Photocopy of Simeon's history?

Hello Dunn Research Crew:

I am starting to organize my information into a chronilogical, documented format. I'm hoping ultimately that I/we can come up with a detailed chronilogical documented history of Simeon A. Dunn's life.

So...first question is....does anyone have a copy of Simeon's autobiography in an original handwritten format....In otherwords, an original photocopy of what Simeon wrote? Just trying to access if it exists and it's whereabouts and how to get a copy if it does.

There are many printed versions out there...they start something like this: I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on the third Monday in April 1839, by Elder James Dunn, in the town of VanBuren, Wayne County, Michigan, in the Huron River. I was the first man that was ever baptized in that river by Authority from Heaven and he, James Dunn, the first elder that I ever saw.



Thanks for your help,
Karen Rasmussen

Wives of Simeon Adams Dunn

I have eight wives for Simeon Adams Dunn. These are women he was married to while he was living. The women you mention that you do not have were married for time only.1. Adaline Rawson- sealed
2. Margaret Snyder-sealed
3. Jane Caldwell Waite-not sealed in life, and no record of marriage
4. Harriet Atwood Silver-sealed
5. Abigail Brandon. Married for Time only. Married 31 July 1858.Abigail Brandon married first: Lyman Stoddard 11 July 1842. They had no children. Still looking for a death date and place for her.She and Simeon were divorced 4 Apr 1864. Abigail is listed in the household of Simeon Adams Dunn in the 1860 Census.
6. Keziah Fowler married to Simeon Adams Dunn for Time only 14 Jan 1860 Endowment House.Keziah Fowler married first: George Washington Brandon (Brother of Abigail Brandon Stoddard) 6 Oct 1831.I wonder how much time she and Simeon actually lived together. In the 1860 Census she is listed in Brigham City with three of her children. I have not found her in the 1870 Census. In the 1880 Census she is living in Ophir, Tooele County. She died in Centerville.
7. Elizabeth Wickham sealed 15 Apr 1865. Probably divorced. Although the temple record does not show a cancellation of sealing, the temple department indicates we should assume the sealing was cancelled.Elizabeth and Simeon had two children:Ephriam Wickham Dunn and Lorenzo Dunn.Elizabeth Wickham married and was sealed to Richard Jones 8 Feb 1870. They had 7 children.
8. Mary McCree married Simeon Adams Dunn for time only 22 Feb 1868 in the endowment house.She married first: George Black who died in 1845 of Malaria in Nauvoo. She married second James Brown. James Brown was the Captain of Company C. of the Mormon Batallion and Mary crossed the plains with the Mormon Batallion. They had 5 children. Third she married Simeon Adams Dunn. She is listed with Simeon and his family in the 1870 census.She is not listed with Simeon in the 1880 Census, so she probably returned to living with one of her children. She died in Ogden, Utah in 1907.
I would enjoy knowing if anyone has any additional information.
Paula Paradise

Information on the various James Dunns

But we do know that a child was born to Jane Caldwell. Joseph Moroni went by the name of Kelsey until he was half grown. But as a young adult was taken into Simeon's family and helped his father in Brigham City while Simeon went on one of his missions. At that time he took the Dunn name.

So, my sister, who lives in Brigham City, finally chased down a Waite who lives up in the same area. They give a similar story-but no proof. So here we stay stuck. Why, why, why did Simeon never mention that part of his life? Who knows!

But on to the brother James. This story gets very complicated for everybody but I have proven it. You have to graph out the family for a couple of generations to get the picture.
There were three James Dunns.
born in 1788-James born to Thomas Dunn and Susannah Swayze (great-uncle and great-aunt to Simeon Adams--Thomas son of William Dunn and Esther
born in 1793-James born to Samuel Dunn and Phoebe Coykendall (great-uncle and great-aunt to Simeon Adams--Samuel son of William and Esther
born in 1810-James born to Simeon Dunn and Sally Bath (grandchild of Simeon Dunn and Ann Gustin, brother to Simeon Adams

The second James (1793) was the other James in Nauvoo, the one who wrote the diary, was in the Mormon Battalion, and settled in Cache County, Utah. He was the one who worked with the lyme or brick building. The church records on James Dunn combines this one with ours. You have to be extremely careful with their records. When you visit Nauvoo, go to the old cemetery to the sextants office and they will show you the listing of OUR James Dunn's burial. There is no headstone but they have him recorded.

