Harriet Campkin History

Harriet was born 23 May 1852 in Biggleswade, Bedsfordshire, England the daughter of Isaac and Martha Webb Campkin. She crossed the plains at age four with the Willie Handcart Co. riding much of the way in a wagon. She lived the balance of her life from 1860 on in Perry. She shared in the work of the farm while growing up. Their summer activities included caring for the fruit, vegetable gardens, and housework Caring for the chickens and cattle with the milking was an all year activity. Sometimes the family raised turkeys. Her mother made and sold straw hats for women and children. The girls would gather, sort, and break the straws at the joints, tie them in bunches ready to use, and assist in various other ways with the work.

Harriet had little schooling and always felt the lack of it. She did all in her power to encourage and assist her children to get a good education. She would never permit them to miss a day of school no matter how much work there was to be done in the home or out of doors.

Harriet married into polygamy with Thomas Young 28 December 1877 by a marriage at the Endowment House in Salt lake City. She continued to live with her mother until Thomas had finished the new house. She was the mother of Eliza, Wallace, Ida, and Sarah.

Her daughter, Ida, writes that Harriet was of medium height, had brown hair, and eyes. She loved flowers and grew them outdoors in summer and indoors during the winter. Dahlias, petunias, zinnias, roses, lilacs, and phlox were some favorites. She delighted in giving everyone who visited her a bouquet of flowers. Her chores after she had her own house still included milking and tending chickens. She tatted, netted, did cut embroidery work, and crocheted while the others were resting. She always had a large rocking chair by the south kitchen window. She made beautiful hooked rugs and lovely flowers using wool and/or feathers. Some wool flowers like this were kept under glass covers for ornaments in the Salt Lake Temple.

Harriet was never idle. Summers added the work of preparing the fruit and vegetables, especially corn, for sale or drying for winter time use. There was always cream to churn into butter. Cheese-making was also an interesting summer activity. The milk was heated, rennet added, andthe curd was cut into squares when formed. It was placed in cheese cloth, pressed, aged, and then required daily turning until it was cured. It is a long process.

She was very faithful in performance of her religious duties and never allowed ordinary things to keep her from meetings. She was always very punctual. For years she kept strict account of her "Sunday eggs" that she gave freely for building funds for the ward meeting house, temples, and other church projects. She was a relief society home visitor for many years. The districts were large enough that it required one day of each month to see the families. It was Wallace's job as a young boy to harness the horse, hitch it to the buggy, and drive his mother and grandmother to do their visiting teaching.

Harriet was much interested in missionary work and always contributed to missionary funds. She cheerfully did extra work and saved money to send to Albert on his mission but died two weeks before he came home. She had planted the desire for Wallace, Ida, and Sarah to go on missions after her death. She much enjoyed occasional visits to Salt Lake City to attend general conferences and stayed with her father's sister, Emma Farrow, while there.

Two years before her death, one of her shoulders was broken by a misbehaving milking cow and it grew together crooked. It had to be broken and reset again. She was very patient in bearing all the pain but could never do any heavy work after this.

She died of an acute attack of nephritis 30 August 1900. Flowers she grew were used to decorate her casket and home where the funeral was held 1 September while the meeting house was being repaired.