ELIZABETH CROOK CRANNEY
Elizabeth Crook was born in Gloucester Elizabeth
According to her son, W. W. Cranney: “My mother was an English convert of Wilford Woodruff and had separated from her husband, who was a drunkard, who was a wicked vicious man who mistreated her and threatened to kill her.[4] She was “given a blessing and a promise by Brother Woodruff that she would reach church headquarters in safety with her children. She was leaving her husband under his threat that he would kill her if she did so. With fear allayed by Apostle Woodruff’s blessing, she went from her home to Liverpool on the train. Her husband, who was hunting for her, followed her into the car, where she was settling with her children, a boy 3 (he was actually 5 or 6) and a girl almost one year old. However, he failed to recognize them and passed by them.”
“She boarded a sailing vessel at Liverpool in the company of a large number of emigrants and passed through many trials on the long journey to Zion
In the month of May of 1856 with her two children (a boy 5 and a girl one year) she sailed for America Iowa City England Salt Lake City Council Bluffs Florence , Nebraska
On the morning of August 29 they were suddenly confronted with a band of Indians who were on the war path. All during the summer companies of men, women and children had been killed, one can imagine what a startling thing this was to these emigrants from far away England to be so suddenly confronted by a band of savages on the war path, however; they proved to be friendly to the Mormon emigrants.
The company moved on unmolested for a short distance when again they were more than startled by coming to the place where the Babett Company had been killed with one exception, a woman, whom they took captive after beating out the brains of her child. These people had been killed for several days and their bodies left unburied. After gathering up the remains of the murdered company and burying them, they moved on in silence, not knowing what their fate might be.
Just before daylight September 4th the red skins stole all the company’s beef cattle. This was a great calamity as provisions were getting short. Then several days later they met the sole survivor of the Margets Company, who was on his way to England from Salt Lake
At a point three miles west of Florence just at the break of day, they barely escaped being trampled to death by a stampeding herd of buffalo. By this time traveling over rough country had made the carts become rickety, some of the axels being worn. This caused great delay and trouble. September 12, North Bluff Creek was reached 613 miles away from Iowa City
On the 12th day of September, Franklin D. Richards and his company of 12 returning missionaries from Europe came into camp. They were very much depressed on finding the saints in such destitute conditions which was caused by the loss of their beef cattle. All were put on the following ration of flour: 15 ounces for men, 13 for women, 9 for children and 5 for infants. After learning of the serious conditions these poor saints were in and speaking words of encouragement, singing songs of Zion to them, they left determined to make Salt Lake as soon as possible to give the word to President Brigham Young.
September 15 they met a large band of Arapahoe Indians, who told them of the Sioux attacking a large emigrant company some distance ahead of them. Many were killed. It is evident that the hand of the Lord was protecting them from the Indians.
September 17th the first frost appeared and the following day a Sister Contwell was bitten by a rattle snake. She recovered. The same evening Sister Steward was lost and recovered just in time to save her from a pack of hungry wolves.
On September 20 (some reports say it was Sept. 30) they reached Fort Laramie
October 12, Captain Willie again cut the rations to 10% of the flour to men, 9% to women and 6% to children and 3% to infants. On the 14th another reduction was made and on the 19th the last ounce of flour was given to the starving saints. The same evening the first snow came and by morning it was18 inches deep on the level. They were at the three crossings of the Sweetwater. The Company was already eating boiled rawhide and wild berries gathered from the bushes. The following morning they came to the first of the three crossings of the Sweetwater all of which must be crossed that day before they could go farther. The water was deep and the snow 18 inches deep on the banks with a piercing wind blowing from the north. Without food, freezing, dying, sick, they stood on the Three Rivers not knowing that help was coming, yet into the rushing streams of ice they went, some of them being helped by such men as Andrew Smith, who labored all day long pulling the sick, the dying, and weak saints through these streams, carrying some on his back till every fiber of his body quivered.
