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  • "Iron monger" and Mormon Pioneer
  • 1st Cheney to join L.D.S. Church

Aaron Cheney, Sr. was born 14 July 1787 in Berwick, York County, Maine, United States to Benjamin Cheney (1763-1840) and Eunice Hubbard (1757-1794) and died 23 May 1861 Ogden, Weber County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Mehitable Wells (1787-1869) 17 August 1807 in Marshfield, Washington County, Vermont, United States.

Vital Stats

  • Son of Benjamin Cheney (1763-1840) and Eunice Hubbard (1757-1794)
  • 1787-Jul-14 : Birth at Berwick, York Co, Maine
  • 1807-Aug-14 : Marriage to Mehitable Wells (1787-1869) in Marshfield, Washington Co, Vermont
  • 1817 : Relocation to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co, New York
  • 1831 : Visit with the prophet Joseph Smith, family joins L.D.S. Church
  • 1835 : Move to Kirtland, Ohio
  • 1861-May : Died Ogden, Weber co, Utah Territory, USA

Biography

When Aaron Cheney was but a small boy, his father Benjamin, moved to Granby, Vermont. When he was twenty years of age he married Mehitable Wells on August 14, 1807 nearby at Marshfield, Vermont.

In 1817, Aaron and Mehitable moved to Freedom in Cattaraugus County, New York where his father's family was located. Here he became a prosperous farmer, purchased several lots of land, and became the owner of a foundry where several men were employed and where large quantities of cast iron were produced.

Aaron and his wife were both religiously inclined and were faithful members of the Methodist Church until they were visited by the Mormon missionaries John Murdock (1792-1871) and Orson Whitley Pratt (1811-1881). Because of their teachings they were baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the year 1834.

Biography

Freedom 1834 LDS Church Branch

Being one of the first members baptized into the historic Freedom 1831 LDS Church Branch, a branch of the newly founded The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, organized just one year earlier. In spring of 1834, two notable missionaries, Orson Whitley Pratt (1811-1881) and John Murdock (1760-1858) visited the Freedom Township, Cattaraugus County, New York. Their mission journal lists their several church converts and other key insights. A key part of this mission was to recruit volunteers for Zion's Camp (1834). Eventually, many of these Mormon families moved west to Ohio, Illinois and then Utah.

1835 Kirtland Ohio

In 1835 they followed the Church to Kirtland, Ohio, where their ten-year-old son, Elam, was baptized in the Shegran River by Elder Deamascus Carter. They purchased a farm located about two miles southeast of where the Kirtland Temple was built.

in 1835, they moved to Kirtland, Ohio, purchased a farm. after building a house, he built an iron foundry in their new place. They were driven from Kirtland in July 1838, joining the company known as the Kirtland Camp and traveled to Nauvoo, where they helped build the temple.

The Cheney's were driven from beautiful Nauvoo leaving behind their home and their valuables, taking with them the clothes they were wearing and what they could carry with them. They met with the Saints at Winter Quarters and they traveled in the George A Smith Wagon Train company Oct 27, 1849.

They first settled in Ogden, in the Mound Fort district. When Johnson's Army was sent to Utah they had a stressful three months, living mostly on sego bulbs. After that period, Aaron's health failed rapidly. At the age of 84, on Sept 22., 1861, he died and was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery. Mehetable went to Grantsville, to be with family."

Family of Aaron Cheney and Mehitable Wells

Aaron married Mehitable Wells (1787-1869) on 14 Aug. 1807. Those that survived past childbirth were:

  1. Selah Cheney (1808-)
  2. Amasa Cheney (1809-1870)
  3. Orren Cheney (1813-1866)
  4. Selar Cheney (1815-1867) - final status unknown
  5. Olive Mehitable Cheney (1817-1907) - b. Bloomfield, NY
  6. Aaron Cheney (1822-1889) - b Freedom, NY
  7. Elam Cheney (1825-1912) - At age 12 he had witnessed a miraculous vision in the Kirtland Temple. Late a pioneer to Colonia Diaz.
  8. Ezekiel Wells Cheney (1828-1886) -



