Biography
Samuel Hamblin Steele was born 12 July 1822 in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York, United States to William Steele (1777-1825) and Almira Wilcox Hamlin (1779-1826) and died 8 September 1892 Goshen, Utah County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Elvira Saloma Thayer (1826-1913) June 1841 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. He married Nancy Maude Bailey (1830-1921) 1851 in Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, United States.
Early Years
The three children: Mary Ann, Chester, and Samuel H. Almira’s children were still very young when William died in 1825. After his death, as was the custom, the family was to gather at the family home to read the will. There were feelings between Almira and her step-children and they would not let her come home. So Almira took a room at the hotel for herself and the three children awaiting the reading of the will. There was a fire at the hotel and Almira was badly burned. She died a few months later from these burns. The town officials tried to talk the half brothers and sisters into taking the small children. The little children were taken back home until after the funeral and were then placed in the work house.
After a few years, Mary Ann was taken out as kitchen help, Chester was put out to work, and then later when Samuel was 10 years old he was “bound out” until he was 21 to a Roberts family that kept a few cattle and ran a lodging house for teamsters. During the four years Samuel was with them (10-14 years old) he carried water from the creek, chopped wood, cleaned out the stables, hitched up the teams, doctored sick horses and “loaded heavy logs in the deep snow until I could see stars.” He was not treated very well and it was an unpleasant experience. So in 1836 when he was 14, he ran away. He met a man going to Ottawa, Illinois, and “he gave me a ride if I would help take care of his horses.” This was the first job he ever had on his own, the first money he had ever earned, and the first time he had eaten regularly since his mother’s death. From Ottawa, he made his way down the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Illinois.
Reunion in St. Louis
One day in St. Louis, there was a great excitement. A man was to be hung in the public square (a horse thief.) Everyone was going and so Samuel decided to go, too. While waiting he noticed that a man standing near him looked just like him. He asked his name and the man said, “it’s Chester Steele, who are you?” Samuel replied, “well, I’m Samuel Steele, I lived my first years in a work house.” Chester said, “I am your brother and that is where I lived my first years also.” He gave Samuel a pocket knife that had this name on it and said that he would try to keep in touch, but after that day, Samuel never saw him again. (The pocket knife was in the family for years.)
Because of Samuel’s experience working with horses, he obtained work with a veterinarian. He lived in the vet’s home and it was a good life for him while he was there. He went with the vet on his visits in the area caring for sick horses. In addition to doctoring horses they also found a lot of sick people without anyone to care for them so the vet started studying medicine and expanded his practice to include humans as well as horses. Samuel was always with him and learned many of the medical skills possessed by the “Doctor” and was able to use them later on in his own life.
One day, the doctor was called to attend a sick person. When they arrived, Samuel put the horse in the barn and was told he could wait in the kitchen where it was warm. To his surprise, when the hired girl came in and began to talk to him, he learned that she was his 19 year old sister Mary Ann from whom he was parted so long ago at the work house—living so near to him and yet so far. Samuel remained in St. Louis that winter (1836-1837) and spent many happy evenings with her.
Illinois
In January 1840, at the age of 17, Samuel, with the intent of going to school, traveled to Walnut Grove, Illinois, an area near the Mormon community of Nauvoo.
William Smith, brother of the prophet Joseph Smith, came to Walnut Grove to “preach” and to organize a Branch. Samuel joined his friends at church and said of the experience, “he was the first Mormon I ever heard preach. He made the Bible so plan and proved his doctrine so clearly that it concerned me, which no other preacher had ever done.” Samuel also attended a prayer meeting at the home of Lucy Mack Smith, the prophet’s mother where he heard her say, “this may be the last time that I shall ever have the privilege of speaking and I testify that this is the true church of God.” Samuel said, “With might power did she speak and the truth of the her testimony ran from my head to my feet and I was convinced of the truth of this work.” A few days later Samuel was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
During the winter at school, 18 year old Samuel became acquainted with 14 year old Elvira Saloma Thayer and they fell in love. Despite the objection of Elvira’s father, they ran away in June of 1841 and got married (ages 18 and 14).
They lived a good, happy life in the Nauvoo area until the Saints were driven out in 1846. While in Nauvoo, Samuel made a good living utilizing his medical skills and raising horses. Two children were born to them in Nauvoo, Mary Ann born March 3rd 1842 who died in infancy and Lovina Ann born in McQueen Mills, Illinois, near Nauvoo, on September 25, 1844.
When the Saints fled from Nauvoo in 1846 Samuel and Elvira were asked to temporarily settle at Mt. Pisgah in the middle of Iowa to plant crops and assist the Saints in any way they could as they made their way west. Two more children where born to them in Mt. Pisgah: Samuel Chester, who died in infancy, was born on January 3, 1847 and Albert Almon born on April 26, 1848.
In the fall of 1848 Samuel and a friend had found employment in a town two days ride away expecting to be away all winter.
