Elizabeth Story Depuy

History of Elizabeth Story Depuy

Elizabeth Story Depuy Canfield was born 10 Jul 1825, at Lysander, Onondago County, New York. Her parents were John Depuy and Lucy Lonsberre Roberts. Little is known of her early life, except she came at an early age with her parents to Chicago, Illinois. Land records show that they were probably still residing in Lysander, or close by, in 1836 for John and Lucy sold Lot 80 in Lysander at this time. By March, 1838 the family bought property in West Buffalo, Williams County, Ohio. She was from a wealthy raidroad family. When she joined the “Mormon Church”, soon after her marriage, her family became unfriendly with her.

Elizabeth married David Canfield 1 Oct 1843 in Bryan, Ohio. In 1846, they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. They shared in the suffering incident of the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo and moved back to Chicago, where President Brigham Young advised them to go and earn money and procure a team and wagon and make preparations to move to Winter Quarters. The fall of 1849 found them at Winter Quarters.

The summer of 1850, they crossed the plains with an ox team and reached Utah the same year with Jacob Hamblin. They were sent by President Brigham Young to help settle Provo, Utah. They lived in Provo for eleven years then were called to go to St. George, UT. They started the trip south to St. George in Oct 1861 with six children, Clara being two days old. Rough roads and a heavy load made the oxen give out, between Conn Creek and Cove Fort, so they stayed at Beaver, Utah a week, at the home of Father Corry. Only through the kindess and help of others in the party, were they able to make the last of the journey to Dixie. Coming through Washington, Utah they stopped at the home of John Price a day or two, then on into St. George where they located at the point where the spring is above the Pace farm east of St. George. They lived two years in St. George, a short while in Santa Clara, Utah where they built the old Jacob Hamblin home there. Then another move took them to Pine Valley, Utah where they lived eight years. They they moved to the Mountain Medows, afterward named Hamblin, Utah, where Elizabeth lived 33 years. Here he husband died 8 May 1897.

Elizabeth acted as post mistress for the little town of Hamblin for twenty eight years. Hamblin was located on the old Spanish Trail and many travelers passed through on their way from the railroad at Milford, UT to St. George, UT. Elizabeth had spare bedrooms and almost every night found them occupied. She was a good cook and could fix delicious meals. She made her own butter and cheese. She also made lots of beautiful cashmere quilts by hand, including the binding which was so even and pretty. She had a loom and wove yards and yards of carpet and rugs. Probably every home in Pinto, Hamblin and the other surrounding areas were carpeted with her woven carpet.

Elizabeth was one who shared with and cared for the needy and poor. She was real slender and tall in stature. She was a devoted and hard worker.

Indians would often come to the home and ask for Canfield, then for meat, biscuts, or anything to eat. They couldn't get over seeing little girls with long blond hair. One day while Elizabeth was making soap and the kids were gathering fire wood to keep the fire going under the tub of soap, Elizabeth was, as usual, sweeping the front yard with her homemade broom. James was stirring the soap when he looked up and six or so Indian braves on horses were coming toward him. Elizabeth went over and stood by him and asked what they wanted. They demanded "food, food". So she gave them bread and cheese. Then they demanded flour and she shared her flour with them. They must have been watching the family for some time, as they knew David was gone. One of the bucks got off his horse and started walking toward them. Mother said, "I'll handle this". Still carrying her big broom, she moved fast toward him and around and around they went, she hit him with the broom on every jump. The rest of the Indians sat on their horses and laughed and laughed, poking fun at him. They called her a "Heap Brave Squaw" and rode off on their horses. The lone Indian made a leap for his horse and tried to catch up with the others, but they wouldn't have anything to do with him and made him trail along behind like the squaws did. They never came again when David was not at home and they would tell him how he had a "Heap Brave Squaw".

After her husband died, and Elizabeth now 73 years old, continued on and the travelers still stopped for meals and butter and cheese. She finally became quite blind and finished her life living with her children. She loved to knit and quilt and tried, as long as she could, to keep it up.

When people began to move from Hamblin, Elizabeth decided she would move to Enterprise, Utah (in 1905) and lived with her son Parley P. Pratt Canfield. She and her son, who had lost his wife, lived in the home where Chester Jones now lives. She resided here until the time of her death. She died in Cedar City, Iron Co., Utah on 5 Jun 1908, at the home of a daughter, Alice Lillian Knell. Her body was brought to Hamblin, where she was buried in the old family plot on June 1908.

Elizabeth was a tall slendar woman with large blue eyes, grey hair, and was as spunky as can be with plenty of grit and amtition. She sometimes would put needles and pins in the fence post to keep the indians out. They thought they were evil spirits. She would watch them come to the fence and check, if the needles and pins were there, they would not come any closer. Elizabeth was a kind person, always wanting to help others.

There was a time after moving to Hamblin, when Elizabeth became very home sick to see her family once more. So David took her by team and wagon up into Idaho to catch a stage coach to go to Chicago. This did not turn out to be a happy trip for her. Her father had died, her brother was gone and she didn't know where, and her mother had remarried a man named Robert and had two children by him, a boy and a girl. She wasn't received very well and they made fun of her, her clothes and her being a Mormon. When she came back it was winter and David had to go with his team and covered wagon into Wyoming to get her. There was too much snow for the stage coach and he not only got his wife but brought another woman who need to get to her home in Idaho.

(Parts of this were written by Ollie Hunt Jones a great granddaughter, and others are history as told by James Canfield, a son, and written by Tessie Hunt and Clara Canfield Farnsworth. It was re-written and compiled by Preston Hunt, a great-grandson.)

Deseret News June 11, 1903 page 3

Mrs. Elizabeth Story Depew Canfield Closes Remarkable Career

Special Correspondence: Enterprise, Washington County, Utah, June 8

She was born July 10, 1825 at Lysander, Onondaga, New York, moved at early age with her parents to Chicago, Ill., where she married David Canfield Oct, 1843. Received the gospel soon after and moved to Nauvoo, Ill. They shared in the suffering incident to the exodus of the Saints from Nauvoo, and moved back to Chicago, coming to Utah in 1850. They made their home in Provo, Utah for 11 years. When they were called to the Dixie Misison in 1861. They lived two years in St. George, Utah and eight years in Pine Valley Ward. Then they moved to the Mountain Meadlows, afterwards named Hamblin, Utah where she remained 33 years. Here her husband died, May 8, 1897. Mrs. Canfield acted as post mistress there for 28 years. She then moved to Enterprise, Utah in 1905 where she resided until the time of her death. She died at the home of a daughter Mrs. Alicve Lillian Knell, Cedar City, Utah June 5, 1908. Her burying remains were brought to the Meadows where they were intered in the family burying ground June 8. Mrs. Canfield leaves five children, 37 granchildren to revere her memory. Besides her family connections at the funeral were many friends from Cedar City, Pinto, Enterprise, and Gunlock.

Elder Joseph E. Robinson, President of the California Mission delivered a most eloquent discourse. Patriarch John S. Smith of Filmore offered the dedicatory prayer at the grave.