A BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE
LIFE OF MARTHA JENKINS ORMOND
by
Clyde Ormond
Martha Jenkins Ormond was born on January 27, l826, at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire,
South Wales, in Great Britain. She was the daughter of Martha Francis Morris and Enos Jenkins.
Martha's father was a store-keeper in South Wales, and during the week, she helped
work in his store. The family was very religious by nature, and the Sabbath was kept strictly.
This religious tendency was noticeable in Martha as a girl, and later on was to have a profound
effect upon her entire life. In fact, all the major decisions of her life appear to have been
motivated by her deep religious beliefs.
Some of the religious severity of the family is manifested in their day-to-day living.
as one instance, dishes used from Saturday night until Monday were never washed on Sunday,
but stored in a closet to be washed the following Monday. Too, the family did not cook
Sunday dinners, but instead had the baker prepare the Sunday meal, while the family worshipped
at church.
While still a young woman in South Wales, Martha Jenkins met some of the Mormon
missionaries from the United States. She was converted to their faith and joined the church.
Martha, her sister Susan and Aunt Hannah were the only members of her family who joined
the Mormons who came to Utah. Two brothers, John and Thomas, also joined and Thomas filled
a mission for the Church in Wales. (Church Mission Records)
A desire on her part to be with those of her newly-accepted faith prompted her to come
to America. This was customary at the time. The ultimate goal of all converts was to sail for
America where they could be part of the growing Mormon Church, and live among those of
similar belief. This decision was one of Martha's first instances of having a deep faith set the
course for her life. With her, coming to America meant hardships of the first order. She'd have
to sail alone; money wasn't too plentiful; and transportation was slow and difficult. She'd be
separated from all her family.
Martha sailed for America on the ship Badger. The voyage took five weeks from South
Wales to New Orleans, Louisiana. She landed at New Orleans in the fall of l850, being twenty-four years of age at that time. Martha's ultimate objective, like the other converts of the time,
was the new Mormon settlement in Utah. Transportation across the great plains was, however,
even much slower than the ocean transportation had been. Martha came up the Mississippi River
from New Orleans as far as St. Louis, Missouri. There she was forced to stop and work, in order
to have money enough for supplies and passage Westward.
Since her family had been store-keepers in South Wales, it was only natural that Martha
obtain similar employment. She got a job in a big dry-goods store in St. Louis, saved money
from her wages, and bought clothes and household materials for the day when she d finally
make the last leg of the journey to Utah. While working in this store, Martha fell in love
with the store manager. This man loved her, too, but would not join the Mormon Church as
Martha wished.
Here again Martha's deep beliefs dictated the course of what she did. When the store
manager refused to join the church, she gave him up rather than marry outside the confines of the
church, and prepared to make the last part of the journey to Utah. Among the materials she had
saved for the journey were several boxes of goods and a feather-bed. A feather-bed at that time
often took years to acquire, and was therefore greatly prized as well as being something of
comfort for a long hard journey overland. But even though she'd paid in advance for her
transportation including the freight, the man in charge of the wagon-train made her leave the
boxes and feather-bed behind. The articles of clothing Martha did take, however, proved
priceless when she reached Utah, as many of the converts there didn't have enough clothing for
themselves or children.
She came to Utah on the famous Emigrant Train. It was a mark of her great courage
that she walked almost the entire distance across the plains.
Martha Jenkins' meeting of John Ormond, when she reached Salt Lake City, Utah, is an
example of many aspects of those religious times. At this early stage of Western Movement
and settlement, it must be remembered that the hardiest individuals of an entire nation were on
the move--the Mormons among them. This acquisition of land and homes was a primary
objective, as well as the establishment of settlements embodying religious freedom. In order to
have and to hold land, homes were vitally necessary. Big families were a religious as well as an
economic asset. Only the most courageous of women would undertake this early movement to
the West. As a result of this, long courtships were rare. The few women who reached the West
were taken for wives almost immediately upon their arrival.
Martha Jenkins was no exception, and her first meeting with John Ormond was singular,
even for the times.
(Section of details here omitted as they are repitious of above)
During these years, Martha Jenkins Ormond had been happy. She bore a family of six
boys and one girl: John Jenkins, William Charles Jenkins, Martha Maria Jenkins, Enos
Jenkins, Parley Jenkins, Hyrum Jenkins, Joseph Jenkins.
During the years while her family was growing up, and afterward, Martha Jenkins
Ormond
remained faithful to the Mormon faith, and continued to do temple work for the dead. In later
years, when she became more feeble, her granddaughter, Nellie Ormond Gibson, would carry her
suitcase up the hill to the Logan Temple (about two blocks from her home), and kept the records,
while Grandma Ormond, as she was known by then, kept up the temple work for the dead.
While doing this temple work, Martha had a strange vision, typical of the manifestations
of the time, and which has remained as a testimony to some of her descendants. One night
Grandma Ormond dreamed vividly of a certain beautiful, dark-haired lady. This lady was a
stranger, but said that she was Grandma Ormond's cousin Margaret, and said further that she
wished Grandma would do her temple work for her.
At that time, Grandma Ormond knew of no Cousin Margaret. Her belief in the dream,
however, was so strong that she asked her grand-daughter, Nellie Ormond Gibson, to write to
Wales and inquire among the relatives about a possible Cousin Margaret.
As a result of this correspondence, Grandma Ormond learned that there really was a
Cousin Margaret; and subsequently, Grandma Ormond did the temple work for her, as the lady in
the dream had asked.
Grandma Martha Jenkins Ormond was 78 years old, approximately, when she died, Dec-
ember 27, 1904, at Logan, Utah. Two of her children had preceded her in death.
At this writing (March 10, 1950) one of her children, Martha Maria Jenkins Ormond
Mortimer, is still living. In her (90's), she still lives at Logan, Utah, takes care of herself, and
though not wearing glasses, can still see to do beautiful crochet work. She is regarded by
everyone as a wonderful woman.
NOTE: Martha Maria Jenkins Ormond Mortimer died November 11, 1950, as a result from a fall
she received while irrigating her flowers and garden along with old age, she never recovered.
