Pioneer of 1847
Emeline Grover Rich (1831-1917)

Emeline Grover Rich, the fifth wife of Charles C. Rich, was the daughter of Thomas Grover and Caroline Whiting. She was born 3 July 1831 in New York. Her father was said to have an unusual amount of energy, both mentally and physically and could make a living where other men failed. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ just six months after it was organized and at that time made the Prophet Joseph Smith a present of a considerable sum of money.
Mrs. Grover had seven girls, Emeline being the second. Her mother died while she was still young. After her death, Emeline, being independent and very industrious decided to help earn her own living. She was a natural-born nurse and even at an early age helped care for the sick.
She married Charles C. Rich in Nauvoo, Illinois, 2 February 1846 and was soon afterward driven out with the rest of the Saints. She persuaded her husband to let her drive one of his teams across the plains and every day for the whole journey she was responsible for that team.
The following children were born to Charles C. and Emeline: Thomas Grover, Caroline Whiting, Nancy Emeline, Landon Jedediah, Samuel Joseph, Heber Charles Chase, Joel Hezekiah, and George Quayle.
Along with the rearing of her family in Utah, she had a great desire to study medicine. She read some books on medicine, and then she was finally able to attend a school from which she got a diploma in nursing. She received a "call" and a blessing from Brigham Young, setting her apart to care for the sick and to act as a mid-wife. She was very devoted to her work. No night was too dark, or the way too long for her to go when anyone was ill and needed her. It was to this woman that the family of Charles C. Rich turned when they had sickness.
She passed away May 4, 1917 at Paris, Idaho and is buried in the Paris Cemetery.
The Paris Post paid her this tribute: "After a long busy and useful life, she died as she had lived, honored, trusted, and loved by all. Her life was completed, if work all done and well done constitutes completion. Through all the vicissitudes and sorrows that she met in the way, her faith in God and her devotion to her family and friends never wavered."