Hyrum Smith was first married to Jerusha and they had six children before Jerusha passed away. Mary Fielding was born in England and later moved to Canada to be by her brother and sister. She was baptized in Canada by Parley Pratt and moved to Kirtland, Ohio. The next year she married Hyrum Smith and cared for his then five living children. Mary had two children of her own: Joseph F. Smith and Martha.The death of Hyrum was a sad blow to Mary and the children, but they carried on.
Mary was determined to travel west with the Saints and she obtained oxen and supplies. Once when her oxen wandered off, her son remembers seeing his mother on her knees praying for help to find the lost oxen. She did find the lost oxen and brought them back. Another time she tied two wagons up to one team of oxen and attempted to make progress. When a company captain saw her with all of the children and struggling with the oxen, he told her he did not want her in the company because she would slow the company down and he would have to help her. She was insistent on progressing and retorted to the captain that she would not ask of his help and would beat him to the valley.
When her oxen became ill en route to the Salt Lake valley, she obtained some consecrated oil, found two men who held the priesthood and asked them to administer to the sick oxen. They told her they had never blessed animals before, but she told them she had faith in the power of the priesthood. After the blessing, the sick oxen rose up and walked. This happened three times on the journey.
I don't know all of the details of how this happened, but it is recorded that Mary entered the valley a day before the captain and company.
The first winter after arriving in the Salt Lake valley was very difficult for Mary and her family. The next summer when they were finally gathering vegetables from their garden, Mary chose some of the best potatoes and took them to the tithing office in order to pay her tithing. The clerk wondered aloud whether she should pay her tithing as she and her family were so poor. She told the clerk that she did not want to be denied the blessings that come from paying tithing.
What a strong and saintly woman! I love her determination and fortitude.
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