In the town of Lugwardine, Herefordshire, England, lived the shoemaker William Green and his wife Jane Prosser Green. Their large family consisted of nine girls and finally two boys. Ann, the fifth daughter, was christened 21 Nov. 1802. 1
The Greens owned their own home in Lugwardine but lived in humble circumstances.
The daughters all helped their mother to spin, weave, and sew clothing. Socks, stockings, gloves, scarves were all knitted by hand. Everything the family wore or needed had to be made in the home. When the two sons became old enough, they helped their father in his shoemaking shop. In addition to all these duties, the mother and daughters supplemented the family income by operating a laundry in their home. Imagine all the scrubbing on washboards and swish-rinsing in tubs for the family of thirteen, plus taking in washing for customers.
When Ann was in her 20s she moved to Hereford City to work as a maid in the home of Joseph Dutson, a blacksmith, and his wife Elizabeth Haffield Dutson. John Dutson, their son, was a writer by profession and combined this ability with his skill as a mapmaker. 2 This required spending considerable time at sea. Returning home, he recognized Ann's fine qualities, and the two fell in love. John's parents fully realized that Ann was honest and industrious, a woman of good character, possessing some exceptional qualities. However, they felt it was beneath John's station to marry a servant who was working in their home. 3
John Dutson and Ann Green were married 7 Feb. 1826, "by banns" at St. Owen's Church, Hereford City, and they established a happy home.
Thirteen months later, on 10 Mar. 1827, a little daughter arrived. She was christened "Jane" on 25 Mar. 1827 at St. Owen's Parish in Hereford. John and Ann loved this child devotedly. John was a good husband and father and provided well for his family even though his profession took him away much of the time.
In 1828 the couple was happily expecting their second child. That summer, while living at Aylestone Hill, Hereford, again John went to sea. While he was gone Ann received a bolt of cloth from him so that she, their small daughter, and the expected baby, could be well clothed.
With John's parents, Ann watched, prayed and waited for his safe return. But no word was ever received from anyone on the ship. Presumably it sank.
While Ann waited for a miracle to bring her husband home, her baby boy arrived 28 Sept. 1828. After another month of waiting, on 19 Oct. 1828, she took him to All Saints Parish in Hereford City where he was christened John William Dutson--John for his father and William for her father, William Green.
Although John's parents were very good to Ann and the two children, she decided to move back to Lugwardine to her own large family. William Green not only tried to substitute for the little ones' father, but he also provided for their needs. Ann could work with her mother in their home laundry and also care for her children.
The years passed. As 1840 rolled 'round, missionaries from America came to the Herefordshire area teaching residents about a new church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wilford Woodruff became the principal leader Of the work there. (A few details of Woodruff's effort are recorded in John William's biography.) The Green family were Bible readers and were spiritually inclined. Through their search for truth they had left their Methodist faith and Joined the United Brethren. By this time Jane Ann was thirteen years old and John William was eleven.
According to Wilford Woodruff's L.D.S. Baptismal Record, Ann Dutson was baptized and confirmed 29 Mar. 1840, by Wilford Woodruff. Her daughter Jane was baptized 17 June 1840. (Ann's daughter has usually been referred to as Jane Ann. Yet obviously from her christening certificate and her baptism record, the name was simply Jane. Apparently she was called Jane Ann to avoid confusion with her Aunt Jane Green, Ann's sister.)
Four days before his twelfth birthday John William Dutson was baptized in the Lugg River and was confirmed 24 Sept. 1840 by Elder Philip Green, his uncle. All members of the Green family were baptized into the new church.
The Green family, with the exception of Sarah and Susan and their husbands, were able to sell their property and move to America. Jane Ann and John William were now teenagers and were included in the group with their mother Ann.
On 24 Sept. 1842 at Liverpool, they joined the company of 214 saints and boarded the ship MEDFORD, under Captain Uriah G. Wilber, sailing for New Orleans. (See John William Dutson's biography for more detail.) Apostle Orson Hyde, returning from his mission to Jerusalem, was in charge of the large company.
The ship landed at New Orleans 13 Nov. 1842. Only two of the company died en route.
