Green Family Reunion – 2008

Shared by Jon Green in Lincoln City, Oregon

I would like to take just a minute to discuss a couple of items. We all know that we inherit certain traits from our parents; an entire family commonly shares a prominent physical trait. Certainly mannerisms are also an inherited trait and I’m sure that we all display some uniquely “Green” behavior in our everyday lives. Have you ever wondered how far down the family tree some of these behaviors may have originated? I have a little story that indicates that some family traits may have been with us for many generations.

We all know, or should know, that Charles Lamone Green accepted the gospel early in LDS Church history and is listed in many early Church documents that place him in and around the Nauvoo, IL area and that he traveled with the saints to the Salt Lake Valley in 1848. He traveled in the Silas Richards Company of 1849 and his family is listed as:

• Charles (46) with his wife Emmoliza (43)
• Clarinda (17)
• Nathaniel (15) This is Henry Nathaniel
• Lavina (15) Lavina and Nathaniel are both listed as 15 but Lavina was a year younger than Nathaniel
• Moroni (13)
• Martha Ann (11)
• Lamoni (8) This is Charles (Lamoni) Jr.

The four oldest children of Charles and Emmoliza are not listed in the roster of the Silas Richards Company.

The older two girls, Mary Catherine & Sara, were 20&21 years old and most likely married. Asa M. had died in 1848 and is buried near what is now Omaha Nebraska.

Our GGGrandfather, Allen Madison Green, in 1848 was married and most likely had children but in further research it became evident that Allen Madison, even though unlisted in the roster, was traveling with the Silas Richards Company. The following excerpt is from Silas Richards to Brigham Young. Written from “near Crab Creek – Aug. 24, 1849, it reads:

“I think Proper to inform you that, nine wagons left our company yesterday on their own responcibility, and without our council, and traveled ahead. Yesterday being Sunday, we rested and had meeting as usual [.] the names of those that went on are, as follows, three brothers by the name of Thompson, Mr Poor, (these are not members of the Church I believe) [Joel] Harvy & Hutchens, claim to be members, they have not been disposed to observe, and comply with our camp rules. are profane (except Bro [S.] Hutchins) and incline to be disorderly, the only excuse they offer for leaving is that they do not wish to tie their cattle at night.-they intend being in the valley 3 week[s] ahead of us, my opinion is that the Gold is their principal inducement west, also Allen Green.”

So…While Charles Lamone Green worked with the Saints in Salt Lake, his oldest son Allen went to California and settled in Brighton California, (Now swallowed up as part of Sacramento and was in the area where Sac State University is presently located). Allen had several children in Brighton up through 1865. Newell Dayton Green, our GGrandfather was born in Brighton in 1856. Not only did Allen Madison continue on to California but some of his siblings did as well.

• Allen’s sister Clarinda had a daughter in California in 1858 – with so much family in Brighton it is highly possible that she was there as well.
• Henry Nathaniel had a son in Brighton in 1868.
• Allen’s sister Lovina had several children in California into the 1870’s
• Moroni Green had several children  – Mary Ellen being born in Brighton in 1858
• Some records indicate that Allen’s sister Martha Ann had a daughter Lavina Gustin in Brighton in 1863

Although the Green “clan” was in the Brighton area for about 15-years, it is unclear why they left. I could assume that a poor “post gold rush” economy or the yearly flooding of the Sacramento River contributed to the exodus but it is clear that they didn’t move together as a group. Allen Madison took his youngest children with him to Arizona but others migrated to Southern California, Idaho & Utah.

Given the wanderlust that was evidently part of the character of the Greens in the mid 1800’s it shouldn’t be a surprise that our generation has flowed from the Southeastern Idaho base of our Grandparents (who traveled plenty in their time as well) into the many places we all now call home. It makes me wonder what draws us to a new place and what makes us feel so comfortable as to call that place home. Do our migrant tendencies have purpose? Do we intend that our children “stay put” or do we expect them to carry-on the Green tradition of finding that place that they will call home?

Wherever we live and whatever we do, there is one thing you can’t change, even if you want to – We are family and we share something that keeps us connected even when we live a thousand miles apart. Even though we all have many friends and associates, people that know us sometimes better than our family, it is our family that identified us when we were young. It is our family that makes us what we are today and it is our family that we all look forward to being with forever.

OK – That other thing that I wanted to share with you…Charles Lamone Green loaded his family into a wagon and headed into what was literally “the great unknown”. On August 13^th, the Silas Richards Company had been on the trail for just over a month when Silas writes in one of his journal entries:

“Morning cloudy, cool North wind. Lay in camp till 12 O’clock for the purpose of resting the teams, baking & such, then traveled to Black Mud Creek. Passed over ½-mile and encamped at 5 O’clock. Evening clear and pleasant. This afternoon a wagon ran over a girl of Mr. (Charles) Green’s and hurt her considerable.” (edited)

He doesn’t indicate which of the three Green girls it was that was hurt but it made me wonder just what did the young people do during the long 3-month trek West. I’m sure there was plenty of hard work and daily chores but I have to assume that, just like today, children sought-out other children to play with. With about 250 people in the entire wagon train it seems reasonable that Charles Green’s youngest daughter, Martha Ann, who was 11-years old would have spent some time on the 1000-mile trek with another 11-year old girl that is listed in the Company roster; her name was Sara Elizabeth Wheeler.

Sara was traveling with her brothers, Ammon (13) & John (9), and her sister, Emma (6). Her father, Henry Ammon Wheeler, had died three years earlier in Nauvoo. Her mother, Elvira Teeples had remarried to Albert Perry Rockwood and they had a 1-yr old daughter named Mary.

The reason that Sara Wheeler holds a particular interest for me is that she is Kathy’s GGGrandmother. She lived to be only 31 years of age but left a substantial posterity, having 11 children in the pioneer towns of Northern Utah (and Malad) in the 1850’s and 60’s.

Just a side note:

Sara’s mother, Elvira Teeples (Kathy’s 4^th Ggrandmother) was the Aunt of Rhoda Elvira Teeples – the first wife of Newall Dayton Green…but that’s another story!