Esther Smith Fuller was born 20 September 1810 at Stockholm, New York to Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Early in life Esther apprenticed to a tailor learning to make clothes for boys as well as female apparel. She also taught school.
Esther married Amos Botsford Fuller 8 March 1832. They lived in Stockholm until after their first three children were born. The first two children died shortly after birth. The third child was born 1 June 1835 and named Jesse Johnson Fuller.
Also living in and around Stockholm were Esther's grandparents, Asael, Sr. and Mary Duty Smith as well as several aunts and uncles. In 1830, Uncle Joseph Smith Sr. and his son, Don Carlos, came to Stockholm bringing The Book of Mormon translated by Esther's cousin, Joseph Smith. They taught the restored Gospel to the family members. Nearly all of them accepted this new Church and its teachings. Grandfather Asael was able to read most of The Book of Mormon before he died in October 1830. Esther was baptized 7 February 1836.
In May 1836, Esther's family, along with Amos' parents, joined with her parents and her brothers, Elias and Silas, to move to Ohio to gather with the body of Saints. Esther's 93 year old Grandmother also traveled with them.
Esther's little family settled with the Smith relatives near Kirtland. Esther kept things together while her husband served a few short missions. In April 1838 Esther and Amos left for Missouri. They arrived in time for Mary Adelia to be born in Fredricksburg 31 August 1838. When the baby was only three hours old an armed mob surrounded the house demanding that they leave. Amos begged for time for his wife to become stronger. The mob refused. Amos put his wife and children into a bed in a wagon and drove off. Behind them they saw the house in flames.
The family went to Far West. There they suffered through the persecution of the mobs. Joseph and Hyrum Smith, with others, were taken prisoner and the Mormons were forced to leave Missouri through the winter. The Fuller family arrived in Quincy, Illinois sick, hungry, and cold. Esther was in frail health. She was later diagnosed with consumption that she would suffer with the remainder of her life. The cold and exposure brought her to death's door at this time.
The Fullers traveled with other family members to Nauvoo and settled across the Mississippi River in Nashville, Iowa close to the Smith aunts and uncles. Amos' parents also lived in Nashville. On 19 December 1840 Esther gave birth to another child, a son named Luburn Livonia. For a few years the Saints had peace. Another child, Sophina Alcesta, was born 5 May 1843. Esther was frail. Amos stayed with her rather than serving another mission to help her care for their four children age 8 and under. Cousin Joseph Smith often stayed with the family when he was hiding from those trying to catch him and take him back to Missouri.
After Joseph and Hyrum's deaths the mobs came again and the outlying settlements were counseled to move into Nauvoo. Esther and Amos bought a lot northwest of the Mansion House but were unable to build before they were driven out of Nauvoo in 1846. The family went to Voree, Wisconsin where Esther gave birth to another child, Amos Botsford, 28 September 1846.
Esther's Smith family was in Iowa trying to continue west. In 1847 she and Amos left Wisconsin hoping to rejoin them in Council Bluffs. They got as far as Fort Des Moines when a violent snowstorm caught them. They were forced to stay at the abandoned fort for protection from the storm. The next morning Amos, who was a blacksmith, set up his forge and went to work shoeing horses and repairing wagons for the migrating Saints. Soon after the leaders of the Church asked him to remain there for a while to help the Saints passing by.
While they were in Des Moines, Esther's mother and father died at Iowaville. Esther and Amos purchased a farm and built a nice three-roomed house near Des Moines. The Fullers prospered as they helped the Saints and also helped the City of Des Moines grow. Esther made and repaired clothing. Business was good but the Fullers felt the pull of the West and were still planning to gather with the Saints in Utah.
Esther Victoria was born 13 January 1848. Esther's health was still frail and she almost lost her life again when little Esther was born. Then Asahel Luther was born 3 July 1852. The family was planning to leave for Utah the following spring when disaster struck. In early 1853 Amos was stricken with typhoid fever. After a long illness he died 21 March 1853. Esther was left with seven children age 17 years to 9 months old.
Finally in 1856 Esther was able to sell the farm and outfit her family for the trip West. By now Jesse and Mary Adelia were married. Jesse and his wife traveled with the family. Mary came later. Esther bought two wagons with oxen teams and a carriage for the youngest children to ride in. At Council Bluffs she hired a young woman to travel with them and cook for them and a young man to drive one of the wagons. Jesse's wife and Esther drove the other wagon and the carriage. The older children herded the livestock.
Esther's brother, Elias, met them at the foot of Big Mountain 17 August 1856 and took them to his home west of the Temple block. Two weeks later Esther was able to rent a large room on the block north.
Esther had fulfilled the great desire of her life, bringing her children to Zion. Six weeks after their arrival, on 31 October 1956, she died. She was buried in the Salt Lake Cemetery. Years later, her sister, Mary Jane Gee, was buried near her.
Taken from histories written by Garda Gee Adams, Darlene Cowan Butler, and Maurine Cowan Miller.
