Mary Margaret Langford (b. 1839 IN, d. 1929, d/o Fielding and Sarah (Bethurem) Langford, m. Abraham Vaugn Caldwell), of Clover, Tooele, Utah

RELATIONSHIP: Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell is a daughter of my ancestor, Fielding Langford, and is a great-grandmother of Sherrie Pierce, by Mary Margaret’s daughter, Mary Margaret Caldwell Bishop and her son, Shelley Bishop. Sherrie’s e-address is [protected]. –shb 21 Nov 2005

SIBLING FRANCES A NEIGHBOR? I note that on “Descendants of Benjamin Bethurum, Sr.” website, accessed 3 Jan 2004 by shb at http://www.bethurem.com/bethurum.htm, five children are listed for Sarah Bethurum and Fielding Langford. Among them are “Mary Margery Langford,” born in Clay County, Indiana, and “[child v.] Frances Langford [a daughter–shb], born June 27, 1843 in Harrison Twp., Clay Co., IN.” –shb 3 Jan 2004

1852–CROSSED PLAINS AT AGE FOURTEEN WITH PARENTS AND SIBLINGS, AS “MORMON PIONEERS”: Mary Margaret traveled with her parents, Fielding and Sarah Bethurum Langford, and three sibliings, James Harvey, Matilda Emaline and Frances (Frankie) “across the plains, in a covered wagon or ox cart drawn by oxen, from the old home in Indiana, to a pioneer home in Utah. The roster of Captain James W. Bay’s First Company contains the names of Fielding Lankford, wife, and four children. The company left Kanesville May 20th 1852, arriving in Salt Lake about Aug. 13th 1852, a journey of over two months.” (Quoted from “History written by Jennie S. Cornell” in Mom Ida-Rose L. Hall’s book, “Progenitors and Descendants of Fielding Langford”.) –shb 6 Apr 2005

1868–“SUMMER COMPLAINT” CAUSES THREE FAMILY DEATHS: On 18 Oct 1868, Mary Margaret lost two of her children, David and Sarah, to the “Summer Complaint.” Shortly thereafter, in November 1868, Mary Margaret’s sister, Frankie Langford Smith, died of the same ailment. Mary Margaret took in Frankie’s infant son, Francis Fountain Smith, and raised her as if he were her own (see account of Ida-Rose L. Hall, below). –shb 6 Jun 2006

