Clarissa Dempsey Fackrell
1824-1869

Among the many capable women who came to Utah for their religion was Clarissa Dempsey Fackrell, wife of Joseph Crumb Fackrell. She was born in Cayuga County, New York, April 6, 1824 the daughter of John Dempsey and Betsy White.

When but a child, she moved with her parents and others of her mothers family to Buchanan, Michigan. As she grew up she received her education which was far above the average for those days. She also received some training in nursing and medicine from her cousin, Dr. Jacob White, who lived in Indiana, which proved invaluable to her in after years, not only in her own house but with their neighbors, where she was often called to assist in caring for the sick.

Her family were very strong Methodists. When she was a young girl she met Joseph C. Fackrell and liked him. Because he was a Mormon boy, her family objected to her going with him. She, however, went against their wishes and attended a church dance with him. The family found out about this and was very angry. When she returned home, her clothes were on the doorstep. She was turned out of her home. It was arranged that she stay with one of the church families there in the branch until she and Joseph were married.

She married Joseph Crumb Fackrell the 28 August 1845 in Bertrand, Berrien county, Michigan. They had one daughter Mary Ann born to them in Michigan. She died when 3 days old. They moved to Wisconsin where a son was born David Edwin. A fire destroyed their home and they then moved to Illinois and three children were born to them there.

In the meantime, Joseph's parents and their children had migrated to Utah and Joseph's thoughts were very much with them. He longed to see them and wished to join them. Clarissa, however, did not share his feelings. She had not as yet joined his church.

While plowing in his field, Joseph Fackrell was told by John Boise of a Latter-Day-Saint meeting. They left the horses in the field and went. At this meeting, Joseph Fackrell was told to prepare to leave for the West in the spring. Later, he had a dream. He saw a log house where his father and mother had located in West Bountiful. On the corner of the lot was a beautiful spring of crystal water. His father was standing by the spring with a yoke of oxen. There were green cultivated fields in the valley and snow topped mountains in the background. The dream was so impressive and disturbed him to such an extent that he could not sleep the rest of the night. When Joseph told Clarissa of his dream, she replied, "Joseph, if you believe in this church, I will go with you, but if this dream you've had isn't true, we will return to our people. I will join the church also if your dream is true." At this time they had four children. With a covered wagon, one yoke of oxen, and a few necessities, they started on their journey to Utah. They were six weeks on this trip and came in the Biglow Company, in the spring of 1852. On arriving, the scene that met their eyes was the same as the dream. This impressed Clarissa very much and in six months from the time they arrived she was baptized and spent her life in faithful effort for its betterment.

They settled in West Bountiful until the fall of 1852, leaving there, and going to Farmington where they rented some land and remained for five years.

At the time General Johnson came to Utah with his army to drive the people out of the valley. The family moved south with the body of the people. On their return trip, Clarissa drove the team while her husband and sons drove the cattle. On their wagon was hitched a yoke of oxen and on lead a span of horses. As they were near the Jordan, Utah narrows, there was a very dangerous dugway. In some way the line became entangled around the horns of the oxen, making it impossible for her to guide. This caused them to turn toward the deep ravine. As they were getting dangerously near the edge, she with seven children, three of them sick with Mountain Fever. Susan Fackrell, a sister-in-law, seemed to hear someone say, 'Go back, Susan, Clarissa is in trouble'. Susan went and saw, and with a baby in her arms, ran to the edge of the bank and pulled the lines off the horn of the oxen, thus saving them from overturning and destruction, almost by a miracle, they were saved from an untimely death.

Clarissa was thrifty and industrious. She cut the wool from the sheep's back, took it through the many processes necessary for it to come out in yards of cloth ready to make into clothes for the family. She braided straw and made straw hats. She took her children and traveled to the Lake where she got water, which she boiled down to obtain salt. She bravely withstood the cricket and later the grasshopper devastation.

She often told her children interesting and thrilling events that happened while crossing the planes. One in particular she never forgot: It was when they were crossing a swift stream. The oxen became confused and started downstream and the water became deeper and deeper until her mother held the baby up from her lap to keep it from getting wet. Finally a strange man, passing by on horseback, rode in an succeeded in turning them back and guided them safely to dry land.

Clarissa was the mother of fourteen children. She was of a cheerful disposition and small of stature and was noted for her hospitality. The young people gathered at her home where they sang and enjoyed husking bees, peach cutting and all the entertainment of the time. She helped with the sick where she used her training skillfully and pleasantly.

While they were yet living in their small log house they took a man and his family by the name of Bundy who had no place to stay and shared their room with them until other plans were made.

Sister Maggie Grant often made the remark to Clarissa’s children "No better woman ever came to Utah then Clarrissa Dempsey Fackrell".

On March 17, 1869 her daughter, Estella, almost 4 years old, died. On April 19, 1869 her daughters Julie and Betsy Jane were married to brothers: Julia to James Howard and Betsy Jane to William Howard.

In the summer of 1869 Clarissa’s family contracted measles and, while caring for them, she took the disease herself, and on July 3, 1869, while yet in the prime of her life, she died. She was buried in the Bountiful cemetery.

Clarissa left behind a large family. She was survived by her husband, Joseph, and twelve children who were: David (21), Mrs. Juliette Howard (20), Mrs. Betsy Jane Howard (19), Joseph Norman (17), Lucy (16), Amy Viola (14), James (13), Clarissa (11), Alvarette (9), John Dempsey (8), William Henry (6) and Jemima Ann (1). Two daughters preceded her in death a infant daughter, Mary Ann, and Estella.

It is said that Clarissa never heard from her family after she left Michigan. It was later learned that, on her Mother's death in 1872, she made the family promise that they would find Clarissa in Utah and give her her share of the estate. In later years they did come to Utah to find that she had died before this time. Juliette, her oldest daughter, was given a breast pin and some earrings, which were later given to her daughter, Matilda Howard Johnson.

Some of the above history taken from family information as related by children and relatives. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rosy/Fackrell/Clarissa.htm And Repository: Fackrell Family Organization archives, c/o Jerald Ross Thompson, 35 West 500 South, Brigham City, UT 84302 (as of August 2001).