Ellen Adams McGill

A sketch of my Mothers life as given to me by father George F. Hunter in his 78th year.  March 17, 1924.

Helen (Ellen) Adams Mcgill, daughter of Adam Mcgill and Isabell Shaw was born June 23rd 1848 at Craig Hall, Edinburgh Co., Scotland.  Her parents embraced the Gospel in the early days in the year 1848 or 49 near Edinburgh, Scotland where in 1840 Apostle Orson Pratt dedicated that land and raised a large Branch of the Church in a very short time.  In her childhood her parents moved to Bathgate, Linlithgowshire an adjoining County where she attended the Public Schools where sewing, knitting, crocheting and different kinds of fancy work was taught which proved of great benefit to her in assisting her parents and also her own family as they grew up teaching them all of these practical duties.  In her girlhood she went out to nearby farms doing work in the fields and also in the homes of other people.

She was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Bathgate Branch and emigrated with her parents to Utah in the year 1866 leaving Liverpool in the sailing ship American Congress.  John Nicholsen being president of the Company.

She told of an incident while crossing the ocean during a heavy fog.  The President, John Nicholson was in the fore part of the vessel and as the fog cleared up for a very short time he saw a large obstacle of some kind supposed to have been an iceberg immediately in front of the vessel.  He called the attention of the Captain to the situation and he with all speed took the place of the man at the wheel or helm and turned the vessel completely around thus avoiding the calamity which might have happened.  She was never seasick while on the water but was on deck in all kinds of weather and while on the sea earned some money by knitting.

They were six weeks in crossing the Atlantic and arrived at New York on July 4th.  Being a young girl about 18 years she told of the good times she had while crossing the plains with ox team.  She walked all the way except in crossing some of the streams.

She gathered Buffalo Chips in her apron and used them for their campfires.  She told of the concerts and dances they had in the evenings to help pass the time in crossing the weary plains.

She was the 4th family child of seven in her fathers family, three of them being boys died in their infancy.  Her family moved to Logan and she worked in the homes of some of the leading families there. 

They moved to Salt Lake and it was there her parents died and were buried.  While working in the home of Daniel H. Wells she was permitted to have her Endowments.  She also had the honor of attending a Grand Ball and Banquet in the Salt Lake Theater on Jan. 10th 1870 where Pres. Brigham Young and a number of Apostles and leading men were present to commemorate the event of the Railroad into Salt Lake City.

One week after this event she left the home of Daniel H. Wells and was married by him in the Old Endowment House on Jan. 17th 1870 to George F. Hunter having known him and his family in her childhood in the old country but had only met two or three times since coming to Utah, a separation of six or seven years.  She left her family in Salt Lake and went with her husband and helped him to establish a home in a new community with many hardships, such as grass hoppers, dry seasons and many difficult things to contend with in trying to establish a new home, supporting her husband in all their trials without a murmur.

She was born of noble parentage and was taught in her youth to be honest and straightforward in all her dealings and the same good principles have always remained with her.

A great care and responsibility came to her when her husband was called upon a mission for two years leaving her with six children and the seventh born while he was away and also helping to support him.

Her health broke down through the loss of her youngest son Thomas, a young man of about 21 years old. He met with an accident in the Amalgamated Sugar Factory and died of blood poison.

They moved from West Weber to Ogden in the spring of 1908 and resided in the 5th Ward until her death.

She died at the family home 767 - 26th Street in Ogden City on Feb. 17th 1911 after a lingering illness of three month of Pernicious Anemia.  She was a devoted wife, loving and affectionate Mother, a worthy citizen examplary in all her walks in life, strongly devoted to the cause she espoused in her early childhood.

She was the mother of ten children, five sons and five daughters, seven of whom survive her.  Also 34 grandchildren (one dead) and six great grand children at this date 1924.  All are church members and some of them actively engaged in church work who all honor and revere her memory and good works.

                 Written by her daughter - Elizabeth H. Wilson

                 Member of Camp N. Daughters of Utah Pioneers.