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Submitted by Brooklyn Shurtliff, a student at Heritage Elementary School in St George, Utah.
The ancestor I am going to write about is my great, great, great, Grandpa, Clark Allen Huntington.
He was born on December 6, 1831 in Watertown, Jefferson, New York, United States. His father’s name was Dimick Baker Huntington, and his mother’s name was Fannie Maria Allen Huntington. He had seven siblings, and was called “Al” for short. He and his family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when he was very young. He was baptized in May, 1841.
He moved a lot during his childhood, for many different reasons. In 1855, Al got a mission call to the La Sal Mountains. He did not go though, due to Indian problems.
Many times Al helped immigrants cross the plains. One of those times, Brigham Young found that the Martin handcart company needed help crossing the plains that were covered in snow and ice. They did not have enough supplies. Groups of men were organized to go help them. Three eighteen-year-old boys were in one group. Al, and his two friends (George W. Grant and David P. Kimball) went in the cold winter to help these pioneers.
They met the handcart company at Sweetwater River on November 3, 1856. There were chunks of ice in the river, and the people were very weak. They would rather die than cross the icy river. Al , was brave and knew he had to help. He and his friends jumped into the river and carried nearly the whole company across. They could have died and they knew it, but they would give up their lives to save these people’s lives.
When President Young heard about what these boys did, he wept. He declared that this act alone would ensure that these boys would live in the Celestial kingdom.
Grandpa Al is a really cool ancestor because he helped someone, and risked his life for them.
Al married his first wife, Rosanna Galloway, on February 8, 1857 in the Salt Lake City Temple. About a week later, he married his second wife, Jane Ellen Hamer, on February 19, 1857 in the Salt Lake City Temple . He had 7 children.
He died on November 16, 1887, in Kanab, Kane, Utah, United States, due to helping the Martin Handcart Company, but he knew it was worth it.
Grandpa Al is a really cool ancestor because he helped someone, and risked his life for them. That is why I think Al is the coolest Grandpa ever.
Brother Joseph
Pioneer John