Benjamin Thomas Trotter Mitchell 1816-1880 Susannah Houston 1826-1900

Benjamin

Benjamin Thomas Trotter Mitchell
Parents Abraham Mitchell and Annie Colpetzer
Note: According to findagrave.com, his official name was Benjamin Trotter Mitchell but one of his wives didn't like it so he changed the Trotter to Thomas. (Note: some of his ancestors had the surname Trotter so it seems to also fit.)

-M-
3rd great grandfather

Born 12 Jan 1816 Muncytown, Lacommin, Pennsylvania

Blessing 15 Oct 1835 by Prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio

LDS Missions to the British Isles and Nova Scotia

Served in Nauvoo Legion (see photo)

Benjamin Thomas Trotter Mitchell

1848:  traveled west
Occupations: Stonecutter for SL Temple, Shoemaker, Farmer

Note: the first time he traveled to Utah, he was in the Heber C Kimball Company with three of his wives and five of his children.  He was 32 years old.  Six years later, he went back to help more members of the LDS church to Utah and was the Captain of a company that departed 20 Apr 1854 and arrived 5 Aug 1854.  This trip was where he met his 7th wife.

Died 7 Mar 1880 Kamas, Summit, Utah

Burial 11 Mar 1880 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah  Plot: D-3-9-1W

Deseret News 17 Mar 1880: 

Benjamin T T Mitchell

"In the 16th ward of this city, on March 9, 1880, BENJAMIN T. MITCHELL, son of Abraham Mitchell and Anney Colpeter (should be Colpetzer), born Jan. 12, 1812, in Lacomin County, Pa. He lived and died a faithful Latter-day Saint. Funeral at Thursday at 2 p.m., at 16th Ward Meeting-house. Friends are invited to attend."

In the same paper was the following:

"SUDDEN DEATH. -- This morning, Brother B. T. Mitchell, of the 16th Ward was the victim of a sudden stroke of death. He had been ailing for some time, but yesterday was out walking and this morning apparently much better. All at once he was seized by an attack of his complaint, supposed to be heart disease, and in 15 minutes was no more. Brother Mitchell was a man, aged 64, and was for a long time an employee on the Temple Block. We are not informed of all the particulars, and only heard of the sad event just previous to going to press, when it was too late to make further inquiries."

Benjamin's memorial

Sources
Lovina Headstone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7651176
Caroline Headstone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=29340015
Lois Headstone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7510579
Catherine Headstone: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7543984
1850 US Census, Great Salt Lake county, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory (age 35)
Note:  living with two of his wives (Lois and Caroline) and three children (Mary, Ruth, Amanda).  The Census incorrectly reports Caroline as being 3 years old.
1860 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 152 (age 44)
1870 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 3
Note:  Surname is spelled Michael in the census
Online:  Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, 1847-1868
Book:  Latterday Saint Biographical Encyclopedia Vol 2 page 369
Pictures:  Family Search
Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7481976/benjamin-trotter-mitchell
More about him (including his journal):  http://benjaminthomasmitchell.com/

He was a polygamist and had 7 wives

Sarah Triesback

1) Sarah Triesback
Parents: Henry Triesback and Catherine Ginder
Born:  9 June 1817 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Married Benjamin:  26 April 1835 Portage, Ohio
Died:(of measles) 23 Aug 1843 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois
Buried: Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds
Children:  Benjamin Jr, Sarah, Emily 
Note:  Benjamin and his first wife joined the LDS church two months after their marriage. They heard the Saints were gathering in Nauvoo and left Ohio to join them.  He was a stonemason and helped build the original Nauvoo Temple and many other buildings there.  In 1846 he stayed in Winter Quarters for two years to raise crops.

