BIRTHDATE: 22 Dec 1836

Brownstown, Wayne, Michigan

DEATH: 21 Jun 1907

Scipio, Millard Co., Utah

PARENTS: Lemon Bronson

Lucy Brass

PIONEER: 29 Sep 1 847

Edward Hunter Wagon Co.

SPOUSE: Daniel Thompson

MARRIED: 4 May 1854

Scipio, Millard Co., Utah

DEATH SP: 29 Jul 1912

Scipio, Millard Co., Utah

CHILDREN:

Daniel Edwin, 1 Jun 1855

Wilmer Donrel, 15 Apr 1857

Henry Bronson, 6 Mar 1859

Lorenda Delcena, 1 May 1861

William Riley, 26 Feb 1863

Leman, 9 Jul 1865

Rosabelle, 24 Jul 1867

Emily, 20 Nov 1869

Martha Ann, 9 Oct 1871

Frances Marion, 21 Sep 1873 (male)

Raymond, 31 Dec 1875

Elizabeth, I Jul 1879

Lorenda Elizabeth was born on December 22, 1836 in Brownstown, Wayne County, Michigan. Her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1842 when she was about five years old.

In 1845, the family moved to Nauvoo to be with the Saints. In 1846, her father was one of the first to join the traveling Saints and, with his family, started the trek west.

Lorenda's mother, Lucy Brass Bronson, died at Winter Quarters on February 7, 1847 but her father, Lemon, continued on with Lorenda and her sister and brother, Martha and Wilmer. They left Winter Quarters, Nebraska on June 17, 1847 in the second company of 100, lead by

Captain Edward Hunter and arrived in the valley on September 29, 1847 bringing the population to about 1,000. Her sister, Martha, drove on the ox teams.

Many were the hardships that first year and a half. Food was scarce and they were often hungry. Later, Lemon built a house and planted crops. Lorenda told her children how happy they were when their grain began to grow and they felt that no more would they suffer hunger as there was prospects of an abundant harvest. Then came the crickets. Like a moving mass, they covered the field stripping the stalks and leaving desolation in their path. For days they fought them with sticks, beating and killing hundreds but, for every one killed, it seemed a dozen came in it's place. Sometimes with only a half slice of bread to eat, Lorenda would fight the pests until exhausted.

One morning, they looked up to see the sky black with seagulls swooping down on the fields. They were in despair, thinking all was lost, but instead of eating the grain as they expected them to do, they devoured that army of crickets and saved the crops. They knew this was a blessing from the Lord to save them from starvation.

In about 1852, she moved with her father to Fillmore, Utah where they lived until 1854 when Lemon was called on a mission to Michigan where he died.

At Fillmore, Lorenda met Daniel Thompson and they were married on May 4, 1854 in Scipio, Millard County, Utah when she was only seventeen years of age. On October 9,1855, they made the trip to Salt Lake City to the Endowment House to have their marriage solemnized for eternity.

Lorenda was very proud of her first home, a little log room with a bed made of posts stuck in the wall and supported at the front with posts. Her early married life was devoted to raising her family more than to public service but, after moving to Scipio, in 1867, when Daniel was called by President Brigham Young to preside as Bishop, she felt it her duty to help in building up the ward.

In 1868, Daniel built two large log rooms in the center of town. It seemed a palace to them. President Brigham Young traveled from Salt Lake to St. George every year with a large company to look after the affairs of the church and instruct the Saints. He and his immediate company did not wish to be separated so he asked Daniel to build another room for their convenience. He wanted to help pay for it out of church funds but Daniel would not allow him to do this. It was, however, known from then on as "Brigham's Room." It was Lorenda's task to scrub and clean the house and cook and arrange affairs to do honor to their very distinguished guests. This was not unusual for her because their home was always filled with friends and strangers.

Then, when her son Wilmer's wife died, she took his three children. The baby died at the age of eleven months, but she raised the others from two and four years of age to adulthood. According to her daughter, Elizabeth, "She was a wonderful disciplinarian, very firm, at the same time generous and thoughtful of our pleasures. If Father was ever displeased with our actions, we were sent to Mother for corrections."

In 1870, Daniel organized the Relief Society and Lorenda was called to act in the Presidency. She served faithfully for thirteen years and was then called to the Stake Relief Society Presidency, June 6,1883.

After twenty-one years of service in the Stake, Lorenda was released on 28 November 1904. The same year, she was called to act as President of the Mutual in the Scipio Ward, a position she held until her death. Her last meeting was on May 28, 1907 and she passed away on June 21, 1907 in Scipio, Millard County, Utah where she is buried.