BRADEN, Lovina

1821 - 1900  (78 years)  Submit Photo / Document

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• Name	BRADEN, Lovina
  Birth	18 Apr 1821	Bethlehem, Washington, Pennsylvania, United States
  Gender	Female
  WAC	6 Feb 1846	NAUVO
  _TAG	Reviewed on FS
  Death	Apr 1900	Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States
  Burial	Apr 1900	Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States
  Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
  Person ID	I20893	Joseph Smith Sr and Lucy Mack Smith
  Last Modified	19 Aug 2021

  
  

  Family ID

  F11297

  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	DODGE, Seth George ,   b. 22 Apr 1821, Brownsville, Jefferson, New York, United States Brownsville, Jefferson, New York, United Statesd. 3 Nov 1882, Pima, Graham, Arizona, United States (Age 61 years)
  Marriage	29 May 1840	Henderson, Jefferson, New York
  Family ID	F10583	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Jan 2022

  
  

• Photos

  Lovina Braden George Wilding and sister Sarah Wilding

  
  

• Notes

  A few facts to add to Lovina's information that are not yet mentioned are as followed: Her husband Seth Dodge also married 2 of Lovinas' sister as plural wives. Lucinda Braden and Eleanor Jane Braden. Eleanor Jane Braden was 1st married to John Doty and then Joseph Cox and then Seth Dodge. We have not yet found any record of children born to those sisters while married to Seth Dodge. It is wonderful to note how Lovina named 4 of her children after 4 of her siblings. Both of her parents names: James and Rachel were used for her 1st 2 children. We did find a record that Harvey Whitlock Braden her brother, paid Tithing here in Salt Lake City about 1850 and was in the Census at that time. He later returned to Potawatomi Iowa where their father James Braden had settled. Brother Harvey Married Hannah Nixon and was then illegally hung by a rope in Nebraska. It was a wild wild west story for sure. This story is attached to Harvey's records here on Familysearch.org. We have been in search to find out what happened to all the other siblings of Lovina. We also would like to find if James Braden ever remarried. We see he went blind in his last years and his Daughter Eleanore Jane Braden Doty Cox did live with James Braden in Iowa for a time. History of Seth George Dodge and Lovina Braden Dodge and Marriah Jane Davidson by Myrtle Ransom Goff, 10 April 1936 As yet so little is known of the lives of my grandparents and what is known is is interwoven with each other, that the history would be incomplete if written separately. Seth George Dodge was born 22 April 1821, in Brownville, Jefferson County, New York. As the family was a large one and he being the oldest living child, it was necessary for him to help with their maintenance. He joined the Church or Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints soon after it was organized along with other members of his family. His mother joined the church, but his father did not join until later. They traveled with the Saints through all their travels and persecutions from New York to Ohio, thence to Missouri, and back to Nauvoo, Illinois. On May 29, 1840, he married Lovina Braden. we know little of her life up to the time of their marriage, but of their marriage we are told that her parents objected, for Lovina had been raised in very good circumstances and refinement and my grandfather was a working man and needed by his parents for assistance. However, true love finds a way, and we are told that they eloped and were married. My grandmother was a lady in every respect of the word and proved to he a true companion, and a mother to the large family of children left orphans when Seth’s father, Erastus Dodge, died in Nauvoo in 1845, and his mother, Molissa Morgan Dodge in 1845. Seth George Dodge assumed the responsibility of carrying the burden of caring for this family, which now fell on his young shoulders, and he did it in a manner that speaks credit to any man. Seth George Dodge worked on the Kirtland Temple and for his noon meal he carried parched corn in his pocket to eat. From early manhood he was intimately associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith, having pitched horseshoes and wrestled with him many times. Ten children were born to this couple, two of them in Nauvoo, Illinois, where they died in infancy. Seth Dodge belonged to the Nauvoo, Legion. Besides working with his father as a farmer, he learned to be a mason and a blacksmith Grandfather and grandmother Dodge received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. The endured the persecutions and privations with the other saints. When I was a child sitting at my grandmother's knee, she related incidents of the church, scenes in their lives, and the hardships they went through that made such an impression on me that when in later years in reading Church history, it was so familiar, that I felt I knew all about it. She and grandfather were in the meeting when the mantle of Joseph fell on Brigham Young and was very much impressed with the occurrence. They were not only members of the Church but were intimate friends of the Smith family and in close touch and sympathy with them when the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum took place. When the saints were driven from their beautiful Nauvoo, my grandfather was one who helped ferry the people across the river. It was late in May of that historic year of 1846, that he took his wife, and like the children of Israel, fled into the wilderness, and that night of May 20th, they reached Sugar Creek, Iowa, where a son was born to them in a smoke house which belonged to one at the farmers who was in sympathy with the Saints. His name was Eli Lee and the little boy who arrived that night amid these trials was named Eli, in appreciation of that man’s kindness. Owing to grandmother’s condition it was necessary for them to wait until the second company left for them to make their westward journey. They spent the winter of 1846 and 47 at Winter Quarters. When the government called for men to go to Mexico, as the Mormon Battalion, Seth George Dodge was called to go, but his brother Augustus Erastus volunteered to take his place, for grandfather had a wife and baby as well as the care of his father’s family, so the change was made. Augustus made this march and lived to reach Utah and in later years to do temple work for his kindred dead. Of the family of Erastus and Melissa Morgan Dodge, seven reached Utah --- everyone who lived past infancy. Seth and Lovina Braden Dodge were responsible in a big way in keeping all these children true to the gospel and bringing them or providing them to make the journey. This family after reaching Utah remained together until they would marry and find homes of their own. But grandfather was always looked to as a