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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Clemency Litten Casper Neel PB

I received the PB for my 4th Great Grandmother, Clemency Litten Casper Neel. She was born on 19 July 1816 in Bellville, Ohio. I found her father William Casper in the 1830 Census, but that Census was still before the Civil War so only the head of household is listed. I also found her husband John Neel Jr in the 1840 Census. The top of both pages says, "Schedule of the whole number of Persons within the Division allotted to".
Clemency's PB starts by saying they were in Kirtland Ohio in 1837, which was a year after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated and that it was performed by Joseph Smith, Sr. I about had a heart attack when I read that. I really didn't know that one of my ancestors had joined the church early enough to have a PB by the original church Patriarch, which is just so awesome! Clemency was still single at the time and the blessing says, "The Lord in dew time will give you a compagnion." Clemency married John Neel Jr. on 31 December 1837, eight months after the blessing, and their first child (William) was born eighteen months later. Clemency, John and seven of their children crossed the plains to the Utah Territory with the John Hindley Company in 1855. Clemency gave birth to a daughter on the trail, Sarah Platte Neel, but she died a month later. Clemency and John eventually had a total of 11 children with only two that died in infancy and the last child, Rachel, died in 1932, almost 100 years after Clemency received her PB.
The two notes at the end of the blessing 1- says it was copied by Elder A.O. Smoot for Clemency Neel Jan the 14th, 1838, and 2- "I have made this copy from the original which I was able to read with just a few exceptions Fern Densley Holt, Gr Grand daughter". I tried to find this Fern, but no luck. If anyone in the family has heard of Fern let me know.


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