NEVER JOINED WITH “THE MORMONS”: From e-letter by Sherrie (Bishop) Pierce to shb, 29 Nov 2005: “I do remember some talk when I was a little girl that the ‘true’ family stories would never make it into a book of Mormon history. I think that stemmed primarily from Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell’s never joining the Church and her ultimatum that her husband would not be taking a second wife. Hence the move to Idaho. As the oldest daughter, she took in her father when he was old and sick, but always was good friends with his second wife, Christina. [About that, Sherrie wrote earlier: “I do have a lot of information about the Caldwell descendants, since that is my line of the family. And just for clarification–the picture you sent was of my grandmother, Mary Margaret Caldwell Bishop. Her mother was Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell. It was at her house on the Warm Creek Ranch, in Cassia Co., Idaho, close to the town of Oakley, that Fielding died. I understand his grave marker is still there but I haven’t seen it in person. It’s on my list, now that I am retired.” [I sent her a photo of his grave marker–shb. Now to continue with her letter]:”In fact, I think she helped to raise some of what would be her half-siblings! I had the feeling he [Fielding–shb] was a tough old bird, not the easiest to live with. That toughness was obviously inherited by his oldest daughter. She was well known as a midwife and herablist and passed that on to her daughters, particularly my grandmother, MM Bishop. I often went to bed with a piece of asofedita in a little bag tied around my neck.[Note: I wrote back, asking what “asofedita” is, and she sent me a entry from the ‘net, part of which I type here: “Asafetida – 1) a fetid resinous gum obtained from the roots of a herbaceous plant, used in herbal medicine and Indian cooking; 2) a Eurasian plant of the parsley family, from which this gum is obtained.” Sherrie’s note: “And it was fetid! Maybe effective, as well–who knows?” –shb 5 Dec 2005][Note: I asked if she knew that my ancestor, Mary Caroline Turnbaugh Langford, was also a midwife, to which Sherrie responds, 5 Dec 2005: “I will ask my Aunt June about that when I get a chance to see her [I asked her if she knew which Mary Langford it was who got fed up when her neighbor’s chickens kept getting into her garden, so one day she twisted all their necks and threw the carcasses over into the offending neighbors yard–a story my mother once told, not knowing which Mary Langford it involved–shb]. She will be very interested in what we have been sharing. And she will know some of the particulars that I don’t know. I do imagine that your great-grandmother, Mary Turnbaugh, could also have been the Mary in the story. And I imagine she and my great-grandmother MMLC [Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell–shb], who were sisters-in-law, may have shared an interest in mid-wifery, as well as other necessary herbalist treatments. Thank goodness they were intelligent, talented women. Good genes to have.” –shb 5 Dec 2005]”My father and aunts and uncle grew up knowing her after she was widowed and moved to the Emmett Valley and took up a homestead. She owned land and was independent in her business and opinions. She was also very loving and always spoken of very fondly. It was on an adjoining farm that my grandmother met my grandfather, Hugh Bishop. I’ll stop there and probably not get into dragging out all the pictures and writing up the chronology until after Christmas. Let me know how the copies come through. Sherrie.” [She her blind file for her contact information–shb.] –shb 29 Nov 2005

WILD STORIES: This may be [I don’t think so, now–shb] the “Mary Langford” my mother, Ida-Rose Hall, told me about, while I was visiting, day after Thanksgiving, 2003, to decorate her Christmas tree with ancestral photos, from my “Christmas Family Tree” collection. Many of these were photos of Langfords, which triggered memories Mom loved to tell. Mom said she couldn’t remember the relationship, but there was a spinster named Mary Langford, who lived in Clay County, Indiana, who was a real character–about whom there were all kinds of stories. The only one Mom could remember involved a neighbor’s chickens. This neighbor kept letting his chickens wander into Mary’s garden, despite her complaints to him. One day Mary had had enough. She took every one of those chickens, twisted each neck, and threw the carcasses over into her neighbor’s yard! –shb 3 Jan 2004

1880 CENSUS–“MARY CALDWELL” IS AGE FORTY-TWO, BORN IN INDIANA, BOTH PARENTS BORN IN INDIANA, LIVING WITH HUSBAND, “ABRAHAM CALDWELL,” AGE FORTY-SIX, BORN IN CANADA, AND EIGHT CHILDREN, ALL BORN IN UTAH. THEY LIVE IN CLOVER, TOOELE, UTAH, NEXT DOOR TO HER THEY LIVE NEXT DOOR TO SON ABRAHAM, HIS WIFE JANE, AND THEIR SON EARNEST, AGE TWO. LDS Transcription, as posted at FamilySearch.org, accessed 6 Jun 2006, by shb:

“Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father’s Birthplace Mother’s Birthplace Abraham CALDWELL Self M Male W 46 CAN Laborer CAN CAN Mary CALDWELL Wife M Female W 42 IN Keeping House IN IN John F. CALDWELL Son S Male W 20 UT At School CAN IN James H. CALDWELL Son S Male W 17 UT At School CAN IN Francis W. CALDWELL Son S Male W 13 UT At School CAN IN Mary CALDWELL Dau S Female W 10 UT At School CAN IN Clarra CALDWELL Dau S Female W 7 UT At School CAN IN Adah CALDWELL Dau S Female W 5 UT At School CAN IN Wallace L. CALDWELL Son S Male W 4 UT CAN IN Marrah CALDWELL Dau S Female W 2 UT CAN IN

“Source Information: Census Place Clover, Tooele, Utah Family History Library Film 1255338 NA Film Number T9-1338 Page Number 102A The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “© 1999-2005 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.”

