Isaac Sampson Jr. was born October 7, 1801 to Isaac Sampson Sr. and his wife Mariam Calkins, in the state of New York. He was their seventh child. When he was about sixteen years old he migrated to the state of Ohio with his parents and brothers and sisters. By 1820, Isaac Sr. and his family were living in New London, Huron County, Ohio. It was there that Isaac Sampson Jr. obtained a license to marry Martha Hendrix, daughter of Anthony Hendrix and Elizabeth Townsend, 6 Mar. 1822.
Martha Hendrix was born in Upper Canada, which in now Ontario, 28 Aug. 1807. The Canadian government offered free land to U.S. settlers about 1800. The area was beautiful and the land fertile. Many flocked to it, including Martha's mother's sister: Deborah Townsend, and her husband Joseph Wixom.
It appears the Canadian government had a purpose in giving land to the people of the United States. They were to be a buffer between Canadian settlers and the Indians. The Indians didn't like the white man encroaching on their territory. Some of the former U.S. citizens didn't like to be under British rule. By 1812 war broke out between Great Britain and the United States. The Hendrix family returned to Steuben County, New York, and lived there until about 1816, when they moved to Ohio in the general westward migration, where land was abundant and inexpensive.
Within a few years, Martha, know as Patty, met and married Isaac Sampson Jr. They had only been married eight years when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who was commissioned of the Lord to restore the gospel as it was in the days of Christ's earthly ministry. The following year, in February, Joseph Smith and missionaries went to Ohio to preach the gospel. They were only there five days when Martha became a baptized member of the restored church, but Isaac studied longer. He was baptized in June of 1831. From then on Joseph Smith's direction was their command. When he called the Latter-Day Saints to live in Missouri, Isaac and Martha moved there.
Their new situation was, in a sense, like it was in Canada, where the new settlers faced hostile Indians, as well as frontiersman who were not going to tolerate the Mormons taking up land near them. The law of the wild west, the power of the gun, ruled. The Latter-Day Saints were commonly called Mormons, because they adhered to the teachings of the Book of Mormon which Joseph Smith had translated.
From then on the Isaac Sampson Jr. family history is part and parcel of the L.D.S. Church history, and for a time encompassed Isaac Jr.'s brother, John, and family and sister Mariam, and her husband, Archibald Bates, were early Church members. She married, second, John Deuel and in New Harmony, Utah, they reared their family. Also Benjamin Hendrix brother of Martha and their father, Anthony Hendrix, accepted the gospel. The latter died in Missouri, when persecution was at its peak.
Martha, her brother Benjamin, and Isaac's sister Roxanna, were all enthused about the doctrine of baptism of the dead. It isn't known whether they knew about the doctrine of baptism of the dead. It isn't known whether they knew that the doctrine was referred to by Paul, but it is known that at their first opportunity they acted as proxies for their beloved deceased relatives in the ordinance of baptism.
Isaac, a cripple, and Martha, a sensitive sweet woman, with three small children under ten years of age, were forced from their home in Missouri at gun point, suffering great trauma. From a letter we have a more encompassing report of their experience: On Thursday night, 31 Oct. 1833 the mob gave the saints in Zion to know that no pledge, written or verbal was longer to be regarded; for on that night between 40 and 50 in number, many of whom were armed with guns, proceeded against the branch of the church west of the Big Blue and unroofed, and partly demolished ten dwelling houses and midst the shrieks and screams of the women and children, whipped and beat in a savage manner, several of the men; and with their horrid threats, frightened women and children into the wilderness. The Sampsons later moved to Caldwell County (Far West), then to Shoal Creek, in Missouri, and were there when they were terrorized by the mob that killed, raped, and bragged. (Haun's Mill massacre)
Isaac and Martha were in New London, Iowa, near Nauvoo, Illinois, when the saints were expelled from that state, after the martyrdom of their beloved Joseph and Hyrum Smith. While thousands of saints were making their way to the basin near the Great Salt Lake, Isaac was still trying to get his wagon outfitted for the long journey. He didn't succeed in readiness until 1851 for the long journey. There wasn't a record keeper in their whole company on their tedious journey west, so all that is known is that they did come.
Thirteen years in one place, Provo, was a great boon to them, but during that time they had to take in the dislocated saints from Salt Lake City because of the threat from the United States Army. They also suffered the distress and terror of the Walker Indian War, and had to live, with hundreds of others, crowded in a fort.
