Elizabeth Dunn Stubbs

Elizabeth Dunn, daughter of William Gallimore Dunn and Elizabeth Howells Dunn, was born on January 18, 1840 in Manchester, England. In 1851 her father after having joined the Mormon Church, left for Salt Lake City, Utah so he could follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The following year, 1852 Elizabeth at the age of eleven, with her mother and two other children, followed their father and husband to Utah. They left in the A.O. Smoot's Company. They suffered many hardships on their trip. While crossing the plains Elizabeth would walk twenty one miles a day and she had to wade across many streams as there was not room for her to ride in the ox carts. After many long weary months they reached Salt Lake City in September 1852 and joined their father.
For several years Elizabeth lived in Salt Lake City with her parents, then in the year 1856 she became the bride of Peter Stubbs whom she had met in England a the age of eight, a this time he was working in a bakery shop. Their marriage was performed by B. Hickenlooper in the sixth Ward in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 19th. Brother Charles Walker and William Barnes were witnesses to their marriage.
Her marriage was happy one, but full of trials and hardships. Many times it was hard to get food and at the time of Johnson's Army they were sent to Camp Floyd. She and her husband went there and would take supplies to the soldiers and receive potatoes and other food stuffs in payment. They also earned money and with this they returned to Provo, Utah and started in the business running a bake shop. They worked very hard to make this a success and their efforts were realized by the bakery becoming a very thriving business. In the home as well as in the bakery Elizabeth was known as a very good cook, this virtue she passed on to all her daughters.
Sometime after her marriage she was given a blessing by Eliza R. Snow in which she was told that she would be given the gift of healing. This blessing was surely answered and throughout Elizabeth's whole life she was called many times to the bedside of the sick and through her kind efforts and with the help of many home remedies she made herself she healed not only her own family but many neighbors, friends and other relatives. Her home remedies to this day are remembered and used in the homes of her children and grandchildren. It was never too much work to go to the help of others. Oft times when called to the sick, she would gather clean sheets, towels and any other necessities she might know of what the people would need in their sickness and from her own home would supply all needs along with her home remedies.
Elizabeth Stubbs was the mother of eleven children of her own. August 13, 1886 Ann Wride Stubbs, second wife of Peter Stubbs died and Elizabeth took seven of Ann's children, a baby three months old, a girl five, one eight and twelve and seventeen, also boys fourteen and one twenty-one. Some of these children were the age of her own. These children she raised as her own never showing any partiality between her family and Ann's. They were raised as one big family and she was a good mother to them all. They loved and respected her very much and to this day all living children of this family are very close in joy, sickness or sadness.
For sixty five years she lived in Provo, Utah, she was always a faithful worker in the Mormon Church. She was one of the first Relief Society Teachers in Provo. During this time it was sometimes necessary for her to walk many blocks carrying a baby, gathering donations for the Relief Society.
Everyone enjoyed the company of Elizabeth Stubbs, she was known to all as a cheerful, loveable and witty person. Her wit was very outstanding and at all times would say clever witty things that made everyone enjoy being around her.
During the World War, eleven grandsons went into service for their country, several were sent across, but only one grandson and one great grandson saw actual service. Everyone of these boys came back in perfect health and physical condition, none of them having suffered from wounds nor from the effects of the "flu" which raged furiously in all the camps.
Elizabeth Stubbs enjoyed a very healthy life, never having any serious sickness. She was strong in mind and body, this blessing she passed on to all her posterity. At the age of 82, on August 13, 1922 she passed on suffering from no illness but just tired by age. Her memory is a beautiful picture in the hearts of all those that knew her.
There wasn't room for her to ride, so she walked across the plains at the age of 12 years. After they arrived here they went through many hardships. All they had for lights was some kind of string and put in some kind of a container in grease. They lit the string. They were called bitch lights. She married Peter Stubbs at the age of 17 years. She didn't have any kettles or pans, she borrowed from the neighbors, a container and baked bread over a fireplace. When her first baby was born she laid on a hard bed of straw. She said she never would have another baby on such a hard bed. She would take her baby in the fields lay it down on weeds while she gathered milk weed pods enough to dry and open for a bed. She had 11 children also raised 7 children of a second wife, who died and left a 3 month old baby. The two families grew up like one family. She lived to be 82 years old. She nursed all her daughters and daugher-in-laws with their babies also many other women until she was quite old. She was a wonderful woman.

Her Children Born
Jane Elizabeth Feb 13, 1858
Mary Ellen Jul 5, 1860
Emma Selena Aug 20, 1862
Hannah Aseneth Apr 16, 1864
Peter Jr Nov 15, 1867
James Ephraim Dec 7, 1868
Sarah Ann Mar 13, 1871
Fanny Adah Dec 24, 1873
Albert Peter Oct 24, 1877
Alfred Oct 16, 1880
One Stillborn Child

Written by Adele Peters and Ruby Taylor Stewart