Back to Ann Lewis's Table of Contents

Life Sketch of Martha Worlton (1849-1938)

Martha Worlton  was born in Bath, Sommerset, England, Sept. 14, 1849, the daughter of Elizabeth and James Timberal Worlton.  Her father fell heir to the property known as the Timberal when he was sixteen years old.  This court was a a section of land on which was constructed one large house and four small ones and was handed down from generation from father to son.  When James T. Worlton was married he and his wife moved to this property to live.  Between the years 1851 to 1854 the city bought this property to build a road and the money received from the sale he used to emigrate to Utah with his wife and family.  Her father was converted to the L. D. S. faith in England and did a great deal of missionary work in England before emigrating to Utah.  The family left Liverpool Feb 27, 1855 on the ship “Siddens,” having aboard 430 Saints, commanded by Captain Taylor.  After a safe voyage they arrived at Philadelphia on April 20, 1855, and after a short stay in that city they traveled by rail to Pittsburg where arrangements were made for transportation by steamboat down the Mississippi River and the Ohio to St. Louis.  At this time Martha was only six years of age.  On April 26, 1855, her mother gave birth to a baby boy.  On May the 8^th they embarked on the steamer Polar Star for Atchinson and from there they went to Mormon Grove, a place where the Saints made arrangements for crossing the plains.  They began their long trek across the plains July 1, 1855 with 402 souls, 49 wagons, and 224 cows.  Captain Ballantyne was in charge of the company.  On July 13, her mother’s baby died and was buried by the roadside on the plains.  Martha shared the hardships of the hard journey across the plains while only just a child.  They arrived in the Salt Lake Valley Sept. 25 after a long and tiresome journey of over seven months.  She shared all the hardships of that early pioneer life.  She was with the saints when they were called to move to the south when the United States soldiers came.

At the age of 18 she was married to Martin B. Bushman on March 2, 1867, n the old Salt Lake Endowment House by President Wilford Woodruff.  She was the mother of ten children, five boys and five girls, seven of these children have preceded her in death, three daughters surviving, Mrs. Suel Zimmerman of Lehi, Mrs. Annie Miller of Margrath, Alberta Canada, and Mrs. James Trunkey of Provo.   27 grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Emma Obern of Union, also survive, besides a host of relatives and friends survive to mourn her passing.

Sister Bushman was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and loved the gospel, and taught it to her children and reared them in the church.  She did a great deal of temple work for her kindred dead in the temple as long as she was able and encouraged her children to carry on and continue temple work for their departed kindred.  She was a strong believer in this phase of the gospel.  Sister Bushman possessed a lovable disposition and was loved by all her associates.  She was ready at all times to sacrifice herself for the comfort and happiness of others.  In her advanced years she never complained over her failing health.  She was always cheerful, considering the others about her.  She was a great lover of little children and was happy to have them about her.  She had a strong testimony of the gospel and retained it to the end of her sojourning her on earth.  She passed from this life Thursday night, Jan. 20, 1938 at 10 o’clock at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Suel Zimmerman, with whom she had made her home for the past few years, at the age of 88 years, following a several weeks’ illness of causes incidental to her advanced age with an assurance of a glorious resurrection and a reunion with her loved ones in the great beyond.