Mary Ann Firth Dorius

Mary Ann was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, February 17, 1861, in England.  The following year, Mary Ann and her younger brother, Robert, left England to emigrate to Utah.  They had no idea of the trials that lay ahead, especially for a young woman twenty-one years old traveling with a younger brother.They sailed by ship from England to New York and traveled West by train to the Missouri River.   Here the Church teams met them.  The Church sent teams back from Utah to Missouri to help the incoming converts.  One of the young men was Lewis Olsen Dorius, Mary Ann's future husband.

They left Florence, Nebraska, July 24, 1862.  On their journey West fourteen person died, two couples married and two children were born.  They arrived the Salt Lake Valley, September 27, 1862.  They had overwhelming experiences and challenges with the harsh elements, wild animals, scarcity of food, buffalo herds that took a whole day of waiting while the herd passed by the company, attacks by unfriendly Indians, and much more.

On October 4, 1862, Mary Ann married Lewis Olsen Dorius.  They journeyed to Fort Ephraim, Sanpete County (Little Denmark), one hundred and thirty miles south of Salt Lake City.  Lewis took his bride home to meet his family.

The hard clay soil in Ephraim had to be cleared of sagebrush and rocks, then flooded with water before it could be plowed.  It was much different from gardening in the mellow, fertile soil of Denmark, where the rain watered the crops and plowing was easy.  Plowing in Ephraim was often done by women who would drive the oxen hitched to a hand plow.

Another difficulty, Mary Ann had to face was hostile Indians.  They had to arm themselves for protection for them and their animals.  Forts had to be built.  The men took turns standing guard to notify the city of any Indian invaders.

Life was full of happiness and hard work for Mary Ann and Lewis.  Their happiness was short-lived, however, when Mary Ann died during the birth of their first child on August 19, 1863.  Their daughter died nine days later and both were buried together.

Children:

Daughter, 19 August 1863 (died as an infant)

(Source: Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, Volume I A to E, International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers, p.831)