The Lewis Families

While the Lewis family lived in Kentucky, many members of the family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Neriah joined the Church, however, Beason did not.

In 1846, Beason adopted the children of his brother Benjamin and his wife Joannah, including Willam C. Lewis. Just before her death on Jan 16, she asked Beason to take her children to Utah. He obliged and began preparations to move West.

The Beason Lewis family joined the Daniel Spencer/Ira Eldredge Company on June 17, 1847 in Elkhorn, Nebraska Territory, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 22. The Neriah Lewis family joined the James W. Cummings Company On July 1, 1851 and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on Sep 30.

In 1859, Neriah's son William H. Lewis settled Richmond. The following year, he invited his father and Uncle Beason's families and his cousin William C. Lewis.