In this company was a young Lugwardine neighbor, William Wood. In his autobiography he wrote:
"When I landed in New Orleans ... I was in a strange country without means to go on up the river as the rest of the company were going to St. Louis, Mo. It looked to me at that time rather discouraging. However, I said nothing, but stayed in the steamer with the rest until all were ready to take ship to St. Louis. Then Sister Ann Dustan Dutson came to me and asked me what I was going to do. If I wanted to go on up the river, they would pay my passage to St. Louis ... As that was what I wanted I accepted the offer and went on board the steamer CASPIAN bound for St. Louis."
They sailed nearly 700 miles north, up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri. With so much ice in the river, sailing further to Nauvoo seemed foolish, even impossible at that time of year. So the family remained in St. Louis for the winter.
All the changes in living, plus the long trip proved to be too much for Father William Green in his advanced years. During their temporary stay at St. Louis, he became ill and died in April of 1843, exact date unknown. 4
Shortly after burying their patriarch William Green, the family continued their journey up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo, headquarters of the Church at that time.,
John William was fourteen years old and large for his age, so he could help his mother Ann. Finding employment in a brickyard, he earned enough brick to help build a home. At that particular time Nauvoo became quite a hotbed and the, saints relied strongly on each other. (See biography of John William.)
While living in Nauvoo the Prophet Joseph Smith laid his hands on Ann's head and set her apart as a midwife, informing her that she would be successful in caring for the sick if she would use herbs exclusively in her work. (Date unknown.) Ann soon became a busy "doctor" and delivered many babies.
In Nauvoo Ann met a widower, John Carling. Before Emeline Keaton, his first wife died, she had borne him five children: Isaac Van Wagoner, Sarah Wilday Frances (died in infancy), Catherine Keaton, Abraham Freer, and John Warner (died in infancy).
Years later Isaac Carling told his children and grandchildren that his father, John Carling, was asked by Brigham Young to make a pattern of an oxen to use in building the oxen on which to rest the baptismal font in the Nauvoo temple. John owned some beautiful oxen, so he tied up the best one in the backyard and proceeded to draw the picture. Then he pinned planks together with hardwood pins and glued them together. He drew the outline with a carpenter's pencil.
With a saw and a drawing knife, he then carved the pattern for the oxen. Isaac stated that he helped his father John work this out. However, a man by the name of Fordham was given credit for helping to make the oxen for the Nauvoo Temple, and John Carling was not named.
Ann recognized John Carling's fine qualities and he hers. Hyrum Smith married them 10 June 1844 and she became the mother to John's three surviving children.5
Shortly after their marriage the area was rocked by the mob, killing the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum in Carthage.
During the prevalent chaos and persecution, Ann began her third family. At one point in time she was certain that Jane Ann and John William would be her only children. But her marriage to John Carling brought her a second family--his family: Isaac, age 11, Catherine, age 9, and Abraham, age 6. Now a new baby started "their" family. Francis Caleb (Frank) Carling was born. 9 Aug. 1845, at Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois.
Presumably in 1846 the Carlings joined other saints who were being driven from the area in droves, settling in different locations, mostly in Iowa. In these different settlements the displaced families were preparing for the trek west, to the unknown.
During the exodus from Nauvoo, President Young asked John and his son Isaac to remain and prepare outfits for the' fleeing saints. If they would do this, he promised them "in the name of Jehovah that you will be protected and will reach the valleys of the mountain's safely." They complied.
Ann cried and at times feared they would surely be killed. But when it came time for them to leave Nauvoo, John went to the ferryman to determine when they would be taken across the Mississippi. The ferryman said, "Bright and early in the morning, before the mob gathers." Next morning the last wagon was pulled onto the boat when the captain shouted, "Quick! Here they come!" The racing mob reached the shore just as the boat pulled off. They cursed and swore and fired their guns, but the shots all went wild. One man tried to jump onto the boat, but missed and caught hold of the edge with his fingers. He was unable to climb on and was dragged into the deep swift water and apparently drowned.6
Even though his mother left, John William stayed in Nauvoo to the last of the fighting with the mob, then he moved on to St. Louis.
