| Notes |
- Campbell: "He was a shipbuilder." pg. 219. (337) Data 1957 from Mrs. Jack Reid, Riverside California & Mrs. Irene Bunnell, Fullerton, California. (396) Data 1961 and later from Reva (Olsen) Anderson, Salt Lake City - descendant TU12111121 & Francis and Byron Tuttle of Springville Utah descendants TU121111121. (1051) Data at various times from Mrs. H. C. Kimball, Salt Lake City, Utah.
TERRY TUTTLE AND ELEANOR MILLS ( Leah Brown Lyman)
It would be quite impossible to write the story of my own great grandfather, Azariah Tuttle, without telling what I can of his parents. Terry Tuttle, son of Luther Tuttle and Ruth Terry, was born in New York City, 7 March 1790. Nothing is known of his early life, but on the 5 July 1817, when he was twenty-seven years of age, he was md. to the lovely Eleanor Mills. Eleanor's father was General Joseph Mills, date and place of birth unknown. Her mother was Sarah DeVaux, born 2 May 1764, place unknown.
To Terry and Eleanor were born three sons and a daughter: Azariah, born 20 April 1818; John Henry, born 19 June 1821; Elizabeth Jane, born 6 Sept. 1823; and Luther Terry, born 19 Nov. 1825.
Terry was a ship builder. It would be interesting to know if he learned the trade from his father, but who is there to say? Death came to Terry 30 December 1826, when he was but thirty-six years of age, leaving his wife to rear their children as best she could. How she made her living lies deep in the vault of unwritten history to which there is no key. But I remember that some years back there was a great stir among the descendants of Eleanor Mills Tuttle, and many family records were gathered in trying to prove heirship to some property in the heart of New York City, to which Eleanor Mills Tuttle still held title. This leads me to believe that they owned their own home, and with his occupation, was one of the highly respected families of the city.
Terry did not live to meet the missionaries who came to New York City, telling of a new young prophet and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but Eleanor did. The light that entered her soul brought peace and comfort as she drank in the truths that fell from the lips of these men of God. Elders Parley P. Pratt and Elijah Fordham spoke, as was said of Christ Himself, as having authority. They told of young Joseph's prayer to learn which church was right, and of the visit of the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and their telling him that all the churches had gone astray. He told of the Angel Moroni, the gold plates and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon which is a history of the Indians. He told of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by John the Baptist, and later the higher or Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James and John. This was the authority given of God, to act in His name. When all this was accomplished, God gave command to organize his church anew.
How long Eleanor and her children pondered over this new light that had come to them; how much they discussed it among themselves and with the missionaries; or how many prayers were offered, is not known. But this they knew that something very precisous had come to them which they could not discard. So on the 7 December 1836, Eleanor, her sons Azariah and Luther, and though history does not say, there is no doubt but that Elizabeth Jane also, went down into the water of baptism, testifying to their Father in Heaven that they had faith that what the elders had taught them was true. Elders Parley P. Pratt and Elijah Fordham laid hands upon their heads confirming them members in the only church which Christ recognizes as his own. John Henry was still skeptical and wanted more time to decide.
The Spirit of "The Gathering" now came upon them, and as soon as they could they joined the Saints in Missouri. According to the history of her son, Luther Terry, they left New York in 1838.
As the life of Eleanor Mills Tuttle was entwined with that of her eldest son and his family with whom she spent the remainder of her earthly life, we will catch a glimpse of her pioneer life through accounting theirs. She died in Manti, Sanpete County, Utah, December 1877 on the thirty-ninth anniversary of her baptism, and just four days before her seventy-eighth birthday.
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1790 - 1826 (36 years)