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When about 12 years of age her father lost his life trying to save the life of a young boy who had gone down a pit and was overcome by the gas. He also was over come by the gas. So at an early age had to earn her own living by working for other people and away from home.
She married a man named Mair and was the mother of nine children.
She embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1851. During the next 15 years she tried to convert her husband to the gospel but with no success. At the end of this period she began making secret preparations to immigrate to Utah with her three younger children, Mary, Andrew, and Alexander. John and James her two elder sons had gone to Maryland some years before for financial benefits. Her younger daughter, Jessie, had died in infancy and Fowles, her older son, now twenty-one years old, stayed with her husband.
Her immigration to Utah was unknown to her husband and son Fowles. She was a very thrifty person and had been able to save a small amount of money without her husband knowing. She accumulated clothes and bed clothing and other necessary articles she needed for her journey. Her daughter, Mary, had been taken into her confidence and was sent with small bundles every few days to Kilmarmock where she left these things with the President of a branch of the church while he was securing passage on the boat for them. The President was John Aird, Uncle of John and Henry Aird of Provo.
She sailed from Liverpool on 6 May 1866 on the ship "St. Mark". They landed at New York 26, June, 1866 a remarkably quick voyage for a sailing ship at that time. She crossed the plains in Captain Scotts Company arriving in Salt Lake City in October 1866.
When her husband found she had sailed for America he called his sons in Maryland to meet the boat at New York and take the children from their Mother and return them to him. Luckily the message failed to reach the sons in time. Her sons visited Utah a few years later and felt that the children were better off with their mother and that Utah offered the children better opportunities for training in life than Scotland. Her husband always believed that his wife would find out that she had been deceived by the Mormons. He thought she would soon tire of the trials and tribulations she would be called to bear and that someday she would return to the home in Scotland. He would never allow the door of the home to be barred.
While crossing the plains, Mary contracted mountain fever, a fever similar to typhoid fever, and was very ill. Through the power of the Lord she was healed. As soon as possible after their arrival in Salt Lake City, Mary (as she was called) came to Heber where her brother, John M. Murdock was living. He had crossed the plains in 1852 with his family. John's journey to Utah was hard and sad as they buried two children on the way. A baby was also born to them on the way, Mary Duke Ryan.
John Murdock had sent money to their mother, who was over seventy years of age, to come to Utah. However, the hand cart company in which she started was late in leaving. The storms, snow and hardships were too much for the poor old soul. She died near Chimney Rock, Wyoming. Practically a martyr for the Gospels sake, her last words were, "Tell John I died with my face towards Zion".
A few years after my grandmother arrived here she married Daniel McMillan a blacksmith. He was kind to her children. Through her thrift, economy and his labor they were able to build a very nice home, as nice a home as was build at that time. One of her strong characteristics of thrift was that all money brought her, as far as possible, only the dividend or interest was used. She did considerable work as a mid-wife among her relations and near friends until she was afflicted with rheumatism and could not walk far.
She was a Relief Society teacher. Even strangers recognized her as one who would be worthy of receiving their children for one left her two little girls for her to rear. The little girls were Nettie and Elva Olson who proved to be of great help to her and to whom she was a kind and loving mother. She also took care of Mary Janet Nelson, Daniel's daughter's girl. She had her from birth until six years of age.
Twelve years before her death she became invalid - not being able to turn over without help, and yet was never known to utter a complaining word. Her energy continued on - she knit stockings and knitted pieces of lace and also read a great deal to her husband whose eyesight was very poor.
She died true to the faith for which she left husband, home and country. She died 5 Dec.1900, surrounded by those who were near and dear to her life. Her daughter, Mary Lindsay, did all that was possible to soothe her closing hours, through all her troubles and trials in life which were many, scarcely a murmur ever passed her lips. She will be very much missed by her husband and the family for the practical advice and counsel she always had to give them on any and all subjects.
The funeral service was held in the stake house where many comforting words were spoken and all present were exhorted to emulate her exemplary life. Thirty vehicles followed the remains to the cemetery where all that was mortal of dear old Aunt Mary was consigned to the silent tomb to await the resurrection of the dead.
Dearest Sister, thou hast left us here, thy loss we deeply feel, but 'tis God that hath beroft us. He can all our sorrows heal. Fold her snowy shawl about her softest folds of snowy while yearning hearts must live without her, Grandma's in the land of light. Clasp the cold and waxen finger O're the peaceful clumbering breast, close the stiffened eyelids gently, dear old Grandma's gone to rest. C.L.D.