The brother James is the one who converted Simeon. There has got to be quite a record for him. Wish he had a journal. Luckily the cousin James wrote his beautiful diary which confirms so beautifully the family connections.

- Susan Vowels Smith

Is the James Dunn from the Mormon Battalion Simeon's brother?

This is the information from my notes on James Dunn who served in the Mormon Battalion. There are various birthdates for him but he was born abt 1788. So far I have not found any relationship to our Dunn Family. We have a copy of the pension record from Microfilm at the FHL. After Thanksgiving, Karen may be able to e-mail it to you if you are really interested. This James Dunn was b. in Pennsylvania, married and had children there. Later he was in Nauvoo. He married Thirza Shupe in 1846 and they had several children.

MILITARY: pension record: James Dunn pvt. Co. C. Brown's Co. Mormon Battalion. On 28 Nov 1853, James Dunn aged sixty-six years appeared. Resident of Great Salt Lake County. He was a private in Co. C., Capt Brown, Mormon Battalion. Enlisted 16 July 1846 at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mustered out at Los Angeles, California on the 16th day of July 1847. Applied for an invalid pension./ Also listed in the Sick group with Captain Willis

CENSUS: 1820 United States Census/ Census Place: Drumore, Lancaster, Pennsylvania/ Source: www.heritagequestonline.com/ NARA M33/ roll 106 page 164/

James Dunn/ 1 male under 10 (1810-1820)/ 1 male 26 and less than 45 (1775-1794)/ 1 female 26 and less than 45 (1775-1794)

CENSUS: 1840 United States Census/ Census Place: Little Britain, Lancaster, Pennsylvania/ Source: www.heritagequestonline.com/ NARA M704/ Roll 466/ page 210

James Dunn/ 2 males under 5 (1835-1840) / 1 male 5 and less than 10 (1830-1835)/ 1 male 10 and less than 15 (1825-1830) / 2 males 15 and less than 20 ( 1820-1825/ 1 male 20 and less than 30 (1810-1820)/ 1 male 50 and less than 60 ( 1780-1790)/ 1 female under 5 (1835-1840)/ 1 female 5 and less than 10 (1830-1835)/ 1 female 10 and less than 15 (1825-1830)/ 1 female 30 and less than 40 (1800-1810)/ 1 female 50 and less than 60 (1780-1790)

CENSUS: 1850 United States Census [taken in the spring of 1851]/ Source: www.pilot.familysearch.org/ Location: Utah County/

James Dunn/ age 64/ Born: Pennsylvania

Robert Dunn/ age 37/ Born: Pennsylvania

Thirza Dunn/ age 29/ Born: Virginia

John Dunn/ age 24/ Born: Pennsylvania

Joseph Dunn/ age 19/ Born: Pennsylvania

Sarah Jane Dunn/ age 1 Born: Deseret

Andrew Rose/ age 14 mo.

NOTE: other possible father: Emmanuel Dunn

NOTE: have the following children for James Dunn by his first wife [unknown]

1. Robert b. abt 1813 [appears in the 1850 Census. Could be a son or a brother]

a large gap with no known children

2. possible daughter: Elizabeth Ann Dunn b. 20 Sep 1823/28. Married to William Garner 3 Feb 1846 Nauvoo, Illinois. [She was endowed the same day as James Dunn b. 1788/1791 in Nauvoo. No proof she is his daughter.]

3. John Dunn b. abt 1826

4. James H. Dunn b. abt 1829

5. Joseph Dunn b. abt 1831

Robert, John, and Joseph appear in the census/ James H. Dunn appears on the earlyldschurchmembers website. No proof.

MARRIAGE: only source IGI.

