Moroni Brown was the 8th son of Captain James Brown and Martha Stephens Brown. He was born on September 25, 1840 near Kingston, Adams County, Illinois. His mother died when he was born and subsequently was raised by his father's two sisters, Mary Polly Brown [1789] and Nancy Brown (Newbury Critchlow) [1792]. These sisters lived with Captain Brown's family in North Carolina and later to Illinois. When his father's family moved to Utah in 1848, eight year old Moroni did not make the journey with them.
[Erold Wiscombe writes that Mary Polly and Nancy went to Illinois with their younger brother Daniel Brown in 1831, along with Daniel's two brothers-in-law, John Stephens and Alexander Stephens, and Daniels' nephew, Homer Jackson, son of their oldest sister Susan Brown Jackson. Daniel's wife, Elizabeth Stephens, is the sister of Moroni's mother, Martha Stephens.
The Brown family arrived in Illinois about the time that the Mormons were being driven from Missouri and settling in Illinois. Due to the missionary efforts of Jacob Foutz and others both Brown families, Daniel's and his brother, James's, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with Mary Polly and Nancy Brown and John Stephens and Alexander Stephens.
After the death of her husband, Alexander Stephens in 1824, Grandmother Mary Daley Stephens also brought her large family of eleven children to Illinois.
Mary Polly Brown, Nancy Brown, and Moroni Brown continued to live near Daniel Brown for some time. When the Mormons were driven from Nauvoo, Daniel decided it would be best to try to follow them. He took his son James Stephens Brown 18 yrs, his brother-in-law Alexander Stephens, and the two sisters Mary Polly and Nancy, with the young child Moroni Brown, and left them out in Iowa with instructions to plant a garden while he went back to Brown County, Illinois to reap the harvest and sell the farm. He would then bring the rest of the family and they would all follow the church as best as they could until a resting place was found. The place they were staying at was one of the headwaters of the Grand River in Iowa. There was a large group of Mormon emigrants also camped there.
Soon after Daniel left for Illinois word came from Washington D.C. that the President wanted 500 volunteers from the Mormon emigrants to form a battalion to fight in the Mexican War. The Alexander Stephens 33 yrs, Alexander Brown 20yrs, Jesse Sowell Brown 18 yrs, and James Brown Jr. 45 yrs, all enlisted. When Daniel returned he was very much upset for he felt that Brigham Young had no right to take his 16 year old boy, Wilson Brown, away from him while he was yet under Daniel's protection without Daniel's permission. {Wilson is not listed in the Mormon Battalion roster).
Daniel arrived at Winter Quarters with a chip on his shoulder. He met Brigham Young, who seeing all the load of supplies that the Brown's had, started telling Daniel who he should share with. This was too much for Daniel, and an argument ensued. This embittered Daniel to the point he refused to go any further. He scouted around the area of western Iowa and found a spot to the north that suited his liking. He became the first white settler in Harrison County, Iowa (Calhoun?).
The 1850 Census of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, list Polly age 55, and Nancy age 53, and 9 year old Moroni still living next to Daniel Brown. Harrison County was a part of Pottawattamie at this time.
Mary Polly and Nancy, who had been baptized into the church [in 1840], the same year Moroni was born, decided they would rather move on and join the rest of the Saints in the Utah Territory. It is not known to this writer (Erold Wiscombe) with whom they traveled, but there were many Mormon trains heading west and Daniel most likely fitted his sisters to travel in style. They came to Utah in 1851.
The 1860 Census at Ogden, Utah shows Captain James Brown living in a house at 693 with five wives and 7 children, the next house has Mary [Wollerton] with two children. Next to her is another wife with her 6 children. The next house is occupied by Nancy and Polly and 20 year old Moroni. A total of 25 people who were counting on Captain James Brown for their daily care. ...End Erold Wiscombe story.]
Moroni was of a religious turn of mind and, no doubt, was active in the lesser Priesthood activities although in those early days no record of any consequence was preserved along this line. In his early manhood, Moroni taught school and engaged in Farming and had a small fruit tree nursery.
