Catharine Houtz Boyer

In July, Stan and I attended the Catharine Houtz Boyer Family Reunion in Springville, celebrating Catharine Houtz Boyer, who came to Utah in 1853. Previous to attending the reunion, this family story had not been passed down in Stan’s family line. The following is taken from a blog about her life: In May of 1853 Catharine Houtz Boyer gathered her six children and departed from her beloved Pennsylvania to go towards Zion. She left family and friends and two lonely graves containing her husband, Augustus, and daughter, Bregetta. As yet, Catharine and her children were all un-baptized but that did not alter her desire to gather with the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints already settled in the valley of Salt Lake, Utah. Traveling first by team, railway, and steamboat to Council Bluffs, Iowa they would ultimately travel in a very unique independent wagon company consisting of only twenty-four persons; the Orson Spencer/Joel J. Terrell company. They had seven wagons, five of which were pulled by ox teams and two lighter wagons pulled by horses. They left Council Bluffs on Thursday, July 28, 1853. The oldest member of the company was fifty-two years old; the youngest was the age of two. More than half (thirteen) were under the age of twenty. The company consisted of nine females and fifteen males. Only two of the females were adult women. One of those was Catharine Houtz Boyer. At the Reunion, we learned that Catharine’s husband died from complications from an abscessed tooth. He suffered for a couple of months and knowing that he was going to die, arranged for his oldest sons to be apprenticed to his brothers farm in Pennsylvania. At the time of his death, Catharine felt strongly that she should follow her brother to Utah and with her sons pleaded to keep the family together and for the sons to be released from their pledge to apprentice at their uncles’ farm. The uncles agreed and helped to send Catharine and her family to Utah. Stan is descended from the oldest son. We heard many other stories about Catharine’s six children and the rest of her prosperity, including their numerous contributions to Springville area. It was very humbling to know how Catharine’s courage in her choices affected our family’s future. Yesterday was our Fortieth Wedding Anniversary. Thank you Catharine.