Hephzibah Gardiner Hodgkinson

Gardiner/Hodgkinson

Hephzibah is the mother of Lewis Martin Hodgkinson, Grandmother of Melvin J. Hodgkinson and wife of William Hodgkinson (III) who we highlighted last week.   We learned about Hephzibah's mother a few weeks ago - Sarah Melsome Hughes.  Hephzibah was three when her mother died as a martyr.  She was nine when she joined the church.  Here is an excerpt from her journal:

"I was baptized when I was nine years old by my brother, Joseph H. Gardiner, and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  After this when I went to school, my school-mates were awful cruel to me.  They beat me terrible and called me "Old Brigham Young" and "Old Joe Smith" and said that I would go to Hell if I didn't quit the Mormons.  The school master wouldn't do a thing for me because I was a Mormon, so I had to quit school and go out to service when I was thirteen, but I lived in some very nice places.  I learned a lot of fine things that have been of much help to me throughout the rest of my life."

Next week we will learn how William and Hephzibah met and started their lives together.