Sarah Clark Parker
BORN: 30 March 1815 Bradford, Essex, Massachusetts to Theodore and Mary Marden Parker
MARRIED: 17 March 1835 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah to Josiah Guile Hardy
Died: 25 December 1893 Salt Lake City, Utah
She came across the plains with the John S Higby/James W Bay Company 1852 with her husband Josiah Guile Hardy, he died in Mexico in 1894.
Sarah Parker Clark Hardy life summary
Contributed By traciblack1 · 26 September 2013
Sarah Clark Parker Hardy was born in Bradford, Massachusetts in 1815. She was of Revolutionary and Mayflower stock, being a descendant of Thomas Hardy, who figured prominently in Mayflower and early Colonial history.
Sarah joined the church in Massachusetts and moved to Missouri until they earned enough money to come across the plains. In 1852, Sarah, along with her husband and six children, traveled west with the James Higbee Company.
The journey was pleasant but was still a strenuous trek. A trail excerpt from Henry Buckwalter reads “Travelling from 20 to 30 and 35 miles each day over the dreary plains in sunshine and rain; over streches of deep sandy Deserts Fording Rivers; Traveling in the boiling hot sun in deep sand up and down steep sand hills; Standing guard at night to protect ourselves from sudden attacts from the Indians Driving our waggons over steep and dangerous ravines, crossing over steep rough rugged Hills and Mountains And in some instances water scarce And in others not very desirable for use: And for about from three to four hundred miles no wood to burn nothing for the purpose but dry Buffalo or our domestic cattle chips that they have left behind them while grazing on the grasses of the plains which makes a very good and hot fire for the cooking of meals or setting around warming yourselves; After travelling two months and twelve days we arrived in Great Salt Lake City on the 11th day of August.”
Once she came to the Salt Lake Valley, however, she developed a heart condition that required her to spend much of her time in bed. During those adverse conditions, she still bore three more children.
Her children did not speak of her illness though, they spoke of her kindness. She was “full of faith in the Gospel, and her long illness seemed to give root in greater faith, as her years advanced. She was a natural lover of children and attracted them to her bedside, where she instilled a love in the hearts of these youngsters, who expressed a preference for the association rather than play. She was a wonderful needle woman, and many received instruction in this art from her.”
Burial:
Saint George City Cemetery
Saint George
Washington County
Utah,
USA
Plot: A_F_97_4_WH
SIBLINGS
DEAN PARKER
GEORGE PARKER
WARREN PARKER
PARENTS
THEODORE PARKER
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