Thomas Sirls TERRY

Sources:

Universal Genealogy, ALIAS: 5056-325, GENDB
Temple Index Bureau
Hebron Ward Records
Journal of Thomas Sirls Terry
History of Thomas Sirls Terry Family, compiled by Nora and Terry Lund
Family Records
St. George Temple Records
Ancestral File (TM)
Ancestry World Tree
Internet IGI 2007
Pedigree Resource File

Notes:

                   Historical information included in notes

Per a picture I received at our Family reunion on 2004 Memorial Day. Sylvia Garnett Phillips
At the reunion tere were 3 pictures with all 3 of Thomas Sirls Terry's wives and the children from each wife. Eliza Jane and he had 12 children but only a picture of 8 of them.  5 girls and 3 boys were raised. 4 died in infancy.
Per a picture that was at the family reunion on Memorial Day 2004 showed the family of  Thomas Sirls Terry and Mary Ann Pulsipher and there 12 children, 9 girls and 3 boys.

http://www.geocities.com/familyquilt/game/card/tst1825c.htmlsee site for complete autobiography:"I kept at work until the last of March, 1847 (working spinning cotton in the cotton mills of Gloucester City in New Jersey.) By this time, I had got me some good clothing and also had sufficient money to carry me to the West. I now notified my father and mother that I was going to start for the West. They both, and the rest of the family, tried to persuade me to stay at home, but all of their persuading was of no use. I was a Mormon, and was determined to gather with the Saints. Although it was critical times with the Saints as they were driven from Nauvoo the year before the Church was on the move, and they had no home, and more than this, but a very few friends. But their God was my God and if they died, I could die with them.I quit work the last of March, 1847. At this time there were two companies of Saints fitting up; one in Boston and the other in New York. The one in Boston was in care of Augustus Farnum and the other in Elder Miles' care. Both companies arrived in Philadelphia the 15th of April, 1847. I left home the same day and joined them in Philadelphia. We left here next morning, the 16th, at 10:00 o'clock, in the Columbia cars on the Pennsylvania road. We arrived in Columbia about 5:00 p.m. Here we took the canal boat for Pittsburgh. From Pittsburgh we took the steamboat for St. Louis. We traveled 800 miles on the Ohio River. We passed Cincinnati and Louisville and other small towns on the river, and then traveled up the same 200 miles and arrived in St. Louis on the evening of the 13th of April. In St. Louis we were disbursed among the Saints, who then lived in the place. I stayed here about two weeks. It was now understood that a large body of Saints would start for the Rocky Mountains in search of a home for the Church, and that President Brigham Young with about a hundred and twenty had already started in search of a place for the Saints to gather to.While in St. Louis I became acquainted with Brother Darwin Richardson who was one of the company which was then fitting up in St. Louis for the purpose of accompanying the Saints on their way to the Mountains. I engaged with Brother Richardson to drive one of his teams. The company left St. Louis on the evening of the 11th of May on a steamboat for Council Bluffs where the Saints were stopped at a place of winter quarters.The afternoon before we left St. Louis there was a very hard thunder storm, and as I had charge of Brother Richardson's goods, I was out in most of the storm and got wet through. I took cold and the next day was taken very sick with the diarrhea and was sick all the way to the Missouri River, and it was thought by my friends that I would not live. We were two weeks on the River and arrived at Winter Quarters at Council Bluffs on the evening of May 27. We were on ship next morning. I was now very weak in body. I could walk and that was about all. Brother Richardson and family made their quarters at Brother Joseph Steaten's. The most of our company bought teams here and also their wagons. In about three days, I commenced to get better very rapidly and in about a week was able to go out with the boys to herd our cattle. We got ready to start, and our wagons left Winter Quarters on the 9th of June, 1847. We traveled about twenty-eight miles to Elk Horn River. Here we waited until all of the wagons came up. On the 18th of June there were 656 wagons on the ground and all was organized into companies of ten, and tens into fifties, and fifties into hundreds. Our wagons were in the first ten and first fifty and first hundred.Our fifty left next morning for the mountains in the command of Perry Green Sessions and Elijah F. Sheets, Captain of the first ten and Daniel Spencer, Captain of the hundred. We left Elk Horn River June 19, 1847. We were on the road three months and six days. We were pilgrims in search of a home. We were banished by a ruthless mob, who was sanctioned by the authorities of our government, from our homes and the land of our birth, t