Moroni lived with his two aunts until he married Eveline C. Conover [Connover] and had established a home of his own, then Aunt Polly and Aunt Nancy lived with them. Moroni married Eveline Cindralla Conover on March 6, 1863 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eveline Cindrella Conover was born May 6, 1846 at Golden's Point Hancock, Illinois, the daughter of Peter Wilson Conover [1807-1892 ] and Eveline Golden [1808-1847] from Kentucky. Her parents were among the first pioneers of Utah and among the original settlers of Provo, Utah. Eveline had a sister named Sarah Conover Weaver. Eveline and Moroni had eight children, five sons and three daughters. One daughter, Rosetta, died in infancy.
Moroni Brown and Eveline Cindrella Conover Brown had eight children:
Moroni Alonzo Brown b. 7 June 1864 in Ogden; unmarried; d. c.1900.
Heber James Brown b. 9 Dec 1865, Ogden; d. 30 Dec 1898, suicide by morphine.
Homer Wilson Brown b. 9 Nov 1867, Ogden; unmarried; d. 19 Aug 1904
Rosetta Brown b. 25 Oct 1869, Ogden; d. 20 Sep 1870 near CJB at Ogden City Cem.
Lillie May Brown b. 26 Mar 1871, Ogden; md. Nies or Niece; d. 7 July 1914
Alpheus Brown b. 16 July 1873, Ogden, d. 1897/1898
Golden Conover Brown b. 5 April 1876, Ogden; md. 1 Jun 1903 Lillian Champneys; d. 20 Dec 1936
Kittie Eveline Brown b 20 June 1880, Ogden; md. 15 Sept 1900 to Lloyd D. Royer
Believing in all the principals of the gospel including the principle of plural marriage Eveline consented to her husbnd taking another wife - whose home was next door to hers. Eveline and Frances were like sisters and waited upon each other at the birth of their children. Eveline's children calling Frances "Frankie" and Frances' children calling Eveline "Bah" (the baby interpretation of "Ma") which from infancy Frances' children had heard Evaline's oldest children call their mother.
Eveline Cindralla Conover.......Moroni Brown..........Frances "Frankie" Mariah Porter
Despite her busy life as wife and mother, Eveline was an active worker in the Relief Society when it was first organized in the old First Ward. She was Second counselor to President Martha Garner Critchlow, wife of Bishop B.C. [Benjamin] Critchlow. She was a fine neighbor and loyal friend. She had much sorrow in her life which she bore bravely and always carried a smiling face and had a cheerful attitude under all circumstances. Eveline Conover Brown died January 15, 1911 in Ogden where she had continuously lived since her marriage.
Moroni continued caring for his two elderly aunts. Nancy had previously been married at Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois on October 3, 1843 to James Newbury. The marriage did not last. She received her patriarchal blessing at Nauvoo on January 31, 1844 under the name of Nancy Newbury. James Newbury left the church at Winter Quarters and later joined the Reorganized LDS church. Nancy was sealed to William Coe Critchlow in 1852. See her webpage for her biography.
Mary Polly Brown, Moroni's other aunt-mother was sealed to her nephew, James Stephens Brown on August 31, 1855. After the death of her sister Nancy, Polly moved to Salt Lake City to live with Rebecca Ann Brown, the second wife of James S. Brown. Polly died at Salt Lake City, Utah in 1876 and buried in the City Cemetery under the name of "Mary (Polly) Brown, wife of James S. Brown."
On March 22, 1875 Moroni married in polygamy Frances Mariah Porter, a school teacher of top repute in Ogden, Utah. This second wife of Moroni Brown was born September 4, 1852 in Ossian Livingston County, New York, the daughter of Nahum Bisbee Porter [1831-1895] and Rachel Ann Murray Porter [1830-1914]. Frances came with her parents to Salt Lake City in 1863, crossing the plains with a party of emigrants. She was baptized in 1864 in the Jordan River and soon after the Porter family moved to Ogden where they lived for many years. Frances taught school there until she married Moroni Brown on March 22, 1875 in the Endowment house by Daniel H. Wells, as his plural wife. She was welcomed into the family by Moroni's first wife, Eveline, and his relatives.
