Alvah Don Alger

            Alva Don Pulsipher Alger was born 21 January 1860 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory to John and Sarah Ann Pulsipher Alger.  Her father was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 March 1832 at the age of 11.  Her mother was baptized on 1 March 1834 at the age of nine.   They were married on 13 February 1842 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.                  On May 21, 1848 President Brigham Young organized their traveling company. Alva Don’s father Zerah Pulsipher was unanimously chosen Captain of the first 100. John Benbow, Captain of the 1st 50 and William Burgess, Jr., Captain of the 1st 10. There were 1220 individuals and the outfitting place was at Winter Quarters, Nebraska.  They left of 5 June 1848.             There were plenty of Buffalo along the Platte River, as they traveled along the whole country seemed black with them. They killed what they needed for meat always dividing the meat equally among the different families so that none was wasted.             They left the Elk Horn and camped at the La Platte River [Platte River] beside the Liberty Pole. This was from the journal of John Pulsipher, brother of Sarah Ann:  15th June--We forded the River, being helped over by the Teams belonging to the Companies of Bros. [Zera] Pulciver [Pulsipher], [Lorenzo] Snow, and Perkins,who started from the Horn before us. The Channel of the River is a quick sand,and in some places–made the Waggon tremble considerable. As the water did not exceed 2 feet in depth, all our stuff, in the Waggon, got over dry. No accidents have happened Crossing that I have heard. It is about half a mile so we had to go angling shallow             Saturday July 1st—Travelled 4¾ miles beyond Carrion Creek and Camped on the North fork of the Platte River about 8 miles above its junction with the South Fork—Five or Six Buffallo Killed today. Only three Brought in to Camp. The Brethren are doing very wrong in wasting flesh and spilling blood unnecessarily—We had a gentle shower of rain today— water.             We came to Fort Laramie which is a small fort and barracks occupied by a few U. S. Troops to protect the frontiers against the Indians. We traveled on to Ft. Bridger (in Wyoming) which is a wooden Fort about four rods square inside made of log houses joining and the property and trading post of the celebrated mountaineer, Jim Bridger.             It is our intention to be at Green river on or about the 20th of August, at which place we shall be most happy to receive a wagon load of salt, which will be of very great benefit to those saints who will have to return from that place with the return teams to Winter Quarters. We shall also be very thankful for some salt, as we started with very little, anticipating meeting a goodly number of wagons, and some of them we expected would have brought some salt with them.  We stayed four days at Weber River in a delightful camping place between those lofty mountains. This halt was in honor of President Young, the leader of Israel. The companies that had traveled ahead of him stopped and waited until he passed into the valley in his place at the head of a joyful multitude.  We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 22nd of September, 1848. We traveled 1031 miles in 125 days.’’             In 1860 they were still living in Great Salt Lake City in the 7th Ward.  They moved sometime after 1860 down to St.George to the “Cotton Mission”.  Alva Don was baptized on 6 February 1868 at the age of eight.  He married Etha Melinda Young on 1 March 1887 in Volcano, Taos, New Mexico at the age of 27.              Etha Melinda was born 3 September 1870 in Washington, Washington, Utah Territory to William Alma and Emily America Riggs Young. She was baptized on 20 October 1879 at the age of nine.  She was 16 years old when they married.              They resided in Arizona shortly after their marriage.  They had six children, two girls and four boys.  The first three children were born in Teviston, Cochise, Arizona.  Alva Don was born 1 December 1887 and died 16 July 1891; John was born 15 December 1889 and died 20 January 1890; and Sarah Belle was born 15 December 1890.              They moved to Cleveland, Emery, Utah Territory where Charles Lafayette was born on 2July 1893.  From there they went to St.George where Alvetta was born 22 February 1896 and Don Lyle was born 31 July 1898 in Diamond Valley, Washington, Utah.              Alva Don died on 20 December 1898 in St. George, Washington, Utah at the age of 38 and was buried in St. George.              Etha Melinda married Jessie James Thompson Bleak on 6 October 1901 in St. George,Washington, Utah.   She had three more children with Jesse.  Ruth was born 31 August 1902 in St. George,Washington, Utah.  Maude was born 3 September 1904 in Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho, and Etha was born 14 January 1907 in Richfield, Sevier, Utah.              Etha died on 19 January 1937 in Provo, Utah, Utah at age 66 and was buried 22 January 1937 in Provo, Utah, Utah. 