o seek an asylum in the far distant west among savages and the wild beasts of the mountains. But the noble band of pioneers who were led by Brigham Young, who was a Prophet of God, had started in the Spring. We followed their trail as much as possible. It was sometime difficult to follow as the heavy rains and the high grass had covered it all up. Our journey was toilsome and fatiguing, yet we had many first rate pleasures and joy while on the plains. It was a new life to me and suited me well. I enjoyed good health and the time passed away pleasantly.In crossing the plains coming to the Valley I was put in charge of a company of Saints as Captain. We left Florence the last of June 1857 for the five hundred mile trip. I had hard work to get the company along. Traveling with oxen. In .. (bottom of page 12) we could not go straight across. It was very high. We had to start in and then go up stream half a mile then cross to the other side.We were all day in getting over. In getting the teams across I crossed the river eleven times. The last time was after dark. I could only see my way by camp fires on the other side of the river.When going to bed I heard a rap at my wagon. Óh Captain, my daughter is dead.´ It was Brother James Stevenson I dressed myself and went to his wagon. His daughter Lucy had passed to the other side. She was dead. I sent for Captain John Dustin who was Captain of the second ten. Brother Dustin was a man of great faith. We administered to her, but she did not revive. She did not come back to life. After some time we administered again but of no use. She still layed in death´s arms.I spoke to Brother Dustin and asked him to stay with the family, that I would go out but would come back soon. I went to my wagon and got my Temple clothes. I went off in the darkness a quarter of a mile, dressed myself in my Temple clothes. I knelt down and asked my Heavenly Father in the name of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, that if it was His will that the spirit of the young sister return to its body.After I had returned I found Sister Lucy still dead, the family were all crying. I said to Brother Dustin we will administer to her again. We placed our hands upon her heaad and I asked my Heavenly Father that her spirit might return to its body. Before we took our hads off her head her Spirit returned and she came to life. The time altogether was one hour. She came to the Valley and was married.We traveled on next day. Two days after Brother Jessie Murphy was taken very sick with a high fever. We blessed him and the next day he was up driving his team. We continued our journey till we got to Buffalo Creek about one hundred and sixty miles east of Fort Laramie. Here we had a stampede. It was awful Yes, it was a fearful thing. Forty wagons and three carriages were all jammed together. There were five who were very badly hurt. As soon as I could I went to attend to those that were hurt. In this I was alone, while the Brothers looked after the wagons and teams.The first I administered to was Brother Pallard and his wife. I found them both dying on the ground. Sister Pallard was lying as if she were dead, she had been knocked down by the teams. I administered to them; they both got up. The next one was Brother Bratt who was from the South. I found him also very badly hurt. He had been knocked over. I blessed him and he got up and was alright. While I was administering to him I heard a sister call out 'Oh Captain Terry come here´ It was sister Mousley. I went to her . Brother Martin Lincy was holding Whihelmina in his arms. When I got to her she had passed away, the blood was running a stream . Her face was very fearfully, her sister was lying by her with an injured spine. She could not get up. I administered to them both. Whihelmina come to; her sister got up. By that time the Brethren had the wagons separated and the camp formed.I had the good will and feeling of my Brother and Sisters all the way. Some years afterwards I met Brother Pallard in Salt Lake City. He introduced me to a friend of his. He said ´Brother Bywater, ha
