Abigail (Marks) Works (abt. 1782 - abt. 1846)

Born about 6 Nov 1782 in Wilmington, Windham, Vermont Republic

Ancestors

Wife of Brigham Young — married 28 Jan 1846 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States

Descendants

Died about 14 Jul 1846 at about age 63 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, USA

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Biography

Abigail became a member of the LDS Church between 1830 - 1848.

Abigail was born in Wilmington, Vermont in probably 1782, the daughter of Joseph and Miriam Marks. ^[1] She married Asa Works.^[1]They lived in Aurelius, Cayuga County, New York from at least 1810 to 1830.^[2][3][4]

In the early 1830s, Abigail and Asa joined the newly-formed LDS (Mormon) Church.^[5] Over the years that followed, "they move[d] from Aurelius to Kirtland, Ohio, and on to Far West, Missouri, following the migrations of the early Mormon church. In Far West, the persecution of the Mormon settlements by the Missouri mobs and the infamous executive order by Governor Boggs to 'exterminate' the Mormons eventually drove them to Illinois..."^[6] There, in the Mormon city of Nauvoo, Abigail and Asa spent the last few years of their lives. Abigail belonged to the Female Relief Society, and in 1842 received a patriarchal blessing.^[7][8]

Asa died February 15, 1845, and was buried in Nauvoo's Old Cemetery.^[9] Abigail, who was suffering from breast cancer, survived him by just a year and a half. During her final months, she was sealed to her former son-in-law, Brigham Young. This was a spiritual marriage only, a means of preparing her way into the afterlife. ^[10][11]It was around this time, also, that Abigail was baptized on behalf of several deceased family members, including her father Joseph and her grandparents Richard and Mary Marks.^[12]

She died in July 1846. Most sources show date of death as July 14. Her son James recalled that Abigail died "about the 15th."^[13]

Research Notes

Re date of birth: Son James and record of patriarchal blessing show year of birth as 1782, but other sources show 1781. Day and month not disputed.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Works, James Marks; personal correspondence, Letter to Brigham Young, 25 March 1877. LDS Church History Library, 15 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150. CR 1234 1, box 37, fd. 17. Transcribed by M. Hemphill, Works researcher and descendant of James M. Works. Identifies his mother as Abigail Marks, born 6 November 1782, daughter of Joseph and Miriam Marks, and his father as Asa Works.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2V-657 : accessed 29 November 2017), Ara Word [Asa Works], Aurelius, Cayuga, New York, United States; citing p. 1205, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 31; FHL microfilm 181,385.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGZ-PNH : accessed 29 November 2017), Asa Waide [Works], Aurelius, Cayuga, New York, United States; citing p. 35, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 68; FHL microfilm 193,723.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHP3-MDY : 19 August 2017), Asa Works, Aurelius, Cayuga, New York, United States; citing 177, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 88; FHL microfilm 17,148.
5. ↑ Susan Ward Easton, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: 1830-1848 (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young Religious Studies Center, 1984), Vol. 47, pp. 765-766; digital images, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/334417 : accessed 27 November 2017). Works, Abigail.
6. ↑ Vitale, Gary, Letters to Mollie from her Mormon Past 1860-1912 (Mill Creek Press, Springfield, Illinois, 2003). Collection of letters belonging to Miriam Works McNutt, researched and annotated by the author. Introduction: pp. 4-5.
7. ↑ Ward, Maurine Karr, “The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo: 17 March 1842 to 16 March 1844,” article with annotated list of members, with sources. (http://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/JS0263.pdf : accessed 27 November 2017) Abigail (Marks) Works a member, p. 199.
8. ↑ "Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900." FamilySearch, unindexed images (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-K99X-C?i=5139&wc=M6TF-538%3A357638201&cc=2078505). Abigail Works. Patriarchal blessing, 9 March 1842 at Nauvoo, IL. Born 6 Nov 1782 at Wilmington, Windham Co., VT; parents Joseph and Miriam Marks.
9. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44318904/asa-works : accessed 28 November 2017), memorial page for Asa Works (25 Aug 1763–15 Feb 1845), Find A Grave Memorial no. 44318904, citing Nauvoo's Old Cemetery, Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, USA ; Maintained by Nancy Hills Lamps (contributor 47171156) .
10. ↑ Johnson, Jeffery Ogden, “Determining and Defining ‘Wife’: The Brigham Young Households,” article with end notes and sources. (https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V20N03_59.pdf : accessed 27 November 2017). Abigail (Marks) Works, the mother of his first wife, pp. 61, 67.
11. ↑ Vitale, Gary, Letters to Mollie from her Mormon Past 1860-1912 (Mill Creek Press, Springfield, Illinois, 2003). Collection of letters belonging to Miriam Works McNutt, researched and annotated by the author. Passing of the Older Generation: pp. 261-262.
12. ↑ "Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File, 1830-1900." FamilySearch, unindexed images (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97B-K99C-V?i=5140&wc=M6TF-538%3A357638201&cc=2078505). Abigail Works, baptisms for the dead, Nauvoo: father Joseph Marks, brother Reuben Marks, sister Polly Watters, grandfather Richard Marks, grandmother Mary Marks, uncles John and Jesse Marks.
13. ↑ Works, James Marks; personal correspondence, Letter to Brigham Young, 25 March 1877. LDS Church History Library, 15 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150. CR 1234 1, box 37, fd. 17. Transcribed by M. Hemphill, Works researcher and descendant of James M. Works. Text: "Mother died about the 15th of July 1846 [of] cancer on the left breast."