Ann's daughter Jane Ann was seventeen when her mother married John Carling and she felt it was time to be on her own. Being a good seamstress, she went to live with the Cannon family to help the eldest daughter Mary Alice Cannon who cared for her now-orphaned siblings. Jane Ann helped get them to Winter Quarters.
While in Pottawattamie County, Iowa., Ann Carling gave birth on 25 June 1847 to her second Carling son, Joseph Mathew. This slowed Ann's profession, even more than her first Carling son, for now she had two babies of her own.
One of her patients in Pottawattamie was Elizabeth Adamson Melville, wife ofAlexander Melville. Arriving I April 1844 in Nauvoo, this couple had been good neighbors to the Carlings. Their baby Margaret was born 22 Dec. 1844. (According to the 1850 Census, Margaret-then age 6--was born in Missouri. This must be an error. Because they had arrived in Nauvoo in April of 1844, it is logical that Margaret was born in Nauvoo.) Joseph Alexander was born 24 Feb. 1846 and died 20 Oct. 1846. Tragically, the mother Elizabeth Melville, died only a month later, 14 Nov. 1846, at Cutler's Park, three miles west of Winter Quarters.
This left the Melvilles' two-year-old daughter Margaret in Alexander's care. Knowing he must earn the means to go west, Alexander left little Margaret with Ann Carling and went back and forth to St. Louis several times. Ann's hands were more than full. Alexander became acquainted with Ann's daughter Jane Ann Dutson while visiting little Margaret. The two were married near Kanesville, Iowa, on 29 May 1848.
The 1850 Census of Pottawattamie, Iowa 7 shows some interesting family-related statistics. Apparently Ann and John Carling and their family lived next door to Thomas Richmond and his wife Elizabeth. This was Elizabeth Green, Ann's sister. (Explanation of this marriage and family is given following the Census listing below.) Alexander Melville and Jane Ann were shown as living next door to the Richmonds. The three families were numbered in the column, "Dwelling houses in order of visitation," as 31, 32, 33.
| NAME | AGE | OCCUPATION | PLACE OF BIRTH |
| John Carling | 51 | Carpenter | N. Y. |
| Ann | 45 F | Eng. | |
| Isaac | 17 M | Laborer | N. Y. |
| Catherine | 15 F | " | |
| Abraham | 12 N | " | |
| Francis | 5 M | Ill. | |
| Joseph | 3 M | Omahaw Land | |
| Thomas Richmond | 45 | Laborer | Eng. |
| Elizabeth | 44 F | " | |
| Everitt | 18 M | " | |
| Jessee | 16 M | " | |
| Joseph | 9 M | Ill. | |
| Alexander Melville | 29 M | Cooper | Scot. |
| Jane | 23 F | Eng. | |
| Margaret | 3 F | Mo. |
After fleeing from Nauvoo, Ann's sister Elizabeth Green had moved to Winter Quarters where she met Thomas Richmond. Thomas' first wife had died, leaving him to care for their sons William, Everett, Jessee, and Joseph. The oldest son, William, had joined the Mormon Battalion. The oldest Richmond child was a daughter, Sarah Ann, who married Henry Nelson 16 May 1848 in Pottawattami County, Iowa. Therefore, she was not listed as part of the Richmond family on the 1850 Census. Elizabeth Green, Thomas Richmond's second wife, had accepted this challenge to be mother to Thomas Richmond's family. They were married, as indicated on the Census Record above.
Apparently John and Ann Carling had planned to cross the plains in 1847. They were signed up to go with the Daniel Spencer Company 8 who left Winter Quarters 17 June 1847.
Those listed with the John Carling group included: John Carling 47; Ann Carling 42; Jane Dudsen Dutson 20; Isaac Carling 16; Abraham Carling 9; Catherine Carling 12; Francis Carling 1. For some reason they changed their plans and waited five years.
On 8 July 1852 John and Ann, with their family, left Kanesville, Iowa, with the 20th company of the year, under Captain Henry D. Miller. About 229 people with 63 wagons were in this company which included Apostle Orson Hyde and his family.