Lavina Buckwalter

2) Lavina Buckwalter
Parents: Daniel Buckwalter and Martha Ann Williams
Born: 28 Jan 1821 Chester, Pennsylvania
Married Benjamin: 10 Oct 1843 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois

Sealing record

Died 21 Mar 1875 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried:  Kamas Cemetery, Kamas, Summit, Utah 

Children:  Joseph, Percis, Hyrum, Jerome, Martha, Rachel, Margaret, Mariah
Note:  Lovina was head of household in 1850 Davis county, Utah.  The census spelled her given name Souvina.  She also had the three children from Benjaman's first wife living with her
Sources:
Marriage record: Family Search

Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7651176/lovina-mitchell

Caroline's headstone

3) Caroline Deseret Conrad
Parents: Joshua Conrad and Eve Rathvon
Born: 18 Sep 1828 Newtown, Queens, New York
Married Benjamin: 7 Jan 1845 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois

Children: Amanda, Zadoc

Sealing record

Died 18 Aug 1851 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah
Sources:
Marriage record: Family Search

Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29340015/caroline-deseret-mitchell

Lois Judd Mitchell

4) Lois Judd
Parents: Arza Judd Jr. and Lucinda Abigail Adams
Born: 15 Sep 1825 Quebec, Canada
Married Benjamin: 1 January 1848 Winter Quarters, Nebraska

Marriage Record

Children: Rachel, Mary, Ruth, Daniel, Annie, Nathaniel, Fanny, Lucy, Byron
Died: 9 Jun 1912 Draper, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried: Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah
Sources:
Marriage record: Family Search
Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7510579/lois-mitchell
Family Search

Lydia Maria Day

5) Lydia Mariah Day
Parents:  Hugh Day and Rhoda Ann Nichols
Born  1 June 1833 Bastard, Leeds, Ontario, Canada
Married Benjamin:30 June 1851 Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Sealing record

Children:  Hugh, Amelda, Abram, Franklin, John, Jedediah, Lois, Rosanna, Rhoda, Bernetta, Marion
Died 8 Apr 1886 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Buried
Sources
Marriage record: Family Search

Memorial:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76204075/lydia-maria-mitchell

Catherine F M Johnson

6) Catherine Frederikke Marcussen Johnson
Parents:  Marcus Jensen and Ane Margaretha Rasmussen Lindhartsen
Born: 11 May 1837 Skorringe, Maribo, Denmark
Married Benjamin: 21 Dec 1856 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Marriage record

Children:  Rosanna, Frederick, Brigham, Benjamin, Mark, Annie, Alice, Henry, George
Died:21 April 1917 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried: Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah
Sources
Marriage record: Family Search

Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7543984/catherine-frederikke-mitchell

Susannah Houston

7) Susannah Houston
Parents James Houston and Mary Madelina Ettleman
Born 11 Feb 1826 Jackson, Stark, Ohio
Married 1) Gideon Cooper Matlock about 1848 Iowa
Children:  Cameron Alexander Matlock (a.k.a. Alex Campbell Matlock)
2) Benjamin Trotter Mitchell 6 Mar 1857 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Marriage to Benjamin 
Recorded in Benjamin's journal with a list of his other wives. See the clips I made below for each. They are not written by the same person, so I'm not sure who wrote them. On the inside of the front cover was written: return to Zadock L Mitchell
163 N 7th West 
 Transcription: Susan Huston on the 6th day
of March 1857

Died 6 May 1900 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried 7 May 1900 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah

-M-
3rd Great grandmother

Life Sketch, my correction in red: 

Susanna Houston Matlock Mitchell was born in Jackson, Stark County, Ohio (not Pennsylvania). She was the sixth child in a family of seven children. Her parents and other relatives joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. Mormon Church) soon after it was organized in 1830. Susanna was seven years old when her family left Canton, Ohio to travel to Adams County, Missouri, then to Caldwell County, and from there to Nauvoo, Illinois. Some of these moves were caused by anti-Mormon mobs driving the family from their home. 

In 1846, the Houston family, with thousands of other Saints, found themselves in makeshift homes in Winter Quarters. After all kinds of privations, exposure to cold and inadequate diet, Susanna's parents died.

  

 In 1848, after surviving so many trials and hardships, Susanna's life was made happy with her marriage to an intelligent young lawyer, Gideon Cooper Matlock. On 12 Jun 1849, their son, Alexander Cameron Matlock, was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Susanna's husband was familiar with some of the Indian languages and had often acted as an interpreter. He was sent on a mission by the U. S. Government to an Indian tribe. Weeks lengthened into months and Susanna received no word from him. To support herself and her son, she began to sew for some of the families in the neighborhood. She tried every way possible to get some word about her husband, but communication was slow. Perhaps he was being held by the Indians, but would somehow escape and return home.

