Hannah Louise Leavitt Terry

Hannah Louise Leavitt Terry. 16 Mar 1855 – 5 Jan 1938. Hannah Louisa Leavitt was born on 16 Mar 1855 at Lake Point, Tooele County, Utah, to Dudley and Mary Ann Huntsman Leavitt, she was the oldest of her fathers 48 children. In the fall of that year the Leavitts moved south to Dixie and for the next 21 years, existence was very difficult for Hannah. Her family moved frequently, being called to establish new communities. , , Because of her deep religious convictions and her belief in plural marriage, she married Thomas Sirls Terry on 5 April 1878. He was 5 years older than her father. After her marriage Louisa’s circumstances improved. Accounts indicate that there was happiness and harmony between all of Thomas’ wives. Hannah was known as a good, sensible, hard-working woman with a sweet disposition. She bore 6 children in 8 years. In 1888 with the enforcement of the federal anti-polygamy law, Thomas moved Hannah (pregnant with her sixth child) and her other 5 children to the Beaver Dam Wash, where her life became incredibly hard. Not entirely happy with these circumstances, she asked Thomas Sirls to name their last child either Banished or Exiled. He named her Exie. The heat and cold, fighting floods to keep her crops, the isolation and relentless hours of work, combined with Thomas Sirls long absence took their toll. In her later years, Hannah suffered intensely from rheumatism thought to have been brought on by the hard work. Hannah loved the desert and might have stayed forever. But nature intervened and in 1912 a flood destroyed everything she had worked so hard to build. She did not have the heart to remain. When Mary Ann passed away, Hannah moved to Enterprise to care for Thomas Sirls until he died in 1920. In her advanced years she took turns visiting with her children, especially the girls. , , Hannah died in St. George, 5 Jan 1938. She was 83 years 9 months old. She was buried in Enterprise beside her husband. , , Hannah was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word. She carved a ranch out of the wild and desert, fought the elements, cared for her family, and fed those in need. Hannah cared for others before she thought of herself. She was indeed a noble lady. , , Children , Maude Etna 1880-1933 , Mary Elsie 1881-1944 , David Dudley 1883-1971 , Jedediah Murkins 1885-1952 , Edward Sirls 1886-1977 , Louisa Exile (Exie) 1888-1957 ,