Jane Ann and Alexander's first baby was born 21 June 1849 at St. Louis. They named the baby John William, for her brother John William Dutson. Unfortunately, the baby died 24 Feb. 1850 near Council Bluffs, Iowa. James Andrew, the second son, was born 3 Mar. 1852 at Mosquito Creek, Pottawattamie, Iowa. Jane Ann and Alexander took the young baby, along with his daughter Margaret and joined the Miller Company. With her young baby, the journey was much easier for Jane Ann because her mother, Ann Carling, also travelled in the same company.
Cholera caused much trouble on the trip that year, but only one or two died in the Miller Company. Captain Miller refused to stop in one camp long enough for the people to get sick and die. Seeing so many graves along the way was depressing.
Joseph C. Bentley wrote:
"Sunday, July 24, it had become apparent that the food supplies would not hold out until the end of the journey, so Captain Miller chose a few companions with good mounts to rush ahead and send back provisions from Salt Lake City. They averaged about 30 to 35 miles a day and arrived in the city about sixteen days later. Food was sent back, so no one suffered from its lack and they were now able to travel on at a more leisurely pace, arriving in the city on Friday, September 24, 1852." 9
The biography of Richard John Moxey Bee tells some interesting details of happenings with this Miller Company.10
"Brother Bee volunteered to assist the wagons across the swollen Loop Fork River, he had no fear of the water and knew nothing about the treacherous quicksand. The cattle had to swim and he was to guide the herd across. He was stationed below to keep the herd inclined towards the opposite bank as they would be inclined to land on the side they went in. The herd reached him and he began to shout to turn the swaying herd. He realized he had been sinking but did not know the cause. He remained at his post but could not move. He was too proud to cry for help, although hundreds of men, women and children were on the bank within saving reach. He was surrounded by the cattle, but could not move. He finally took hold of an ox's tail and hung on for dear life. He was pulled from the quicksand and clung hard and fast until the ox landed him safely on the opposite shore.
"Just before descending to the plains below, an almost indescribable scene was presented to the view of the wagon train. An innumerable herd of buffalo was spread out before them ...
Looking through telescopes and covering an area of about 100 square miles, the prairie was literally black with them. Old frontiersmen who were along with this company estimated there would be about 1,000,000 head migrating from their winter to their summer range. The company moved cautiously to prevent any stampeding among their own cattle.
"Occasionally they encountered strolling bands of Indians either hunting or changing temporary locations for change of pasture for their stock; all apparently peaceful but always hungry.
"The company had camped one time early one afternoon to give the cattle and horses a chance of good pasture. They had not been long in camp when a moving black mass of something came in sight. The men went to corral the cattle together and drive them some distance from the camp to prevent a stampede, as a herd of buffalo, which the mass proved to be, were steering for the river to drink, and their camp lay directly in their course, and at such times nothing could turn them. The noise was frightening.
"The herd reached the camp and ran directly through to the river, crossed the river and kept on going. The rifles of the men stopped seven, some falling right by the wagons. They remained in camp the next day cutting up and drying the meat. Buffalo meat was about sufficient for the camp the greater part of the journey.
"They arrived at Devils Gate near Independence Rock on the Sweet Water River and stayed for four days washing and repairing wagons. While there, a serious accident happened to a little girl belonging to Brother and Sister Orson Hyde. The little girl and her sister ages 3 and 5 years old were playing around where there was a fire burning and a large caldron on it with 2 hams cooking. In their play the little 3 year old fell backwards into this boiling caldron. Brother Bee was close by, heard the cry, ran and snatched the little girl from an untimely death. The child's body was frightfully scalded, her life was despaired of, but by careful nursing and the ministrations of the priesthood, claiming God's blessing, she recovered, lived to womanhood, and married in the Salt Lake Valley."
Upon arrival in Utah Territory, Ann and John took their family first to Provo where her sister Elizabeth Richmond lived. However, they did not stay there long before moving in October to the new settlement of Fillmore, which was only a year old. They had heard the promising story of its beginning:
"On 21 Oct. 1851 Brigham Young and Anson Call left Great Salt Lake City and headed two companies in search of a site for the seat of government. In all, 15 men and 3 boys with carriages, baggage wagons, horses and mules started south to what is now known as Fillmore, in Millard County. They were well armed in case of bands of Indians. There they found an inexhaustible supply of sandstone and limestone which would support building a new town and especially for a possible large statehouse which was soon built using the attractive sandstone.
