Mary Priscilla Griffiths Willis Farnsworth: Lois' Great Grandmother

Mary Priscilla Griffiths Farnsworth was born May 6, 1831 in Sherbourne, Dorset, England. Her mother was English and her father Welsh. Mary was given a good education and became a milliner and dressmaker, working with a girl friend who sewed for Queen Victoria. It is not known whether this friend joined the Church, but Mary was the only one of her family to join this new faith; and faith and courage she must have had to start for Zion alone. However, with her on the trip across the Atlantic were many English and Scandinavian Saints. They landed at Castle Garden, then journeyed on to Iowa City where they joined the handcart company.

Mary was with the Willie Handcart company. When she finally arrived in the Valley her feet were frozen. Her youngest son, George Talor of Richfield, Utah, now 88 years old, tells this story as his mother related it to him.

" My mother, Mary Priscilla, was twenty-one years old when she crossed the plains. She walked all the way, pulling her own hand-cart. As they journeyed, their provisions were scarce and rationed. They had to kill their oxen, which had pulled the provision wagons thus far. The oxen were very poor, but they were forced to eat them to keep alive.

" One day as they journeyed they came upon the bodies of people who had been massacred by the Indians."

Mary lived in Salt Lake City for some time and there married Jesse Willis, a writer. She had one son named Jesse Willis, Jr., but her marriage with Willis was not a happy one and they separated. Mary Priscilla was then called to Beaver, Beaver County, Utah to teach school and she was very successful as a teacher and writer.

On June 15, 1860 she married Bishop Philo T. Farnsworth in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. To them were born four sons, Walter, Milford, Lorenzo and George Talor. Some years later she moved to Elsinore, Utah. People here knew her for many years as, "the dainty little English lady who sewed all her own clothes, could mend clothes that looked like new and was an expert at making button holes." She was true to her faith. Her posterity are many. They were brought here by the gospel of Christ to help bring into the [p.257]world the wonder of God’s wisdom. Philo T. Farnsworth of television fame is her grandson. Mary Priscilla lived to be seventy-nine years old and passed away in Elsinore February 27, 1914. She is lovingly remembered here as "Sister Farnsworth."—Ada Anderson