wheeler gave the information for and signed the death certificate.

This history was written by Margie Egan Stevens, great granddaughter of Sarah Jane Lavender and Levi Lincoln Wheeler. The material was gathered from Census, Ward and Endowment records, Birth, Death and Marriage certificates, and stories told by Preston Wheeler, Ben Wheeler, and Wilma Olney Nelson, 15 July 1984.

Notes from Donald G. Hill

1. I acquired this story from the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1995. I scanned it into my word processor (Word Perfect) to make soft copies available. I also corrected some of the typographical, spelling, and punctuation errors to make it easier to read.

2. The author apparently had a misunderstanding about what the Manifesto is. It is the document issued by President Woodruff concerning the discontinuance of plural marriage in the Church. It is currently shown as OFFICIAL DECLARATION-1 in the Doctrine and Covenants.