Esther Smith Fuller was born 20 September 1810 at Stockholm, New York to Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Early in life Esther apprenticed to a tailor learning to make clothes for boys as well as female apparel. She also taught school.
Esther married Amos Botsford Fuller 8 March 1832. They lived in Stockholm until after their first three children were born. The first two children died shortly after birth. The third child was born 1 June 1835 and named Jesse Johnson Fuller.
Also living in and around Stockholm were Esther's grandparents, Asael, Sr. and Mary Duty Smith as well as several aunts and uncles. In 1830, Uncle Joseph Smith Sr. and his son, Don Carlos, came to Stockholm bringing The Book of Mormon translated by Esther's cousin, Joseph Smith. They taught the restored Gospel to the family members. Nearly all of them accepted this new Church and its teachings. Grandfather Asael was able to read most of The Book of Mormon before he died in October 1830. Esther was baptized 7 February 1836.
In May 1836, Esther's family, along with Amos' parents, joined with her parents and her brothers, Elias and Silas, to move to Ohio to gather with the body of Saints. Esther's 93 year old Grandmother also traveled with them.
Esther's little family settled with the Smith relatives near Kirtland. Esther kept things together while her husband served a few short missions. In April 1838 Esther and Amos left for Missouri. They arrived in time for Mary Adelia to be born in Fredricksburg 31 August 1838. When the baby was only three hours old an armed mob surrounded the house demanding that they leave. Amos begged for time for his wife to become stronger. The mob refused. Amos put his wife and children into a bed in a wagon and drove off. Behind them they saw the house in flames.
The family went to Far West. There they suffered through the persecution of the mobs. Joseph and Hyrum Smith, with others, were taken prisoner and the Mormons were forced to leave Missouri through the winter. The Fuller family arrived in Quincy, Illinois sick, hungry, and cold. Esther was in frail health. She was later diagnosed with consumption that she would suffer with the remainder of her life. The cold and exposure brought her to death's door at this time.
The Fullers traveled with other family members to Nauvoo and settled across the Mississippi River in Nashville, Iowa close to the Smith aunts and uncles. Amos' parents also lived in Nashville. On 19 December 1840 Esther gave birth to another child, a son named Luburn Livonia. For a few years the Saints had peace. Another child, Sophina Alcesta, was born 5 May 1843. Esther was frail. Amos stayed with her rather than serving another mission to help her care for their four children age 8 and under. Cousin Joseph Smith often stayed with the family when he was hiding from those trying to catch him and take him back to Missouri.
After Joseph and Hyrum's deaths the mobs came again and the outlying settlements were counseled to move into Nauvoo. Esther and Amos bought a lot northwest of the Mansion House but were unable to build before they were driven out of Nauvoo in 1846. The family went to Voree, Wisconsin where Esther gave birth to another child, Amos Botsford, 28 September 1846.
Esther's Smith family was in Iowa trying to continue west. In 1847 she and Amos left Wisconsin hoping to rejoin them in Council Bluffs. They got as far as Fort Des Moines when a violent snowstorm caught them. They were forced to stay at the abandoned fort for protection from the storm. The next morning Amos, who was a blacksmith, set up his forge and went to work shoeing horses and repairing wagons for the migrating Saints. Soon after the leaders of the Church asked him to remain there for a while to help the Saints passing by.
While they were in Des Moines, Esther's mother and father died at Iowaville. Esther and Amos purchased a farm and built a nice three-roomed house near Des Moines. The Fullers prospered as they helped the Saints and also helped the City of Des Moines grow. Esther made and repaired clothing. Business was good but the Fullers felt the pull of the West and were still planning to gather with the Saints in Utah.
Esther Victoria was born 13 January 1848. Esther's health was still frail and she almost lost her life again when little Esther was born. Then Asahel Luther was born 3 July 1852. The family was planning to leave for Utah the following spring when disaster struck. In early 1853 Amos was stricken with typhoid fever. After a long illness he died 21 March 1853. Esther was left with seven children age 17 years to 9 months old.
Finally in 1856 Esther was able to sell the farm and outfit her family for the trip West. By now Jesse and Mary Adelia were married. Jesse and his wife traveled with the family. Mary came later. Esther bought two wagons with oxen teams and a carriage for the youngest children to ride in. At Council Bluffs she hired a young woman to travel with them and cook for them and a young man to drive one of the wagons. Jesse's wife and Esther drove the other wagon and the carriage. The older children herded the livestock.
Esther's brother, Elias, met them at the foot of Big Mountain 17 August 1856 and took them to his home west of the Temple block. Two weeks later Esther was able to rent a large room on the block north.
Esther had fulfilled the great desire of her life, bringing her children to Zion. Six weeks after their arrival, on 31 October 1956, she died. She was buried in the Salt Lake Cemetery. Years later, her sister, Mary Jane Gee, was buried near her.
Taken from histories written by Garda Gee Adams, Darlene Cowan Butler, and Maurine Cowan Miller.
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