            Alva Don Pulsipher Alger was born 21 January 1860 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory to John and Sarah Ann Pulsipher Alger.  Her father was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 1 March 1832 at the age of 11.  Her mother was baptized on 1 March 1834 at the age of nine.   They were married on 13 February 1842 in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois.                  On May 21, 1848 President Brigham Young organized their traveling company. Alva Don’s father Zerah Pulsipher was unanimously chosen Captain of the first 100. John Benbow, Captain of the 1st 50 and William Burgess, Jr., Captain of the 1st 10. There were 1220 individuals and the outfitting place was at Winter Quarters, Nebraska.  They left of 5 June 1848.             There were plenty of Buffalo along the Platte River, as they traveled along the whole country seemed black with them. They killed what they needed for meat always dividing the meat equally among the different families so that none was wasted.             They left the Elk Horn and camped at the La Platte River [Platte River] beside the Liberty Pole. This was from the journal of John Pulsipher, brother of Sarah Ann:  15th June--We forded the River, being helped over by the Teams belonging to the Companies of Bros. [Zera] Pulciver [Pulsipher], [Lorenzo] Snow, and Perkins,who started from the Horn before us. The Channel of the River is a quick sand,and in some places–made the Waggon tremble considerable. As the water did not exceed 2 feet in depth, all our stuff, in the Waggon, got over dry. No accidents have happened Crossing that I have heard. It is about half a mile so we had to go angling shallow             Saturday July 1st—Travelled 4¾ miles beyond Carrion Creek and Camped on the North fork of the Platte River about 8 miles above its junction with the South Fork—Five or Six Buffallo Killed today. Only three Brought in to Camp. The Brethren are doing very wrong in wasting flesh and spilling blood unnecessarily—We had a gentle shower of rain today— water.             We came to Fort Laramie which is a small fort and barracks occupied by a few U. S. Troops to protect the frontiers against the Indians. We traveled on to Ft. Bridger (in Wyoming) which is a wooden Fort about four rods square inside made of log houses joining and the property and trading post of the celebrated mountaineer, Jim Bridger.             It is our intention to be at Green river on or about the 20th of August, at which place we shall be most happy to receive a wagon load of salt, which will be of very great benefit to those saints who will have to return from that place with the return teams to Winter Quarters. We shall also be very thankful for some salt, as we started with very little, anticipating meeting a goodly number of wagons, and some of them we expected would have brought some salt with them.  We stayed four days at Weber River in a delightful camping place between those lofty mountains. This halt was in honor of President Young, the leader of Israel. The companies that had traveled ahead of him stopped and waited until he passed into the valley in his place at the head of a joyful multitude.  We arrived in Salt Lake City on the 22nd of September, 1848. We traveled 1031 miles in 125 days.’’             In 1860 they were still living in Great Salt Lake City in the 7th Ward.  They moved sometime after 1860 down to St.George to the “Cotton Mission”.  Alva Don was baptized on 6 February 1868 at the age of eight.  He married Etha Melinda Young on 1 March 1887 in Volcano, Taos, New Mexico at the age of 27.              Etha Melinda was born 3 September 1870 in Washington, Washington, Utah Territory to William Alma and Emily America Riggs Young. She was baptized on 20 October 1879 at the age of nine.  She was 16 years old when they married.              They resided in Arizona shortly after their marriage.  They had six children, two girls and four boys.  The first three children were born in Teviston, Cochise, Arizona.  Alva Don was born 1 December 1887 and died 16 July 1891; John was born 15 December 1889 and died 20 January 1890; and Sarah Belle was born 15 December 1890.              They moved to Cleveland, Emery, Utah Territory where Charles Lafayette was born on 2July 1893.  From there they went to St.George where Alvetta was born 22 February 1896 and Don Lyle was born 31 July 1898 in Diamond Valley, Washington, Utah.              Alva Don died on 20 December 1898 in St. George, Washington, Utah at the age of 38 and was buried in St. George.              Etha Melinda married Jessie James Thompson Bleak on 6 October 1901 in St. George,Washington, Utah.   She had three more children with Jesse.  Ruth was born 31 August 1902 in St. George,Washington, Utah.  Maude was born 3 September 1904 in Rigby, Jefferson, Idaho, and Etha was born 14 January 1907 in Richfield, Sevier, Utah.              Etha died on 19 January 1937 in Provo, Utah, Utah at age 66 and was buried 22 January 1937 in Provo, Utah, Utah.