Printed as written without correction

ELEANOR TURNER
1810 -1893
Excerpts from the Biography of Charles Willden,
1806 - 1883
Material gathered and compiled by his great grand-daughter,
Jennie Jensen Hancock

PATRIARCHAL BLESSING OF ELEANOR TURNER WILLDEN

Patriarchal Blessing given by Patriarch John Albiston on the 12th of June 1845 at Sheffield, Yorkshire upon the head of Sister Eleanor Willden who was born on the 9th of April 1810 at Laughton, Yorkshire, England.

My beloved sister, I lay my hands upon they head in the name of Jesus Christ and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood pronounce upon they head the blessing of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In as much as thou hast given thyself unto the Lord and has obeyed his gospel by baptism and authority of the holy priesthood thou hast entered the everlasting covenant with Abraham and the family ------(part missing)

Thou shalt join with the admiring saints in the temple worship and be delighted with the assembly of the ancient work of patriarchs and prophets of old and see the ancient of days sit and the gory of the Lord and his holy angels with him come to reign in righteousness and thou shalt join the triumphant Church with thy blessed redeemer in the great Millenium. Thou art of the faithful seed of Abraham and I seal these blessing upon thy head in the name of Jesus Christ even so Amen and Amen.
Charles Smith, Scribe

OBITUARY OF ELEANOR TURNER WILLDEN

Willden - At Beaver, Utah, 30 April 1893, Eleanor Turner Willden, wife of the late Charles Willden.
Deceased joined the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-Day-Saints in sheffield, England, in the year 1843, Emigrated in 1849, has lived in Utah nearly 40 years. She leaves 4 sons and 2 daughters living, 52 grandchildren and 66 great-grandchildren. She lived and died a faithful Latter-Day-Saint, honored by a wide circle of sorrowing friends.
-Deseret News Weekly

ELEANOR TURNER WILLDEN 1810 - 1893

Eleanor Turner Willden, wife of Charles Willden, was the third daughter and fourth child of Thomas Turner and Ann Whitman. She was born 9 April 1810 in Laughton, Yorkshire, England.

She was baptized into the Mormon church 15 October 1843 and remained true and faithful to the teachings of this Church throughout her life. In the fall of 1849 she bade farewell to her loved ones and came to America with her husband, 4 sons and 2 daughters. An account of their voyage and crossing the plains is given in her husband's biography. Sorrow came to them with the death of their little daughter, Maria, not quite two as they came up the Mississippi River. It must have been hard for Eleanor to leave her baby by the river side in a strange land.

Her sister, Caroline, also joined the Church and came to Utah, settling in Beaver where she died. Her brother, George, also has descendants in the Church in Utah. Edna Alley Maughan is a descendant of George, and Ruby Valantine is a descendant of Caroline. Both are mentioned as researchers on the Pedigree Chart accompanying these histories.

Eleanor was thoughtful and unselfish as shown by these incidents taken from her daughter, Ann's, autobiography.

When Ann married, her mother made them a straw bed, (a tick filled with straw, and two small pillows, taking the feathers from them from her own feather bed. She also shared her few cooking pans with Ann.

She traded some of her cloth to another lady for some of hers to make Ann's husband a pair of trousers as she feared Charles might recognize the material and object if she used her own. In Cedar City the winter the ditch froze so the flour mill couldn't operate many families were left without even bran to eat. The Willdens were fortunate in having their wheat ground early before the freeze. Eleanor being tender and free-hearted, could not enjoy her nice bread knowing her neighbors and the sick were suffering so she kept sharing her flour, a little at time, hoping the thaw would come before she ran out, but the thaw came too late. Her own family were forced to eat salt-rising bread made of bran.

Eleanor was a beautiful singer and gave dramatic readings. I read where she sang in a Relief Society meeting. Her children and many of her descendants are musically inclined. Her four boys all played the violin.

When the rock fort was built at Cove Creek she lived in her old home there and cooked for some of the workmen besides her own sons and husband who were called to help build the fort.

When she was seventy-three years old her daughter, Louisa Burt, died at the young age of 29, leaving six small children motherless. Three of the children went to live with their Uncle Willard Burt in Cedar City and the other three, Louisa, 7; Thomas, 4; and the baby, Willie, 8 1/2 months old, went to live with their grandmother, Eleanor. She kept Willie until he was past 3. She loved the children so very much, especially the baby, that she was very sad and lonely after their father took them home. She refers to Willie and her loneliness in a letter given later in her history.

Less that three months after the death of Louisa, her own life's companion was taken from her, leaving her still more lonely.

