Julia
Ann Lockwood Hales 1824-1903
Ralph Otis Bradley's Great
Great Grandmother
Julia was
born August 10, 1824 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York near
Palmyra. Soon after her birth, her
mother was granted a divorce from her father.
He had no use for the gospel, which was so dear to her mother. Julia Ann was shifted from one family member
to another during the early years of her life.
She never knew what real love and family life was like because of this
situation. Parley P. Pratt baptized her
into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8 in
1836. She moved to Kirtland, Ohio with
her family.
She married Charles Henry Hales at the age of
fifteen, October 31, 1839 in Quincy, Illinois.
Here they had one baby Eliza Ann and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois where
another son and daughter were born to them.
While living at Nauvoo she was a dear friend of Emma Smith and the
Prophet.
They
were driven out of Nauvoo in 1845 and made their home in Garden Grove, Iowa for
six years, 1846-1852. Three other
children were born to them in this place.
They were driven out of their homes in 1852 and were able to take with
them across the desert only those articles absolutely necessary for a family of
eight. Julia Ann walked most of the way
leaving to her oldest daughter the responsibility of driving the team. They
joined the James C. Snow Wagon Company.
They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852. Their early years in Utah were harsh
ones.
In
1856, the grasshoppers destroyed the crops they had planted. The families moved to Spanish Fork in
1858. They had little to eat. Her husband took a second wife.
She
was a real helpmate to her husband. Many
times they had very little to eat. She
cooked over an open fire until 1868 when her son, Joe, went off to work and
bought her her first stove. She was glad
to get seamless sacks to make dresses and trousers for her children. In spite of their hardships, their children
were all strong and healthy and grew to adulthood to form large families of
their own.
Julia
Ann was a member of the first Relief Society in Nauvoo. She served as president of her ward Relief Society
in Spanish Fork and gave much compassionate service to her sisters and those in
need during those early pioneer days. She
and her husband both sang in the Spanish Fork Choir. She was much loved and respected by her
neighbors and friends.
The
Indians killed her daughter, Isabell, and her husband, Robert Berry. They were on their way home to Southern Utah,
after visiting her family in Spanish Fork.
This was a great trial to her.
After her husband died, she made her home with her youngest daughter,
Harriet E. Nelson. Julia Ann lived as a
widow for fourteen years and died at the age of 79 in the home where she raised
her family. Due to her age she suffered
a stroke and died on February 18, 1903.
She was buried at Spanish Fork Cemetery.
She was remembered as a faithful wife and loving mother and a true
Latter-day Saint.
Julia Ann Lockwood Hales
1824-1903
Julia Ann was
born August 10, 1824 in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York,
near Palmyra.
There is some confusion as to the name of her father, it is either Joseph or
George Lockwood. Half the records say Joseph and the other half say George and
each of them have different parents. Her mother, Annis Gillett had also been
previously married, there is confusion here also. Annis was married to a
Jonathan Barlow or Edward Thompson or both.
Wayne B. Hales,
Julia Ann's grandson, writes "Soon after Julia's birth, her mother was
granted a divorce from her father. He had no use for the gospel which was so
dear to her mother. Julia Ann was shifted from one family member to another
during the early years of her life. She never knew what real love and family
life was like because of this situation. She was baptized into the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 8 by Parley P. Pratt."
Julia Ann and
family followed the Saints when they moved to Kirtland, Ohio.
Then around June 1838 her family moved to a small community called Huntsville, Randolf,
Missouri. They found quite a big
branch of the Church there. This is when Julia Ann first became acquainted with
Charles Hales.
After being
driven out of Missouri Julia Ann and her family settled in Quincey, Illinois. Here she married
Charles Henry Hales at the age of fifteen on October 31, 1839. They had one
baby, Eliza Ann and moved to Nauvoo,
Illinois where Julia Aedena and
George Gillett (named after Julia Ann's brother) and Mary Isabella were born to
them. While living at Nauvoo Julia Ann and Charles were neighbors to the
Prophet Joseph Smith and knew his family very well. Julia was a dear friend of
Emma Smith and was a member of the first Relief Society in Nauvoo.
Julia Ann and
Charles were driven out of Nauvoo in 1846 and made their home in Garden Grove, Iowa
for six years 1846-1852. Two other children were born to them in this place
Charles Henry, and Joseph Lockwood. They were driven out of their homes again
in 1852 and were able to take with them across the desert only those articles
absolutely necessary for a family of eight. Julia Ann walked most of the way
leaving to her oldest daughter the responsibility of driving the team. They
joined the James C. Snow Wagon Company and arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1852.
Their early years
in Utah were
harsh ones and they were often hungry. They first lived in Salt Lake
and had their seventh child there, they named him John Taylor because John
Taylor had traveled West with them on the same wagon train.
In the spring of
1854 Charles and family moved to Big Cottonwood (located just south of 48th
South and west of Highland Drive
in Salt Lake County).
Here Stephen Frederick and William Parley were born. For five years they lived
here and farmed. In 1856 Charles had rented a farm and put in crops just as the
young plants began to make the fields green the terrible grass-hoppers came and
destroyed the crops as they did all over Utah, but they were faithful and were
saved by the Sea Gulls, which God sent to their rescue.
Julia Ann's
husband, Charles, took a second wife in the spring of 1957, Francis Brunyer. Of
this union thirteen children were born.
The families
moved to Spanish Fork in 1858. Julia Ann had her last three children there;
Mariah Josephine, Jonathan Hyrum, and Harriet Elizabeth. Julia Ann had twelve
children in all.
Julia Ann was a
real helpmate to her husband. Many times they had very little to eat. She was
glad to get seamless sacks to make dresses and trousers for her children. She
cooked over an open fire until 1868 when her son, Joe, went off to work and
bought her her first stove. In spite of their hardships, their children were
all strong and healthy and grew to adulthood to form large faithful families of
their own.
Julia Ann served
as president of her ward Relief Society in Spanish Fork and gave much
compassionate service to her sisters and those in need during those early
pioneer days.
Julia Ann and
Charles both sang in the Spanish Fork Choir for 20 years. Kate B. Carter writes
"The Spanish Fork Choir had some notoriety in rendering both sacred and
secular music, having some of the best soprano voices in the Territory, and
affording amusement and refined enjoyement to the citizens of Spanish Fork and
the neighboring settlements by giving concerts and social parties. They
attracted the attention of Pres. Brigham Young and on two occasions they
visited Salt Lake City
by his invitation, the first to sing at a conference held in the Bowery and
afterwards at the opening of the new Tabernacle. At another time, while on his
way to attend the dedicatory services at the opening of the Nephi meetinghouse,
Pres. Young and party stayed at Spanish Fork and held service in the afternoon.
Afterward Pres. Young asked the choir to accompany him to Nephi to assist at
the services there. The choir spent two days at Nephi having a most enjoyable
time." There is a picture of the choir which includes both Julia Ann and
Charles Hales.
The Indians
killed her daughter, Mary Isabella and her husband in 1866. They were on their
way to Southern Utah after visiting the folks
at Spanish Fork.
After Charles
died, she made her home with her youngest daughter, Harriet E. Nelson. Julia
Ann lived as a widow for fourteen years and died at the age of 79 in the home
where she raised her family. Due to her age she suffered a stroke and died on
February 18, 1903. She was buried at Spanish
Fork Cemetery.
Julia Ann was
much loved and respected by her neighbors and friends. She was remembered as a
faithful wife and loving mother and a true Latter-day Saint.