d it not been for Captain Terry I never would have seen Salt Lake City.´ In this narrative I do not wish to boast but my Heavenly Father blessed me with his Holy Spirit in administering to my Brethern and Sisters.After a journey of 1030 miles, which took us three months and six days, we arrived on the 25th of September in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake, where the pioneers had arrived on the 24th day of July, 1847, and which place they had selected for a home for the Saints. When we arrived here the country was new and it was barren and very dry. We were now out a thousand miles from any settlement, and the country was untried by any living being. We did not know that the soil would produce crops or not, but we had faith in God who had led us here. The pioneers, before they left to return to their homes in Winter Quarters, had selected ten acres of ground to build a fort upon and had left a few men to commence the work. When all of the companies had arrived, we found that the lot was too small. We went to work and laid off 25 acres more. We then commenced to build our houses and before Spring had opened we built a row of houses around the 35 acres, also three row of double houses across from side to side, which separated the houses into forts. "Crickets worked on his crops and were very destructive but was blessed with gulls that saved the cropsHauled the rock and adobe for the first two-storied house in Salt Lake City, UtahReturned to Pennsylvania as a missionary and was later ordained an LDS patriarchHe was ordained a Patriarch by President Francis M. Lyman, June 14, 1908. (And gave some 500 blessings.)He was revered by all who knew him  Jew and Gentile, the reviling Indian or thoughtless cowboy. Old men and little children came to pay their homage to him. He lived to the ripe old age of 95 years 10 months and 9 days, dying from a broken leg. His body was laid beside his wife Mary Ann who had proceeded him in death some 5 years earlier. He passed on blessings to his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren. He left three acting bishops and five highpriests from his 9 sons. Also he left many talented and lettered grandchildren  A POSTERITY TO PRAISE THE MEMORY OF THOMAS SIRLS TERRY  PATRIARCH, COUNCILER, AND FRIEND.The LDS Vital Records Library in the LDS Family History Suite:2515. Terry, Thomas Sirls, 1825Journal (18251860)Davis Bitton, Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies (1977), pg.356Journal (18251860)Typescript. 107 pp. BYU [Lee Library] (M270 M82 vol. 13)Davis Bitton, Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies (1977), pg.356Retrospective account, 182553. Born in Pennsylvania, 1825. Heard LDS elders preach, 1841. Joined Church, 1842. Many apostatized when polygamy was rumored, 1843. West to join Saints, 1847. Crossed plains, 1847. Crickets attack crops, 1848. Married Mary Ann Pulsipher, 1849. Homesteaded forty acres on Little Cottonwood Creek, c. 1850. Ordained seventy, 1851. Grasshoppers. Sporadic daily entries, 185357. Member of prayer circle. Lessons in phonography. Married Eliza Jane Pulsipher, 1855. Mission to eastern states, c. 185657. Murder of Parley P. Pratt. Handcart companies. Married Lucy Stevenson, 1857. Rebaptized at Union Fort. Utah War. Move South to Springville. Returned to Cottonwood. Wife, Lucy left him because unable to accept criticism; later returned to him and left a second time. Threshing in central Utah. Sugar cane crop, 1859.Mormon Manuscripts to 1846: Guide to Lee Library, BYUTERRY, THOMAS SIRLS (1825-1920).Autobiography. Microfilm of typescript, positive, partial reel. 15 pp.Born in Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, son of Thomas Sirls Terry and Mary Ann Markins. Family genealogy; early life; affiliation with the Mormons in 1842 while in Pennsylvania; introduction of the doctrine of polygamy into his branch in 1843 through Joseph Newton, who had learned it from Brigham Young; work at his trade as a printer until 1845; endeavors to raise money through various jobs to gather with the Saints; exodus west from Pennsylvania by way of 
the Ohio River and St. Louis, Missouri.see also:Terry, Thomas Sirls 3 Oct 1825 -Pioneers of 1847 by Susan Ward Easton. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1980. @ p.21Terry, Thomas Sirls 3 Oct 1825 - 25 Dec 1849Pioneers of 1847 by Susan Ward Easton. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1980. @ p.21Wiggins, Marvin E. Mormons and Their NeighborsWiggins, Marvin E. Mormons and Their Neighbors (Supplement)