Mary Taylor Upton Simmons Robinson life history info

Mary Taylor Upton Simmons Robinson life history info

Mary Taylor Upton Simmons Robinson

Mary Taylor, was born in England in 1835. Her parents accepted the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she was baptized with her mother August 5, 1845. They, with hundreds of other Saints, left Liverpool, England on the ship Horizon under the direction of Captain Edward Martin. When they arrived at Iowa City preparations were made for the 1300 mile handcart journey across the plains still under the leadership of Captain Martin.

Mary shared all the hardships, trials and privations of that belated company. Her parents died on the way, also her young husband. Her father passed away on October 8th and her mother and husband were buried in the same grave on November 10th. Being an only child she was alone in a strange land, but her faith sustained her during these tragic days. She could see around her others who were in as great a d distress as herself who, like her, had to press on. There was no time for grief. Mary missed her loved ones so, as she implored God to give her strength to carry her burdens and to fill the void in her life by helping others around her who were in need.

Brother Martin had said to Mary: “I am glad you have not become embittered as some. I hope you can continue singing as you have done as it is a comfort and help to many in Camp. I see you shoes are gone, be careful or your frozen feet will cause you more distress.”

Mary left the imprint of her feet in blood on the ice and snow as she bravely trudged along. Her feet finally turned black. She did not know when the company reached Salt Lake City as she was unconscious the latter part of the journey. Mary Taylor often told her grandchildren that she knew the Lord was with them throughout the journey or many more would have died before they reached the Valley.

William Bert Simmons had passed the prime of life, but he accepted the challenge in the kindness of his heart, responding to Brigham Young's plea for wagons and provisions, joined the relief party, and made his way to Captain Martin's camp. The sight at the Martin camp was overwhelming. Many were dead, awaiting for the starving people around them to gather enough strength to give them a decent burial. Some were dying, and all were suffering from frozen limbs, and were emaciated from starvation rations.

William, although a rescuer, still heeded the advice of the prophet, and took into his own home Mary Taylor, a young widow, where his wife Amanda, cared for her so tenderly that although her feet and legs were frozen so badly that they were black clear above her knees, that she recovered completely, losing neither a finger or a toe. Mary later became William's second wife.

Mary’s granddaughter recounts this: Grandma lifted me up to see the picture of herself she had painted, sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling a handcart, one of hundreds of others, pushing their way across the Great Plains, fording icy streams which first soaked their skirts or pant legs, and then froze them later pushing onward toward the Rockies, while her bleeding feet, torn by the stones and roughness of the roadway, froze into chunks of ice. And she spoke of three shallow graves which held her loved ones: her husband, her father and mother. Mary also told one of her sons that she had lost a baby on the Plains.

Then she spoke of the song she used to sing, and with her arms around me she sang:

For some must push and some must pull,

As we go marching up the hill,

For merrily on our way we'll go,

Until we reach the Valley-0.

And as she sang it, she would stop and speak of someone who dropped while they were pulling the handcart, pushing -- pushing -- mile after mile, one foot after the other, until they could go no more. She cried as she talked of her loved ones and the hardships, and then she sang again, "Hard Times, Come Again No More" Memory fades, and I remember no more, and the following March she died (in 1899). I caught a glimpse of her quiet form lying in the board coffin, but she couldn't sing to me or call me her little girl; but I remembered the words of a song she sang, "One foot after the other, until God calls."

Mary Taylor Simmons had a strong testimony and bore it often in word and with her sweet soprano voice in the songs of Zion. She never criticized the church or the leaders in the decisions regarding the Martin Handcart Co.