Horrocks/ Jackson

Elizabeth Horrocks (pg.43) joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1841 at the age of fifteen.  Seven years later she married Aaron Jackson.  Their desire was to join with the saints in Zion as soon as possible.  Before they were able to sail for America, three children were born to them: Martha Ann Jackson born 6 Feb, 1849, Mary Elizabeth Jackson born 22 July, 1851, and Aaron Jackson  born 18 Jan 1854.  Mary Horrocks, Elizabeth’s sister, born in 1837, accompanied the family.  (Pg. 73)

Aaron willingly assisted where ever he could along the trail even taking on extra flour in Florence, however, he contracted mountain fever somewhere before the Last Crossing of the Platte River and the coming of the snow the following day.  Only one day in the sick wagon was enough for Aaron and he declared that he would not ride in the wagon again but the Last Crossing required that he go into the freezing water.  He could go no further than the sand bar before succumbing to the sickness and intense cold.   He soon found himself in the handcart by the administrations of his sister-in-law and riding the rest of the way to camp three miles distant (pg 211-2).  His sister-in-law, Mary Horrocks, and Aaron himself both were both chilled and very ill because of the experience (pg. 214).  Both found it hard to eat.  Both became sicker.  During the night of Oct 24, Aaron died.  His loving wife felt his frozen body next to her about midnight.  In her sorrow and solitude she remained stark awake for the rest of the grief-stricken night (pg. 232).  The next morning he was buried along with thirteen others who had died during the night.

Mary continued sick eating nothing but snow.  (Pg. 235)   She soon recovered and actually made it into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake!  Her brother Samuel Horrocks took her with him to Ogden where she met and married Nathaniel Leavitt in 1857.  The had twelve children.  She died in 1908 at the age of seventy-two.

Elizabeth, now a widow, sorrowed greatly for the loss of her husband.   One night she saw her husband reassuring her, “deliverance is at hand.”   (Pg. 243) His presence cheered her soul and she no longer doubted that rescue was coming.  And come it did.  All three of her children lived and made it to the Valley.  Elizabeth with her children also joined her brother Samuel in Ogden where she met and married William R. Kingsford also in 1857.  They later moved to Spanish Fork and set up a merchandise store which was run by the family for many years.  On pages 312-3, the reader may enjoy Elizabeth’s wonderful testimony of the trials and blessings of the handcart experience, of Jesus Christ, the certainty of the resurrection and “the assurance of an eternal reward - an exaltation to eternal life in His kingdom.”