["Frankie", the name Frances had always been known by, was from the Ossian area where her parents were farmers, although her father spent much of his time working in a sawmill near their home, which belonged to her uncle.
Frankie, with the neighbor's children, especially a girl chum about her same age, named Alice Barnes [1852-1866], use to play together around the old mill and by the stream of water which ran by the side of the mill. Her father gave her a pet lamb to raise that had lost its mother. This lamb use to follow the children all over and Frankie helped to raise it and took lots of pleasure in feeding and caring for her little pet lamb.
When Frankie was ten years of age her father's family joined the Mormon Church but her mother did not believe in it. Frankie use to hear about her people planning to come to Utah, but she knew that her mother did not want to go. One day she heard her mother say to a lady who was at their place visiting, "My husband is bound to go to Utah with the rest of the folks, and he intends to take the family and I would almost rather die than to go but I cannot stand to see my family separated so I guess I will have to go along. But I will never become a Mormon."
Shortly afterwards they began making preparations to go. They disposed of their farm, horses, cattle, home, furniture, and everything except the few things they brought with them. They took Frankie's little pet lamb and put it in with a large herd of sheep. The day they left Frankie walked a long way out to the herd to see if she could see her little pet lamb again before she left. She called to it and it came leaping and running out of that herd so fast she could hardly tell where it came from. It knew her voice. She says she will never forget how badly she felt to leave her pet lamb and her chum, Alice Barnes, who died some years afterwards. and to think of their home in the east brought back some very pleasant memories.
In the spring of 1863 the Porters were ready to start to Utah with a numbr of other families from the same town in an independent company. Their family consisted of her parents and three children: Frances Porter, Alice Viola Porter, and Roseltha Porter. Her mother, with a heavy heart and a sick baby, said good-bye to her friends and neighbors and boarded the train with that band of Saints bound for Utah. The first night on the train the baby Rose was so sick they expected every breath to be her last, and the mother was frantic, but one of the men came to her to try and comfort her and said, "Mrs.Porter, I will promise you in the name of the Lord that if you will be patient and take thngs calmly that your baby will get better and will live to reach Utah." Although Mrs. Rachel Porter was not a Mormon and did not believe in it, this gave her much consolation and she tried to cheer up and make the best of things. The baby Rose started to get better and they soon reached Winter Quarters.
At this place they had to cross the Missouri River in boats. They loaded their provisions and baggage and all landed safely on the other side, but while they were crossing Frankie got sick. She was so sick she could hardly hold her head up and she could not walk so their mother took her and laid her down by a log. For she had to take care of the sick baby, while her father and other men went to the city of Florence, a short distance, to find a way to get their provisions and families to town. The menfolks finally returned saying that the only thing they could do was walk and carry their things. They all started out, each loaded down with luggage and children. Her mother had to get Frankie to town the best way she could. She carried her on her back all the way. She had to stop real often to rest before she got there, but finally arrived at a hotel where they all stopped and had a good night's rest and both chirlen were better in the morning and continued to be better. They remained in Florence several weeks making preparations to take the long journey across the plains. They bought ox teams and wagons, and provisions enough to last through their journey, and all started out quite happy. They had no trouble in particular except it was a long, tiresome trip.
They arrived in Salt Lake City September 12, 1863. The next summer after they arrived the baby Rose died and Rachel Porter, her mother, embraced the Gospel. The family moved to Ogden where Frankie and her sister Alice V. Porter attended school after which Frankie taught school for several years. Rachel Porter had four more children: Margaret Murray Porter on May 25, 1864, Nahum Boyd Porter on February 1, 1866, Jennie Porter November 25, 1868 (she lived one year), and Nellie May Porter on February 8, 1874.
While she was teaching in the central school of Ogden, Frankie fell in love with the Principal Moroni Brown whom she later married in polygamy in 1975. She being his second wife. Moroni built built her a house right by the side of his first wife's house and there six children were born.
In 1899 he built two new houses just alike for his two wives. They had seven children, the last one of Frankie's children while eh was on a mission. All of Frances' seven children were married in the temple. Her oldest son died at the age of 34 years leaving a wife and four children. Frankie feels proud to say that all of her family are living their religion.
She was a faithful Latter-day Saint and was active in the different auxiliary organizations of the Church. For seventeen years she was Secretary of the Relief Society in the old First Ward and was President of the Y.L.M.I.A. [Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association] for several years and a block teacher as long a she was able to get around. They had seven children, three sons and four daughters, all lived to adulthood and married.]
Moroni Brown and Frances Mariah Porter Brown's Children:
Ernest Porter Brown b. 25 Dec 1875, Ogden; md. Hedvig Elizabeth Garff 24 Sep 1902 Logan, Cache, Utah; d. 19 July 1909 Ogden
Frances Lulu Brown b. 6 April 1877, Ogden; md.(1) Jesse F. Brown SLC, md.(2) John O'Neil 7 Nov 1901; d. 21 Feb 1939
Myrtle Brown b. 13 Dec 1878,Ogden,; md. Robert Joseph Schultz 25 Nov 1913, 2 children; d. 6 Sep 1952
Florence Brown b. 8 April 1880 Ogden; md. Richard Isaac Mills 8 Apr 1921, 4 children; d. 26 Feb 1962
Dr. Archie Lee Brown b. 27 Feb 1884 Ogden, md.(1)Florence Rozella Thorne 12 Apr 1909 SLC, 10 children; md(2) Ethel Carlston 25 Sep 1938; d. 19 Sep 1953 SLC
Dr. Archie Lee Brown 1884-1953
Ora Dean Brown b. 27 Aug 1885 Ogden; md.(1) Emily Olivia Jensen 8 Apr 1915, one child; md.(2) Mary Ethel Carlston 26 Jan 1955, SLC (Archie's widow?); d.20 Aug 1968
Bernice Brown b. 7 Dec 1890 Ogden; md. William O. Erickson 21 Nov 1912; d. 29 Sept 1950{52}
Moroni served and completed four missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first was to England where he was President of the Manchester Conference. On this mission he introduced Ben E. Rich into the missionary work being his first conference president. A warm friendship was formed between them that lasted while they lived.
His second mission was to Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan between Oct 12, 1871 and March 1872.
His third mission was to England between October 12, 1880 and November 10, 1882.
In Moroni's seventy-fourth year he was called on a fourth mission as a special counselor to President Ben E. Rich of the Eastern States Mission which was the most outstanding and enjoyable experience of his life.
In Moroni's early days doctors were an almost unknown quantity and people were obliged to resort to Almanac remedies and old women's herb concoctions and superstitions. Neighbors helped each other. Moroni Brown, who had above the average in self-obtained education and initiative, was in constand demand when a tooth need to be pulled and pulled it was. He had some forceps with which he did his best, to the terror of the patient. When smallpox raged, he would vaccinate everone free of cost, taking the serum from one arm to another patient. He did his doctoring gratis. His only desire was to be helpful. Had circumstances been favorable in those early days, I am sure he would have been a doctor of medicine of the very best kind.
The 1880 Census of Ogden, Weber, Utah shows Moroni and Eveline with seven children. Next door Frank Brown and wife Mary with four children. It appears that Moroni is using his deceased brother Benjamin Franklin Brown's name along with Frankie Maria Porter's middle name to report on the census. His attempt to hide his "cohab" wife from the Federal authorities did not work as the neighbors easily identified the true nature of the residents.
[Many men in the Church who had polgamous wives were imprisoned in the penitentiary, Moroni Brown served six months as a prisoner beginning on May 15, 1885, released on January 13, 1886] and paid a $300 fine.]
Polygamist Prisoners at Utah Penitentiary on August 12, 1885
(1) F.A. Brown, (2 )Freddy Self, (3) Moroni Brown, (4) Amos Milton Musser,
(5)Geo. H. Kellog, (6) Parley P. Pratt, (7) Rudgar Clawson, (8) Job Pingree
Photo contributed by Erold Clark Wiscombe
[On July 30, 1892 in the Fourth District Court, at Ogden, the cases of many person charged with polygamy, adultery, and unlawful cohabitation, were dismissed, on motion of U. S. Marshall Eli H. Parson, who reported that it ws impossible to secure evidence sufficient to justify a conviction, Moroni was among this group of men..]
