Ellen Clift's Great Great Great Grandmother Betsey Foote

I, Betsey Foote, am the second child in a family of twelve children. Born of goodly parents in the day and age our country was young. Father, David Foote, was born in the town of Harwinton, Litchfield, Conn., on 17 May 1768. Father was the fourth son of Ebenezer Foote and Rebecca Barker. His father was a soldier in the army of the Revolutionary War and died at Mud Fort, Horse Neck, Conn. At the age of 39. Father being 9 when his father died, went to live with his uncle Johnathon Barker in the New Lebanon the state of New York, until he grew to manhood. He then went to Broome County, New York, on the Susquehanna River. This country was new. He worked mostly at cutting logs and rafting down the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers. Father became acquainted with motherIrene Lane, daughter of Nathan Lane and Dorcas Muscroft. Mother was born 2 Nov. 1774 in Chesterfield, Mass. Nathan Lane and his family were among the first to settle Broom Co., and he built the first grist mill and soon after he build a sawmill. Mills were of great importance in that day. My parents were married in 1791 Broome Co., New York, and settled on a small piece of land which grandfather Nathan Lane gave them.
On the 23rd of April 1792 the first child of David and Irene was born, whom they named Laura. On 8 February 1794, I Betsey Foote, was born making the second child. My sister Nancy made the third child born 19 May 1797. My parents sold their home & land and in company with Ebenezer Clauson who married father’s sister Lowly, emigrated to Dryden, Tompkins Co., NY, 60 miles from Windsor. This country was entirely new, being covered with dense forest, through which they had to cut their way. Here they took up some land and cleared it off and after a great deal of hard work got it under cultivation. The fourth daughter Melinda was born 21 Feb 1800 in Dryden, as all the rest of the children. On 20 June 1803 the fifth daughter was born named Irene. Dorcas was born 9 Jan 1806 and three months later she died. About this time father sold his possessions and bought 50 acres of land, three quarters of a mile east of where Dryden village is now. Here father went to work again and cleared up a farm and set an orchard out.
An Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church came into the country and preached. My parents became converted and joined the Methodists. The minister’s name was Ballard. He raised up a large church in that vicinity and father was appointed class leader of the same.
Some time after this there came a man by the name of John Taylor and settled in Dryden. He was a doctor by profession also some kind of a reformed preacher. He contended somewhat for the gifts of the gospel as enjoyed by the ancient saints.
This kind of doctrine caused quite a disturbance in the Methodist Church – many of whom believed in Taylor’s preaching and were subsequently cut off from the Methodists, my parents untied with it. It flourished for a season, but at last dwindled away. Frlom this time forth father did not unite with any church. He did not believe in any of the creeds and tenets of men, but contended according to the best of his understanding. Father did have a vision or a dream, by which it was shown to him that the tru church of Christ would soon be established on the earth. About this time there were many reformers, who came out of various denominations. WE all went to hear those who came into that region of the country, but rejected them all. Father began to drift towards Universalism who believed that all mankind will eventually be saved.
On 25 Feb. 1808 the seventh daughter was born into our family, named Elmira. On 16 June 1810 the eighth daughter was born named Clarissa Tyler Foote. Then the most importance of experiences came into my life, and on the 15th of March 1812, I was married to Thomas Clement. Thomas was born 1 April 1792 in Brant Lake, Warren Co., New York. We lived in Dryden, where all my ten children were born. Father was also a happy man this year for his first son was born 24 Aug 1812 whom they named David.
My first child was born 12 Dec 1813, Marilla Clement. Mother and I had our children every other year as she had three more sons born and I had two more daughters. Nancy my second daughter, born 31 Oct. 1815, and Lousia 22 Nov. 1817. My three brothers were George, Warren and Harrison. My sister just younger than I, Nancy, died leaving three children.
In the winter of 1820 and 1830 by some means John Taylor (here-to-fore mentioned) obtained one of the books, called the “Golden Bible” and father did borrow the book of Taylor. Father read the book through and said it was a true record, but knew nother of the purpose for which it was revedaled, as no person belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-saints came that way.
Father moved his family from Dryden to Greenwood, Steuben Co., NY. His family was mother and two daughters and two sons. All the rest of the children being married. During these past few years I had several more children, Gilbert born 19 Feb. 1820 my first son, and fourth child, a son Alvah born 19 Dec. 1822, daughter Sarah Loretta 13 Mar. 1824, and daughter Laura Elisabeth 23 April 1838, a son Darius Salem 24 Nov 1834.
During this year of 1834 father jointed the Church of Jesus Christ but not mother. He became a traveling missionary and he did come back to Dryden to see me and my husband and the rest of his friends and to preach the gospel. I and Thomas received a testimony and were baptized the year of 1835. We were the only one who recdeived a testimony. Father took a trip to Kirtland and visted the Prophet Joseph Smith and looked through the Temple in Kirkland and viewing the mummies and examining the records that were found with them.
In the year of 1837 my daughter Mary Irene Clement was born 23 July. The next year was a sad one for I lost my oldest daughter Marilla 24 year old and my third daughter Louisa 20 years old. March 24, 1842 my last child Thomas Alma was born. This was the last child because my beloved husband Thomas died in a month later.
Mother and father moved to Nauvoo in 1840. Mother did not yet join the church as she had always heard so much bad about the church and believed it. But came to Nauvoo, when he was 72 yeard old, because she loved her husband. Father had a patriarchal blessing that mother would some day join the Church.
On 13 May 1844 I arrived in Nauvoo from Dryden with six of my children, much to father’s surprise. My husband had died two years previous and I did continue to be steadfast in the faith. The children who came with me are Nancy, Albert, Elizabeth, Darius, Mary Irene and Thomas Alma. These six children are all I had living except Loretta, who married and could not come. Three children had died.
Father and mother were very sick with the fever in 1845 and father prayed his wife would not die before she joined the church and that he would have all the sickness be upon himself. This was so, for on 24 Aug father died and was buried in Nauvoo and mother lived and was soon baptized and she died the next year, 7 months later and was laid beside her husband.
In the spring of 1846, with my family, I left the state of Illinois to journey in the wilderness with the LDS. I came to Council Bluffs in the company of my brother-in-law, Isaac Ferguson and family and stopped with them for the winter at a place called pigeon Creek. In the later part of the summer I took the ague and fever and continued very feeble. My son, Albert’s, health was also very poor having the ague and fever for almost six months. He had recovered so as to work some of the forepart of Oct. but the last of six month. He had recovered so as to work some of the forepart of Oct. but the last of the month he took a violent cold which settled in his lungs and brought on consumption. My brother Warren and his wife came for a visit the 1st of Nov. and found Albert very low. He told his uncle that he did not want to live any longer in this world and desired to depart. He died 2 Nov. like the dropping into a sweet slumber and was buried on a hill near Pigeon Creek, at the age of 26 years 8 months. The next day 3 Nov I was taken seriously ill and complaind of a weakness between my shoulders and raised some b lood. I was satisfied with life and did not want to live any longer. The 8th of Nov I said I would not live until night. At noon I got worse and fell asleep. My days were full of trouble and affliction, and the Lord granted my desire to be at rest. I was 52 years 9 months and was the fourth grave on the hill near Pigion Creek near Kanesville and Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa.