Cynthia Ammorette Allen Ricks
The parents of Cynthia Ammorette were Ezra Heela and Sarah Beriah Fiske Allen. She was born 19 April 1839 in Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York. Her sister Jerusha was born 23 November 1841 and died there on 18 August 1842. Her father was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in June of 1842. Her mother did not join then because she was caring for her sick child.
Her parents, wanting to be with the saints, moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. They had a small house there and enjoyed hearing the Prophet Joseph Smith preach. They soon moved north to the town 25 miles up the Mississippi River. They had entered a venture with Amasa Lyman in an area called Shocoquan. It was a beautiful place, but proved to be damp and unhealthy. Ammorette was sick much of the time. Her mother was baptized there. A brother Alexander Hamilton was born 21 July 1843. He was never well and died there in September 1843.
They soon moved back to Nauvoo, where they lived a happy life. Her father worked on the Temple and marched in the Nauvoo Legion playing the fife. Amoretta was just 5 years old when the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were killed by angry mobs in 1844. She had a brother born 28 September 1845 and given the name Alexander Alma. Because of continued persecutions the saints were advised make plans to move west.
The Allen family left Nauvoo on 27 April 1846. It was raining when they crossed the Mississippi River. Traveling was slow because of so much mud. Her father had a wagon and a team of oxen. They had to leave many things behind. It was hard for little Amoretta to understand why they had to move so often. It was a sad time for the family, not knowing what would happen to the Temple or where they would be going.
They finally arrived at Mt. Pisgah, Iowa where they stayed for a while. She helped plant seeds to be harvested by those who followed. It soon became time to move on again, this time to Council Bluffs. They made camp by a small river, at a place called Musketo. There was much cholera among the people and they had to boil their water and be so careful.
Not long after they arrived there, Colonel Allen (no relationship) came asking Brigham Young for soldiers to go fight in the war with Mexico. Her father was one of the 500 men who volunteered to go. They were promised that their pay would be brought back for their families. Her father Ezra made arrangements for the family to get supplies from a store at a small settlement on the Missouri River. He bid his little family farewell 16 July 1847 to join the march to California. Through misunderstanding, the family was not able to get anything.
Her mother did the best she could for her two children. She was a woman of great faith and put her trust in the Lord. The Company they had been traveling with went on. She felt it best to stay there until her husband returned. She wrote, 'I exerted myself in every way that I could to provide for my family.' A man and his family asked to stay in her yard. This family was a great support to her. In the summer of 1847 she taught a school and was able to buy a cow replacing one that the Indians had killed.
The spring of 1848 she expected her husband to return. Instead she received word that Indians in California had killed him. She learned that a purse containing about $120.00 in gold dust had been found belonging to her husband. Her hopes and expectations were blasted. She had no relative in the church. She had two small children. All she could do is to put her trust in God. She was determined to go west with the other saints.
She was able to exchange the gold dust for cash and supplies for the trek. Sarah kept enough gold to have a ring made. She took a man with his wife to be the teamster, and in the spring of 1852 started for Salt Lake City. Ammorette was 13 years old when she walked much of the way across the plains. They had many exciting and terrifying experiences, as well as many happy hopeful hours in anticipation of a peaceful home in the valley of the mountains.
They arrived in Salt Lake City 14 September 1852, all in good health. Ammorette's first home in the valley was a stable one of the brethren had built that had never been used. Her mother found work teaching school. She was also an expert spinner and made yards of cloth and also carpets. The home was lighted with a grease rag. Amorette helped her mother in digging sego bulbs in the nearby hills.
After arriving in Salt Lake City, she met Joel Ricks whom she and her husband had known in 1846 in Nauvoo. Hearing of her husband's death Brother Ricks offered her his help. He provided a home for her in Centerville. On 26 October 1852 they were married. In the following July a son, Ezra Varnum Ricks was born. In 1855, Joel Ricks moved the family to Farmington. They had a nice adobe home built. During this time there was much famine caused by the grasshoppers and crickets. Amorette was very thankful for the thousands of gulls that came to save some of the crops. On Sunday 30 March 1856 a sister Ellen Jane Ricks was born and one year later on 21 March a brother, Joel Ricks, was born.
In June of 1859 Joel Ricks with two other men visited Cache Valley, 73 miles north. He was very impressed with the beauty of the valley and prepared to move there. Soon they were settled in Logan. There were no houses standing there. They were near the mountains where there were bear, lions, wolves, and Indians. Ammorette was frightened of them all. Through kindness to the Indians they soon learned to regard the Indians as friends. The two mothers (Eleanor Martin Ricks and Sarah Beriah Allen) taught the girls (Amorette) to wash, card and spin wool and flax, then weave it into cloth. They made all their clothing and bedding.
On 25 December 1859 Ammorette was married to Lewis Ricks, Joel's second son from his other wife. She was 20 years of age. He was 29. It was the first marriage recorded in Logan. Bishop William B. Preston married them. The first years of marriage they lived in Logan. They had two daughters born there. Elvira Sarah was born 3 December 1860 and Mary Ammorette born 4 December 1862. The couple was sealed 27 June 1870 in the Endowment House.
They were called to go settle the Bear Lake Valley in 1863, along with other young couples under the leadership of Apostle Charles Rich. Soon they had built a home. Several small communities: Paris, Sharon, Ovid, Fish Haven, and St. Charles were established. Five more children were born. They are Ellen Adelia born 12 November 1865, twins Lois Ester born 29 February 1868 and Lewis Ezra 1 March 1868, Joseph Alexander born 19 February 1871 and Phebe on 2 January 1874. Ammerette was active in the church and community activities. The winters were very severe and one winter much of their food was ruined by freezing temperatures. Their families from Cache Valley sent them food.
The Bear Lake was a good source of food. Fish could be preserved in salt brine and sold in Evanston, Wyoming. They had learned the tanning business in Logan. Ammorette and Lewis made beautiful beaded buckskin moccasins and gloves. They were able to sell or trade them for food and supplies.
In 1873 her health began to fail. Lewis felt that she should go to Cache Valley to be with her family when her last child was born. Even with the good care of her mother, Ammerette died three days after the birth of Phebe. She died 4 January 1874, at Logan Utah, leaving seven children.. Her last baby, Phebe died 15 September 1874.