Eveline died January 15, 1911 at Ogden, Weber, Utah.
Moroni Brown was sealed to Alice Barnes [1852-1866], the girl chum of Frankie's who died in the east whom he had never met but did it for the love that his wife had for her.
Moroni was very devoted to his family. His personal journal concerning his father's and mother's families and the Temple work done for them greatly enlarged our understanding of the North Carolina and Maryland relatives.
Moroni's church activities were varied and many. He was Superintendent of the 1st Ward, Ogden Sunday Schools for twenty-five years and was Senior President of th 76th Quorum of Seventies at the time of his death which occurred on August 14, 1916 in Ogden, with only his wife Frankie by his side.
Moroni's outstanding characteristics were firmness, loyalty, and a strong determination to do his duty as he saw it.
After the death of her husband, Frances maintained her old home in Ogden for many years. Just before her 80th birthday she went to visit her daughter Bernice Brow Erickson in California for the winter. During this time her second daughter, Myrtle Brown [Schultz], lost her husband [Robert Joseph Schlutz, date?, had two children] and came home to live with her mother. They kept up the old home until 1933 when she and Myrtle disposed of the home and moved to Salt Lake City. Here they maintained a small apartment near the Temple Block so that Myrtle could devote her time and attention to genealogy and temple work. After several years in this apartment the health of both Frances and Myrtle failed and it became necessary for them to move into the home of another daughter, Florence Brown Mills [married Richard Isaac Mills, Jr. in 1921], where she continued to live until the day she, Frances Mariah Porter Brown, died, September 19, 1938. Her funeral was conducted at the White Chapel Mortuary, Salt Lake CIty, and the body was taken to Ogden where short services were held at the gravesite after which she ws buried in the Ogden City Cemetery by the side of her husband, Moroni Brown.
Frances Mariah Porter Brown and her children are grateful and thankful for the teaching of their parents. Frankie was a real lady in every respect and a wonderful mother, and a true Latter-day Saint. She loved the gospel and has lived it all her life. Her activities in the church were as President of the Young Lakies Mutual Improvement Association of the Ogden first ward, and secrety of the Relief Society of the same ward. She was always ready and willing to perform the duties required of her. She always told her children that she would rather bury one of them than to have them marry outside of the temple or to bring disgrace of any kind to their name. Her constant prayer was to have her family grow up honorably. Her prayers have been answered thus far. She has suffered much pain and sickness in her later life being so near death that doctors have said there is no chance for her to live, but through the power of the Priesthood she has been miraculously healed.
Sources:
PAF - Archer files = Captain James Brown + (1) Martha Stephens > Moroni Brown
PAF - Archer files = Captain James Brown + (7) Phoebe Abigail Abbott > Orson Pratt Brown
Brown Book of Remembrance written by Hattie Critchlow Jensen and Loella Brown Tanner prior to 1948.
Additional research and corrections by Erold Clark Wiscombe as follows: LDS. Archives, LDS Temple Ordinance Records, LDS Ward Records for the Ogden 1st, 3rd, 4th Wards; 1850 Census Pottawattamie County, Iowa; 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 Census of Ogden, Weber, Utah; Nauvoo Patriarchal Blessings; Endowment House Records; Ogden City, Utah Cemetery Records; "A Life of a Pioneer" by James S. Brown or "Giant of the Lord" by James S. Brown.
Two page biography given by Mrs. Frances Maria Porter Brown to her daughter, Florence Brown Mills at Delta, Utah in 1932. Contributed to this website by Erold Clark Wiscombe.
Moroni Brown's Personal Journal.
See Other version: "Moroni Brown" written by his daughter Florence Brown Mills probably using Hattie Jensen's writings.
[Bracketed], bold, corrections, additions, and photos added by Lucy Brown Archer
Copyright 2001 www.OrsonPrattBrown.org
Moroni Brown c. 1880
Photo from Erold C. Wiscombe
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ORSON PRATT BROWN WEBSITE HOMEPAGE