guide by them. In Church Chronology we read "June 1848, in the commencement of this month Pres. Young broke camp at the Elkhorn and started for great Salt Lake with a company consisting of 1,229 souls and 397 wagons." Seth George Dodge and his wife and son together with other members of his father’s family started for the Rocky Mountains in this company. Grandfather was a hunter for Pres. Young’s company. They reached Salt Lake City on Wednesday Sept. 20, 1848, settling in the 13th Ward. About 1852, this family was called to help settle Manti, Sanpete County, Utah. Two more children had come to bless this home by now. They were Seth Erastus and Sarah Eleanor Jane. While living in Manti, a daughter, Mary Loving, was born to them. Her birth was in a little house where the Temple now stands. Early in 1855, he was again called to pioneer farther South into Cedar City, Iron County, Utah. While living here, Lucine Matilda was born to them. They were now called back north to Beaver where they settled a little longer, remaining from about 1837 to 1862, when they were asked to go to Toquerville, Utah. Harvey Whitlock, Permelia Almyra (my mother), and Amasy Mason Lyman Dodge were born at Beaver, Beaver County. Utah. The younger of the trio was named for Bro. Lyman by one of his wives who wished to have that privilege. They were very dear friends of my grandparents. In all of these different settlements they helped to build houses, school buildings, roads, canals, and divided and laid out towns, making ready for permanent settlements. (One ditch made in Arizona was given Grandfather’s name (Dodge), and it is still used). While living at Beaver, Grandfather repaired many of the wagons for the freighters, and people that were traveling to California. Uncle Eli belonged to the minute men. I fancy by this time the pioneer bug had my ancestors for when the Mormon people began to cross the Colorado River into Arizona, Grandfather with his family, which by now was of good size. He had married a second wife who had a family of ten children living. With them and the in-laws they left to help pioneer Arizona. This was in the year 1878. They first stopped in Apache County, Arizona, and in 1880, moved on to Graham County, settling in Smithville (now Pima), Arizona. These families were of the very first to settle in the Gila Valley and took a prominent part in building up this valley and especially Pima. Grandfather and his sons and sons-in-law had lands, made canals, and tilled the soil as well as doing masonry work, carpenter work, and blacksmithing. They were of great assistance in all their pioneering. Merchandise had to he freighted into the valley. At the time of grandfather’s death he had been to Willcox, which was on the railroad, for a load of freight, and in lifting his gun from the wagon was accidently shot by it. The Deseret News under the date of November 29, 1882, has the following to say: "Sad accident recently occurred at Smithville, Graham County, Arizona. on the morning of Nov. 3, 1882, while brother Seth Dodge was pulling the cover from a loaded wagon, his gun, which was underneath, caught in some of his bedding causing it to go off. The ball entered the right side, ranging upward, killing him almost instantly. He called to his son, Eli, who was standing near him saying, “I am a dead man." His son caught him in his arms when he expired. "Deceased was born April 22, 1821, in Jefferson County, New York. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1833, was married to Lovina Braden, May 29, 1840. He shared in all the persecutions and mobbings of the Saints in Missouri and Illinois. Emigrated to Utah in Pres. Brigham Young’s company in 1848. He lived in Southern counties of Utah until April 12, 1878, when he moved to Arizona. He built a home in Smithville (now Pima) in 1880, where he resided until his death. He was the father of 22 children and eight grandchildren. He was a good, faithful Latter Day Saint, and a kind parent. He leaves friends who deeply mourn his loss." Funeral services were held November 4, 1882. and a [art of the program is as follows: Prayer, Henry Dall: Singing "Mourn Not thé dead" and "Farewell all Earthly Honors" and at the grave: song, "When Our Earthly Life is Ended." The grave was dedicated by Joseph Cluff. Lavina was now left alone. There was a large family but all grown. Her oldest son, Eli, had never married and proved to he a great comfort as well as a support: however, he proceeded her in death. These early settlers of Arizona suffered not only the natural causes of pioneering but they were among one of the must savage and treacherous bands of Indians, the Apache, and many a narrow eacape these people had, which would make another story. I often wonder how a quiet, refined, gentle, little soul like my grandmother was would stand all those hardships, disappointments, and shocks, but truly God must strenghen people for their jobs. Lavina was the daughter of James and Rachel Totton Bradon. Her father came out west and visited his daughter once, but none of her family came to Utah with the Saints, and I am not sure they became members of the church. 1 have always been grateful that I waa acquainted with her and felt the influence of her gentleness. It is charactor like hers that mellow the soul and hallow the world to make it a better place in which to live. And they give to men the ambition to conquer. Grandmothor Dodge was a faithful Latter-Day Saint. Her days of worship were every day. She knew that a Sunday religion was not the one She had joined in those earlv days, and she also knew that without God's help the Saints could never have accomplished what they did. and as her God did not fail her, neither did she fail him. It was the spring of 1900 that she left this life, surroundad by her children and loved ones and a host of friends. Her death and burlal were in Pima. Graham County, Arizona. Story of Mariah Jane Davidson as told by Myrtle Ranson Goff, 10 April 1936. Seth George Dodge also married Mariah Jane Davidson. She was born 3 December 1831, in Turnbridge, Turnbull, Ohio, to George Washington Davidson and Nancy Lytle. She had previously married Madison Daniel Hambleton and had a son named Madison David Hambleton and was expecting another child when he died. Brigham Young told Seth George to marry her but not live with her until after the child was born, They were married 28 April 1853, in Manti, Sanpete, Utah. The child, a daughter, was born in Sept. 1853, and lived less than a year. The son grew to manhood and married. She was sealed to Seth George at the same time he was sealed to Lavina Braden in the St. George Temple. She had 11 more children of which 4 more died in infancy. When her daughter, Hannah Mariah Dodge Batty Boswell moved from Pima to Pine Grove, Oregon, (near Elgin) she went with her. She died there 31 March 1908 and is buried there.