President Young pressed his cane down on the northeast comer of the public square and told Jesse W. Fox to place his compass there and begin the survey of the public square first, then survey the town into blocks of 40 rods square, containing 8 lots, I and 1/4 acres each, the streets 8 rods wide with a rod on each side for sidewalks ..." 11They moved into the fort and later built a home where Ann spent the rest of her life.
Elizabeth Richmond also moved to Fillmore. Her husband had died while crossing the plains and she appreciated more than ever the proximity to her sister Ann.
Fillmore Marriage Records carry a confusing entry about Elizabeth: "Elizabeth Green Richmond and Luke Nield md 7 Feb. 1859." No other reference is ever made to this man.
Family tradition never mentions this husband.
Jane Ann and Alexander Melville also moved to Fillmore. Having her daughter nearby was a great help to Ann, especially when her husband John Carling was away as a member of the Territorial Legislature.
Shortly after the expiration of his term as a legislator, John died 2 Apr. 1855, less than three years after arriving in the Valley. He had always been a good husband and Ann missed him greatly.
After being left a widow for a second time, Ann was strengthened when her son John William Dutson arrived in Fillmore in the fall of 1857 with his wife Elizabeth and their two smalI daughters.
However, untimely deaths continued to plague Ann's family. At the age of 19 Joseph Mathew Carling, her youngest son, died. His death was caused indirectly by his big heart and his sympathy for those in distress. A short time before Christmas Joseph went to Clear Lake grounds for hay. In the same group was a man and boy who were scantily clothed and had little bedding for the night. Joseph insisted on sharing his own bedding with these unfortunate companions. As a result, Joseph's legs were frozen. After severe suffering, he died 25 Jan. 1866.
Francis Caleb (Ann's older Carling son, known as Frank) married Fanny Emeline Nixon in Fillmore. The wedding date is presumed to be about 1867 and they were sealed in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City 23 May 1868. In 1868 Joseph Mathew was born to them, named for Ann's son whose legs were frozen. Frank and Fanny's daughter, Charlotte Emma, was born 22 Aug. 1870.
Being the only "doctor" in the area, Ann realized that Frank was suffering from heart trouble and would not have much more time with his young family. What would happen to them? Of course the matter of their support, after he would be gone, weighed heavily on Frank. So he asked his halfbrother, John William Dutson, to please marry Fanny following his death and to make his children part of the growing Dutson family.
John William and his two wives, Elizabeth and Caroline and their children, had been called to help in the new settlement of Oak City. He built two houses side by side, one for Elizabeth and one for Caroline.
When Frank died 26 Dec. 1871, Ann's hands were again more than full, not only with her work as a midwife, but helping Fanny with her little ones.
Then on 14 Apr. 1873, John William married Fanny, as requested, and moved her and her young ones to Oak City where his first two families were living. Now he built a third home in the row for Fanny's family. When Mother Ann Carling went to Oak City, she could visit freely with all three families because the children ran in and out of all the homes uninhibited.
With Ann and her sister, Elizabeth Richmond, each living alone in Fillmore, it was decided to build two humble one-room homes side by side, one for Ann and one for her sister Elizabeth Richmond. They thoroughly enjoyed this proximity.
In those days it was common for an aunt to be called by her surname instead of her given name. Therefore, Elizabeth Green Richmond was called "Aunt Richmond" by all of Ann's grandchildren and even the neighbors.
Although she had no children of her own, Aunt Richmond was hardly ever alone in her log house. When baby Eliza Trescott's mother died, she became like a little daughter to Aunt Richmond, who raised her.
For many years, from the time she was a child, John William's daughter Florence (called Florrie) lived with Aunt Richmond, probably to help her.
Mary Jane Melville, daughter of Alexander and Jane Ann, was a sickly child. Grandma Ann Carling felt she could fill her grand-daughter's health needs better than her own parents if that child could live with her. Then Ann would not be living alone. Even though Mary Jane was three years older than Florrie, the two grand-daughters, living next door to each other, became the closest of friends.