  Most of the Saints had left for the West, but Susanna refused to leave her home. She thought that her husband might come and find her gone. Finally, after six long years, she decided to make the journey to Utah and join the other members of her family. She later learned that her husband had died of Smallpox on his journey into the Indian Country. Susanna met Benjamin Thomas Mitchell in 1855 when she was in the emigrating party that he led across the Plains. She was a widow with a six-year-old son. 

Benjamin was returning from a three-year Church mission. Susanna became his seventh wife on 6 Mar 1857. Seven sons were born to this couple. Her husband tried to deal fairly with his wives and children and they were congenial and happy with each other. His family grew so large that he had to have land to till in order to raise food for over fifty people. As a result, he helped settle Kamas, Utah. Here, they farmed and raised cattle and sheep: Benjamin died in Salt Lake City on 9 March 1880 at the age of sixty-four.

  

Susanna, who was ten years younger than her husband, lived for twenty years after he died. Her grandchildren remember the large orchard in front of her house, her pantry shelves that were always stocked with goodies, fruit and pies for those who visited her often and were always made to feel welcome. 

Susanna's headstone
in Salt Lake City Cemetery

Susanna died on 6 May 1900 in Salt Lake City. She left a large posterity that honors her name.

Six years later, her son, Alexander Campbell Matlock, drowned.

Alexander Campbell Matlock
Enhanced and colorized pic

Notice in the paper about
the circumstances of his death.

Sources

Article written by Pearl Mitchell Boyce for the Daughters of Pioneers 20 Dec. 1943 available on Family Search that tells Susannah's history.

Book: Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude Vol 3 M-R page 2026 published by Daughters of the Utah Pioneers

Alexander Campbell Matlock's body found:  7 Jul 1906 issue of Mariposa Gazette

Note:  There is a trail excerpt from her journal that she wrote while traveling to Salt Lake on the overland pioneer trail available at http://www.lds.org/.  It covers May-Aug 1854 from her viewpoint as a pioneer member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints 

1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (widowed, age 54, living with her son Alex Matlock)

Note:  Her name in the census was given as Susan
Family Search

ancestry.com
Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7543293/susanna-mitchell

CHILDREN (With Susannah)

all but Edward are my 2nd great grand uncles/aunts

Thomas H Mitchell

Thomas Houston Mitchell

Born 22 Jan 1858 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupation: Gold Miner (1910) Stone Cutter
Married Elizabeth Ann Blythe 25 Apr 1878 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Children:  Thomas, Louie, Blythe, John, Pearl, Wallace, Lila

Thomas H Mitchell headstone

Note:  On his death certificate and 1900 US Census, it claims he was divorced, but on the 1910 Census, he is listed as widowed.  
Died 1 May 1914 St Mark's Hospital, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
COD: Meningitis, Cirrhosis of liver
Note:  The informant on the death certificate was his son, Louie, and perhaps it was Louie that was divorced - this could use some research.
Buried 3 May 1914 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah
Plot: U-26-010-01-E
Sources
1860 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 152 (age 2)
1870 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 3
1900 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah
1910 US Census for Sandy, Salt Lake, Utah page 9 (widowed, living with daughter-in-law, age 53)
Utah Death Certificate
Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59473663/thomas-houston-mitchell

Edward H Mitchell

*Edward Hunter Mitchell

-M-
2nd Great Grandfather

Born 17 Aug 1859 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Blessing 1 Dec 1859 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupations: Stonecutter for SL Temple, Farmer
Married Mary Emery 7 Jul 1881 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children:  Lenora, Mary, Edna, Edward, Elizabeth, Frank, Hubert, Lucille, George, Alfreda, Bernice, Ida

Died 14 Jul 1924 Woods Cross, Davis, Utah
Buried 17 Jul 1924 Bountiful Memorial Park, Bountiful, Davis, Utah

1910 Picture:  Back Row: Elizabeth, David, Alfreda, Lucille, Frank, Mary, Ella, Edward (Ben), Henrietta, Hubert, Leonora
Front Row: George, Mary, Ida, Howard, Bernice
His Obituary
Edward Hunter Mitchell, prominent Davis County resident and stone cutter on the Salt Lake Temple, died at his home in Woods Cross at 12:25 A.M. Monday morning (July 14, 1924) of diabetes at the age of 65 years, after a serious illness of six weeks. He had been ailing for some ten years, and but a week before his death he had been removed to his home from the L.D.S. hospital where for a month he had taken the newly discovered serum treatment for the disease. Only momentary relief was afforded by the treatment and the disease returned in all its acuteness after he left the hospital.

