CLEMENCY CASPER NEEL HISTORY
24TH Camp of Salt Lake
No. 1143
The Society of Daughters of the Utah Pioneers
Application for membership
of
RACHEL C. NEEL BILLS
Wife of Alexander Bills - in right of decent from
John Neel - - Clemency Casper Neel
John Neel - - Elizabeth Guess Neel
William Casper - - Littan Casper
Signed: Flora B. Thorne - President
Application dated March 1923 Received March 16, 1923
Signed Susie Heath, Cor Secretary Signed: Elizabeth T. Beer, Treasurer
Initiation fee received 1923 Historical Record made 1923
Signed by Emeline Y. Wells, Historian
The within facts have been verified 1923, Bertha M. Gray, Registar. The within named applicant admitted Mar 24, 1923. (Seal) Josephine Jane Woodruff, Secretary.
A Sketch of My Mother's Life
My mother was born in Ohio, July 19, 1816. From Ohio she moved to issouri. Mother being twenty years of age and father twenty-six years of age. There she met my father, John Neel. They were married December 31, 1837. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was eighteen. She was a member of the Methodist Church before becoming a Mormon. When a girl she worked in the home of the Patriarch, Hyrum Smith, which was before they came to Utah.
Mother was a resident of Carthage when Joseph and Hyrum met their death. The morning after they were killed she was at the jail and saw their bodies. While there a man rode up on a black horse, went inside the jail, examined the bodies, and then placed his fingers in the wounds, then asked the question, “Who will be your leader now?” Mother replied, “The Lord always provides for his own.”
While the firing was in progress, mother became very frightened as father was at the flour mill. She did not think she would ever see him again and she didn't
know when her turn might come.
In the year 1855 they started across the plains. While so doing she gave birth to a baby girl. At the age of one month it died and was buried on the plains. Mother had a trying time as all the children had the whooping cough very bad. They arrived in the fall of 1855. They went to Ogden. Through proper arrangements not being made the oxen and two cows died, thus leaving the family in a very trying condition. They nearly starved during the winter, but in the Spring father dug Segos and Indian potatoes for food. From Ogden, they moved to Union Fort, from there to Peoa, Summit Co., Utah.
Mother was a mid-wife for almost 15 years in the village of Peoa, where she died in the year 1891 March 8. She was a faithful and much respected Latter-day Saint
Signature of Applicant
R. C. Neel Bills
708 Wall Street
Recommended by name - Harriet Dyer
Signed in the presence of Samuel S. Howard
John Neel was a pioneer of 1855 entering this village in the fall of 1855.
(Taken from the records of Grace Robinson, 2859 Castro Lane, Salt Lake City, by Robert C. Neel, 6 Aug 1960.
This additional information was taken from the same source.)
John NeeL Jr. joined the church in 1840.
According to Clemency Casper's mother, Clemency joined the church in May 1836
John Neel & Clemency and their family crossed the plains in the john Hindley Co. and arrived in Salt Lake City, Monday, Sep 3, 1855. At that time they settled in Ogden, Utah. Later in Peoa, Utah.
John Neel Jr was ordained a Seventy Sept 17, 1845. (Church Historian's Office.)
John Neel filed a will 2 Jan 1984 at Coalville Summit Co, Utah - File No D133 Probatre
This was probatEd 18 July 1894/