Essentials
Born: 16 Jun 1860; Smithfield, Cache County, Utah
Daughter of: Dudley Justin MERRILL and Almira HUNTSMAN
Married: Seth Adelbert MERRILL, 28 October 1876; Soda Springs, Caribou, Idaho
Died: 8 May 1884; St. David, Cochise County, Arizona

Page contents
One-minute history

BY DARYL JAMES
FROM 'JAMES/HATCH ONE MINUTE HISTORIES' (1994)
     Lucy Ann Merrill was born June 16, 1860, in Smithfield, Utah. She was the fourth of six children born to Dudley Justin Merrill and Almira Huntsman.
     Lucy Ann's family moved to Bear Lake, Idaho, before she was six years old. Her mother died at age 32 in Salt Lake City when Lucy was only 7.
     Her father married Ellen Orliva Huntsman seven months later, April 4, 1868, in the Salt Lake Endowment House. By this time Lucy's family had moved to Soda Springs, Idaho.
     In Soda Springs Lucy Ann fell in love with her first cousin once removed, Seth Adelbert Merrill (called Del or Delbert). Del was the son of Philemon Christopher Merrill, Lucy Ann's great uncle. Lucy Ann and Del were married in a double wedding with other relatives on Oct. 28, 1876, in Soda Springs, Idaho. Lucy was 16 at this time and Del was 17.
     A few weeks after their wedding, Brigham Young called the Merrills to help settle southeastern Arizona. Lucy Ann and Del joined a company that included Lucy's parents, Del's parents, and other Merrill kin.
     On the journey a horse fell on Del's leg, causing it to break. The company delayed a week in northern Utah and finally Lucy Ann and Del took a train to Salt Lake City to have Del's leg set by a doctor.
     The rest of the company continued south by wagons and met Lucy Ann and Del in Payson, Utah.
     The company arrived in St. George, Utah, 10 days after the St. George Temple had been dedicated. Lucy Ann and Del had their wedding sealed on Jan. 12, 1877.
     The Merrills left St. George on Jan. 17 and arrived on the Salt River near Tempe, Ariz., on March 7, 1877. After one summer on the Salt River, Lucy Ann and Del joined a company headed south and were among the first settlers of St. David, Ariz. Lucy Ann and Del had three children in St. David: Almira, Seth Adelbert, and Orson Pratt. Lucy Ann became a counselor in the presidency of the first Mutual Improvement Association in St. David. She died May 8, 1884, at age 23. Her baby was three months old.

-- Sources: 1. Unpublished autobiography of Cyrena Dustin; 2. "Patriarchs: Phileomon Christopher Merrill." The 25th Stake of Zion (On record at Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah).

Return to top

Cyrena
DUSTIN
Almira
MERRILL
Lucy Ann MERRILL
Philemon Christopher MERRILL
Samuel MERRILL
Seth Adelbert MERRILL
Phoebe ODELL

CHILDREN WITH SETH ADELBERT MERRILL