ELIHU MARCELLUS ALLEN (1791-1850)
Elihu Marcellus Allen was born 14 May 1791 in Cambridge, Washington, New York to
George and Rebecca Allen.
His first wife was Laura Foote and they had four children, all born in Dryden, Tompkins,
New York. Laura Foote Allen died 17 October 1823 in Dryden.
In 1827, most likely in New York, Elihu, now a young widower with four children,
married his first wife’s first cousin Lola Ann Clawson. Together Elihu and Lola had 12 children,
at least 7 of whom lived to adulthood. Their first child was born in Dryden. The next five
children were born in Greenwood, Steuben, New York, where their fifth child, Wyatt Allen,
lived only 11 days, passing away on 14 March 1834.
Elihu Marcellus Allen and his wife Lola Ann Clawson were baptized into the LDS
Church in 1834 or 1835. Following their baptism they experienced untold hardships as members
of their new-found faith. Soon after their conversion to the LDS Church they moved to a spot
four miles southeast of Far West, Caldwell, Missouri at Log Creek. Here their seventh child was
born.
Elihu’s oldest son, George Allen, was drowned in the Missouri River on 19 June 1838
while floating logs down river.
Elihu and his family experienced severe persecution while living in Missouri because of
their religion. Elihu executed an affidavit on 18 May 1839 in Quincy, Adams, Illinois itemizing
a bill of damages against the State of Missouri for $1,000 for property lost and expenses incurred
during the expulsion.
A daughter from his first wife, Caroline Allen, was married 11 June 1839 to William
Weeks, the architect of the Nauvoo Temple and later assistant to Truman Angel in designing the
Salt Lake Temple. William left the LDS Church and he and Caroline moved to California.
Elihu moved his family four miles east of Burton, Adams, Illinois where his ninth, tenth,
and eleventh children were born.
Within two weeks in December 1845 and just three months following the birth of their
last child, they lost three of their youngest children--first Emma Melvina Allen on 4 December,
then Almira Gilbert Allen on 8 December, then George Warren Allen on 17 December.
Elihu and his family traveled across Iowa in 1846 to the Missouri River. On 12 March
1847 his youngest child, Joseph Brigham Allen, was “adopted” by Brigham Young shortly
before the first group of Saints pulled out under the leadership of Brigham Young headed for
Utah. Later that same year Elihu and Lola Ann with six of their children crossed the plains to
Utah in the Jedediah M. Grant Company, arriving in the Great Salt Lake Valley on 2 October
1847.
Elihu lost his second wife Lola Ann Clawson Allen after that first winter in the Valley.
She died on 17 February 1848 at Great Salt Lake City, just four and one-half months after they
arrived.
Elihu Marcellus Allen died of inflammation of the lungs on 11 October 1850 in Great
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah.
Submitted by Brent J. Belnap