Drusilla Dorris

Drusilla Dorris was born Feb 8, 1810 in Sumner, Tennessee to William and Catherine Frost Dorris. Drusilla is a Pioneer of Richmond. Drusilla has been the topic of faith-building for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early Life

"There was much talk concerning Religion. My parents were Baptists, our neighbors were Methodists and Presbyterians, so I heard much contention on religion. ... In my seventh year my Father sent me to school six months. I learned to read and write a very little. Then my reading was confined to the Bible and Hymn Book, until I could recite pages of it without looking at the book."3.1

At the time when Drusilla was 10, she contracted a disease that resulted in the extraction of part of her collar bone, along with being under the care of doctors for two years. During this time she recovered, she continued to read the Bible and Hymn books, as her parents feared she would forget how to read.3.1

"It looked so strange to me that no one was doing as the Bible told them. When I would read John Revelations, I would ask my Father so many questions, as to when this would be in my day. But he would put me off and say we had no business with these things. I have heard him say to Mother, 'What a mind that child has got.' I knew by that that he could not answer my questions. My Mother often asked me if I did not want to be baptized into the Baptist Church. She would exort me to faithfulness and for me not to mind what the girls said when they were teasing me."3.1

Early Marriage and Conversion

At age 15, after Drusilla was strong enough from her condition, she was taught how to be a housewife. At age 18, Drusilla married James Hendricks on May 31, 1827 in Franklin, Kentucky. 

In 1829, most of James' family moved to Missouri to claim new, fertile land. However, Dursilla convinced James to stay in Franklin, Kentucky to stay close to her family, as she did not want to be separated from her parents.3.1

In 1835, Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints visited the Franklin area. Drusilla was asked to contend with the Missionaries because of the many years she spent reading the Bible.3.1

"Before we got home I went to the Elder and asked questions. Among the rest I asked what was the difference in the baptisms with the Baptists and the Latter-day Saints. Says he 'I do not know what comparison to make but I will say where I had a little light as a Baptist when I was baptized with the Latter-day Saints it was like a hogshead poured out on a drop.' My sister and her husband went home with us. Her husband and mine had nothing to say, they were as mute as mice. We went to bed and I prayed to the Lord to give me a dream. I fell asleep and dreamed we were as the people in the days of John the Baptist. He had baptized the people but when the Saviour came with greater light, if they did not embrace that they fell away into outer darkness, and so it was with us. We had been trying to serve God but those Elders brought the same light Jesus had in the days of John the Baptist and if we did not embrace it we would be in outer darkness."3.1

It took some time for James to be convinced of the truth of the Elders. After public and personal meetings with the missionaries, along with personal miracles and signs, James finally accepted to be baptized into the Church. James and Drusilla were baptized on March 12, 1835.3.1

After the birth of their fourth child, the Hendricks family moved to Missouri to live near the Saints.3.1

Persecutions and Faith-Building Moments

The Hendricks family suffered during much of the early persecutions of the Latter-day Saints, too much to list them all. During this time, James signed up to stand guard during the elections, as mobs would prevent the Saints from voting. On Oct 24, 1838, mobs along with the Missouri Militia began an effort to push the Saints out by force.3.2

"They had word that the mob was on Crooked River ten miles south of us and was a strong band. [James] said they had two of our brethren as prisoners and were doing all the damage that lay in their power. ...I got his overcoat and put his pistols in the pockets, then got his sword and belted it on him. He bid me goodnight and got on his horse and I took his gun from the rack and handed it to him and said, 'Don't get shot in the back.'... I got the children up and walked the floor and watched the road. I tried to work but could not. I tried to keep still but could not. Finally I saw Bro. Emit coming through the timber. I watched and saw that he did not stop at home but he hollered something about Bro. Hendricks. I could not tell what it was but he was on express to Farwest.

"The children soon came over and told me that their father said that Bro. Hendricks was shot. ..."3.2

After arriving to see James' condition, he had been shot in the neck and was paralyzed from the neck down. After everything settled down and the mobs left, the Saints began preparations to move. Drucilla went through the process of selling all the property they had to purchase transportation.3.2

As soon as they reached Quincy, Illinois, James was blessed and treated as was able to walk about 30 yards back and forth. The Hendricks moved into a small dugout with nothing to their name.3.2

"We had one spoonful of sugar and one saucer full of corn meal so I made mush of the meal and put the sugar on it and gave it to my children. That was the last of eatables of any kind we had in the house or on the earth. We were in a strange land and among strangers.

"... I went to work and washed everything and cleaned the house thoroughly as I said to myself, If I die I will die clean. Along in the afternoon Brother Rubin Alred came. He lived fifteen miles away. He went to the bed where my husband lay and asked him if we had any prospects for bread at all and received the answer that we had none. He asked me for a sack and then went to his wagon and brought in a sack of meal and he also made me a present of a washboard saying you had to leave everything and I felt you were out of bread so I came by the mill to get my grinding done before I came here and it made me late. I thanked him and he started home. In a few moments my son, William, came in with only fifty cents. We thought he would get three dollars as that is what was due us for the hire of our cattle. The man had lost the cattle and wanted the boy to go and find them. I made the best of what we had for I took the money and went down to the river and purchased flour 6 lbs., pork 2 1/2lbs. and 1/2 bushel of potatoes, so I had quite a supply and we were thankful but could take the honor to ourselves, so we lived sparingly for at least two weeks but when that was gone we were in the same condition again for we had nothing. I felt awful but the same voice that gave me comfort before was there to comfort me again and it said, hold on, the Lord will provide for his Saints. I said if He provided for us this time I should think He owned us for his children. I washed and cleaned as before and was just finishing the doorstep when Brother Alexander Williams came up to my back door with two bushels of meal on his shoulder. ...He said he was so busy with his crop that he could hardly leave it, but the Spirit strove with him saying 'Brother Hendricks' family is suffering, so I dropped everything and came by and had it ground lest you would not get it soon enough.' I soon baked a cake of the meal and he blessed it and we all partook of it and water. Hunger makes sweet cakes without sugar.

"...I found that there was more blessing to give than to receive so I made our own living from that time on."3.2

After some time, the Hendrick's were able to have the means to get more food and build a small log house.  

Life in Nauvoo and Westward Journey

To help make means for the family, Drusilla began taking the trade of making gloves and mittens. They were able to construct a larger home after. Soon after the assassination of Joseph Smith, the Hendricks family was back in their poor state.3.2

The Hendrick family joined the Grant/Nobel Company of 1847 and while on their way west, the United States Army crossed paths and asked for volunteers to join the cause during the American-Mexican War and join the Mormon Battalion.3.2

"The Government came after us and called for five hundred (500) of our best men to go and fight the Mexicans, in this they thought to prove our loyalty to the government, after driving us from our homes three times in Missouri, breaking three treaties with us killing our husbands and children, and confiscating our property and taking our land that we had paid money for to the Government. Thousands of us must go, in the dead of winter, no matter our sufferings, we must go or be exterminated. Our sufferings cannot be told."3.2

Nevertheless, after some council from the Spirit, their oldest son William joined the Batallion.3.2

Life in the Salt Lake Valley

The Hendricks' circumstances mimicked their time while in Nauvoo after the death of Joseph Smith. While in the Salt Lake Valley, they participated in the efforts to remove the crickets from their crops and help build some hot spring bath houses.3.3

"The Government came after us and called for five hundred (500) of our best men to go and fight the Mexicans, in this they thought to prove our loyalty to the government, after driving us from our homes three times in Missouri, breaking three treaties with us killing our husbands and children, and confiscating our property and taking our land that we had paid money for to the Government."3.3

Life in Richmond

By invitation from their son Joseph, the Hendricks family moved to Richmond and lived in the Richmond Fort, along with their son-in-laws Samuel Roskelley and William T. Van Noy.3.3

Epilogue

Drusilla Dorris died May 20, 1881 in Richmond. She was buried in the Richmond Cemetery. She writes the following before her death:

"I am nearly sixty-seven years of age and nearly at the close of life and what I have written is not a tithe of my life and what I have passed through, but I can bear my testimony to the truth of what I have written. 

"The Gospel is true. I have rejoiced in it through all my trials for the Spirit of the Lord has buoyed me up or I should have failed. I am nervous and my hand shakes until I can hardly write. I am also a poor penswoman. I have made a very imperfect manuscript but in my weakness I can do no more."3.3

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