(In the history, at this point there is a section that talks about the possibility that Isaac went back to winter quarters to help those following, this can be found in my file, CW Turner 12/25/96)
Isaac and Martha were called to Sevier County. Their daughter Mary Jane Sampson also lived here with her husband John Lemmon Jr. and family. [See History of the John Lemmon Jr. family.] It was only three years before they were faced with another war, the Black Hawk Indian War. They, again, had to flee. They first went to Green River, then to Holden for a few years and then back to their beautiful little cove of Glenwood in 1872, and had six years of comparative peace before Isaac died 24 Dec. 1878. He was buried in the old Glenwood Cemetery.
Martha continued to live in Glenwood. In the winter of 1881 she, with sons Will and Polk Sampson, and granddaughter, Mary Ann Lemmon, traveled, by team and wagon, to St. George where she, and they, did proxy baptisms for their loved ones. Martha was shown to be a widow in the 1880 US Federal Census in Glenwood. She lived about eight years after her husband's death. She died 16 Sept. 1886 in Glenwood, and was buried in the old Glenwood Cemetery beside her husband.
Obituary-Issac Sampson DESERET EVENING NEWS:TRUTH AND LIBERTY SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH TERRITORY MONDAY EVENING JANUARY 13, 1879 DIED At Glenwood, December 24, 1878, at 15 minutes to 1 o'clock p.m. of old age, ISAAC SAMPSON, aged 77 years, 2 months and 17 days.Deceased was born October 7, 1801, in the Sate of Delaware (place of birth not known). He was the son of Isaac Sampson, who served in the war of the Revolution as one of General Washington's lifeguard. (In the obituary, it states that Isaac was a life guard, the correct information is here CWT.) He removed to the State of New York in early childhood; settled at the place afterwards called Rochester; his father built the first house in that city. They removed to New London in the State of Ohio, in the year 1815.He was married to Martha Hendry(x), April 7, 1822.
He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints by Solomon Hancock, at Kirkland, Ohio, June 8, 1831. He went up to Jackson County, Missouri, in the year 1833, received his inheritance in that county soon after his arrival on the 17th day of October. He and his family were driven from his house and home in the fall of 1833. A company of armed men consisting of about 40, came to their house, and asked if they were Mormons, and being answered in the affirmative they (the mob) told them if they were not gone from there before night that they )the mob) would kill the last one of them. Knowing too well what their fate would be if they should disobey them, they left their house and their all (he being a cripple), his wife and three children with him traveled on foot without shoes, leaving a trail of blood as they hastened across the bleak prairie, and were camped in this lonely, desolate and destitute condition on the open prairie when the great and memorable sign of the stars falling from heaven was seen.
He endured much privation in this driving from Jackson County; he next settled in Clay County where he remained about two and a half years when he settled on Shole Creek, about four miles from Haun's Mill (was there at the time of the massacre) and was again driven (this time from the state) and made a stop at Burlington, Iowa. Afterwards settled in Lee County, opposite the city of Nauvoo, and again being driven from their home at the time of the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo, he returned to Jackson County, reviewed his old home that was in the hands of those that robbed him.
Again settled at a place called Lone Jack, where he remained until 1848, when he removed to Council Bluffs, and emigrated to Utah in 1851. Settled at Provo, Utah County. In the spring of 1863 he removed to Glenwood, Sevier County. Was again driven (this time by Indians), from his home, making a short stay of six of seven months at Fountain Green, Sanpete County, from thence they removed to Holden, Millard County, where he remained until the fall of 1873, when he returned to Glenwood, Sevier County (his former home), where he remained until his demise.
Amid all the drivings, persecutions, privations and poverty he was firm and true to the cause of truth, and died in full faith of the gospel and a hope of a glorious resurrection. He was ordained an Elder in the year 1845, and afterwards was ordained a High Priest. After he embraced the gospel, he thought that he could be healed of his affliction, viz., the partial loss of speech and his limbs by a paralytic stroke, and when the Elders laid their hands on him, he received a revelation through them that he was afflicted for a wise purpose and would not be healed. He everafter bore his affliction patiently.
He was the father of six daughters and three sons; he was the grandfather of 45 children and 28 grandchildren. He leaves the wife of his youth, two sons, two daughters, many grandchildren and great- grandchildren and many friends to mourn his loss. The funeral services took place at the schoolhouse, December 28, 1878, at 1 o'clock where a large assembly of relatives and friends, were addressed by President A.K. Thurber and Bishop A.T. Oldroyd, after which his mortal remains were placed to rest in the new burying grounds.
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