Sometimes when Dr. Ann had to leave home at night to attend to the sick, her sister Elizabeth accompanied her. Then the two little girls were left at one of the homes to sleep together. One night when this happened, the girls went out in the orchard and picked up some early harvest apples. They had been instructed never to eat in bed, but bedtime came. Because their appetites hadn't been satisfied, they took one last apple to eat in bed. Their apples were almost finished when the "old ladies" returned. Both girls grasped their apple cores in their hands under the quilts and shut their eyes.
The Ladies stepped quietly over to the bed. Aunt Richmond said, "Florrie's asleep."
Ann said, "Mary Jane's asleep."
The girls struggled to keep their secret, as they nudged each other to be still. Then, when all was quiet, one of them slipped outside with the apple cores. The girls were careful never to repeat their disobedience.
Both Ann and Elizabeth were immaculate housekeepers--a place for everything and everything in its place. The little girls were taught to iron pillowcases in the true English fashion and to put things away. Every Saturday morning the native wood floors had to be scrubbed with white sand obtained west of Fillmore.
Ann's grandchildren loved to congregate in her big front yard and play games. In the winter when the snow was on the ground, "Fox and Geese" was a favorite. Shoes were hard to get. Often winter snows came early and caught the children without shoes, but this didn't stop their fun. They played barefoot in the snow. Sometimes they made a big circle, then counted how many times they could run around it without going in the house to warm their feet.
Ann's early home training in England prepared her well for the hardships of pioneer life. In many ways she was a leader in the community. The women came to her to learn efficiency in caring for their families.
When Ann was set apart by Joseph Smith in Nauvoo to become a midwife, he told her to use herbs exclusively in her practice. She was known in the area as the "herb doctor." She cultivated an herb garden and prepared her own teas and medicines.
An account of her use of herbs was prepared by her great-granddaughter Waiora Bishop Wallace, as told to her by her mother, Annie Melville Bishop:
"A partial list of the herbs and some of their uses are as follows: SAFFRON - was steeped and the tea was given to the newborn babies to clear their skin. YARROW - was steeped and the tea was used in tonics. Sometimes the leaves were bruised and used for ointment for wounds. TANSY - This herb was steeped alone or with yarrow and the tea was used by girls and women with female troubles. TAME SAGE - The tea from this herb was given to people with colds and fever. WILD CHERRY BARK - steeped as tea. INNER BARK OF QUAKING ASPEN - The tea made from these was used as a spring tonic. Very often it was given to a young mother who may have developed a fever. WILD SAGE - This was steeped and the tea given to individuals with mountain fever or neuritis. RHUBARB ROOTS - They were dried, ground very fine, mixed with soda and magnesia, and were given as a laxative or for a fever. SENNA LEAVES - This herb and raisins were steeped together and the tea given to children who had the worms. DESERT ROOT - The tea made from this root was used for people who had kidney or bladder trouble. ELDERBERRY - The bark, root and berries were all used in different medicines. DANDELION ROOTS - The tea made from this was given for liver trouble. WILD GRAPE ROOT - This root was steeped with tame sage and mixed with honey and given for canker. PLANTAIN ROOT - The leaves were bruised and were given for a poultice to draw out infection. Most of the herbs grown in her garden had beautiful flowers.
Her garden was valuable not only as a producer of herbs for medicinal purposes, but as a garden of beauty." 12
For years Ann was the only midwife to serve the needs of the people of Fillmore and neighboring towns. In those early days no other doctor was available in that part of Utah.
Therefore, Ann set broken bones and sewed up wounds in addition to being a midwife and herb doctor. She brought hundreds of babies into the world and was not only godmother to these babies but she doctored all the ills of both young and old. Her midwife fee was $3.00 - IF the people had the means to pay. She accepted her fee in either cash or produce. Even though sanitary precautions were not stressed in her time, she instinctively practiced extreme cleanliness without realizing the scientific need.
