The Chicken and the Cat
Judith Oviatt, born 22 Mar 1841, Kirtland, Lake County, Ohio crossed the plains in the:
Departure: 29 June 1851
Arrival in Salt Lake Valley: 22 September - 7 October 1851
This story was related by LaVerne Steed Christensen, a granddaughter:
Well, she was a little girl of 8 [10] years old and she had a chicken, a pet chicken and a cat. She was told by her brothers and parents that she could only take one of them. She decided to take her cat, but then she was told if she'd take the chicken the chicken was laying eggs, she would have an egg once in a while and that would help out alot, so she decided to take the chicken. Her brothers made a little box, a crate for the chicken, that it could get air out of the one side and be kept in.
She used to let the chicken out with a string around it's leg, tied around it's leg, every day.
After they got going, she, well the first of the story, after they got going out she discovered that she had her cat and chicken both, she loved both of them, one just as well as the other.
and her brothers had kind of snuck the cat in.
But, after they were going, and the chicken started to lay again, it stopped laying for a few days
till it got back into the rhythmn of things. There was a little sick child, smaller than she, that was quite sick and they didn't have the right kind of nurishment. So, she was pervailled upon to let this little child have her egg, when the chicken would lay an egg. She said she guessed she had no more than about three eggs, in all the time that it took to cross the plains, because of the sick people and the only chicken that was laying eggs.
At one time, after they had been camped, and got started out on the way, they had been going a few hours, she discovered that her cat had been left tied to one of the shrubery.
She was just broken hearted, she wanted to go back and find it, but the whole party couldn't go back go back to get this kitten, so they had to go on, but they told her that, they told little Judith that the kitten would knaw the rope, into the little rope that it was tied to and free itself. It could live on gophers and mice it would be fine, taken care of fine.
She said she prayed many times that that kitten would get away and get out on its own and maybe find another cat to keep it company.
That little story is told in our genealogical thing, is is a real life story, there are some papers that were sent into the Daughters of the Pioneers building and that story is among them.
From Nauvoo Records Office:
Birth 22 Mar 1841 Kirtland, Lake, Ohio, USA 
[4] Gender Female Residence 1847 Council Point Branch, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA [5] Died 12 Nov 1918 Baptized (LDS) 6 Feb 1992 DALLA [6] Endowed (LDS) 28 Feb 1992 SEATT [6] Person ID I34611 Early Latter-day Saints Last Modified 07 Feb 2007 Father Ira A, Oviatt, b. 8 Dec 1804, Berlin, Rensselaer, New York, USA , d. 1 Jul 1868, Farmington, Davis, Utah, USA Mother Ruth Fellows Bennett, b. 28 Sep 1808, Bainbridge, Chenango, New York, USA Married 29 Jan 1829 Sealed P (LDS) 9 Oct 1992 DALLA Family ID F12835 Group Sheet Family James David Wilcox, b. 17 Jan 1827, Lexington, Greene, New York, USA Married 15 Feb 1862 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA Family ID F17187 Group Sheet -
Event Map Map data ©2009 Google, Tele Atlas, INEGI, Europa Technologies -Event
Birth - 22 Mar 1841 - Kirtland, Lake, Ohio, USA 
Residence - 1847 - Council Point Branch, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA 
Married - 15 Feb 1862 - Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA 
= Link to Google Maps = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend 
= Address 
= Location 
= City/Town 
= County/Shire 
= State/Province 
= Country 
= Not Set -
Notes - HISTORY:
A Sketch of the Life of Pioneer Judith Oviatt Wilcox
Name transcribed from the Iowa Branches Members Index 1839 - 1859, Volumes I & II by Ronald G. Watt. Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1991. Copyright by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Winter Quarters Information: - HISTORY:
Birth 1841 Gender Female Residence 1847 Council Point Branch, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA [1] Person ID I1491 Winter Quarters Last Modified 15 May 2006 Father Ira Oviatt Mother Ruth Bennett Family ID F324 Group Sheet -
Event Map Map data ©2009 Google -Event
Residence - 1847 - Council Point Branch, Pottawattamie, Iowa, USA = Link to Google Maps = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend = Address = Location = City/Town = County/Shire = State/Province = Country = Not Set -
Notes - Name transcribed from the Iowa Branches Members Index 1839 - 1859, Volumes I & II by Ronald G. Watt. Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1991. Copyright by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Sources - [S1] Iowa Branches Members Index 1829 - 1859, Volumes I and II, Ronald G. Watt, (Historical Department Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1991, Copyright LDS Church).
- [S1] Iowa Branches Members Index 1829 - 1859, Volumes I and II, Ronald G. Watt, (Historical Department Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1991, Copyright LDS Church).
Crossing the plains, Judith walked and helped her brother drive a small heard of sheep. She also carried a pet ct. Half of the day she was allowed to ride the other half of the day she walked. Whenever the saints stopped, the cat was to the wheel, shrub or sage bush. One occasion while in camp, the cat was tied to a bush when the report came that the Indians were coming, All the woman and children were hurried to the wagons and orders were given to travel on-no stopping for anything, but keep o traveling. Every family had to give the Indians something but keep on traveling. When the excitement was over Judith was heart broken over her kitten left behind. But there was no going back. She often told the story and wondered what happened to the poor kitten tied to the bush.
At last they reached Utah. The first winter was spent in Centerville. In the spring they moved to Farmington where they spent the rest of their lives. Judith being the oldest girl in the family had a great responsibility, as her mother spent most of her time weaving. Judith also learned to gather wool and prepare it for weaving and knitting and to weave both cloth and carpets. She also helped herd her father’s sheep on the hills above Farmington.
All of her brothers were blacksmiths.
Judith married James David Wilcox, also a pioneer of Feb 13, 1861. Judith was his second wife. He had also been married before and had a small son. Three days after her first baby girl was born her father, Ira Oviatt, passed away this was a great sorrow to her.
After her marriage, she and Aunt Anna lived in the old rock house, which still stands. Then Judith went with her little family 3 miles west of town and homesteaded some land which became one of the best farms around there.
When the Marshals were after Ira for polygamy, Judith went to newton Cache Co; where Ira and uncle John were.
Judith worked for her sister Mary Jenkins, making butter and cheese, sewing, making quilts, spinning and weaving—doing anything she could to feed her children. About 1882 she moved back to Farmington.
Wherever Judith went she and her children went to the hills to get dirt for her flower garden, which she loved dearly, she always had a beautiful ones. She spent much of her time with the sick and loved to take flowers to them.
She knitted hundreds of yards of lace. When she passed away she had on hand knitted lace enough for 16 pair of pillow slips—enough for each daughter and granddaughter. She pieced many beautiful quilts for hers and others besides knitting sweaters, socks and mittens galore.
She was a faithful Latter Day Saint and a Relief Society worker and she and Sr Lucy Grover Saunders were set apart to take care of the dead and make their burial clothes. There was no undertaker then and they spent a great deal of time doing this work and all without pay.
On the farm or in town Judith’s home was always a gathering place for relatives and friends, both old and young.
She passed away peacefully in November 1919 in Farmington. By Cynthia Criddle.
Story:
“When, she was a little girl of 8 [10] years old and she had a chicken, a pet chicken and a cat. She was told by her brothers and parents that she could only take one of them across the plains. She decided to take her cat, but then she was told if she'd take the chicken the chicken was laying eggs, she would have an egg once in a while and that would help out a lot, so she decided to take the chicken.
Her brothers made a little box, a crate for the chicken, that it could get air out of the one side and be kept in.
She used to let the chicken out with a string around its leg, tied around its leg, every day.
After they got going, she, well the first of the story, after they got going out she discovered that she had her cat and chicken both, she loved both of them, one just as well as the other and her brothers had kind of snuck the cat in.
But, after they were going, and the chicken started to lay again, it stopped laying for a few days till it got back into the rhythm of things.
There was a little sick child, smaller than she, that was quite sick and they didn't have the right kind of nourishment. So, she was prevailed upon to let this little child have her egg, when the chicken would lay an egg. She said she guessed she had no more than about three eggs, in all the time that it took to cross the plains, because of the sick people and the only chicken that was laying eggs.
At one time, after they had been camped, and got started out on the way, they had been going a few hours; she discovered that her cat had been left tied to one of the shrubbery.
She was just broken hearted, she wanted to go back and find it, but the whole party couldn't go back go back to get this kitten, so they had to go on, but they told her that, they told little Judith that the kitten would gnaw the rope, into the little rope that it was tied to and free itself. It could live on gophers and mice it would be fine, taken care of fine.
She said she prayed many times that that kitten would get away and get out on its own and maybe find another cat to keep it company.” LaVerne Steed Christensen, granddaughter