Mr. Mitchell is a son of the late Benjamin T. and Susan Huston Mitchell and was born in Salt Lake City, August 17th, 1859.

Headstone for Edward

As a young man, he learned the stone cutting trade and cut stones for the Salt Lake Temple throughout its erection, for the Catholic Cathedral of Brigham street, for the Deseret News building, the McCune residence, now the building occupied by the L.D.S. school of music and many other public and private buildings in Salt Lake City and vicinity. He also worked at the Working Men's
Co-op for a few years.

In 1892 and for the succeeding seven years, he was engaged in the sheep business as a sheep owner in Toole county. In 1899 he moved to Davis county where he purchased the Frank Grant farm and engaged in farming and dairying which occupation he had continued to pursue until the time of his death.

By nature public-spirited, interested in education, and all things for the betterment of the community, country, and state in which he lived, Mr. Mitchell served a four-year term as school trustee of the West Bountiful School District before the consolidation of the several school districts of the county during which time he superintended the building of the best Bountiful schoolhouse, and again as a member of the Board of Education of the Davis County School District immediately after the consolidation for one term.

Continuously active in a religious way, Mr. Mitchell was counselor to Bishop William Winegar for a number of years and filled various offices in the Latter-Day Saint Church.

As a representative of the Utah Fire Clay Company of Salt Lake City and various other corporations of the intermountain area and as a businessman, he was distinguished by his scrupulous honesty, which trait he stressed and exemplified.

Mr. Mitchell was essentially a home man. He married Mary Emery on the 7th of July 1881 and raised a family of fourteen children, all of whom survive, a really remarkable witness of the parental qualities, the care, and tender family devotion of Brother and Sister Mitchell.

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Mary Emery Mitchell children, Mrs. Alma Hepworth, Mrs. Andrew Smith, Herbert B., David, Georgia, Lucille, Bernice, Alfreda„ and Ida all of Woods Cross; Edward E. Mitchell of Bountiful; Mrs, Ray Stringham of Holden; Mrs. Alma Taylor, and Mrs. Roy Taylor of Salt Lake City, and Frank H. Mitchell of Ophir and thirty-nine grandchildren.
Sources
1860 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 152 (age 0)
1870 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 3 (age 10)
1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (age 20)
1900 US Census for Davis County, Davis, Utah page 11A (no age given - gives birth month/year)
1910 US Census for West Bountiful, Davis, Utah page 2 (age 50)
1920 US Census for Davis County, Utah page 2 (age 60)
Headstone:  http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=50168504

Erastus Snow Mitchell

Erastus Snow Mitchell
Born 22 Jan 1862 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupations: Sheep Business (1900) Sand and Gravel Contractor (1910) Cement Contractor (1920) Watchman (1930)
Married Loverna Ruth Williams 30 Aug 1888 Kamas, Summit, Utah
Children:  Evelin, Erwin, Arnold, Harold, Viola,  Leona, Arvilla, Veretta, Zola, Delphin

Died 6 Jan 1935 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah 

COD: Lobar Pneumonia, Diabetes, Senility
Note:  his daughter Evelyn was the informant

Erastus Snow Mitchell death certificate

Erastus Snow Mitchell
and Loverna's headstone

Buried 9 Jan 1935 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah
Plot: A-07-005-03-S2W

Sources

Marriage: Utah Marriages 1887-1966  Film 429054 Batch M73739-7 Reference Number bk B page 23 # 511

1870 US Census 

1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (age 18)

1900 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 6B (no age given)

1910 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 1 (age 48)

1920 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 15 (age 58)
1930 US Census for Magna, Salt Lake, Utah page 13B (age 68, widowed, listed as a lodger)
Utah Death Certificate
Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52139315/erastus-snow-mitchell

