Mary Ann Coles Lavender was born 1 October 1818 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, a daughter of William and Mary Coles. She was my great mother; her daughter, Ellen Lavender Wheeler was my grandmother, and Ellen's daughter, Martha Ann Wheeler Cornwall was my mother.

Ellen Lavender Wheeler herself told me these facts of the life of her mother. She was dark complexioned, having black, curly hair, dark brown eyes and olive skin. She was slender and active and quick-tempered. She had some Irish ancestors on her mother's side.

I do not know her father's occupation. Her mother was a dressmaker by trade. William and Mary Coles had a family of girls. They all grew up to become dressmakers like their mother. After working as a dressmaker for some time, Mary Ann learned to be a corset maker too.

In June of 1837 Apostle Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde were set apart by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go on a mission to England. A few days later Willard Richards and several others were called to join them. They arrived in Liverpool, England July 20, 1837. This was the first foreign mission of the church.

They called upon the Lord for direction and were prompted to go to Preston, thirty one miles from Liverpool. Here Joseph Fielding visited his brother, the Reverend James Fielding, and received an invitation to the Elders to visit him that evening. They were kindly received by Rev. Fielding and also his brother-in-law, Mr. Watson, and minister from Bedford. Mr. Watson invited the missionaries to come to Bedford and to preach in his church.

Elder Willard Richards and John Goodson were appointed to go on a mission to Bedford.

Mary Ann Coles happened to be among the first to hear the missionaries preach in Bedford. She said it was through their minister that she met the missionaries. She was very desirous to hear and understand the doctrines of the Gospel. She attended their meetings and soon was fully convinced of the truth and desired to be baptized. But Mary Ann's father hardened his heart against the new religion and the missionaries. He forbid her to go to any more of their meetings or to speak to them.

Mary Ann had to deceive her father. She would pretend to be going to some other place or to see one of her girl friends. Her father grew suspicious and followed her. He came in the meeting and took her by the arm and led her home. She had to be more careful and sly. She even walked a few blocks in another direction and then around to the meetings. When she reached the meeting place, friends helped her watch for her father to come and when they saw him coming she crouched down low enough so he could not see her. He would go home thinking she was not there.

Among the earliest converts in Bedford were a few of the Lavender family. James Lavender was baptized on Christmas Day in 1837

Soon there were two branches organized in Bedford with about forty members. Willard Richards ordained James Lavender an Elder to preside over them as he was going to another town to labor for awhile.

On Christmas 1838, Mary Ann attended a special conference held in Preston by the Apostles. At this conference the Word of Wisdom, the temperance revelation of the church, was first publicly taught in Great Britain. The Elders had taught it more by example than precept heretofore. It became almost universally observed among the members.

Willard Richards was to soon leave England and return to America. Mary Ann was baptized by him in January of 1840 in the River Dibble. The weather was very cold and the river was frozen over with thick ice. But the ice was cut away and, without her father's permission, Mary Ann was baptized with a small group of friends and acquaintances.

In 1845, Mary Ann Coles was married to George Lavender, son of John and Mary Munton Lavender, and he was the youngest brother of James Lavender, previously mentioned who had also been married about the same time. James and his wife were coming to America to join the Saints and tried to persuade George and Mary Ann to accept a loan from them and to come with them and they would certainly have loved to come together. But George and Mary Ann were not sure how they would be able to pay the money back in a strange new country. So they refused the loan and promised to save and come as soon as they could.

On 10 January 1852, George and Mary Ann, with their five children, sailed from England on the ship "Kennebec" for America. The children were Ellen, the oldest, about six years old, John, Emma, Mary Ann, and the youngest, Sarah Jane, who was only eight days old. Mother and baby were carried onto the ship in a stretcher bed.

The ship was an old styled wooden sailing vessel which depended entirely on the wind to blow for power to proceed. They were six weeks crossing the ocean.

While out in mid ocean a most terrible storm came upon them and all on board thought the ship would be dashed to pieces. The storm lasted three days and nights, then the skies cleared and with thankful hearts they sailed on again. They all reached New York safe.

They crossed the plains in the Abraham O. Smoot company, traveling with ox teams and wagons. While crossing the plains, little Mary Ann, who was about two years old became sick and died. There was no material with which to make a coffin or even a box to place the little body in. They dressed her and wrapped the body in a blanket and put it in the grave, then they laid sage bows over the body and then filled the grave with the dirt. They put stones over it for protection and then made a fire over that to disguise the grave from the Indians.

They arrived in Salt Lake in October. The George and James Lavender families were so happy to be together again. And there was great joy and gladness when ever they would meet Apostle Willard Richards or when he visited the stake where they lived.

They lived in Salt Lake for a few years. Their daughter Hannah was born there on 5 may 1855.

They moved to Ogden and lived in the Marriott Ward. They owned a small farm. They planted fruits, berries, kept stock and poultry. Here Martha Isabella was born 11 April 1858.

At this time President Brigham Young ordered the evacuation of all the Northern settlements to Utah County, because of the approaching troops of Johnson's Army. This was called the move south. Little Martha Isabella was but three days old and again Mary Ann was moved in a bed with her young baby.

The weather was cold and there was snow on the ground but George Lavender put a cover over the sleigh and made a small fireplace in the front corner to keep them comfortable. They had no colds or extra sickness from this journey. Nothing happened and after a time the scare was over and the settlers came back to their homes.

Another daughter, Mary Cordelia, was born to them.

The family was very religious and attended church meetings. Mary Ann belonged to the Relief Society and did whatever she was called upon to do.

She owned a spinning wheel and made the yarn and knit their stockings. She dyed the wool to make it more attractive. Her daughters were taught by her to sew and knit and do all of the kinds of work that she herself could do. She even taught them to read and write because there was no school near when the older children were young. The younger children attended school. She dried the fruits and made cheese. She also dried corn and made laundry soap. She loved shrubs and house plants.

Times were very hard their first years in Utah, and Mary Ann worked for people who could afford to hire. Usually she was paid with flour or other produce.

Their only son, John Lavender, when a young man, went to Canada with a group of men. He died soon after arriving there. He was never married.

Mary Ann named her daughters after her sisters whom she never saw again after she left England.

The oldest daughter, Ellen, married Levi Lincoln Wheeler on 25 December, 1864 in the Salt Lake Endowment House. Emma died as a young girl. Sarah Jane also married Levi Lincoln Wheeler in the Salt Lake Endowment House on the 30 November 1868. Hannah married Joseph Clark. Martha Isabella married Luther Gilbert Porter and Mary Cordelia married George Burton as a plural wife.

Mary Ann received her endowments and was sealed to her husband 27 August 1864.

Since a young woman Mary Ann had suffered with gall stones and she died of this ailment 29 September 1871 at the age of 53 years. She is buried in the old Ogden cemetery.

by Ellen E. Cornwall Anderson
Great granddaughter of
Mary Ann Coles Lavender