Twin Tragedies
Samuel never cared to go dancing or to parties but his wife liked to go. One day soon after Samuel had left when Albert was six months old, and Lovina was four years old, Elvira tied Albert in the high chair near the fireplace and went visiting. Albert began to kick and scream and tipped into the fireplace. Lovina pulled him out, untied him, ran outside with him over her shoulder, and jumped into a ditch of water. A man passing by got them out but they were both severely burned. Albert was burned on the chest and throat, and Lovina down her back.
Samuel has just gotten to work when he heard a voice tell him his children needed him. When he got home several days later he discovered his children had been burned. He gave them Priesthood blessings and held them on his lap for days pouring cold water over their burns, singing to them to soothe them and they survived.
Elvira, who had never joined the Church, loved to go visiting and dancing and Samuel didn’t. On one of her outings, without Samuel, she met a man, Horace Raymond Dickey, on his way to the “forty-niner” California gold fields. He was a dashing young man who charmed her and swept her off her feet. Elvira (age 23) left with him for California and deserted her husband Samuel (age 27) and the children. Lovina was six years old and Albert was two years old.
Utah Migration
Samuel made plans to go west to Utah in the early spring of 1850. Samuel, because of his experience in driving cattle, was asked by Brigham Young to join some other men in driving a large herd of cattle to Utah. So Samuel made arrangements for Lovina and Albert to travel with another family in the pioneer company going to Utah.
A family by the name of Hill agreed to care for the children and to bring them west. Samuel left his team, wagon, and ample goods to provide for the children. Shortly after Samuel left the Hill family succumbed to the lure of “forty-niner” California gold fever, apostatized from the church and took his team and other property. They left the children to fend for themselves. The children were first put in one home, and then another until the next wagon train came to Utah. The train master asked a family by the name of Collins to look out for the children. Lovina was seven and Albert was three years old.
Samuel Steele arrived in the valley in 1851 and the children came in 1852. When the children arrived in Salt Lake there was no one to meet them. It was announced in a meeting that they were homeless and a kind widow named Nancy Bailey offered to care for them. The children were thin from malnutrition and dysentery, and were afflicted with head and body lice and were a sad sight. Nancy couldn’t let them near her own children until they were cleaned up, but with good food, clean clothes and tender loving care, they began to bloom.
Samuel had been establishing a home in Grantsville, Utah. Samuel finally located his children and come for them, but they clung to Nancy. Within a few months’ time Samuel persuaded Nancy to become his wife and they moved as a family to Grantsville.
Samuel and Nancy had twelve children, Charles Almon, John Samuel, William Bailey, Roswell B, Charles Owere, Nancy B, Cynthia Susan, Amira B, Brigham B, Martha B, Leonard B and Chester B.
Samuel knew the Prophet Joseph and he had many stories that he told of the martyrdom. He was a student of the Book of Mormon and could recite most of its pages from memory. He was a good musician, playing the violin and harp with much skill. He was also a fine singer, loving to sing tenor best. You could always hear his voice in church when they sang. He was generous and kind, never turning the weary traveler from his door, but sharing whatever he had with everyone. His home was the gathering place for the young of the town where they could dance and sing and take part in all kinds of athletic sports of which he was very skilled. Samuel died at his home in Goshen, September 8, 1892, age 70.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Almira Jane Steele (1840-1844) | |||
| Mary Ann Steele (1842-1843) | |||
| Lovina Ann Steele (1844-1925) | |||
| Samuel Chester Steele (1847-1847) | |||
| Albert Almon Steele (1848-1893) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Charles Almon Steele (1852-1852) | |||
| John Samuel Steele (1854-1939) | |||
| William Bailey Steele (1856-1944) | 13 July 1856 Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, United States | 14 August 1944 Goshen, Utah County, Utah, United States | Louisa Marinda McKee (1863-1903) Sariah Harris (1871-1960) |
| Roswell Bailey Steele (1858-1860) | |||
| Charles Owen Steele (1860-1942) | |||
| Nancy Steele (1862-1936) | |||
| Susan Cynthia Steele (1864-1946) | |||
| Almira Bertha Steele (1867-1904) | |||
| Brigham Bailey Steele (1867-1939) | |||
| Martha Steele (1870-1936) | |||
| Leonard Bailey Steele (1870-1960) | |||
| Chester Bailey Steele (1872-1948) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| William Barret Steele (1799-1873) | |||
| Cynthia Barret Steele (1800-1887) | |||
| Susan Barret Steele (1802-) | |||
| Mariah Barret Steele (1804-) | |||
| Almon Barret Steele (1808-1862) | |||
| Roswell Barret Steele (1810-1873) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Chester Hamblin Steele (1820-1885) | |||
| Mary Ann Hamblin Steele (1820-1897) | |||
| Samuel Hamblin Steele (1822-1892) | 12 July 1822 Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York, United States | 8 September 1892 Goshen, Utah County, Utah, United States | Elvira Saloma Thayer (1826-1913) Nancy Maude Bailey (1830-1921) |
Residences
See Also
- Samuel Steele
- Steele in Clinton County, New York
- Steele in Hancock County, Illinois
- Steele in Utah County, Utah