1882, AUGUST–FATHER FIELDING LANGFORD DIES IN HER SOUTHERN IDAHO HOME, AT WARM CREEK RANCH, IN CASSIA COUNTY, IDAHO (CLOSE TO THE TOWN OF OAKLEY): From e-letter to Allen Leigh, by Mary Margaret’s descendant Sherri Pierce, as forwarded to shb, 20 Nov 2005: “Since Fielding [Langford] died in my great-grandmother’s home in Southern Idaho, I think she had possession of his papers which came to me through her daughter, my grandmother” [Mary Margaret Caldwell Bishop, as explained earlier–shb]. [Note: I wrote right back, expressing interest in the photos and documents Sherrie said came down to her in a “handmade wooden box with a leather hasp [clasp?–shb],” by virtue of the fact that Fielding died in her ancestor’s home. I also asked her if she knew where this home in southern Idaho was, so I can know the city and county, where Fielding died.] –shb 21 Nov 2005 [Note: Response from Sherrie to shb, e-letter of 29 Nov 2005: ” . . . ‘just for clarification – the picture you sent was of my grandmother, Mary Margaret Caldwell Bishop. Her mother was Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell. It was at her house on the Warm Creek Ranch, in Cassia county, Idaho, close to the town of Oakley that Fielding died. I understand his grave marker is still there, but I haven’t seen it in person. It’s on my list, now that I am retired.” –shb 29 Nov 2005 [I will send her my photo of Fielding Langford’s gravestone–shb.] [In a subsequent note to shb, 5 Dec 2005, Sherrie writes: “Yes, I meant Mary Margaret Langford Caldwell’s house in Malta, as the place where Fielding died.”]

MARRIAGE/CHILDREN/LIFE EXPERIENCE–“I WILL LIVE IN HOPE”: Again, from Ida-Rose L. Hall Fielding Langford history: “Five years later [after two month journey, crossing the plains–shb], Dec. 3rd 1857, Mary was united in marriage to Abraham Vaugn Caldwell, one of three Caldwell brothers, who with other members of the family had crossed the plains in 1853, with the wagon train of Captain Moses Clawson. Mary’s first child, Abraham Vaugn, Jr,. was born in Willard City, Box Elder County, Utah, Feb. 22, 1858. They finally settled in St. John’s Settlement, Tooele County, where seven of their twelve children were born. [All twelve children I have listed for Mary Margaret and Abraham, with their birth and death dates, are as given in Mom’s Fielding Langford history–shb.] “Mary Caldwell was active in community life, being called upon to administer to the sick and to act as midwife. Her friends and neighbors offered to finance further medical training for her, but as the welfare of her family came first, she did not do this.”Mary and her husband suffered many heartaches over the loss of some of their children. Little David and Sarah both died of a ‘summer complaint’ on Oct. 18, 1868, and one week later, Frankie Langford Smith also died of the same thing, no cure being known at that time. Mary raised Frankie’s infant son, Francis Fountain Smith, as her own.

“The next child, William Franklin, born June 13, 1869, died Nov. 1869, and Mary later lost Clara, Ada, and Harvey.

“Whenever things went wrong, Mary always would say, ‘I will live in hope, even if I die in despair.’ She lived to be ninety-one years.” –shb 6 Apr 2005

BIRTH/DEATH/BURIAL: David E. Langford database, based on data from Ida-Rose L. Hall’s “Progenitors and Descendants of Fielding Langford,” as posted by Allen Leigh: “F v. Mary Margaret LANGFORD was born 25 Feb 1838 in Harrison Township, Clay, Indiana. She died 19 Jul 1929 in Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho and was buried 21 Jul 1929 in Caldwell, Canyon, Idaho” (no sources given). –shb 17 Mar 2004