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When a young man he married Nancy Brown but their happiness was of short duration, for Nancy died at the birth of their son. The child also died.
On the 17th of January 1841 in Illinois at the age of 32, he married Sarah Haws 19 years old of Carmi, White County, Illinois. They established their home in the woods near Johnsville, Wayne County, Illinois. They lived there until the spring of 1864. The trees that were cut down to clear the ground for farming were used to make the cabin. The floor was made of "Punchins" logs split and laid down on the softened dirt inside the cabin walls bark side down. The split sides dressed smooth by the use of a doz-adz and a spake-sheve. The furniture, tables, benches, stools, were made of punchins or sections sawed from the ends of logs. Legs driven into the holes made with an auger. The babies cradle was made of a hollowed section of a log. The cupboard for dishes was made of hand-hewn boards supported by pegs driven into the wall with a curtain hung in front of it. In one corner of the room was the bed. Instead of springs on the bed, there was a network of leather or rawhide tongs laced across the bedstead. On this was placed a straw-tick. On this was a feather bed and hand woven sheets and blankets were used. The fireplace was used for both warm air and for cooking.
Ten sons and four daughters were born to them of which seven sons and two daughters lived to maturity. Their son, Richard Sessions, was killed during the Civil War at the Battle of Nashville, Tennessee on 12-16-1864. A flying piece of shell struck him in the forehead, taking off the top of his head. A boyhood friend, Thomas Dye carried the news of his death to his family. He was with him when he was killed. Twin boys were born May 14, 1850, Mary A. July 14, 1853, Sarah Feb. 9, 1861. All died young.
Thomas Broady Sessions and his wife Sarah Haws were converted by Mormon Missionaries in the summer of 1843. When the Latter Day Saints were planning to move west, he and his brother Richard (also a convert to Mormonism) and their families planned to move from Wayne County, Ill. to Utah under the direction of Brigham Young. Their wagons were packed with provisions, household goods, seeds, farm tools and bare necessities. All was ready for an early start the next day.
During this last day Thomas went about making collections of some small debts that were owed to him. One neighbor who lived a quarter of a mile away owed him $8.00 for a bit of blacksmith work.. As Thomas and his brother Richard's son neared the man's place to ask him for the money, the man came to meet them. As he passed the woodpile he picked up a green root which that day had been plowed up from the ground. He made a vicious swing with the root saying "this is how I pay bills owed to Mormons". The root being pliable wrapped completely around Thomas Broady Sessions ribs just beyond the backbone breaking three of them. Richard's son thinking that his uncle had been killed, ran for his father's farm. Richard and his neighbors came and carried Thomas home. All through the night he was near "deaths door", and the neighbors sat near with their guns across their knees while others guarded the man who made the attack. Had Thomas died they had agreed together that they had been pushed past tolerance and that they would "dispatch" him out of this world. He did not die but of course was unable to make the trip west at that time. His brother, Richard, did leave with Brigham Young's Company, and served as a scout across the western plains.
Thomas Broady Sessions and family remained in Illinois, had little contact with the church as there were none around, but they remained constant in their conviction about the Church of Jesus Christ being restored in their time of life. They sold their farm on May 11, 1864 and started west one week later on May 18th. They had two wagons, ox teams with two teams to a wagon. A cow, a horse to ride and many comforts for the trip not available at the time Richard left in flight to the west with Brigham Young's party.
They crossed the Missouri River at Omaha on July the third. They were with five other families, ten wagons but were held at Fort Kearny by U.S. Troops because their company was not large enough to protect itself from the Indian attack. After waiting ten days, they joined the first wagon train that came along. This was a company of about 500 Danish converts to the Mormon Church. Fifty-two wagons under a Captain William B. Preston who placed them in Heber City, Utah September 16, 1864.
Thomas Broady Sessions homesteaded at Center Creek, Utah near Heber City. His sons were old enough to be a great help in the establishment of the farm and home at Center Creek. Edgar was 21, Solomon 19, Will 17, John 14, Joe 10, Thomas G.7, daughters were Martha 5, and Elizabeth 1 year old. Son, Jeremiah, was born January 22, 1867.
Thomas Broady (Brody) Sessions died at Center Creek, Utah, December 6, 1881.
The above information was taken by Martha Louise Sessions from conversations with Sarah Haws, his wife. She moved to Thatcher, Arizona and lived with a daughter in her latter life. She died April 26, 1902 and is buried there.
TAKEN FROM THOMAS B. SESSIONS BIBLE
Father: Thomas Broady Sessions, born June 4th 1809 Butler Co., Kentucky, married Jan 17, 1841, Wayne Co., Ill. Died December 6, 1881, Timpanogus, Wasatch Co., Utah Buried Heber City Cemetery.
Mother: Sarah Haws Sessions, born April 4, 1822 Carmi, Wayne Co., Illinois. Married January 17, 1841. Died April 26, 1902 Thatcher, Graham Co., Arizona.
| Children's Name | Birth date | Marriage Date | Died | |
| Edgar Sessions | March 25, 1843 | Wayne Co. Ill. | Sept. 7, 1883 | |
| Solomon | January 26, 1845 | " | Dec. 17, 1866 | |
| Richard | March 16, 1846 | " | Dec 16, 1864 | |
| William | February 26, 1846 | " | ||
| Twin boys | May 14, 1850 | " | May 14, 1850 | |
| John | October 28, 1851 | " | ||
| Mary Angeline. | July 14, 1853 | " | Jan. 2, 1854 | |
| Joseph A. | November 23, 1854 | " | May - , 1884 | |
| Thomas G. | May 5, 1857 | " | ||
| Martha M. | June 15, 1859 | " | Sept. 4, 1881 | |
| Sarah | February 9, 1861 | " | June 21, 1863 | |
| Elizabeth ? | October 4, 1863 | " | Oct. 31, 1881 | |
| Jeremiah | January 22, 1867 | " | Jan 24, 1867 |
Histories of the following are not included in this book:
William D. stayed in Heber City. He was baptized into the church on the 24th of September, 1865. In 1886 he married Alice Harrison in Heber City. They had two children: Lucy Myrl born in 1887 and William born in 1889. He died 14th February 1901 of consumption and diabetes. He is buried in the Heber City Cemetery.
John never married. He lost an eye and was called "One eyed John". He was called by the church on 8th April 1879 as one of 28 Mormon colonists to establish Smithville, later to be called Pima, Arizona. It was the first colony in the Gila Valley. John was a hard worker and loved by all those of the family who helped establish this colony. He was a very special uncle to Edgar and Solomon's families who also helped to settle the valley.
Joseph Alma was 10 years old when his father homesteaded in Center Creek. He was old enough to help his father so his life was a busy one of work. He married Maria Louisa Newell in Heber City in May 1884. They lived in Center Creek and their children were born there probably assisted by mid-wives as that was the procedure in the valley in those days.
| CHILD | BORN | BAPTIZED | MARRIED | DIED |
| Ethel | 6 Sept. 1884 | 12 June 1893 | James Albert Howarth | 15 Dec 1918 |
| Joseph Elmer | 11 Oct 1885 | 22 Aug 1897 | 24 Jan 1930 | |
| Mary Lou | 1887 | 1897 | ||
| Gerald | 27 Aug 1889 | 25 Dec 1915 | Bessie Mae Reed | 26 May 1950 |
| Merrilla | 22 Sep 1991 | 18 Dec 1899 | David McMurry | 26 Sep. 1960 |
| Lola H | 27 Jul 1993 | 17 Aug 1901 | Charles Giles | 29 Aug 1962 |
| Thomas Alfred | 27 Jan 1896 | 31 Jul 1904 | Blanch A. Merry | 20 May 1948 |
| Dewey Edgar | 18 Mar 1898 | |||
| Alice Enveley | 3 Mar 1901 | 4 Jul 1909 | ||
| Luella Azola | 29 Nov 1902 | 6 Aug 1911 | ||
| Stella Martha | 12 Oct 1904 | 5 Apr 1913 | ||
| Newell Ellis | 1 Nov 1910 | 10 Mar 1911 |
Joe, as they called him lost his first wife Maria 7 December 1918 probably of the horrible flu at that time. Ethel probably died of it also.
He later married Violet Mary Labranch in Heber City as the second wife in a plural marriage. They had 5 children: Earl, Peal, Mary, Perry and ;Lowell.
He was killed in a bus crash near Pocatello, Idaho, 27 July, 1929. His body was brought back to Heber City and buried there.
Thomas Green never married. He left with John to colonize Smithville in 1879 in Arizona.
Martha married Emery Larogue 1 September 1881. They had 6 children all born in Utah.
Josephine born 6 June 1881, Emery born 13 Nov 1882, Blanche born 16 Aug 1994; died 21 Aug 1911, Edwin born 14 November 1886, Ferry born 25 Jul 1889 and Leslie Ralph born 29 Aug 1893. She died 16 October 1935 in Blackfoot, Idaho.
Elizabeth married Nephi Fuller 11 October 1881 in Heber City. They had nine children:
Thomas Edwin born 12 March 1881 in Center Creek, Carl born 11 February 1883 in Harrisburg, Utah; Sarah Malinda born 7 March 1885 in Harrisburg, Sylvia born 15 October 1887 in Center Creek, Catharine born 15 September 1890 in Pima, Arizona, died 27 February 1930; Loria born 4 Aug 1893 in Mesa, Arizona; Alma born 23 April 1896 in Pima, Walter born 22 October 1998 in Pima, died 4 June 1917; Stella born 17 April 1901 in Pima.