Charles James Mitchell
enhanced picture

Charles James Mitchell
Born 30 Jul 1864 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupations: Sheep Herder (1880) Stone Mason (1900) Builder (1910) Bricklayer (1920-30)

Married Signa Amelia Bonneru abt 1888 California
Children:  Mabel, Ole, James, William, Paul, Gilbert, May
Died 11 Nov 1932 Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California
Buried Unknown - two years earlier, he was living with son, Gilbert. It stands to reason he was likely buried in California - possibly in the same cemetery his son Gil is buried in (Forest Lawn Memorial Park)
Sources
1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (age 15)
1900 US Census for Peoa, Summit, Utah page 10A
Note:  lists his wife as Sisne
1910 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 11 (age 46)
Note: 1910 Census incorrectly lists his father's birthplace as Massachusetts and his mother's as Iowa. His wife is going by Amelia B, not Sonia
1920 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 10 (age 54)
1930 US Census for Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California (age 65, widowed, living with son Gilbert) 
http://www.archives.state.ut/ lists a criminal case brought against him filed 12 Jul 1882 Case 830 Note: could no longer find this as of 2021
Memorial (no headstone):  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/80553811/charles-james-mitchell

Lehi's Death Certificate

Lehi Houston Mitchell (twin to Nephi)
Born 7 Sep 1866 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupation: Common Labor
Unmarried
Died 7 Jul 1931 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
COD: Asphyxiation by fumigating gas (see the below information. It was later ruled to be suicide). The informant on the death certificate: his younger brother, Walter

Police Blame Gas Death to Suicide Suicide was the verdict of police Wednesday after investigating the death of Lehi Mitchell, 65, whose body was found in a room filled Hued with fumigating gas In the Lincoln house 68 East First South street.

James Hanson night clerk who discovered the body told City Detectives E.R. Apelgren and W.C. Smith that Mitchell had inquired about the lethal power of the gas and later had entered the room despite a warning sign on the door. Mitchell was said to have been worried over financial difficulties.

Police resumed their search for relatives of the dead man after learning that former Sheriff Frank Emery tentatively identified by Patrolman J.Y. Smith as a relative, had no connection with Mitchell or his family. NOTE: while the Sheriff wasn't directly related to Lehi, his sister, Mary, was the Sheriff's sister-in-law. I'm sure the patrolman knew this and therefore, that is what he had based his information on.

Burial 10 Jul 1931 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah

Lehi's headstone

Sources
1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (age 13)
Note: His name is spelled Lehigh in the record
1920 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 6 (age 53)
1930 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah Page 7B (age 63, listed as single, 'roomer')
Suicide: Newspaper Salt Lake Telegram 8 July 1931 issue

Utah Death Certificate
Headstone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95108241/lehi-houston-mitchell

Nephi's headstone

Nephi Houston Mitchell (twin to Lehi)
Born 7 Sep 1866 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Died 30 Sep 1867 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Buried Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah, Plot: S-17-10
Note:  His name is carved into the top of the stone and it has markings at the bottom.  It would help to have a picture from the front and maybe a close up of whatever is at the bottom
Sources
Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37754282/nephi-houston-mitchell

Walter Houston Mitchell
Enhanced and Colorized picture

Walter Houston Mitchell
Born 8 Nov 1869 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Occupation: RR car checker (1900) Inspector Whipper (safety inspector) (1910) Supervisor of Coal Weights (1920) Supervisor of Weights (1930) Supervisor of Wright (1940)
Married Margaret (Maggie) Hutchinson Simpson 22 Feb 1893 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Children: Edith, Walter, Stella, Howard, Bessie, Vilate, Margaret, Afton

Walter Houston Mitchell
original headstone

Died 21 Jan 1944 Provo, Utah, Utah
COD: Coronary Occlusion, Heart disease, Senility
Buried Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake, Utah 

Note: Plot: S-17-10

Walter's second headstone 

Sources

1880 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 142 (age 10)

1900 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 6A (no age given)

1910 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 11 (age 40)

1920 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 4 (age 50)
1930 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah page 28A (age 60)

1940 US Census for Salt Lake City, Utah (age 70)
Note:  his name is misspelled Walker Mitchal
Utah Death Certificate

Headstone:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37754331/walter-houston-mitchell