Naturally many of Ann's cases were sad and destined for tragedy. Eliza Marie Partridge Lyman kept a journal in which she related an incident of her daughter Carlie when they called Ann for assistance:
"Carlie very sick indeed. Sent for Platte in the night. Delia came in the morning. Sent to Fillmore for Sister Ann Carling, because the woman we had, said she had done that evening all she could do. Sister Carling did not get here till 7 in the evening. About half-past 8 Carlie was delivered of a fine son weighing 8 pounds. Carlie's sufferings during this day are past description. No mortal, but a woman, can suffer so and live. May I never witness such suffering again. Platte stood by her like a brother and his wife, Adelia, did all she could as also Sister Caroline and others but no one could do much good till Sister Carling came. She soon brought relief and the best sound I ever heard was when I heard the baby cry. She rested very well that night but was very lame next day and could not move without being lifted on a sheet but seemed as comfortable as could be expected under the circumstances. . . 13
Unfortunately, two weeks later Carlie died after much suffering and left her baby in her mother's care. Carlie was a polygamous wife of Thomas Callister.
Even the Indians came to Ann for medical assistance. This she discouraged because of their superstitions and customs. The Indians trusted the white "herb doctor" implicitly. Ann was kind to them, giving them fruit from her own trees and instructing them how to dry it. They were even allowed to dry the fruit on her sheds. After it was dried, the Indians sacked and stored it in Ann's cellar. As needed, they took a small portion at a time, leaving the rest with Ann, so firm was their faith in her.
The following is recorded in the history of Isaac V. Carling, Ann's step-son:
"Isaac Carling had a profound respect and love for this woman who became his second mother. His first daughter he named for his wife and a grandmother; and the second one also bears one of her names and that of his mother; but the third one he named simply Ann. I had wondered as a girl why all of the others in the family were given two names, and she just the single, sweet, short name, Ann. But now I know that in this impressive gesture he paid tribute to this mother who had been so kind and gracious to his father's family. Ann -- the name shall always hold a special meaning for me henceforth.
"And had you ever wondered how your mothers had come by their seemingly inexhaustible store of knowledge of herbs and their uses? And their almost as inexhaustible supply of the roots and blossoms and leaves and barks that you helped them gather and cure for their home medicine chest? It is only natural that this should be, with the background of blessing and good works of this kindly woman who probably brought all but one of the family into the world. And I have a strong suspicion that all of us who have helped gather and dry the yarrow, the pennyroyal, the gravelweed, saffron, ginger, graperoot, angelica, hoarhound, catnip, spearmint, wild sage, bark of kinnekinnick, and mullein -- and many others I do not recall at this moment -- occasionally recall their soothing properties, and find use for some of them. If your children wonder why -- just let them read the story of Great Grandfather John Carling's sweet wife Ann."14
When Ann hurried to her "calls," she perched on the running gears of the wagon and told the driver to move the horses as fast as they would go. From this precarious perch she fell one day while hurrying to Meadow, and broke her hip. In her very late 80s this brought a halt to her practice as a midwife.
After Ann's years of instruction, her granddaughter Florence Virginia Dutson Nielson followed in her footsteps and was known as a successful nurse. She used many of her grandmother's remedies and medicines and was in great demand to treat the diseases of babies and children. An enlarged picture of her grandmother Ann always occupied a prominent place in her home.
Ann was a strong, brave, faithful, kind, and sympathetic person. Her grandchildren who, in later years lived in Oak City, tell how she cried tears of joy when they came to Fillmore to visit her. When they left, she cried because she hated to see them leave. She was loved and respected by all and was "Grandma Carling" to almost everyone.
Ann had four children. Only three of them lived to be married but she has a numerous growing posterity. From these three married children, she had 35 grandchildren. From them, the numbers spread and continue to grow.
When the Prophet set her apart as a midwife, he promised her that she would not suffer at death. 15 On July 3, 1893, she was paralyzed from a stroke and on July 16, she peacefully passed away.15 She was buried in Fillmore, Utah.
Her reward must surely be one of great glory, since she spent all her life literally serving her fellowmen.
Her picture hangs in the State House Museum at Fillmore. Tourists have often remarked that she surely must have been a wonderful woman because "It shows in her face." This is the result of a full life nobly lived.
Endnotes: