1. Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 6, p.485
Elizabeth Degen Bushman was born September 12, 1802, in Holstein, Basselland, Switzerland. Her father was John Casper Degen. Her mother died in childbirth when Elizabeth was four years of age and a year later her father married again. Six children were born of this union. In the fall of 1816 Mr. Degen brought his family to America.

[p.486] Elizabeth was married to Martin Bushman in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1827. He was the son of Abraham and Esther Banks Bushman. They made their home in Lancaster until 1840 and during the years seven children were born to them. That year the Mormon missionaries came to their home and brought the gospel to them. Feeling their teachings were from the Lord they accepted them and soon moved with other Saints to Nauvoo, Illinois. After the exodus of the Mormons from that city the Bushmans went to Hiland Grove, Ohio and here they planted crops and stayed a number of years. In the fore part of 1851 they arrived in Salt Lake City.

One week later the family made its way to Lehi and there Elizabeth began her service as midwife in the community. She brought three hundred and fifty seven babies into the world and the most she ever received was $2.50, for more than two weeks work. Most of the time she walked on these errands of mercy but sometimes she rode on an old hayrack. The last visit she made was during a rainstorm. A cold developed and she never got out of bed again. She was ill six weeks and then was called home May 21, 1878, at the age of seventy-six years.

See also the Life Sketch of Martin Bushman and Elizabeth Degen by Their Son

See also Biography of Martin Bushman and Elizabeth Degen

2. From Maria Elizabeth Bushman Smith The Life Story of Our Mother
By Derryfield N. Smith
Published by the Maria E. B. and Silas D. Smith Family Association, Altamonte Springs, Florida, 1982, p. 24

In the spring of 1878 John Bushman was relieved of his assignments as supervisor of farming for the St. Joseph settlement and appraiser for the property turned over by the new arrivals to the United Order so that he could return to Utah to bring his family down to Arizona.  It was a joyful reunion when he arrived in Lehi on 4 May 1878.  His aged mother, Elizabeth Degen Bushman, had been very ill and it was fortunate that John had returned to be with her for a couple of weeks before she passed away on 21 May.  She had lived a most useful life, was beloved by everyone in Lehi, and her great faith had been an inspiration to all who knew her.

In her later life Elizabeth Degen Bushman became the good Samaritan of every village they lived in.  She was an exceptionally gifted nurse and was renowned as the loving, successful midwife of the town of Lehi.  Because of her reputation and affection, it was said she served as midwife at the birth of almost every baby born in Lehi during her life there.  Nearly every family in Lehi had an Elizabeth named in memory of her.