Lydia Downer Gates (1810-1896)

 

Photo of Samuel & Lydia Downer Gates

Lydia Downer was born 12 Jul 1810 in Shaftsbury, Bennington, Vermont to Simon Downer & Huldah Briggs. She was the second child of ten. She was also the only (known) girl until her sister was born 13 years later.

She married Samuel Gates 4 Feb 1830 in Michigan and had 11 children, 5 of whom died as children. Only one son lived to be an adult. She emigrated to Utah in 1852 with the Isaac Bullock company and they settled in what is now Ogden, Utah.

She can be found in the following censuses: 1850 census in Pottawattomie, Iowa. 1860 census in Weber, Utah. 1870 census in Slaterville, Weber, Utah. and 1880 census in Ogden, Weber, Utah.

This photo of her appeared at the World Fair in Chicago. Visit links at end of post to read more.

The story about Lydia's dream about the Book of Mormon is one that was told me by my mother in law. Here it is written again:

My Grandmother"s Dreambook by Lucetta Marler Atkinson

     My grandmother, Lydia Downer Gates, lived in Livonia Co. Michigan.  When a
young girl she arose from her bed  one morning and told her family that in her
dreams she had been reading a book all night.  She could not remember the name
of the book nor what she had read from it, but she did remember quite
distinctly, its appearance.
     When she arose the next morning she announced that she was still reading
the book.  She said that when she fell asleep she started reading where she had
left off the night before, and continued reading all night.  Although she could
not remember anything she had read, she was deeply impressed that the book
contained some message of serious importance for the entire family.
     Night after night she continued reading the book in her sleep, each night
beginning where she had left off the night before, until finally she had read
it through.  It took some time to complete it, and before she had finished she
began to feel physically tired, as she would arise from her bed mornings sleepy
and exhausted, quite as if she had missed a night's rest.
     She described the appearance of the book in detail to the family, the
length, width, thickness, binding, everything that might help them to recognize
it if they should see it.  She asked them to look in book stores or wherever
books were sold wherever they they could find one answering the description,
that she had given them.  She never ceased to watch for it, whenever she came
across books in a home or anywhere else.  She could not get away from the
thought that it contained some precious valuable information for all of them.
Although she had read it from cover to cover, try as she would, she could not
recall anything she had read.  There was no way to bring back the dream, and
the book could not be found.
     Some time after Lydia had experienced this dream, one of her aunts told
her that she would like to have her come and take care of her home for a while
as she was going on a journey and would be gone for some time.  Lydia was glad
to accomodate her aunt and went at once to the home prepared to stay.  When her
aunt was getting ready to leave she said, "Lydia, if you would like to read
while I am away, there are some books in that chest."  She pointed to a wooden
chest in the bedroom.  "Just help yourself, read whatever you like."
     Lydia was interested at once.  As soon as she had finished her work she
went to the chest and started to look over the books.  She picked up one and
then another, glanced through the pages and finding nothing of interest to her,
laid them to one side.  She casually reached for another book, when Lo! before
her very eyes lay the book of her dreams!
     Her fingers trembled as she quickly grasped and held it close.  A feeling
of exultant joy swept ofver her.  She said in telling the experience later, "I
felt as light as a feather, I felt as though I would rise to the ceiling.  I
opened the book and began to read, and as I did so I remembered having read it
all before.  I read it through, and it was just like reading a book for the
second time.  It was the Book of Mormon.
     As soon as the elders of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
came to that vicinity preaching the gospel, Lydia applied for and redeived
baptism.  She had been converted to the truthfulness of the gospel when she had
read the Book of Mormon in her sleep.
     On Feb. 4,1830 she was married to Samuel Gates.  They followed the pioneer
path of trial and sacrifice that lead to the western frontier and to Zion.
They settled in Lynn(now Ogden) Weber County, Utah, where they spent the
remainder of their lives.  Lydia bore and reared a large family, and lived to
the age of eighty-four years.  She was always a devoted Latter-Day Saint to the
end of her days.

To read more about Lydia, or to see where I found the photos, visit these links:
http://thestoriesofourlife.blogspot.com/2009/10/lydia-downer-gates-information.html
http://thestoriesofourlife.blogspot.com/2009/10/she-dreamed-she-was.html

Other sources: http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/library/pioneerdetails/1,15791,4018-1-9305,00.html
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 US Federal Census
http://www.archive.org/stream/downersofamerica00down#page/n247/mode/2up