It was here in this hell bound region of Devil’s Bat Gulch and rocky region that the thundering tones of Millen Atwoods voice rang out from those snow clad hills. “Hold on there Andrew boy, hold on there, my boy. The Lord knows you have done enough.” It would take volumes to give in detail the many things that transpired amongst the saints in this terrible ordeal.
Referring again to the company of missionaries returning to Salt Lake from England with Apostle Franklin D. Richards at their head, traveling by team, they arrived in Salt Lake City October 4, after filling missions to Europe for three years. They knew the seriousness of the condition of the Saints on the plains, especially the Willie Company without sufficient food to take them to their journey’s end. A report was made at once to President Young.
As conference commenced at 10:00 o’clock Monday morning, President Young said, “There are a number of our people on the plains, who have started to come to Zion
While the men were gathering up supplies the women were equally busy preparing bedding, mending underwear, fixing stockings, even taking clothing from their own backs to send to the freezing, starving and dying saints on the plains of Wyoming
That evening the 27 young men assembled with the authorities of the church for final instructions after which they were each given blessings that were wonderful. They then returned home for a good night’s rest. At 9 o’clock the next morning 16 wagons loaded with supplies with two mule teams to each wagon started for the rescue work. They traveled as far as possible each day not stopping for dinner for they knew the stormy weather was at hand.
On the night of October 20, they pulled down into a small hollow for shelter. Just as they were located for the night, Captain Willie and Joe B. Elder came into the camp with the terrible news of the saints freezing, starving and dying east of the ridge. The boys soon hooked up the teams and were on the way again traveling as far as possible that night, and at day break they were on their way again, traveling till they reached the Willie Company. That evening, before they had time to get out of their wagons they saw enough to bring tears to the eyes of everyone. The company now numbering less than 500 had been caught in a place where there was no wood nor shelter from the terrible storm that had been raging. They had been without food for two days and nights and were freezing and starving to death. Camp wood was soon drawn from the near by hills with the mules. Fires were built, food prepared and everyone made as comfortable as possible but it was too late for some. Women wept for joy, men were melted to tears. Such a greeting was never witnessed before.
The following morning George D. Grant took 9 teams and 17 men with most of the provisions to meet the Martin, Hadget and Hunt Company, who were further back. William H. Kimball with the rest of the relief company started for Salt Lake City
October 24, they reached South Pass where at the Allred Camp they had plenty of wood and flour. The following day they met five teams from the valley. These teams continued on to meet the other companies in the rear.
It was on that terrible day crossing Rocky Ridge that my Grandmother Cranney put her two children in a wagon with some sick men as all who were able to still walk did so. At night when she reached the wagon where her children had been placed in the morning, she found them alive snuggled down between the dead bodies of the sick men they had been placed with that morning, they having died during the day.
November 2, they reached Fort Bridger where 50 teams met them making it possible for all to ride from there to Salt Lake City Salt Lake
This scene could hardly be described as tears of joy came to all. Grandmother with her two babies, Chris five years old and Jane, one year, were tenderly cared for and seemed especially cared for during the entire journey. This was according to a promise made by President Woodruff, that she and her two babies would arrive safely in Zion England Logan
Among those who sailed from England at the same time were William Wilkes and his wife, Elizabeth Haines, who were also members of her branch in England. It was this same William Wilkes whom she later married in the Endowment House on September 22, 1859. She and Elizabeth Haines were sealed to him on the same day.
“This made her a second wife in polygamy. Her husband soon became careless and finally went off to California Utah , President Young sent him up to Logan
She and H. K. were sealed in the Endowment House on December 26, 1864. Not too long afterward (in 1868) her husband took a second wife, Elizabeth White. This plural marriage was one of the successful ones. W. W. Cranney reports: “My father’s second wife was almost as dear to me as my own mother and helped teach me to love and respect the church leaders. Elizabeth Crook’s children called Elizabeth White “Aunt” and Elizabeth White’s children called Elizabeth Crook “Aunt.”[4]
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