Nancy (Bean) Decker (1826 - 1903)

Born 14 Nov 1826 in Troy, Lincoln, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Jefferson Williams — married 4 Sep 1842 in Adams, Illinois, United States

Wife of John Doyle Lee — married 4 Feb 1844 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States

Wife of Zachariah Bruyn Decker — married 4 Oct 1849 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Mar 1903 at age 76 in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan Hyatt [send private message]

Biography

Nancy Bean was born on November 14, 1826 in West Troy, Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. She is the daughter of James Bean and Elizabeth Lewis. She was the second of seven children.

Nancy joined the Mormon church along with her parents after they moved to Illinois.

Nancy married Thomas Williams on September 4, 1842 in Adams County, Illinois.^[1][2][3] They had one daughter.

1. Nancy Elizabeth Williams was born on August 10, 1843 in Adams County, Illinois.^[4]

When Nancy was called by the Mormon church to go to Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, Thomas refused to go as he was not a member of the church, and they got a divorce. Custody of their daughter was granted to Thomas, and so Nancy's first child was sent to live with the child's father in Illinois.

After Nancy arrived in Nauvoo, on February 4, 1844 she was married to John Doyle Lee. John Doyle Lee practiced polygamy, and Nancy became the second of his nineteen wives.^[5] They had one daughter.

1. Cornelia Eliza Lee was born on January 15, 1846 in Nauvoo.^[6]

Nancy was not happy in this marriage and was able to receive a releasement from the marriage. She moved with her parents to Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah; immigrating with the Brigham Young Company in 1848.^[7]

Nancy married Zachariah Bruyn Decker on March 6, 1849 in Salt Lake City.^[8] They lived in Salt Lake City for a short time, where their first child was born. They soon settled in Parowan, Iron County, Utah, where they had the rest of their eleven children.

1. Zechariah Bruyn Decker Jr was born on March 11, 1850.
2. Gertrude Decker was born on June 27, 1851.
3. James Bean Decker was born on March 25, 1853.
4. Cornelius Isaac Decker was born on February 11, 1855.
5. Nathaniel Alvin Decker was born on July 19, 1856.
6. Sarah Vilate Decker was born on September 10, 1858.
7. Emily Harriet Decker was born on January 4, 1861.
8. Mary Adella Decker was born on September 28, 1862.
9. George William Decker was born on November 11, 1864.
10. Joseph Oscar Decker was born on October 17, 1866.
11. Mahonri Moriancumer Decker was born on August 7, 1868.

Nancy passed away at an age of seventy-six on March 3, 1903 in Parowan. She is buried in the Parowan City Cemetery.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X2T2-QQC : 4 November 2017), Thomas J Williams and Nancy Bean, 1842; citing Adams, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,870,158.
2. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X2T2-QQZ : 4 November 2017), Thomas J Williams and Nancy Bean, 1842; citing Adams, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,870,158.
3. ↑ "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q288-6TTH : 28 November 2018), Thomas J Williams and Nancy Barr, 04 Sep 1842; citing Adams, Illinois, United States, county offices, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,845,384.
4. ↑ "Illinois, Hancock County, Nauvoo Community Project, 1839-1846 (BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3Z-JBP4 : 23 February 2018), Nancy Bean in entry for Nancy Elizabeth Williams, from 1839 to 1846; citing Residence, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, from 1839 to 1846, Citing BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy, Provo, Utah.
5. ↑ LDS Membership Record for John Doyle Lee of the marriage to Nancy Bean (https://familysearch.org/photos/images/4760656?cc=DOCUMENT) 4 November 1844 Marriage of John Doyle Lee & Nancy Bean. NOTE: John D. Lee's own writing, published as "Mormonism Unveiled" in 1877, gives marriage date of "Winter of 1845." Some other sources say 4 February 1844.
6. ↑ "Illinois, Hancock County, Nauvoo Community Project, 1839-1846 (BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3Z-BZMQ : 23 February 2018), Nancy Bean in entry for Cornelia Decker, from 1839 to 1846; citing Residence, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, from 1839 to 1846, Citing BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy, Provo, Utah.
7. ↑ "Utah Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel Database, 1847-1868," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9B-HJ68 : 10 February 2018), Nancy Bean Lee, 24 Sep 1848; from "Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel: 1847-1868," database, > The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (https://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/ : 2004-).
8. ↑ LDS Church Marriage Records (http://mediasvc.ancestry.com/image/2fc92048-6891-4f0d-89e8-4f6f54a00672.jpg?Client=Trees&NamespaceID=1093) Notes: 6 March 1849 marriage of Nancy Bean Lee & Zachariah Bruyn Decker.
9. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23093002/nancy-decker : accessed 22 August 2020), memorial page for Nancy Bean Decker (14 Nov 1826–3 Mar 1903), Find a Grave Memorial no. Find A Grave: Memorial #23093002, citing Parowan City Cemetery, Parowan, Iron County, Utah, USA ; Maintained by SMSmith (contributor 46491005) .

• "Illinois, Hancock County, Nauvoo Community Project, 1839-1846 (BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy)," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QL3Z-JJFV : 23 February 2018), Nancy Bean, from 1839 to 1846; citing Residence, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, from 1839 to 1846, Citing BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy, Provo, Utah.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCS6-RTF : 12 April 2016), Nancy Decker in household of Zechariah B Decker, Iron county, Iron, Utah Territory, United States; citing family 7, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MH2W-MJ9 : 12 December 2017), Nancy Decker in entry for Zachariah Decker, 1860.

• "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCT-4P2 : 12 April 2016), Nancy B Decker in household of G B Decker, Utah, United States; citing p. 21, family 151, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,109.

• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNSV-4HH : 15 July 2017), Nancy Decker, 1880; citing enumeration district ED 21, sheet 356C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d), roll 1336; FHL microfilm 1,255,336.

• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMRK-W6F : accessed 22 March 2019), Nancy B Decker, Paragoonah, Parowan, Summit, Enoch Precincts Parowan town, Iron, Utah, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 99, sheet 12A, family 207, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,683.

Other references:

• "Descendants of John Doyle Lee," 1960 by Manetta Prince Henrie

• Autobiography of George Washington Bean, a Utah pioneer of 1847, and his family records. Compiled by Flora Diana Bean Horne. Publisher Salt Lake City, Utah Printing Co., 1945. Pg.35 (https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofg00bean).