Nancy Sabrina Matheny Hawley
1840 - 1914

Father: Celly Ferris Washington Matheny
Mother: Sebrina Land Matheny Cropper Croft
Spouse: William Schrader/Schroeder Hawley

Nancy was a Mormon Pioneer that traveled with the Jacob Croft Company. At age 18, she departed from Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory, in June 1856, traveling for 107 days. See bio from FamilySearch below; original source unknown:

Nancy Sabrina Matheny was born on 15 November 1837 in Greene County, Arkansas, to Celly Ferris and Sebrina Land Matheny. She was the fourth of five children, four girls and one boy.

Her father Celly Ferris was born on 14 December 1804 in Giles, Tennessee. Her mother Sebrina was born on 23 March 1812 in Giles, Tennessee. They were married about 1827 in Monroe, Mississippi. Celly died in 1840 when Nancy was only three years old. Her mother married George Waters Cropper. They had four children, one girl and three boys.

Nancy was baptized on 3 March 1853 at the age of 15. She was 18 years old when she married William Schroeder Hawley at Verdigris River, Oklahoma Territory. William Schroeder Hawley was born on 20 December 1829 in Peoria, Peoria, Illinois to Pierce and Sarah Mariah Schroeder Hawley. He was the fifth of ten children, three girls and seven boys.

His father Pierce Hawley was born on 14 November 1788 in Vergennes, Addison, Vermont. His mother Sarah Mariah Schroeder was born on 3 June 1800 in Knox, Tennessee. They were married on 4 July 1822 in Lawrence, Illinois. Pierce was probably baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around 1833. Sarah was very upset, but soon got over the bad feeling and was baptized in March 1835. They sold their property in Illinois and moved to be with the saints in Ray County, Missouri. There were so persecutions against the Mormons so they fled from Ray to Caldwell County. They were driven from their home and the mobs either killed off or drove off their livestock. They left in the dead of winter with nine children. They were again driven from that area and settled for a short time in Quincy, Illinois.

They were called to Wisconsin and obtain wood for the Nauvoo Temple. Pierce worked with Lyman Wight. U S. government officials shut down their operations in Wisconsin. When they returned to Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum had been killed. Pierce's downfall was following after Lyman Wight. He became disaffected with Brigham Young, questioning his right to the presidency. He did not follow the saints to Utah but headed for Texas. He died on 16 August 1858 in Cherokee, Oklahoma. He was 69 years old. Sarah went with some of her children to Iowa, where they were baptized into the Reorganized Church. She died in Iowa at age 96.

William had been working for Lyman Wight. He was about to go with him when he decided to make it a matter of prayer to his Heavenly Father. He was told by an angel to "stay with the Church go with the people, the great body of the people, those who hold the records, as they were the right people and the Lord would take care of His people. That is why I am here. If you will do as I have done you will always be with the right people," He chose not to follow his father but came west with the saints.

William and Nancy had one child prior to coming to the Utah Territory. William Pierce was born on 26 August 1856 in Ash Hollow, Lincoln, Nebraska Territory.

Their family family came to the Utah Territory with the Jacob Croft Company in 1856. William Schroeder was 26; Nancy Sabrina was 18; and William Pierce was an infant. They departed on 26 June 1856 with 63 individuals in the company which departed from Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory. As they traveled westward, every few days a band of savages, all painted up, would ride into their camp. They would form a line across the road and demand toll in the form of salt, beans, flour, etc. before they would let anyone pass.

They killed a number of buffalo and selected the choicest parts, cut them up, and hung them out to dry on lines along the sides of their wagons. They had plenty of dried meat for their journey, They finally crossed the Great Divide where the streams ran west instead of east. Then they reached Bear River and went down Echo Canyon, crossing the stream 46 times. There were no bridges at that time. They came up over Little Mountain, also Big Mountain and down Immigration Canyon to Salt Lake City and camped on Immigration Square, where the City and County Building now stands. This was on 11 October 1856. The family first settled in Desert where Ruth Ellen was born and then by 1858 they were living in Fillmore, Millard, Utah Territory.

They received their endowments and were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory on 4 April 1857. She was 19 and he was 27 years old.

Four of their children were born in Fillmore, Millard, Utah Territory. Jacob Celly was born on 26 December 1858; Luna was born in May 1859 and died in 1860; Sarah Lovina was born on 24 August 1860; and Amelia Sebrina was born on 28 June 1861 and died 28 February 1862. The next three children were born in Deseret, Millard, Utah Territory. Henry Wise was born on 18 January 1863; Ruth Ellen was born on 21 September 1865; and Sims Matheny was born on 21 September 1865.

They moved back to Fillmore where the last five children were born. Laminda Amelia was born on 14 December 1869; Isaac was born in 1873 and died 5 December 1878; Ada Viola was born on 9 January 1876; Pear lAdelle was born on 12 September 1876; and John was born on 6 September 1878.

From a letter in the Millard County Chronicle they mentioned life in the early days. The educational chances were not good. They had a few readers, slates, and pencils. The teachers all had common school education. The community was mainly farming and stock raising. Their main troubles were controlling the water and fighting the Indians. The large dam would wash out nearly every spring so they would have to abandon their homes and move to other settlements.

When they moved back in 1875 they put in a rock dam. It was on the Sevier River. The farms were located three miles south of the dam. They built adobe houses in which to raise their families. They had an old bell on the church which rang for joyous occasions as well as sorrow. Most of the men, when they heard the bell, would jump on their horses and head for the dam to repair it when high water or ice gorges came rushing down the river.

William died on 29 May 1893 in Oasis, Millard, Utah Territory at the age of 63. He was buried on 30 May 1893 in Oasis, Millard, Utah Territory.

Nancy Sabrina Matheny Hawley died on 24 May 1914 in Provo, Utah, Utah at the age of 76. She was buried on 26 May 1914 in Provo, Utah, Utah.