During her life she was actively engaged in temple work, traveling many hundreds of miles by team and wagon to the temples to do the work for her loved ones who had gone before. One of her letters shows that she was quite concerned about her sister, Rachel's work being done.

She spent the last 15 months of her life in the home of her son, Ellott. His wife, Christiana, was very good to her and Eleanor expressed her appreciation to her. She died 30 April 1893 and was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the Mountain View Cemetery in Beaver.

COPIES OF LETTERS WRITTEN BY ELEANOR TURNER WILLDEN

The following letters written by Eleanor have been copied exactly as written. Considering conditions in England in the early 1800's it is remarkable that our pioneers wrote as well as they did. Because the diary of Charles Willden had been copied 3 or 4 times in the process of getting it ready to publish and many errors in spelling could have occurred I did not use his spelling.

Continuation of letter reproduced on page 30. Dated Feb 7, 1886

i have tried to get someone to fetch me to manti but cannot suckseede it would be all of two months before feargus could fetch me & i thought if you could get the chance to send louisa wiley & rasy if you choose I would pay the man what would fetch them a good new quilt & som socks & bro burt it would set you more at liberty for you would do beter with one girl for thay one depend on another I think I tould you sam Adams and Ellott gpt thrown ot of a vecile Ellott has got a back set that strted friday with a bed for him to lie down now bro burt think of my lonly condishon & do be sure let wiley come so i can hug him once more thare is not one of them wil let thare girls come stay with me thing\king to force me to live with them oh that lord may work it in my favour is my prayer kiss the children for me and receve my best wishes in your behalf mother in law Eleanor Willden

1 Rest in sweet and peaceful slumber
  til the trujp of god shal sound
  til the earth with joyous echoes
  Wakeing millions all around

2 Then arise with joy to meet him
  crowned as queen among the guests
  having on the wedding garment
  entering into promised rest

3 Though thy labors here were shrtned
  and tho wert called from us away
  Tho are laboring with the faithful
  with those that trod the narrow way

4 And we shal again behold thee
  Blooming with immortal life
  farewel sister mother dearest
  noble loving wife

bro burt I thought you would like those verses so I rote them down for you to ponder in your ind before ever I new of wily leving me I ave to keep liveing af to ave a boling (crying) I never want to take another child for it is kiling me by inches he is young & wil soon forget me but I never can forget him Im all alone freting as tho my heart would break farewell bro burt if I never see you again on this earth be kind to the children I now thay are a heap of trubel but thay are a cmfort brother fotheringam is with him I beleve thay wil take care of my litel wily bles is litel heart if I had nown I would not ave spen on myself I paid a dolar for the nuby* I ave given it wiley

* nubia is a soft light scarf or covering for the head.

NOTE: The history of the William Burt family states,"In 1885 when the Manti Temple was ready to be plastered, William took the five older children to Manti, where he was the head plasterer on that temple. later he sent for Willie, who by this time was three years old."

Some verses wsent with the letter which is given on page 29 and starts "father wants to see you & ave a talk with you"

1 verce
  a brite sirit as flown a loved one departd
  a weary one gon to her rest
  wile frends are left desclate (disconsolate) bound & sad        
  hearted
  yet feeling that father knows best

2 verce
  Could (cold) death often visits the most perfect household
  Selecting the dearest of all
  non purer not beter from out of the threshold
  ere answered the sorrohful call
3 ver
  than Louisa so lovly in face mind & spirit
  inteligent gentel and true
  her council so wise that all paused to hear it
  like wisdon is given to few

4 verse
  we know that our loved is free from all sorch
  she knoweth no more mortal pain
  will try to look forth with hope to the morrow
  when all meet & near part from our Louisa again

I hope these few verses will comfort you

mother Willden

Letter from Eleanor to her daugher, Ann Johnson, just twelve days before her own death, probably the last letter she wrote.

Beaver Utah
April 18, 1893

the girl promised to rite you for me but she went a gading to miset yours was gladly receved but there was one thing she omited to tel you that is my thyes is so large that my boules ave had to lay on my thyes til it raised a lump as big as a hen's eg cant you pity me. I ave took to washing with as hot as my hands can bare it I think it is doing wel then I anoint them with sweet oil & that does them good. jane brunston Ellotts daughter was confined 22nd 9 o'clock at night Jodys wife a girl of the 23 William and lucy flake paid the shamefulest price you ever herd talk of Charley did not come to see me the rail company put on such a tremen price thay could not rais the meas Jon's daughter confined of a son Charley's daughter a girl, Ellott is the justic of the peace it keeps him buse all time. Love to all espechly your dear self from your loving mother.

Eleanor Willden

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