Mary and William Jenkins

Mary Rowberry was born 19 January 1818 in Bishop Frome, Herefordshire to John Rowberry, Sr., and Mary Parry. She was a preacher in the United Brethren and one of the first six baptized by Wilford Woodruff at the Hill farm on 6 March 1840. She married William Jenkins, 1 July 1840. William was born 23 October 1818 in Mathon, Worcestershire, England to Thomas Jenkins and Ester Brueton. They were members and preachers of the United Brethren when they heard Wilford Woodruff preach at the Hill Farm. They were converted and baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March 1842.

Mary had a beautiful singing voice, so Wilford Woodruff asked that she sing at the meetings as he travelled from town to town throughout England. One time she had a very sore throat and sent for him to give her a blessing. He was unable to come so he sent his silk handkerchief for her to wear around her throat and promised she would be made well. By the next day, she was well and was able to sing at the meeting.

Mary and William, together with their families, left England 15 October 1840, on the ship "Isaac Newton", the first shipload of saints to sail from England, and arrived in New Orleans 21 December 1840. From there, they travelled by boat up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they made their home until 1850. William became a member of the Nauvoo Legion Band and worked on the construction of the Nauvoo Temple.  William was at the meeting when the mantle of Joseph Smith fell upon Brigham Young. William and Mary suffered the many hardships that were prevalent in the early days of the church, and they left from Kanesville, Iowa on 4 July 1850 in a wagon train for the west. They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley 13 October 1850, and settled in Tooele, Utah. They later moved north to Maughan's Fort (Wellsville) in the Spring of 1859, where they lived for the rest of their lives, as strong members of the Church. Ten children were born to Mary and William; eight daughters grew to adulthood, but their two sons died as children. William died in 1872 and his obituary in the Deseret News stated, “He was a man much respected everywhere he lived and was noted for his consistency to his duties, and the love he bore the religion of Jesus Christ. He manifested in his life the characteristics of a Latter-day Saint in every particular, was a devoted husband and father and has left a large and respected family.”

William died 3 August 1872 in Wellsville, Utah - Age 54.

Mary died 16 July 1885 in Wellsville, Utah - Age 67.