SEALING: The sealing record for James Dunn and Thurza Shupe appears three times on the IGI. Twice in the world Miscellaneous group and one time in North America. They indicate the sealing was in the President's office 29 April 1855. One of those three gives birthdates for James and Thurza. James Dunn b. 26 September 1791 Little Britain, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Thursey Shupe b. 13 April 1821 Gracin County, Virginia. Extracted A183380/ Film 183380 page 10

PARENTS: Someone listed the parents of James as being: Robert Dunn and Agnes.

1790 Census Pennsylvania Lancaster County Michael Dunn

Luzerne County Robert Dunn

York County Robert Dunn

1800 Census Pennsylvania Lancaster County no DunnLuzerne County Robert Dunn

Dauphin County Robert Dunn

Franklin County Robert Dunn

1810 Census Pennsylvania Lancaster County Drumore- Robert Dunn

This Robert was young with a young child

1820 Census Pennsylvania Lancaster County Drumore- James Dunn in Drumore [see above notes]

I hope this will clarify some about this James Dunn. Be aware that there are multiple James Dunn's in the early church years and information on several of them are mixed together on the IGI and on various websites. This is one of the things my sister, Karen, and I have been trying to work on. We still do not feel like we have clearly identified James Dunn, the brother of Simeon Adams Dunn. It is difficult in the Journal History of the Church to identify just how many James Dunns there were.

Paula Paradise

Anyone live near Salt Lake City?

I just found out about the Pioneer Memorial Museum in Salt Lake City. The Pioneer Memorial Museum (also known as DUP Museum) located in Salt Lake City, Utah, houses the world's largest collection of artifacts on one subject and features displays and collections of memorabilia from the time the earliest settlers entered the Valley of the Great Salt Lake until the joining of the railroads at a location known as Promontory Point, Utah, on May 10, 1869.

Among other things, it has photos and histories of early Utah pioneers. I looked for Dunn photos in their index and found the following. These are all photos of Simeon Adams Dunn, his wives, and his children. There are also histories there. Is there anyone who can drop by and take a look? I would be willing to pay for digital copies of the photos if they are different or of better quality than what I have (See http://www.dkwilde.com/Genealogy/Dunn/Photos/).

Last Name	Given Name	Maiden Name	Birth Date	Death Date
Dunn	Charles Oscar		13 Oct 1855	3 Mar 1939
Dunn	Harriett Atwood	Silver	22 Jul 1919	2 Jan 1858
Dunn	Joseph Moroni		12 Feb 1847	3 Aug 1912
Dunn	Simeon Adams		7 Aug 1803	22 Feb 1883
Ensign	Mary Adeline	Dunn	2 Nov 1833	8 Nov 1920
Waite	Jane	Caldwell	27 Mar 1809	27 Sep 1891
Brown	Mary Ann	McRee	28 Oct 1820-21	1 Nov 1907

A new letter from Simeon has surfaced

Nancy Dunn has brought to my attention another letter (other than the ones stored at BYU). I am adding it to the Dunn/Silver Correspondance collection and will post it soon. Nancy is creating a new Dunn web page and will post the digital copies of the letter there. Enjoy!!!

Letter from Simeon A. Dunn
To Sophia E. Silver (Harriet Atwood Silver’s Mother)

[Written about 1859}

Dear Mother – Agreeable to Harriett’s request I would fain lay before you the plan of our holy religion that Harriet Esteemed so highly if I could see in your writing a spirit of inquiry I would direct you to that peaceful home that Harriet is now in possession of, through her obedience and careful adherence to the principals of the gospel of Salvation without which no one can enter that rest; this is my testimony which is faithful and true. My little Henry is also gone with his mate Little Harriet A to rest in the bosom of his Mother to wate the resurrection of the just, which if I am faithful I shall receive with all those little ones that I have parted with in this life, with their mothers at their sides to dwell with me on this Earth when wickedness and death shall be known no more on this earth; David says the righteous shall inherit Earth; This is a blessing that will attend the Righteous when the wicked shall not be.

