LOTT, Melissa^[1]

1824 - 1898  (74 years)

• Name	LOTT, Melissa
  Birth	9 Jan 1824	Tunkhannock Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Burial	Jul 1898	Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA   [1, 2]
  Death	13 Jul 1898	Lehi, Utah County, Utah, USA   [1]
  	Daughter of Cornelius Peter Lott and Permelia Darrow Married Prophet Joseph Smith, 20 Sep 1843, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois Married John Milton Bernhisel, 8 Feb 1846, Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois Married Ira Jones Willes, 13 May 1849, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Children - Achsa Permelia Willes, Stephen Eleazer Willes, Lyman Benjamin Willes, Ira Pratt Willes, Cornelius John Willes, Polly Malissa Willes, Sarah Amanda Willes History - Malissa, along with her parents and brothers and sisters joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in its infancy, and they moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, then to Missouri and finally to Nauvoo, Illinois to be with the Saints. She knew the hardships and persecutions of the members of this newly organized church, but her faith was strong and she was true to the teachings of those in authority. While living in Nauvoo, her father was put in charge of the Joseph Smith farm. They became very friendly with the Smith family and Malissa spent much time in the home of the Prophet helping his wife Emma. She had been taught well by her mother to work, learning to sew, cook, wash, iron, mend, make soap and candles and everything necessary for keeping a pioneer home. She was taught to study and learn all she could and not waste precious time. She was a very quiet, refined person, whom everyone loved and respected. During the time she spent with the Joseph Smith family she went to school in the so-called brick store. The Prophet's children, Joseph, Fredrick and Alexander, went to the same school under the watchful care of Malissa. Malissa lived in the home with Emma Smith and her family until the spring of 1844, then she went back to the farm and lived with her parents until after the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. She lived a short time with Emma Smith until the exodus in 1846, when she left Nauvoo with the Saints. After spending two winters at Mt. Pisgah, she accompanied her father's family to the Great Salt Lake Valley, arriving September 24, 1848, in the Heber C. Kimball Company. On May 13, 1849, she married Ira Jones Willes. Ira had been a volunteer in the Mormon Battalion and was successful in making the long, perilous journey to California. They lived in Salt Lake for one year, then moved to Lehi where they purchased a farm. They were the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters. Ira met death December 15, 1863. He was accidently killed while crossing a creek near Lehi, being thrown from a load of wood into the water, together with his son Cornelius John, nine years of age. Both were drowned. Malissa had had much sorrow in her life, as well as much happiness. Ira was a good husband to her and a good father to her children. Ira Pratt Willes her eldest son died at age nineteen years and her oldest daughter died at the age of four years. When her husband was killed she was left with four small children to care for, the youngest a baby girl of four months. She kept her children close to her and taught them to be honest upright citizens, and to live the Gospel. Gravesite Details Name has been spelled as Malissa. [3]
  Age	74 years
  Person ID	P2372	Dutton Ancestry
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2023

  
  

  Father	LOTT, Cornelius Peter           b. 27 Sep 1798, New York City, New York County, New York, USA           d. 6 Jul 1850, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA (Age 51 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	DARROW, Permelia           b. 15 Dec 1805, Bridgewater Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, USA           d. 6 Jan 1882, Lehi, Utah County, Utah, USA (Age 76 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Marriage	27 Apr 1823	Bridgewater Township, Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, USA   [1]
  Age at Marriage	He : 24 years and 7 months - She : 17 years and 4 months.
  Children	1. LOTT, Melissa           b. 9 Jan 1824, Tunkhannock Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA           d. 13 Jul 1898, Lehi, Utah County, Utah, USA  (Age 74 years)
  Family ID	F5611	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	SMITH, Joseph Jr           b. 23 Dec 1805, Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, USA           d. 27 Jun 1844, Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois, USA (Age 38 years)  [1]
  Marriage	20 Sep 1843	Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, USA   [1]
  Age at Marriage	She : 19 years and 8 months - He : 37 years and 9 months.
  Family ID	F5612	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Mar 2023

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 9 Jan 1824 - Tunkhannock Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Marriage - 20 Sep 1843 - Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, USA Burial - Jul 1898 - Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, USA Death - 13 Jul 1898 - Lehi, Utah County, Utah, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend

  
  

• Sources

  [S141] Familysearch.org. [S50] Findagrave.com. Created by: SMS Added: 17 May 2007 Find a Grave Memorial #19417741 [S50] Findagrave.com.