Ogden City Cemetery

OGDEN DAILY HERALD - Tuesday March 23, 1886.

Funeral Services over the remains of Sister Elizabeth [Briggs] Stephens [daughter of John and Constant Briggs and widow of John Stephens] were held in the First Ward Schoolhouse March 15, 1886. Counselor James Burch presiding. J.T. Coleman sang: "Creation Speaks with awful voice." Prayer by Elder Moroni Brown. The choir then sang: "Sister thou wast mild and lovely." Father Wm. Crithclow was the first speaker. He had been intimately acquainted with the deceased, who came to Utah some 35 years since, the same year as he, the speaker, did. Our sister has accomplished the measure of her creation; she was the mother of nine sons and three daughters, to who she always gave the best advice. She left the place of her nativity because she was not permitted to live up to her religion among her sectarian friends and cast her lot among those who were despised and cared not for the frown of the ungodly, because she had an abiding testimony that the work was of God. She lived and died in full faith of the Gospel.

Counselor F. Garner, Elder George R. Hill, Prest. C.F. Middleton and Counselor Jas. Burch in turn addressed the congregation exhorting all to imitate her virtues and be faithful as she has been that it might be said of them as it is now said of her: She has been faithful to her covenants. True to her brethern, true to her children, true to her companion, and true to her God. The choir sang: "Unveil thy bosom faithful tomb, Take the new treasure to they trust.

Benediction by Elder L [or Q or D.] Rudd. The remains were followe to their last resting place by a large number of friends and mourners.

SECOND OBITUARY ACCOUNT: March 23, 1886

Elizabeth [Briggs] Stephens, daughter of John and Constance Briggs, was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, May 9, 1812. She migrated from there in the year 1852, and settled in Brown County, Illinois, and the following year was married to John Stephens who was one fo the company from N.C., and they together cleared up a farm and made a home. About the time of the expulsion of the Saints from Missouri an Elder by the name of Jacob Foutz came in the neighborhood preaching the Gospel of Christ. Sister Stephens lent a willing ear, and soon after, her husband and herself were baptized, and selling our their home, they gathered to Nauvoo with the Saints and there passed through the trials and persecutions that the Saints endured. They helped to rear the Temple and in it received their endowments. In Nauvoo they made another home, and at the time of the expulsion of the Saints from that city they took and left their home once more to find another among the savages in the Rocky Mountains, all because they had been dealed the right to worship God according to their own consciences in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Stopping at ta small town in Iowa, called Ganesville, they made another temporary home; and in the year 1851 again took up their journey westward, landing in Ogden City. Sister Stephens's husband died of smallpox in 1870. They had prviously been united for time and eternity.

She died March 13th 1886, and was 73 years 10 months and 4 days old whenshe died. She leaves 8 sons and three daughters to mourn her loss also one son dad. To them she was always a kind and loving mother, ever watchful of them giving them a mother's good and wise counsel. She leaves 76 grandchldren, 54 living, 13 great-grandchildren, 12 living.

In her sickness and death she was surrounded by her children and the exception of two who were in Bear Lake Valley at the time to even see he consigned to her last resting place. May God bless her family and help them to emulate her many virtues.