HISTORY OF MARGARET POWELL BETTS
by KATHRYN QUIGLEY BETTS
Margaret Powell Betts, daughter of John Powell and Elizabeth Harris Powell, was born March 12, 1848, in the town of Llanover, South Wales.
Her father and mother heard and accepted the gospel soon after she was born so she was taught the gospel principles and teachings from babyhood. She was blind and dumb for weeks, and it was years before she fully recovered her speech.
Margaret's parents kept an open house for the Elders of the Church. Her mother did the washings for a minister to get money to give to to [sic] the Elders. She also did the washings, mending and cooking for the missionaries.
The family desired to come to Utah as soon as possible. Margaret was eight years old when they left their comfortable home to come to the United States. For two weeks starting March 1, 1856, they visited with relatives; then they went to Liverpool where they set sail March 22, 1856. It was an American sailing vessel, ENOCH TRAIN. They were under the leadership of Elder Edmund Ellsworth of America. They [sic] family consisted of Father and Mother Powell, William, aged 14, Mary 12, Margaret 8, Elizabeth 5, Hannah 3, and David, a babe of three weeks.
After two weeks on the ocean a storm came up and the wind drove them back until the shores of Ireland were visible. One [sic] May 1st 1856 they landed near Boston and took a train to New Yo9rk; [sic] from there they went by rail to Ohio; by boat to Cincinnati, then by rail to Iowa City, Iowa, arriving there June 1, 1856.
When they came to the Mississippi River, they were just ten minutes too late to take the train across that day. They were thankful they had missed it, and felt the hand of Prividence in it, when they learned that the bridge had broken and that the train had gone into the river.
In Iowa City they met many of the Latter Day Saints, and all were kept busy making preparations to come to the Rocky Mountains. Horses, oxen, and wagons were scarce, and this company of saints had very little money to buy them, so they decided to build handcarts for their supplies and belongings. Thus Margaret at the age of eight years, became one of the members of the first handcart company. This company consisted of 500 men, women and children, 100 handcars, 12 yoke of oxen, 4 mules, 5 wagons and 25 tents. Brother Edmund Ellsworth was in command and in July 1856 they made the start across the plains.
Sister Margaret walked all the way from Iowa to Echo Canyon with the exceptioin of one half day, when she rode in a wagon to take care of her baby brother, her mother being too ill to care for him.
In telling of her experiences on the plains, Margaret said that they did not mind the walking, if they could have had all the [sic] wanted to eat; but their rations were often scant and they suffered for want of enough food.
They would have starved if they had not had buffalo meat occasionally to help them out.
When they got to Emigration Canyon, Brigham Young and others met them with loads of food, upon which they feasted while resting before making the last stretch of their long journey. They arrived in Salt Lake City Sept 26, 1856, and camped on the public square (in the 16th ward) the first night in the valley.
They were given a small log house with no furniture to live in. In an few days they were settled and Grandpa Powell began to work on the Temple. He worked only one day when he took ill. He lay on a pile of straw in a corner of his little log hut for three days. Four of the children were also ill and were lying on similar straw piles in two other corners of the hut. Grandpa Powell died on his wife's birthday, Oct 12, 1856, just two weeks after arriving in the valley.
A kind neighbor brought in a bed for him to be laid out on. Another neighbor loaned them two chairs and a table as they had been using rocks for furniture. Sister Judd gave two sheets to make his burial clothes. Thus he was laid to rest, leaving his widow, and six small children to face the world alone in this strange land, but among true friends.
Margaret, though only eight years old, worked for the neighbors tending babies, washing dishes, and helping in every way she could to make the load lighter for her widowed mother.
In Feb 1857 they were persuaded to come to Payson, Utah where they lived in a "dugout" with Charles Long and his wife. The "dugout" was where the 4th ward church now stands. By spring ahome [sic] had been built for them where Henry Erlandson's garage now stands. How proud they were of it. It had a real door and a window with greased paper for the window panes.
Again Margaret took her share of the burden and went out to work gleaning, spinnig, washing, ironging [sic], house-cleaning and house keeping, to help buy shoes, sprons [sic], and other things for the family.
I have heard her tell of her ambitions to go to school; how she and her mother would plan, and yet how little her hopes were realized. Yet hers was a sunny, cheerful disposition, and she never complained. She made the most of her few opportunites. She lear3ned [sic] to read and write and was able to teach herself from the few books available.
On April 3, 1867 at the age of 19 she was married to James Betts. To this union were born six children, two girls and four boys. One boy died in infancy. The other five children are still living. They are: Eliza Taylor in Spring Lake; Mary McCurphy in Eureka; William in Payson; John in Payson; and David in Salt Lake City.
Margaret's married life was a happy one. She and her husband built the Betts home in the First Ward where she has lived since. She has often said how dear it was to her as she helped make the adobes of which it was built. She raised her family in this home. It was here that she had her greatest joys and sorrows.
After eleven years of happy married life she was called upon to go through the greatest trial of her life. Her husband and brother, David, were killed in a snowslide in Payson Canyon March 26, 1878. Her husband's body was found the same day and her brother's body was found a week later. With marvelous fortitude and endurance she went through this great trial. Her undaunted spirit would not let her sit and grieve. She had her children to care for, the oldest being just ten years old, and the youngest just three weeks old. She struggled hard to raise them and educate them.
She developed an aptitude for nursing the sick. Many families in Payson, Tintic, and Salt Lake City have been helped by her when there was sickness in their homes and a nurse was essential. Although she took this means of earning a living, yet many times she has refused pay when she felt that those she helped were not able to pay. Her work has always been to help those in need, to relieve their suffering and make life more pleasant for everyone.
Margaret joined the Relief Society soon after she was married and has been a member for over 56 years. She has been a teacher in that association for the last 28 years. She has served on the burial committee for years and has ever been active in church work.
Last February she became ill and has failed steadily since. She endured a great deal of suffering and at times was in intense pain, but she was never known to complain or think her lot was hard. She endured in cheerful silence. Monday, Feb 23, 1925 at 10:30 p.m. she passed away.
Her life has seen trials, sacrifices, and sorrow, but through it all she has made the most of every ray of sunshine. She brought happiness to her children, and lived to see them all married and in homes of their own. She has enjoyed her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a mother to her grandchildren who were left without a mother.
She has indeed been a faithful wife, a noble mother, and a worthy friend and neighbor. It can truly be said of her, "This world is a better place for her having lived in it."
