Margaret McCormick was born April 11, 1804, in Fifeshire, Scotland. She married William McFarland on the second Monday of January in 1832, and willingly became the mother of William's son, Charles and his step-daughter Elizabeth McDonald.

Margaret raised these two children along with her own children as they arrived.

Margaret was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ Or Latter-day-Saints three weeks after her husband, who was baptized June 4, 1842. A1so, baptized at that time was her oldest son, Archibald who was 11 years old, and William's mother, who was 88 years of age.

It took a great deal of courage to join a new religion. Friends and relatives alike criticized and ridiculed them, but together William and Margaret paid little heed. She was proud when he was ordained an Elder and her testimony was strengthened when six months later he was appointed to preside over the Pathhead and Sinclair Town Branch.

William and Margaret had a strong desire to join the Saints in America but were reluctant to leave because of the advanced age of William's mother, Mary Blair McFarland. Mary passed away in 1847; at this time six children had blessed their home: Archibald, age 15; James, Age 12; William, age 9; Mary Ann, age 5; Robert, age 3; and little baby Janet.

It was seven years later (1854) when they, after working, saving and planning the family was ready, (even the older children worked) and they were all looking forward to their journey to America to live among the Saints.

Just before they left, the youngest son Robert, then 10 years of age, was baptized; James and William, the second and third sons, had been baptized December 31, 1849. Archibald, the oldest son was married to Isabella Mitchell.

The McFarland family left Bo'ness on the morning of December 17, 1854 for Liverpool. At Liverpool the ship "Helias" was waiting, scheduled to sail on the 20th. The family was conveyed to the ship in small boats. After being on board two nights, and while proceeding down the Mersey River, a violent storm came up and caused the ship to run a ground the Captain informed them that the bouy was leaking badly and the ship must return to dry dock for inspection and repairs.

In the meantime the ship Charles Buck arrived from India and the ship company ordered it made ready for the immigrants.

The "Charles Buck" sailed from Liverpool January 17, 1855. It had not been properly cleaned and provisioned, nor had the water barrels been replenished since the ship left India. The water became green and bad smelling and made the passengers sick even to smell it. Margaret, being a resourceful woman, put oatmeal in the water, turning it into a thin sour milk-like liquid which was quite palatable.

The McFarland party left Atchison, Kansas July 2, 1855, for the Salt Lake Valley. There were nine persons in the family; eleven people were assigned to each wagon, so a young woman by the name of Jane Pilkingtin and a motherless girl named Eliza Pinder enjoyed the mothering from Margaret as they crossed the plains.

Margaret along with the rest of the people in the Richard Ballantyne Company walked most of the way to the Valley.

One night Margaret had prepared an unusually palatable soup for her family, just as they were ready to eat, a band of Sioux Indians came up demanding food. She was obliged to hand over the soup which they drank ravenously. At that moment a young man below the camp discharged a gun as he took it from his wagon. The Indians thought they were being fired upon and were very angry. The Captain hastened to explain and the Indians seemed pacified, but the travelers kept very careful watch that night.

The McFarland's were an industrious people, but the year 1855-56 was known as the "hard winter" and everyone suffered not only from the cold, but because the grasshoppers had eaten most of the crops the summer before.

Margaret watched her son, James volunteer to take provisions and go help a handcart company who was caught in the fall storms; her son, William Jr., was in the first company of soldiers sent from American Fork to protect the Saints from Johnston's Army. Her son, James went with the Militia. This company was out in the mountains until nearly Christmas.

In 1859 Margaret was one of the first pioneer women to settle in West Weber, living all that summer in the wagon and on into the winter. The worst tragedy of the winter was the death of Janet, the 13 year old baby of the family. She died one Sunday morning in November from inflammation of the side brought on by exposure. Her death brought great sorrow to the family, especially to Margaret, who never quit lamenting for her daughter.

Margaret McCormick McFarland was a real mother and homemaker. One of her grandsons remembered her as the "sweetest, cleanest smelling women I ever knew." She went quietly along doing what she intended to, a natural-born peacemaker. She passed away January 10, 1886, at the age of 81 years.

Taken from the history written by Ruth McFarland White, Submitted by Jean M. Larsen

Source:

In The Bend Of The River

History Of West Weber 1859-1976