Healen Merrill

Healen Merrill was born Nov 10, 1859 in Bountiful, Utah. She is the first child born of Marriner Wood Merrill and Cyrene Standley. Helen is a Pioneer of Richmond.

History

Soon after Healen was born, the Merrill family moved to Richmond. While raised, Helen was educated in the local schools in Richmond, only in the winter. Healen participated in the typical farming and pioneering life during the other seasons.

Helen married William Henry Jackson on March 6, 1877 in Logan, Utah.

"During her early married life she made many sacrifices in order that her husband could continue his educational work at Salt Lake City. When her third child was only 5 weeks old her husband responded to a call from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go on a colonizing mission to Arizona and help in the settlement and reclamation of that section. The journey of about 1,000 miles was made in two covered wagons over very bad roads, or no roads at all, and through country almost impassable. Healen drove one of the teams herself during the entire journey of 2 months. On this trip an incident of unusual interest occurred because of the narrow escape that resulted and Healen’s skill, strength, and bravery that were exhibited. She was driving a four-horse team, and in going down a long, steep hill in northern Arizona the doubletrees of the lead team dropped to the ground and one of the rear horses stepped over it. The lead team then became frightened and all four horses stampeded wildly to the bottom of the hill. By skillful maneuvering they were started directly up the hill on the opposite side, instead of being allowed to run down the canyon, and in this way the weight of the load soon brought them to a stop."

After their mission, the Jackson family moved to Lewiston, Utah 1891.

Epilogue