Way back in 2009 we posted Caratat Conderset and Mary Napier Rowe As Pioneers of the Month. I have found so much more information on them and have had a lot of requests for more information on them. You can read the original post here:
https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2217707143168230507/8499223279971595742
BIOGRAPHY OF MARY NAPIER ROWE BORN MARCH 30, 1823 at KILSYTH, LARRACK, SCOTLAND ARRIVED IN UTAH SEPTEMBER 15, 1852
By Mary Loretta Rowe Burnside
Mary Napier was born March 30, 1823 in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Her parents were Janette Gillis and John Napier. Mary is descended from the Royal family of Scotland and of Ireland. Genealogists have traced her linage back for many generations, on one line to 1700 B.C. she is of the Royal line of Judah through King Zedekiah according to Church records. Many interesting facts are thus brought out concerning her ancestral lives and their history. Of her parents family we have the names of five other children, her sisters, as follows: Jean, Christena, Agnes, Nesbit, and Isabella. The parents probably were in humble circumstances, as Mary worked in a textile mill in the city of Glasgow.
When missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints preached the gospel there, Mary and her sister Isabella were converted. They were baptized, though it is not known if at the same time. Mary and Isabella were the only ones of their family to come to America. It is not known if the sister Isabella ever came to Utah as she was not known by her sisters family. Elder Franklin D. Richards was one of the missionaries who preached the gospel to Mary. It was in the fall of 1847 when Mary was reunited with her husband who had been gone for more than a year with the Mormon Battalion. It was September 15, 1852, when Mary and her family came to Utah. Mary did not have the funds to come to Utah immediately. After her marriage to Caratat Conderset Rowe, she lived at the home of her husband's parents William Nible (he held the public office of a judge) and Candace Blanchard Rowe. Mary's very great faith and the friendships she gained kept her happy. She seemed to enjoy the spiritual gift of vision or prophecy. Many times she knew of coming events before they actually occurred. She told of seeing a light which filled the room. Within this light, sat her sister who lived in Scotland. WTien Mary saw her sister sitting in a rocking chair, she spoke the sister's name. It was not long until she heard of the passing of her sister.
While living at Payson, Mary gave bread to two girls who were survivors of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. An Indian whose name was James Onuph used to come to the home of Mary and Caratat Condrset Rowe quite often when they were living at Mountainville. Once when he was visiting with them "Indian Jim" as he was called, was talking with Grandma Mary. He asked her a question pertaining to a principle of the gospel, restored, and Mary was attempting to answer the question. She started to speak, then said, "I wish that I could answer your question so that you could understand. I would like to have the language to explain it to you, and make it clear to you. Then the Indian said to her, "Stand Up", She began to speak. Again he said, "Stand Up". Mary stood up and began to speak to him. Onuph nodded his head because he understood what she was saying. She continued to speak and Onumph again nodded his head. It was plain that he knew what she meant. But no one else in the room could understand, even her sons and daughter-in-law, my uncle and my father and mother who were there, did not know what Mary was saying, because she spoke in a language which her children did not understand. But James Onumph or 'Indian Jim", clearly understood what she said. Grandma Mary Napier Rowe had spoken with the spiritual gift of tongues. James blessing was in fulfillment of the Lord's promise; and this great blessing was in fulfillment.
From the History of Indianola we read the Onemph learned to speak the English language quite well. Our Uncle Con Rowe, among other settlers there, learned to speak the Indian language, to make himself understood by the Indians. The Bishop of Indianola, John Spencer, a former resident of Payson, also learned to speak Indian. Bishop John Spencer, chose Indian Jim to be his second counselor in the Bishopric there. Indian Jim was very faithful in his calling. Other Indians who were active in Indianola were Moroni and Ephi. Indian Pennywatch was a frequent visitor there. At one time, or for some years about the only shite people there were the Danish Indian Missionary, Elder August A. Hjorthand and his wife. Hjorth taught Indian Santaquin how to make ditches on Santaquin's farm which was north of Indianola, between there and Clinton. Indian Jim's wife, Phoebe, was of high rank among the Indians there. It seems that whenever Phoebe spoke to the other Indians, they all listened attentively, and obeyed her instructions. When James Onumph was just a young lad, he warned the settlers of Mt. Pleasant of impending attack by the Indians. A lumber saw mill was burned but no settlers were slain. Grandma Mary Napier Rowe passed away March 4, 1902. She is buried at Mt. Pleasant City, Cemetery.
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