Alice Penn Maiben (1847-1920): Death Certificate

This is the death certificate of my 2nd great grandmother Alice Penn Maiben.  I obtained this from the Utah State Archives online.

 This certificate has her place of birth as Brighton, England on October 16th, 1847.  Her parents are Henry and Caroline Penn Maiben.

She passed away on May 6th, 1920 in Logan, Utah.  Cause of death appears to be pneumonia. (It is difficult to read.)

She was married to John Fell Squires.  He was the informant who signed the document.

John Fell Squires (1846-1933): Gravesite

The is the gravesite of John Fell Squires, my 2nd great grandfather. These photos come from the findagrave.com website.

He is buried in the Logan City Cemetery in Logan, Utah.

The following paragraph is included in the website:

John Fell Squires was the 2nd child of John Paternoster and Catherine Harriet Fell Squires. The family was converted to the LDS church in 1853 and left for America on the ship the International the same year. It took ten weeks to reach New Orleans, and from there they traveled up the Mississippi river to Iowa and on to the Salt Lake Valley. John met his future wife as a small child traveling in the same pioneer company across the plains. Alice Penn Maiben and John were married 7 Aug 1868 and had 12 children together, 9 of which grew to adulthood. John was a colorful and witty man, a writer and teller of exaggerated and entertaining stories. He was the first Cache National Forest ranger.

Alice Penn Maiben (1847-1920): Gravesite

The is the gravesite of Alice Penn Maiben, my 2rd great grandmother. These photos come from the findagrave.com website.

She is buried in the Logan City Cemetery in Logan, Utah.

The following paragraph about her life is included with the website:

Alice Penn Maiben Squires was the oldest child of Henry and Caroline Penn Maiben. Her parents were converted to the LDS church in 1851. The family left for America in 1853 and arrived in Salt Lake Valley. She walked most of the way across the plains. She married a young man who was in the same pioneer company as her John Fell Squires on 7 Aug 1868. They had 12 children together. Her descendants remember her as being a wonderful cook and lovely lady. Heber J. Grant spoke at her funeral in the Logan Tabernacle.

Mormon Overland Pioneer Database: Part 2

This is the second post on the Mormon Overland Pioneer Database.  This first is here and is about the Henry Maiben Family.

This post concerns the family of John Paternoster Sqiures, my third great grandfather.  This family, like the family of Henry Maiben, also crossed the plains with the Jacob Gates Company in 1853. The company left Keokuk, Iowa on June 3rd, 1853 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley September 26-30 of that same year.
Traveling with the family was John Paternoster Squires, his wife Catherine Harriet Fell, and their children Mary, John Fell Squires (My 2nd great grandfather), Richard, and Henry.  Their son Richard died along the trail on September 12th about 200 miles from Salt Lake City.

This except from the life of my 2nd great grandfather John Fell Squires that can be found in the database is interesting as it talks about meeting his future wife (He was 6 or 7 years old on the trip.).

"There was a little black eyed curly headed girl [Alice Penn Maiben] under six years of age. Her Father’s [Henry Maiben’s] wagon was next to ours most of the way. She was gritty and tougher than myself. She truged along day after day walking nearly the entire distance from the Missouri River to S.L. City.

I used to watch her at this and I might say kept my eye on her until we grew up and became husband and wife. Since then she has kept her eye on me."

Henry Maiben and Family: Emigration to the United States

This post is a follow-up to this post.

Before beginning their journey from Keokuk, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Henry Maiben, his wife Caroline, and daughter Alice had already been in a long journey to get there.

This information comes from the Mormon Migration Database.  The family sailed on a ship called the International from Liverpool, England on February 28, 1853.  There were approximately 477 passengers on the ship.  The ship was wind powered, so the journey took about 10 weeks to get to New Orleans in the United States.  They arrived in New Orleans on April 23, 1853.

In New Orleans, the ship's passengers traveled by steamship up the Mississippi river to Keokuk.

One interesting note from the voyage.  On April 6th, the passengers had a special meeting to commeration the organization of the Church.  A journal entry from one of the passengers note this about the meeting,

"One of the songs composed on that occasion was a description of the officers on the ship and as I have said nothing about them, will give the parts of the song. I do not remember all of it but will give the parts that I remember.
It was set to the tune of Yankee Doodle and you may judge when four hundred were singing with all their [-] we at least made some noise, whether it was very musical or not."

That song was composed by my 3rd great grandfather, Henry Maiben.  Below is the song.  (Caution: language used that is considered to be in very bad taste in our modern times.)

An original song, Written and Sung, by Henry Maiben [Maibin] (of Brighton) on board the ship International, on the occasion of a Festival, held April 6th, 1853, in commemoration of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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TUNE--YANKEE DOODLE
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On board the InternationalAll joyful, and lighthearted, Bound Zionward, four hundred Saints, From Liverpool we started. We're English, Irish, Scotch, and Welsh Assembled here together; Resolved to do the will of God, Whate'er the wind and weather.
CHORUS Then, sing aloud, ye Saints of God, In one united chorus; Old Babylon we'll leave behind, For, Zion is before us.
We had a noble president, You'll scarce find such an one, Sirs, He stands near six feet six, in height,  And weighs near twenty stone, Sirs. But, best of all, he's full of love, He's frank, and open-hearted; And as sincere as any that From Bab'lon has departed.

Now, Elder Arthurs' counselors (I wish you all to know it) Are, Elder Lyon (from Glasgow), The celebrated Poet: And, Elder Richard Waddington, (From London's famous city) Who's been sick almost all the way, Which has drawn forth our pity.

And Elders are appointed to Take charge of wards and sections, And do all things according to The president's directions. Thus ev'ry regulations made Which is found to be needed; So that, there's not a soul on board Whose welfare is unheeded.

Then, of such fact, or incident That's worthy of remark here; We have a faithful record kept, By Elder Sims, our clerk here. [p.14 ] Amongst which you'll find, two deaths, five births, And twenty-five baptisms. Likewise (today) four marriages, But no such thing as schisms.

The Captain name is "David Brown," My muse cannot refuse its Verse, in reference to him; He comes from Massachusetts. Of course, he is tarnation 'cute,' Yet, he is honest, "rather," And must, ere long, become a Saint, And serve our Heav'nly Father.

The first mate's name is "Alfred Howes," The second mate's "Arch. Campbell," The third mate's is "John Marston," and Then, comes a sort of scramble: That is to say, a motley crew, Called sailors, or ship-riggers; Amounting to about eighteen, Swedes, Germans, Dutch, and Niggers.

The Captain's "Steward, and his wife," Next and forth our attention; Then "Richard Foulton" Captain's cook, I can 't omit to mention. And last (not least) the carpenter, "Calle Westerlind," a Swede, Sirs, The first of the ship's company T' embrace our Holy Creed, Sirs.

We've been on board five weeks and more, And have endured much sickness; We've also had headwinds and storms, T' impede the vessels quickness. Yet, we have cause, and do rejoice, Thanks to the God of Heaven! For unto us, his blessings have Abundantly been given.

Today's the 6th of April, and We now, are celebrating The glorious anniversary, With gladness unabating. And who? that could but witness now, Our festive, happy faces; But would obey the truth, to share The joy our faith embraces.

BIB: Lyon, John. Diary. (Ms 4687), pp.1-15. (CHL)

Mormon Pioneer Overland Trail Database: Part 1

This is an interesting database for those who have Mormon pioneers that traveled across the plains by wagon or handcart.  The database can be found here.

This first post looks at the family of my 3rd great grandfather Henry Maiben.

This family traveled with the Jacob Gates Company in 1853 by ox pulled wagons.  The company left Keokuk, Iowa on June 3rd, 1853 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley September 26-30 of that same year.

Henry Maiben, his wife Caroline Penn, daughter Alice Penn Maiben (my 2nd great grandmother), and an infant daughter Marion Maiben made the journey.  Marion was born in Keokuk.