Children


Offspring of Aaron Cheney, Sr. and Mehitable Wells (1787-1869)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Selah Cheney (1808-) 1808 Marshfield, Washington County, Vermont, United States
Amasa Cheney (1809-1870) 29 December 1809 Marshfield, Washington County, Vermont, United States 1 November 1870 Millersburg, Iowa County, Iowa, United States Hannah Hadley (1812-1896)
Infant Cheney (b1811) 1811 Marshfield, Washington County, Vermont, United States 1811 Marshfield, Washington County, Vermont, United States
Orren Cheney (1813-1866) 10 May 1813 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 10 May 1866 Decatur, Van Buren County, Michigan, United States Hannah Loretta Burdick (1815-1905)
Selar Cheney (1815-1867) 1815 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Olive Mehitable Cheney (1817-1907) 15 May 1817 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 4 April 1907 Marion, Cassia County, Idaho, United States James John McBride (1818-1881)
Infant Cheney (b1819) 1819 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1819 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Infant Cheney (b1820) 1820 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1820 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Aaron Cheney (1822-1889) 5 March 1822 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 23 June 1889 Millersburg, Iowa County, Iowa, United States Matilda Malvina Ballard (1827-1877)
Letha Barton (1823-1889)
Elam Cheney (1825-1912) 16 May 1825 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 29 March 1912 Pinedale, Navajo County, Arizona, United States Hannah Compton (1804-1884)
Margaret Wimmer (1829-1908)
Talitha Cumi Garlick (1824-1902)
Martha Taylor (1828-1908)
Harriet Edgehill (1847-1926)
Ezekiel Wells Cheney (1828-1886) 13 June 1828 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 13 August 1886 Oakley, Cassia County, Idaho, United States Lucy Elzada Hardy (1829-1913)
Infant Cheney (b1829) 1829 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1829 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Infant Cheney (b1830) 1830 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1830 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States
Infant Cheney (b1832) 1832 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1832 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States



Siblings


Offspring of Benjamin Cheney (1763-1840) and Eunice Hubbard (1757-1794)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Elizabeth Cheney (1784-1794) 1784 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States 14 July 1794 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States
Olive Cheney (1786-1868) 20 December 1786 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States 25 February 1868 Sangerfield, Oneida County, New York, United States Zebulon Button (1782-1836)
Sarah Elizabeth Cheney (1786-1868) 20 December 1786 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States 25 February 1868 Sangerfield, Oneida County, New York, United States Joseph Herrick (1776-1816)
Betsey Cheney (1787-1884) 1787 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States 19 May 1884 New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Aaron Cheney (1787-1861) 14 July 1787 Berwick, York County, Maine, United States 23 May 1861 Ogden, Weber County, Utah, United States Mehitable Wells (1787-1869)
Hurd Cheney (1791-1861) 16 September 1791 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 12 August 1861 Sweetwater River Three Crossings, Fremont County, Wyoming Susannah Goff (1792-1825)
Clarissa Damond (1792-1830)
Phoebe Ballard (1794-)
Hannah Crannell (1789-1868)
Moses Cheney (1793-1822) 1793 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 1822 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States Jemima Streeter (1792-)
Eunice Cheney (1794-1896) 1794 Essex County, Vermont, United States Hubbard Chamberlain (1802-)
Martha Cheney (1795-1856) 1795 Granby Pass, Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 20 March 1856 Portageville, Wyoming County, New York, United States
Anna Cheney (1796-1856) 30 January 1796 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 20 March 1856 Genesee Falls, Wyoming County, New York, United States Lorenzo Israel Runnels (1793-1849)
Ephraim Cheney (1797-1872) 1 May 1797 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 25 September 1872 Holden, Johnson County, Missouri, United States Harriet Law (1806-1887)
Benjamin Cheney (1798-) 1798 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States
Enoch M W Cheney (1802-1862) 1802 Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States 1862
Benjamin J. Cheney (1803-1882) 3 April 1803 Granby, Essex County, Vermont, United States 30 March 1882 Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa, United States Nancy Snow (1803-1891)


Vital Records

1849 Smith Wagon Company Census

This Cheney family were in the same wagon company as another Cheney Family, (Elijah Cheney (1785-1863) and his two wives, Sarah Griffith & Sarah Harmon) who was a distant cousin.

  • Cheney, Aaron 62
  • Cheney, Elijah 63
  • Cheney, Eliza Ann Infant
  • Cheney, Ezekiel Wells 23
  • Cheney, Lucy Elzada Hardy 20
  • Cheney, Mehitable Wells 62
  • Cheney, Sarah Griffith 58
  • Cheney, Sarah Harmon 62

Gravestone of Aaron Cheney

Aacheney1

Gravestone of Aaron Cheney Sr

Aaron Cheney Sr, Son of Benjamin and Eunice Hubbard. July 14, 1787 - Sept 18, 1862 Burick, York, Main - Ogden, Utah First Cheney to join L.D.S. Church. Great, Great, Grandfather of Byron Cheney

Ancestry

Cheney Family

See Also

  • Aaron Cheney
  • Cheney Family
  • Cheney in York County, Maine
  • Cheney in Cattaraugus County, New York
  • Cheney in Washington County, Vermont
  • Cheney in Weber County, Utah
  • Cheney in Salt Lake County, Utah
  • Cheney History -
  • Heart Throbs of the West: Volume 10, The Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Pioneers of 1849, Daughters of Utah Pioneers.
  • History of Elam Cheney, my Grandfather by Aaron Lincon Cheney of Utah.
  • A Brief History of Peter Wimmer Cheney and Keziah Lovina Brady Cheney by Aaron H. Cheney.

References

  • Marriage - Vermont Vital Records (1760-1954) - to Mehitable Wells - 14 Aug 1807 in Marshfield, VT.



Footnotes (including sources)

₪ Wedding
  • Marriage - Vermont Vital Records (1760-1954) - to Mehitable Wells - 14 Aug 1807 in Marshfield, VT.



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