Neriah Lewis, son of Neriah (David John) and Mary (Moss) Lewis, born 29 April 1816 in Simpson County, Kentucky. According to family tradition Neriah Sr. had seventeen Uncles in the Revolutionary War. In 1810 the Lewis family moved from Pendleton Distrct to Simpson County, Kentucky. Neriah was one of twelve children, eight boys and four girls. The family members were large in stature. Neriah was the smallest of the brothers, was six feet one inch tall and weighed one hundred and seventy pounds. The boys helped their father to clear the land in Kentucky in order that crops could be raised and homes built. Neriah married (1) Rebecca Hendricks, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca (Dorris) Hendricks. She was born 23 December 1817 in Simpson County, Kentucky. After reaching Salt Lake Valley, Rebecca died and Neriah married (2) Martha Catherine Youngblood. They were married 28 March 1857 in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah. She was born 15 December 1836 in Perry County, Alabama, daughter of John and Edna (Neal) Youngblood. Neriah & Rebecca made their first home in Macoupin County, Illinois, where they prospered and where their first three children were born: William Hendricks Lewis, Benjamin Marion Lewis and Neriah Robert Lewis. During the winter of 1846-7 Neriah's brother, David, came to visit and preached the gospel to them. Neriah accepted the gospel and was baptized. Rebecca did not join the church at that time. William Hendricks Lewis, who was a young lad at the time, remembered well the events of those years and wrote the account from which the following was derived: "A few weeks after my father accepted the Gospel he sold out and moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. Soon after that we started for the great unknown West, traveling through Iowa to the Missouri River. A crude flat boat was constructed on which we crossed the Missouri River. We joined Bishop George Miller's company and continued westward hoping to reach the Rocky Mountains that same season. However, after traveling a few hundred miles winter came. We met some Punca Indian Chiefs who told us they had grass timber and water and we had better winter with them. We accepted their offer, left the trail we had been following and went with them. Just after we arrived at their camp some two or three hundred Indian Warriors came on horsebackt o serenade us. They were wearing war paint and rode at full speed in single file. They fired their guns as they came and did not forget to give their war whoop. It was very exciting for our people, many of whom had never seen an Indian before. While this was happening an old Chief appeared on the scene, excitedly waving his hands and giving words of command. He said a war party of Paunees were at his camp kiling their women and children. On hearing this the Warriers broke their serenade and went full speed to their camp where they had a desperate battle with their enemy. Their war chief was killed and never before or since have I listened to such howling and mourning.
It was a cold hard winter and we suffered much from the want of food. About eighty persons of our comapny died of black leg or scurvey that winter. As soon as Sping came we made our way back to Winter Quarters where we remained and farmed during that season. We then moved to the Iowa side of the Missouri River and lived there one year. My mother was baptized in April 1848. My sister, Rebecca Louise Lewis, was born 18 September 1848 in Pottawattmie County, Iowa. The family moved to Platte County, near St. Joseph, Missouri and remained two years before sufficient means was acquired to start again toward Utah. Among the loved ones who died on the plains were Rebecca's brother, Allen Hendricks and his wife. This couple were surived by four children. Neriah and Rebecca took these children into their family. A short distance out on the plains we left the old road and went around the Elkhorn. This caused us to travel about five hundred miles without a road. We had a successful trip and arrived in Salt Lake City on the 7th of October 1851. My father purchased a home in the 15th Ward and we farmed the following season. In the fall of 1852 we moved to Centerville, but returned soon afterward to Salt Lake. The family attended meetings in the old Tabernacle for years and listened to President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and the apostles of the Prophet Joseph's time. We learned to love and cherish their teaching.
One of the most tragic scenes of life is to see small children left without a mother. Neriah was called to witness this again when on December....