N.B. Serve the Cause of godliness;

S. A. Dunn

I in my last conversation with Harriet I asked her if she would name the Babys. She said you better name them. I called them Harriet Atwood and Henry Silver. She said she would like to have that their names; She also wished me to get what was owing to her from her Father’s estate and use it in raising and schooling her children this is the reason that I have written in relation to it; you say that it is not agreeable to the Law of that State unless I would give bale that the money should be kept for the children when they become of age; it is but a small sum but if I had it now it somewhat to the comfort of the Children in their present condition; if it is that necessary to give bonds for the faithful payment of that amount to be divided to each of them as they become of age I am willing to do so. It will place the money in my hands; I can use it for their comfort; also be bound to them for principal and interest.

As it regards what you have paid or what we have rec, I am ignorant but I presume you are correct; I presume we have rec all that you have sent as far as you have given an account of therefore I am willing to sign the receipt; if you will procure it there among your friends for me I will sign a bond and you can have it made out and send it to me; I will sign it and return it to you. A check can be forwarded to me payable in N.Y. or St. Lewis. I can draw the money here on the for the check; all this is in your own hands as I shall take no steps to collect it myself against your will; Enough of that.

As it regards the difficulty between us and the US it is all settled; yet whereas we had all good order and good will towards all men we now have in our midst disorder of all kinds; drinking, gambling, ling, hordom, rapepine and murder… This is the way US introduces sivilization in the lands of the heathen as they term it.

As we were obliged to leave our homes last spring and flee before our enemies in order to evade collision with the US and for the safety of our wives and children we have been deprived of raising any crops this year; Altho we are all back in our homes yet we are destitute of many of the comforts of life that we might have had if we could have stayed at home in peace. Yet we trust in our God for deliverance. He has delivered us so far; and he has said that it is his business to provide for his Saints; & WE KNOW THAT WE ARE HIS SAINTS –

My family is now enjoying good health at present. The children are all going to school that is old enough. Aimeon A is learning very fast. He is a bright boy. They all send their love to their grandmother, uncles, ants, & cousins. I have got me another woman. She is an elderly woman; has but one child and she is married. My woman proves to be a good and a feeling mother to my children and a comfort to me.

Write often.

Sophia E. Silver Simeon A Dunn

Simeon A. Dunn's genealogy trip back East

Prior to his death, Simeon Adams Dunn, wrote a short autobiography.
[Gee, does anyone know who has the original?
Does anyone have a photocopy of the handwritten document?]
In this autobiography he states:
"On October 19, 1871, I left Brigham City on a mission to look up the genealogy of my dead friends, which proved to be a very successful mission. I returned home July 19,1874, having traveled 10,000 miles on rail. On November 1, 1877, I was privileged with a mission to St. George, Utah, to officiate for my dead in the holy Temple of our God. On January 27, 1878, I returned home, having accomplished the desire of my heart for this time in this direction."
I assume that Simeon Adams Dunn, like most LDS patriarchs of this time period kept two important documents: a personal journal or diary, and a temple book.
[Gee, does anyone know where Simeon Dunn’s personal journal went? Have a photocopy?
Does anyone know where Simeon Dunn’s temple book went? Have a photocopy?]
Anyway, about two years ago when I decided to start working on the Dunn line, I had an impression that the best way to pursue research was to focus on the names Simeon collected on his trip mentioned above. Since his journal and temple book seem to be lost, myself and others have tried to reconstruct the list based on the IGI and/or ordinance index records and temple records left behind.
I have completed an updated excell table with about 165 of the names I have so far of people who Simeon was connected to. The first column is the person’s name. The second column is the data Simeon provided to the temple—the exception being a few of the wives he was married to which I just added to the list. The third column is my current understanding of how Simeon is related to the person. And the fourth column is my current understanding of where these people lived.
Myself, my sister, and neice—as well as perhaps many of you—have analyzed this data in several different formats. I would be interested in other people’s "lists" of who Simeon found on his trip if they are out there. If you would like a copy of the excell spreadsheet or the text extracted from the temple films, please email me at karenrasmus@yahoo.com as I could not figure out how to post a spreadsheet.