Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes

23 November 1813 — 10 March 1871

1 Born at Unadilla, Otsego County, New York; daughter of Phebe Wilbur and Austin Cowles. 2 Moved to Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, circa 1836, and to Commerce (later Nauvoo), Hancock County, Illinois, 1839. 3 Helped found the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and served as treasurer, 1842. 4 Married Jonathan Harriman Holmes, 1842; six children, including one adopted and one from her husband’s previous marriage. 5 Later identified herself as a plural wife of Joseph Smith, married on June 1, 1843. 6 Migrated to the Salt Lake Valley, 1847. 7 Taught school. 8 Moved to Farmington, Davis County, Utah Territory, by 1850. 9 Died at Farmington. 10 (See Document 1.2, 1.3, 1.8, 4.28, first mentioned here)

Footnotes

  1. [1] Edmund West, comp., “Family Data Collection: Births,” database, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com, accessed Oct. 2014), Elvira Annie Cowles. “Died,” Deseret Evening News, Mar. 23, 1871, [2].

  2. [2] “Family Data Collection: Births,” database, Elvira Annie Cowles. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org, accessed Aug. 2014), Elvira Annie Cowles KWJT-TH5 .

  3. [3] “Died,” [2].

  4. [4] Nauvoo Relief Society Record Book, 1841–1846, CHL, entry for Mar. 17, 1842.

  5. [5] “Died,” [2]. “Family Tree,” database, Elvira Annie Cowles and Jonathan Harriman Holmes KWJT-THR .

  6. [6] Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001), 550–554. Elvira A. C. Holmes, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, vols. 1–4, CHL.

  7. [7] “Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel,” database, 1847–1868, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel (http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels, accessed Apr. 2014), Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes.

  8. [8] “Died,” [2].

  9. [9] “Died,” [2]. 1850 U.S. census, Davis Co., Utah Territory, p. 7B, Alvira Holmes; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com, accessed Aug. 2014); from NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 919.

  10. [10] “Died,” [2]. Utah State Historical Society, comp. “Utah Cemetery Inventory,” database, (http://ancestry.com, accessed Oct. 2014); Elvira A. Cowles Smith Holmes. Find a Grave, database and images (http://findagrave.com, accessed Oct. 2014), memorial no. 137602, Elvira A. Cowles Smith; Farmington City Cemetery, Farmington, UT.