Mary Napier Rowe Written By Mary Loretta Rowe Burnside

 

Mary Napier Rowe

Biography

of

Mary

Napier

Rowe

Written By

Mary Loretta Rowe Burnside

Mary Napier was born March 30, 1823 in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire or Larrack, Scotland. Her parents

were Janette Gillis and John Napier. Mary is descended from the Royal Family of Scotland and

of Ireland. Genealogists have traced her lineage back for many generations on line to 1700 BC.

She is of the Royal line of Judah through King Zedekiah according to LDS Church records.

Many interesting facts are thus brought out concerning her ancestral lives and their history.

Of her parents family we have the manes of fine other children. Her sisters are as follows: Jean,

Christena, Agnes, Nesbit and Isabella. The parents were probably in humble circumstances, as

Mary worked in a textile mill in the city of Glasgow, Scotland.

When missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preached the Gospel there,

Mary and her sister Isabella were converted. They were baptized, though it is not known if at the

same time. Mary and Isabella were the only members of their family to come to America. It is

not known if the sister Isabella ever came to Utah as she was not known by her sister’s family.

Elder Franklin D. Richards was one of the missionaries who preached the gospel to Mary.

It was in the fall of 1847 when Mary was reunited with her husband, who had been gone for

more than a year with the Mormon Battalion. It was September 15, 1852 when Mary and her

family came to Utah.

Mary did not have the funds to come to Utah immediately. After her marriage to Caratat, she

lived at the home of her husband’s parents, William Niblo and Candace Blanchard Rowe.

(William held public office as a judge.)

Mary’s very great faith and the friendships she gained kept her happy. She seemed to enjoy the

spiritual gift of vision or prophecy. Many times she knew of coming events before they actually

occurred. She told of seeing a light which filled the room. Within this light, sat her sister, who

lived in Scotland. When Mary saw her sister sitting in a rocking chair, she spoke the sister’s

name. It was not long until she heard of the passing of her sister.

While living in Payson, Utah, Mary gave bread to two girls who were survivors of the Mountain

Meadow Massacre.

An Indian whose name was James Onumph used to come to the home of Mary and Caratat

Conderset Rowe quite often when they were living at Mountainville. Once when he was visiting

with them, “Indian Jim” as he was called, was talking with Mary. He asked her a question

pertaining to a principle of the gospel. Mary was attempting to answer the question. She stated

to speak then said, “I wish I could answer your question so that you could understand. I would

like to have the language to explain it to you and make it clear to you.” Then Indian Jim said to

her “Stand up”. She began to speak. Again he said, “Stand up”. Mary stood up and began to

speak to him. Indian Jim nodded his head because he understood what she was saying. She

continued to speak and Onumph again nodded his head. It was plain that he knew what she

meant. But no one else in the room could understand, even her sons and daughter-in-law (my

uncle and my father and mother who were there) did not know what Mary was saying. But

James Onumph or “Indian Jim” clearly understood what she said. Mary had spoken with the

spiritual gift of tongues. Jim’s blessing was in fulfillment of the Lord’s promise; and this great

blessing was in fulfillment.

From the History of Indianola we read that Onumph learned to speak the English language quite

well. Our uncle Con Rowe, among other settlers there learned to speak the Indian language to

make himself understood by the Indians. The Bishop of Indianola, John Spencer, a former

resident of Payson, also learned to speak the language of the Indians. Bishop John Spencer

chose Indian Jim to be his second counselor in the Bishopric there. Indian Jim was very faithful

in this calling. Other Indians who were active at Indianola were Moroni and Nephi.

Indian Pennywatch was a frequent visitor there. At one time, for some years, about the only

white people there were the Danish Indian missionaries, Elder August Hjorth and his wife.

Hjorth taught Indian Santaquin how to make ditches on Santaquin’s farm which was north of

Indianola, between there and Clinton. Indian Jim’s wife Phoebe was of high rank among the

Indians there. It seems that whenever Phoebe spoke to the other Indians they all listened

attentively and obeyed her instructions.

When James Onumph was just a young lad he warned the settlers of Mr. Pleasant of an

impending attack by the Indians. A lumber saw mill was burned to the ground by no settlers

were slain.

Grandma Mary Napier Rowe passed away March 4, 1902. She is buried at Mt. Pleasant City

Cemetery.