A Sketch of the Life History of Mary Jane Miller
Hill
Written
by Mary Jane's granddaughter, Stella J. McElprang, daughter
of Elizabeth Hill (Cook) Johnson
Mary Jane Miller, daughter of James Miller and Sarah Searcy
(or Surcey) was born 9 Jan 1832 at Beards, Montgomery County,
Illinois. She was ten years of age when she embraced the gospel
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The date of her baptism
was 10 October 1842.
It is believed that her father, James Miller, died at Nauvoo,
Illinois, while working on the temple. (Isaac Hill's diary mentions
a James Miller who died in Nauvoo on 12 March 1840, but does
not state who he was. Mary Jane's father's family were living
in Nauvoo at that time).
Mary Jane and her mother, Sarah Searcy, a widow, were married
in polygamy to John Hopwood Bleazard 30 March 1846 at Winter
Quarters. President Brigham performed the marriage ceremony,
with Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards as witnesses.
From this marriage of Mary Jane and John H. Blazzard two daughters,
Sarah and Mary Ann were born. The latter, Mary Ann, died when
she was about two years of age from effects of ill treatment
received from her father.
Mary Jane became very angry and resentful toward her husband
because of his outrageous temper and of his mistreatment of
her children and of herself and of his cruelty to her child
who died from the effects of his mistreatment.
Then too, she learned of how he had cheated a poor widow out
of what little property she did have, and she (Mary Jane) felt
she could not put up with his disgraceful conduct any longer,
so she left him, taking her remaining daughter Sarah, with her.
She received a divorce from him on 31 January 1850.
She, with her child, Sarah, along with other members of the
Saints, left Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1849 with Captain Hooper's
Company. She walked all the way across the plains and arrived
in the salt Lake Valley with the company on 4 September 1850.
On 27 October 1853, Mary Jane married Isaac Hill in polygamy,
with her sister, Martha Ann, who had married this same man,
a widower, on 28 October 1851. They both were sealed to him
in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah 21 April 1857.
