The life of Jeremiah Plumb

Here, to the best of my research and knowledge, is the story of the life of Jeremiah Plumb:

Jeremiah was born on January 24, 1818 in Delaware, Caldwell County, Ohio to Merlin Plumb, SR and Sarah “Sally” Lavinia Roberts. He was the second of their twelve children and was named in honor of Sarah’s father, Jeremiah Roberts. His father, Merlin, fought in the war of 1812.

The Plumb family was one of the first to join the LDS church as it moved into Missouri after being expelled from Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph Smith, while fleeing a mob, hid in the home of Merlin Plumb and his family in Caldwell County, Missouri and escaped capture. Jeremiah’s family shared in the persecution suffered on the body of believers in Missouri and Illinois and many of the Plumb family would join with the Pioneers and travel west to Utah. His father, Merlin, died in 1845 while running from the mobs that were expelling the Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois.

Jeremiah was married to Dionitia Walker by Brigham Young on her father’s farm in Shoal Creek, Caldwell County, Missouri on September 4, 1838. A son, Hyrum, was born on February 16, 1838 and died from the measles on October 9, 1843 and is buried in the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds in Nauvoo, Illinois. A daughter was born to them, as well, in 1843 and died in 1845 after falling from a high platform.

Jeremiah and Dionitia were divorced in 1843. After this, she travelled west with the pioneers and became a plural wife of Amasa Lyman in 1845 and remained childless for the rest of her life. She had herself and her son Hyrum sealed to Joseph Smith, with Brigham Young acting as proxy on October 27, 1886. She died July 11, 1894 and is buried in Minersville, Beaver County, Utah.

Sometime in 1842-1843 while escaping to the west with the Mormons, Jeremiah traveled with a group back to try and reacquire some of the livestock and supplies that had been stolen from them by the mob. The group was captured and arrested. Jeremiah was arrested for larceny and sentenced to ten years in prison. He was imprisoned in Upper Alton, Illinois. The Mormon men were able to secure the release of some of the imprisoned men but not Jeremiah. He harbored bitterness toward the men for that. During his time in prison, it was discovered that he was an excellent cooper and he spent his incarceration making barrels.

After Jeremiah was released from prison, he went to Harrison, Lee County, Iowa to the Mormon settlement there to try and reconnect with his family. It was here that he learned his family had gone on without him and would meet his next wife.

His next wife was Sarah Elizabeth Carpenter. Her first husband was Elias Ayles, by whom she had a son, James (March 30, 1853 – April 28, 1913). Jeremiah and Sarah were married in Jackson, Clark County, Missouri on January 9, 1853. They had two children: Josephine (b: 1853) and William Franklin (January 19, 1858 – November 27, 1941).

Jeremiah served on the Union side in the Civil War with Company A, 1st Infantry Regiment of the Missouri State Militia. He enlisted in 1861 as a Private and was discharged as a Commissary Sergeant on 31 MAY 1862.

Jeremiah's next wife was Eliza Blake, whom he married in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri on November 17, 1868. They divorced in 1875.

Jeremiah's next and final wife was Lydia A. Skiles Fancher. They were married in Sullivan County, Missouri on March 27, 1877. They had three children: John Merlin (b:April 16, 1878), Ella Gertrude (b: August 19, 1879) and Bird (b: February 1, 1882).

Jeremiah died on 21 JAN 1884 of pneumonia while living in Ellsworth, Kansas. At the time of his death, he was farming in Frederick and he is buried in the Kansas Centre Cemetery in Frederick, Rice County, Kansas.

According to my research, that is an accurate description of the life of Jeremiah Plumb. As with any genealogical research, there is the possibility of errors. If the reader recognizes an error, or has information that I do not have listed above, please contact me so I can correct the errant information.